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  [ WELCOME ]. My name is Chantal .  I am a retired Registered Massage Therapist and a current Stay at Home Mom looking after my first baby, Eliana. I am a  Culinary Nutrition Expert  who is passionate about making healthy and wholesome meals for the whole family. 

[ WELCOME ]. My name is Chantal .I am a retired Registered Massage Therapist and a current Stay at Home Mom looking after my first baby, Eliana. I am a Culinary Nutrition Expert who is passionate about making healthy and wholesome meals for the whole family. 

JOIN ME ON INSTAGRAM

A TRUE SPRING CLEAN ||. I used to hoard clothes like crazy. I hung onto things for years. Drawers full of jeans that didn’t fit me anymore and a closet full of items that just sat there, untouched. After I had E, I got real REAL with myself and my hoarding issue. I realized that part of accepting my new post-partum body was being held back by my inability to let go. So I did an honest clean out and it felt AMAZING. Here’s my advice:.
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Every last god damn piece that you do not wear. It needs to go. All of those “but maybe it’ll fit again one day” items that are collecting dust are being donated. Here’s the thing. By the time these clothes do fit again, they either won’t fit you like you like they used to or you’ll most likely have outgrown the style anyway. Not to mention they are harboring negative feelings. Any pile that is labeled “but maybe they’ll fit again one day” isn’t the most encouraging of thoughts to have in our lives. Any items that do fit but you have not worn in the past 6 months also need to go. You are not wearing them for a reason. You may not know what that reason is but at this point it doesn’t matter, they are clearly not serving you. This process is extremely healing because you are literally letting go of the past here. From this point on, we focus on the beauty of the present.
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Bonus:  Donating that enormous load of clothing to a shelter full of those in need will make you feel deliriously happy. Who’s up for this both physical & emotional cleanse?!
COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY ||. Tonight’s dinner was a half zoodle, half linguine pasta with pesto, vegan parmesan, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and roasted red peppers. On the side I made the easiest & tastiest pesto meatballs ever. The recipe was from @leahgarradcole’s cookbook, “It all Begins with Food.”.
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I have another one of Leah’s recipes on the menu this week as well, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Taquitos. I have made so many recipes from this book and it’s because they are all so easy with minimal ingredients (that can be swapped for things you have on hand) and are very easy to make your own. I own a lot of cookbooks and I use this one the most, hands down. I even made E’s smash cake for her 1st birthday from this book. 
I adore this compilation of recipes so much that I want you to also own this gem so I’m hosting a giveaway. To enter:.
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Like this post and write a recipe in emojis. Choose any favourite recipe of yours and break it down with emojis but also comment in text the title of the recipe. 
Example: 🌿+🥑+🍍+🍏+🥒+🍋+🍼=my current fav green smoothie. Tag a friend to play along. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, April 18th at 8pm CST. Contest is open to Canadian and U.S. residents only. Good luck!
Truthfully, it’s my husband and I’s dream to have a family nap all together. It’s quite the tease when she curls up under our blankets in our big bed and asks us to get in and join the party...then bounces as soon as we get comfy and cuddly haha. She’s just not the type. We bed shared until she was 5 months old and then parted ways because it wasn’t working out for anyone at that point. I’d gladly still be sleeping with her bedside me though if we both slept better that way. However that also would’ve been real tricky for when baby comes so for now, I’ll take that quick minute of cuddling whenever and wherever it comes. #alsoallowtvtimejustforcuddles #mylittlejet
I just ate a brownie while planning healthy meals for next week. That’s how it works, right 😂!? Just like how we order out after grocery shopping. Check out my stories for all the details and links to the recipes I’ll be making for dinners next week. Feel free to steal all my brownie fueled work. If you pay me, I’ll even grocery shop for you 😂✌🏻.
He snores but does about 1,000 other things that cancel it out. He’s my rock and I don’t know what I’d do without him. Truly spoiled with love over here 💕. #besthusband #bestdad #30weeks
TACO TUESDAY ANYONE ||? These pinto bean tacos are just another variation of this family favourite. It’s got a great and simple line-up and is perfectly appropriate for those meatless nights-or lifestyles. Beans are a staple in our household and they are a nutritional powerhouse. They are full of plant-based protein and fibre and are dirt cheap. It really can’t get any better. Check out the ingredients and how to make pinto beans from scratch in this blog post. Direct link in profile.
