Snowy Day

Where does the roof end and the sky begin?

Little Garden - Part Two

It's been a week and our little garden has started to show some buds. The lavender is doing great, and the thyme and oregano are following along. There has been some slow development from the parsley and arugula, but the rosemary seems to be the shiest of them all. I will keep you posted!

 

 

Eating Vegan in Iceland

Eating vegan while traveling is already a challenging enough thing to do. Having snacks is a must, as you never know when your next meal might be. Add to the equation traveling to Iceland, known for it's seafood and cured shark (yup, that's a thing), and I was panicking before landing. However, my fears were in vain, as tourism is a significant part of Iceland's economy, and they definitely want to take care of us! 

Our hotel, the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura, had an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet that included the usual staples, but also a variety of fruits, breads (including gluten-free - not that I am, but that's how much they appeal to travellers), and home-made jams. They also had soy milk to have with our cereals, and delicious vegetables.

We also discovered Cafe Babalu, a small cafe in the center of Reykjavik, which had a delicious vegan chilli and carrot cake for dessert, as well as an assortment of yummy teas!

We were also spoiled by Chef Baldur Öxdal Halldórsson, Head Chef and owner of the Lindin Restaurant in Laugarvatn. Since there was nothing vegan on the menu, he prepared a special dish and dessert for us, which included a sweet potato puree, barley with vegetables, salad, and a beet dressing. My mouth is watering just thinking about that meal. Add to it a good wine, and the fact that we were coming from the spa next door, and I can easily put this dinner in my top five... ever.

Besides the memorable vegan food that we got to enjoy on our trip, we also enjoyed the sights of over a dozen waterfalls, mountains surrounded by beaches, rainbows on top of glaciers, and the gentlest of Icelandic horses. Definitely a place I want to go back to!

Site Plans

Chickpea Power Salad

This is my go-to salad for potlucks, but I also eat it a lot for lunch because it is super easy to prepare, it's full of protein, and it tastes amazing.

Mix 2 cans or bags of chickpeas (make sure you leave them in water overnight if you're going with the uncanned option) with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers (I put green, red, and yellow but whatever you have in the fridge is fine) and red onion. For the dressing put some spoonfuls of hummus  (more chickpeas, yay!), lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it in and enjoy!

Little Garden - Part One

When it comes to vegetables and herbs, it doesn't get better than growing your own. After one of my best friends gave me a basil plant and I could taste the difference in freshness and flavour, I decided to start growing my own little garden of herbs. I bought a couple of sets to start off with, and this is the beginning of sprouting lavender, thyme, parsley, oregano, rosemary, and aurugula. I will post more photos as time goes by to see how the garden is doing.

Reminiscing Summer