HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

Gluten Free

6 Vegan Halloween Candy Bars You Need in Your Life

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Trick or Treat or give me something VEGAN, SCRUMPTIOUS, & HEALTHY to eat! (AKA vegan halloween candy bars).

I’ll take the third option. And yes, ‘healthy’, ‘vegan’, and ‘scrumptious’ can happen simultaneously.

…even on Halloween.

It’s easy to bring out the tickle trunk and throw on your creepy wig, but it’s not so easy to skip the treats flowing to you from every dark corner.

Mars Bars, Snickers, Twix and Kit Kats… Coffee Crisp, Caramilk, Reece’s Peanut Butter cups and Oh Henrys, OH MY.

As a kid, I always went for the treat of course (what kid doesn’t??), followed by a full blown sprint to the next house, just to make sure I had enough time to hit up the haunted houses for a second round. Then came the organizing of the mega-bag of trick-or-treat goodies into their appropriate category, while gobbling down candy until the goblins came home. After the first night of indulgence, the ‘Goblin’ came by the house while we were sleeping and stole half of my earnings. At least he always left a cute, scribbly note…. right, MOM?

Anyways…I’m thankful for that because those halloween treats may pack a tasteful punch, but along with that comes additives, refined sugar, milk fat, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, gelatine, artificial colours and flavours, and hydrogenated palm oil. Not only are these ingredients harsh on your body, mood, energy, cholesterol level, blood sugar level and digestion, but Mother Nature pays a price too. Yes, animal agriculture is number 1 when it comes to rainforest deforestation, green house gas emissions, water use and ocean dead zones, but the mass production of palm and corn for processed foods (like Halloween faves) is not far behind.

OK enough of the goblins and ghouls, witches and spiders, doom and gloom, talk… It’s time to get into these delicious Halloween  alternatives to your favourite childhood treats!

I scoured the web to find delicious halloween candy bars from a few of my favourite bloggers and rounded them up for you!

Which one will you try??

Twix Bars by Forks and Beans

Coffee Crisp Bars by Plant Based Kindness

Peanut Butter Cups by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Rolo Balls by Oh She Glows

Vegan Mars Bars by the Good Food Goddess

Classic Vegan Chocolate Bar by To Die For

 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies | Chewy and Crispy

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Finally! A vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe that my guy approves of.

These are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, healthy, and simple enough to make every week!

So much YES!

The cookie jar must always, always be full, after all.

I tried replacing the coconut oil with banana, but it didn’t have the crispy-ness we were looking for. So, coconut oil and almond butter make up the majority of the liquid part of this cookie, with oats being the star of the dry ingredients.

There is something SO special about baking cookies.

Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Maybe it’s the smell. Maybe it’s the fact that you can eat the cookie dough as you go (one of the many perks of veganizing everything)!

What ever it is… I like it. ‘I like it a-lot’ (insert Arnold accent here).

And I think Davey likes it even more, especially when this recipe gets pumped out of the kitchen.

I had him blind taste-test the options: banana vs. coconut oil… 10 minutes vs. 12 minutes…well, he lived up to his taste-tester role in the kitchen and concluded that the best version of this cookie recipe features good ol’ coconut oil and a couple more minutes in the oven. 

I have to mention… These go real well with this homemade Hemp Milk recipe (no straining needed, and literally the easiest plant-based milk you can make at home). Because let’s face it, what’s a cookie without the dunking?

Benefits:

  • Almond butter is a good place to go for your Vitamin E needs. Why do we need Vitmain E? It’s key for healthy skin, eyes, and a strong immune system. It’s also a strong antioxidant, to help ward off disease!
  • Chia is one of the best ways to get your omega 3s, it gives you all essential amino acids, plus it’s packed to the nines with vitamin K (which helps calcium travel throughout the body, making it great for bone density and essential for healing from injuries).
  • Oats have a complete amino acid profile, containing all essential amino acids. They’re also packed with manganese, which you need for fat and carbohydrate metabolism and brain & nervous function. Not to mention they’re packed with fibre, yet low in fat, making them a good option for knockin’ off the pounds.

