Super Sore Muscle Liniment Recipe

Good morning!

Today is the last day of July and I can't believe how fast time is flying by. Summer's going to be over before I know it (not that I mind, Fall is definitely my favourite time of year) and the woodstove will be back at work.   I foresee some issues with dragging my butt to the gym when it's still dark out though, and I'll have to pack in my frozen breakfasts for something a little, oh, I don't know, warmer? Enter baked oatmeal! YUM! Anyway, on to the point of this post. I totally overworked my calves last week (to injury point, yes, I know, stupid....) but in my defense, calves are a funny muscle to work because it never really feels as though you're overworking them. You don't find that out until a day or two later and then you can't walk for a week. Well, you can walk, you just look weird. I provided many bursts of uncontrollable laughter to the people around me. I was told I walked like the creature from Pan's Labrynth. Awesome. So needless to say, I've rested my calves well and used my trusty homemade linament. It works better than anything I've ever bought and it's cheap and easy to make. It's oil based and has cayenne in it, which gives it an orange-y colour, so it may stain. I haven't had trouble with it, but please, don't use it with your favourite white clothes.


Homemade Liniment


1 Tbsp grapeseed or other light oil
1/2 - 1 tsp Cayenne pepper (stir it in, if you have sensitive skin, please add a little then skin test)
5-10 drops Peppermint essential oil (again, add slowly and do a skin test after each addition)

**If you want a solid liniment, add a little (and I mean a little, you won't need much at all for this recipe as it's a small amount) melted beeswax and let it harden into a balm. If it's cool outside or in your house, you can also use coconut oil as a base. Keep in mind as the temperatures climb, the coconut oil will melt.

The cayenne causes deep heating and brings blood to the area, while the peppermint gives you the cooling. You should feel a warming/cooling sensation just like you would with a store bought brand, this is just a safe, natural alternative. If you don't feel warming, add more cayenne, if you don't feel cooling, add more peppermint. I have had success using Eucalyptus essential oil as well, and a blend of both Peppermint and Eucalyptus. Spearmint and Wintergreen work too.

Shake or stir to mix. Apply as needed.

KEEP AWAY FROM EYES AND FACE AND TENDER BITS!!! Wash  your hands after you apply.

A Fitness Update: My Adventures In Bodybuilding Thus Far.

I haven't posted for a while regarding my workouts and fitness so I thought I'd update everyone. I recently found a new bodybuilding partner who has kicked my butt back into gear and out of my stagnant lifting routine. She has a plan, a program and heavy determination. I always had the heavy determination, it was the program I was lacking, enter my bestest bodybuilding bud ever! Her program has officially kicked my arse all over the gym and then wiped the floor with it. Even my toes are sore. I haven't been sore from a workout, no matter how hard I pushed (even to the point of near injury) in months, so this is a welcomed pain. Back on track and hitting it hard. My gains are incredible thus far, even with my willy nilly fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants routine I was following before. This new program has certainly kicked things up a bit. This makes me happy. I also did enough research, talked to enough people and came to the conclusion that it was probably time to start supplementing. I had (have) plateaued, and I was frustrated. So along with a mostly raw, 99.9% plant based, whole food diet I have incorporated a CLEAN Creatine HCl (which does NOT cause intestinal upset, bloating or cramps and the only ingredients on the label should be Creatine HCl - capsule form is best) and CLEAN all natural BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids), both to aid in repair therefore building strength and endurance. Today is only day three....I am going to try this out for 2 months (the supply I bought) and see how I feel and if I think it's worth carrying on with. It's the Creatine that can be iffy. Some people get great results, some get next to nothing. The BCAAs are very important though, so I'll probably end up sticking with them for sure, and if I see vast improvement with the Creatine, I'll stick with that as well. So far, so good. I'm considering posting before and after pictures here on the blog. I have some before pictures (almost before pics, I had only been hitting the gym lightly as a re introduction for about a month or so....not much in the way of gains...still just skinny), I would like to get some pics done this weekend and then again in 6 weeks when the 12 week program is complete. (I have NOT been along for the full 12 week program, I stepped in half way through, but I had basic weight training/bodybuilding gains prior to, so it should give a pretty good idea as to the transformation you could expect from the program following it through from beginning to end). The final 4 weeks of the program is cutting and getting competition ready. I'm going to tweak it as I'm already cut (very little body fat) and I want to continue to build. I will follow the routine, just use heavier weights than cutting calls for and continue with my active rest breaks between sets. The 12 week bodybuilding program we are following is NOT for the faint of heart. It's tough. REALLY tough, but SO effective. My partners gains (which I've seen thru her weekly pictures) BLOW my mind. Amazing. The key to getting the body you want is CLEAN eating, hard work and persistence. Abs are made in the kitchen :). There is no truer statement than that. Stick to a whole foods diet and you'll have the tummy you want in no time. I'm loving this journey so far. Absolutely LOVING it. Ladies, bodybuilding and weight training is the way to go for a toned, sexy, strong body. Have a great day everyone, I'm off to the gym!

