Pumpkin + Blue Majik Smoothie Bowl with a Halloween Vibe

Halloween is the worst time of year for me, for keeping my resolve about limiting my sugar intake.  I am not someone who can enjoy a little treat, here or there.  I'm already ashamed to admit that I bought some candy corn at the bulk store recently and, on the drive home from town (about an hour), ate it all.  Hubby was driving and kept trying to get the bag away from me, but I'm fairly certain I growled and just kept stuffing my face.

Giving up sugar is an ongoing battle for me.  Sometimes my cravings go away, but then sometimes they come back with a vengeance.  

I need to just stay away!  But it doesn't help me get into a festive mood when everyone else is enjoying colorful Halloween treats and I can't.  So I whipped up a garishly colorful smoothie bowl for myself that has SUCH a fun Halloween color palette - plus an season appropriate pumpkin-infused flavor - and this is helping me get into the spirit.



I complain bitterly on Instagram every year that I don't like fall.  I live for summer and loathe winter, so for me, fall signals the end of my favorite season and the beginning of another grueling six months of snow and ice.  Frankly, indulging at Thanksgiving dinner and binging on Halloween candy were the only things I enjoyed about the season!  But since cutting back on sugar - and losing 50 pounds - I am trying not to fall back on old habits.

Luckily it's been warm enough to keep enjoying a colder treat like this, but I'll need some cozier recipe ideas soon as the temperature drops...

I wanted to share, for anyone else who wants a Halloween treat but is trying to kick sugar.  I've shared some smoothie treats before, like my turquoise blue majik smoothie bowls and my layered smoothies, and I'm still a firm believer in the power of pretty food.  I want to eat good-for-me meals when they look enticing. 

Well, no packaged treat can compete with this beauty!

A spirulina infused base is a gorgeous blue-grey and a pumpkin top layer satisfies those fall munchies.  A punch of hot pink dragon fruit rind, blackberries and orange slices evoke such a Halloween treat color palette that eating this sweet smoothie bowl definitely takes the edge of those cravings.  Plus I feel better eating it!  I have no idea why I continue to crave foods that literally make me feel sick (like candy corn!).

Here's what you need to make this Halloween smoothie bowl:

• 2 small scoops Blue majik powder (optional - that's the blue hue, blueberries work too)
• 1 frozen, sliced banana
• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp chia seeds (for topping)
• 1 tsp unsweetened shredded coconut (for topping)
• Sliced oranges, dragonfruit and blackberries (topping)

I still struggle with smoothie "recipes" because I'm more of a dump-in-what's-around kinds smoothie gal.  I'll add whatever fresh and frozen fruits I have on hand, plus spinach or other veggies. If I have Greek yogurt, I'll toss that in. For this recipe, I used my hand magic bullet to make two smoothies: the blue layer and the orange layer.  I used the largest cup for my bullet and this yielded four small smoothie bowls.

Blue Layer:

I mixed the banana, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 scoop protein powder together and added two small scoops of blue majik.  You want a really thick base, so if it's too runny add some more frozen banana.

I poured the blue layer into my bowls and popped them into the freezer for about 15 minutes so the layer could firm up - but not freeze - to support the second layer.  You can totally just add the second layer, but it will be a swirled effect, which is just as pretty and equally delicious.

Orange Layer:

I mixed the cup of pumpkin puree with a 1/2 cup of frozen peaches to keep the orange hue but add some more sweetness.  The other 1/4 cup of almond milk and 1/2 scoop of protein powder found their way into this half of the smoothie too.  You could also add some carrots for color but less fruit.

I removed the blue layer from the freezer and poured on the top layer.  For photos I popped it back into the freezer because I wanted it firm enough to support the fruity topping while I took photos but in real life you don't need to photograph your smoothie bowl a million ways so you can just top it and enjoy it right away!

I'll be sharing some more ideas for healthier treats that still feel spooky - and I'd love to hear your ideas!

Lake Life Lately: Behind the Scenes

I find it so interesting how people (myself included!) like to peer into the lives of other people.  Long before reality TV and blogging, my Mama would pop in on family, uninvited, "to see how they really live".  When she visited the townhouse for the first time, she unabashedly peered inside each and every one of my cupboards and closets, eager to ascertain whether I was actually a tidy homeowner, or I has just cleaned for her visit.  When I said the garage was off limits (because the house alarm would sound), she was convinced that's where I was keeping the mess.  I repeatedly asked her not to open the door, but that just made the garage more enticing.  When the house alarm went off at the crack of dawn one morning, I knew that her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

I laughed when I caught her red-handed!  I couldn't fault her, because my favorite hobby was to go for a walk at dusk - so I could nonchalantly peer into our neighbors' homes as I slowly sauntered by.  That was the reason I started reading blogs.  And I know this isn't some weird family quirk because that passion for voyeurism is what makes reality TV such a lucrative industry.

