Breakfast of Champions

How about a little pie for breakfast?? It's true! 

A healthful way to start your day, this Raw Chocolate Avocado Pie is full of vitamins, antioxidant and protein. It's also gluten free, delicious and no baking involved :) 

**You can make it vegan by switching out the honey for agave.

 

Ingredients

Crust

·      3/4  cup raw almonds or macadamia nuts

·      ½ cup raw pecans

·      8 pitted Medjool dates

·      1/2 ripe banana (for those that like the banana chocolate combination, or omit)

Pudding Filling

·      2 ripe avocados

·      2 ½ tsp vanilla extract

·      ¼ cup raw cacao powder

·      ½ cup raw honey (more or less to taste)

·      1 tablespoon organic coconut oil

Directions

Crust

Blend crust ingredients in a food processor until they form into a sticky ball. Don’t over process. Using wet hand, press this mixture into the base of a pie pan (10", give or take). Set aside. Clean out food processor.

Pudding Filling

Seed and scoop out avocado into the food processor. Add cacao powder, honey, vanilla, coconut oil. Blend until smooth.

Spoon avocado mixture onto the crust and spread it evenly. Put into the freezer for 30 minutes before serving.  Store in the fridge.

If desired, top with fresh raspberries if not adding banana to crust or banana slices. 

Enjoy!

The Pumpkins are Coming!

Have you gone by a fruit stand lately? I have, and what did my little eye spy?? Sweet little perfectly round pumpkins. This is a sure sign that the season's they are a changing.

We'll soon have pumpkin everything: pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin beer and of course pumpkin flavoured coffee! (Yikes, that might be a bit too much. Don't consume all at once!)

I love brunch so, why not pumpkin pancakes? Here is a great recipe from the blog Big Girls, Small Kitchen which blends the great flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg to enhance the fall favourite squash.


Enjoy!

xo
penny

Stress-Free Eating

Fall, for many people is a crazy busy time. Kids are in full swing at school, work is gearing up for year end and the days are getting shorter...the vacation is over.

So how do we feel? STRESSED!! and then what do we do?...EAT!

At least that's what I do. So I thought there must be foods that relieve stress rather than make you feel more stressed and bloated? Well, there are! Here's 5 that I found that work for me, are easy to add to your diet and are super tasty. Remember, all in moderation!
  



Chocolate

Let's start off by stating the obvious!
Dark chocolate, in particular, is known to lower blood pressure, making you feel a sense of calm. Works for me! Indulge in moderation but really, there is nothing like it!

Avocados 

These delish fruits contain lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and lots of folate which help to relieve stress. Add a few slices to a salad, burger or sandwich.

Oatmeal 
This comfort food causes your brain to produce serotonin, a feel-good chemical. So it also creates a soothing feeling that helps overcome stress. A great way to start you day!



Asparagus
They are also high in folate, which is essential for keeping you cool and calm. Steam them up and add to pasta or salads.









Berries 
Berries, including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, have lots of vitamin C, which has been shown to be helpful in combating stress as it's been known to lower blood pressure. Add to yogurt, or eat a pint (kidding...but I could) on it's own.

Game on!

There are games people and then there is my sister who takes it to a whole new level.  She's creates these elaborate and FUN adventures. Everything from an Oscar's night extravaganza which includes not just the category winner ballots but trivia questions both video and audio, a Wii Olympics where each team represents a country as we play and compete to sports pools with a twist (with some serious spreadsheets that mathematicians would be envious of).

Recently she held the an "Amazing Race" where you broke out into teams and had to figure out clues that took you on a tour throughout the city. There was even a sensory quiz where participants had to use certain senses to guess the mystery clue. Then to top off the good times, a big picnic and of course prizes (usually a baked good of some kind and totally worth winning). 

My sister has always had a knack for bring people together and creating lots of fun. It's a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon with your friends and family.

Have a great weekend!
xo
penny

Stealing, Cheating and Envy...

We all have those friends who seem to do everything with ease. They manage a balance between work and play, and nothing really rattles them.

ENVY is my first response. But then I realize we can really learn a thing or two from them.

So, after attending a stellar dinner party where they made a colourful and delicious Tricolour Quinoa, I decided to steal the recipe and serve it at one of my own parties. I even made it easier on myself by using pre-made pesto (don't tell anyone!)

Best swipe ever :)

The Gift of Experience

Don't you love "experience" gifts? You know, the ones where you go and DO something and have a great time doing it? Well, that's what we did this weekend in Niagara Wine Country. We experienced an amazing wine tasting, tour and lunch at Stoney Ridge Winery.

It was the perfect gift, we got to drink wonderful wine, share time with some friends who came up with us and take in the gorgeous Vineland area. There are so many great wineries in the region that we ended up hitting a few others while we were there.

If you are going to check it out, make sure you have a designated driver or make arrangements with a tour company who will drive you around from winery to winery...Best option :) 

Neighbour Love

For those of you who have or whose job it is to exhibit at trade shows you know how exhausting they can be. What helps keep you going is great neighbours...ones that you just connect with and can share a few laughs along the way.

At the CGTA show we met Joy Annett, an incredibly talented metalsmith and designer with a love for shoes almost as much as mine. Her work is so beautiful I've already added a few items to my Christmas list!

At NYIGF we met the lovely Carla Hall (of The Chew and Top Chef) and her equally wonderful team including Verlette and Tim. After a harrowing experience of trying to get to our booth through the mayhem of show set up, Carla and the gang were right there to welcome us. We were instantly smitten. They make these delicious petite cookies that are tiny, but boy do they pack a punch of flavour. They are truly little bites of love. 

We also met and reconnected with some fantastic retailers at both shows. Thank you for coming by and spending time with us. We know it's exhausting for all of you as well!

So was it all worth it? Absolutely. We made some new friends!

xo
penny

Bob Vila and Domistyle?

We got a blurb from the dude of all dudes...Bob Vila, the dean of home renovation and repair advice. Every guy knows Bob. He has guided him through DIY handy-man projects and major renovations.

Our new men's apron collection is featured on his blog under the "Great Grill Gear" product round up. We are officially a men's brand too! How would the guys celebrate? I guess we should go for a beer...