Author: Molly Catherine

Twenty Mile Bay

Published by Molly Catherine

There truly is nothing like disconnecting from the world to spend a few days immersed in nature. Irek and I did just that this past weekend and went camping at Twenty Mile Bay, near Harrison Hot Springs. To reach the campsite, you have to off-road 40k through the mountains, with stellar views all the way. It’s one of my absolute favourite places in British Columbia… If you visit the area and are looking for an epic place to camp, this is it. It was the first time in weeks that we didn’t do any work and really didn’t think about much at all. We took the time to shut off our brains, relax, meditate, do yoga and absorb the beauty around us. I love so many things about camping; staring up at the stars at night, the fire dancing in the wind, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore (or the silence in the morning when the water is still)… Suffice to say, it was exactly what we needed to refresh ourselves and …

Power of Cold-Pressed Juices

Published by Molly Catherine

If you were to ask me what’s one thing you can do to improve your overall health, hands down I would say start drinking cold-pressed juices. When Irek and I first went vegan, within weeks we felt more energized… Then, once we added cold-pressed juices to our diet, we again felt this newfound boost of energy and vitality. We have a juicer at home and make a different juice almost everyday. The days we aren’t home to make our own, we head to Melu Juice & Health Bar (in the Coal Harbour area). Their juices are super delicious and they also offer 1 day, 3 day, and 5 day juice cleanses. I tested out the 1 day juice cleanse last week and it was amazing. I’ll definitely be back to try the 5 day cleanse very soon! Whether you buy a juicer and make your own juices at home, or head to a local juice shop like I do, it’s definitely something you should be adding to your diet. The way in which cold-press juices are made …

Half Note Trail, Whistler

Published by Molly Catherine

This past Friday Irek and I planned to do my favourite hike in Whistler called: High Note Trail. However, once we got to the top of Whistler Mountain, we quickly realized that the weather was not going to cooperate. It was looking as though we had a few chilly hours ahead of us… It was 10 degrees on the top of Whistler Mountain, at the most. The forecast was showing full sun and mid twenties, so we thought we’d both be okay with shorts and a t-shirt. We did this hike a couple years ago, and we both recall how hot we were! The sun was beating down and since it’s a black diamond hike (the most challenging hike on Whistler Mountain), we thought we’d quickly work up a sweat… This was not the case on Friday. We started the hike around 11am and quickly into the first hour the clouds rolled in- some not so happy looking, and the wind picked up. We were both shivering and knew it was going to be a …

Mission Hill Family Estate

Published by Molly Catherine

There is the most beautiful winery in Kelowna called Mission Hill Family Estate. I fell in love with it the first time we visited a few years ago. It’s such a dreamy, magical place, with vineyards surrounding the entire grounds and beautiful views of Lake Okanagan. Mission Hill is also home to The Terrace Restaurant, which is easily one of my favourite restaurants in The Okanagan Valley. They grow most of their own fruits and veggies and work closely with local farmers to source the rest. Irek and I both feel it deserves a 10/10 as the service is unparalleled and the food is to die for… There aren’t too many vegan options on the menu, but the chef was super accommodating and we couldn’t have been happier with our meals. Irek and I will probably head back to The Okanagan Valley a few more times before the season is over, and I recommend you do as well! Just keep in mind that since Mission Hill is one of the most well-known wineries in Kelowna, it …

The Okanagan Valley

Published by Molly Catherine

Irek and I spent the last couple of days in The Okanagan Valley, which is about a 4.5 hour drive from Vancouver. It’s a gorgeous place, with more wineries than you can imagine! I fell in love with this area the first time we discovered it, 3 years ago. There is nature all around and the climate is desert-like so it gets super hot in the summer. The valley is also home to the warmest lakes in all of Canada, so it’s a great place to explore if you like to be on the water (great for supping, kayaking, boating etc). Just outside of Kelowna (which is the main city) is a smaller town called Vernon. At the top of this beautiful hill in Vernon is a resort called Sparkling Hill, our favourite in all of British Columbia. We spent Christmas there this past year with our beautiful friends from Australia, Robyn and Lewis, and they fell in love as well. The resort has 8 different saunas and steam rooms, and it’s also decked out in …

