When your birth doesn’t go to plan…

Posted by Shannon on May 7, 2016 in Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting | 3 comments

It has taken me almost eight months to write this. But the other day as I was driving, I realized that the trauma that marked my beautiful son’s birth is still far too raw. And so on my first mother’s day, I feel compelled to tell our story. 

I had the perfect pregnancy. I thought I would have the perfect natural birth as well. There was really no reason I shouldn’t have: apart from my “advanced maternal age,” I was fit and healthy. And I was doing everything I could to prepare myself for it: regular exercise, perineal massage, kegels, and towards the end I was taking my evening primrose oil and drinking my raspberry leaf tea. Ken and I took an awesome childbirth class that provided us with an arsenal of methods for natural pain relief. I had my birth ball, massage equipment, yoga mat and music ready to go, along with my very elaborate birth plan that specified that I wanted a water birth with no pain relief… I was so idealistic, so naive. I had such a romanticized notion of what my son’s birth should be like. In the end, it was everything I hoped it would not be.  

Roasted Potato Salad with Thai Basil Pesto

Posted by Shannon on Nov 21, 2015 in Recipes | 0 comments

Roasted potato salad with Thai basil pesto: wow that’s a mouthful. But a truly delicious one! At the moment I have a bountiful supply of Thai basil growing in my kitchen.  Not wanting to let any of it go to waste, I’ve been making batch after batch of thai basil pesto, putting it on just about everything (and freezing the rest for later). It’s amazing paired with avocado and tomatoes on toast. And it’s especially yum in this roasted potato salad recipe. 

Passionfruit Cream Pie!

Posted by Shannon on Nov 15, 2015 in Recipes | 0 comments

Growing up in Australia I took passionfruit for granted. They grew abundantly and fresh passionfruit were almost always available. And if there were no fresh ones, we could always pick up some canned passionfruit pulp in a pinch. In the US, it’s a different story. Fresh passionfruit are only occasionally available in supermarkets and when they are they are ridiculously expensive. So I was over the moon when I recently stumbled across frozen passionfruit pulp by Goya. And what better to do with it than make a passionfruit cream pie?

Banana, Raisin and Pecan Bread

Posted by Shannon on Nov 10, 2015 in Recipes | 0 comments

I don’t know about you but I always buy bananas with the intention of eating them quickly. Somehow I never manage to finish a bunch before they start to get overly ripe. When that happens I do one of two things: freeze them so that I can use them in smoothies or bake muffins or bread. So in honor of over-ripe bananas, here’s a recipe for a flavor-packed banana bread with raisins and pecans. 

Healthier Sesame “Beef” (or “Chicken”)

Posted by Shannon on Nov 7, 2015 in Recipes | 0 comments

Once upon a time we used to eat Chinese takeout at least once a week and sesame tofu was always our go to. Who can resist deep fried tofu smothered in a sweet sauce and sesame seeds? So delicious, but oh so unhealthy. I can’t remember the last time we had Chinese takeout, but I still get a hankering for it on occasion. So I decided to try to make a healthier version of that old favorite. It’s every bit as tasty but so much better for me and you! 

Everything I needed to know about staying fit during pregnancy…

Posted by Shannon on Nov 4, 2015 in Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting | 0 comments

I’m no fitness goddess by any means, but I love a good workout. There is nothing that makes me feel more powerful than the feeling of sweat dripping down my back, knowing that I pushed my body to its limit and that I was strong enough to do it. It’s at once my release and a source of energy. It helps me face life and all of its stressors and obstacles head on. So of course, while I was pregnant I had no intention of giving any of that up! However, in the early months of my pregnancy I read a lot of different guidance about fitness and exercise.

Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Butter Cream

Posted by Shannon on Oct 16, 2015 in Recipes | 0 comments

Today, dear friends, I’m bringing you a recipe for an ultra special raspberry cupcake topped with vanilla butter cream.  This cupcake is bursting with tart raspberry flavor, which is complemented beautifully by the sweet vanilla frosting. It’s exactly the type of cupcake you’ll be dreaming about for weeks afterwards!