Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Is anyone in disbelief about how fast September went? I can hardly believe it’s already October! And now to think it’s Thanksgiving!? This fall is just flying by.
During the summer I found myself constantly craving smoothies and fresh salads but as the cooler weather starts to roll in it’s roasted vegetables, denser snacks and warming beverages that are calling to me. Which completely makes sense.
Your body knows what it needs and if you listen you’ll likely find yourself craving just the meals and nutrients you’re in need of. Maybe one of these recipes will catch your attention. If it does I hope you whip it up in the coming weeks and enjoy!
1. Vegan coleslaw
I decided to shake it up from my usual healthy coleslaw recipe and try out this simple toasted seed coleslaw from Cookie + Kate. I loooove toasted seeds and nuts on my salads and they really added to this yummy recipe. Really easy, keeps well in the fridge for several days and made mostly of ingredients you can keep on hand constantly so a healthy meal is never far away.
2. Chocolate Fudge Bars
What’s a gal to do when she starts making her favourite raw vegan date squares and realizes she doesn’t have enough dates for the ooey gooey centre? Make some chocolate out of cacao powder, coconut oil and liquid stevia and turn them into chocolate fudge bars! My mom always taught me just about any food or recipe can be salvaged and this is a delicious example.
3. Chicken and Roasted Veggies
This meal is a delicious example of just how easy cooking a healthy dinner for multiple days can be. I coated the chicken in garlic and onion powder, pan-fried it until crispy in coconut oil and then baked it in the oven. Then I paired it with cauliflower, broccoli and golden beets roasted in coconut oil, rosemary and thyme. Herbs and spices can make a ridiculously simple meal taste exquisite!
4. Hemp Milk
There was once a time where every few days I would make homemade almond milk. I loved it but all the soaking and straining took time and I got out of the habit. For the last while I’ve relied on boxed dairy-free milks which are convenient but they still have additives I’d rather avoid. So I was pretty pumped to come across this homemade hemp milk recipe from Oatmeal With a Fork. No soaking, no straining — just tossing hemp seeds, dates and water in a blender and DONE! I’ve started alternating between this recipe and cashew milk, which also doesn’t require soaking or straining. So easy!
5. Roasted Squash Seeds
Seeds are such powerhouses of nutrients, and that includes those inside squashes like butternut, spaghetti and acorn. I totally get that cleaning and sorting through the inside flesh to get the seeds can be a pain but it is so worth it when you end up with these tasty seeds as snacks! Once rinsed off, coat them in olive oil and sea salt or Himalayan salt and bake in the oven at 300 degrees F, checking on them regularly until they start to get golden. Just be careful when removing them from the oven as they can pop!
6. Dandy Blend Coffee
After a couple of weeks of weaning myself off coffee, I’ve been off it for most of the month. Since quitting coffee my energy levels have been great and my digestion has really improved. But I still do love the flavour of coffee in the mornings sometimes and that’s when I turn to Dandy Blend — an herbal substitute to coffee. It definitely has a milder flavour than coffee but I really enjoy it and it satisfies my coffee needs.
That’s all for this month! I hope you enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend!