Deal of the Century

Hello! I have a little secret to let you guys in on...

Over the Christmas holidays I went to get an eye exam because I was having trouble seeing and it turns out I needed classes. After looking at extremely expensive glasses, my frugal side came to life and I went on a quest to find glasses within my teeny tiny student budget.

At the same time my best friend Maggie was raving about the new glasses she had just bought for twenty dollars.... you heard that right TWENTY DOLLARS! Prescription and all.

So off I went to buy the exact same pair (thanks Maggie) and since then I have been telling everybody and their brother about AC Lens because the whole process was super easy and they shipped within a week for free.

I have nothing but good things to say! So even if you just want an extra pair of travel glasses, or a pair to leave at work, AC Lens is the place to go.

Chia Pudding with Granola Clusters

Hello! This morning my breakfast was pretty spot on, so I thought I'd whip out the old camera and document it. My roommate Sara and I are totally crushing on Angela Liddon from Oh She Glows and we have been tearing up her cookbook on the daily recently so I thought I'd share how we have been combining a couple of her recipes. 

I have started getting in the habit of preparing my breakfast the night before because it makes for such relaxing morning. Chia pudding to the rescue!! I usually prepare a jar of it at night and a batch of granola clusters for the week and then combine the two in the morning with some fresh fruit... pure heaven.

I know that I mentioned my visit to the naturopath recently, and I wanted to share another little tip I got: CHIA SEEDS. With five times more calcium than milk, and seven times more vitamin C than oranges, chia seeds are small but mighty. I'm here to give you a delicious recipe because it can be hard to figure out how to actually sneak these little devils into your diet.

Ingredients

CHIA PUDDING (1 serving)
- 1 to 3 Tbsp chia seeds - I like my chia pudding really milky, but you can add up to 3 Tbsp of chia seeds to make it thicker and more pudding-like.
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

GRANOLA CLUSTERS (6 cups)
- 1½ cup whole raw almonds
- 1¼ cup rolled oats
- ⅔ cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, chopped dates)
- ½ raw pepita seeds (shelled pumpkin seeds)
- ¼ raw sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener like agave or honey)
- ¼ melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla

Directions

CHIA PUDDING
- Measure out the almond milk and the vanilla into a mason jar.
- Add in the chia seeds after the wet ingredients.
- Add a lid and mix well.
- Refrigerate overnight, and stir before eating in the morning.

GRANOLA CLUSTERS
✿ Preheat oven to 275ºF.
✿ Process ½ cup of almonds into a fine meal in a food processor (about 10 seconds). Transfer to a mixing bowl.
✿ Pulse the rest of the almonds, 1 cup, for a couple of seconds till the almonds are chopped but not made into a meal. Gotta love that chunnnnky granola.
✿ Add the oats, dried fruit, pepita seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt to the almond mixture and mix until combined.
✿ Next, add in the maple syrup, melted oil, and vanilla and stir together.
✿ Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and spread the granola over the surface. Pack it down with a spatula so that it is compact.
✿ Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the granola is golden and firm.
✿ Let the granola cool for at least an hour and then break it into piece and store it in an airtight jar.

Serve the two together for a magical morning!

// both recipes slightly adapted from Oh She Glows

Cauliflower and Red Pepper Soup

Hello! I made a really really great soup yesterday and I wanted to share. Over the holidays I went to see a naturopath to learn more about how I can get nutrients out of all of da foodz since I am now calling myself a vegetarian. My doctor was super great and we really bonded over all things running, vegetables, and iron deficiencies. He gave me tons of great resources and tips, which I will be sneaking into my upcoming posts. One of the things he mentioned was becoming friendly with the cruciferous family of vegetables. This includes cauliflower, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and many more. 

So here I am, pouncing on all recipes that involve those ingredients because they are apparently extremely rich in all good things, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, folic acid, and fibre  These superstars are also great anti-inflamatory agents and have loads of protein... I know what you're thinking, protein in vegetables?? I know, pretty great.

After a quick Pinterest search I came up with tons of great recipes including this roasted red pepper & cauliflower soup topped with kale pesto. Delicious and nutritious!!

Ingredients

SOUP
- 4 medium red bell peppers
- 1 head of cauliflower, diced into florets (roughly 4 cups)
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- dash of salt and pepper

PESTO
- 2 cups of kale
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 clove of garlic
- juice of one lemon (roughly 3 Tbsp)
- 1/2 cup raw almonds

Directions

SOUP
✿ First, you need to do some roasting! Cut the peppers in half and take out the seeds. Then place them cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil the peppers till they are black on the outside and soft on the inside, about 20 minutes depending on the size.

When the peppers are done roasting put them in a sealed container to let them steam a bit, so it's easier to peel the skin off.

✿ Then broil the cauliflower florets for about 20-25 minutes.

✿ While this is all happening you can start the base of the soup. In a pot set to medium-low heat, add in the oil, diced onion, and garlic. Let that sauté till the onions are tender.

✿ Next add the spices and veggie stock and let simmer on medium heat.

✿ Now you can remove the skins from the peppers and chop them up. Then, add the roasted peppers and cauliflower to the pot. Let everything simmer for about 20 minutes to let all the ingredients get to know each other.

✿ Using either an immersion blender or in parts in a regular blender, puree the bejeebers out of the soup.



You can now make this amazing pesto to top your soup, or to add into anything you eat!! I've been putting in sandwiches, on sweet potatoes, pizza, and pasta for the last little while and it's THE TASTIEST, CREAMIEST thing ever. And hello kale!

PESTO
✿ In a food processor pulse together the kale, oil, salt, garlic, and lemon. 

✿ Next, add in the almonds and process some more until it all comes together.

✿ Keep refrigerated.


Yum yum yum! I hope you aren't too scared off by all the roasting involved in this recipe because the end product is sooooo worth it.

xox


// original recipes from Gal on a Mission and Pinch of Yum