T U G A D E

My mom used to make delicious Lemon Squares when we were kids, that were a beautiful vibrant yellow, and she topped them with icing sugar. I have one memory of asking my mom for a lemon square but they hadn't cooled yet, so I had to wait, and I guess I saw a recipe for lemon squares this summer because for this past month, I have been dreaming about lemon squares and lemon meringue pie, and how much I would love to have a sweet lemon treat... but all of the recipes I have found use eggs as a main ingredient, and so much sugar! So, I have been racking my brain on how I could make lemon squares that are delicious, but also healthy and vegan-friendly.




These lemon squares are not vibrant yellow, but are full of lemon flavour. I used dates to sweeten them, instead of refined sugar, so the color is more a deep amber. After my first batch disappeared in less than an hour (my kids loved them), I had to make a second batch and I'm sure there will be more of these lemon squares coming …

Orange Marmalade Cookies are delicious one bite cookies made with tart orange Marmalade. This recipe makes approximately 36 small orange-infused cookies. Once cooled, these orange Marmalade Cookies are best stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place, but can also be frozen. For best storage in the freezer, first freeze the cookies on parchment paper in a single layer, making sure none of the cookies are touching each other; once the cookies are frozen, transfer to an air-tight container for storage in the freezer.
Be sure to use a tart Marmalade for this recipe (not a sweet jam), I used the Presidents Choice brand Pure Orange Marmalade.
I used vegan butter sticks that contain salt. so if you choose to use unsalted butter in this recipe, you should add just pinch of salt to the flour before mixing the flour into the wet ingredients.
Here is my recipe for Vegan Orange Marmalade Cookies:

Ingredients: 1/3 Cup Vegan Butter 2/3 Cup Sugar 1 1/2 Cups Flour 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder …

French Toast is a delicious breakfast dish traditionally made by soaking day-old bread in an egg-wash before pan-frying, however this Vegan French Toast is egg-free, dairy-free and about as healthy as French Toast gets! My whole family loves this recipe, and I hope you do too - comment below and share your photos on social media if you try this recipe and love it as much as we do.
Here is my recipe for dairy-free and egg-free French Toast: 


Ingredients: 1 1/2 tsp Ground Chia Seeds 2 Tbsp Flour 1 Cup Coconut Milk (or other unsweetened Milk of choice) 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup Pinch of cinnamon (optional) 1 Loaf Whole Wheat Bread, sliced Thick

Method:
In a shallow dish, mix together the ground Chia Seeds, flour, and cinnamon.
Whisk in the coconut milk and maple syrup until there are no lumps.
Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Place bread - one slice at a time - facedown in the liquid, then flip to coat both sides.
Place the bread in the hot pan and…

I always pack the same things in my gym bag each morning, but when I first started going to the gym, I spent a lot of time figuring out what belonged in my bag, adding and removing items over the course of a couple weeks until I figured out what I needed and what I could do without. What skincare did I need to bring for the shower after my workout? What hair products did I really need to bring with me everyday? What snacks did I need to pack with me, or should I just eat when I get home? I had so many simple questions that I answered for myself after some trial and error... Here is exactly what I bring with me to the gym everyday:
Water Bottle Gym Membership Card Runners Headphones Hair Elastic Towel Face cloth Body wash Face wash Facial Serum Facial Moisturizer Concealer Mascara Travel-Sized Dry Shampoo Change of clothes: Jeans, Socks, Underwear, Bra, Shirt Flip Flops (to wear in the shower) Post Workout Snack 
Looking at this list, I think “good gracious, that is a lot of stuff to…

Oat Milk is an easy to make, dairy-free, nut-free, alternative to milk. Oat Milk is great to use in cereal, coffee, tea, and in general as a replacement for dairy milk. Making oat milk at home means you can adjust the recipe to your preferences. You can add more or less water to adjust the consistency - add less water if you’d like to make it creamier for use in coffee for example - or add more or less maple syrup adjust the sweetness. The sky is the limit, you can even add vanilla, cocoa powder or cinnamon to flavour your oat milk.


Here is my simple recipe for Oat Milk:

Ingredients: 1 Cup Oats 4 Cups Water 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Method:
Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend on high for 45-60 seconds.
Place a clean cotton t-shirt or tea towel over a pitcher (secure it to the pitcher with an elastic band).
Pour the Oat Milk over the towel and let strain. This may take some time, if you’re impatient like me, you can carefully remove the towel from the pitcher and twist th…

I drink my coffee black, but it hasn’t always been that way... I used to drink a triple triple, and needed heaps of sugar and cream before I could possibly enjoy drinking my coffee. It took some practice to train myself to like black coffee, and during that process, I learned a lot of ways to make a coffee taste great without cream or sugar. Here are a few of my simple coffee hacks to enjoy a healthy coffee at home.


Switch Out the Cream
The first thing I switched out when I wanted to start drinking black coffee, was the dairy. I started drinking my coffee with Almond Milk or Cashew Milk instead, which are both great low-calorie, low-fat, dairy-free alternatives to cream. You can even make your own almond milk or cashew milk at home, which allows you to adjust the consistency to your liking, so you can enjoy a creamier addition to your coffee. 

Add Cinnamon.
Adding a Sprinkle of Cinnamon to your coffee gives it a little something extra and steps your morning brew up a notch. You can ad…

I love having a green smoothie in the morning... Well, if I am being honest, it's less green and more of a greenish-brown color - the strawberries and spinach blend together to make a funky color - but it does taste great, and it is a perfect way to kick off your day. There is something powerful about starting the day with a healthy breakfast, and a quick tasty smoothie is a great way to make that happen.
When I start my day by drinking a smoothie in the morning, I feel healthy, and I feel motivated to keep that feeling going throughout the day. I find I am more inclined to have a productive afternoon when I have a productive morning, and the best way to do that for me, is to start it off by feeding my body with all the right nutrients. I drink my smoothie, followed by a glass of water and my daily vitamins, and then I am ready for my coffee and everything the day has in store for me. 


To make my Morning Smoothie Recipe, I blend together all of these ingredients; you can use more…