You may remember when I picked up some Nature’s Path Love Crunch granola (because obviously, you all remember my posts from over a year ago like they were yesterday). Well turns out Nature’s Path has come out with a whole line of Love Crunch granolas, including the delicious chocolately concoction I previously enjoyed.

So aside from grabbing another bag of the chocolate stuff, I also picked up a package of the Carrot Cake granola. Because seriously, granola that tastes like carrot cake? Yes please!

Nature’s Path really made sure to get all the key carrot cake ingredients into this granola – carrots (duh), raisins, pecans, pineapple, and spices. The only thing missing was the cream cheese frosting – replaced with yogurt chips – but I guess that’s acceptable because this is something I would eat for breakfast. Although, let’s be honest – some days cream cheese frosting for breakfast sounds like a mighty good idea

I was pretty excited to test it out in a simple Greek yogurt parfait. Loved all the big chunks of granola, with plenty of raisins and nuts, and specks of carrot throughout.

It had a great crunch, a good level of carrot cake spice, and wasn’t too sweet. I could take or leave the yogurt chips (there weren’t too many), and wished the pineapple was a little more prominent. I could also make an argument for more carrot, and perhaps the inclusion of coconut (but only because I include coconut when I make carrot cake). Still, a good representation of carrot cake as a granola.

Then it got me thinking – perhaps I could come up with my own carrot cake granola? I love carrot juice, and this could be the perfect way to use up the leftover carrot pulp from my juicer. Yes, the wheels are turning!

This is definitely a granola I would consider buying again. I do have a love/hate relationship with store bought granola, simply because I know I can make it cheaper, but I never seem to make the time to do so. If you see it on the shelf, and enjoy carrot cake, I say give it a go and treat yourself.

Disclaimer – As stated above, I bought and paid for this with my own funds, and have not received any compensation for writing this review. But you all know that’s how I roll.

I had an appointment downtown this afternoon after class, but had some time to kill beforehand. Lunch was on my mind, and when I passed the Tacofino Blue Burrito Truck, I decided that would be my quick bite. You may remember when Jill and I went on a food truck tour this past summer and visited the Tacofino Orange Taco Truck. It was good, so it only made sense to stop in and give the other truck a go. 

Fish Burrito – Tempura lingcod with refried black beans, seasoned basmati rice, chipotle mayo, salsa fresca and shredded cabbage rolled in a warm 12” flour tortilla ($10)

I’m not sure if you can truly appreciate the size of this thing from the pictures. But let me tell you – it was huge and definitely worth the $10 price tag. Good thing my tummy was rumbling, because I did not want this to go to waste.

Sadly, photos of the inside of burritos never do them justice. Trust me though, this was packed with all sorts of good stuff. Nice chunks of perfectly cooked lingcod, not too heavy on the rice, creamy beans, thinly shredded crunchy cabbage, and just enough chipotle mayo and salsa to keep it moist and flavourful. It could use a kick of spice, but I guess that’s why they have hot sauce at the truck so you can add what you like. I was hard pressed to make it through the whole thing, but I persevered!

I sat for awhile, looking out over the water near the convention centre, reading my book, and just enjoying some downtime while my tummy digested. Because I also had this treat to look forward to.

Ah yes, the infamous Chocolate Diablo Cookie. Fudgy, spicy, sweet, and salty. The epitome of flavour explosion. So good. And the recipe is online, so you can even make them at home – which I have yet to get around doing. Add that to the ever growing list of things I need to get to.

My quick bite at the Tacofino Blue Burrito Truck was definitely a great idea. Not only did I get to enjoy some down time and eat a great meal, it kept me full all the way through dinner (and an online quiz). I’d call that winning.  

Beer, sweet potato, and chocolate. Say what?! It’s true.

But through the magic of food science, these ingredients were transformed into this:

This was not some crazy creation I dreamed up one night. It was a published recipe that told me to do it!

I had been browsing the March edition of Alive magazine, when my eyes became fixated on a recipe for Double Chocolate Stout Brownies. I may not enjoy drinking beer, but I quite enjoy cooking with it. I was determined to make these delights asap.

Side note – I’m sort of in love with this picture.

I made a special trip to the liquor store to peruse the vast selection of locally brewed options, and settled on Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter. Because if double chocolate is good, then triple chocolate is better. Obviously.

I also made sure to break out the good chocolate – Callebaut Dark. Mmm hmm.

