End of the Summer Camping Trip

To end the summer with a bang my family and I decided to go for a little camping trip and we couldn't have picked a better few days. It was absolutely perfect. Between 25-27 degrees celcius, not a cloud in the sky kind of perfect! Just what the doctor ordered.

Paradise. This is what I got to wake up to every morning. 

Campsite. Francis, Kyell (my cousin) and I slept in tents on the other side of the site. 

This is where I feel most like myself. In nature. As much as I love the city, nature is where my heart is. The sounds, the smells, the overall feeling I get when I'm completely immersed in it. It really is indescribable. I will never be a total city girl. I'm definitely more of a country girl and I'm okay with that.

View from the beach. Steps up to our campsite.

My Oma relaxing on the beach. Isn't she cute? It was so nice to be able to spend time together. She means so much to me and we don't get to spend much quality time together so this was very special. 

Dad cooling down with a drink on the beach. Looking a little crisp there pops...might be time to get out of the sun? He likes to burn apparently so he can complain about it to people who didn't get to enjoy the sunshine. What a weirdo.

This is one of the fabulous breakfasts we had on our mini getaway. Micky mouse pancake, egg, plain yogurt topped with the juiciest cantaloupe I have had all summer. Delish.

Boys chowing down. The view was just as amazing, maybe even better than breaky. I said maybe. 

The dock the boys spent 2 days building. It was so much fun to use. I have scrapes and bruises to prove it :)

One of my lunches. Veggie lentil soup, carrots, brown rice crackers and home made hummus (made by moi!). 

I snacked on hummus and veggies the entire trip. So refreshing.

The boys eating their burgers made over the fire. They were very proud of them. Luckily there were plenty of veggie burgers for me to chow down. 

Camping is all about the downtime and doing whatever you want when you want. We played badminton, baseball, football and...I got to do some running. 2 intense 5 k interval runs. 1-2 mins fast pace followed by 1-2 mins of a slower pace to cool down. I mixed some hill sprints in there as well. There was a lot of time for games too! I love board games. So much fun. We played scrabble one night and my mom and I played crib another night. This is a pic of a perfect hand in crib that I dealt my mom. Jeez, I must really love her!

My Oma's dog, Pansy came along too. And she is quite the pansy. I had to pick her up and put her in the water to cool her off. She was too scared to go in on her own. She's such a cutie.

We spent a lot of time swimming and laying on the beach. Here's Kyell mid backflip.

We also went fishing, boating and tubing. Lots of fun. 

This is the only shot I got of our beautiful salmon dinner made over the grill on the fire. We wrapped up fresh sockeye (caught by my parents a couple days earlier) with a sundried tomato pesto on top. Veggies and potatoes in the other package. Delish.

Is it ready yet mom?

For our last supper of the trip my mom decided on a vegetarian spaghetti. Mushrooms, garlic and onion sautéed over the open fire. Celery was added later. So much fun cooking outdoors. Everything smells so much better. Probably because the air is so much cleaner.

Simmering...smelled awesome.

My camping attire. I lived in this for the entire trip. Be jealous ;)

Another angle.

With the veggie ground round added.

Smart pasta, spag sauce, shredded cheese on top.

Raw carrots and mushrooms on the side with some hummus. I always try to get my veggies in as often as possible.

This sauce was seriously unbelievable. We were all raving about it. My mom and I think it was the leftover sundried tomato pesto that we added to it. We will definitely be doing that again. Talk about an awesome discovery.

When the ladies cooked supper, the boys were in charge of the dishes. Here's Francis getting some fresh lake water for the dishes. We rinsed them with boiling water afterwards. 

Dad chatting with his mom (Oma) and resting his full tummy on the beach.

The nights were spent making chocolatey smokes (YUMMY), chatting, playing word games, watching the stars (sooooooo clear and bright at the lake) and....

...playing guitar. My cousin Kyell and my Dad were our entertainment. Kyell is only 16 and he is already an unreal artist. He writes and plays his own music all over town. Coffee shops, special events like Canada Day, benefit concerts...you name it he's there. It's awesome to see. I'm very proud of him and know that he will do wonderful things and will be extremely successful in whatever he chooses to do.

My Dad hasn't played guitar in years so it was great to hear him play some of my favourites. Songs I forgot were my favourites. Songs we used to sing together when I was a kid. Brought back a lot of memories.

As soon as it gets dark we all start to yawn and slowly make our way to bed around 9:30 or 10 pm. It's so cool that when you aren't aware of time and aren't being stimulated by electronics such as TV and computers you feel tired when it gets dark and wake up when the sun comes up. I love that. I also love sleeping in tents. It's so refreshing. A little uncomfortable, but that's all part of the experience ;)

I can't even begin to explain how hard it was for me to leave this place. It's my paradise. A place I go every summer to not only have fun, but to rejuvenate, and refuel for the beginning of the school year. I always shed a little tear. I mean...wouldn't you?

Can you spot the dinosaur?

Kyell swam to the dinosaur and checked out the stumps that are underwater for fishing lures (something fun to do). I actually found 2 or 3 lures. I'm awesome. When you're camping you have to be very creative and put your imagination to good use.

