BLUSHBABY SMOOTHIE- Vegan, Grain-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

Ever wanted something that tasted like a dessert but was filled with veggies?

Well you’re in luck because Leanne Vogel’s newest cookbook Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook (that I introduced the other day) is filled with juice and smoothie recipes that are absolutely delicious. There’s even an entire chapter in the book dedicated to dessert smoothies. Now that’s my kind of chapter! I’m honestly drooling just thinking about all the recipes I cannot wait to try!

Leanne was kind enough to let me share a recipe with you. This recipe is fantastic because it’s a smoothie made with fresh juice. A bit more labour intensive than just a smoothie or just a juice, but the flavour is unbelievable. It’s definitely worth the extra effort. I would suggest making a double serving when you make this. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

Blushbaby Smoothie

Shared with permission of Leanne Vogel. 

Serves 1 (Makes 500ml)

Ingredients:

1 orange, juiced

4 carrots, juiced

1 golden beet, juiced

8 frozen mango chunks

6 strawberries

3 ice cubes

Directions:

Juice the orange, carrots and golden beet.

Pour the juice into the jug of your high-powered blender, followed by remaining ingredients in the order they are listed.

Blend on high for 1 minute, or until smooth.

Transfer to a glass and serve immediately.

To store: pour into a glass container and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Alternatively, pour into a plastic container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Grab your copy of the cookbook here and after you do, immediately flip to the dessert smoothie chapter!!! Just do it.

xoxo Erin

Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook!!!

Feeling sluggish? Lost your mojo?

Before you officially cancel today and crawl back into bed, I have just the thing: My pal, Leanne just launched her new book, Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook.

I’ve posted about Leanne’s magnificent work before and you can check out my posts about her other two cookbooks here and here. Leanne is not just a cookbook author, she is also a holistic nutritionist and the mastermind behind Healthful Pursuit. She has dedicated her career to creating delicious recipes that are healthy, nourishing and allergy friendly . That’s right, all of her recipes are gluten and dairy-free. She’s also got a tone of recipes that are vegan and a tone that are grain-free.

But this cookbook is different. And special. This cookbook is focused on juices, smoothies and cleansing. I rarely follow cleansing programs when I come across them because I find that they are usually too strict for my liking. I like choice. I don’t like being told what I can or cannot have. Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook is different though. This book has over 55 juice and smoothie recipes that are all vegan and gluten-free and it has cleanse programs that let you decide what smoothie or juice you’re going to enjoy. That’s right, Leanne has organized her smoothies and juices into categories and the cleanse programs are based off of the categories, not specific recipes. But not to worry, if you are someone who prefers cleanses to be created fool-proof with grocery lists and all, her cookbook also has some of those too!

Like all of Leanne’s cookbooks, Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook is filled with beautiful, mouthwatering photographs. I honestly did not know it was possible to make smoothies and juices look like Leanne does. Healthy food porn at it’s finest, no joke.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your copy HERE! And stay tuned because later this week I’ll be sharing a smoothie and a juice recipe from the book 🙂

xoxo Erin

Note: I am an affiliate of Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook and receive a percentage of the sales that are generated from this blog. I would NOT have agreed to be an affiliate though if I did not 100% believe that this cookbook is high quality and worth every penny 🙂

ALMOND ORANGE BROCCOLI- Vegan, Gluten-Free & Oil-Free

I sat down with the intention to write my next review of Happy Herbivore Light & Lean. But as soon as I looked at my computer screen I felt exhausted. I spend about six of my eight hour work day sitting at a desk writing an assessment. Turns out that’s enough to make me not want to write anything else today!

Almond Orange Broccoli

Crisp broccoli smothered in a sweet and salty sauce. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 3 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp almond butter
• 3 tbsp sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Heat frying pan over medium-low heat and add broccoli florets.
2. While the broccoli cooks, add orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar and almond butter to a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and blend until combined.
3. Once the broccoli is cooked to your liking (I cook mine just until it starts to turn a brighter green), pour the sauce over the broccoli and sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

xoxo Erin

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       Butter Chickpeas

UPDATE! This recipe has been shared at Healthy Vegan Fridays.