Anyways, after assembling the ingredients, I did the whole baking thing, and was left a double batch of delicious, gooey, chocolately goodness.

Now for the gratuitous brownie photos.

I may have undercooked the brownies a little, to ensure they were extra gooey and delicious. As all good brownies should be.

I only made slight tweaks to the recipe, simply due to what I had in my kitchen. I used coconut oil instead of butter, and half all purpose/half whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour. I omitted the cinnamon, and used walnuts as my nut of choice. And I may have decreased the amount of sugar, but I don’t exactly remember.

The beer added a great depth of flavour to the brownies. I found it more prominent in the ones from the centre of the pan, probably because they were cooked less than the outside pieces.

If you are worried about the sweet potato being obvious, don’t be. As long as you mash it really well, it completely disappears into the batter.

My family, coworkers, and a friend tested them, and they all gave them the seal of approval. Good thing, seeing as I had made a double batch and all.

If you want to give these brownies a try (and I recommend you do), you can get the recipe here. Go forth and create delicious beer infused desserts!

Another lovely little swag bag filled with treats. Aside from tickets to the show, the highlight of the bag was the package of Holy Crap cereal.

Oh, and a little pedometer you can just barely see in the bottom of the picture. I’ve always wanted to try out a pedometer to find out how much I walk during the day. Perhaps I should try it out at work tomorrow!

Since Rebecca was so generous to send me tickets, and this was the 20th anniversary show, I had to attend. I invited my mom along this time, and we had a great time taking in all the vendor booths, sampling a vast array of products (including a fair amount of innovative chocolates), and taking in a cooking demo. As always, I wish I could have been in attendance each of the three days to take in all the events, but a girl has to work as well.

I decided to forgo the photo taking at the show (but you can check out a ton of great shots on The Wellness Show Facebook Page). However, I can share with you the items I came home with.

Everything in the above picture was handed out free. Lots of literature on various products, but some interesting samples as well.

I’m kinda excited to try out the instant coconut water from Blue Monkey. I had never seen this before, and I’m wondering how it tastes in comparison to the regular stuff (Confession – I’m completely addicted to their canned coconut water. I may purchase one almost every shift at work). 

Can you believe I’ve never tried out hemp protein powder in my smoothies? Good thing I have this sample from Manitoba Harvest.

I even picked up some cat food samples for Sienna. Wellness isn’t just for people! Perhaps she can write a guest post once she’s given them a go?

Of course, the event wasn’t just about freeloading and sampling. I did purchase a few items to take home with me.

Chocolate! I know, I’m so predictable. I decided upon these three bars from The Tea Room – White Chocolate with chamomile and honey; Dark Chocolate with almond, caramel, and sea salt; Dark Chocolate with green tea and bergamont.

Organic Traditions Maca Powder. I’ve always wanted to experiment with maca powder, and the price was good, so I decided to splurge.

More chocolate! This one is raw chocolate bar from Zimt – Salt of the Earth. Yes, more chocolate with sea salt. It’s good stuff. And the gal who makes these is local and very fun to chat with.

This was my find of the show. A smoothie shaker/to-go cup from Bremner Foods, with the little whisk ball inside for only $5. I have wanted a shaker cup like this for ages, so when I saw them at the show for that price, I didn’t have to think twice about pulling out my wallet.

Another highlight? Getting my brand new cookbook signed by the authors (who were doing a cooking demo at the show).

Wondering what cookbook I’m talking about? You’ll just have to come back and see – that will be for another blog post.

All in all, The 2012 Wellness Show was great. My mom enjoyed it, and said she would go again. It’s always great to get out there, interact with the vendors, see what products are coming into the market, and learn about new wellness innovations. I especially find it valuable as I get closer and closer to being a full-fledged RD (did I mention I have just over a month left of school, and internship starting in Sept? Can we say excited?!). It’s so important to keep yourself educated on what products are out there and what the new trends are to be able to counsel your clients effectively. It’s probably one of the more fun ways to continue your education!

If you live in Vancouver, and have never been to The Wellness Show, I highly recommend checking it out next year. Stay connected on their Facebook page and Twitter account so you don’t miss out on the dates for the next show. Trust me, you’ll have a great time. 

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And now, dear blog readers, I have a question for you:

Is there a particular product I picked up at the show you would like me to try out and review for the blog? I would love to hear what you want to know about – gives me incentive to get on trying them and something to post about! Let me know in the comments below!

