Give me more JUICE!

I've recently gone juice crazy by making a smorgasbord of delicious green concoctions using various fruits and vegetables! Usually these juices consist of whatever is either A) going bad or     B) simply left in the refrigerator... ha!

 The first green juice:

4-5 sticks of celery

half a cucumber

1 red apple

(This one tastes delicious -- very simple ingredients and tastes wonderful!)

The second green juice:

3-4 sticks of celery

3-4 large Kale leaves

half a cup of red grapes

1 banana

1/2 cup of water

Another juice to try (which I don't have a picture of)

2-3 Kale leaves

1/2 cup of Spinach leaves

3-4 sticks Celery

1 Apple

1 teaspoon Ginger

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I've also made smoothies with my own home-made almond milk 

(impressive, right? Not really - its SO EASY!)

Almond milk:

1 cup of unsalted/raw almonds

(soak them overnight in water)

Blend one cup of almonds with 3 cups of water

Use a strainer to clear out the almond chunks (I personally like the chunks for my smoothies, but if you're using it for your cereal/coffee, straining is a good idea)

and... VOILA!

Typically I prefer using blueberries, but in this case my raspberries were going bad, so I decided to make the smoothie with them instead:

1 banana

1 1/2 tbsp of natural almond butter

1 cup of raspberries (or blueberries)

1 cup of almond milk

1 tbsp of ground flax seed

This literally tastes like dessert! Soo good :)

Apple Crumble Pie

What better way to brighten up a cold and gloomy day than with mouthwatering apple pie! This is a very delicious recipe that will not only satisfy all kinds of crazy cravings, but will rock your world!

It takes roughly 10-15 minutes to prepare and about 45 minutes to bake.

Pie crust: I know this is cheating, but I bought a already-made frozen pie crust from Metro (make sure you buy the "select" brand to ensure that it is vegan)


 Filling:

• about 8 cups peeled, cored apple pieces (I used red apples)
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 tablesoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

In a mixing bowl, mix the apple slices with the sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, water and lemon juice until evenly coated. Pour into the pie crust.

 

 

 

 

Crumble:

 

2 cups oats (quick oats)

1 & 3/4  cups white all-purpose flour

1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of raisins

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup melted earth balance butter (or any nondairy butter)

 

 

In a bowl mix the oats, flour, sugars, chopped walnuts, raisins, baking powder and baking soda until well combined. Add the melted earth balance butter, mixing until the mixture is consistent. Using your hands, crumble the mixture over the apple mixture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake for roughly 45 mins @ 350 F - perfect dessert dish to serve a la Tofutti (nondairy icecream - if you haven't tried this, you absolutely MUST! It is so tasty!)

 

An ode to my travel mug

I typically carry my travel mug with me everywhere I go. Yes, there are times when I forget it at home (or on the subway – eeks!) and days that I’m just too lazy to go back upstairs to grab it before I leave, but for the most part I have it with me all the time. Today, after a gruesome 8am Calculus lecture I made my way over to La Prep (for the first time since it was brought to UTSC) and handed over my mug and said “coffee please” (with sheer desperation in my eyes) and was told that they don’t accept travel mugs. Never has my travel mug been rejected before (sure, there are times the server gives me dirty looks for being “difficult”, but never a rejection).  Instead he used a paper cup to fill the coffee and poured it into my travel mug, mindlessly tossing the used cup into the garbage – defeating the entire purpose of my travel mug. I was in shock and needless to say will never be returning to La Prep again. The boycott starts today along with a letter to head office.

I can’t express the irritation I feel when I see individuals lounging in coffee shops, for hours on end, with their “to-go” cups. I’m sorry, but are you on the go? No. You’re sitting in the coffee shop conversing with a friend, reading or on facebook/twitter pretending to study. It’s so simple to opt for a mug over the paper cup, or better yet, use a travel mug. It’s a small gesture that goes a long way.

The City of Toronto estimates that more than one million single-use (non recyclable) coffee cups are disposed of per day in the City and sent directly to landfills. Sending such a large amount of disposable waste to landfills per day is not sustainable.  The cost of coffee cups is not obvious to consumers because the cost of the cup is embedded in the price consumers pay for their coffee, and individuals use multiple cups in a day without any obvious environmental repercussions. The environmental cost of using disposable coffee cups is in the energy and resources used for the production, the shipping and particularly the disposal of each cup.

Coffee cups are not merely a Toronto problem; but a western problem. Dunkinʼ Donuts (U.S coffee shop) claims to serve one billion cups of coffee a year which is approximately 2.7 million cups a day. Bags and bags of trash are emptied as a multitude of people shuffle in and out for their daily caffeine injection. Numerous corporations have built their empire off these demands and our constant need to consume and socialize around coffee. Albeit some corporations, such as Tim Hortons and Starbucks, provide a discount for bringing in a travel mug thus encouraging consumers to be environmentally conscious. This incentive benefits the store as they serve happy customers and builds loyalty.

These cups represent the essence of our society: over-consumption and need for speed. So next time you get an itch for that daily dose of caffeine don’t settle for the cliché disposable cup, show you care, take your travel mug. Stand up for the environment and consume responsibly. It’s cool to care. 

Love Your Greens

                                                   

Salads are my favorite - whether it be spinach, romaine or kale, I can't get enough! The salad pictured above is one that is quick and simple to make (and since I'm a student meals that are quick and simple are essential)

I literally threw in kale, broccoli, cucumber, shaved beets, chickpeas, walnuts, raisins and topped it with some poppyseed dressing. I typically pack this for lunch when I'm on the run - it's so easy to eat at work or school (although, I've been caught with kale in my teeth, so make sure to have a mirror or a good friend around... ha!)

Not only is this salad super tasty, its also super nutritious! Ram packed with protein (kale), omega 3s (walnuts), Vitamin C (beets), calcium (broccoli) and iron (chickpeas, although black beans would've been a better choice as its more iron enriched)

I'm hoping to start making my own salad dressings, but in this case I used a store bought poppyseed dressing (which tastes divineee)

Jane Goodall on Strombo

Jane Goodall's mere presence on screen illustrates her kind and caring nature - she's a brilliant and humble woman who dedicated over 50 years to studying, and now, sustaining Chimps in the wilderness.  I especially appreciate her response to the 'great white hope' question towards the end of the interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X75_i6yXRSc