TROPICAL DESSERT SMOOTHIE- Vegan, Gluten-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

I created this recipe for my mom. My mom loves the summer. She loves the weather, the sunlight and of course, the flavours. Since this winter has been especially cold and since my mom has recently obtained a high-power blender, I thought I’d create a recipe for her. I thought of no better recipe than a smoothie that is delicious enough to call a dessert but healthy enough to enjoy at any time of the day. This super healthy smoothy is completely mouthwatering and will take your taste buds to tropical heaven.

Okay, so it doesn’t look that pretty when it’s just a pile of stuff in a blender, but once that “on” button is pressed and all the ingredients are pulverized, tropical heaven is achieved. Just trust me.

See, I told you! Look at those beautiful green glowing smoothies. I love the look of green smoothies but I can appreciate that lots of people think they look like alien goo. Although I’ve listed this as a dessert smoothie, I still like throwing spinach in there for extra nutrition. You cannot taste the spinach at all. The fruit and coconut milk are so strong in flavour that the spinach is covered up immediately. If I was making this as a meal instead of as a sweet treat I’d probably throw at least 2 cups of kale in there as well. This will make the smoothies much brighter green though and that may be off putting for some. Feel free to leave out the spinach if you’re making it for picky eaters…but I promise if you blind-fold them and serve them the green version they would never know!

Tropical Dessert Smoothie

A creamy smoothie that’s filled with bright tropical flavours and is sweet enough to be a dessert. 

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water (use 1 1/2 cups if you like a thinner drink)
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp macadamia nut butter
• 2 cups spinach

Instructions: 

1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender, making sure to add the liquids first. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and let your taste buds escape to the tropics!

xoxo Erin

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Pina Colada Oatmeal

UPDATE: This recipe has been shared at Healthy Vegan Fridays, Raw Food Thursdays and Weekend Wholefood Blender Party.

PEANUT BUTTER APPLE HEMP COOKIES- Vegan, Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free & Oil-Free

I’ve become quite the cookie monster lately. All I want to eat is cookies and most days this week every meal has ended with a cookie. With such severe cookie cravings I decided to create a cookie that is healthy enough to be part of a regular meal. And what makes a healthier cookie than hemp seeds, sesame seeds, peanut butter, apple butter and flax seeds.

Mmmm cookies!

Healthy cookies!!!

Healthy Peanut Butter Apple Hemp Cookies

Super healthy peanut butter cookies with a hint of sweet apple and nutrient packed seeds. 

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup apple butter
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1 tbsp water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add hemp seeds and sesame seeds to a blender and blend for a few seconds until about half of the seeds are broken up. I used my magic bullet.
3. Mix the blended seeds with the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.
4. Drop the cookies onto the lined baking sheet and leave room for them to expand.
5. Bake for 12 minutes and let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. If you try to remove them when they’re not fully cooled, some of the bottom of the cookie will stick.

xoxo Erin

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UPDATE! This recipe has been shared at Wellness Weekend.

HANGOVER HEADACHE CURE- Vegan, Grain-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

I don’t drink alcohol very often, but when I do it’s either gin or red wine…both of which are fantastic at giving me massive headaches the next morning. Years ago I would indulge on some overly greasy Chinese food to “cure” my headache, but I’ve come to learn that this only provided immediate gratification and undoubtedly caused more pain (hello stomach cramps!) than it cured. When I awoke the other weekend after a night reuniting with my dear friend Mr. Red Wine, I decided it was time for a new headache cure.

And yes, veggies have EVERYTHING to do with this cure 🙂

In the midst of my painful hangover headache I had a brilliant realization- hangover headaches are generally caused by dehydration. And from my experience dehydration headaches go away almost immediately once the body is hydrated again. Drinking water though would take too long to fix the headache I had, so I headed straight for my juicer to give myself a boost of water AND nutrients. After juicing everything I could find I realized I also wanted a nice hit of potassium to really knock my headache to the curb quickly. Welcome banana and avocado, aka the easiest way to make a sweet and creamy smoothie. I quickly mixed it all together and gulped the drink down like it was my job. I also nibbled on some medjool dates on the side. And yes, my friends, my headache went away and went away rather quickly. Even though I thought that this is what would happen, I was still surprised when it actually did happen. Could curing a painful hangover headache actually be that easy? It definitely was this time and I’ll definitely be trying this again when I reunite with Mr. Red Wine or Mrs. Gin again!

