As per the request of the lovely Arianne Bieber (keep in mind, I still want to use Leishman), I am posting the easiest recipe that I have ever come across! Not only is it easy as all get out it is delicious, like mind-blowingly delicious.
Chia Seed Pudding
What you need:
3 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup non-dairy milk (preferably a sweetened, but non flavoured one)
1/2 tsp vanilla
something to flavour it with just before serving
What to do:
1. Combine the chia seeds, milk, and vanilla in a sealed container and stir.
2. Place in fridge, stirring every half an hour or so for the first two hours.
3. Let sit between 2 hours and overnight.
4. Serve and enjoy!
I topped mine with cinnamon when I served it, and it was TO DIE FOR! Nutmeg, cardamon, brown sugar, agave nectar, fresh fruit, chocolate syrup or billions of other things could be delicious atop this easy creation!
It has a similar consistency to tapioca pudding but has a ridiculous number of benefits such as fiber, protein, blood sugar balancing, omega-3, and anti-oxidants. I could go on, but I am sure by this time you have tasted your concoction and have been sold based on the delicious flavour alone!
Don't stop with chia seeds and pudding either, these puppies are versatile! Add them to salad, pasta, cereal, smoothies, basically anything you eat!
I hope I managed to convince you how amazing these little guys are!
Be well!
Becki
Wednesday 13 February 2013
LUSHious products review!
Since the women that working at the West Edmonton Mall location of Lush are some of my favourite women in the whole world (no joke), I went to visit again! This time I was surprised with a number of amazing things, one being that even though they didn't have any of the face mask I was jonesing for in stock they did have enough to give me a little container to try! The second surprise was that they were having a product party the following Saturday, which I (luckily) had off! My friend Amanda and I booked an appointment for facials and tried to contain our excitement until Saturday!
This brings me to my review of the face mask I was gifted! I opted for the Catastrophic Cosmetic since it is one of their vegan and fresh face masks. The idea of it being a fresh face mask was incredibly appealing to me because it means there is a serious lack of preservatives and instead it is just an amalgamation of fresh plant based products! At first glance/touch/taste (admittedly this stuff did go in my mouth a little bit) I was convinced the the main ingredient was seaweed and thought nothing negative about it! However, the base of this face mask is blueberry and the skin of the blueberries kind of emulated the texture of seaweed, which I enjoyed! Not to mention the smell is to die for!
Since you keep this face mask in the fridge prior to using it the chilly temperature is incredibly invigorating and helps to open up your pores to receive the insane number of vitamins the blueberries are packed with! I am not the most graceful of individuals so I definitely got the mask all over my face, shirt and bathroom but in the process I could feel the mask start to pull all the garbage out of my face! I was a little bit nervous that I would have a slight reaction to this product since I have such sensitive skin, but it is so mild and cleansing that I was just left feeling a lovely tingle.
I did find that the mask dries very quickly, and if you tend to make very bold facial expression (not unlike myself) you can end up getting the dried mask all over your apartment! However, it was a breeze to clean up and the smell just kind of lingered. Removing the face mask from my face was also so easy! I simply soaked a face cloth in coldish water and placed it on my face for a few minutes and then I was able to gently wipe it away!
The end result was a fresh, grease free face and a very pleased customer! I definitely plan to purchase this again in the future and attempt to use on a weekly basis. The combination of blueberries, calamine powered and almond oil was just wonderful! I would most definitely recommended this to anyone, with any kind of skin type you can think of!
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| Catastrophic Cosmetic Face Mask |
Another product that I have been using for the past couple weeks is the Lush Veganese hair conditioner. At first I have to admit that I was not sold on it, I have a large amount of curly thick hair and it takes a lot to work through the knots and mats that occur near the nape of my neck, and the veganese conditioner did not seem to have the manpower needed to work my hair out. However, closer to the end of the bottle I noticed that my hair was not getting as knotted and I was able to use to a little bit less conditioner than I was using at the beginning and to top it all off I was getting lots of compliments on my hair! I do plan to purchase another bottle of veganese when I get paid because I would like to see what other miracles this stuff can create! Not to mention the smell, seaweed and lemon! HELLO! So lovely!
Stay tuned to see how my adventure with Lush Veganese goes.
Until then, be well.
Becki
Wednesday 6 February 2013
The secret to delish banana bread... even the critics love it.
