Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Ok, so, I have to get to a rugby game, like, now haha But I need to quickly share a most delicious recipe first!

I have been searching for this one since I made them this summer. I could remember the gist of how I made these little treats, but I needed the original recipe to make sure all was perfect before I posted. I e-mailed Averie, the mastermind behind Love Veggies and Yoga, to ask her where the recipe went she had posted on her site. She was such a sweetheart to get back to me very promptly. Her site was under a bit of construction, but I just got an e-mail now that it is all up and running and thus, access to the yummiest vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free cookie recipe...


Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
adapted from Love Veggies and Yoga

These treats are perfect for the fall season right now, and into Christmas season as well. Even my very-vegan-scared boyfriend loved them. I made enough for people to try, but between the two of us, they did not last that long. They are so flavorful and packed with nutrients and plenty of Omega-3s and fiber.

Ingredients

1/4 cup of ground flax seeds
1/4 cup of walnuts
1/3 cup of almond meal (or raw almonds that you grind yourself)
2 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tsp Ginger
1 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp All-spice
3 Tbsp Agave

Blend all ingredients together in a good blender of food-processor. I used a blender, but it was a lot of work and much messier than using a food-processor.

If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more almond meal to make dough workable.

Pre-heat oven for 300 F. Form dough into cookie shapes. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Yield about 16 cookies.

*You can also naturally dehydrate these cookies to be completely raw. Form dough into cookie shapes and place on your counter-top to dehydrate for about 12 hours.

MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Make some yummy herbal tea, and eat the cookies :)

Mmmmm White Ambrosia by Tea Forte, delish!

I will post pictures to follow the recipe, but I am now really late for the game.

-Em

Portrait Photography

 I love taking pictures of people more than any other subject. When shooting a landscape or an architectural photography, I find myself placing a person in a frame because I feel that the photo is enhanced with a human presence.

I want my photos to be vibrating on their two dimensional display. I want to evoke some emotion, whether positive or negative, out of every viewer. Some landscapes I have shot the pixels dance across the image, but for the most part, my portrait shots show the best of what I have to offer as a photographer. (In my opinion, could be way off here :))

I am oh-so tired tonight, weeks of work and no break have left my mind and fingers without much energy to write a whole lot. In such cases, photographs work the best for me. They can say more than I could ever imagine to write, and require a whole lot less energy to post :) Tonight, I shall sip of my Creme Brulee Roobios Organic Tea (thank you David's Tea) and share my favorite portraits to date.

Em

"Ellie's Eye"

"Bohemian Green"

"Hiliwi"

"Uncle"

"Kels"

"Little Hazel"

"The Farmer"

"Impromptu Violet"

"Impromptu Orange"

"Montmartre"

"Parlez-vous Francais?"

'Lost'

'Abi'

'Guilin Girl'

'Magazine'

'Pay-off'

Where do you find motivation?

So what does it take to get you motivated? I really envy people who can jump out of a bed and immediately hit the gym or go for a run. I wish I could say I can do the same, but that is not me at all! I am not a morning person. Perhaps, if I did not work at a job 5 days a week that forces me to get out of bed at 4am I would appreciate mornings a bit more. As for right now, mornings and I do not have a good relationship. Instead of fighting this fact, I try to make use of my most energetic times to do the things I wish I could do in the early mornings, such as my runs and workouts.

The problem is, after waking up at 4am, working a 9 hour shift on my feet, my energy and motivation to exercise is pretty much non-existant. So, here comes the question, what does it take to ignore a tired, achy body and mind and do something healthy and beneficial for myself. I can feel that sceaming urge of "EXERCISE ME!" "I NEED TO RUN!" but it is easily covered up by the pleading  "I want to sit down, for just a second..." which always turns into way more than just a second, and then it's dinner time, night time, bed time... There is my situation.

Personally, where I find motivation changes depending on what the day holds. Such as today, it is absolutely horrible outside, freezing, raining, and that makes it very hard to want to go for a run. As for as the gym is concerned, I go not like the gym I go to, yet I am going to head there as soon as I listen to some "pumped up" music. Today, that is what is doing the trick. For one reason or another, there is one particular song right now that whenever I hear it all I want to do is run and jump around. It always does the trick, no matter what kind of mood I am in - Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO. No idea why, but this is it.




Another, perhaps bad source of motivation is my online shopping obsession, particularly with Lululemon. I have been running outside at least 4 days a week, but as the cold weather creeps in I feel like staying inside more often and opting for an indoor workout as opposed to a nice trail run. So... I went to www.lululemon.com and bought myself the perfect pair of outside running tights:

Aren't they just so pretty?

Journals, logs, plans, goals, competition, races are all good sources of motivaiton, but on a day by day basis sometimes I need just the simple things, like a good song or some Lulu.

Or, looking forward to a yummy post-workout or post-run meal :)

Like Cocoa Chia Pudding!

