All posts tagged: plantbased

The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary

Good morning! I’m so excited to share a little bit about our visit to The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary! Irek and I have been wanting to visit for months now, so last Saturday we headed to Aldergrove to meet all of the beautiful animals at Happy Herd! 🙂 Happy Herd is the first farm animal sanctuary on the West Coast- they officially opened in 2014 and have since touched the lives of so many animals (and humans alike). The sanctuary is the most beautiful, peaceful, loving place I’ve been… I was in heaven! We got to meet all of the different animals that call Happy Herd home, including: Baby the Donkey, Larry and Moe- the resident turkeys, Lucy the pig, Sparky the Cow… and many more! You can tell the animals are showered with love and kindness, as they themselves are gentle, friendly, and peaceful… except the white goat… don’t pet the white goat! hehe 😉 but on a serious note, JillyBean the white goat was an SPCA seizure. It took Stephen and Diane a …

Whole Hearted Eating

When I was in Australia a couple weeks ago, my beautiful friend and published Author, Robyn Louise, cooked me the most amazing meal. Her ‘Mushroom, Kale and Lentil Chowder’ was to die for… and her satay sauce? Out of this world! She is one talented lady who I’m proud to call one of my closest friends. Our paths first crossed in Bali two years ago, and since then, we’ve developed a strong bond full of love and support. She inspires me everyday and I’m truly honoured to be going through this amazing journey of life with her. She is one of the kindest, most loving people I have ever met… If you don’t already know her, check out her Instagram page for more. Earlier this year, Robyn released her first book titled “80 Things That Changed my Life” which is full of little tips and tricks to help you lead a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life. She then went on to release her second book- this time a full on cookbook inclusive of over 50 recipes! The …

Virtuous Pie Restaurant

My favourite food for as long as I can remember has been pizza. But since going vegan 14 months ago it’s been the one food I haven’t really eaten much of. I’ve made it a few times at home but it’s been mediocre at best… So, you can imagine my delight when I heard there was a new vegan pizza + ice cream shop opening in Vancouver! Virtuous Pie opened their doors just a couple weeks ago in China Town and I cannot recommend them enough. Their pizzas and salads were soooo delicious. And, their dairy-free ice cream was the best Irek and I have ever had! So… do yourself a favour and get some vegan pizza from Virtuous Pie! They deliver too. 🙂 Hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far. Sending lots of love!! 🙂 Cheers, Molly xx __________ “I will not kill or hurt any living creature needlessly, nor destroy any beautiful thing, but will strive to save and comfort all gentle life, and guard and perfect all natural beauty upon the earth.” – John …

Quinoa Pasta

What I Eat in a Day – Part 2

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

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 …

Gentle Gourmet Cafe

As I mentioned in my last blog post, vegan places have been somewhat difficult to find in France. That being said, they are around you just have to make a point to find them! On our second day in Paris, we went to a beautiful little restaurant called Gentle Gourmet Cafe. I can honestly say, it was one of the best vegan lunches I’ve ever had… I feel like I say that a lot, but it’s the truth! My sister and I both ordered the risotto which was so unexpectedly flavourful we couldn’t believe it! Irek and my brother-in-law, Shane, had the portobello burgers, which were also delicious and the presentation was just incredible. We also tried the vegan fois grois… I was a bit hesitant seeing as fois grois is duck pate. But it was actually very enjoyable as well, and again such strong and intricate flavours! If you’re in Paris and looking for plant-based options, in my opinion, this restaurant receives a 5 star rating. Have a beautiful day! Molly xx __________ “Vegan food …

Meet on Main

Meet on Main

There are a lot of really awesome restaurants on Main Street but my favourite is Meet on Main! I love the chilled out atmosphere, the menu is full of veggie comfort food, and the staff is super friendly… what more could you want? Irek and I spent a few hours there yesterday – he worked on his watch list for the Live Trader session, and I had a business meeting with an awesome company based in the Vancouver area. After we finished our work we stayed another hour to grab a bite to eat! My dish was super yummy! Usually when we go to Meet on Main we both gravitate towards the vegan burgers because they’re sooo good! But I thought I better switch it up last night and instead had a really delicious bowl filled with rice, kale, mushrooms, mung beans, tofu and the best cashew gravy ever! It hit the spot. 🙂 Irek had his usual burger, obviously. If you’re in Vancouver, definitely check out Meet on Main! Especially if you’re leaning towards going …

Banana Berry Smoothie

Banana Berry Smoothie Recipe

This is my standby recipe for my banana berry smoothie. I always have these ingredients on hand, so if I’m feeling like a smoothie for breakfast instead of oatmeal, I’ll just quickly whip this together. If this is the only thing you’re having for breakfast and won’t eat again for an extended period of time then this recipe should be considered one portion. Otherwise, you can share this smoothie between two, and have something else to eat as well. Hope you enjoy! 🙂 Molly xx   Yields: 2 Servings Ingredients:  4 bananas 2 cups mixed berries 1/4 cup oats 1 tbsp shredded coconut 1 tsp chia seeds 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup almond milk 2 cups coconut water Directions:  Blend together all of the above ingredients until smooth. Divide into two jars and enjoy! __________ “I can’t think of anything better in the world to be but a vegan.” – Alicia Silverstone

Culver City Food Truck

Culver City Food Truck

Irek and I decided we need to start checking out all the Vancouver food trucks. There are so many around the city and yesterday was our very first time trying one! We had some seriously epic salads from the Culver City food truck. Mine was full of rice noodles, kale, radishes, shredded beet, shredded carrot, hummus, etc. and topped with a super delicious lemon chia dressing. I highly recommend trying some of their deliciousness if you’re in the downtown core! The Culver City truck is usually parked on the corner of Thurlow and Hornby in Coal Harbour (check The Street Food App to confirm location). So, if you work downtown and are leaning towards a more plant-based diet, this is a great option for your lunches. I used to work 2 minutes away from where they’re located, and if I knew about them back then, I would have been eating there everyday! Super healthy, vegan, and very tasty… what more do you need?! Have a beautiful weekend. Molly xx __________ “By eating meat we share the responsibility of …

Nuba Restaurant

Irek and I had lunch in Kitsilano yesterday at a Lebanese restaurant called Nuba. I loved it as soon as we walked in… The ceilings were super high, the paint was chipped, and the floor tiles looked like they had been there for decades. It was rustic and felt like we truly were in a small restaurant in the Middle East. Nuba’s menu is not fully vegan, but there were quite a few good options for us to choose from. I absolutely love falafel… Well, more precisely, I love chickpeas. Roasted chickpeas, hummus, chickpea wraps, chickpeas on salad, in salad, on the side…. you name it. I’ll eat it. So you can imagine how happy I was when I received my plate of food, consisting of chickpeas 3 different ways! YES! If you’re in Kitsilano and craving some healthy Lebanese food (good price + large quantity of food), this is most definitely the place for you! Have a fabulous weekend. 🙂 Cheers, Molly xx __________ “I love living. I think that’s infectious. It is something …