Vegan Brownies

Made these the other day from here. Kid approved and delicious. 

1 1/3 cup flour (your choice)
1/3 cup cacao
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice or water (i used water)
1/3 cup oil (i used grapeseed)
2 tsp vanilla

Mix the dry. Mix the wet. Mix the wet and dry.
Bake for 25 min. at 350F

Enjoy!

Sage

I have been using this herb this winter to help dry up mucus and wow is it good!

Salvia officinalis; the common sage, is a well known kitchen herb. It's natural habitat is the northern shores of the Mediterranean. It is a hardy plant and though a perennial, does not last above 3-4 years without degenerating, so you should replant it every 3-4 years.
The active constituents are; a yellow-green volatile oil, tannins and resins. These are present in the leaves and are actually much higher in quantity in the dried herb than fresh, which is good to hear as this is what most of us have in the kitchen!

So what's sage good for?
It is great for drying things up. ie. gross snotty runny noses. like this one.

and goopy eyes and congested coughs, as well as dry up hot flashes. However, it is not to be used by nursing moms as it will dry milk up aswell. 

It is also great for digestion ie. upset stomachs and improves brain function due to its anti-oxidant properties. 

It tastes good steeped as a tea, especially sweetened with a little organic honey. 

No complaints by this little one (except for the runny nose!)

catch up.

things have been busy. story of all our lives, i'm sure. 

we seem to be getting sick alot these day, which i attribute to less outdoor time with this ridiculously cold weather. we need spring to arrive! soon, right? 

did you know that NDs no longer have to charge HST? yeah! 

here's the link

 

here are some photos of what i've been up too! 

a photography class with Peter Gatt to help learn the basics

instagram. 

what immediate gratification. you can follow me at rachelsnd. we'll see how long i last at it. 

and some food photos, of course. 

hope you have all been warm and happy....

 playing with shutter speeds

 our delicious get togethers with wonderful tea and healthy snacks (those are black bean brownies!) 

all put together so beautifully by Du

 class shots

 AV mode for portraits.

f2

 f2.5

and food. 

a delicious sandwich on rustic bread, avocado, old cheddar, baby kale, cucumbers 

drizzled with a homemade olive oil dressing

and fruit and veg. a perfect snack for kids!

kai kai is 2

somehow kai has turned 2

time zips and 

yet it seems like he has been here forever 

no party

sweets from the earth cake

a balloon, tech decks and a rubber ball

and a brother and sister so excited to share his special day.

eggless for 3 months.

back in november i shared with you bella's food sensitivity test. it came back with a senstivity to eggs and at this point she went egg-less.
before this she was having terrible stomach pains once to twice a week for months. well, i am happy to report that since being off eggs she has had one minor stomachache, and that was after eating chinese food in florida.
she has had no problems avoiding foods with eggs and even has to remind me!
what a smart (egg-free) cookie :-)

bella is six....

My sister from another mister, Mira, put this on her blog when her eldest turned 6 and i have remembered it ever since. well, today our sweet little bella turned six.

 

When I was one,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three

I was hardly me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six,

I'm as clever as clever,

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

                                                     ~A.A Milne

 

 the night before 6

 aidan made her a mobile from susy's art class. so sweet. she loved it.

 susy working her magic with the kids

 A and B's mobiles.

 a few others

she's so proud to be six. 

she melts our hearts.

please do stay six forever.....

eggless pancakes.

the kids love pancakes. and with bella not being able to eat eggs i've had to re-vamp the pancake batter.
i think i figured it out. they love these.

1 cup flour (your choice)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup milk (your choice)
1 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with a little water to make a flax paste (this is the egg substitute)
 a few dairy free chocolate chips, of course.