Northern Ontario Wilderness Magic with Heathy: Part Three

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Hannah

If I were to create new titles for my Northern Ontario adventures last year, Part One would be renamed “Magical Friendship and Raw Vegan Dessert Heaven” and Part Two would be called “Flights of Fancy and Carob Cashew Marvellous Mousse”.

Today’s post, Part Three, would be known simply as “The One Where Our Faces Show Up A Lot”.

Do you want to know the signs of true friendship in the North? They include:

Being driven into town every day by your non-coffee-drinking friend so that you can buy a cup of coffee from the lovely local cafe;
Having your friend come up with reasons why she “needs” to go into town every day so that you never have to actually ask for said coffee run; it simply happens;
Walking through the snow while laughing over Elvis sightings and then gasping with glee because MINIATURE HORSE-PONY-CREATURE-THING-JOY-PATTING-PATTING;
Not being made fun of when you have to use the absolute lightest weights during an impromptu workout together over a fun girly movie;

Making raw vegan sushi in the kitchen one night after exhilarating in the joy of a yoga class led by Heathy (who is, no word of a lie, the best yoga instructor I’ve ever had… why are you so far away, Heathy? Why?);
Giggling wildly upon later discovering that, while you were smiling serenely at the camera, Heathy was wielding a knife like a gorgeous fiend behind you;

Finding someone who will not only be silly with you in the kitchen, but will respond to your pleas not to roll the sushi “because I’m not any good at it!” by handing you the nori and stating that “you only learn by doing”, thus further reinforcing her soulsister/spirit-guide status;

(Mmm, delicious sushi and delicious Ontario white wine…)

Feeling like you’ve known each other for longer than you can remember, and wishing you lived close enough to have movie-dessert-wine nights every week;

But, because you currently don’t live close enough for that, being given a plate of your favourite of Heathy’s pumpkin treats (the raw vegan pumpkin pie) as well as the one you hadn’t yet tasted (the traditional baked, but still gluten-free and dairy-free, pumpkin pie) to eat on the four hour Greyhound bus back to Thunder Bay, en route to Toronto; and

Knowing that even if it’s months before you see each other again, the memories are strong enough to keep your friendship shimmering like gossamer.

Northern Ontario Wilderness Magic with Heathy: Part Two

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Hannah

To read the first two installments of my Northern Ontario adventure, click here and here.

My first day with Heather in her winter wonderland home was marked by naught but joy, deliciousness, laughter, secret-sharing, and the forging of soulsister-bonds. I awoke the next morning wondering if our second day could possibly be as magical as the first.

It could.

After making and enjoying a nourishing breakfast together as the fire crackled in the fireplace behind us, Heathy and I headed out to watch her partner, J, take off from a lake on his fancypants waterplane-machine. (It probably has a more technical name than that, but “fancypants waterplane-machine” makes sense in my head.)

Planes that take off from and land on water! Who knew! This world of ours!

Then lo! More exclamation marks! Suddenly Heathy and I weren’t simply watching J take off from the water from inside a warm building on land; we were inside the plane.

Girls on a plane!

I was giddy with excitement.

Up, up, and away!

Heathy was kind enough to let me sit in the front of the plane with J, and thus I was able to witness, first-hand, J’s astounding skills as a pilot.

I mean, look at all those gadgets and gizmos and thingamabobs I’ve got twenty! (Wait, no, that’s The Little Mermaid.)

We flew over lakes and houses, over trees and snow, down and up and around until we finally landed on another lake and slowly made our way through shards of ice to the shore.

Thank you, J, for an incredible experience unlike any I’ve ever had.

Unfortunately, Heathy was feeling a little unwell after the flight, but it was nothing a little soulsister firepit dancing couldn’t heal.

And a little more, for good luck.

As I’m sure you could guess from the dessert extravaganza of my first night, no day with Heathy is complete without enjoying some sort of epic raw dessert of wonderment. Heathy knows I love carob and nuts, and that I was interested in playing with Irish moss, and so we danced in the kitchen to create the most amazing, luscious, I’m-still-craving-it-now-why-can’t-I-have-an-everlasting-supply-of-it raw vegan Carob Cashew Mousse.

We took the carob topping from Heathy’s Double Choco Strawberry Cake in Raw Food Carob Desserts, increased the amount and switched up a few proportions, and dear holy squee. We done good. We done so good I forgot language speak proper.

And then Heathy went and garnished our dessert with lucuma coconut cashews.

I can’t even. So much wanting. This is why I’ve taken so long to write up these posts; I almost can’t cope with the levels of wanting that accompany the remembering.

Only almost, though, because the remembering in fact makes me deliriously happy, and such happiness is something I never want to forget.

