Hazelnut Milk

Hazelnut milk is the answer to my mild aversion to Almond Milk. It's strange that hazelnut milk tastes just like you'd expect—hazelnuts—but almond milk doesn't taste much like almonds to me. Not only do I prefer the taste, but I am a bit obsessive about not repeating too many of the same foods in one day. I like to diversify my nut consumption, and since there are already whole almonds in my muesli, I'd rather eat it with hazelnut milk, than more almonds.

Cake Decorating: Birthday Cake (Buttercream Roses & Piped Chocolate)

I was asked to make a cake for some fellow employees' birthdays. I may have over-done the decorations...the cake turned out a bit feminine—Mother's Day-ish, even—but, they got what they paid for. If you notice a bit of roughness around Birthday, it's because, on my first attempt, I wrote Happy Bithday. Don't judge, I have an excuse—someone called right when my chocolate had come to working temperature, and instead of accepting my inability to multitask, I decided to go ahead with the spelling, while on the phone. Fortunately, chocolate becomes stiff when cool, so I just removed the letters with a paring knife and tried again.

Happy Birthday Dan & Hannah!

Black Forest Cake

I made a Black Forest Cake for my friend's mom's birthday. I used the recipes from my course's recipe file and got the idea for the chocolate trees from here. Next time, I'll remember to turn the trees around before sticking them on there.

Happy Birthday Darlene!

Carrot Cake

Happy Easter!

This year, instead of a big Easter dinner, my family and I had Easter brunch with James and a few of our neighbours. This carrot cake is the result of my desire to contribute to our meal, a sudden realization that I have less than a month until my raw commitment commences, and an abundance of dehydrated almond pulp left over from making almond milk.

Raw Corn Chips

Last summer I worked for a local farmer, whose primary crop was sweet corn. Wonder of wonders, the farmer gave me and the other employees permission to bring home any unsold vegetables and as much corn as our families wanted, which, for us (dad), was a lot.

School Pictures: Marshmallows

Eating Raw in Toronto: Live Food Bar

James and I went to Toronto this weekend and ate out at a raw food restaurant called Live Food Bar. We had dinner there Saturday night, and brunch the next morning. Though brunch was by far my favourite meal, I only took dinner pictures because I felt really awkward photographing my food in a busy restaurant.

Grow, my pretties, grow!

Cashew Yogurt

I know I had previously wished for winter's early demise, but 24C in March is unsettling. I tried to take advantage though—I went for my first run of the season yesterday(!), turned soil and de-pooped my garden, and planted a few flats of seeds. Hopefully my garden will be more successful than last year...chicken wire is definitely going up before my dogs have a chance to pee my plants to death.

A Visit to Mattice Sugar Bush

Last weekend, I visited the sugar bush of a family friend. It was a real pleasure.

Cauliflower Popcorn

Continuing on my path to raw, I have been collecting snack recipes. Raw cauliflower popcorn was a recipe I'd heard about, but never could bring myself to make. Mostly because the ingredients list usually included nutritional yeast and I had no idea what that was, or where to get it. As it turned out, nutritional yeast was easy to find—I happened across it in the organics section of my local grocery store. 

Raw Almond Milk

I have been feeling dietarily stagnant lately, so I decided to make a new goal for myself. I would like to try being completely raw for the summer—from May to August—while fresh vegetables and fruit are more local, plentiful and, of course, cheaper.

Pickled Pink: Beet Pickled Eggs

Some months ago, I was experimenting with pickling eggs. While searching through my fridge today, I found a jar of beet pickled eggs I'd made in the fall. The first two pictures of this post were taken within the first couple of weeks of their pickling, and, as you can see, the whites turned quite pink, while the yokes stayed yellow—lovely.

School Pictures: Carrot Cake, Truffles & Valentine's Cookies

The novelty of photographing everything I bake at school soon wore off. However, the novelty of eating everything I bake at school has not worn off for my father, and I recently brought home a few things I considered picture worthy.

Strawberry Cinnamon Fruit Leather Hearts

I wanted to give out heart shaped fruit leathers as Valentine's gifts this year, but I ate them all.