One thing that’s been especially hard during my recent health struggles is that I’ve had some negative feelings resurface surrounding food and restriction. Those of you who’ve been reading for years may know that one of the reasons I started blogging back in 2008 was to share my journey to health. I spoke a lot about my journey to recovery from disordered eating, something I had struggled with for over a decade.
When I taught myself how to cook and fell in love with making plant-based recipes, I started to make positive associations with food again. And slowly, as I learned to eat intuitively (and embraced therapy!), I built a solid, positive foundation channeling that energy into something that made me feel really good. I don’t know where I’d be now if I didn’t have your support and community along the way. Knowing that my readers were eager to try out the recipes I was sharing kept me immensely motivated to keep going! It still does to this day.
The various symptoms I’ve been dealing with this past year (as well as committing to the dreaded allergy elimination diet) have challenged my relationship with food a great deal. If you’ve dealt with food allergies or sensitivities, you know how much it can drive you crazy in frustration as you try to figure out what’s going on. Every single food becomes suspect. I had incorrectly thought that it was a single food causing my troubles, when in fact it was much more complex than I had realized, with many hormonal imbalances and other systems at play.
Over the past year I found myself starting to question everything I was putting into my body, to the point where for a while I was only consuming a handful of specific foods. I didn’t know what I could eat because everything seemed to be causing reactions. It really messed with my head for a while there! This isn’t my first test by any means, and I know that these challenges and setbacks are a normal part of the journey—there’s no shame in struggling with things you may have thought you’d beaten. I can already tell that this experience has had many silver linings, one of them being a deeper appreciation for my health. And as I’ve seen my health improve over the past couple months, I’ve been so relieved to be getting back to a friendly place with food again by celebrating what it can do for me rather than fearing it!
And what better way to celebrate food this time of year than with the irresistible combo of chocolate and pumpkin? These rich and chocolaty gluten-free and vegan muffins have been enjoyed by everyone lucky enough to get their hands on a trial batch…minus a couple chocolate-hating toddlers roaming around our kitchen. *shrugs* Needless to say, Eric and I have had our fair share throughout the testing process…no complaints over here. Pair the muffins with my popular Pumpkin Spice Latte and you’ll have yourself a delicious and festive autumn snack!
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These moist, dense, gooey pumpkin chocolate muffins are similar to that feeling you get walking through a pumpkin patch, sipping dark hot chocolate, and crunching colourful autumn leaves beneath your feet! Picture a delicious pumpkin chocolate cake or brownie—but in muffin form. What could be better? How about that they take just one bowl to make! This recipe is adapted from Beaming Baker and my Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins.
* If desired, you can use 1 tablespoon ground flax in place of the ground chia seed. Proceed with mixing in the 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water as directed.
** You can use 150 grams oat flour rather than grinding your own (this is equal to 1 cup and 7 tablespoons oat flour measured using the scoop-and-shake-until-level method). Alternatively, 1 1/2 cups (233 g) whole-grain spelt flour will also work as a swap for the oat flour. If using whole-grain spelt flour, you will likely need to bake the muffins for a couple extra minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Please keep in mind that spelt flour is not gluten-free.
*** If you're a big pumpkin spice fan, you can use up to 1 tablespoon of spice mix in this recipe.
**** Try chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy, healthy twist!
You can make these muffins into a loaf instead. Simply pour the batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (I bake for 46) at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick comes out clean.
When you live in a household that’s favorite meal is breakfast, creativity knows no bounds. This egg sandwich is the perfect breakfast treat and I’ve even been known to wrap it up and take it on the road.
I love a good breakfast egg sandwich but anytime I’m out and about, my options are limited. This little breakfast treat is usually geared towards meat-based meals and so over the years, I’ve experimented with many different veg-heavy alternatives. Enter this avocado egg sandwich!
I’ve loaded this sandwich up with a hefty amount of vegetables, hummus, and a solid sauce to bring it all together. Not much is missing, making this my kind of breakfast.
One of the reasons I wanted to share this particular recipe: the kale sauce. I posted this omelette a few weeks back and this is a perfect example of having one sauce across a few different meals. This kale sauce is vibrant and the perfect way to add greens to this sandwich without having a pile of leafy greens.
I will say, the tarragon in the sauce isn’t for everyone. Feel free to use whatever kind of sauce you might like. A variation of pesto is always nice or experiment with other types of flavorful sauces.
When it comes to sandwiches, hummus is up there with mustard as an every-day kind of thing. I’d happily lather it on almost every sandwich I eat. It’s also a great way to experiment with different flavors. Make a harissa, beet, or herby hummus to use on sandwiches and grilled cheeses.
Obviously the egg is the issue here but you could easy drop the egg and have a delightful veg sandwich. I've also been playing with the idea of adding a tofu scramble to the mix!
Finally, the most important part: the vegetables. This avocado egg sandwich is perfect for any kind of seasonal vegetables. In the summer, use roasted tomatoes or grilled squash. In the spring, pile it high with fresh or sautéed greens.
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