What's funny to me, is that the authenticity and realism we seem to crave is so illusive.  The Hills?  Turns out much of it was scripted!  Blogger homes?  A lot of those Pinterest-worthy images are staged!  Instagram was, for a long time, a place for those candid snaps, but it too has become more glossed over by highly edited and stylized shots.  The "way people really live" is driven deeper into the depths of the internet - now you can find it mostly in short-lived Instagram stories and Snapchat whatevers.  But in this world, where cash is king, there's no conspiracy to hide real life, it's just that glossier depictions perform better: better show ratings, better blog stats.  So do people really want "to see how people really live" after all?

I think about this so much.

I struggle with this as a blogger, because I feel pressure to produce Pinterest-worthy images but I'm still passionate about the function blogging used to serve: a glimpse into real homes, to see how people really live and decorate.  That's more difficult these days and the monetization of blogs blurs the lines even more.
  
The biggest lie I perpetrate is in my food photography and flat lays: I photograph so many things on the floor!  Not so scandalous, I know - until you see how heartbreaking this is for Szuka...

Szuka will come lurking and just hang out, staring longingly at the food that's within her grasp and yet so far away.  I can leave the room and she won't touch it, but she's there.  Watching. 

When I see blogging from her eyes ("why is the food on the floor, human, and why aren't we eating it?") it all seems so strange...

P.S. that's a diabetic-friendly cheesecake!

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Easy Homemade Gummy Candies, with NO Added Sugar

In my quest to create reduced sugar or sugar-free desserts and snacks - you know, when I'm not inhaling pumpkin spice s'mores - I stumbled across the wild and wonderful world of homemade gummies!  Did you know you can make your own gummy candy and keep it as sugar-free as you want?  Look at the adorable, gold-dusted gem gummies I made:

Almost too pretty to eat!  Almost.

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup fruit juice - I used blueberry (I accidentally photographed the French side! Merde)*
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (I used Great Lakes brand)
• 1 tsp stevia - optional (I buy Truvia)
• Silicone mold - optional (this is the gem mold I used)
• Edible gold dust - totally optional

*When choosing a fruit juice, just skim the ingredients to make sure there isn't any pineapple, mango or papaya juice because these juices will prevent the gelatin from setting unless the juice has been boiled.   Also watch fruit juice labels for added sugar and artificial color, if that's a concern for you.


How to make gummy candy:

Warm up the juice on the stove in a pot and once it's warm - not boiling - stir in the tablespoon of the gelain and whisk until it's dissolved.  Add the stevia and whisk until it dissolves, then pour into a silicone mold.  I used a small brush to dust mine with gold first.  I also put my silicone mold on a cutting board so it's easier to maneuver.  (Alternatively, you can double the recipe and pour into small glass bowls - it's the perfect consistency for that as well.)

Pop into the fridge for a few hours and, voila!  Gorgeous gems!  Perfect for a rock hound like me.

I've been experimenting with different liquids, methods and flavor combinations - including an orange chocolate gummy that is so delicious - but my homemade gummies keep getting eaten before I can properly photograph them!  I got about five minutes with these.  They're looooong gone.

I wanted to share because this easy homemade gummy candy is a good starting off point for anyone wanting to experiment; this "recipe" is foolproof. 



Have you made your own gummy candy before?  Any delicious recipes I should try?  Next time I'll share a few of my favorite concoctions  in one post - seriously, you'll need to try that chocolate and orange one. 

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Easy Chocolate Protein Bar Recipe

The grocery store ran a special deal last week: if we spent more than $250, we got a bonus box of goodies.  Hubby and I definitely didn't think our bill would be that high so we ignored the flyer but, lo and behold, at check out we got a prize pack!  Yikes, groceries are getting expensive.  The bonus box was a nice surprise though, because it had a lot of pantry staples - just not the brand I usually buy.  One day I looked at the ingredients on the deeelicious bonus box granola bar I was munching on and I realized it had a crazy amount of sugar!  No wonder they were so tasty...  Since quitting (but ultimately just cutting back on) sugar I've been reading labels carefully but because the granola bars we got were free, I didn't look.  The packaging was all about "nourishing" bodies, but the label revealed the truth: packed with sugar - fake sugar, real sugar, corn syrup, you name it!  Sure, there were some healthier ingredients, like nuts, but that wasn't the whole truth.  I felt duped.  If I'm going to eat a whole whack of sugar, it better be in a chocolate bar or a sundae - not when I think I'm eating something "healthy"!  

