Raw Vegan Honey Fig Truffles {with and without coconut}

It's been quite a while since I posted a recipe, but these delicious Honey & Fig truffle balls more than make up for it.

I got a little hungry during the photo shoot ...

Raw Vegan Lemon Cranberry Ice "Cream" {3 ingredients}

It's been such a miserable winter (& equally miserable Spring here in Canada), that I am so very excited to say these next two words:

"IT'S SUMMER!"

And to celebrate the first day of summer, here's a special treat that's super quick and easy to whip up for the hot summer days ahead.

 

Here's what you'll need (only three ingredients):

• 2 bananas, peeled & chopped
• 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
• 2 handfuls of dried cranberries (extremely precise measurements are always used here on Shanghai Monkey)

The taste of the ice "cream" will very much depend on both the ripeness of the bananas and how much lemon juice you add.  I had very ripe bananas, so I used half of a very large lemon to give the final dish a sweet, but also tart flavour.

Mix the bananas and the lemon juice in a freezer safe container.  Mix well and make sure all the bananas are coated in the lemon juice and place in the freezer overnight.

The next day simply toss the mixture into the food processor along with the cranberries.  Combine in the food processor until the mixture begins to resemble soft serve ice cream.  Remember not to blend for too long or you'll end up with a smoothie.

Use an ice cream scoop to serve.

I love the bright red cranberry flecks in the yellow mounds of ice "cream"

The variations on banana soft serve style ice "cream"s are only bound by your imaginations.  Here are some of the others featured on my blog:

The original raw serve ice "cream"

Triple Berry raw serve ice "cream"

Blueberry Pie raw serve ice "cream"

Cinny (cinnamon) raw serve with walnuts

Double Strawberry raw serve ice "cream"

Wishing you many happy & sunny days of summertime fun and festivities.  The sun is already shining it's mighty beams on my newest dessert creation ...

Quick & Easy Recipes | VEGAN Round-up

Here are a few of the lovely looking vegan recipes that have been popping up in my news feed recently ...

Raw Coconut Lemon Bites from The Vegan Pact

Gracious Living Banana Maca Chai Pudding

Sweet n' Succulent Kale & Avocado Salad by Karen Knowler via Better Raw

Raw Pear Berry Swirl Cheesecake by Sweetly Raw

Get Glowing Superfoods Breakfast Pudding by Healthful Pursuit

Raw Coconut Bok Choy Spicy Soup by Rawmazing

Ginger-Peanut Power Up Greens Salad Rolls by Healthy.Happy.Life

Sweet Zen Popcorn by The Simple Veganista

My mouth is watering looking at all these wonderful dishes.  I hope I can photograph my creations this beautifully one day.

Raspberry Pomegranate Smoothie | Vegan | Raw | G-free

Here's a quick and easy recipe for a pick-me-up smoothie with tons of health benefits:

• seeds and juice from 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup raspberries
• juice of 1 fresh orange
• raw honey (or other sweetener) to taste

Swirl everything together in the blender until smooth.

Renown as a "super-food" pomegranates have a long list of health benefits, including:

• Polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that aid in heart health and anti-cancer benefits
• These polyphenols may also help prevent plaque buildup in arteries 
• The seeds have more antioxidant power than cranberry juice or green tea
• Lowered blood pressure and delay the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in patients with coronary heart disease
• Improved blood flow
• May slow the progression of prostate cancer
• An excellent source of fibre, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium
• One pomegranate supplies one-quarter of a day’s worth of folate (a B vitamin needed to synthesize and repair DNA) and one-third of your daily vitamin C
• One medium pomegranate contains: 3.5 grams fiber, 9 milligrams vitamin C, 14 micrograms vitamin K and 205 milligrams potassium, as well as being an excellent source of polyphenols.

So go ahead and add a little pom to your next smoothie.

Orange Cranberry Pecan Holiday Cookies (Raw & Vegan)

Remember my self-proclaimed horrible photography skills?

Well the photos of these Holiday cookie balls prove I am getting better, right?

(I do hope so ...)

Here's a quick and easy raw vegan cookie to serve this Holiday season.  I think the cherry red cranberries give it a festive look.  Here's what you'll need:

loving this font by Jenna Sue Design Co.

Into the food processor goes:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup dates, pitted
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• zest of 1 orange + a squeeze of the juice
• raw honey, to taste (I used approx. 3 tablespoons)

Since I was using whole pecans, I pulsed them in the food processor first and then added everything else.  If the mixture seems too goopy, add more pecans.  Roll into balls or flat round cookie shapes.

I hope these sweet treats bring a little joy to your holiday season.

Smoothie Catalog Now Available

I finally have a visual catalog of all my favourite smoothies featured on the blog.  I separated them by green and non-green varieties.  I never realized until I saw all the smoothies side-by-side, but it's pretty much just green and pink smoothies.  I'll have to post an orange one soon ;)

And if you're not a smoothie lover, there's also a section at the end for juices, teas and other drinks.  I sure could use a homemade vegan chai tea on this cold and wintery morning. 