The Perfect Hot Summer Morning Breaky (or snack, or dessert)

A while back I threw a concoction together with the hope of satisfying a few cravings. I wanted something not too sweet, a little chocolatey, a little fruity and frozen, but I didn't want sorbet or ice cream. I threw a few simple things together and what I got did the job, and did it well. Shortly after taking my first bite, addiction set it. I originally made this as a dessert and quickly realized that it would make a great breaky/snack or pre or post workout snack, for a warm day of course (there are frozen ingredients and I'm a total wimp when it comes to the cold, so enter warm, sunny morning or roaring fire in the woodstove). It's simple, delicious and packed full of nutrients. So let's get to the ingredients:

*Frozen raspberries (you could probably use any kind of frozen berry, I just adore raspberries....Blueberries would be yummy too)
*Almond Milk (or milk of choice - I used the unsweetened original Silk brand)
*Unpasteurized Honey - If you have issues with honey, maple syrup would probably be really good too or if you're ok with using agave, try that. 
*Hemp Hearts
*Cocoa Nibs

Put a layer ( a couple of handfuls) of frozen raspberries in a bowl and pour some almond milk over them (don't drown them though, you want to be able to see some raspberries) - The almond milk freezes around them, sooo good!

Drizzle honey(or liquid sweetener of choice) over the raspberries and top with a generous serving of hemp hearts and cocoa nibs.

Repeat. Easy on the almond milk for the final layer, just pour over the berries to coat them - they almost look like yogurt covered berries when the thin layer of milk freezes on them.

I do two layers and my bowl is full. And when I'm finished eating, so am I.

And there you have it, a simple treat fit for breakfast or anytime of day. Be careful though, it is addictive :).

Amazing Almost Raw Gingerbread Balls in 5 Minutes!

Since I've been refined sugar and wheat free (and I don't use chemical sugar substitutes) I've had a craving for my most favourite type of cookie (well, a close second to chocolate chip), GINGERBREAD! Yum. I used to love making gingerbread houses and plastering on as many smarties as I could possibly fit onto the roof and anywhere else I could make them work. There is NOTHING more delicious than chocolate and gingerbread. Unfortunately there is no chocolate in this recipe, only soft, delicious gingerbread cookie balls, or shapes....Whatever you do with the spicy goodness is up to you. It'll take 5 minutes, that's it. 5 minutes to bliss. Here we go....

You'll need a food processor. A Vitamix may work, I've never tried it though.

1 cup almonds
1- 2 tsp cinnamon
1 - 2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbs organic molasses
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Pinch salt (optional)
1/2 Cup organic dried apricots
1/2 Cup organic dates

***Please note that these are all approximations. Your dried fruit may be wetter, dryer etc, you may need more or less. I like really spicy gingerbread, so I used the larger amounts, but again, use your discretion and add to your personal tastes. With the molasses, I just eyeballed approximately 2 Tbs. If your dough is too wet, add more nuts, if it's too dry, add either more fruit, molasses or vanilla extract.


