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28 March 2013
Tags: healthy recipes
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Herbed Tofu Stuffed Peppers : vegan & gluten free

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Oh my, four years ago when I ventured into a plant-strong diet I had no idea what wonderful meals awaited. In those early years, planning a meal was hard and confusing. Wish I only had one of those looking glass balls to show me a glimpse of the amazing meals I would create and eat – Yes, all dairy, egg, meat and wheat free.

Truthfully, I have never felt this inventive and excited about cooking. I say, it’s time to embrace change in the kitchen ~ and embrace the wonderful world of powerful and nutritious plant-strong cooking.

I love food and nothing stopped me enjoying flavourful protein-rich tasty meals – if anything, I am loving what’s on my plate now – organic delicious inventive beautiful nutritious food.

 

With Easter coming up in just a few days, I wanted to share with you a really stunning dish that I made that’s packed in protein, all organic and just beautiful to serve and enjoy…

Besides food tasting great and being nutritious, I do love a plate that is beautiful to look at. Doesn’t it just taste better when it’s pretty or is this just my personal observation? ;)

One dish you will love, are these HERBED TOFU STUFFED PEPPERS! These tri-coloured mini peppers were thrown in so quick with fresh and dried herbs, organic tofu and baked until soft ~ so simple to do, yet so great to devour into ;) Here is the recipe for this vegan, gluten-free recipe:

VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE
HERBED TOFU STUFFED PEPPERS

  • 8-10 mini tri-coloured peppers (red, orange and yellow)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 zucchini, chopped fine
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped fine
  • 1 package of organic firm tofu*, cubed (about 1-2 cups)
  • up to 1/4 cup non-dairy milk or 3 tablespoons of vegan mayo
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1/2 – 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • grape seed oil for cooking
  • fresh basil for plating

.

* be sure to always purchase only Organic tofu as soy is one of the top GMO foods. So are peppers! Of course, try to buy as much organic as possible…

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 350F and prep a non-aluminum baking sheet with parchment paper.

Clean and dry the peppers. Cut the ends off and scoop out the insides with a small spoon. Set aside.

In a frying pan, sautee the onion over low-medium until golden but not burned (any black spots will add a bitter taste to the recipe, so keep stirring often and keep the heat fairly low). Add the zucchini and garlic into the onion and cook together until all is softened, adding more oil if needed. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a food processor, pulse the tofu until it crumbles, add in all the ingredients from the pan, the milk or mayo and the herbs, pepper, cayenne pepper, sea salt. Pulse more to combine all the ingredients, but don’t overmix as some texture from the onions and zucchini is great in this recipe. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Fill the peppers with the tofu mixture, place on the baking dish and drizzle with grape seed oil. Toss them to coat in the oil then sprinkle with extra dried basil and/or oregano, fresh thyme, a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, turning over once halfway through the cooking time. Serve straight from the oven or leave to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.

 

This is one particular dish that I can’t wait to make again. I served it with brown rice and it was just perfect as a whole dinner with a side salad. But I can just imagine this as a great side dish on a potluck party or part of an Easter meal or other family meals.

And I also can’t wait to put these babies right on the grill! For this weekend though, they will be lovely to bring to our Easter dinner at my father-in-law’s. Can’t wait!

Happy Easter everyone! xo Ella

 


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27 March 2013
Tags: crafts
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Eggshell Mosaic Easter Eggs

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The Easter weekend is just around the corner… and this is the time to plan recipes and decor and of course, those Easter eggs!

Each year I try to come up with some interesting ideas for Easter eggs, and each year the inspirations usually come straight from nature… I’ve incorporated seeds, spices and herbs before and these you can see here. They were beautiful.

And this year, I simplified things even further and created an Eggshell Mosaic on our Easter Eggs.  Simply put, it’s the shells from a contrasting colour eggs applied to an egg. Result – stunning, beautiful Easter Eggs that are all-natural, non-toxic and quite quick and easy to do.

