First, I found the suckers! I’ve already had two of them & let Dallas have a taste. We agreed they taste like “regular” suckers, but no sugar crash after. I love that they’re naturally sweetened with agave & coloured with beets!

Next: more candy!! I’ve already had the Strawberry Bear. Inside were two mini rolls that tasted like Fruit Roll-ups, but way better! Ingredient list says: “apples, pears, sweet potato extract, natural strawberry flavour, absolutely nothing else.” Love it! And it comes with fun animal facts inside. Did you know that a snail can sleep for up to THREE YEARS?! Or that rabbits can jump twice as far as the best Olympic jumpers?? So cool!

Onto chocolates! I ate the crispy rice bar yesterday, and it was really good. It had a layer of chocolate krispies, then a layer of vanilla krispies, & chocolate chips on top! Yum. I’m really looking forward to trying the other chocolate bars.

TEA! I’ve already had the chai white tea. Delicious! One can never have too many teas.

Lip balm & coins! I lovelovelove that Malin sent me coins, & I will have to do that for her in the next package I send to her. The coconut hemp seed oil lip balm is honestly just simply amazing. My lips have been feeling a little dry lately, but I don’t like to buy chapstick because it always dries my lips out further. This stuff, however, I applied two days ago and haven’t felt the need to reapply since. I actually almost forgot about it and only remembered when writing the post! No dry lips, and it enhances my lips’ natural colour nicely. love it

That’s it, that’s all! I sent some Char Stars & Clif Bars to Malin, but clearly I need to be more imaginative next time! Thank you so much for all of these amazing treats, Malin! I have them in a special bowl on the counter that I keep picking from. hehe.

Last but not least, Malin’s note was just so sweet, I have to share! I do hope to visit Sweden someday.

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo

This is not the first time I’ve attempted risotto. And while they usually end up coming out okay, the rice is always hard and I can never figure out why. Attention risotto newbies! You MUST use arborio rice!! There is no way around it. You cannot use basmati, short grain, long grain, or sushi rice. I have tried them all, and they all failed. THIS recipe, though, this one was perfect!!

So creamy, butter-y, & flavourful. It made enough for Dallas & I to have dinner AND lunch the next day!

I can’t take credit for the recipe- I found a Vegan Starter Guide pamphlet made by Friends of Animals when Dallas and I visited Sarah’s Place in Victoria last weekend. I took it just for this recipe, and it was so worth it. If you want the original recipe, this link will take you to the pdf pamphlet. The only change I made:

- I did not have shallots, so I used 4 cloves of minced garlic.

Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Amazing amazing amazing! Exactly what I expected out of a risotto recipe.

And speaking of Victoria Vegan/Friends of Animals, I was asked to be a vendor {with my Char Stars!} in the First Annual Victoria Vegan Fest on Canada Day this year!! I am sooo excited to bring my Char Stars to Victoria, BC again and participate in such a momentous event. Thank you to Dave and Jordan for the opportunity!

On that note, Dallas re-designed my business cards and they are on their way to me now! What do you think?

P.S. I realize this post is crazy link happy! I do apologize, but figured you guys might want links to different things.

I hope you’re having a fabulous week, foodies!

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo

Moving on: Some of my favourite eats lately! First up, remember my Nanaimo Bar Baked Oatmeal? And my Stovetop Nanaimo Bar Oatmeal? Well Anna over at The Guiltless Life created a delicious Nanaimo Bar Protein Smoothie based off of similar ingredients. I HAD to try it, and it is amazing! My pictures don’t look quite as good as hers because I sadly do not have an ice cube tray in which to make crushed ice from. *sad face* But this was delicious nonetheless. Go try it! I used Vega’s amazing Vanilla Almondilla Shake & Go smoothie mix.

Remember my Fresh Fruit & Coconut Yogurt Parfait? I’ve been switching up some ingredients & getting even more addicted! Try adding chocolate chips:

Or grapes:

Or grapes & chocolate-covered raisins! Sooo good!

And onto sushi! I cannot get enough of sushi, ever, and I have been eating it like some crazy sushi monster lately. For some reason, I’ve been craving the taste of nori, too, so I haven’t been doing the inside out rolls as much. Remember my favourite Tropicana Rolls? They’ve been showing up around here a lot in the past few weeks. I consumed 8 rolls in 5 days, I kid you not. And I still want more.

mmmmmm love sushi!