Northern Ontario Wilderness Magic with Heathy: Part One

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Hannah

How can I convey to you, in nothing more than unmoving words on a white screen, the week of enchanted and unexpected magic that I spent with Heathy of Sweetly Raw and Food and Yoga for Life in her northern Ontario home last November? How can I adequately describe the way our kindred sistersouls starting weaving together like lace from the moment we met, and how the depth of our connection combined with the dreamlike surroundings made it seem like every vulnerability was uncovered, yet at the same time like we were soaring, because we were together, curled up by the fireplace, shimmering and understanding everything?

How can I explain what it was that led Heathy to invite me into her home and world, and for me to accept without hesitation (and, in so doing, undertake over a day’s worth of travelling each way), when in truth we barely knew each other beforehand? How can I, long a skeptic of all such matters, explain this in any other way than that the universe made it so, that somehow the stars knew that Heathy and I needed to find each other and begin our deep friendship just like this, cocooned from the outside world by snow and distance, sharing secrets, stories, and an endless array of sweet treats?

I can’t explain it. And perhaps I shouldn’t. Perhaps it is enough to be grateful to the universe for bringing Heather (and her delicious Sweetly Raw desserts) into my life.

Perhaps it is enough to simply show you a glimpse of our magic.

After my flight to Thunder Bay, overnight B&B stay, and four hour bus ride the next morning, Heathy picked me up from the Greyhound station and drove us an hour back to her home. From the moment I stepped out of Heathy’s car and saw the lake glittering with the sun’s light beyond tall silver trees in her backyard, I knew my week was going to be special.

Oh hey there, little squirrel fellow! Aren’t you just a sweetest thing!

Hide and seek! I see you! Up there on your squirrel roof! Don’t worry, I’m not about to steal your squirrel feed.

After all, Heathy and I have almost 4 kilos of intensely amazing raw almond butter inside, and we don’t really want to share either.

After I’d finished the above imaginary conversation with a squirrel, Heathy bundled me up in winter gear and took me off exploring with her little poodle pup, who was so affectionate and lovely that I began to miss my own poodle pup terribly, my poodle pup who recently passed away.

But this is not a post of sadness; this is a post of joy. The joy of new friendship, of wearing reversible mittens both ways at the same time (pink! brown!), of skipping stones across the water and laughingtalkinglaughing breathlessly.

After a little more time getting lost in the beauty of northern Ontario, I experienced the incredibilityfulness of Heathy’s raw pizza wizardry for dinner while also meeting her partner J, who is a man of awesomeness.

The recipes for Heathy’s all-raw buckwheat sunflower seed sundried tomato pizza crust, marinara sauce, pesto, marinated veggies, and cashew cheese are available here. You must make them. Forever. Except leave room for dessert, because…

Is this what heaven looks like?

Wait, no.

This is what heaven looks like.

I may have started to hyperventilate a little bit when Heathy said “dessert time!” and then laid out, on the counter, everything you see above. All raw, all vegan, all so incredibly beyond comprehension delicious that I almost cried with overwhelmed exuberance.

Raw vegan dark chocolate moonie pies, jumbo almond butter cups, jumbo peanut butter cups, pear crumble, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, lucuma pumpin fudge, cashew chocolate clusters, almond chocolate clusters, macaroons…

This is what heaven looks like.

I told you it was magic.

An Assortment of Amazing, Astonishing, and/or Awful American Snacks, Part Four

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Hannah

I believe that this fourth collection of American snacks brings me to the end of my 2012 United States-based travel tales. However, lest you think my indefatigable quest to try all things weird and wonderful (of the edible and packaged variety, that is) has come to an end, fear not! I didn’t use the word “indefatigable” for nothing, and Canada contains just as many novelty snacks as its neighbour to the south.

Plus, if all goes to plan, I’ll be back in the US by mid-2013. Dear Earth Café Raw Cheesecakes: I’m comin’ for you.

Look, ma! Raspberries! And kale! Told you I wouldn’t get scurvy!

Some of the above items have already been reviewed, so I’ll instead draw your attention to that which turned out to be one of the most horrific things I’ve ever put in my mouth. (Including the time my brother and I tried the canned cat food we were feeding to the neighbour’s cat. Also the time we tried the dry dog kibble we were feeding to our puppy [it was not like Puppy Chow].)

See in the top left there, the Simply 7 White Cheddar Pomegranate Chips? I bought them because they sounded insane. They tasted not so much insane as truly, truly awful. Musty, tangy, vaguely-but-not-really-cheese-y, like cordial mixed with rancid milk. Insert Taylor Swift lyric here about never, ever getting back together. Like, ever.

