Tag Archives | pear

Spiced Pear Baked Steel-cut Oatmeal

I know I’ve mentioned it here before, but I don’t have the warmest feelings towards traditional oatmeal. I think it is because I was ruined by those instant packs as a kid. You know, the ones you rip open, pour into a bowl, observe with excitement all of the sugar mixed in with the oats and add tepid water to? Bonus points if there were pictures of cute animals on the pouches.

As a semi-adult making my own oatmeal and realizing how much actual sugar I needed to add to make it taste like the stuff I was familiar with was sort of embarrassing and so I just lay off it altogether.

My husband loves it though and will order it any time we go out for breakfast and even make it when he’s feeling inspired. So when we went surfing a few months ago (baby belly and I were surf-watching/walking/reading), I knew we were staying in a place with a questionable kitchen situation (a kettle) so I decided to try something. I filled a big mason jar with instant (not ideal) oats, chia, hemp hearts, dried fruit and lots of warming spices (as seen in this recipe) and shook it up.

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Warm Eggnog Chia Pudding (with Pear & Cranberry Compote)

Warm Eggnog Chia Pudding

My husband bought a scented candle a couple of weeks ago called ‘wood smoke’ (so manly). I think he was trying to compliment his favourite tv show, the channel that just has the burning fire log with the guy’s plaid arm stoking it once in a while. Anyway, (luckily?) it doesn’t smell like burning anything, but mysteriously, more like how you want Christmas to smell, which is just so awesome.

Warm Eggnog Chia Pudding

As much as I love the lights and decorations and the Peanuts Christmas soundtrack, by far my favourite thing about the holiday season are the smells. Everything from the fresh cut trees outside the grocery store, freshly peeled mandarin oranges, your neighbours up the hall getting a jump on their gingerbread baking, the way the air smells when its thinking about snowing, simmering mulling spices and warm roasty dinners all make this season so nostalgic and infectious. It’s hard not to jump on board with both feet, at least in the beginning.

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Indonesian Butternut Squash Noodles with Veggies

Indonesian Butternut Squash Noodles with Veggies

In case you are like me and have cravings for Indonesian peanut noodles a little more than you would like to admit, I wanted to share a version with you that leaves you feeling energized and smugly vegetablized instead of Netflix zomb-ified.

Indonesian Butternut Squash Noodles with Veggies

The first and most important thing we do is make it more about the veggies than the noodles (good life advice too). Then we remove the peanut butter (sad face, I know, but pb -even organic -contains aflotoxin, a known carcinogen produced by mold) (I still eat it once in a while when accompanied by chocolate, because I’m human) and replace it with pumpkin seed butter (or sunflower seed or almond) (you won’t miss the peanut butter, I promise).

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Warm Roasted Squash & Frisée Salad

Warm Roasted Squash & Frisée Salad

Sweet roasted winter squash goes together with bitter greens like chocolate and peanut butter (high 5 if you made it through Halloween without at least one dirty little pb cup). They balance out each other’s decisive flavours and textures so well. This salad embraces all things naturally sweet and bitter plus the health benefits that come with both.

Warm Roasted Squash & Frisée Salad

Plain, roasted squash is a staple in my house this time of year. There is a different type for every day of the week and it goes with practically everything. And all of that orangey-yellow pigment means that it is full of carotenoids (anticancer pigment power) and that you are getting SO MUCH beta-carotene (that, if all goes well, your body will turn into vitamin A).

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