 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
 
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Finally a crispy cookie that's chewy on the inside. Perfect for dunking in that almond milk.
Author:
Recipe type: dessert, snack
Cuisine: vegan dessert
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsp water, mix together and let sit 3 minutes)
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup oat flour (rolled oats blended to a flour)
  • 1½ cups large flake rolled oats
  • ⅛ cup cane sugar
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt
  • ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Make your chia egg.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  3. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Whisk the coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, chia egg and vanilla together until creamy.
  5. Add oat flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix thoroughly.
  6. Add the chocolate chips.
  7. Shape small balls of dough into a ball, flatten with your hand onto the parchment covered pan.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes.
  9. Let sit on cookie sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  10. Keep in a high, hard to reach cookie jar in your cupboard.

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Chocolate Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie

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Smoothies….The best way trick your body into eating an entire head of greens.

My day isn’t complete without one.

Typically, the blender is packed 3/4 with greens, then topped off with a big handful of berries, and a couple frozen ‘nanas.

Sounds like a whole forest of greens, but once you blend it all up they hide from your taste buds just like black beans in brownies.

Blending is one of the best ways to get your fruits and veggies in. In smoothie-town, you get to keep the fibre, along with all of the vitamins, phytonutrients, and minerals. Efficient or what!

The more whole, plant foods you can get into your day, the better your body will feel, and the more energy you will have. In other words… a blender is definite BFF material.

Adding in a scoop of this chocolate vegan protein powder that packs in sacha inchi, spirulina, chlorella, maca, greens and all 22 amino acids, takes this smoothie to the next level! The beauty of adding this powder is that you can add even more veggies, and the bitterness of extra kale or chard will be masked by the chocolatey goodness.

And it’s chocolate goodness to the max, with the only sweetener being stevia (a zero calorie plant that’s 200 times as sweet as sugar and related to the daisy!).

Smoothie tips:

  • chew your smoothie! This is why I like to add less liquid sometimes and make it into a smoothie bowl I eat like a soup. Sounds weird, I know, but it’s important to chew your smoothie to start the production of digestive enzyme, amylase, in your saliva. The mouth is where the breakdown of carbohydrates starts. Adding cacao nibs to your smoothie is a great way to remind yourself to chew your smoothie, rather than guzzling it down in a hurry. This makes sure you’re not sending undigested chunks of food down to your stomach.
  • add the greens and additional powders first, then the heavy stuff like berries and bananas on top. This order of things will help the greens blend up without air bubbles and stalls.
  • start your blender on low and pulse a few times, then crank er’ up to the top speed. If it’s not blending, use a tamper.
  • make a mega smoothie in the morning (fill your blender to the brim). Then you’ll have a smoothie in the morning and more waiting for you in the fridge for the afternoon. Having a smoothie ready to grab all day long will kick that afternoon junk food craving in the a$$ and give you a burst of clean energy.

Benefits:

  • Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C. The vitamin C helps you absorb all of the iron from the spinach and other greens, and the antioxidants protect you from cell oxidation that comes from pollutants and other stressors leading to early aging, illness or cancer.
  • Turmeric is nature’s anti-inflammatory. All disease begins with inflammation, so the less inflammation you have, the healthier you’ll be and the better you’ll feel!
  • Greens are the most nutrient-dense food group, packed with minerals, vitamins and fibre. Get them in ya whenever you can. Pack that blender with greens… then add one more handful.


Chocolate Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie
 
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An easy, chocolate-y smoothie recipe packed to the brim with greens, with a kick of anti-inflammatory turmeric.
Author:
Recipe type: breakfast, snack
Cuisine: Raw Vegan
Serves: 2 large full mason jars
Ingredients
  • 1-2 cups blueberries (or other berries of choice)
  • 3 cups (or more) of packed greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, collards)
  • 1 cm of fresh turmeric, or ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 -3 frozen bananas (un-frozen works too)
  • 1½ cups almond milk or this hemp milk
  • 1 scoop of chocolate Ground Based Nutrition powder
  • 1 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)
  • water (optional)
Instructions
  1. Add everything except the cacao nibs to the blender. Start with the greens, turmeric and powder on the bottom, then top it with everything else
  2. Blend! Pulse a few times, then slowly increase the speed to max and blend until smooth.
  3. Add water if you want a thinner consistency
  4. Pour into your fave jar and top with cacao nibs

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Hooked On People Interview with Big City Hippies + Black Rice Breakfast Bowl

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Meet Maddy!