Quinoa Pasta

What I Eat in a Day – Part 2

Published by Molly Catherine

For breakfast I had a big blueberry smoothie… It was super filling, and very similar to the smoothie recipe I posted a few weeks back: Banana Berry Smoothie. I had this smoothie around 9am and a couple hours later I also had a big bowl of pineapple (to keep me full until lunch). For lunch I made a very simple quinoa pasta salad and on the side some sourdough bread with hummus and hemp hearts. In the summer I love making traditional salads like pasta salad, potato salad, coleslaw etc. It’s so easy to make them vegan and actually healthy for you! For dinner I made my own version of Lebanese Mujadra. Not sure how close it was to a traditional Mujadra, as I’m not really one to follow a recipe… I prefer just to wing it, be creative, and hope for the best! In this case, it worked out and was very delicious (Irek rated it a 10!!!). I will definitely be making this again soon. In addition to the 3 meals above, I also …

CHAU Veggie Express

Published by Molly Catherine

Yesterday, Irek and I had a lovely vietnamese meal at CHAU Veggie Express. They have a few locations around Vancouver and we’ve actually been wanting to visit for quite some time. CHAU Veggie Express opened in 1986 and originally served dishes rich in animal products, but over the years, they evolved into a restaurant that serves predominantly vegan dishes. The owners listened to their customers, their friends, and their own personal beliefs that eating meat, dairy and eggs was not ideal and not what our bodies need to survive & thrive. The dishes at CHAU are colourful, aromatic, and super delicious. The portion sizes are also quite large, so you definitely won’t go home hungry! Irek and I probably could have shared a main course… but what’s the fun in that?! Haha. Also, Irek’s not the best at sharing when it comes to food… But seriously, if you’re into Vietnamese food, and located in the Vancouver area, this place is fabulous (and also a great option for take-out). Go try it out and let me …

Summer Days

Published by Molly Catherine

Irek and I are finally back to our regular routines… Took me a good week and a half to feel 100% after France. Our schedule was so hectic during those two weeks, we didn’t get much sleep, and our diet was off. Definitely takes a toll on your body! But now we’re back and we have some nice sunny, summer weather! We satisfied our Heirloom Vegetarian craving (favourite restaurant in BC) and we’re also getting back into some cross-fit workouts! It feels really good to be on track again. We’re also going to start playing tennis in the evenings, we played 2 or 3 times per week last year and really enjoyed it. Hope everyone is having a lovely summer thus far! All the best. Molly xx Ps. I’m wearing Tonic Lifestyle Apparel in these photos and am actually an ambassador for this brand! I fell in love with them the first time I tried on their gear. Tonic is Vancouver based and they have a huge focus on sustainability- really awesome company! __________ “It’s …

Veganism in France

Published by Molly Catherine

Irek and I recently spent 2 weeks in France and we divided our time between Paris, Nice and Cannes. We originally planned to spend some time in Monaco as well, but the trip ended up being quite hectic so we figured it was best to do Monaco next year. Coming from my vegan bubble in Vancouver, I was quite disappointed and discouraged to discover how lacking the country is when it comes to plant-based options (call me ignorant / naive – going into the trip, I was both). Now, when I say my ‘vegan bubble’, what I mean is that Vancouver is super progressive in terms of the acceptance and continual growth of people leading fully plant-based, cruelty-free lives. There are tons and tons of vegan and vegetarian restaurants all around Metro-Vancouver as well as the outskirts. Vancouver actually ranks in the top 3 cities of the world in regards to the amount of vegan restaurants we have… I will clarify that in Paris you can definitely find vegan restaurants – they exist and they’re lovely. …

Paper Plane Restaurant

Published by Molly Catherine

On our last day in Nice, Irek and I found this little vegetarian brunch spot, called Paper Plane, which also had some decent vegan options. It wasn’t the most amazing food we’ve ever eaten, but it was tasty and it hit the spot… I wasn’t able to eat the second portion of my meal because although they said there were no peanuts in the food, we could clearly see that there were… Since I have an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts I obviously had to pass. If you’re traveling abroad and have a peanut allergy you need to be so careful. Even if they tell you that there aren’t peanuts in the dishes you still need to be skeptical and super cautious. It’s safest to eat at places where they do not have any peanuts on the premises at all. If you are skeptical or have any hesitations, just walk away. It’s not worth the risk. Now, all this being said, if you do not have any food restrictions, Paper Plane is a good option for vegan brunch in …