When we got home I made sure I picked some of my favourite things of all time: apples. Not just any apples. The apples from the tree in our front yard. There are my favourite food of. all. time. No joke.

Pretty apples.

We also went to London Drugs to check out some laptops and my mom left with an iPad. She loves it. You're cute!

Before we started to head back to Victoria I had to take a couple pictures of my baby.

Whatta cutie...

Overall, I had a fabulous time camping and spending a few good quality days with my family (I don't mention Francis because I consider him part of the fam :) ). It doesn't happen that often, so when it does I cherish every moment. Well, I'm exhausted so it's time for me to head to bed (that rhymed :O). Hopefully this post makes sense. Sorry if it's scattered. I will leave you with a picture of my parent's house. Well...a little chunk of it anyways.

Have a wonderful Saturday night everybody,

Amy

Peachy Keen

I have been so busy lately that taking pictures of my food was the last thing on my mind. Then I remembered how much fun it is! I made sure I took pictures today, starting with breakfast, which included a delicious summer fruit - the peach!

My parents picked some up on their way through the Okanagan last week (they went on a little summer road trip).

Smoothie in a bowl. Contents - 2 frozen peaches, almond milk, plain yogurt. Now, I know this looks like a pile of yellow mush, which I guess it kind of is, but that doesn't mean it wasn't delicious! I added some 5 minute granola on top. Mmmmm... should have taken a picture of it with the granola...it looked much more appealing.

As I was getting ready this morning I put on a pot of hulled barley for my lunch. I boiled about 1 cup of barley with 2 cups water and simmered it for about 45 minutes. This leaves them a little bit chewy, which is how I love my grains.

I added some sautéed zucchini (from my moms garden) and carrots to the mix, topped off with salsa and hot sauce! An apple and water on the side.

My dad with the ginormous zucchini. It weighs about 10 lbs. Correction: it weighed about 10 lbs. More on that later. I really should have taken a pic with me holding it so you could really have an idea on it's size. Next time ;)

After work today Francis and I went for a 5 km run around Thetis Lake. A lot shorter than I normally like; however, there are so many HUGE hills that after 5 km I'm happy to be done. When we got home I immediately put together supper. 

Lettuce, carrots, cucumber, topped with basil vinaigrette, Amy's veggie burger and salsa. Miso soup on the side. Simple and delicious.

I use Genmai Miso, which is made from brown rice rather than typical fermented soybeans. Miso is extremely good for you, which is a bonus considering how yummy it is.

Here are some of the health benefits of miso:

• Reduces risks of cancer including breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.
• Protection from radiation
• Immune strengthening
• Antiviral -- miso is very alkalizing and strengthening to the immune system helping to combat a viral infection.
• Prevents aging - high in antioxidants, miso protects from free radicals that cause signs of aging.
• Helps maintain nutritional balance - full of nutrients, beneficial bacteria and enzymes, miso provides: protein, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin E, vitamin K, tryptophan, choline, dietary fiber, linoleic acid and lecithin.
• Helps preserve beautiful skin - miso contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps your skin stay soft and free of pigments.
• Helps reduce menopausal complaints - the isoflavones in miso have been shown to reduce hot flashes.

Good quality miso is a little on the pricey side, but it is worth it. It will last you for a very long time. You can use it to make your own miso soup, or add it to your other soups. Just make sure you add the miso during the last 2 or 3 minutes of the cooking process so that all of its wonderful health benefits aren't destroyed.

After supper I decided to do some baking. And what better way to use up the delicious zucchini than to make zucchini muffins.

Before.

After.

These are 100% vegan and 100% delicious.

Vegan Zucchini Muffins 

adapted from Fat Free Vegan 

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour (I used whole spelt flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used sucanat - low processed sugar)
• 1/4 cup raisins (I used dried currants)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't have any)

Wet ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer (I used 1 flax egg - 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix, let sit for 5 minutes until thick and gummy).
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/4 cup shredded zucchini, packed
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free soymilk or other non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

Optional Cinnamon Crumb Topping:

• 1 teaspoon margarine (I used Earth Balance buttery spread)
• 1/2 tablespoon demerara sugar (I used sucanat)
• 1/2 tablespoon flour (I used spelt flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners or spray well with non-stick spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the Ener-G egg replacer powder with the water until foamy. Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until combined. Do not over-stir. Batter will be very heavy. Spoon into muffin cups, dividing batter equally among the cups. Combine the topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly, and sprinkle the center of each muffin with a little topping, if desired. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Total time (duration): 30 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 12

Makes 12 muffins. Each muffin without optional ingredients contains 126 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 241mg Sodium; 3g fiber.

I can't wait to try these bad boys tomorrow. Francis was my guinea pig tonight. He said they're delicious!! SCORE! He couldn't even tell there was zucchini in them. Double SCORE! 

Well, it's time for me to relax and get ready for bed. I'm a sleepy sleepy girl. I will leave you all with some pictures I took when I went home a few days ago. After you look through these you will realize that I'm kind of in love with my cats...