My sweetheart was kind enough to pose for me with this cute little easter basket for one. She loves them and will now not want to eat the egg inside. I say it’s a waste of food then. Hmm…

Good advice is then to make holes on the ends and blow out the insides but we always forget to do that.

Here is how to make your own Eggshell Mosaic Easter Eggs:

Every time you peel an egg, naturally little mosaic pieces fall… perfect….

I purchased a box of white and brown organically farmed eggs. Hard boiled them and dipped a couple of the white into beet stock. (water from boiling beets)

Then you glue the tiny eggshell pieces onto the contrasting coloured egg. Simple and beautiful. Be sure to use non-toxic school/ white glue, dip a small paintbrush in it, dab on parts of the egg and stick pieces of the ‘mosaic’ right on. I included my daughter on the fun, and she didn’t want to work with the egg but rather glueing the eggshells onto paper to make an eggshell mosaic egg art. It’s not finished yet, but she loved making it and it looks beautiful already.

End result, stunning Easter eggs made with just a few simple natural supplies… and actual pieces of eggshells… perfectly natural.

 


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26 March 2013
Tags: crafts
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Sewing a Sweet Bunny – tutorial

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Being a mom is just the best thing in the world. My mommy duties include taking care of Miss Gabriella: making meals, baking together, planning playdates, cuddling, singing in the car, dancing in the kitchen, jumping on the bed, teaching reading and writing, playing games and making up stuff to do… this list is truly endless. And if you’re a mama, then you know what I mean. Let’s give ourselves a high five for being awesome! ;)

One of my favourite activities that I introduced my girl to, is crafting. When she was little we did all sort of things from paper, fabric, beans and grains, and tons more. Now, at 5 she really knows what she  wants and we plan something fun that could keep both of us happy.

Last year, just around this time of the year, we planned to make a sweet little bunny for Easter…

… the inspiration came from visiting a local craft store and spotting this cute bunny fabric print. It was *aww…* at first sight! We had to take the bunny fabric home not even knowing what we would do with it.

The plushy idea came quickly to mind as for a long time I fantasized about making some sweet little treasure for my girl (while she was still little). (Cause gosh knows how quickly they grow up and would say… ‘but mom, I don’t want a purple bunny’, gasp!)

Our crafting day was just perfect : messy and fun. Here’s a simple little guide for Sewing a Sweet Bunny – a tutorial.

  1. Find the fabrics you need. You can have all one colour or have the back a different fabric. I inverted the ears so that the bunny print is on the front of the ears. For size reference I used a bunny stuffie my daughter already had. My fabric tip, is to go with a quality fabric, like organic cotton or linen – as it’s nice when handmade things are true quality things. (that was my personal mistake, I went with a terrycloth because it was the colour I wanted and it was all I had – but it’s not high-quality as it would have been if it was sewn with linen fabric.
  2. Trace the shape onto a scrap piece of paper. I really focused on one side, then I folded the paper and cut the other side to match the symmetry.
  3. Cut the ears and hands separately. To keep the pattern simple, I connected the legs together to the body. (less sewing ;)) Cut this pattern out.
  4. I placed the fabric front-to-front.
  5. Now double up your fabric, and trace around the shapes.
  6. Cut both pieces of fabric at the same time.
  7. Place your pieces and see if you like the shape, you can trim certain areas out if you like at this stage. (the bunny print is on the back side)
  8. Now be sure to piece your fabrics fronts in, and hand stitch all the way around or use a sewing machine. (I did this while watching a movie one night so I preferred to hand stitch as I liked combining those tasks ;) (stitching at a sewing machine will surely be much faster ;))
.
As a side note, I am not showing this in my photos, but:
#1. be sure you stitch your hands separately (leaving holes where they would meet the body), then stuff them with cotton stuffing and place them inside the bunny as you stitch around.
#2. sew little eyes and fun things on to the face. I hand stitched in a little triangle for the nose. The the eyes are little buttons – which I’m so happy about because after we did this, the Lalaloopsy dolls exploded and now buttons are a big deal! ;)
#3. if you want to add a little ballerina skirt, you will need a long strip of a lace remnant (mine was from trimming drapes), about 1 1/2′ x 3″ high should do it. I gathered up one side and pulled the needle through to create a gathered look.

