If you are thinking about becoming vegan or want to add more fruit and veg to your diet then purchasing a high powered blender is the way to go! I own the Optimum 9400 which i got for about $500 (including shipping) and it has to be one of my best buys. Before then we had a reasonably cheap blender that would leave lumps and broke after just a couple months use. Investing in a good quality blender will save you money down the trail and you will use it so often that it is well and truly worth the initial cost. I usually use my blender twice a day to make smoothies but good blenders are very versatile and you can use them to make nut milks, sauces, nut butters, soups, ice-cream and raw desserts. Blenders are also helpful if you don’t have a lot of time because you can make a delicious, nutritious and cheap meal in under 5 minutes. In germany, my wife, called it zitruspresse. Ok. I also suggest having a blender with a 2 litre capacity. This way you can make bulk of something and store the rest for a readily prepared meal on the go. If you live at home and can’t afford your own blender you might want to ask your parents to chip in. When I told my Mum about buying a $500 blender I think she thought that I was a bit nuts but when I explained all its functions and the warranty she actually offered to go halves with me, so you never know, your parents might want to help you out too
If you definitely can’t afford one but own a food processor then thats your next best bet. It makes the best fruit ice-cream and using it to chop your veggies saves a tonne of time. If you don’t have a blender or food processor don’t worry! They are great to have but they’re not essential. Instead of a breakfast smoothie, you could have fresh fruit, toast, scrambled tofu, etc., the possibilities are endless. If you’re wondering about which blender to buy, make sure you do your research and are getting your money’s worth but I’d check out the Optimum, the Vitamix and the Nutribullet
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I love mixed berry smoothies because theyre sweet with a tangy from the rasberries and super refreshing.
Ingredients
1 Cup Frozen mixed berries
1 Cup Frozen rasberries
1/2 Cup Fresh dates (or dried for time saving)
2-3 Cups Water (or as needed)
Blend for about a minute or until completely smooth, pour and serve
Could it be any simpler!? Actually yes it could, I love rasberries hence why I add extra but you could just substitute the raspberries for an extra cup of mixed berries. So give this recipe a try and let me know what you think
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Vegan rice crispy treat – made with vegan marshmallows
Chocolate cupcake – they have two or three cupcakes each week such as maple, coconut, and others
Raspberry jelly roll and cinnamon bun
Although everything I’ve tasted so far has been great, the cinnamon bun was my favourite. I think this is in part because they toasted the pecans, a simple step that wins me over every time. I’ve tried gluten-free goods that did not hold up texture-wise — not the case here.
Although Sweet Tooth Cakery is a little off the beaten path for me, these dessert options are still fairly close to home. They are located at 2055 Old Dollarton Road, which is about a 5-10 minute walk from Phibbs exchange if taking public transit.
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Being vegan 50 years ago may have been difficult but in this day and age with all of the information and support that there is out there, you quickly find out how easy and worthwhile it really is. But if being vegan is intimidating to you then just bring it back to the basics. Think about your current diet, what does it look like? Maybe Special K for breakfast, a chicken and salad wrap for lunch, a muesli bar for a snack and korma curry for dinner. Well guess what, you can still have all of that with only slight adjustments. Instead of cow’s milk with your cereal, trade it for almond/soy milk. Instead of chicken in your wrap, try some mixed beans instead and sweet chilli sauce or a salsa. Grab some vegan muesli bars from your health food store or even simpler, just snack on some nuts and fruit. For dinner, leave out the beef/chicken (trust me you won’t miss it) and instead add more potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli, mushroom… you get the point.
[Quick side note, my recipe post on vegan curry is coming soon so keep your eyes peeled, it’s pretty damn good if I do say so myself!]
If you are a foodie and don’t know how to make a dish vegan then Google it! I can assure you there will be a recipe there if not hundreds of recipes. I don’t know what it is but there is something really satisfying when you make a dish vegan and it comes out just as good, if not better than the original. But don’t worry, even if the only thing that you can cook is toast, then that’s fine too. Vegans don’t need to cook meals any more than anyone else does. If you forgot to go shopping and are running low on supplies why not just have baked beans on toast? It’s maybe not the healthiest dinner but it’s quick and really hits the spot. On that note, I feel like most people think that vegans eat 100% healthily 24/7 and whilst for some that would be true, it’s not true for everyone. It would be like thinking that because one personal trainer at the gym only eats steamed veggies and protein shakes that every person at the gym eats that way. The commonality between the personal trainer and the rest of the people at the gym is the want to workout just as the commonality between a vegan who only eats organic fruit and veggies and all other vegans is the refusal to eat/ use animal bi-products.
If you are vegan for purely ethical reasons, then by all means you can still eat whole packets of Oreos and vegan chocolate, bags of chips, vegan pastries and desserts, salty/oily fries and smother all of your food in tomato sauce. I in no way recommend this kind of lifestyle, all I am saying is that it is possible. Veganism is so adaptable and differs from person to person. After all there are; high carbohydrate/low fat vegans (80/10/10); raw vegans; fruitarians; and vegans who’s meals are ever-changing. Veganism is not like ‘fads’ or ‘diets’ that last about a week before you fall off the wagon and grab the first unhealthy thing that you can lay your hands on. It’s not about restricting yourself and it’s not just for ‘hippies’, it’s a compassionate way of life that benefits yourself, other beings and our world.
So get out of your head and go and explore the possibilities because they’re endless and exciting.
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- 2 tablespoons of coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon of peanut flower
- 1 grated apple
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 2 egg whites
- 1 splash of rice milk
For the frosting I mixed one tablespoon of peanut powder with a bit of chocolate portein powder and some rice milk.. It was yammy! Put some banana and some raw cacao nibs on top et voila! Delish post workout muffin!
Snackage:
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The working season has slowed down a bit, which is good because I really worked a lot the last few weeks.. Now I can concentrate on Bikram yoga!! ( Remember I won that unlimited memebership for a month?)
I was out for about a week because work was so bizzy, so wednesday I went back after a week of doing nothing (except some running).. The class was extremely hot and humid and I really had a rough time powering through.. I really stood there thinking.. “Well, is this what I’ve been lingering for the whole week.. NICE.. haha”. I had to lay down the last 15 minutes of the class, because I started to resemble a tomato..
Not kidding there
But I went back, this fridaymorning and had a great class.. Now that’s what I’ve signed up for I’ll keep you posted on how the Bikram mini challenge is going
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