Wouldn't you be? I meant come on...This is Coki, my baby.

My parents kitchen under construction. It's starting to really come together! Pictures do not do it justice.

Front yard.

MIA! She was guarding the front door of the house. Such a good girl.

Sucha fatty.

 Stretttcccchhhhhhhhhh.....

Zzzzzz.....

I think I have a problem...

Just a few more I promise!

Afternoon spent at the lake. A perfect day!

Beach by my house.

This seagull was going to town on this fish tail...

And one last picture to put a smile on your beautiful faces (if the others haven't already)! sweet dreams...I hope you dream about cute little kitties! I know I will!

Beach Day!

This morning I woke up bright and early as usual. I tried to sleep in, really I did, but I just couldn't for some reason. I guess I was rested enough. My bed felt so amazing though...but when I'm awake I can't just lay in bed. I find it such a waste of time. I wanna get up and get my day going. Today, I started my day with a new recipe. Raw buckwheat porridge.

Raw Buckwheat Porridge

Ingredients:

Serves 1

1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats, not kasha (soaked in water overnight)

1/8-1/4 cup almond milk or milk of choice

1 tbsp liquid sweetener (I used agave)

1/2 tbsp chia seeds

1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

cinnaninamin

Instructions:

1. Rinse the soaked buckwheat groats.

2. Put groats into food processor or blender, reserve 2 tbsp for later.

3. Blend all ingredients until desired consistency is met.

4. Let sit for 5 minutes. The chia seeds will soak up the liquid and make a thicker porridge over time.

5. Top with berries, nuts, granola, nut butter, etc...

A little side note: chia seeds are great for hydration. They soak up the liquids in your stomach and since the water is difficult to remove it takes the body a long time to break down the soluble fibre. When moving through your colon it acts as a sweeper, allowing the food to move through and keeping the colon nice and clean. Thanks chia seeds, you're a pal!

After breakfast, and driving Francis to school to study (YUCK) I went and got a few groceries. I bought some organic almonds, which I dug into at about 11:30 (always hungry at this time when I eat breaky at 7 am). Almonds are such a great, nutritious snack. 

please ignore the nice wound on my hand :) I may or may not have had an embarrassing accident last weekend...

After I got home and put the groceries away I put together a quick and easy lunch. Silver Hills, Steady Eddy bread with light herb cream cheese, tomatoes and spinach. Grilled on my George Forman Grill. I had an all natural pop on the side. Black Cherry, sweetened with stevia leaf.

When I first poured it out of the can I was shocked. It wasn't dark like regular cola. It had a little colour to it but was almond clear. I felt a lot better about drinking it. I didn't feel like it was eating away at my insides after I was finished. Always a bonus!

It tasted fantastic. Just like cherries with a whole lot of fizz. Mmmmm. The grilled sammie was awesome too!

I also had a few carrots and a protein bar before I hit the beach! Is there any better way to spend a gorgeous summer day then lazing around at the beach? For me, there isn't. 

After the beach I made my way out to Elk Lake for a run. When I got there I was tempted to skip the run completely and just work on my tan a little bit more, but I started thinking about how great I always feel after a run. This was an instant motivator! I quickly changed and was on my way. It was hot. I ended up running an 8 k loop rather than my usual 10 k. It was good enough for me today.

I got home around 6 pm. Perfect time to start making dinner. I made Bean Potato Burgers with fresh basil.

Mama Peas Bean Potato Burgers:

Ingredients:

Makes 4 large patties

1/2 lb potatoes of choice (I used new potatoes)

1 can white beans

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Put cooked potatoes, rinsed beans, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt and pepper into a medium size bowl. Mash with a large fork or potato masher until smooth.

2. Add chopped basil, mix until just combined. 

3. In a medium sized frying pan, heat oil of choice over medium heat.

4. Fry burgers for 5-6 minutes per side.

5. Put on a burger bun and top with whatever you desire.

I didn't have any burger buns so I had it without. I topped mine with salsa and avocado. I had about a half of another one too ;) I wasn't that hungry by the time they were done because I was snacking on delicious rice crackers while I was impatiently waiting for them to cook!

DESSERT!

During my grocery shop today I picked up some of these bad boys. I have been wanting to try these for a long time but they were always so pricey. Today was my lucky day. They were on sale. I grabbed them right away and waited ALL day to try them. Will power I tell ya. They are everything I wanted them to be and more.

They are slightly sweet and creamy and taste like a coconut dream. If you love coconut like I do, this is the perfect summer dessert for you. When you get to the bottom of the bar (in my case after about 3 bites...) you are in for a little surprise. chunks of coconut. MMMM! SO GOOD! I can't wait for tomorrow so I can have another one!

I am also impressed by the nutritional profile. 90 calories per bar, 3.5 grams of fat (good fat), 0 saturated. They are also fairly low in sugar, which is great! AND they're pretty big! I was expecting them to be a lot smaller but was pleasantly surprised. 

Okay, off to bed now, I'm tired and American Pie 2 is on. Always funny. 90's teen movies = guilty pleasure...one that I'm not really guilty of :)

Night!

Amy