It's been awhile since I made my sugar-free zucchini brownie or my avocado protein brownie but since I was now craving granola bars thanks to the bonus box, I decided I better bake some of my own homemade bars!  I wanted something a little less dessert-like and I'd had a lot of success experimenting with protein bite balls so I decided to try something similar.  It's seriously EASY to make homemade protein bars and homemade granola bars - just whirl a bunch of ingredients in a food process until it's a sticky "dough," press into a parchment lined pan and bake.  It's a great way to use up dribs and drabs of ingredients in the pantry.
 
Here's my latest batch of homemade chocolate protein bars:   

I photographed these chocolate protein bars right out of the oven - they were still steaming and warm - so they're especially moist.  I store them in the fridge and they do harden up a bit, but remain very chewy. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup unsalted mixed nuts (or any nuts you prefer)
• 1/4 cup flax-seed
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (look for one with no added sugar)
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 5 tbsp unsweetened, unsalted almond butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp brown rice syrup
• Splash of almond milk (if necessary)

Optional Topping:

• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp stevia
• 3 tbsp shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp stevia-sweetened chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp unsalted sunflower seeds 
• 2 tbsp unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries (look for no added sugar)

How to Make Your Own Chocolate Protein Bars:

The steps for making your own protein bars or granola bars are so simple!

Grab your food process and shred the carrots first.  Then add the mixed nuts, nut butter, shredded coconut, coconut oil, bananas, brown rice syrup, flaxseed, protein powder, cocoa powder and oats.  Mix until it's all really finely chopped and blended completely, but not quite a paste - you want some texture to remain, not smooth like baby food!  It should only take a few minutes of pulsing.  If the mixture becomes too thick or your food processor struggles, add a splash of almond milk.

Press the mixture into a parchment lined pan (I used 8 x 8 for a thicker bar) and bake at 350 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.  Before the bars are done, melt the coconut oil and stevia in a pan on medium heat.  When the bars have been in the oven for 15 minutes, take them out and pour on the oil.  Cover with toppings: shredded coconut, stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, nuts and seeds or dried fruit (but watch for extra sugar in dried cranberries).  Pop back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

You can skip the topping completely, or just boycott the stevia if you prefer but I find that the tiny bit of stevia in the coconut oil and the chocolate chips adds a hint of sweetness I crave.  The brown rice syrup in the bars (also optional) is not very sweet so, overall, these bars are not sugary in the least.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can adjust to your own taste preferences - and easily make these 100% sugar-free (brown rice syrup is approved by the I Quit Sugar program I followed).

Remove and let cool an hour before cutting up.  Store in the refrigerator in a covered container. 

Each time I make these protein bars I alter the ingredients a little but they always turn out so delicious - and filling!  

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Easy + Delicious Refined Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe

I have finally reached my 50 pound weight loss goal!  I've been really focused on my health since the end of September and getting to a healthy weight, while developing healthier eating habits, is just part of that goal.  I'm working on a post about my weight loss, but I'll admit that I'm a little apprehensive about sharing something so personal.

In the meantime, I've really enjoyed sharing some of my kitchen experiments as I try to tweak my favorite desserts to reduce their sugar content.  I have been working diligently to curb my sugar cravings and, ultimately, stave off the diabetes that runs in my family, but every now and then a sweet treat is nice, so I've been working to find a few healthier alternatives to have in my baking arsenal. 

Carrot cake is one of those desserts that I have easily convinced myself is healthy in the past (it has carrots!), but in reality the sugar, fat, and caloric content on a typical carrot muffin is staggering!  It's one of my favorite desserts, though, so recently I fiddled around with my carrot cake recipe, trying to make a healthy carrot cake.  Frankly, I'd still classify this carrot cake as an "indulgence," but it is sugar-free and grain-free - even the icing - so it's more in line with Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar program, which has helped me immensely.  This sugar-free carrot cake recipe is made with coconut flour, brown rice syrup, and stevia so, while it's still high in calories and fat, it doesn't have the high sugar content of a traditional carrot cake.  To lower the sugar content even more, you can skip or cut back on the pineapple. 

