Here in Canada, our long weekend was this past weekend. There were barbecues lit up everywhere, the smell of charcoal at every turn, and; because 3 days off warrants a visit from a special friend, Angela made the trek to Montreal to join in the long weekend festivities. We grilled to our hearts content, watched chick flicks, lit it up with a couple of rounds of Turbo Fire, and toured Montreal on foot. It was a grand time.

I’m guessing that most of you are ramping up for your very own long weekend.

Ya, it’s a bit far down the road than most of us would like, but it’s coming, and it’s going to be a good one.

Are you planning on having a barbecue? Maybe you’ve been invited to a friends’ home for dinner?

I have the perfect mayonnaise-free, healthy salad that you can take along with you. It’s easy to whip up, safe for many people with allergies, and it’s effortless. No potato peeling, no fancy ingredients.

This recipe is inspired by the salad that Renee, Kevin’s Mom, makes for us every time we get together. Her version is fantastic, but it takes far too long to make. Peel the potatoes, slice them into strips, saute, boil, cut, wash, ah! I’ve watched her make it and it ‘aint pretty. So many steps, so much time. So, I’ve massively simplified it (because I’m pretty lazy in the kitchen, believe it or not) and tried to do the original recipe justice.

And hey, potato skin is good for you, so… I’m doing our health a favor by keeping it on!

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Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain and allow potatoes to cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the skin from the cucumber with a small sharp knife and slice into thin coins.

Once cooled, slice the potatoes in half and add to a large bowl. Stir in diced shallots.

Pour broth over top, then oil, then vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rotate gently to cover and top with sliced cucumber.

Do not stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours, for the flavors to develop.

Do you have any plans for the long weekend?

What’s your all-time favorite thing to do on weekends? That’s an easy one for me… I LOVE lounging on the patio, cuddled up and reading a book in the sunshine!

I made ice cream for us today…

But it’s not just any ‘ol ice cream, it’s vegan ice cream with a heavy dose of magnesium. I call it, anti-stress ice cream.

Why?

Magnesium and calcium are fundamental minerals that play a teeter totter game with one another in our bodies. We’ve all been conditioned to focus solely on our calcium levels, but magnesium plays a huge role in helping you fully experience good health.

Like the yin and yang of the mineral world.

Magnesium deficiency is sometimes caused by a lack of adequate dietary magnesium, emotional stress, some drugs (diuretics, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, insulin, cortisone), heavy exercise, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and too much calcium in the diet.

The only supplement I’ve found that’s Non-GMO and provides my body with the magnesium it needs to stay in perfect balance is Natural Calm by Natural Vitality. It has successfully restored my magnesium level, balanced my calcium intake, and helped me naturally manage stress, too!

Anti-stress ice cream. Boom!

To print, email or text this recipe, click here.

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Add the cashews, water and Natural Calm to the jug of your high powered blender. If you do not have a high powered blender, it’s best to soak the cashews before using them in this recipe. To soak, add cashews to a bowl and cover with water. Allow to sit in the water for 12 hours before draining, rinsing and using in this recipe.

Blend mixture until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add honey, then lemon juice and continue running for 20 more seconds, until everything is mixed.
Drop in lemon zest, whiz lightly.

Ice cream maker version: transfer mixture into a bowl. Cover and chill for 12 hours. Then, use in your ice cream maker, according to it’s directions.

Freezer method: separate mixture into 4 bowls and place in the freezer for a total of 3 hours. Remove bowls from the freezer every 30-45 minutes to whisk everything together and prevent the mixture from clumping.

And there you have it, 4 servings of anti-stress, health promoting dessert.

And, if you love Natural Vitality and their Non-GMO products as much as I do, you could win a $1000 prize pack (packed with goodies from Vega, Manitoba Harvest, Natural Vitality and Sambazon) just for developing a recipe for them. you can submit a recipe with any Natural Vitality product as an ingredient. The contest is open until midnight PST on May 31st. Read rules and additional details.

Okay, so everyone is dying to know…

What are the main sources of stress in you life?

How do you manage stress? What steps do you take to overcome it all?

We’re at it again with 4 new (healthy) goat dairy recipes and their dairy-free (vegan) counterparts.

This is post #3 of a yearlong project that I hope showcases – whether you’re dairy-free or dairy-lovin’, any recipe can be adjusted to fit your eating style.

If there’s someone in your home that doesn’t like dairy, or is allergic to it, you can make a bit of dairy-free goodness for them, and a bit of goat dairy-packed goodness for you. Either way, these recipes that I developed for Happy Days Dairies are simple, wholesome and downright easy to whip up and customize to suit your needs.

Hungry for more examples on how to make dairy-based recipes dairy-free or see how easy it is to cook with goat dairy products? Check out part 1 and part 2 of this series.

Chili Cheese Sandwich Spread: A sweet and slightly spicy cream cheese spread that’s perfect for any weekday sandwich.

Dairy-free (vegan) alternative: replace the goat cheese with an equal amount of pureed chickpeas.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Soup: Ultra smooth soup made with caramelized onions, spinach and soft goat cheese.

Dairy-free (vegan) alternative: remove the soft goat cheese and increase the sweet potato by 100 grams. Add 2 tablespoons of full-fat coconut milk for creaminess.

Popeye Banana Smoothie: Refreshing smoothie made with just 5 ingredients and loaded with protein and healthy greens!

Dairy-free (vegan) alternative: replace vanilla goat dairy yogurt with vanilla almond yogurt, non-GMO soy yogurt or coconut yogurt.

Carrot and Feta Salad: Light and refreshing salad with carrots, dill and goat feta. Simple and delicious!

Dairy-free (vegan) alternative: swap out the feta with the homemade walnut cheese I used in this recipe.

So many choices, so many ways to adjust to make these recipes work for you!

I’d love to know…

Do you have multiple allergies or eating styles in your family?

Do you find it challenging to juggle everyone’s preferences?

You never know how much your words could drastically improve another woman’s life. Sharing your wisdom in the comments below will help others that may be struggling with these issues!