mini vegan cheesecakes

I was originally going to make these vegan mini-cheesecakes in my new food processor so I could show it off and thank my Grandparents for my birthday funds, but i realized that my food processor was just a bit too small to hold all the filling (since then I've made a few batches of humus and a delicious "Alfredo" sauce that i'll share with you all soon. So thank you Grandma and Grandpa for helping me stock my kitchen!). I still took some pictures and will share the recipe with you all, because they were delicious!!

For filling i added frozen blueberries and extra lemon juice to some, and peanut butter and chocolate chunks to others- but you can get creative and put whatever you want in/on them!

Keep reading after the jump.

settling, finding work

I asked Hunter what he wanted to say about finding work and working in Vancouver and here is what he wrote.

"Working as a door-to-door salesperson for Unicef seemed like a great opportunity at first. I was a couple weeks in when I realized it wasn't my cup of tea. I felt bad going to people's homes during "prime" hours when family's would gather around their tables and indulge in a meal together. Don't get me wrong, Unicef does a damn good job helping children in need around the world, but a large portion of that money goes to us, the door-to-door's. In my third week I was sent to North Vancouver to do the week's work. Long story short: I had a discourse with an older fella named John on the front steps of his home. For a good twenty minutes we went back and forth. John concluded with, "Son, you can do better than this, you really can." That was the last house I pitched to.

The very next day I was offered a job at 1-800-GOT-JUNK. I'll be working in their call center (no cold calling). The Junktion (that's what they call their office) had good vibes, and everyone was smiling and seemed to be enjoying themselves at work. I start the 1st of April."

Relaxing at home, not expecting a photo- hence the horrible mix of burgundy sweats, red shirt, and purple scarf!

Before i even began packing my things to move to Vancouver, i joined this site offhandedly (i.e. I was probably procrastinating). I was a little worried about finding "meaningful" -or at least enjoyable- work once in Vancity, and i felt like a skill i could always fall back on was babysitting (thank you siblings for the lifelong training!).

I didn't think the site would actually get me a job, but soon i was receiving frequent messages from parents asking me for an interview. I was surprised, but i didn't agree to meet any of the parents because i hadn't found the right fit.
About a month ago i received a message from a mother and father looking for a nanny for their 1-year old daughter. They said they lived right near my neighborhood, needed childcare 30 hours a week (in three day increments) and wanted to meet me. Everything seemed to fall into place, and now i bike to their house and care for their adorable little girl!

I am happy with my work, and Hunter feels optimistic about his new job.

I'd love to hear about enjoyable or horrible jobs you've all had/have!! Leave us a comment, we appreciate each one. Xoxo

mornings

I've never considered myself a morning person because letting yourself fall back asleep in the mornings has always felt like a big treat. But i've always wanted to be a morning person. I want to be someone who gets up early with lots of energy, i've always loved the light and the stillness in the mornings. So, having to be at work by 8am didn't seem like such a bad thing. And once i started to got the early morning rhythm down it became enjoyable! Apart from those days when it's raining and cold and still dark.

Over the summer Hunter and i got into the routine of having porridge for breakfast almost every morning- we'd also have eggs but since i've found out i'm allergic they are off the menu. We played around with smoothies for breakfast, or cereal, but found porridge is really the only thing that keeps us full for hours. Plus it's quick and economical!

I have mine with a tiny bit of salt and goats milk. Hunter like his with cranberries, dehydrated blueberries, hemp hearts, cinnamon, honey or brown sugar, and this time fresh strawberries.

I'll wake up before Hunter to open all the blinds, wash my face, and get breakfast started. Hunter will get up and put away the dishes that were drying from the night before. We'll sit down and eat together, quietly, enjoying our little space.

Then i'll rush to get dressed and hop on my bike to work. Soon Hunter will be joining my morning commute - we get to bike together for a while each to our separate work locations.

What are your morning routines?

sick days

I haven't had a single flu, cold, virus or other sickness this whole winter and I was so proud of my immune system until last week. When you're working with toddlers it is easy to be contaminated with their sneezes, kisses, and little hands covered in saliva baring all sorts of lovely bacteria. The second day of work i woke up with an ominously sore throat. I stuffed myself with all the remedies i had in the house but i still got hit with a flu.

That first Friday i came home ready to throw myself into bed. Hunter had other plans, plans that involved delicious soup. He bought this Old Fashioned Beef Barley soup mix and the ground beef from our local butcher's, and had it slowly simmering on the stove when i walked through the door. I was so happy he found an equally comforting alternative to chicken noodle soup since i've found out i'm allergic to chicken.

The soup mix, Mitchell's, is made on The Island from local and organic ingredients. It's wildly popular in this area and i can see why. It was delicious and exactly what my tired body needed. Thank you Aunty K and family, I'm sure it tasted better because it was cooked in my gorgeous dutch oven!

Since then we've bought three more mixes (the butcher was having a sale): Fully Loaded Potato soup, Ginger Coconut Dahl, and West Coast Seafood Chowder. I'm excited for a rainy day when we can try them!

We drank obscene amounts of ginger, honey, lemon hot water and i was better in three days! Equal parts fresh chopped ginger, honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice in hot water and repeat until you're better. It also helps to have a warm body to snuggle and a good tv show/movies to watch.

I also tried the wet sock treatment on my landlord's recommendation and even though it felt weird the first night it wasn't that bad and i think it helped me speed through my flu. If you're interested, google it and you'll find lots of info! Socks need to be at least 90% cotton and wool, respectively. My cold socks weren't dripping wet and i didn't use any essential oils, but it seemed to help and my bed was completely dry the next morning.

What does your family do when someone's sick? Secret home remedies? Go-to cough syrup brands?
I hope you're all staying healthy.
xoxo, a+h