Un-food related, Dallas bought me a late-birthday present: hiking shoes!! We’re taking up a new hobby and really enjoying it so far. Eventually we’ll work up to day-long trips and over-nighters, but for now, we’re searching out all the new trails we can find! So excited.

What are some of your favourite eats lately?

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo

1. If you suddenly find yourself wanting to eat an entire box of cookies, stop and check in with yourself. Ask questions like:

What am I feeling right now? Am I anxious, stressed, or tired? Why am I feeling this way? Is it worth worrying about, or will it go away?Am I being irrational? If it is worth worrying about, what can I do in this moment to fix it?

Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel sad/stressed/anxious and that you are strong enough to make it through. Often just acknowledging your own feelings and being okay with them can help deter a binge. Remember, bingeing is largely a psychological issue, and the firmest way to tackle it is by dealing with the issues that rise up first-hand. If you cannot do this on your own {most of us can’t} then seek help from a loved one and/or a professional.

2. Call a friend or close family member and ask them about their day. Better yet, go see them. You don’t always have to confide in them, but spending time with someone who makes you happy can be a great distraction from your negative thoughts. Eating disorders manifest in secret and isolation; If you don’t create a secret environment for yours, it is harder for it to develop. During my weakest moments {like after eating a small chocolate bar when I first entered recovery} I phone my mom. She is great at reminding me that treats are meant to invoke feelings of satisfaction & desire, not guilt & self-hatred.

3. Be honest with yourself about your intake. Are you being too restrictive? Restriction can be anything from not eating enough calories to only eating certain “safe” foods. What your mind thinks is “your healthy weight” may not actually be what your body is comfortable with. Getting to a healthy weight will make bingeing seem less desirable, as your body will no longer be in starvation mode. Allowing yourself to have little treats here and there will not make you gain 50lbs overnight, a fact I learned over the course of several years.

**Please note: I understand how mentally difficult it is to gain weight. It took me more than two years to gain back the 30lbs I needed to be healthy, because I was so stuck in believing it was “healthy for me” even though I was clinically underweight. Being skinny is not worth misery. Support from friends/family/ professionals may be necessary during the recovery process and could take a long time but is well worth it.

4. Think rationally. When I was still struggling with anorexia and bulimia, I fought “all or nothing” thoughts when it came to food. I told my counselor one day that I was scared of eating in restaurants, and that I was being invited out a lot lately. The dialogue went something like this:

Me: “I’m scared that I won’t be able to stop eating when they serve me my food.”

Counselor: “Well, you have to stop eating at some point.”

Me: “Yeah, but what if I eat everything on my plate and become really full?”

Counselor: “What is the worst that could happen if you eat everything on your plate? Will you wake up in the morning and be 50lbs heavier?”

Me: “No…I guess not.”

Counselor: “So even if you eat it all, it’s only one plate of food. And then that’s it! It’s all gone. There is no more food to worry about.”

It seemed so rational when she pointed it out, but I had never thought about it that way. I still usually clean my plate at restaurants, but the massive binges that used to follow when I got home stopped completely after that conversation. She was right- I had nothing to fear and I still don’t. I now really enjoy eating out at restaurants- even by myself! And I don’t feel so anxious when I eat everything and leave not a crumb behind. In fact, I rather enjoy it!

5. Do not skip breakfast. I used to do this after a night of bingeing, whether it included purging or not, as if to “starve” away calories. What I’ve learned is that this actually slows down your metabolism and makes you want to eat more. Thus, the cycle of restrict, binge, purge continues even when you’re desperately trying to break it. {If you feel like you’re “successfully” in the bingeing/restricting cycle, I can promise you it won’t last. Your body will start to fight back, so I urge you to seek help before it gets ugly.} Once I stopped skipping breakfast, my night time binge desires actually subsided. If I am hungry at night, I’ll eat a healthy snack and take care to think positively about it.

6. Eat what you’re craving. I don’t mean eat nothing but onion rings and chocolate bars all day, but think about what your favourite foods are. Which ones can you healthify {and still have them taste delicious}, and which ones can you not change? Which ones are worth the calories and which ones are not? I enjoy making healthy pizzas and putting chocolate into my oatmeal, but sometimes I want greasy{vegan} pizza and sugar-y chocolate chip cookies. Neither of these are bad, so long as I’m still enjoying my veggies, fruits, and whole grains and keeping the other stuff in moderation. Because the other foods are “treats,” I make sure to savor every bite and never let myself feel deprived. If I’m feeling vulnerable, though, I will try to share a “trigger” food with a loved one, so as to make it more enjoyable rather than anxiety-inducing.

