Healthy Happy Hippie

My love for banana muffins began at a very young age. My mother never baked (except for one cake, but that’s another story for another post), so my first experience with banana muffins occurred at a friend’s home. My friend’s mother made, what I thought to be, the best banana muffins. Instantly, I fell in love–and who wouldn’t? The next time I went over to play with my friend, her brother played a nasty trick on us. His friend was over as well, and they decided that it would be fun to lie to us, and tell us that they had banana muffins. We searched her brother’s room thoroughly, and, of course, we found nothing. To this day we still remember the day her brother pulled ‘the muffin trick’. 

These are not the banana muffins from the story, but they are equally as delicious, I guarantee. 

Vegan and Fat-Free Banana Muffins Recipe

Makes 12 reasonably sized muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp ground chia or flax seeds + 3 tbsp water
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional: chocolate chips, walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉
2. Mix together seeds and water, set aside
3. Mash bananas (I put them through in the magic bullet)
4. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
5. In another large bowl mix together the mashed banana, applesauce, sugar, and seed mixture
6. Add wet to dry and mix, but do not over mix
7. Fold in chocolate chips, or walnuts, if using
8. Spoon/pour into muffin tin
9. bake for ~20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean
10. let cool for at least 15 minutes

Recently, I have become acquainted with a fellow food blogger. A couple of weeks a go he asked me why I didn’t post anything anymore. My answer was simple: no room on harddrive. Well, I felt pretty pathetic, being called out for my lack of posts, so, naturally, I went home and transfered files off of my harddrive. A few days later I baked some zucchini muffins, photographed them, and edited the photographs. I may only have three and a half gbs left, but, hey, they can be three and half delicious gbs.

This recipe is dedicated to my food blogger friend.

Makes 12 small muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup plain unsweetened nondairy milk (I used almond)
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 small zucchini, shredded
• optional: small handfull of cocao nibs, chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400℉
2. In large bowl mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda
3. In a medium/large bowl mix together nondairy milk, orange juice, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla extract
4. Add wet to dry and mix, do not overmix
5. Fold in zucchini and optional add-ins 
6. Scoop batter into muffin tin
7. Bake for ~20 mins, until toothpick inserted comes out clean

Enjoy these for breakfast, with another meal, or just as a snack. They taste best when eaten outside in the sunshine. Oh, and they freeze incredibly well. 

Happy earth week to the quintessential matriarch!

This list is not an insult to your intelligence, sometimes people just need a place to start, and sometimes the most profound thinkers miss what is most obvious. Here are five simple tips to help those who wish to start living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

1. Ditch the plastic bags; instead, bring your own reusable ones. This tip includes plastic produce bags and bags at bulk food stores. Most grocery stores sell reusable grocery and produce bags and bulk stores are generally okay with you bringing your own reusable bags–but I would check with an employee first. You can also use fun reusable bags, or  even make your own.
2. Buy in bulk. Now, this tip is a bit of a double entendre: shopping from the bulk bins–especially if you are using your own reusable bag–reduces packaging waste, and buying in bulk, as in large quantities–only if it’s an item you know you will use lots of, otherwise bulk buying only creates more waste–reduces the waste caused by individual or smaller packages.
3. B.Y.O.C. (Bring your own [reusable] containers) when you go for coffee or eat out, etc. Once again, it reduces the waste caused by disposable cups and take-out containers. 
4. Do you have legitimate need for a car? Some people’s lifestyles necessitate the use of a car–be it for business, parenting, etc–other’s don’t. If you don’t need a car then don’t drive one; you can cycle, walk, or take public transit instead. 
5. Make a list when you go shopping, that way you don’t end up buying more than you will use and nothing will go to waste.

Recently I’ve found myself to be craving espresso based beverages, namely caffe americanos. An americano is probably the easiest espresso beverage to create, apart from espresso itself. 

Directions (for 12 fl oz or 1.5 cups):

1. Brew 2 shots of espresso
2. Pour shots into (12 fl oz) cup/mug
3. Add hot water (or cold water and ice for an iced americano) till cup/mug is almost full

Enjoy!

**Please use Fair Trade coffee*

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This is a single serving recipe for waffles. There is no sweetener in this recipe as people tend to drown waffles in syrup; however, adding a tablespoon or two of brown sugar would work.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/4 Unsweetened Almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• Optional: 1 tbsp Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another
2. Add the wet to the dry and mix
3. Fold in the chocolate chips
4. Pour batter into waffle maker and cook as per appliance instructions

Vegan Shepherds Pie Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 5 small potatoes
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or other nondairy milk)

• 1 package Yves Veggie Ground Round (or other brand)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 1/4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/2 Cup ketchup
• 1/4 + 2 TBSP tomato juice
• 1 TBSP prepared yellow mustard (not wholegrain)
• Splash low-sodium soy sauce

• Sprinkle of paprika

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Boil potatoes
3. While potatoes are boiling add everything except potatoes, almond milk, and paprika to pan, and simmer for 15 minutes
4. Once potatoes are done mash with almond milk
5. When filling is done simmering put in bottom casserole dish, then smooth and put potatoes on top, then smooth potatoes, then sprinkle some paprika
6. Bake in oven until potatoes turn slightly golden ~30+ min

Pocket Yoga (This review is for the Mac version, their are iPhone and iPad versions as well)

I used to attend weekly yoga classes with one of my best friends. I loved the yoga, but I chose not to register for classes in the upcoming season as I despised the environment. They were in a basement of a community centre, across the hall from an open gym. It’s hard to concentrate on your breathing or balance when you are stuck listening to heated arguments over whether or not a basket was legal. I decided that, if I was to pursue my passion for yoga, there was not the place. 

I did sun salutation daily, as my instructor asked of our class, but, once the classes were over, that was not enough. I soon craved yoga, and turned to the internet to self satisfy. I found Yoga Today, and various videos on youtube, but I like routines so I turned to the app store. I was hopeful, and downloaded a few free apps before I ventured to buy Pocket Yoga. I read the reviews and wished the money was not spent in vain. Behold, an app that has the Healthy Happy Hippie Seal of Approval: Pocket Yoga.

I like this app because there are three routines to choose from along with two variations of sun salutation. Next to each routine is a circular button you can press and it will tell you about the practice (intensity, flow, focus). It will also let you pick a practise duration and difficulty.

No one is paying me to write this, I’m writing it because I have a genuine appreciation of the app and wish to share it with you.