Refined Sugar Free Carrot Cake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple (optional)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil (I used olive, melted coconut works too)
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

• One package full fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 cup stevia (I used Truvia, which has a milder after taste than other stevia brands)
• Splash of milk (I had coconut milk on hand) 
• Unsweetened, shredded coconut

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake:

When you bake with coconut flour, you need to add an alarming number of eggs so don't worry - that's not a typo!   Combine the eggs, oil, lemon juice, and brown rice syrup until mixed thoroughly.  Stir in the coconut flour, baking soda and spices until well mixed.  Add the shredded carrot and pineapple.

Pour in a well greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes (oven time may vary).  Allow to cool, then transfer to a wire rack where it should cool some more.  Half an hour later and my cake was still a touch too warm for icing, so I would wait an hour next time.

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Icing:

Use an electric mixer to combine the softened butter, cream cheese, and stevia.  Try with a little less stevia - maybe a 1/8 cup - and taste test.  Some people cannot handle the aftertaste of stevia, but I found the Truvia brand I used was milder than others, plus the delicious carrot cake and cream cheese overpowered the stevia and all I tasted was a mild sweetness.  If you find it sweet enough, skip the rest of the Stevia.  I added a splash of coconut milk to help make the icing a little easier to spread, but it's optional.

I topped my carrot cake with some unsweetened, shredded coconut, sliced dragon fruit (so pretty - and delicious, I'd never had one before!), pineapple sticks, and kiwi - simply because it looked pretty, but the fresh fruit does increase the overall sugar content.

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(Sponsored by Wayfair) Mornings at the Lake + My Healthy Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Zucchini Protein Brownie Recipe

When Wayfair invited me to share my ideal morning with readers, I welcomed the encouragement to get a little personal on the blog - plus I was excited for a chance to share a recipe I recently developed for a grain-free, refined sugar-free zucchini brownie.

Over the years I've been asked by readers to share more personal posts, but I've actually shied away from that a little and have become more project-focused.  Recently I've been asked to write posts about living in Northwestern Ontario, life on the lake, why I don't want kids, what I'm doing with my PhD, etc., but I just find it's so much more comfortable to write about projects and crafting.  If I'm being honest, though, my favorite posts on the blogs I read are ones where I get to know someone better and can catch a sneak peek into someone's life.  I don't know how some bloggers can bare all on the internet because even sharing something so trivial as our morning routine felt outside of my comfort zone, but this has been the nudge I needed to start incorporating more personal posts, here and there. 

An Ideal Morning on the Lake

So what does our ideal morning look like?  That question really ties into some big life changes we've made in the last couple of years, since moving from a city with a population of nearly a million, to a rural municipality of only a couple thousand country-lovin' folk. 

Hubby and I have made it our mission to stop glorifying busy-ness, and have instead learned to live life on "lake time": when the weather is good, you enjoy it, because when you have free time it might be so foggy that the lake disappears!  The weather can turn in an instant and we've been known to drop our rakes and lawn mower in the summer and hop in the lake, mid-task, for a swim - something we've learned to do after finishing our chores in time for a sudden thunderstorm!  You learn to enjoy the good weather here, even if it runs contrary to your plans for the day!

We're pretty suited to "lake time" because neither Hubby nor I work a traditional 9-5 job, so our days vary wildly.  Sometimes we eat breakfast together, sometimes we're apart for every meal of the day.  Some mornings see us up at 3am or the crack of dawn - but don't cry for us, because sometimes we don't roll out of bed until 9.  I've lamented that I wish I could be one of those people who wakes up early naturally, instead of being jolted awake by the sound of my shrieking alarm clock.  But I'm the kind of person who will get a second wind at night and end up rearranging my closet at midnight, which makes sticking to a routine tricky; it's just not in my nature.  I've been craving more routine, though, so I've been working on committing to some kind of schedule because I have to admit that even though my body fights my desire to be an early riser (I have turned off my alarm in my sleep!), my brain loves being up early.  It's especially peaceful on the lake in the early morning and I love being awake before the sunrise - it's so invigorating! 