Madeline Sloan is a beautiful, firey, very interesting and lovable Big City Hippie from East Vancouver. I’m proud to call her my cousin;) She’s all about holistic health, the environment, and social innovation. Not only that, she’s a stroke survivor who believes that everything you need is already within you. Maddy believes everything comes back to nature; yet society is disconnected from the impact of planetary health on human health. She’s the Wellness & Sustainability Lead at a natural health supplement company, and she has founded Big City Hippies to educate and energize others in their holistic, green journey. Maddy approaches problems mindfully and with an empathetic heart, and she’s endlessly curious. You can usually find her hanging out with her hubby, John, and dog (#GunnarThePooch), taking photos, cooking, doing EDx Courses, advocating for the environment, listening to podcasts, reading everything from Neuroscience books to Heart & Brain comics, and generally practicing hygge (in a nutshell, the Danish word for comfy relaxation). ​

Let’s get into the interview with…

What inspired you to start Big City Hippies?

In December 2012, I had a Brain Haemorrhage/Stroke, which put my work & life on hold. For over 2 years, I was committed to serious rehab, and Big City Hippies was started as my creative outlet. I wanted a place to share my values, ideals, information, and perspective on all the facets of my personality and lifestyle. My sister, Penelope (Penelope Sloan Design) helped me with the name and encouraged me to “just start it”. It’s still a work in progress, and post-stroke me is committed to maintaining my own health & wellness, so Big City Hippies isn’t always a priority. If anyone in Vancouver resonates with my perspective and wants to get involved, contact me! Big City Hippies is meant to be a collective!

Tell us in a nutshell what Big City Hippies stands for!

Big City Living, Hippie Ideals! It’s the intersection of sustainability and wellness, because #SustainabilityIsWellness. Currently, it’s a social media and blog platform to educate, promote, and inspire others on Eco-Health Living in the city.

You’re always up to date with the most recent environmental happenings. What are you most hopeful and excited about at the moment?

The new GreeNDP Government in BC. I am hopeful that some concrete steps will be taken now that they have the “majority”. I am hopeful that the Kinder Morgan pipeline will be shut down, that the Site C Dam will be shut down (and arable farmland restored), that clean energy will take precedent, that environmental protection will become much stronger, and that our MPs will put the pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to keep his word & campaign promises. The list is pretty endless! I’m also pretty excited about the advancements in science connecting nature and health/wellness. Even though this is innate wisdom, this type of research data is needed to sway policy makers & businesses in the right direction to make decisions that nurture our Mind,Body & Soul along with Mother Earth.

Name 3 environmentalists/groups we should all be following:

  1. The Dogwood Initiative (if you live in BC)
  2. The David Suzuki Foundation (if you live in Canada)
  3. Greenpeace (the whole world)
  4. Also, for in depth databases, reports, and scorecards on topics such as food, farming, toxins, and more, I follow The Environmental Working Group (EWG)  and The Cornucopia Institute. They are both US-based, but their information is often very pertinent to Canada, since we live & trade so closely.

What are 3 things you can’t live without in the morning?

  1. My Passion Planner (agenda/journal/everything book)
  2. tongue scraping  and  teeth brushing
  3. H20 & breakfast

What’s coming up next?

I just started the Instagram @joybundling. Joy Bundling is purposeful pleasure: bundles of joy, for you, by you. It is creating intentional space for self love & self care. It’s doing a few things that bring you joy with intention + thought behind it. It’s elevating everyday routines and moments into euphoric states;  maximizing pleasure, while reducing pain and apathy.

This will be crowd-sourced by out global community and collected on the instagram page – follow along!