Nutrient Packed Hangover Headache Cure

A sweet and satisfying way to cure a dehydration related headache!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled if not organic
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 6 stalks of organic celery
• 1 medium beet, peeled
• 1 apple, peeled if not organic
• 1 organic green bell pepper
• 1 piece of ginger (as large as you can handle)
• 1 small head of romaine lettuce
• 2 bananas
• 1/2 avocado

Instructions:

1. Juice everything except for the bananas and avocado
2. Pour the juice into a blender and blend with the bananas and avocado
3. Divide into glasses and enjoy with some medjool dates on the side

xoxo Erin

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      Banana Milkshake

UPDATE! This recipe has been shared at Allergy-Free Wednesday, Wellness Weekend and Weekend Wholefood Blender Party.

MAPLE SHORTBREAD, GINGERSNAPS & RUM BALLS- Vegan, Grain-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

Remember when I introduced you to Leanne Vogel’s newest E-Cookbook Christmas Dessert Freedom? Well I’m still obsessed with it. And when I say obsessed, I mean OBSESSED. I made 3 recipes from the book last night alone! And I wish I could say I had leftovers, but the treats were THAT good that my partner and I gobbled them up quicker than I anticipated. Yes, I’m being serious but I should also mention that I quartered the recipes, so it’s not like we each ate a dozen cookies 🙂

I started off with the Maple Shortbread Cookies because shortbread cookies have always been a holiday staple in my house. I couldn’t wait to see if they measured up to my mom’s traditional cookies. They were incredibly easy to make and tasted yummy. I baked them for the lower end of the time range provided because I was too exited to try them. When I make them again I’ll cook them for the longer recommended time though because I found the centre of the cookie was not as flakey as the rest.

Next on the list was Gingersnaps. Oh sweet gingersnaps! These were my favourite out of the three treats I baked last night. Their texture was fantastic, their flavour was bold yet not overpowering and the smell of them baking made my knees week. An added bonus was that I thought the cookies looked very pretty. I love the subtle cracks that occurred while they baked. To me this made them look like “regular” gluten, dairy and egg filled cookies. The Gingersnaps are the browned cookies at the bottom of the picture:

And last but not least, who could resist a Rum Ball? Okay, confession time: I’d never actually had a rum ball before last night because they never sounded appealing to me. When I saw the ingredients to these rum balls though I just had to give them a try. These healthy little treats are made with hemp seeds, medjool dates, shredded coconut, cocoa powder, coconut nectar, coconut oil and of course a little bit of rum. Leanne is actually having a giveaway RIGHT NOW on her blog (Healthful Pursuit) to win the ingredients to make these Rum Balls. So grab a copy of Christmas Dessert Freedom HERE and then head on over to Healthful Pursuit HERE to enter for a chance to win. These Rum Balls were delicious, you definitely need to make them immediately. Their texture reminded me of my Ultimate Superfood Energy Bites but their flavour was much more decadent and it immediately felt like the holidays when I bit into one. The Rum Balls are the beautiful morsels on the right-hand side:

Next on my list to try from Christmas Dessert Freedom are the Cocoa Caramel Bars, Sugar Cookies and Pecan Pie Bars. I may or may not be drooling just thinking about it! If you want to get a copy of Christmas Dessert Freedom so can drool along with me, click HERE!

xoxo Erin

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BANANA MILKSHAKE- Vegan, Gluten-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

If you hate bananas, just stop here. Seriously, a banana milkshake recipe will not change your mind about bananas! Maybe grab a copy of this dessert cookbook, it’s banana free 🙂 Anyway, if you’re like me and absolutely love bananas, then you’re in for a real treat! This milkshake is thick and rich and so delicious that you can enjoy it as a dessert…or breakfast, or BOTH! I love foods that are sweet enough to be a dessert and healthy enough to be a breakfast.

Health Banana Milkshake

Creamy and rich smoothie that is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• 2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
• 1-2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1/2 tsp amla powder
• 1/2-1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 4 cups spinach

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high-power blender and blend until smooth.
2. Portion into glasses and enjoy.

Oh my, I almost forgot- the Vegan Delish App giveaway has closed and the winners have been selected. Check the comment section of the post to see if you’ve won 🙂 Winners are to email me at siftstirandsavour@gmail.com for the app code!

p.s. Don’t forget to get yourself a copy of Christmas Dessert Freedom. All of the desserts in this e-book are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and paleo.

xoxo Erin

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HOW TO HAVE A GUILT-FREE HOLIDAY!