MY FIRST ||. I just want you to know that you’ll always be my first. My sweet baby. Even when you are all grown up and perhaps starting a family of your own-you’ll still be my first baby. The person that shaped me into the woman that I am today. Always wanting to be better to everything and everyone, including myself. You’ll always be the one who made me second guess my actions and my words and what they might reflect. I put your future ahead of my own struggles and I’ll forever thank you for it. So much good, and only good, has come from it. It’s changed who I am and what I believe. You have not only made me a mother but you’ve made me into the person I’ve always wanted to be.
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And don’t you worry. You may not be my last but I’ll never forget a single thing about you. Your vibrancy will never fade. Your silliness will always be contagious. Your zest will always roar. Your smile will always light up my face and your compassion will always melt my heart. Your hand in mine will always make everything better and my love for you will only grow stronger each and every day. I can promise you that. And I can promise you that you’ll always be my baby. #hormotionalAF #thestruggleisreal #30weekspregnant
CHICKPEA SCRAMBLE ||. Today’s Meatless Monday is brought to you by @minimalistbaker. I was looking for different garbanzo bean recipes and came across this. It sounded so interesting and simple so I threw it on the meal plan. It didn’t disappoint. I added a few more spices, and used a flax egg instead of the aquafaba because I discarded it by accident (I knew I would though). It’s got flavour and would be great served many different ways. Today I just paired it with some rice & cilantro, steamed green beans, and roasted green cabbage and sweet potato. I imagine it tasting incredible in a toasted sandwich though, too. See my stories for the link to the recipe. And now on to some self-care Monday vibes: a workout, some foam rolling and stretching all followed by a long shower. A mom’s paradise. How did you celebrate your Meatless Monday?
Another week is ahead of us and another meal plan is mapped out for my fam jam. Check out the deets in my stories and let me know if you have any questions. Let’s eat great this week, shall we!? // Pic is of an epic snack platter Eliana and I shared last week for lunch.
E’s SLEEPOVER ||. My toddler is spending the night with her abuelos (grandparents). As always, I’m sending her along with a couple of packed meals and some snacks.  I often get asked why I do this. Would they not feed her? Do I not agree with what they would feed her? Is it part of our arrangement? I personally like to send food along because my kid can eat A LOT and I don’t feel right when other people worry about having to keep up with her appetite, both physically and financially.
I’m very lucky. My mother in law prepares all of her food from scratch. She’s a traditional Salvadoran mama and we all loooove her food. I’d be more than ok with E eating everything she prepares (and she does). Some days, like school kids, I get half of my food back because she preferred abuelita’s meals and hey-that’s awesome and understandable-I’d choose the same 😆. When I get food back it just makes my life easier for the following day.
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What I do have packed here is a dinner of red lentil pasta with a marinara and lentil sauce topped with a bit of mozza and cashew parmesan. Her breakfast tomorrow will be leftovers from this morning so a couple of my spinach and mushroom pancake biscuits (recipe a few posts back) and some green beans. Snacks are fruit and some @lovechildorganics goodies. How do you parents coordinate food with other care givers? Has it been a struggle or a blessing?
STARTING SOLIDS ||? I very frequently get asked advice on babies starting off on solids. When to start, what they should eat, and how much. The thing is I’m just a mama that followed my gut instincts, my heart, and my baby’s cues. I do believe that my background in nutrition did help prepare me to be in tune with those influencers and I understand that it’s not as clear cut for everyone. I’m also not a qualified professional and don’t feel comfortable telling anyone what to do-ever but especially when it comes to feeding their children.
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Luckily, I have a guest blog post written by a holistic nutritionist that addresses all these questions when it comes to introducing foods to your babes. Lisa of @healthybrightbeginnings is a world of wisdom in infant nutrition (as well as pre and post-natal nutrition). This post will guide you in the direction and leave you with confidence. It’s so well done-informative and to the point. Check it out and tag anyone you can think of approaching this exciting milestone. Direct link for the post is in my profile. Let me know what you think and if there are any questions. // Pic of happy Eliana eating some sweet potato purée. (P.S-Lisa also wrote a separate post on Purees vs. Baby led weaning on my blog as well if you need more insight on that).