Fruitfully Spiced Black Rice Breakfast Bowl
 
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A hearty, creative breakfast idea with black rice, spice and everything nice.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup organic black rice
  • 1 can organic full fat coconut milk
  • ½ cup of water
  • small knob of organic ginger, diced up
  • 1-2 tsp true ceylon cinnamon
  • 1 mango, chopped into bite-size chunks
  • handful of organic strawberries (sliced)
  • 1 tsp coconut (shredded)
  • handful of walnuts
  • 1 tbs coconut oil
  • generous handful of chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Soak the rice overnight (cover with fresh water), rinse, and drain, then cook in ¾ can of coconut milk (reserve the remaining ¼ of can for topping) and ½ cup of water (soaked rice needs less liquid to cook it - start with the coconut milk, add a ½ cup of water and see how far that gets you).
  2. Cook with ginger, spices, and coconut oil in the pot, and add diced mango (ours was frozen organic mango chunks) halfway through to infuse that fruity flavour (we just placed it on top of the rice and let it "steam" itself thaw with the lid on). If using fresh, simply stir in, but reserve some for topping!
  3. Cook till the rice is al dente (a little chewy), which should be about 35-45 minutes. Stir it a few times, and see if you need to add more water. If you add too much, don't worry, you can drain some off or just leave it as additional "sauce" - it'll still be creamy & coconutty).
  4. Once cooked (about 35-45 minutes), stir in other ingredients like the chia seeds.
  5. Serve in your favourite bowl, and top with additional fruit, shredded coconut, nuts, and cinnamon.
  6. Pour your reserved coconut milk on top, or add your favourite milk instead.
Notes
*This recipe is very flexible, with the nutty rice and sweet coconut being the base to add whatever flavours you want. Get creative and add any healthy doodads or spices you have in your fridge and pantry! A masala spice mix (usually referred to as Chai) would be a phenomenal flavour option. Use any seasonal fruit available!

*Double the recipe so you have breakfast for a few days (add water when reheating to re-constitute the creaminess)! Use local, seasonal, organic fruit (peaches and apricots would be amazing) for the best flavour and nutritional profile! Shop at your neighbourhood farmers market for an amazing selection of seasonal fruit and buy organic to support nature, your health, and the farmers' health.

 

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Creamy Cashew Sour Cream | Raw Vegan | 5 Ingredients

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It’s not all about carrots and celery (all though… dip those in this and you are winning).

This creamy, easy recipe is living proof that ‘vegan comfort food’ is NOT an oxymoron.

With just 5 ingredients and a blender you will have yourself a decadent, tangy, sour cream-like sauce for your tacos, stuffed taters, lunch wraps, to drizzle on roasted veggies, and… and… and…

You should probably have a jar of this in your fridge at all times. It makes life better.

Just sayin’.

Sauces are the spice of this plant-based life. So get a few recipes in your repertoire and keep stocking that fridge of yours with your faves!

Benefits:

  • Avoiding dairy (in the form of sour cream, cheese, milk, ice cream, whey, butter) means your avoiding IGF-1, hormones (naturally occuring and sythetic), antibiotics (in some cases), carcinogenic casein, addictive casomorphins (opiate-like substances formed by consuming dairy, that leave you craving more), steroids, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, veterinary medications, synthetic preservatives, additives, cholesterol, saturated fat and white blood cells (aka pus).
  • Cashews are packed with vitamins B6, E, and K, minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and the antioxidant, selenium. The magnesium in these kidney-shaped nuts helps regulate calcium and balance your muscles and nerves. The monounsaturated fats in cashews are great for your heart health and blood sugar regulation.
  • Lemon helps to create an alkaline environment in your body. If you’re alkaline, and not acidic, your chance of disease, sickness and cancer is extremely low!


Creamy Cashew Sour Cream | Raw Vegan | 5 Ingredients
 
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A delicious, creamy, vegan sour cream for your tacos, potatoes, and bowls! By the way make sure you soak your nuts before you start!
Author:
Recipe type: sauce, condiment
Serves: 5
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 8 hours, then strained (or Quick Soak: boil water, pour over cashews, let sit 2 hours)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp water (or unflavoured, unsweetened almond milk)
  • **optional, chopped chives for topping
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to high speed blender or food processor (works best with the smallest container attachment)
  2. Blend!
  3. And done! Top with chives 🙂

 

What else happened this week?

We paddled a river, hiked 8 hours, slept on top of a mountain, and round mountain bikes.

All in between eating delicious plant-based meals 😉

For more of this, follow my daily adventures on instagram:  @hookedonplants and @juliamurrayski 

Having so many amazing trails around Whistler to ride on makes me so happy. #Fuelledbyplants 😉

 

Literally walking in my backyard. Holy #grateful. Loving my Maloja clothing for hikes and adventuring!

 

Taking the Elaho Kahuna Paddle Board for a river rip.