A Hunt For Vanilla Beans, A Trip To Little India and Canard À La Vanille

Tonight we took a little trip to the island of Reunion with Tessa Kiros’s recipe for Canard À La Vanille, a famous dish of the island.

Papaya Chia Pudding and a Mediterranean Feast: Whole30 Day Thirty

DAY THIRTY

That’s a wrap! 11 pounds down and my “too skinny” jeans are fitting again, you see, you should always hold on to a pair of tiny pants, they are even better than a scale!

Dinner Party! Whole30 Day Twenty-Nine

DAY TWENTY-NINE
A new Whole30 challenge for me: Dinner Party. Thank goodness it’s only one couple, but when you’re on an extreme diet and have company for dinner, you don’t want them to feel like they’re on a diet too. This menu made sure they didn’t leave the table unsatisfied.

Typical me, I got so wrapped up in the moment I forgot to take photos with the exception of one dish. Sad moment, because the food was really good!

Tropical Tarts, Almond Butter, Baba Ganoush and Tabbouli: Whole30 Day Twenty-Eight

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT
Holy smokes, two more days and we are winning at our first round of Whole30!!! We started the day on a sweet note, I know dessert isn’t allowed on Whole30, but it was Valentine’s Day and I did stay within ALL the Whole30 rules…

Heart-Shaped Eggs and Kimchi, Steak Frites and X’s and O’s: Whole30 Day Twenty-Seven

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

We awoke to heart-shaped eggs and spicy kimchi, today was Valentine’s Day, the perfect excuse for all things x’s and o’s

Fat Tuesday, French Fish Chocolates and Chorizo + Okra Gumbo: Whole30 Day Twenty-Six

DAY TWENTY-SIX

Today is Fat Tuesday –– Carnival, otherwise known as the day of indulgence before lent. As revellers throughout the world take to the streets in celebration, I refrained from my annual Fat Tuesday, prune-filled paczki and came up with a little spin on gumbo instead.

Apple Pie Chia Pudding, Frisèe Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette, Low and Slow Baked Arctic Char With Roasted Fennel, Potatoes, Tomatoes and Black Olives: Whole30 Day Twenty-Five

DAY TWENTY FIVE
Feeling a bit better, than yesterday! Drank tea until dinner and was able to enjoy some fish. Speaking of fish… If you live in Toronto and want GOOD fish, Hooked on Queen East has warmed my heart lately. Such a friendly, cozy and aesthetically filled market with fresh seafood, local vittles and homemade concoctions. It’s a place one wants to go to again and again… like true love.

Merguez Sausage With Blistered Tomatoes and Garlic Smashed Potatoes For Brunch and A Sick Day: Whole30 Day Twenty-Four

DAY TWENTY-FOUR

Less than one week to go and we will have completed 30 days of Whole30!  I’m almost sad to see it go, but without my beans and lentils, I’ve turned to more meat as a protein source. I will be happy to have pulses back in my life!

Broth With Pea Shoots + A Soft-Boiled Egg, Crack Slaw and Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes + Blistered Tomatoes: Whole30 Day Twenty-Three

DAY TWENTY-THREE

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow seems to be Toronto’s MO right about now. Yup, snow for days! I woke up early, cranked the fireplace and enjoyed a little morning yoga sesh while plump snowflakes fluttered just outside the window. I brewed a pot of black coffee and sat in front of the fire and listened to Mogli (a new music addiction) it was a rejuvenating morning. After coffee we did our 20 minute workout and went to run at the indoor track across the street.

Grapefruit Chia Pudding and Carne Alla Pizzaiola: Whole30 Day Twenty-Two

DAY TWENTY-TWO

It’s the end of the week, and I’m plumb tired of cooking and prepping and thinking of things to make. I started out strong with breakfast, went downhill by skipping lunch and breaking a Whole30 rule of three meals a day and thankfully, E stepped in to help with dinner, so we ended on a high note. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can.

Get Yo Paczki

Re: Post from Fat Tuesday 2017

This morning while sipping my coffee I realized it was Fat Tuesday aka Paczki Day and I was without a paczki. While in some parts of the world revelers are dancing in the streets for carnival, today is the day I always indulge in one (or a few) of Poland’s most calorie-laden pastries, the paczki.

Soup For Breakfast, A Fresh Herb Salad From The Gaza Kitchen and Korean Kimchi Chicken Burgers Atop Portobello Mushroom Caps: Whole30 Day Twenty-One

DAY TWENTY ONE

Wow, ten days left. Only ten days! It feels like this challenge has flown by, and I think we’ve found our groove. 

Purple Sweet Potato Piña Colada Parfaits, Bolognese With Spaghetti Squash and Night + Market Thai For Dinner: Whole30 Day Twenty

DAY TWENTY:
We are going strong! Meal prep and cooking and planning are a definite commitment to this 30 day challenge and believe me, some days it is a challenge. I’m pretty certain if I were doing this alone, I would fail, most likely with some fresh-baked bread or a bottle of wine or Manchego cheese –– goes to show where my motivation is, right!? If you are thinking about doing a round of Whole30 try to buddy up, it helps, a lot. On with the food:

Banana With Cashew Almond Butter, Tuna Straight Outta The Can and Beef Tongue Bolognese: Whole30 Day Nineteen

DAY NINETEEN

Just another day and another coffee and another workout and another run…

Chaga Dust Chia Pudding (yes, it’s magical), Larabars and Potato Crusted Rock Hind With Roasted Chioggia Beets + Dijon Asparagus Spears: Whole30 Day Eighteen

DAY EIGHTEEN

Brrrrr it’s cold out there! We’ve been shovelling and shovelling and more snow is forecasted for the weekend.  To stay extra healthy, we are busting out the hot tea mid-afternoon (I love Stash teas!) and for breakfast I added a bit of Chaga mushroom dust (a potent immune booster and yes, it’s magical) to our chia pud, and of course we had coffee, ran and did the 20 minute workout routine. So far I’m feeling stronger in my workouts, I have super clear skin and I hate the term belly bloat, so I shall say, I’m feelin’ trim!

Blueberry Chia Pudding, Taco Party and Super Bowl Eats: Whole30 Day Seventeen

DAY SEVENTEEN

Snowy morning so we took our run at the indoor track across the street after our 20 minute workout, but first coffee and another chia pud…