Chocolate, Coconut & Raspberry Overnight Oats | A make ahead breakfast recipe

HAPPY NEW YEAR, I know I'm a little late to the party, but sometimes I find myself rebelling against expect expectations.

Expectations that I should write a gift guide or a special holiday post, that I should write a year in review post or share with the world some reasonably attainable new years resolution. I actually enjoy reading those posts, but one of the things I've realized in the past year, is that I want to be able to write about what I want, when I want without the societal pressure to perform as a blogger.

When I try and conform to whatever it is that my mind thinks a blogger should be, writing becomes work and although many people consider their blog a job, and for a while I thought I might too, for now,I want my blog to be a place for solace and peace and relaxation.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know, I have been very slowly under taking the #100happydays challenge and it was pointed out to me very early on, that FOOD and my children have been the primary focal point. Combined with many requests to share my recipes, today, I'm going to do just that.

I LOVE breakfast; I get up early every day so that before I leave for work at 6:30am I have time to eat a nutritious and filling breakfast and feed my family the same. I am a huge fan of eggs, either on toast or in a tortilla and I regularly eat them multiple days a week.

But sometimes, its nice to change things up and when I posted the photo above of some chocolate coconut and raspberry overnight oats I had made, I discovered I wasn't the only one who wanted a creamy, delicious and quick breakfast on hand.  I've refined the recipe a little bit since I first made it and actually prefer to use the smaller 250ml jars rather than the large 500ml ones seen in the photo above and the recipe below makes five 250ml jars which means if you don't share you will have enough for your entire work week. 

Chocolate, Coconut & Raspberry Overnight Oats

(gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free)

yield: five 250ml jars

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups plain yogurt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup + 5 Tbsp shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup (raw) cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1-1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 cup frozen raspberries

Directions:

• Mix together everything except the oats, frozen raspberries and 5 Tbsp of coconut. 
• Once well blended, add in the oats and still until combined. The mix will seem a little loose and runny.
• Spoon yogurt mix into jars until they are approximately 1/3 full.
• Divide frozen berries among the jars, sprinkling 1 tbsp of coconut on top of the berries in each jar.
• Spoon remaining yogurt mix over the berries and coconut, dividing evenly among jars.
• Refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours.
• Enjoy the deliciousness!

Note: Feel free to mix up the ingredients and add-ins to suit your tastes and of course what you have on hand.

Give a Cluck and Go Cage-Free!

When we first started talking about moving out of the City, the hubs and I had visions of a small acreage, a huge vegetable garden, fruit trees and so much space our boys wouldn’t know what to do with themselves.

When we started looking at real estate however, we realized we needed to put some of those dreams on hold, not let them go per say, but consider whether the timing was right. Of critical note is that I’m working on a contract which means there is a very real chance we could end up moving back to the city within a few years. The market in our area isn’t booming to say the least, so the possibility of being unable to buy in the City because we can’t sell our home in the Country landed us in a more suburban part of our 2,300 person town.

Despite our location, I knew we could still have many of the experiences we desired, just on a smaller scale.

In particular, I had my heart set on Chickens, laying hens to be exact. The idea that my kids could be connected with where their food comes from and that we could have feathered friends lounging in our yard and laying us delicious eggs seemed amazing. I scouted the local bylaws, searched and researched chicken coops, chicken breeds and of course what exactly commercial egg laying facilities look like. 

Many of those poor chickens spend their lives in small cages, shared with five or six other birds.  Many never feeling the ground beneath their feet, spread their wings or experience fresh air and sunlight. These intelligent, social animals become valuable only for their ability to produce eggs.

Unfortunately, although we both had dreams of an acreage type property, it quickly became clear that the hubs and I had differing opinions when it came to the idea of keeping chickens in our backyard. I’m not giving up on the idea just yet, but I’m also not pushing it, this year we have a yard to personalize and a garden to grow but we also have eggs to eat and in truth this whole experience has made me reconsider my grocery store choices when it comes to buying eggs.

Choose Cage-Free is an initiative by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) to empower individuals to commit to buying cage-free eggs and working with farmers and businesses to adopt cage-free practices.

So what’s so great about cage-free farms?

On a cage-free farm hens can live a far more natural existence.  They can walk and run, stretch their wings, turn around, give themselves  dust baths, forage and peck on the ground. Cage-free hens are happier and healthier and have a much lower risk of Samonella contamination.

Will YOU take the pledge to go Cage-Free?

In our house, eggs are a staple; we easily eat two dozen a week and Simba and I eat them for breakfast almost every day.

Currently my favourite way to start the morning is with a spinach and feta egg tortilla; this is a great recipe as you can adjust it to your tastes, uses gluten-free (like me) or flour tortillas and in less than 10 minutes you will have a hearty well balanced breakfast you can eat on the go. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Spinach and Feta Egg Tortilla

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp (coconut) oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp chopped red (or green) onion
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Salt to taste
• 1 tortilla

 Directions:

1. Heat a pan that is approximately the same size as your tortilla over medium heat.
2. Whisk together your eggs and spinach.
3. Melt coconut oil in the pan and then saute your onions for a few minutes until fragrant.
4. Add your egg mixture to the pan and use your spatula to confine the mixture to half of the pan. Salt your eggs as desired.
5. Once the egg starts to set, place your tortilla over the egg, then place a full size plate on top of the tortilla.
6. Holding onto the plate, carefully flip over the pan so the egg and tortilla are inverted onto the plate.
7. Carefully slide the egg and tortilla back onto the pan (and back on the element) and sprinkle with the feta cheese.
8. After about 30 seconds, your tortilla should be warm and pliable, fold it over to cover up the egg and feta.
9. Allow to cook until lightly golden (~1 minute) then flip your tortilla over and allow the other side to brown and the feta to melt.
10. I like to cut my tortilla in half for ease of eating, but however you eat it, ENJOY!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Monster Cookies for Breakfast | a gluten-free, vegan, soy-free recipe

The first night that I arrived in Kamloops, I had an empty apartment and a NEED to bake. I needed to create something, to feel balanced and normal in the midst of a situation that was anything but. That night I make chocolate chip cookies; they were delicious and I ate them for a week, even when they got crumbly and stale.

Since that first night, I've been cooking, but I haven't really felt the urge to bake again until last night. I found myself leisurely perusing the pages of the few chosen cookbooks that aren't in storage but everything I felt even remotely inspired to make wasn't possible. I'm lacking much of my simple equipment from muffin pans to spatulas and my ingredient list is sparse to say the least.

Before the frustration kicked in however,  I remembered how simple and satisfying my monster cookies are to make and devour. A quick dig through the cupboards and I found all my little bags of goodies that I packed precisely for making these breakfast cookies.

This recipe comes together in a flash, requires only bowls, spoons and measuring cups and its completely customizable to your tastes and what you have on hand in your home.  

It's an adaptation from the ever fabulous Meghan Telpner's Breakfast Cookies that I have tweaked to suit my needs. I change up my add-ins depending on my mood but I always add the hemp hearts. They are a great boost of omega fats that will keep you (and your kids) full and I find when I eat a regular dose hemp hearts, my skin is happier and it plays a role in controlling my eczema. 

RESIST the temptation to add chocolate chips, I always want to, but never do, because I know they don't need them. Substitute what you have in your kitchen and what meets your dietary needs, these cookies will be fine if you use vegetable oil instead of coconut oil, if you don't have pure maple syrup, throw in some honey (that's what I did yesterday) and if you don't keep coconut sugar on hand, try a little bit of brown sugar. These cookies will be a little bit crumbly if you don't use the xantham gum, but I couldn't find mine yesterday and none of my coworkers complained when I brought them to our morning meeting. In fact, more than one of them asked for the recipe.

Be brave, go ahead and experiment a little, these cookies can handle it.

My kids dubbed these MONSTER COOKIES because they are so big and honestly, who doesn't want to eat a giant cookie for breakfast?

Monster Cookies

adapted from Meghan Telpner's Breakfast Cookies

gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan (can be nut free)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 2 tbsp ground chia seeds
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup of gluten free oats
• 1/4 cup quinoa flakes
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds
• 1/4 cup raw pepitas
• 1/4 cup cocoa nibs
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large bowl mix together brown rice flour, xantham gum, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a seperate bowl mix together (or you can blend this to disperse the coconut oil more evenly) coconut oil, chia, coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla. Set aside.
4. In a third bowl place the oats, quinoa flakes, hemp hearts, almonds, pepitas, cocoa nubs and cranberries and set aside. You don't need to mix this.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and use a wooden spoon to stir thoroughly. This will be thick, do NOT add more fluids.
6. Add the bowl of oats and add in goodies. Stir, stir, stir. The batter should be thick and a little sticky.
7. Scoop batter a 1/4 cup at a time and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press down lightly with the back of a spoon, or use moist hands to shape.
8. Bake your cookies for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Allow to cool completely (or they will fall apart).
10. Eat COOKIES for BREAKFAST!

YIELD: 8 monster cookies

Other add-in ideas: goji berries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, sunflower seeds, chopped dates, sesame seeds.

Summer Blueberry Cake | gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free recipe

I love blueberries and so do my boys. Fortunately, blueberries grow best in bog environments and Richmond, where we live, happens to be primarily bog so in the summertime, blueberries are bountiful. We eat blueberries in just about any form, but the fresh local berries are the absolute best. They're delicious, healthy and packed with antioxidants, I really don't see a downside.

When I saw this pin on Pinterest for buttermilk, blueberry breakfast cake, I knew I had to have it. I grabbed some blueberries out of the fridge, my janet & greta gluten-free flour mix and got to work creating a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free version.

It turned out beautifully, spongy, soft and sweet with a hint of lemon to brighten the flavour of the blueberries. To me, it tastes like summer and as an added bonus, it travels well and would be great in parent and kid lunchboxes alike.