7. Be careful of trigger foods. For the most part, I can eat foods that were once trigger foods in moderation and be okay with it. However, I have to be careful not to suddenly eat half a bag of cookies or chips, so as not to wake the binge dragon in my belly. Again, this is where that fabulous idea of sharing food comes into play. If you don’t trust yourself alone with something, either don’t buy it or give most of it away before going home. Or invite someone over to share it with you. It’s okay to recognize that sometimes you might not be okay with a certain food. I don’t think it’s beneficial to “cut out” certain foods, but being mindful of them during stressful times is very important. Self-awareness is an amazing thing and can help guide you through these challenges.

8. Remember that you’re human. No matter how disciplined you are, I doubt you’ll be able to eat nothing but bananas {or whatever other safe food} for the rest of your life without craving something in its place. Do you want to eat nothing but boring food for the rest of your life or would you rather enjoy it? Find healthy foods you love, and enjoy those not-so-healthy foods in moderation. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. We are human- none of us is perfect, and we will all at some point want to give into our desires. It is our mind that decides whether or not it is a bad thing, and YOU have the power to change your mind.

9. Find a hobby that does not relate to food or exercise. Part of breaking the cycle of food and/or exercise obsession involves finding things to do that don’t involve either. Read a book, visit friends or family, play with your kids or pets, watch a movie, take up crafting, or organize your house. There is a whole world of amazing people and things to do that are so easy to lose sight of when we’re so focused on food. Eat your breakfast and then get out there and make things happen!

10. Be mindful of your emotions. As I mentioned before, I am most vulnerable to falling into old habits during times of extreme stress. During these times, I take care to notice how I’m feeling and remind myself that I’m okay, that I can handle it, and that the feeling will pass. Particularly on “fat” days, I’ve noticed that if I just pay attention to it and take care of myself throughout the day, that “fat” feeling goes away. It’s not actually fat you are feeling on those days: it’s just a negative thought that we decide to carry or walk away from. Choose to let your bad thoughts go and move on.

11. Be patient with yourself. Breaking these habits can be stressful and time-consuming, and they will likely not happen overnight. But be gentle with yourself, like you would be to someone else you care about. If you slip, just remind yourself that you didn’t have the tools to get through that situation, and then plan how you will manage it for next time. Recovery takes time and effort but is well worth it for the end result.

I hope these tips have helped! I could write all day on this subject, but I realize this post is getting quite long. Do you have troubles with restricting or bingeing? What do you do to overcome your bad thoughts about body image and/or food?

Are you interested in me continuing to write on this subject? Feel free to comment below or shoot me an email: char@charskitchen.ca.

**Please note: I am not a professional when it comes to treating eating disorders. These are just some tips on how I choose to treat mine. 

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo

If you follow me on Facebook & Twitter, you likely noticed me spamming your Newsfeeds & Tweetdecks all day on Sunday. Dallas found out last minute that he needed a ride home from the Victoria airport early Sunday morning, so we decided to spend the day there.

First stop was Hatley Castle. We didn’t take too many pictures, but we walked through the museum and wandered through the gardens. We found a squirrel the size of a house cat and a few peacocks wandering about. I didn’t even know about Hatley Castle before {which is now a University campus} but I’m glad we went to visit.

For lunch we went to La Taquisa, a little Mexican restaurant Dallas found last time he was in Victoria. He told me they had a vegan burrito, so off we went. I ordered the burrito with vegan rajas filling and asked for guacamole as well. Unfortunately, the burrito was wrapped in foil and was not easy to take a picture of, so I do not have one for you. But that was the best damn burrito I’ve ever eaten in my LIFE! It was just the right amount, too. Neither of us was left hungry or too full after our lunch. If you get a chance to visit, I highly recommend La Taquisa.

Off we went to Sarah’s Place! It was actually my first opportunity to visit her adorable little store since it opened up, and we loved looking around. She carries everything from kitchen utensils to clothing to candy.

I had to buy one of each of the GoMaxGo vegan chocolate bars I keep hearing about. They are impossible to find in Nanaimo but I finally have some!

I love the play on words, as these are imitations of certain mainstream bars:

Twilight=Mars

Jokerz=Snickers

Snap=Crunch

Cleo’s=Reese’s

Buccaneer=3 Musketeers

Mahalo=Almond Joy

So clever!

Dallas and I split the Twilight bar right away because we couldn’t wait to try one.