I was invited to a Super Bowl Party at the lovely new home of Toronto Girl West, and when I asked what I could bring, I was told “something sweet”. She obviously knows where my true kitchen talents lie.

I had no idea what the menu was, but the idea to bake cupcakes popped into my brain and I couldn’t shake it. My first thought was to go chocolate – because really, when is chocolate ever a bad idea? – but then I remembered the coconut cake I freestyled at Christmas when my planned desserts turned into a disaster. I thought it might make a great cupcake base.

Of course, I had to add a little more flair, so I turned them into coconut lime cupcakes. The batter was speckled with lime zest, and I soaked them with a lime glaze before icing.

Speaking of icing – how does white chocolate buttercream sound? Oh yes I did. Using this fabulous recipe right here.

Turns out my flavour palette was perfect for our Super Bowl eats – buffalo chicken dip, tortilla chips, guacamole, and chilli. I must be psychic

Party guests loved them. My mom called them addictive. Which would explain when I went to photograph them, none of the regular sized cupcakes were left (I had more batter than muffin tins, so I made a couple of mini-cakes in some ramekins, one of which you see in all the pictures).

Sadly, due to all the freestyling I did when making these, I don’t really have a recipe to share. But don’t worry, I will find a reason to make them again. And when I do, I will make sure to document it, because it’s a shame to simply tease you with these photos. I know, I’m a cruel woman

Alas, I must return to my life of case studies, graveyard shifts, conferences, and what I try to pass off as a social life. Hopefully we don’t see another extended absence – I miss my blog!

Sushi is one of my absolute favourite foods. I’m not sure when I cultivated my taste for these delicious nori-wrapped rolls, but I’m almost positive it started with the ever popular California Roll, and from there graduated to raw fish and more exotic tastes. Not only is sushi delicious, but it’s fun to eat, beautiful to look at, and if you choose your fillings right, a rather healthy snack or meal.

Living in Vancouver has spoiled me when it comes to sushi. I think we have as many – if not more – sushi restaurants in this city than Starbucks (and that’s saying something). From all you can eat for under $10 to the $225 Omakase Wagyu Dinner at Tojo’s, you can find sushi for any budget or palate. Honestly, if you live here there is little need to make your own.

But make my own sushi I did. I’ve made sushi a few times before, and it’s not exactly a difficult process, but it can be a bit time consuming to prep. The toughest part is getting the sushi rice just right.

One of the things I like about making my own sushi is I can use short grain brown rice in place of the typical white sushi rice you get at most restaurants (although there are quite a few now offering brown rice as a option – which you generally pay more for). It’s important to use short grain rice in order to get a end product that is sticky enough to build your sushi with.

I do not profess to be any sort of sushi master. I have yet to perfect my sushi rice, and my rolling skills are amateur at best. But I can still produce a decent product that I enjoy, and that is tasty enough to share with friends and family. And that’s fine by me.

I made two varieties of rolls – one featuring spicy shrimp and the other with marinated shiitake mushrooms. Although the rest of the fillings were the same, they still managed to provide different tasting experiences, and made for a great midnight snack on my graveyard shift at work.

I would love to give you a recipe, but honestly I just grabbed some ingredients, threw them together, and ended up with 4 large rolls (8 pieces each). And seeing as I’m not 100% confident in my sushi rice skills, giving your instructions on how to make that would just be silly! I will tell you what I put in my fillings though.

Shiitake Mushroom Roll:

• shiitake mushrooms (marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar)
• avocado
• cucumber
• carrot
• wasabi

Spicy Shrimp Roll:

• chopped west coast shrimp, mixed with mayo and sriracha
• avocado
• carrot
• cucumber

And that, my friends, was my sushi making adventure

Although there is really nothing out there to replace the taste, I have found myself turning towards tea more often when I’m looking for a little caffeinated pick me up. And as luck would have it, I received an amazing tea package to sample from Lipton way back in May (!) that somehow fell by the wayside. Perhaps that was for a reason, as it seems like the perfect post for right now.

When I was offered a sample of their new line of green teas, I thought I would be getting a few individual tea bags to try out. Boy was I wrong – 4 whole boxes that add up to 164 tea bags! Pretty sure I won’t be needing to buy green tea for a long time!