Is it just me or do the holidays and healthy eating not usually go together? Sure, I always tell myself I’ll develop some super healthy dessert recipes but time always flies by before that happens. I usually take the opportunity to crack open a baking book and bake the most mouthwatering dessert I can find. And yes, it’s rarely healthy. But that’s about to change because now I have a dessert cookbook that will let me make super healthy desserts that taste just like they’re bad for you! Just take a look at these mouth watering treats:

Peppermint Patty Pies

Tiramisu

Rum Balls

Cocoa Caramel Bars

Excuse me while I drool over that last picture. I am in love with caramel, truly, madly and deeply in love. I’ve actually had dreams where I’m eating a caramel treat. I’m basically obsessed with it. So when I find a recipe with caramel that is gluten, dairy and corn syrup-free, I’m bouncing off the walls. The above recipe definitely sends me bouncing because it’s made with cocoa powder, coconut nectar, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, tahini, coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate.

It’s not just the recipe for Cocoa Caramel Bars that excites me though. Every single recipe in the newly released Christmas Dessert Freedom Cookbook by Holistic Nutritionist Leanne Vogel of Healthful Pursuit is free of eggs, dairy, gluten, grains and refined sugars. You may remember me ranting about the brilliance of Leanne before but she has outdone herself this time. Christmas Dessert Freedom is a 35-paged PDF digital/e-book that is in full cover and has the biggest and most beautiful photos you’ve ever seen! The recipes are all incredibly healthy and come with step-by-step instructions.

This cookbook is the perfect gift to yourself and to those around you. Make the holidays stress-free, healthy and delicious this year. You’re just one click away and I promise you won’t regret it!

Note: I am an affiliate of Christmas Dessert Freedom and receive a percentage of the sales that are generated from this blog. I would NOT have agreed to be an affiliate though if I did not 100% believe that this cookbook is high quality and worth every penny 🙂

xoxo Erin

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUREE- Vegan, Grain-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

A bonus of the timing of Canadian Thanksgiving is how it lengthens pumpkin treat season. Make pumpkin treats for Thanksgiving, make more pumpkin treats with left over Halloween pumpkin and make even more pumpkin treats when you see all the mouthwatering pins on Pinterest leading up to American Thanksgiving. Oh pumpkin, how I love you.

I love pumpkin so much that I’ve been thinking of pumpkin recipes for a while now. Unfortunately, I haven’t organized myself enough to have these recipes tested and posted like I initially planned. Ah, but such is life. At least I can say I’ve got chocolate chip pumpkin cookies in the oven as we speak. The pumpkin recipes are slowly, but surely moving out of my head and into my oven!

In preparation for all the pumpkin goodness that is to come, I thought I’d share how I prepare the star of the recipes:

How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree

Step 1: 

Buy a pie pumpkin. This is important! Pie pumpkin is sweeter and I find it carries a deeper pumpkin flavour in baking. They’re also smaller and therefore easier to carry home from the store 🙂

Step 2: 

Cut pie pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy middle. I like to separate the seeds from the stringy middle so I can make home roasted pumpkin seeds.

Step 3: 

Cup pumpkin into strips and place is steaming pot.

Step 4: 

Steam pumpkin until it’s fork tender. Let the pumpkin cool and peel the skin away from the flesh.

Step 6- option 1: 

Place the pumpkin flesh in a bowl and mash it with a potato masher.

Step 6- option 2: 

Place the pumpkin flesh in a high power blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until smooth. This is my preferred method because it makes the pumpkin so smooth and creamy.

Store the pumpkin puree in the fridge if using it within a few days, otherwise freeze for anytime use.

So why do I bother making my own pumpkin puree when I could just buy a can from the store? Well, I bought my pie pumpkin for $1.25 and I made about 4 cups of pumpkin puree with it. Homemade pumpkin puree is not only way cheaper than buying canned puree, it’s also free of BPA (Bisphenol-A) and all those other nasty chemicals hiding in those cans. And lets not forget about flavour, nothing beats fresh pumpkin.

Mmmm pumpkin….

xoxo Erin

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UPDATE! This recipe has been shared at Gluten-Free Fridays.