So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen...

No no no, not so fast - I'm not going anywhere! In fact, I am going nowhere simply because as of last Wednesday I am no longer in school... ever again! It was really the first time since leaving my elementary school that I felt an inkling of sadness at graduating. All the work and stress load aside, I really did enjoy my time within the walls of IHN and learned a lot - about holistic health, nutrition, the society around me and myself. I'm moving on knowing that I've chosen the right path and with many contacts and friends who I'm honoured to have worked with.

Of course, I've talked several times before about the goodies I would bring into the school, and for our graduation party, I made no exception. In fact, I did a foodie triple-whammy for that last day, making gluten-free and vegan flourless cake and bread as well as a rich, fruity almond and blueberry butter to top the loaf's slices. They nestled in perfectly with the other delicious foods brought in by my colleagues and recieved rave reviews all around! In fact, the school director even took the last few slices of cake home with her, and that, my friends, is a definite compliment! 

So what's next for this perpetual student? After all, I've been in the education world pretty solidly since I was 2 1/2 years old, so the "real world" thing is a little daunting to me. However, like I said, I've been making contacts and connections as much as I can (including at the local farmer's markets and with the videographer of our class' final day!) and I have a fairly decent portfolio of writing behind me, so with luck I'll be able to finally make it in the "real world" as a nutritional consultant and educator. For now though, I am so looking forward to having August off to relax for the first time since September! My garden, kitchen, family and blog have all been sorely neglected, and I'll also be able to catch up on all those appointments and other "to-dos" that fell by the wayside while I worked on getting through school.

Thanks to everyone for sticking by and supporting me through the last year! I am so glad to be back and ready for action!

They Ride On Silver Moonbeams!

I have to preface this by saying that my sister was really the inspiration for me making these cookies in the first place, and the sole supplier of their name. Like two best friends in kindergarten, when we’re together in the right circumstances we revert to the least mature people we’ve ever been. Honestly – the stupidest things, that only a 5-year-old boy would find amusing (think writing “boobies” on a calculator or telling someone that you  can’t wait to visit Lake Titicaca) we wind up rolling on the floor from. When it was on, we’d watch Whose Line is it Anyway? and  kill ourselves laughing just as much as when we’d tune into the CBC political satire Air Farce. She sends me all sorts of links to YouTube videos and game sites that always wind up killing way more time than I have to spare, but are always hilarious and something we bond over.

One of the latest games she showed me (and subsequently made me play through, along with most of the others on that site) was “Robot Unicorn Attack”. As we (and by “we”, I mean that I played and she watched from the Peanut Gallery), that got her into talking about unicorns, and she brought up one of the lines from possibly the greatest show on current TV, Supernatural. Dean (one of the main characters, and a drop-dead gorgeous one at that) was opining about how angels didn’t exist (but oh yes, they do!) and the following conversation ensues between him and his brother Sam:

Sam: Dean, there's ten times as much lore about angels as there is about anything else we've ever hunted.

Dean: You know what, there's a ton of lore on unicorns too. In fact, I hear that they ride on silver moonbeams, and that they shoot rainbows out of their ass!

See-Saw

You know, it’s always the naughtier things that get the biggest response. While it is really all well and good to have a diet packed full of wholesome, whole grains, fruits and vegetables 85% of the time, there’s still that 15% devil on your shoulder whispering,

 “go on, one splurge won’t hurt”.

And you know what? That devil is right. Occasional treats are a perfectly fine, healthy and at the very least enjoyable way to maneuver through this insane labyrinth called life. That’s why these indulgences  are so rewarding – they aren’t a normal thing, and you usually only need a taste to return back to that good ol’ 85% angel. I may be a holistic nutritionist, but I’m not perfect by any stretch – I use cooking spray, drink out of plastic bottles, use the microwave, buy “conventional” in the grocery store and enjoy one can of pop daily. But I do cook 99% at home, I eschew refined grains in my meals, I know exactly what goes into the foods I make and eat, I garden organic, heirloom produce and as soon as the farmers markets open locally I’m in like a dirty shirt.

The whole “occasional treat” philosophy I (and others) follow is one of the reasons I keep my school “donations” of goodies to once a week. More so than expense or my own personal time, keeping the bakes as a regular weekly treat means that they stay that way – and everyone will still want to eat what I bring!! I’ll admit that ¾ of the stuff I make anyway is not exactly sinful (that pesky whole grain, vegan thing I love gets in the way!) there are the exceptions. Like these.

Banana Bunch

I saw Harry Potter on Saturday. Not shocking, I know, since it was the “to-see” film of the week, but I think I was the only person sitting in the theatre that didn’t bring a book to while away the hour spent holding seats before the feature started. Instead, I brought a bagful of assignments I was marking. Yup, that’s right, I brought work with me. I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a workaholic when it comes to… well – everything really. You’d think, with the lack of posts on this blog (and to an extent being on social media), that I’d be so wrapped up in school and co-op that I’d be as far from the kitchen as I could get. True, there is a lot of stuff on the go that is keeping me away from any sort of “fun” online stuff (my Google reader is probably going to explode soon) but the kitchen is never far away from my mind. I still try my best to make a batch of something for my classmates, which I’m sorely going to miss at the end of July, and if it so happens that I have an appointment somewhere that week I am compelled to do something then. I call it stress relief, really, since all work and no play makes Sarah break down and throw things. Instead, I break out a mixing bowl and throw yummy things into it (most of the time, if I aim!).

