muffins just help me deal.

I haven’t posted anything in 10 months. Let’s not make it a thing, ok?

I had a big year, I guess. Things happened. And then other stuff happened. Work is also a thing I do full-time… so basically: Excuses, There they are. They’re not very good. ha!

Life is always changing and I’m trying to deal with stuff and so what do I do? Make muffins. This has been exhibited twice before. Here & here. Muffins are the answer to: what the hell do I do now? Muffins. I do muffins.

I became a wife about two months ago! It was incredible, we did it in Toronto, our stay was only two weeks and an absolute whirlwind.

Usually when I go home my plan is to sit and eat and drink. I plan to play with the dog and maybe go to the cottage but also re-explore Toronto and figure out whats new since I’ve been gone.

This almost never happens properly because when I visit home it’s to see people. Family & friends. I LOVE love love seeing those people cause I miss them SO MUCH when I am away. But quickly, my trips becomes a juggling act of who can I see at what time and where and how can I see everyone more than once and – whats that? I’m leaving in four days. Well, sheeeeeeiiit.

This trip was the same but different. It was quicker and more amazing but also left zero time for me to sit and do nothing or play with the puppy or just HANG OUT with my parents. I got a husband on this trip which is awesome (!), but I also feel like I didn’t get what I needed from being at home.

So, we came back to Sydney (after our amazing adventurous honeymoon) and I just feel a bit off. On one hand, we came back to Spring – the weather here at the moment is really showing off. It’s basically summer. And I came back to the ocean, which is just how I left it; Huge and scary and salty and humbling.

On the other hand, we came back and I feel like I barely saw my parents, I didn’t get to play with the doggy enough and I’m just all around massively homesick.

These are the two parts of my brain. They are having it out at the moment and I’m trying not to get in the middle of things but ultimately, here I am. In the middle.

Muffins, anyone?

Gluten-Free Carrot Muffins
Based on the Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

1.5 flax eggs
1/4 c. olive oil
1 mashed banana
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 sweet apple, finely grated
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup oat milk
1 c. (packed) grated carrot
2/3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. almond meal
1 c. + 2 tbsp gluten-free flour blend
1/4 c. raw walnuts chopped – extra for topping

This recipe was made as a one-bowl recipe which is AMAZING. So, begin with the flax eggs in a large bowl and preheat the oven to 375*F. Add the mashed banana, maple syrup, olive oil and combine.
Next add the grated apple, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & combine.
Add in the oat milk, stir. Add the grated carrot and stir.
Lastly, add the oats, almond meal, gluten-free flour and stir. I also mix in the walnuts here but don’t over mix. Gently fold them in and then scoop the mixture into 12 muffin liners.
Fill them each to the top and top with a whole or chopped walnuts. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean. I haven’t done a lot of gluten-free baking, but apparently gluten-free takes longer to bake!
Let cool completely before unwrapping or else the wrappers may stick.

Eat. Think about life. Be happy.

xxx

carrot fingers

Do you know what my all-time favourite vegetable is?

I think if you had a look at my palms and the soles of my feet you might be able to guess. You see… I eat a lot of this vegetable. Quite a lot. And it has a tendency to give my skin an orangey glow. It seems that this vegetable is quite high beta-carotene, and since I eat so much, my body has an overload of it and so I store that extra beta-carotene in my skin! And thus it turns yellowy-orange.

Funny Story: I was meeting a friend a couple months ago and as I was walking up to her to with open arms she started laughing. She grabbed my hands and exclaimed: ‘You used fake tan and forgot to wash your hands after… DIDN’T YOU!?’

Awkward.

Have you figured it out yet? My favourite veggie? That contains lots of CAROT-ene?
Carrots!
Yum. Raw, with hummus, roasted. It doesn’t matter! I’ll take them anyway. anytime.

So let’s talk breakfast…

Maybe you’d fancy some Carrot muffins? Perfect.

Carrot Muffins
Adapted from this recipe

2 c. spelt flour
3 tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. raisins

2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1 c. shredded carrot
1.5 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix together dry ingredients. Mix together wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix until combined.

Bake at for 25-27 in a lined muffin tin!

