Welcome to the Sweet Life!

Welcome to the Sweet Life!

• Adventures in a Vegan Kitchen
• Eating out in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal
• Organic, Natural & Vegan products

Friday 29 April 2011

Oh Guacamole!

The weather lately has been cold and damp and not at all spring-y. So what's a girl to do on a day like today? Make guacamole, grab some organic tortilla chips and create my own sunshine.

1 ripe avocado, juice from 1/4 of a lemon, chopped green onion, diced tomato, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne to add some spice.

Voila!  

Thursday 28 April 2011

Orange Cream Cupcakes

These citrus cupcakes are not only vegan but gluten-free too!


Modified from: Gluten Free Goddess

Makes 12

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/3 cup corn starch
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
zest from 1 1/2 oranges (remaining zest of 1/2 orange for icing optional)

Wet Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 egg replacer (mixed)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet to dry and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and creamy. Allow batter to sit for a minute as you prepare cupcake liners in tray.
Pour batter into liners and bake for 15 - 18 minutes, they will rise and darken slightly. Test with a toothpick. Once ready remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Leave cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

Orange Buttercream Icing:
1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter or non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
zest of 1/2 orange

Whip icing for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and ice with sprinkles (or garnish with fruits) if desired.

Each cupcake packs about 2g of protein, and about 200 calories!


Have a sweet day!

The Last of the Easter Egg Hunt

There seem to be 3 Easter egg cakes remaining... then on to the next holiday!

Wednesday 27 April 2011

10 Minute Meal

After a day of running errands I couldn't spare more than 10 minutes to make dinner. I was starving! Despite how quick this meal came together, it's packed full of wholesome goodness!

In the time it took to boil the pasta, I cut up all my veggies and heated them up in the tomato sauce.

Here's what I added to my organic tomato sauce to give it an extra kick: shredded carrot - diced zucchini - diced eggplant - green onion - red onion - minced garlic - green pepper - red pepper - parsley for garnish - vegan parmesan cheese (which I bought for the first time since I usually avoid fake cheese).



This dish was bursting with flavour and only took about 2 mins to clean up after. Gotta love that!
Now what's for dessert?

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Raw Lunch

One of my new year's resolutions was to eat raw more often and today I felt the desire to visit the Rawlicious Yorkville location on Cumberland. As I hummed and hawed over the menu (vowing to return soon so I could try everything) I selected the Pad Thai: A mix of kelp and zucchini noodles, romaine, carrots, and red peppers mixed together with a cashew sesame thai sauce.
Ohh and a Lean Green juice (celery, cucumber, spinach and kale).


Rating: It was good, very fresh and lots of flavours, the only thing I would recommend is to eat it fast as it got a bit mushy (could also have been because I took it to go...)

Sunday 24 April 2011

Vegan Loose in Montreal

Happy Easter!

Spending the long weekend in Montreal, we went for lunch Saturday at Aux Vivres. It was ah-maz-ing!!!


To start we ordered the Cornbread and Guacamole. We devoured it so fast I almost forgot to snap a pic.

I couldn't decide (because everything looked, sounded and smelled so good) and ended up ordering the Gyro. Wow, Seitan at it's best. The tzatziki was so flavourful and I was stuffed with this big bad boy.

Jim got the B.L.T. (coconut flakes were smokey and salty, very bacon-like) this was quite delicious.


The creamsicle smoothie contained: coconut milk, orange juice, carrot juice and vanilla.
Thick and creamy yet not too sweet. 

We didn't have room for dessert but I had my eye on this guy (uncheesecake)! 
Jim liked the name : Fauxmage

Their Menu (drool).

If I ever head back to Montreal this resto will be my first stop.

we also popped into the wonderful Vegan store for some items. I picked up Sweet & Sara marshmallows, lip balm and gum.

We grabbed breakfast smoothies one morning from Liquid Nutrition. I love it because they use Vega powder, it's a sure way to fill up on delicious protein. I got the one called "Very Vegan Good" it's where berries and chocolate meet!



Have you been to Aux Vivres or Liquid Nutrition? 

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Sweet Tooth

Today I woke up with the urge to sink my teeth into something chocolatey.

So away I went and whipped up chocolate cupcakes


Some other goodies I baked this month:

Pina Colada  cupcakes (just in time for the warm weather)!!



Mini sprinkle donuts. Recipe from Oh She Glows.


Pizza a la vegan


Kale chips


Banana flax muffins (chocolate chip and walnut)


Don't worry I shared some ;)