Hubby's unusual work schedule means that we're apart more than the average couple but then there are major perks and we see each other for huge chunks of time.  Because of this irregular schedule, when everyone else is fighting traffic or terrible weather, sometimes we're parked at our dining room table, watching the lake and eating a leisurely breakfast.  Because we don't get to eat together every day, I savor the moments when we can be together.  In the winter and spring we curl up inside, with a fire roaring, but soon we'll be having breakfast on the deck and I can't wait!  In the summer we often grab our plates and head out there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

So these days, that 's my ideal morning: slow, leisurely, relaxed.

  
I've stopped feeling guilty about reading a magazine when the house is messy, or enjoying some quiet time when I should be busy.  The lake has a calming effect that lulls us into laziness and I don't mind one bit - which is a major change for a type-A person like me!    
 


The other day I took this video, which is pretty much the view from the dining table:

Even Szuka sweetie appreciates, and is captivated by, the lake view!  She spends a lot of her day staring adorably out the window.  Sometimes she's on guard, but other times I swear she's just blissed out, taking it all in.

Refined Sugar-free, Grain-Free Zucchini Brownie Recipe

Our new approach to slow(er) living has manifested itself in what we eat, too.  I definitely still indulge, every now and then (mmmm, matcha shortbread!), but both Hubs and I have taken Sarah Wilson's lessons to heart and upped our daily veggies, seriously reduced our fructose intake, swapped sugar for brown rice syrup, and I've even experimented baking with coconut and almond flours.  I've also started adding whey protein to baked treats (to make them more diabetic-friendly for my Dad). 

There has been a lot of trial and error and my poor family has bravely eaten batch after batch of gritty, squishy, baking bombs.  My experimentation has been worth it, though, because I have an arsenal of delicious, healthier treats to show for it now!  Among the winners is this zucchini cake, made with wholesome ingredients like coconut flour, zucchini, shredded coconut and cocoa powder.  The only hint of sweetness is from the brown rice syrup and chopped dates. 

There's also some whey protein powder hidden in there and, with healthy ingredients like those listed below, I feel completely justified in eating this for breakfast once in awhile!  These brownies are really filling and so moist.  I'm drooling just thinking about them.



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup softened butter*
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 coconut flour
• 1/2 cup chopped dates (pits removed)**
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup whey protein (unsweetened, unflavored)
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

*This recipe would definitely work with only 1/4 cup butter or with a healthier substitute, like coconut oil. 

**In her breakdown of sweeteners, Sarah Wilson highlights which "natural" and "healthier" sugar substitutes - like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar - actually have almost, if not as much, fructose as plain old white table sugar.  She singles out dates as well, because they contain nearly 30% fructose.  BUT, dates are high in fiber (which promotes digestion and heart health), magnesium (a natural anti-inflammatory), selenium, and potassium so I feel slightly less concerned about tossing them into this brownie recipe.  There's only a 1/2 cup in this entire recipe but if you're really concerned about the sugar intake, you could cut back on the dates and this would still be a tasty treat.

Kitchen Accoutrements (I wasn't asked to provide Wayfair links but I couldn't resist because there are some cute kitchen gadgets available):

• Flour sifter (this is the one I have)
• 8" square baking pan or even a larger loaf pan (teal!), or just double the recipe for an excuse to buy this 9 by 13 aqua Kobenstyle I've been lusting after.  I use a mint green jadeite one, but this clear glass Anchor Hocking pan is really similar - I really like baking in glass.
• Grater (this green grater is SO pretty!)
• Oven mitts (I need these in my life)
• Mixing bowls (these vintage Pyrex-inspired ones are perfection - so many Pyrex collectors I know through Instagram have bought them)
• Spatula

Instructions:

1. Sift the protein powder, cocoa powder, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, and set aside - don't skip this step because it keeps the protein powder and coconut flour from globbing together into lumps
2. Beat the butter and brown rice syrup with a hand mixer until creamy
3. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla
4. Gently stir in the sifted dry ingredients, combining thoroughly
5. Mix in the shredded coconut, dates and zucchini until well combined
6. Spread batter into a greased, 8" x 8" pan
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes
8. Let cool 5-10 minutes
9. Enjoy!

So that's a little sneak peek into our life on the lake.  It's not terribly riveting, but that's exactly how we like it!  

Thanks to Wayfair for sponsoring this post.  I was not required to link to any products or try to sell you anything at all (although I did decide to link to a few cute products to help bake the recipe I've included).  I'm so thrilled to partner with such a great brand that has a special place in my heart now that they ship to Canadians, too!

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