Serve with a some tofu-cream cheese (cause then its more like carrot cake. aka the best dessert ever.)

Enjoy a year round tan! With NO skin cancer! YAY!

ps. Did you ever see that youtube video called ‘salad fingers?’ Jeeez. if not, don’t look it up. Salad fingers haunts me.

xxx

And just for fun, a sneak peek at some of the hotness I’ve been photographing lately.

boom!

more to come…

x

Every second Saturday (of the month)

Today I woke up and realized that it is finally the correct Saturday of the month for a Market to be only steps away from my new apartment. Since I arrive here, almost three weeks ago, I have been anxiously awaiting Saturdays and the markets in the lovely park across the street. However, on the first Saturday after I settled in, I looked up which market I would be attending that morning, only to find that they only come every 2nd and 3rd Saturday of the month. I was pretty shattered. Somehow, I had managed to wake up that morning on the 5TH Saturday of the month… so I had to wait at least two weeks. Good grief.

However, had I done some more in depth research I would have realized that there was another Fashion and Flea market the following weekend just down the street. But alas, I only found out about that one as I rode past on my shiny red bike that glorious Sunday morning… on my way to catch the ferry. It was a HUGE market too! My heart ached a little. But I couldn’t miss the ferry. It turns out that this particular Market occurs every 2nd Sunday… so now I have to wait a MONTH. Sheesh.

This vaguely reminds me of my backpacking trip around Australia in 2007. My friend and I travelled a fair part of the country in 7 weeks… and every weekend, where ever we ended up we would look for a market, only to find that we had missed it by a week. just our luck.

I’m mean, yeah Toronto doesn’t have a ton of Markets… but at least the ones we have are there EVERY week, usually every DAY! Reliable and delicious.

the band!

That is neither here nor there, because today I got to go. Finally. I woke up at the crack of 9.27am and skipped out the door. Seconds later, I was across the street mingling with North Sydney’s finest bargain hunters. I have to say, it was bigger spread then I had expected, lots of stalls, lots of clothes, books, jewelry.

North Sydney Markets *every second saturday of the month*

So many things to look at and consider buying. But in true fashion, I didn’t actually purchase anything. I don’t know what I was looking for, I never do… but then maybe that’s why I never buy. Except food. Obviously.

There was a small produce section with lovely vegetables that seemed to be reasonably priced, so I gathered the ones that would taste best steamed… That sounds really lame, but we bought a new set of pots and a steamer… so I wanted to try it out. Naturally. I think I spent $9.00… and I scored a 2kilo bag of carrots which will pretty much feed me for the week.

All in all, the market was a success. I will happily attend every 2nd Saturday of the month. And every 2nd Sunday I will find that other huge monster down the street… and then every 3rd Saturday I will go back across the street to the other market, that is apparently ALL produce. And then the 4th weekend… well, I’m still researching.

Jobless

I’m onto week 2 of the job hunt, and so far no actual job interviews, despite having applied to probably over 30 jobs.

However, today I did interview with two temp agencies… so hopefully they will throw something my way in the next couple days or weeks. Temping can always lead to a longer contract. Which would be ideal. In the mean time… I’ll bake.

I have to admit, I’ve been a bit homesick over the last week or so. Something about having no routine really bums me out. At home I would get up and drive to Yoga… come home for coffee and lunch and then usually work in the evenings. It was a good routine. It was solid, and reliable… Now, however… I have no such routine. I really need a job to structure my life. I’ve started going to Bikram Yoga here in North Sydney, but it’s really not that Hot. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But it will do. At least Bikram Yoga is consistent. No matter where you go… that 90 minutes is always the same. I love and hate that.

In the spirit of keeping myself busy, I have been doing a fair amount of cooking in my small kitchenette… A couple of days ago I made Apple pie Oatmeal… a la this cool food blog. I took some really bad pictures of it, so I can’t post those. It would compromise my reputation. You understand…

However, today I made Carrot Cake oatmeal, equally as delicious! I managed to take some decent photos… only next time remind me to wipe the table. 🙂

carrots! and ikea bowl.

so orange… much like my feet.

so so orange

This was delightful.

xxx

and I wait for the jobs…