Of course, this little sewing project is not very kid friendly. So to include my daughter more, I used the paper pattern we used to cut the fabric from, hole-punched holes all the way around – and created a fun lacing activity for kids. This was a great plan – and fun for both of us at the same time. I tied a purple yarn (we were into purples back them ;)) and tied one end to a safety pin. That helped her little hands weave the pin in through the holes better. Fun!

Mother-daughter time spent together
- is the seedling of a lifelong  friendship in bloom.
~ Ella

Yes, a whole year went by… and this little bunny is still loved and treasured and cared for and hugged every night… makes me feel so happy to give my child this special gift.

I think anything made by a mom or grandma or aunt or other creative souls in the family is a very special gift in itself. It doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s perfect because it’s handmade with love.

So, with Easter coming up so soon, I thought I should share this little gift of joy with you all. Eater surely isn’t a gift-giving holiday, but bunnies are so darn cute that it’s nice to have them year round. This type of sewing is also very easy and most animals could be pulled off easily… just find a simple toy that inspires you or google could help you with that – there’s tons of inspirations out there too.

Have fun making something special. xo Ella

 

 

 

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25 March 2013
Tags: happiness
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Monday Motivation : Inspirational Quotes

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“don’t complain about things you’re not willing to work hard to change.” quote

“a simple smile. that’s the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.” quote

“do what you love, and don’t look at the clock.” – anna landers

“your dream job does not exist. you must create it.” quote

 

“go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you’ve imagined.” – thoreau quote

“peace begins with a smile.” – mother teresa quote

“most of all, let love guide your life.”  quote

Happy Monday my friends! Let’s make it a great start to your week. I hope these Monday Motivation inspirational quotes will pick up your spirit and carry you through the week with more gratitude, love and happiness.

It’s Easter weekend soon, so I will be devoting all week to Easter theme posts – planning to post a sew sweet bunny tutorial (a little crafting fun), a beautiful easter egg decorating idea and a big roundup of great recipes (hint hint, it’s a good idea to add your best Easter recipes to the Easter Potluck Party! ;))

Hope you make it a great week!

On a side-note, we still have snow on the ground – yup, maybe that’s why I’m stalling my Happiness list ;) #realitysucks #wishingforspring
But, I did have a great weekend tackling my spring cleaning – so I’m at least feeling good about sweeping off some of those dust bunnies – in time for the Easter Bunny ;)

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19 March 2013
Tags: healthy recipes
11 comments

So Delicious Coconut Vanilla Donuts

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Today I have a very sweet and special treat for you. A classic all-time favourite dessert that we all love – but kinda feel guilty about biting into… Donuts! Plus there’s a special announcement you’ll read about at the bottom of this post ;)

Well, brush that guilt aside and enjoy the sweet side of life once a while with a very delicious, moist and sumptuous Coconut Vanilla Donut.

It’s true that donuts kind of have this bad reputation – but what’s not to love – it’s a round fluffy cake with a hole in the centre. Adorable, is it not? It’s especially tasty when you create it with love and great all natural ingredients such as gluten-free flours instead of wheat, apple sauce for the egg, healthy coconut oil for butter or saturated fats and So Delicious Coconut Milk for a great dairy-free alternative.

COCONUT VANILLA DONUTS
/ DOUGHNUTS

(dairy-free, egg-free/ vegan, gluten-free/ wheat-free, all natural, refined-sugar free)

Makes 6-8 donuts

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup rice flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill flours)
  • 1/4 cup garbonzo flour
  • 1/4 cup potato starch
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup So Delicious® Dairy Free Vanilla Coconut Milk
  • 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil + extra for greasing
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

 

Coconut Flake Coating

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1–2 tablespoons hot water
  • 1/2–1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
.