Directions:
Place your almonds and spices into your food processor and process until well combined and finely textured. Add your molasses and vanilla extract while the processor is running. Begin to add your dried fruit slowly and allow to process a bit with each addition before adding more. Keep an eye on the consistency. You want your dough to form a ball in the processor, then you know it's not too wet and not too dry. Roll into balls or refrigerate for a little while to cool the dough, roll it out and cut into gingerbread men or whatever you like. Best stored in the fridge. Enjoy!

Sweltering Summer Heat Relief With A Delicious, Easy Sorbet

It's been progressively getting hotter here by the day for the past week or so. The dogs are dying, I am dying and my cat, the weird creature that he is, seems to want to sidle up beside the nearest HOT body and cuddle. No one is impressed with this....Not in this heat.

So, to try to cope, I whipped up an amazingly simple and delicious sorbet (or sherbert of sorts as I added a little almond milk). I absolutely LOVE my Vitamix in the summer. There's nothing it can't do! So on to the amazalicious, super easy, sugar free sorbet.

Grab your Vitamix, other high powered blender or a food processor might even work (I haven't tried, so I'm not sure) and pour in about 1/4 - 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice - I used Silk Almond milk, it's by far my favourite. SUPER thick and creamy. I used the unsweetened one), one fresh nectarine, two frozen bananas, and 2-3 cups of frozen strawberries. I've learned a trick with my Vitamix and making sorbets and other frozen desserts - don't fill it much past the 4 cup mark or it's pretty difficult to blend, so base your amount of strawberries loosely on that parameter. I think for this batch I was closer to the 5 cup mark, but it worked fine with some aggressive tamping. Once all of your goodies are in your blender, turn it on, increase the speed and flip the super speed switch (Vitamix's have this set up). Blend and use your tamping tool to push the ingredients into the blades until it's smooth and four 'pillows' or mounds form. Once those mounds form, stop blending and serve your delicious sorbet. I had some leftovers, amazingly, so I poured what was left into popsicle molds and froze them. An incredibly easy, healthy, summer treat. Feel free to use any fruit you like, just make sure the majority of it is frozen (and by majority, I mean close to all of it), or you'll end up with something closer to a smoothie, which is still really great and you can pour it into popsicle molds for healthy frozen treats on a stick. Who doesn't love treats on a stick?

Optional additions and/or garnishes that are super yummy:
Mint leaves, lime juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, cocoa nibs, leave the milk out and have more of a traditional sorbet, add more milk (preferable pre frozen in ice cube trays) for something more like ice cream - full fat canned coconut milk makes AWESOME ice cream, really rich and creamy.

Vegan Cheese Review

So, in the sweltering heat that transpired yesterday, I decide that I was going to make tortilla pie...Good plan. Cook black beans and steam the house out for two hours raising the humidity to unearthly levels. Cook homemade corn tortillas in a dry cast iron pan sending those lovely, wiggly, eyesight distorting waves of heat off to play in the incinerator that I call a house. And for the finale, turn oven on to 350 degrees and bake the thing. Wow. Yes, Good idea. Not. So. Much. At any rate, I finally got a chance to try out Daiya's Pepper Jack cheeze. It's good, not "WOW" good, but good. It's creamy, VERY creamy and melty. It would make a great creamy/cheesy hot dip. The flavour is decent, but not overly cheese like. I will say it does make a good substitute though, and I think adding in a little nutritional yeast to the mix might have raised the bar a little. It's a little oily once melted, but not disgusting. Would I buy it again? Yes, probably. I would like to try making a pizza or even poutine with it and I think I'll try the cheddar kind next. Like I said, this stuff is creamy beyond words (once melted and hot, of course), like warmed cream cheese. I like that about it. Very soft cheese- esque. When I get around to trying it in a variety of dishes, I'll report back with my experiences. If anyone's interested, here's the gist of the tortilla pie that I made:

3 homemade corn tortillas - masa harina and water to form a dough.
Approximately 2 cups pre soaked and cooked black beans stewed with veggie stock, cumin, coriander, garlic, onion, taco seasoning (homemade), fresh cilantro and chipotle.
2 diced peppers (I used one red one orange)
3 diced small roma tomatoes
Salsa verde (or enchilada sauce - whichever you like)
Daiya Pepper Jack cheese.