As per the request of another one of my lovely friends I have decided to share the ever loved banana bread recipe that I have conjured up! It is a mix between a number of banana bread recipes that I have come across and have found unsatisfactory. I figured what the heck, I will combine the best parts of the great ones and make my own banana bread which if I do say so myself is to die for!
Banana Bread
(Note, I ALWAYS use bananas that have gotten to ripe for my liking and so I froze them. I feel like this is the key!)
4 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or raw sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 pinches of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Mash the bananas (sometimes I put them in the microwave for a few minutes to get them nice and gooey), and then add the butter and sugars then mix till they form a creamy texture.
3. Add in the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.
4. Stir in the flour, mixing only until moist.
5. Bake in a greased pan for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you choose to make muffins, cut the baking time in half (but keep a super close eye on them!)
6. Let them rest before you take them out of the pan.
Again, please enjoy! This is one of my favourite and most loved recipes.
Be well.
Becki
Banana Bread
(Note, I ALWAYS use bananas that have gotten to ripe for my liking and so I froze them. I feel like this is the key!)
4 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or raw sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 pinches of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Mash the bananas (sometimes I put them in the microwave for a few minutes to get them nice and gooey), and then add the butter and sugars then mix till they form a creamy texture.
3. Add in the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.
4. Stir in the flour, mixing only until moist.
5. Bake in a greased pan for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you choose to make muffins, cut the baking time in half (but keep a super close eye on them!)
6. Let them rest before you take them out of the pan.
Again, please enjoy! This is one of my favourite and most loved recipes.
Be well.
Becki
A couple favorite recipes of mine!
A friend of mine requested that I post a couple of recipes for her, since she claims I inspired her to make some of her own! I don't know that inspired is the best word, I don't think what I do is especially extraordinary but I am happy to share the delicious things I have created with the rest of the world!
First one is ridiculously easy, and I ALWAYS have the ingredients that I need to make it hanging around my house.
Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients:
6 frozen bananas
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp coconut or vanilla flavor
Steps:
1. Let the bananas defrost for about 20 minutes, this makes them easier to work with.
2. Put the bananas in the food processor one at a time. If you don't own a food processor you will have to use a potato masher or a fork to get them to the proper consistency.
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients and blend until they are a smooth consistency.
4. Taste and make sure it is sweet enough.
5. Put back into the freezer so it becomes frozen solid again!
Try swapping out the coconut for peanut butter, or something else delicious if you want something a little bit different.
The next recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and immediately knew that I had to give it a shot!
Chocolate Coconut Granola
Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled out (I used instant)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp agave nectar
pinch of salt
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp water
Steps:
1. Preheat the over to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, and almonds.
3. In small pot, combine oil, brown sugar, agave nectar, salt, vanilla and coconut extract, cocoa, and water. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved (about 4 mins).
4. Pour mixture over oats and stir till coated.
5. Cover a baking sheet with foil and pour in oat mixture, press to about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove granola from oven and press down again.
8. Once granola is completely cool, break into chunks and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
It is tasty on basically everything!
Let me know if you have any questions, but I hope this is comprehensive enough!
Be well.
Becki
First one is ridiculously easy, and I ALWAYS have the ingredients that I need to make it hanging around my house.
Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients:
6 frozen bananas
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp coconut or vanilla flavor
Steps:
1. Let the bananas defrost for about 20 minutes, this makes them easier to work with.
2. Put the bananas in the food processor one at a time. If you don't own a food processor you will have to use a potato masher or a fork to get them to the proper consistency.
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients and blend until they are a smooth consistency.
4. Taste and make sure it is sweet enough.
5. Put back into the freezer so it becomes frozen solid again!
Try swapping out the coconut for peanut butter, or something else delicious if you want something a little bit different.
The next recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and immediately knew that I had to give it a shot!
Chocolate Coconut Granola
Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled out (I used instant)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp agave nectar
pinch of salt
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp water
Steps:
1. Preheat the over to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, and almonds.
3. In small pot, combine oil, brown sugar, agave nectar, salt, vanilla and coconut extract, cocoa, and water. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved (about 4 mins).
4. Pour mixture over oats and stir till coated.
5. Cover a baking sheet with foil and pour in oat mixture, press to about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove granola from oven and press down again.
8. Once granola is completely cool, break into chunks and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
It is tasty on basically everything!
Let me know if you have any questions, but I hope this is comprehensive enough!
Be well.
Becki
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