Could Healthy Natural Power-Fu’s Eggless Vegetarian Hawaiian-Taste Salad (Spicy) save the day? Or at least distract me from the evils of pomegranate cheese chips? Not really. I found this to be bland and squidgy. Pass.

Luckily, Sweet Scoops Limited Edition Pumpkin Frozen Yoghurt came in like a knight in shining armour, lighting up my life with the taste of creamy light tangy pumpkin pie-spiced fluffy frozen deliciousness.

Simply 7 somewhat redeemed itself with its Spicy Chilli Pepper Hummus Chips. However, I now know for sure that I’d rather eat plain chickpeas out of a can than “hummus chips” any day.

Annie’s Cinnamon Bunny Grahams were fine in a boringly sweet way, but they didn’t make me soar (until I used them to scoop up Peanut Butter and Co’s White Chocolate Peanut Butter. Then they they became more appealing).

Didi’s raw vegan Nori Nosh was utterly fabulous. Made of nothing more than sesame seeds, dates, nori, nama shoyu, and vanilla, these were like a delicious mix between sesame snaps, halva, and, um, seaweed. I want more of these forever.

After visiting Hannah in Connecticut, I was sent back to New York under strict orders to try Macro Vegetarian’s vegan Peking Duck with Shiitake Mushroom as soon as possible. Flavoured with cinnamon, anise, tamari, sesame oil, and licorice, these yuba- and mushroom-based slices of “duck” were a delicious and fascinating novelty.

And, of course, we end with something sweet. Despite not being a coconut devotee, I found So Delicious’ coconut milk-based mint ice cream flecked with shards of rich dark chocolate to be scrumptious. The cooling minty-freshness was lovely against the plentiful dark chocolate shards and underlying hint of coconut.

See that tiny serving in the bowl there? After that was done, I went back for the pint, grabbed a spoon, snuggled into the couch with an episode of Treme, and that. was. that.

I miss you, America. ‘Til we meet again.

Belmonte Raw, Toronto: Raw Vegan Food, Fun, and Friendship

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Hannah

Yesterday, I awoke for the first time to a Toronto blanketed in white. The snow is quite pretty to look at (from inside), and makes curling up on the couch for hours with a book and a box of vegan dark chocolate mint thins seem even more enticing.

However, the cold also makes me want to recall and relive past sunny days, such as the wonderful Sunday back in November when Lisa, Ashley, Dani, Nicole and I met for lunch at Belmonte Raw.

As it was a Sunday, Lisa and I started our day with coffee and crosswords. This is also known as Getting Our Learn On, or We Are So Smart, We Are So Smart, S-M-R-T! (Sunday coffee and crosswords with Lisa is currently one of my most favourite things about living in Toronto. Just so you know.)

Belmonte Raw is a vegan raw food boutique and producer/distributor of organic raw cleanses throughout Toronto. Carol Belmonte, the mastermind behind Belmonte Raw, is enthusiastically dedicated to showcasing the healing power and deliciousness of plant-based raw food, and her Leslieville boutique provided the perfect sunny spot for five kale-lovin’ Toronto-based ladies to meet, talk, and laugh over lunch. In fact, we were all so focused on chatting and eating that I forgot to take a group photo, but I can say with utter conviction that Ashley, Dani, Lisa, and Nicole are gorgeous, inspiring, and heart-soaring women, and I am delighted to know them.

I can also say with the same conviction that my Asian Kale Salad of kale, carrots, beets, jicama, lentils, sprouted beans, cilantro, green onion, cashews, hemp seeds and sunflower sprouts with a ginger tamari vinaigrette was utterly scrumptious. So fresh, so zinging, so energy-giving!

Carol generously gave us a platter of Raw Nachos to share, which I believe included raw corn chips, raw taco “meat” made with nuts and spices, a nacho cashew-based cheese sauce, fresh tomatoes, and sunflower sprouts. So good. SO GOOD.

And then the magic kept coming! Carol gave each of us a glass of jewel-like fresh pink juice, which matched the raw beetroot atop our salads perfectly. I felt a little like a princess, drinking it. Thank you, Carol!

A morning of crosswords, a wonderful lunch with new friends, and an exploration of Leslieville’s fantastic Arts Market which led to the purchase of a gorgeous Scotch/Rye ring with a tiny slice of cake on top and, all told, it was a pretty wonderful Sunday.

Wayfaring Chocolate

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Tag Archives: raw food

Northern Ontario Wilderness Magic with Heathy: Part Three

Northern Ontario Wilderness Magic with Heathy: Part Two

Northern Ontario Wilderness Magic with Heathy: Part One

An Assortment of Amazing, Astonishing, and/or Awful American Snacks, Part Four

Belmonte Raw, Toronto: Raw Vegan Food, Fun, and Friendship