Quick Post About a Quick Breakfast

Today is a quick afternoon post kind of day.  Most people have made a smoothie before (right?) but everyone has their own preferences or things they like to add to create a more nutritious snack or breakfast.  I’m not feeling well lately – for the last 3-4 weeks, some time before this vegan challenge.  I might have a touch of the flu or some other affliction (went to the doc yesterday).  So when I’m not feeling like putting a lot of effort into a morning meal, I make a smoothie!

My basic everyday smoothie favourite is:
1/2 cup of apple/pear juice (no sugar added, unfiltered is good)
1/2 cup water
1/2 banana (not frozen, or frozen – up to you)
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 tbsp flax oil (for omega 3 and 6)

Sometimes I add some ground flax for the fibre – other people like to use hemp or chia seeds.  There are so many little add-ins for smoothies to up the nutrient factor.

I also like to add a special energizing greens powder that is nutrient-PACKED!
With the greens powder and strawberry combo, you can expect a brown-ish colour…kind of gross-looking but tasty!

Another favourite of mine is a tasty banana-cocoa smoothie.  It makes me feel like I’m eating dessert any time the mood strikes!

 1/2 raw banana
1 cup or more almond milk or coconut milk (diluted or not)
1 ice cube
1 tablespoon cocoa
1-2 tsp maple syrup to taste

What’s your favourite smoothie add-in?  I’d love to know how to make my smoothies a nutritious meal in drink form. 😉

Making (and eating) Pancakes Like It’s the Weekend

We’re on March Break!  Yes, I work in a school and my beau is a soon-to-be teacher himself, so we are off for this week (without pay, but off nonetheless).  And what this means is that I have more time to eat (vegan) pancakes.

Pancakes are just about the easiest food to make vegan, but I use this vegan recipe.  It’s an oldie but my go-to every time I make pancakes (which isn’t often enough, I figure, since I don’t have the recipe memorized).

The coolest aspect of this recipe is that you make it in a blender!  No more stirring, just throw everything in and blend away.  Want pancakes the next morning but not with-it enough first thing to get out ingredients and follow steps?  Just blend it up the night before and put the blender pitcher in the fridge overnight.

My beau actually made these pancakes for me and did a fantastic job.  They were thin, cute, and slightly chewy (in a good way).  We had them with strawberry sauce (aka strawberries defrosted and smooshed up in a saucepan).

P.S. I know that it’s starting to appear that I mostly just eat vegan cheezey foods, brownies and pancakes, but I promise I eat lots of other more beneficial foods too!  I just like to share with you all the things that are vegan AND fun!  You know, like, more fun than salads?

The First Day and Just Getting Started

It’s officially the first day of my month of vegan-only eating.  And I’m pumped!  Last night I went out and bought a few items that I would consider staples in the process of converting to an animal-free diet.

Some of these items include:

• agave syrup (as an alternative to honey which is what I usually use, along with maple syrup)
• quinoa (one of my fave grains/seeds for its high nutrient profile, with all the amino acids a new vegan needs)
• WAY TOO MANY types of non-dairy milk – unsweetened almond, unsweetened soy, and a chocolate/mint soy that I have previously tried during the holidays (so good in coffee)
• Bengal Spice tea, which is like chai tea except there’s no caffeine.  It’s so good with a bit of maple syrup and almond milk.
• chocolate chunks for baking (these ones are semi-sweet and non-dairy with no soy either).  Baking is one of my favourite hobbies, so I gotta have chocolate in the chip or chunk form.
• greens – spinach and kale (great for anything from soups and stews to salads or just to eat on the side)

In addition to these I already have:  vegan buttery-spread, lots of fruit, dark chocolate, carrots, potatoes and other vegetable basics, and 3 kinds of mustard (my favourite condiment).

For my first vegan breakfast I decided on a quinoa porridge with vanilla almond milk and some frozen mango chunks cooked-in.  Then I added some sliced bananas, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup.  I made this with the leftover quinoa I had waiting in the fridge.  Pretty convenient!

Quinoa Porridge with Mango and Banana

I really enjoyed this (with some of that Bengal Spice tea)!  You have to be okay with a quinoa flavour and texture to begin with.  It’s a bit nutty and is high in fibre with a slight grit to it.  That sounds weird, but if you’ve ever had quinoa, you know what I’m saying, right?

Quinoa has been touted for its healthy protein, fibre, and mineral content – and it’s gluten-free and therefore safe for folks who are sensitive to the gluten found in wheat.  Here’s what the Whole Grains Council organization website has to say about it.

Well, how about that?

This weekend I plan on trying out a few more complex vegan meals (more complex than porridge at least).  I can’t wait to discover some alternatives to my usual weekend breakfast of eggs over-easy.  🙂