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8 Pro Tips for Meal Planning
8 Pro Tips for Meal Planning
about 20 minutes ago

A meal plan is the plan of action we come up with before we hit the supermarkets. The purpose is to have an organized menu plan that both saves us time and chaos in the kitchen. It also avoids wasting food and blowing up our grocery budgets.


[ D.I.Y ] Salted Caramel Mocha

November 30, 2014 in Specialty Beverages

Oh coffee. I used to not like anything about it. I despised the smell, the taste, everything about it, really. Fast forward to today where I love everything about it. Even when I don’t feel like having coffee, the smell excites every fibre of my being …I think coffee to me is like chocolate for normal people. I’ll call myself out even more on my weirdness and admit that I’m not a morning coffee person. The thought of caffeine first thing in the morning makes my stomach turn. My coffee routine is scheduled for after lunch. It’s my little dessert if you will…bringing me blissfully into the afternoon.

I’m sure we have all seen Food Babe’s breakdown of ingredients for Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte that has been circulating. If not, you can check it out here: http://foodbabe.com/2014/08/25/starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte/.  I knew Starbucks was terrible for us a long time ago. I’m fully aware that when I go there and order...anything really that I’m not nourishing my body. But I’m consciously making that choice. I also eat French fries, chips, anything potato related, cake, pizza, and other frowned upon foods. I have come a very long way and I’m proud of myself. I understand what I am eating and I make conscious choices to eat what I eat, when I eat it. I’m all for moderation, balance, and enjoying life. Maybe a year from now I will have progressed even more and choose to eat even less crap foods, maybe not. Who knows and who cares? Until then, I will eat to live and that will include all types of food.

Now, on to the feature of the day. As big of a Starbucks freak as I am/was, I had never tried the Salted Caramel Mocha until very recently. I was on a Starbucks and website development date with my dear friend Ashley, (you may know her as Rae of Sunshine) and she ordered one and I said why not, I’ll try one too. With all of my recent food blogging activities, I have been having several Starbucks stop-ins on lunch breaks and often feel like indulging in one of these babies. Fortunately for me, spending the $6+ on it isn’t so tempting. I decided to see if I could make my own version of it today, and guess what….your welcome is what ;) Cheers caffeine lovers!

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Salted Caramel Mocha

 *1 serving

Ingredients:

“Mocha” Syrup:

  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 1 tbsp. chocolate (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips)
  • ½ heaping tbsp. of coconut palm sugar (or an organic sugar)
  • ½-1 tsp. cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp. coconut nectar

Other:

  • 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or any milk/milk alternative of your choice)
  • Double shot of espresso

Garnish:

  • ¼ cup coconut whipped cream
  • ½ tsp. pure maple flakes (optional garnish)
  • ½ tsp. coconut nectar (optional garnish)
  • Pinch of sea salt

 

Directions:

*Note: I do not own a fancy espresso machine so I made my bevy mostly stove top. My espresso shots were brewed using a Tassimo.

  1. In a small pot, warm your milk of choice over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  2. In a separate small pot, mix and melt together the “mocha syrup” ingredients over the lowest heat. Stir frequently and remove from heat once the chocolate has fully melted and the ingredients are combined.
  3. Pour the espresso shots, the “mocha syrup,” and the almond milk together in a mug and stir.
  4. Top the beverage with coconut whipped cream and your remaining garnish ingredients.

 

 

Tags: Grainfree, Dairyfree, Glutenfree, Plant-based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Coffee, Latte, whipped cream
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