Snow day here! So here's a soup recipe!  

A delicious, hearty, flavourful and kid-loved soup that Hannah devours. It's loaded with veggies, which she's becoming a little pickier about recently, but she's so busy chatting about finding her letter and daddy's letter, she's just scooping mouthfuls of carrots and turnips into her mouth without a beat. 

So, enjoy! 

Loaded Alphabet Soup

Total time: 30 min

Ingredients:
drizzle of oil or splash of water
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, chopped small
1-2 celery stalks, chopped small
1/2 cup chopped turnip, chopped small
1 can diced tomatoes
2-4 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp summer savoury
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 box of alphabet noodles (I seriously just find them in any grocery store)
2-3 handful of kale, chopped 
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
Sea salt/pepper to taste

What to do:

1) In a large pot or dutch oven, add oil or water and heat on medium. Add onion and garlic until things start to smell good, about 5 minutes, stirring often. I often wait until I hear Lee say, "Mmmm, that smells good, what are you cooking?" And I reply, "Your favourite, onions and garlic" :) I swear, every time. 

2) Add in carrots, celery and turnip, as well as a small sprinkle of salt/pepper. Cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes or so until browning starts to happen and it looks delicious.  

3) Add tomatoes, vegetable stock, spices, and maple syrup. Stir and bring to a boil. Let boil for another 5-7-ish minutes until turnip starts to soften a bit.

4) Add in noodles and kale, continue boiling for another 5-6 minutes, STIRRING OFTEN so the noodles don't stick to the bottom. Careful not to cook the noodles fully or they will get gross and mushy as they will continue cooking on their own once you turn heat to low. 

5) Reduce heat to low, add in chickpeas, more salt/pepper to taste and let sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavours grow. Serve up with a delicious piece of crusty bread or crackers and enjoy finding the letters in your soup! 

In honour of my dear friend who is beginning her journey through dairy and refined-sugar free-ness! It ain't easy! But these sure are! Enjoy!

​(Apologies for the cheapy cell phone pics, although, honestly, for a phone, not too shabby!)

Oatmeal Cocoa Nib Cookies

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon flax meal, whisked with 2 tablespoons water (or an egg)
1/2 cup almond milk (room temperature or warm so coconut oil doesn't harden)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon each baking soda, baking powder, sea salt
1/2 cup cocoa nibs

​What to do:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. In a small bowl, cream together the coconut oil and coconut sugar, then add the flax mixture and milk. Mix to combine.

3. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, mixing well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and use your hands to mix the dough up well.

4. Drop the dough 2 tablespoons at a time onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, flattening the cookies ever-so-slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, and cool before serving.

Comfort food? Yes please!

Cooking and eating delicious home-cooked meals with my family - it's nostalgic, it's warm, it's friendly. It's, honestly, what I look forward to at the end of each day. Getting in the kitchen at the end of a busy day is the reward to the day. Even with the challenge of an empty fridge mid-week and minutes to figure something out, there is no stress. The kitchen is my calm. 

Creamy, cheesy, easy, peasy. Ready in 15 minutes. So good, enjoy! 

Cashew Mac n' Cheeze

Total time: 15 minutes + soaking time for cashews

Ingredients

• 2 roasted red peppers
• 2 Tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp basil 
• sea salt/pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes or even better, overnight!
• 1-2 tbsp. cup nutritional yeast

What to do:

1. Add the roasted red peppers to a food processor along. Purée until smooth, adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed to help it blend. 
2. Add garlic it to a skillet with the butter or oil. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is smelling good. Pour in the puréed peppers and add basil. Stir to combine.
3. Allow the sauce to simmer. Turn the heat down to low and let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, or until the mixture is thick.
4. Meanwhile, in your food processor, combine your cashews, soaking water, and nutritional yeast. Blend until very smooth. Add sea salt/pepper to taste. 
5. Add the cashew cream to the skillet, stir until the sauce is smooth, and allow to heat through. 
6. Add pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly combine. Tastes great with a little added greens, too!