I received 4 flavours – Lemon Ginseng; Black Current Vanilla; Passionfruit, Orange and Jasmine; and Naturally Decaffeinated.

All of these green teas are Rainforest Alliance Certified – this means the teas have been grown on certified tea estates, which are sustainably managed in order to protect the environment and to provide their workers with decent wages and access to medical aid, education, and housing. I am always happy to find products with a conscience.

Each tea bag comes individually wrapped, which is a bonus if you want to take a couple with you in your purse or bag, but I also see this is as unnecessary packaging.

I’ve had multiple chances to taste each of the teas (especially as I having being trying to rid myself of a sore throat for the past few days). Here’s my take on each:

• Naturally Decaffeinated – a nice clean green tea when you aren’t looking for a little pick me up from caffeine. Not too strong or bitter.
• Lemon Ginseng – my personal favourite, as I like the bright lemon flavour with the earthy green tea.
• Black Current Vanilla – enticing black current aroma that reminds me of Ribena (haven’t had that in years!), with the vanilla flavour being very subtle.
• Passionfruit, Orange, and Jasmine – has a very perfume-y aroma, and a light fruity taste. My least favourite, but I do enjoy it on occasion.

If you are looking for a tasty green tea and see these Lipton varieties on the shelf, give them a go. I’m sure one of them will tickle your tea fancy. And tonight I am putting them to the ultimate test – I’m working a graveyard shift and hope that they give me the pick me up I need to avoid picking up a bottle of you know what.

Thanks to Lipton for the opportunity to sample some delicious teas!

Disclaimer – All of the above teas were provided to me free of charge, with no obligation to write a review. All opinions are of course my own. 

I could do a post highlighting memorable events on the blog from 2011, but I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of those already from countless other blogs. Plus I can’t think of a ton of super memorable events from this year…which is somewhat depressing really.

No, instead I will share with you a baking triumph from a few weeks back that somehow I had forgotten about.

And actually, now that I think about it, it’s a very timely post. The start of a new year brings about countless resolutions, many involving healthy living habits. What does that have to do with this white chocolate studded square you may ask?

This square has a secret.

It features vegetables. Squash to be exact.

I saw this recipe for Butternut Squash Blondies with White Chocolate Chunks on the Whole Foods website, and knew I needed to try it out. I happened to have a kabocha squash hiding in the cupboard, and figured it would be an acceptable substitute for the butternut squash, since it has a good level of natural sweetness.

Aside from the squash substitute, I also reduced the amount of nutmeg and added some cinnamon. Otherwise, it was pretty much true to the original.

Soon enough I was rewarded with a pan of golden brown, lightly spiced, deliciously sweet blondies. I shared them with some of my classmates, and all had good reviews. The squash blondies were a hit!

So if your new years resolutions include upping your vegetable intake, why not keep this recipe in mind the next time you need a sweet treat? Did I mention it’s whole grain as well? You can’t go wrong!

Happy New Year’s to everyone – have fun, stay safe, and see you in 2012!

…to wish everyone…

…a very Merry Christmas!

Time passed. I made bagels. Then a light went on in my head – I bet these would make a great base for a sandwich just like that one at Burgoo. I’m sure you can guess what happened next.

I made my own hummus (did I mention I have a functioning food processor again?), assembled ingredients, and put my own spin on the original. I wish I could come up with a catchy name like Vegiterranean, but alas, it’s taken. So Mediterranean Veggie Bagelwich will just have to do.

Mediterranean Veggie Bagelwich

serves 1

Creamy hummus, cool cucumber, spicy red pepper, and tangy feta combine to create a hearty, flavourful, veggie filled sandwich. Pair it with your favourite soup for a comforting fall or winter lunch. If you don’t have bagels, substitute your favourite rustic whole grain bread.

• 1 whole grain bagel (or make these kale bagels)
• hummus (homemade if you have it)
• roasted red pepper
• sliced red onion
• cucumber slices
• chopped marinated artichoke hearts
• your favourite lettuce
• crumbled feta (I like sheep’s milk)

1. Smear hummus on both sides of the bagel, then pile on the toppings. Close up your sandwich and enjoy!

Note – I have left out exact quantities on purpose. They seem a little silly when you are talking about making a sandwich – just add ingredients to suite your own tastes. Heck, even add in the tomatoes from the original if that floats your boat.

Just looking at these photos has my mouth watering. I might just need to bake more bagels just for sandwich making!