Layer all ingredients starting with one of the tortillas. Top the final lid tortilla with a little more salsa verde and some more cheeze. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.

All in all it was a success. I did manage to eat half the darn thing, so that says something :). And even better? The corn tortillas combined with the black beans makes this meal full of complete protein. (Not that you have to complete a protein at each meal. As long as you get the proper amino acids throughout the day, your body will do it for you, it's smart like that).

I had some black beans and diced veggies left over, so I mixed them together, added some avocado, lime juice, more fresh cilantro and topped a salad with the black bean - salsa/guacamole mixture. YUM!

Vegan Cheese Review Pending...

So I caved in and splurged on a vegan version of Pepper Jack cheese. I was originally planning to make a healthier version of poutine (which could still happen), but mostly, I wanted to make a tortilla or enchilada pie. I was going to use my go to vegan cheese solution - nutritional yeast - but curiosity got the best of my skeptical self and I purchased a bag of Daiya brand cheese. The ingredients on this cheese actually impressed me - it's totally allergen free - no soy, no casein, no wheat and the list goes on. Plus, it was made with actual food products, not some strange concoction of science experiments that somehow end up as some kind of franken-food. I know what everything in the ingredients are and I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't. I haven't got around to actually trying it yet, but I forsee a tortilla/enchilada pie happening this weekend at some point and I will be sure to share my findings. I'm a little leery to try it straight out of the bag as I'm not quite that convinced it'll be palatable...But this stuff is actually supposed to melt.....Melty, cheezy goodness. Well, those are my hopes anyway. I really don't miss dairy, and believe me, my body certainly doesn't miss it either, but there are a few things I'd like to have once in a while; pizza, poutine, nachos, grilled cheese sandwiches, even vegan scalloped potatoes or vegan cheese scones. These things are all treats, certainly NOT part of my daily or even weekly/monthly routine.

Well, it would appear that Summer has finally decide to arrive here on the West Coast and I'm going to head out there an enjoy it in case it decides to take another holiday.

Get out there, get your daily fill of vitamin D and enjoy the sunshine! Don't forget, berries are almost in full swing! Be sure to get your hands on those sweet little gems packed full of fiber, antioxidants and vitamins! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, oh my! And when September rolls around, we get another burst of delicious blackberries! YUM!

MIA.....But Back....

So I'm now well into my bodybuilding/weightlifting routine as a vegan. The results are good. Great, in fact. I've done physical jobs in the past, always been fairly active but never have I gained muscle faster or recovered faster than I have since I converted to being vegan. To be honest, since January, I have slipped up a handful of times indulging in sushi (a couple of times), one steak (YUCK - totally lost my taste for those....), a piece of organic pepperoni and fish tacos. That being said, I felt pretty gross after eating the red meat, and just ok after the fish. I feel better with them totally eliminated. I have more energy, less digestive issues, less bloating, and all round just feel lighter. I'm a high raw vegan. Or high raw plant based, whichever works. I don't like titles, I don't like labels, but I am constantly asked how I eat, so I guess, to make it easy for others, plant based seems very self explanatory. I personally find it VERY easy to eat this way. Oh, and another benefit, which I should mention if anyone out there plans to make dietary changes, since I've been vegan the pain I experience daily from serious injuries caused by an MVA 4 years ago have significantly lessened. Very significantly. This was a very welcome side effect :). So all in all, this was a very good change for me. I was high raw before, but did eat some meat (maybe a few times a month). My meat intake had decreased to almost nothing over the past couple of years, so the transition was pretty easy. I'm really loving how I feel and the results I'm seeing at the gym! Anyone out there who doesn't think you can gain and maintain muscle, weight lift or body build being vegan is very, very wrong. More and more professional MMA fighters, athletes and bodybuilders are becoming vegan, and they're not only still holding their own, they're WINNING! :) Welcome to clean eating and a strong, healthy body!