This is a perfect bowl of goodness for after a run, a workout, or just for a healthy delicious snack that leaves you feeling energized and nourished.

Have you heard of chia seeds? Not liek the Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha Chia that grows grass on a clay animal, but the nutrient packed super food that can be used in numerous ways!

A quick load down on this little black seed:
-It absorbes water at a ratio of 9:1, so is a great souce of hydration
-Had 3 times the antioxidants that blueberries contain
-Is jam PACKED with fiber (more so than wheat bran)
-Contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds, which we all know are a fantastic source
-15 times more magnesium than broccoli
-3 times more iron than spinach...

Need I go on? These little guys are a powerhouse of goodness!

I will be posting many chia seed recipes, however, this Cocoa Chia Pudding will get you hooked, just give the gel-like texture a chance, if you haven't already, I am positive you will grow to love it!


Cocoa Chia Pudding (Gluten Free, Vegan)

2 Tbsp of chia seeds
1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/4 cup of water
1/2 Tbsp of sweetener to taste (I use agave nectar, though stick to sugar-free, natural sweeteners such as stevia, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup)

1. Stir chia seeds, non-dairy milk and water together for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add cocoa (or carob*) powder and sweetener to mixture and stir for another minute.
3. Put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. It is also safe to leave in over-night for a breakfast treat the next morning.
4. Remove from fridge, stir for another 30 seconds and ENJOY!

Serves 1. You may also heat up in the microwave if you prefer a hot pudding.

*If using carob powder, reduce or omit sweetener as carob powder is naturally sweet :)

Post-travel depression... aka time for Creamy Avocado Pasta

So, I have not been able to write in what seems like ages! I spent the whole month of September in Europe and the UK, having the best month of my life! I have SOOOOOO much to write and so many photos to post, but for now, I am going to ease myself back into it.

For one reason or another, I have put my laptop in front of me day after day trying to muster a word or two out of me, but nothing. I have felt so tired, uninspired, unhealthy, and just, blah for the past two weeks, but something changed yesterday, I have no idea what, but I feel me coming back into this body that has been foreign to me for the past 2 weeks.

I was spending a lot of time edited the 3000+ photos I took while on this European Adventure, but found I was getting lost back into all of the memories, and as soon as I would stop I got really sad. But, I think I am OK to tackle that task again as well! I knew it was going to happen, this post-travel depression, but it would never stop me from traveling again. In fact, as soon as I got back I immediately booked a trip to Asia! haha

When you think about this post-travel depression phenomenon it only makes sense. You spend a month being constantly stimulated, through sites, and experience. You see brand new things, your days are jam packed, meeting new people, trying new food, drink, seeing new sights, things that you cannot even describe afterwards. You have no real responsibilities besides making sure you get some sleep, stay fed and clean and make sure you have as much fun as possible. Days are spent strolling around foreign cities, taking in the world's most famous landmarks, witnessing where ancient history unfolded, indulging in the local wine, food, wine, and ahhhhh wine :) It's like a dream world, only to come back home to where nothing has changed, the reasons you left are all still right there, your responsibilities jump right back on you, bills are coming in, work fills your days, and there is little in inspire let alone impress your mind. I went from over-stimulated and over-joyed back to a bland, boring routine. And there you have it, the cause for depression.

 

It's taken some time, a lot of patience, espeically from the people around me, but I am feeling better. I am ready to write again, to pick up from my happiness here that I left in August, and also to share my experiences and photos from my travels, without a sense of empty yearning afterwards.

 

I think I did well for the first time... haha But not first a recipe!

This is one thing that I missed while on my travels, my favorite go to recipe when I want something yummy, warm, comforting and healthy:

Creamy Avocado Pasta (Gluten-Free and Vegan)
Adopted from ohsheglows.com

Ingredients

1 ripe medium-size avocado
1/2 lemon, juiced
2-3 gloves of garlic, depending on how garlicky you prefer (I use 2 large ones)
1/4 cup fresh basil (I use 1/8 cup of dry sweet basil if fresh isn't available)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 serving of pasta (I used brown rice pasta, spaghettini or fettuccine)
Ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large pot bring water to a boil and add pasta of choice. For rice pasta I cook no longer than ten minutes. Follow directions for your pasta of choice and allow to cook Al-dente.

2. While pasta is cooking, in a food processor, or Magic Bullet, add avocado, lemon juice, garlic, oil, and basil. Blend to creamy consistency.

3. Drain and rinse pasta. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix until fully combined. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and enjoy :). Serves 2.

The amazing pasta dish takes only 15 minutes to make and is oh-so-satisfying!

Feel free to add whatever you like to this pasta. Last week I added in steamed kale and sweet onion. So good, with extra nutrients and vitamins!

To add some protein I have added in pan-fried tofu and broccoli, which tastes phenomenal as well!

Go nuts! Add your favorites to this creamy pasta deliciousness, that is completely vegan and gluten free! Mmmm nuts... perhaps that will be tonight's dinner creation :)

Em