A Hidden Vegan Gem in Montreal

Montreal is one of Canada's best cities for vegan food. I've been visiting often lately, because there is no better excuse to travel than vegan food! 

One of my favorite finds was this small place called Résonance Café in the trendy Mile-End neighborhood. It is tucked away in the lower level of a building on Avenue du Parc. Our Couchsurfing host (a non-vegan!) recommended it to us and raved about their homemade almond milk. They had a nice open space, where they also host live music and other events.

Their 100%-vegan menu has coffee drinks, all-day breakfast items, bowls, sandwiches, smoothies and more. 

Instagram Roundup October

As some of you know, I'm mostly active on Instagram and many of these photos never end up on the blog! I want to start doing these monthly Instagram roundups to show my favorite moments and meals every month. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Here are my favorites from October:

SUPERB "Phish" tacos from Tucos Tacos. Beer battered avocado and crema. Thanks to my friend Jessica Nadel from Cupcakes and Kale and hubby for bringing vegan food to Sudbury!

Happy thanksgiving! I'm celebrating with the Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe from The Vegan Zombie cookbook.

Can't wait to try these goodies from Saaboon! Himalayan soap and Fire candle. All #vegan, local to Ottawa and handmade.

Love & beauty is everywhere. Choose to see it ✌

Happy Halloween! I'm celebrating with Strawberry Blonde Bakery sweet treats, no tricks! #vegan

Broccoli soup & Tofu sandwich from Clover Food and Drink #vegan

Hope you enjoyed! See the rest of my Instagram photos here.

6 Must-Have Vegan Fashion Items for Fall

Baby, it's cold outside! This weather has me changing up my routine and these are my new favorites.


1) Deep Red Lips - Red Apple Lipstick in Ravishing

This is probably my favorite lipstick shade of all time. A bold burgundy-red lip with a slight blue undertone and satin finish. It happens to be very appropriate for fall!

Don't forget to prep your lips: exfoliate with the Rallye Balm to make your lips smooth and moisturized. Line with the Zuzu Luxe Hazelnut Lipliner for extra lasting power.

2) Dark Purple Nails - Pure Anada Eggplant

A rich purple shade that is still fun but also perfect to transition with fall colors. I love topping this with the Pacifica Matte TopCoat for an added touch of vamp-glam!


3) Strong Brows - Pure Anada Brow Powder (I use the Sand color)

Keep up a strong brow game with this soft-finish brow powder. I find that some brow pencils can look harsh and obvious. I started using this brow powder (in the Sand color) with an angle brush to fill in my brows. It fills in my brows while still looking natural.


4) Cinnamon Flavored Lip Balm - Bare English & Co. Chai Tea Latte Lip Balm

Fall is usually when I start drinking lots of Chai Tea. I can have it anytime with Bare English & Co. Tea Infused Lip Balm. They infuse real tea into the lip balms for authentic flavors and antioxidant properties! Their Chai Tea Latte Lip Balm has a hint of sweetness and the warmth of cinnamon and spices.

Check out my full review of the Bare English Lip Balms!

5) Wide-Brim Hats - Vegan Floppy Hat from askidas on Etsy

This hat is just adorable. Bring out your inner Carmen Sandiego with this handmade, wide-brimmed red hat made from eco & vegan friendly acrylic felt.

6) Insulated Bottle - ''Dark Hearted'' Swell Bottle

Keep your beverages warm and full of love. I have this bottle in the ''Sweet Mint'' color, but this one is just too cute. These bottles are the best I've tried. They are versatile because you can use it for both hot or cold drinks, and it really does keep its temperature for HOURS. It's also great for travelling!


That's all I have for today, keep warm and happy! :D

Cauliflower Overload & Healthy Shepherd's Pie Recipe

This recipe was inspired by one of those last-minute improvisation meals. I had some leftover meatless ground beef and a head of cauliflower in the fridge. Ok I'll admit that I bought three heads of cauliflower at the grocery store that week because they were on sale. I'm a sucker for a deal on produce!

What did a gal do with all that cauliflower? As per usual, I cut some up and froze it. I also made Cauliflower Buffalo Wings from the PETA website, which were fantastic by the way.

I had some similar "wings" at a local Ottawa restaurant and was inspired to make some at home. They turned out really good, even omnis approved!

I still had lots of cauliflower left so I made a Cauliflower-cream mac and cheese dish.  This is my favorite homemade mac and cheese sauce to make, comparatively to cashew or non-dairy cheese based recipes. I'm still tweaking my recipe for this, so stay tuned!

After this, I STILL had more cauliflower! What's a girl to do? Cauliflower mash. And then I put it in a shepherd's pie. How very French-Canadian of me ;)

I made them in individual servings because it's easy to serve and keep extras for lunches. And of course, because they are so much cuter!

Mini Healthy Shepherd's Pies

Ingredients:

For the cauliflower mash: Roughly 2 cups of chopped cauliflower
1/4 - 1/3 cup of potato starch or potato flour (depending on how thick you like your mash)
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of vegan butter or oil (optional)
1 teaspoon of onion powder
A dash of garlic powder
A dash of salt

For the shepherd's pie: 3-4 small ramekins
1 batch of cauliflower mash (above)
1 cup of meatless ground beef
1/2 cup of canned corn (I used creamed corn but you can use regular corn if you like)
1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds (also called flaxseed meal)
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
Ketchup, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Boil the chopped cauliflower in a saucepan for 15-20 minutes until it is soft. A fork should slide easily through the pieces. Drain out most of the water. You want it to be damp, but not so wet that you have a soup at the bottom. Add in the potato starch, nutritional yeast, vegan butter or oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and mix thoroughly. It should have a thick consistency like mashed potatoes.

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide your meatless ground beef between your ramekins and pat down to make a somewhat smooth surface. Spread the corn on top the same way. Scoop out some cauliflower mash and fill the ramekin to the top. I like to smooth out the top again but that's totally optional. Sprinkle the flaxseeds and nutritional yeast on top of the mash. This will make a kind of crust and will turn golden in the oven.

Place the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the mash starts to brown slightly. Wait 10 minutes to serve, they will be very hot. Serve with ketchup if that's your thing. Enjoy!

Sensory Deprivation Tanks... Experience Absolutely Nothing!

Tank Action is Ottawa's first and only flotation spa and I had the wonderful opportunity to try out a session. Their location is a beautiful and clean space with a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of clean towels to go around. Their services, however, are completely unique. They have sensory deprivation tanks that block out all sensation, creating an environment to bring you to the deepest relaxation level while still being conscious.

Inside the 5x8 feet tanks, there is no sound, no light, and no sense of feeling at all. The water in the tank contains thousands of pounds of Epsom salts, causing your body to float completely, and is heated to the same temperature as your body. This type of therapy has helped people who deal with stress, chronic pain, mental and physical illnesses. Learn more about floating here.