Directions: 

1. Grease a 6-donut pan with coconut oil and preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Sift together all the flour ingredients: rice, garbonzo, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Whisk together in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a medium pot, add in milk and coconut oil and allow to warm over low heat until the coconut oil melts (do not allow to boil). Mix gently with a wooden spoon while it’s warming. Once the coconut oil is melted, remove from heat and add in the sugar. Stir together to allow the sugar to dissolve completely. Add in apple sauce and vanilla extract and stir to combine.

4. Pour in the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine together well. (If clumps still develop, you may use an immersion blender and mix the batter for a few minutes until you see a very smooth consistency in the batter.)

5. Add in coconut flakes and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Pour into pre-greased donut pan, fill about halfway to allow for rising of the batter.

6. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 15 to 30 minutes. Gently scrape the sides of each well and flip the pan over to remove. You can use a toothpick to help the donuts lift out of the pan.

7. To coat the donuts in coconut flakes: Make a glaze by adding the powdered sugar into a small bowl and adding in 1 tablespoon at a time of hot water. Mix well to combine. Coat the donuts thinly with the glaze and drop onto a plate with coconut flakes to coat all over.

 

I think home baked donuts are the most divine treat ever. I enjoyed the process so much that I don’t think I stopped smiling until the next day. Good things make a girl happy and when you know the ingredients are wonderful and you make them with so much love – you know they will brighten up everyone’s day and you’ll still feel good that they’re having a quality dessert. I’ve made them several times since and my daughter runs home from school fast when I tell her I took out a fresh batch from the oven…

 

We don’t obsess with sugar (in fact, we don’t own any white sugar at all) and I would say my sweet-tooth is now tamed and under control – but it’s nice to know you can make healthier desserts that make everyone happy. I now look forward to baking something for the weekend, and it’s now the only official dessert we eat during the week. Nothing ready-made gets purchased and everyone waits for mama’s baking ;) This is a huge obligation I’m undertaking here ;) Sometimes Love does come in the shape of a donut! ;)

Simply put, these Coconut Vanilla Donuts are the most perfect pure dessert that is completely… SO Delightful!

 

I’m also very happy to announce that I have collaborated with So Delicious Dairy Free to work on a fantastic recipe book : So Delightful! (view the eBook version here)

And these Coconut Vanilla Donuts are one of the dozens of wonderful recipes featured in the book, and they also grace the cover of this amazing recipe book. Wow!!! (this is equivalent of receiving an Oscar in Hollywood for me, ok?) In the book, I am one of many featured food bloggers that shared their recipes as well as the graphic designer of the entire cookbook.

It was a complete joy to create this book from the very early planning stages to the layout designs and every detail on all 92 pages throughout the 50 recipes and photos. This project was a dream come true and not one moment felt like ‘work’! I feel very lucky to have been selected as the designer of this cookbook. I owe all my sincerest gratitude to Gail Davis for selecting me for this wonderful project, for her enthusiasm and most amazing collaboration and fun I couldn’t have imagined. I have been a loyal fan of So Delicious products but getting to work with the team behind the scenes has been a real joy and an even bigger appreciation and respect for a wonderful product and company as So Delicious Dairy Free truly is.

As a graphic designer for over 10 years, I have to admit that this was the first project I was able to bring all my passions into one. Passions for design, photography and wonderful compassionate delicious food!

What can I say, I truly do what I love and I love what I do ;)

Thank you again to So Delicious Dairy Free and thank YOU for supporting Lifeologia. Let’s all celebrate with some Donuts ~ shall we?

  This recipe was entered in The So Delicious Dairy Free 2013 Recipe Contest

 

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