Check out my new SMOOTHIE page now!

2013 Eco Holiday Gift Guide

1. Enchantmints' wooden fairy forest lodge toy
2. Organic & fair trade Holiday Spice Set (cloves, nutmeg & cinnamon) from The Spicy Gourmet
3. Vegan lip tar and nail lacquer set from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
4. TOMS+ Grey Serpentine Desert wedges for women
5. Mosey working girl bag (made from 35 plastic bottles)

Have you started your holiday shopping yet?

After 5 LONG years I am finally posting this

I can hardly believe I am going to say this, but ...

What does HEIRLOOM mean?

The first thing that pops into my mind when I hear the term heirloom is tomato.  But recently I started to wonder: What exactly is an heirloom tomato?  It sounds like it's a really old tomato from your great great grandmother ...

... well actually it kind of is, but not in a pin cushion way.

Heirloom plants (there are many, not just tomatoes) are grown from seeds that have been passed on for generations.  Most importantly, these seeds have not been modified.  Heirloom seeds are grown using traditional gardening techniques, and relying on a process called open pollination.

Over time farmers save the seeds of their best plants - the ones that are the most vigorous, disease resistant, and flavorful. They then save the seeds from these plants and use them again the following year. This careful selection process ensures that only the best plants available are grown.

Why is HEIRLOOM important?

• superior taste
• promotes bio-diversity
• utilizes eco-friendly and sustainable farming methods
• not genetically modified (non GMO)
• seeds are hand cultivated over the years to ensure resistance to local diseases, pests, and weather extremes, which yields heartier crops with less pesticides
• supports family owned small farms

And now for the question on everyone's mind:

Is HEIRLOOM the same thing as ORGANIC?

No, the two terms are not the same.  However they are very closely related and frequently appear together.  Organic has nothing to do with using seeds from 50 generations ago, however organic produce, like heirloom cannot be genetically modified.

Another important note is that farmers of heirloom plants can spray their crops with whatever they like.  Although farmers who are interested in heirloom seeds are probably the type of people who purposely would not use artificial pesticides and fertilizers. While browsing the farmer's markets you might find most of the heirloom plants out there are grown according to organic standards, but are not certified organic, (which is a costly and sometimes lengthy process).

Now is the time that the farmer's markets are stocked with heirloom tomatoes, so go get 'em and enjoy!    

Updated Recipe Page (& embarrassing photos)

 Updated!

It took hours upon hours of HTML code and re-uploading photos from 2008-2010, but I finally have a modern and up-to-date list of my recipes (mostly raw and vegan) featured here on the blog.

I have a separate page for smoothies and other drinks, which I am currently working on updating as well.  I'll be sure to announce when everything is done, so stay tuned.

As all you fellow bloggers know probably just about the worst thing about having a blog is looking back at your photography from when you first started ...

Oh my!  
This is a raw vegan apple pie from my Raw Thanksgiving Post, which incidentally (and also incredibly embarrassing) is currently the most popular post on my blog!  Looking at the photo makes me cringe ... I think I might have even photographed it IN the fridge!!  I mean I couldn't even arrange the apple slices in a decorative way??!!

Anyhow as a result, I now have an irrational urge to re-photograph EVERYTHING!  I think the yogi in me can "let it go and let it be" ... except for the apple pie.  It has to be re-done.

Have you ever gone "back in time" on your blog?

  

Advice From A TREE

Peta's Blueberry Pie Recipe List

Raw Vegan Blueberry Pie Ice Cream

 

It's blueberry season!  

It seems that no matter where I go these days, I see a big ol' pile of luscious blueberries.  Why not whip up one of the vegetarian and/or vegan recipes from this list on Peta's Food board?  You might just see a familiar blog or two on the list.

Strawberry Rose Champagne Tea (copy cat recipe)

 

You know those free samples of tea at the mall?  Well I never really pay much attention to them since 1. the tea is always heavily sweetened and 2. I hate all those little plastic disposable cups they use for the tea (you can usually see a very large heap of them in the nearest trash can).

But today something was drawing me into the sample section of the Teavana store.  A powerful force ... Strawberry Rose Champagne oolong tea!  A small bag of tea retails at $12, but you can make this fruity tea at home for just pennies.  Since I was a little girl I have been going strawberry picking around this time of the year, so we always have lots of those little red gems around here.

Here's what to do:

Boil some water and let it sit while you prepare the tea.  Most tea snobs enthusiasts will not use boiling hot water for herbal tea because it will scold the herbs.

I use a stainless steel ball shaped strainer for my tea, and I love it.  I picked it up years ago at my favourite Asian market. 

It's easy to combine different ingredients and then pop it in a cup with some hot water.

After a few minutes of steeping you can take it out, empty and clean.  That easy.

 In your tea strainer combine:

• 2-4 fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon oolong (or green) tea leaves

Place the strainer in your cup with a drop or two of rosewater.  Add the boiled water, which by now should still be hot, but not scalding.