Look at that gooey caramel and soft nougat! Mars ain’t got nothin’ on Twilight bars!

We wandered around a bit more, stopping in different shops, checking out the street market, and walking on the waterfront. We found Darth Vader playing the violin.

I had to get a picture with him.

And look! We saw them rolling out the red carpet at the Empress Hotel. I wonder whose famous face was scheduled to show up?

Last stop at the soda shoppe! Dallas had a float and I sipped a Boylan orange soda. By then blisters were forming & feet were sore, so it was time to head home. Pizza, wine, & catching up on our favourite shows was a perfect way to end the day!

OH! And I have to tell you guys- the next day, we went to the grocery store and found strawberry rhubarb pie. You know what I’m noticing lately? Pretty much EVERY store-bought pie we have come across {with the exception of pumpkin & pecan} has been vegan. Likely because dairy & eggs spoil too quickly, we have found vegan pies at Superstore, Quality Foods, Wal-Mart, Costco, and more. MAINSTREAM grocery stores that have accidentally vegan pies! Just check the ingredients. Dallas and I bought one and shared it on the waterfront.

You know you’re jealous.

How was your weekend, foodies? Or how has your week been? I realize I’m a wee bit behind on blogging, haha. But I have a delicious risotto recipe coming for you guys!

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo

Obviously you’re like, “ummm yess!” Unless you’re crazy. Because only crazy people don’t like cookies.

Dallas brings home apples from his army lunches all the time, and usually I’m stoked. But a couple of weeks ago, his lunch was packed with a Red Delicious apple…contrary to its name, these apples are anything but delicious {I know I’m not alone in this passionate dislike}. Dallas is not home now, but his apple was still sitting in the fruit basket. And as much as I loathe the Red Delicious variety, I cannot stand to see food go to waste.

With limited time left to use up my almond pulp, the idea came to me: cookays!! {FYI, cookies are always the answer.}

These cookies are soft, chewy, and just sweet enough. They satisfied my cookie craving and were kind to my waistline! I should also mention that I baked these on a silpat {silicone cookie mat} which is great for producing chewy cookies! But they will be chewy anyway.

And Dallas, in case you get internet access today and see this post: do not worry. There are six of these little guys waiting for you in the freezer for when you get home.

The other ones? Well, they didn’t make it….hehe.

Oh, and for anyone who thinks cats are not loyal like dogs, look at this:

All week Mowzers has been sitting there by the door, waiting, crying. She doesn’t want to be let out, she doesn’t want to be cuddled, she just wants Dallas to come home.

Every time she hears a car in the driveway, she runs to the door and waits, staring at the door handle. So adorable! I wish I could just tell her. That’s loyalty <3

Enjoy, foodies! From my kitchen to yours <3

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo ]]> http://www.charskitchen.ca/2012/05/soft-chewy-apple-cinnamon-oatmeal-cookies-low-fat-no-sugar.html/feed 17 http://www.charskitchen.ca/2012/05/espresso-buzz-cocoa-oatmeal.html http://www.charskitchen.ca/2012/05/espresso-buzz-cocoa-oatmeal.html#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 09:24:24 +0000 Char @www.charskitchen.ca http://www.charskitchen.ca/?p=5231 Lately I’ve been eating oatmeal for breakfast, and I always have a cappuccino to get my energy on. When I scooped the fresh espresso grounds into the machine the other morning for my cuppa jo, I didn’t rinse the spoon before dipping it into my oatmeal. The resulting taste blew my mind. I had to do this on the regular. Thus, a delicious new oatmeal was born.

{Recycled photo alert! This recipe is based off of my Stovetop Nanaimo Bar Oatmeal.}

Of course, if you do not have espresso grounds, instant coffee granules will work. This oatmeal is definitely worth falling in love with.

Moving on, a testament to how much I apparently love coffee…a Starbucks Gold card came to me in the mail.

I would like to boast that you do not sign up for these bad boys, you earn them. That’s right. I have an espresso maker AND a Starbucks card. This coffee can’t handle me. What.

The perks are pretty awesome, too.

Are you a caffeine junkie? Would you rather have chocolate or coffee? Me, I don’t wanna pick favourites. I love ‘em both.

Enjoy, foodies! From my kitchen to yours <3

Stick around, ’cause tomorrow I have cookies coming at you!

peace, love, food <3

Char, xo  ]]> http://www.charskitchen.ca/2012/05/espresso-buzz-cocoa-oatmeal.html/feed 20