Yay for fall! It’s my favourite season and NOT because of pumpkin spice lattes and comfy sweaters. Though those things are nice. I like the way nature renews itself by shedding that which no longer serves a purpose. I love the smells of decay and the brisk air. The reflective feelings that naturally rise up when any season shifts, but particularly this one. The opportunity for renewal is ripe for the picking. Which I why I thought it was a great time to do a whole 30 full body reset.
After a summer of plenty with treats and hearty glasses of wine to last the winter long, it’s time. I’ve been starting to feel sluggish and dependent on treats for a little burst of energy. And you know what, I just hate that feeling. Call me a control freak but its nice not to rely on anything for energy and that get up and go we all strive for.
But you guys, I really hate doing this stuff alone. It’s the worst and it makes fighting those urges to reach for dark chocolate and a glass of red all the more difficult. SO I’ve created a little Facebook group and I’ll be posting weekly Whole 30 approved meal plans and shopping lists, because thats the hard part. So if you’ve been contemplating treating yourself to a detoxifying elimination diet, if you’ve been struggling with poor digestion, a few pounds that don’t want to vacate, lack of energy or hormonal imbalance then maybe now is the time to give your body a break.
Join the 30 day detox challenge Facebook group HERE or if you don’t do Facebook then just keep an eye out on the blog for the weekly meal plans and shopping lists.
Vanilla beans are a magical magical thing. They blow my mind. Every little seed bursting with the most common yet rare and precious flavour in existence. Vanilla is an ethereal looking orchid, truly stunning. It adds something so special to anything it touches and brings out the hidden characteristics in the foods it mingles with.
If you can’t tell, I’m pretty fucking gung ho about vanilla.
I just got back from my brothers wedding where I had the pleasure of making THE cake. What foods represent the true characteristics of star crossed lovers and real deal twin flames?
Chocolat et vanille of course.
Cacao and vanilla grow in the same jungles, one is masculine, rooted, robust, dark, hard shelled yet amazingly soft inside. While the other is light, ephemeral, delicate and grows upward towards the heavens. The two were ordained the perfect match long before modern society had any idea of their existence. It only made sense to encapsulate their majesty into their luxurious wedding cake. I’ll post the recipe on the blog soon of the cake which was a double fudge chocolate quinoa cake with vanilla bean, rose and honey cashew cream icing.
For now, I’ll ramble on a little more about vanilla…
And macadamia nuts because mmmmmmmm…
Whenever I go on vacation I crave fudge. Which likely stems from childhood trips to Banff where we would always visit the fudge factory and stock up for our trip back home. And if you know me at all, you know that when a craving lurks, it cannot simply be ignored. But most fudge is way too sweet so of course the simple solution is to make it yourself.
Vanilla Bean Macadamia Nut Fudge is my new obsession, and you only need a tiny bit to satisfy even the maddest sweet tooth. It’s loaded with healthy fat from coconut and adorned with another tropical favourite, macadamia nuts.
I’ll tell you a secret. The other night I watched game of thrones for hours and ate nearly two cups of mac nuts. Talk about a binge. I can’t even have them around or I just go mental and day dream about Jon Snow while noshing my life away. So, if you got em, use em!
Cheese making is more of an art than an exact science. No matter how sterile and by the book, the home cheese maker will never reproduce the same cheese twice. Because there are various different bacteria floating around which will inherently change the taste of your cheese. The amount of humidity in your home can also play a part. In hot countries people don’t typically eat much cheese because it ripens too fast. Mexico is famous for the simple cheese queso fresco, India for paneer, both of which can be made very quickly. (more…)
Greetings from my the muffin section of my brain, a part that I never knew existed. Until these babies popped into my head, all part of my ploy to coax Jake into eating less goodies. And myself too, though I’ve never been a fan of ‘the muffin’ typically leaving you to feel like a muffin, nor am I a fan of muffin as a term of endearment, nope I’ll stick to buttercup, or sweetikins thanks. However, things are changing, these actually give you energy! They are light yet high in protein and nice and moist. Probably kudos to our fatty friend the avocado. If you want something sweeter you could add a bit more coconut sugar or honey but I think these are just right.
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