Last week I had some blackening bananas and a box of cereal that my stepbrother rejected in my corner – and a hair appointment on the weekend too! I knew something would come of the mix in muffin form for school – especially since we had two tests in a row and an assignment due! For some of the awesome gals at my salon, though, the cereal wasn’t really an option due to their celiac and wheat allergies. But I still had that cereal kicking around… and not all the girls were GF. So, of course, what did I do? I made two different banana breads to take in – one gluten, dairy, egg, soy and nut free, the other packed with everything under the sun (including crushed cookies and BEER!). Both of them were snatched up when they made their appearance, and with the exception of the one poor stylist who was allergic to bananas (who knew?) the entire staff enjoyed the new addition to the coffee room.

Given the gluttony of banana bread and muffin recipes on this blog (and peppering the internet in general), I really debated even writing this post in the first place. I mean really – everyone already has the

ir own go-to favourite (except, apparently, me) that suits their family and personal tastes and pantries. But, then again, I did actually think to write down what the heck I did with the latest bag of less-than-half-price nanners (I couldn’t pass it up – I got 10 of the suckers for 65 cents!) and some of the things I used in the recipes were pretty nifty, why not? I’m sure someone will find something useful.

Rich Crunchy Nanner Muffins

Makes 12

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp salt

2 ½ cups Vector cereal

1 cup soy milk, warmed

1 tsp fresh-grated ginger

2 tbsp raw sugar

¼ tsp stevia extract

1 banana, mashed

1 tsp banana extract

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp applesauce

2/3 cup toasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, line a muffin tin or lightly grease.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt
3. In a large bowl, combine cereal, coconut milk, ginger, sugar and stevia. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Add mashed bananas, extracts, oil and applesauce and mix well.
5. Add flour mixture and sesame seeds and stir just until moistened.
6. Bake 20 minutes or until muffins test done.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 161.3

Total Fat: 7.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 73.5 mg
Total Carbs: 22.3 g

Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g

Protein: 4.7 g

“Everything” Banana Bread

Makes 2 "medium" loaves, Serves 16

1 cup flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup Vector cereal, lightly crushed

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

2 tbsp PB₂ powder, dry

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tbsp non-fat Greek yogurt

½ tbsp vanilla

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ tsp stevia extract powder

1 cup beer (any kind will do)

3 "100-calorie" packages of Chips Ahoy Thinsations, crushed

4 Nature Valley® Oat’s 'N Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars (2 packs of 2), crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease two medium loaf pans (or one large and a few muffin tins).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cereal, baking powder, baking soda, PB₂, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together bananas, yogurt, vanilla, sugar and stevia until well blended.
4. Stir in half the flour, then add the beer followed by the remaining flour.
5. Stir just until moistened, then fold in cookie and granola bar crumbs
6. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 150.9

Total Fat: 2.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 44.4 mg
Total Carbs: 30.8 g

Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g

Protein: 3.1 g

GF Vegan Nanna Bread

Adapted from Allergy Free Cooking

Serves 10

3 tbsp ground flaxseed

1/3 cup hot water

1/3 cup oil

5 bananas, mashed

2 tbsp grapefruit juice

½ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp stevia extract powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown rice flour

½ cup corn starch

¼ cup sweet rice flour

¼ tsp guar gum

pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F and line a loaf pan with parchment (or lightly grease).
2. Whisk together water and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Add the oil, mashed bananas, grapefruit juice, sugar and stevia, beat well.
4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until well blended.
5. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, tenting with foil after 45 minutes.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 258.7

Total Fat: 8.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 7.4 mg
Total Carbs: 50.8 g

Dietary Fiber: 2.9 g

Protein: 2.6 g  

Always Apples

Regardless of the season, the one item of produce that always seems to line the grocery store shelves and fill the farmers markets is the enduring apple. Traditionally bought en masse around the Fall (at least here when they really start to shine locally), you can still buy Granny Smiths, Galas, and the Delicious varieties imported from all over the world that taste the same whether it was March or September. I remember as a kid bringing a shiny one to my teacher almost every day after a stint of apple picking with my family (coming home with 5 bulging bags!), and my mom still makes the world’s best apple pie. In the “off season”, our family picks up our standard Galas, Pink Ladies, and more recently Red Princes to enjoy during the week along with our seasonal picks. Thankfully, apples store well too – since we chronically have the habit of over-buying!

I was trying to use up a few slightly sad looking fruits in the fridge before our weekly shopping run, and knew that I also hadn’t made any goodies for my classmates lately, so I scouted around my baking cupboard for what else I could use. That turned into a bit of a pantry “dump” for me – long overdue – and yielded more appley stuff  than I ever realized I owned! I also peeked into my freezer, and would up elbow-deep in icy things looking for the part-can of coconut cream I froze after making my dad’s curry. Soon I had the makings of a real gem: a no-fat-added, wheat- and nut-free, vegan sweet treat that I regretted not making more of – it disappeared so quickly that I had a few students hounding me the rest of the day!

Apple Insanity Bread

Serves 10

¾ cup oat flour

1 cup spelt flour

½ cup Kamut flakes

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

3 pkg instant apple cider powder

¼ tsp salt

3 tbsp flaxseed meal + 1/3 c hot apple-herb tea

½ cup raw sugar

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

½ oz dried apples, diced

1 medium apple, unpeeled and grated

1 medium apple, unpeeled and finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, Kamut flakes, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the flaxseed mixture, sugar, coconut milk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients all at once and stir just to moisten.
5. Add all the apples and fold in until just incorporated. 
6. Bake for 1 hour on the lowest rack of the oven - or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then turn out of the pan onto the rack and cool completely.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 211.1

Total Fat: 6.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 12.7 mg
Total Carbs: 41.5 g

Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g

Protein: 3.6 g