Let everything steep for 5 minutes and then consume!   

No actual champagne in my version (however according to Teavana's website their tea includes a "hint of bubbly champagne" (whatever that means).

You can sweeten the tea with some sugar or honey, but it is already naturally a bit sweet from the strawberries.  Try to use the best quality strawberries possible, as this will ultimately determine the taste of the tea (I didn't just sound like Martha Stewart there, did I?)  If you can't make it to the pick-your-own farm like me, then find some fresh, local strawberries from your farmers market for the sweetest cuppa'.

Get Creative with ICAD 2013

I've been craving some inspiration and really wanting to get my creative juices flowing, so I was super excited when I stumbled on Daisy Yellow's Index-Card-A-Day challenge.  The idea is simple, but can be taken in so many different directions.  Here are the rules:

1. Acquire some index cards (see more about my interpretation on this below ...)
2. Create (as Daisy Yellow says "♥ draw ♥ doodle ♥ write ♥ collage ♥ paint ♥ cut ♥ haiku ♥ stamp ♥ stitch ♥")
3. Repeat for 61 days (officially June 1 - July 31, 2013)

In other words, craft something creative with one index card each day in June & July.

I'm feeling more creative just hearing about this!

I immediately went through my drawer of paper, envelopes and cards to see if I already had any index cards.  Being me, my first concern was that I do not want to buy more paper products to participate in this, and I will definitely be doing an eco version of the challenge (trying to reuse, recycle and scavenge for materials).

Luckily for me I DO have a stack of index cards stashed away (I used to use them to study when I was in university ... I have a Masters in Business, did you know?)

Anyhow in the event that I did not have any existing index cards I was planning on cutting to size any other paper I had on hand (construction paper, card stock, old Larabar boxes, etc ...) OR possibly purchasing some recycled index cards such as these.  I love the unbleached brown hue!!

What creative things are you doing this summer?

 

Gluten-Free Goodies

Here are a few treats (sans gluten) I am lovin' these days ...

1. Udi's Au Naturel granola
2. LÄRABAR's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
3. LesserEvil's Chia Crisps in crunchy dill pickle
4. Giddy Yoyo's raw organic chocolate bars (any & all varieties)
   
5. Veggie-Go's Cinnamon Spiced Beet fruit snack

Organic Tip # 6: What's So Great About Organic Flowers?

What could be more organic than a pretty pink tulip, glistening with dew and growing out of the rich soil and into the sunlight, right?

Wrong!  Unless that delicate tulip came from your own garden, how do you really know how it's been treated?  Luckily there are now organic certifiers for plants.  Look for their logo and rest assured about the origin and treatment of your flowers.

5 GREAT things about organic flowers:

1. Organic flowers are eco-friendly and has the least negative impact on the environment (when compared to conventionally grown flowers)
2. Toxic chemical usage is minimized or eliminated.  That means no harsh and artificial pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other funky chemicals. 
3. Organic flowers are good for the soil.  When you add harsh chemicals to soil, some of the nutrients are lost and the natural pH is thrown off balance.  Dry, lifeless sand does not grow nice looking flowers, so conventional farmers need to add more chemicals back into the soil to regain the nutrients that are lost.  This creates a cycle of growing that does not and cannot work long term. 
4. Growing organic plants are safer for farmers and farm workers.  You know when you're looking at your garden (or lawn) and wondering how you can easily remove the weeds, without using chemicals that might be dangerous for your children and pets.  Well think about the people who do this for a living.  Do you want others to handle potentially harmful chemicals, exposing themselves to numerous health risks daily?
5. Research consistently shows that organic farming is far better for the environment and more sustainable than conventional farming (food or flowers).  Organic growing methods honor the natural cycles of plants, harnesses the helpful assistance of insects, birds, water and the sun.     

And now for the age ol' question ... how will I know which flowers are organic?

Veriflora  is a third party sustainability certification program for fresh cut flowers and potted plants.  Their website outlines their main objective as: 

"Encouraging farming practices that build soil, conserve water and support healthy ecosystems.  Promoting a healthy, equitable workplace that supports farmers, workers, their families and the community.  Supporting handling practices from seed to store that allow you to enjoy flowers and plants that look beautiful and last longer."

On closer inspection I couldn't find the word organic anywhere, but instead a healthy plethora of sustainability instead (me thinks the lawyers are responsible for that one).  However Veriflora seems to be the front runner on organic cut flower certification, and it seems that they are doing a good job so far.  

Did you know that the trusty Fairtrade logo is popping up on flowers too?  And Fairtrade is not just about paying a fair wage, it's also about the health and safety of workers.  According to the Fairtrade Canada website, "a detailed set of safety regulations specific to flower production limit the use of agrochemicals and prohibit the use of banned pesticides."  Again no mention of our favourite word organic ... but we'll get there one day.  Baby steps.

Where do you get your cut flowers?