I prefer to use coconut oil in my recipes, but because of the summer heat it was already in its liquid form. Fortunately after I popped the coconut oil in the freezer for about 5 minutes it had partially harded and I was able to use my kitchen-aid mixer to create a smooth, creamy texture suitable for creaming with sugar.

Summer Blueberry Cake

(gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free)

Adapted from Alexandra Cooks

Ingredients:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 cups of gluten-free flour mix*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum**
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup of sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 9" square cake pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine blueberries with 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour mix. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining gluten-free flour mix, baking powder, salt and xantham gum. Set aside.
4. Blend coconut oil until creamy, blend in the sugar.
5. Add eggs to the sugar mixture, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Starting with the dry ingredients, alternately add the dry mix and the coconut milk to the wet ingredients, mixing well between each addition.
7. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the berries, then spread the mixture into the prepared pan. The batter will be thick.
8. Sprinkle the cake with 1 tbsp of sugar, bake for 35 minutes until the top begins to golden and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool, in the pan, at least 15 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

*I used the janet and greta gluten-free flour mix, recipe below.

**If your gluten-free flour mix does not contain xantham gum, add 1/2 tsp instead of 1/4.

Janet and Greta's
Gluten-Free Flour Mix

The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sorghum flour
• 2 cups potato starch
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 tbsp xantham gum

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large ziploc bag, bowl or container.
2. Blend well.

Coffee for one with Tassimo | Review

Do you Tassimo?

I recently admitted that I'm a bit of a coffee addict so its probably not surprising that I'm quite particular about the coffee I choose to brew in my own home.  I've had tons of coffee makers since I first moved out on my own, back when I was in university.  I've had machines that brew into travel mugs, expensive coffee makers and cheap ones and one thing I can say with certainty is that brewed coffee tastes best when you make at least 6 cups.

The hubs doesn't drink coffee and considering I usually only drink one cup of coffee at a time, its seems wasteful to consistently brew more coffee than I need.  So when I won my Tassimo from Maple Leaf Mommy, I was eager to discover what it was all about.

My Tassimo brews great coffee quickly.  Each T-disc has a barcode that tells the machine exactly how to brew the coffee, including the precise temperature and quantity of water required to brew the perfect cup.  Since I've been home with my boys (and trying to cut back on my Starbucks addiction) my Tassimo has been my saviour.

There are a huge variety of coffee and tea options for the Tassimo; I allow myself one caffeinated coffee each morning and either the Americano or the Gevalia Dark Roast always hit the spot for me.  I love that you can buy t-discs just about anywhere: grocery stores, drug stores, department stores and even office supply stores.

Although I'm off of dairy these days, for the sake of the baby, the Tassimo also brews a mean latte, chai tea or hot chocolate simply add the milk T-Disc to the machine once your espresso, tea or chocolate syrup has finished brewing.

My favourite part of my Tassimo?  The boy comes running to help me make my coffee, its quite possibly one of the cutest parts of our morning routine.

So back to my original question, do you Tassimo?

You can find Tassimo Canada on the web, on Facebook and on Twitter.

FYI - there is a voluntary recall on some Tassimo T-discs and brewers; I have already registered for my replacement part and you should too!

I received sample t-discs for the purposes of this review, however all opinions are my own.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Buckwheat Pancakes

I love breakfast.  I've always loved breakfast.  Before my gluten-free existence, I would relish  in the delicious laziness of a Sunday morning breakfast out; I nearly always ordered the eggs benny with chunky hashbrowns.  Despite my many breakfasts eaten in a restaurant, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I never ordered just pancakes.  I've never really been a fan, in hindsight I'm sure it had to do with the fact that they are laden with gluten.

Ironically, since going gluten-free, pancakes are something I've been determined to master.  I've tried gluten-free pancake recipes and mixes and I've adapted traditional pancake recipes, but I've never managed to get quite the right blend to create a fluffy but stable gluten-free pancake.

This weekend however, I had success with these gluten-free buckwheat pancakes - the boy gobbled an entire one up in 5 minutes flat!  Aesthetically, they appear a little grey in colour, but in terms of texture and taste, these pancakes were amazing; fluffy and light and they didn't fall apart when I tried to eat them.  They are filling and nutritious and let me assure you, buckwheat is gluten-free (despite the fact that 'wheat' is in the name) and is a source of fibre, iron, potassium and protein.

I served these with Vegan Becel and blue agave syrup for the boy, which mean he gets all the buttery, sweetness without an unnecessary sugar spike or eczema-triggering dairy.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/8 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xantham gum

3/4-1 cup rice (or other non-dairy) milk
1 egg
1tsp baking soda
2 tbsp oil


Directions:

• Whisk together buckwheat flour, potato starch, sugar, baking powder, salt and xantham gum. 
• Mix together 3/4 cup rice milk, egg, baking soda and oil.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well - add additional rice milk as needed to get your desired consistency.
• Heat non-stick pan over medium heat with a small amount of oil, margarine or PAM.
• Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto hot pan and cook until bottom is browned and batter just begins to bubble, about 2 minutes.
• Flip pancakes and cook another minute until cooked through.
• Serve hot and enjoy!