Carrot cake muffins + British Columbia

Happy weekend everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, I know I sure did.  I'm going to update you a bit with what has gone on since I've arrived in British Columbia.  Oh, oh first I need to update you.  After I posted my last post I was still sitting in the terminal, waiting... it was now 15 minutes after I was supposed to board the plane.  My friend kept asking me, "shouldn't you be on the plane by now?", "well they haven't called us".  I look down at my plane ticket I'm sitting at terminal 141, supposed to be at 151!!  I shut down my laptop in panic mode, run all the way across the airport to where I'm supposed to be.  I get there, no one is there... panic strikes even harder.  I'm breathing like a maniac, and sweating like a sprinter, it's a good thing I work out or I'd be dead... I jump over this one guy who is sleeping on the floor, speak to someone who works there, "miss please calm down!"... uh no, clearly he does not know me.  He finally get's in, that they have been transferred to 145... seriously?  I have to run ALL the way back to where I initially was.  I finally get there, wait in line, look like a demon on crack and wait... I board the plane, success!

From there everything went well.  I wrote in my journal, did a little bit of reading, listened to Mumford and Sons over and over again, and finally I slept quite a bit!  I get to baggage claim, after a few minutes am greeted by my aunt and my cousin (who I haven't met before), we go to the car and my uncle is there too.  It was really nice that they were all there (they are a bit older, and it was 1 in the morning, so I was very grateful).  When I got there, I simply went to sleep it was now 4 o'clock my time, very, very tired. 

I wake up the next morning... and am overstuffed with food, in every direction.  Unfortunately Italians really love to feed you (it's not a bad thing, but... they just don't stop and it can get a little bit frustrating).  After a while I remind them that I don't eat animal products, "so you can eat fish then?!"... "well no, that was alive at one point so I don't eat fish... I don't even eat butter, eggs or milk", then the whole protein conversation ensues and I just begin to get a little frustrated... I'm still trying to be nice, but my aunt just isn't understanding.  Eventually I pull out my blog (thank heavens I blog!) and show her that NO, I don't under eat actually get a ton of protein in my diet, and don't starve myself to death... le sigh.  Finally she began to understand.

Later I went to my little cousins hockey game, they lost... I really don't understand hockey, but it was nice to go.

I also went with my older cousin to downtown Vancouver.  It was nice, he even brought me to a vegan restaurant!  It was amazing!  I'd never been to a vegan restaurant before, and it was really nice of him to think of it.  We took it for take out since his daughter needed to nap (17 months).  We went to his place and ate.  I got organic brown rice, the most amazing chick peas with spices, and curried vegetables with a papadum, it was fantastic!

 

For dinner we made a really delicious chickpea salad that I will be replicating when I go home, so I am not going to post it here yet!  Got back to my aunts, went to sleep and now I'm lounging in bed, even though I've been in my room for over 14 hours... I feel really tired and don't want to hear about food unfortunately. 

Tropical Carrot Cake Muffins

Recipe thoroughly adapted from here

 

Before I left, I had made some snacks to bring onto the plane, I hadn't posted them because I wanted something to post this week.  I made tropical carrot cake muffins, after making the Tropical Carrot Cake Smoothie I've been craving some mad carrot cake, so I decided I would make muffins.  These were the most sinful, delicious, yet healthy muffins ever, hooked, hooked I tell ya!  I will be making these again and again.  I'm not a big fan of store-bought carrot cake because they always throw in nuts, nasty dried fruits (I love dried fruit but when mixed with ingredients properly) and tons of cream cheese icing, yuck!  I made this to meet my taste buds and I can honestly say this may be one of my favourites, and will certainly be made again.  One thing I look forward to when I go home is defrosting some of these bad boys and munching on them while I tell my mom about my vacation!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot, unpacked
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups whole grain spelt flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup candied pineapple

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin or a small loaf pan (20cm x11cm x 6cm) with parchment. Lightly grease the parchment and sides of pan with oil and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated carrot, ground flax, pure maple syrup, soy milk, oil, vanilla, vinegar, and lemon zest. Set aside for at least two minutes while you gather the dry ingredients.  In another large sized bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (a few dry spots may remain). Fold in the dried pineapple. Be careful not to overmix as spelt is a very delicate flour.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely. 

May be frozen.

 

Have you ever had issues trying to explain to family members about dietary restrictions?

Carrot