trust no man.

if i could write a song....to soothe your troubles...
it's melody would encourage your dreams

it's rhythm would lift you above the chaos

it's notes would make you feel safe

it's tempo, embraces your curiosity

it would be about survival, and the will to live despite the hardships you've endured

and it's inspiration, my sincerity...


Sincerely,

100

Vegan Pumpkin Pie ...

yummy!

COMFORT AND THE COLOUR OCTOBER

I AM SOOOO MAKING THIS WITH MY DAUGHTER TONIGHT!

The best Pumpkin Pie that requires just 10 ingredients and is both vegan and gluten free! Crisp crust, flavorful pumpkin center - the perfect pumpkin pie for your holiday meals.

Author: Minimalist Baker

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves: 10

Ingredients

CRUST

• 6 Tbsp cold vegan butter (or chilled coconut oil with varied results)
• 1 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4-6 Tbsp ice cold water

FILLING

• 2 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (~1 1/2 15-ounce cans)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, or melted coconut oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or sub mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. To prepare crust, add gluten free flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slice or dollop the cold butter in and work gently with a fork or pastry cutter to cut it in. Don’t overwork, just get it incorporated.
2. Next add ice cold water a little at a time and use a wooden spoon to stir. Only add as much water as you need to help it come together.
3. Once a loose dough is formed, transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and work gently with your hands to form a 1/2 inch thick disc. Wrap firmly and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes, up to 2 days. Just let it warm back up a little before using. You don’t want it too warm or it can get too soft to handle.
4. Once your dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare pie filling.
5. Add all pie ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
6. To roll out the crust, unwrap the disc and place it between two sizable layers of wax paper (plastic wrap will work OK, but is a little more difficult to work with). Use a rolling pin to gently roll it into the shape of your pie pan. If it cracks, don’t stress - you can reform it with your hands once you get it in the pan. But try and be gentle.
7. To transfer the crust, remove the top layer of wax paper and gently lay the pie dish face down on top of the crust and use the support of the wax paper to quickly but carefully invert it. Don’t overthink it - just do it.
8. Once you get the crust inverted, gently use your hands to form it into the pan, working the crust up along the sides. It can be a little tricky but it bakes beautifully, so it’s worth the effort! Just try not to overwork the dough in the process - it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to perfect the shape. Any holes or cracks can be mended with a little excess dough and the heat of your hand.
9. TIP: I would advise against trying to be fancy and do any elaborate design with the crust, so just get the crust in, get a flat edge and go.
10. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350 for 58-65 minutes. The crust should be light golden brown and the filling will still be just a bit jiggly and have some cracks on the top. Remove from oven and let cool completely before loosely covering and transferring to the refrigerator to fully set for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
11. Slice and serve with coconut whipped cream and an additional sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice (optional). This would also be amazing with my Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream and Brown Sugar Pecans!

YESTERDAY I LOVED YOU LESS...

YESTERDAY I LOVED YOU LESS THAN I WILL...TOMORROW...LOVING YOU MORE AND MORE 

LEARNING TO FIND A WAY WHEN THERE ISN'T A WAY IN SIGHT. BECAUSE FAITH IS THE ABSENCE OF FACT, AND BELIEF IS THE FEELING THAT EMBRACES ONES SOUL. WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU SIMPLY KNOW. BUT TO LOOK BEYOND...

UNTIL I FIND REST, I WILL BE EVOLVED. UNTIL I FIND PEACE, I WILL BE A FIGHTER.

Traveled...Small Town Cities...Big Dreams... Toronto to  New York City...Everywhere In Between

A year ago, well ten months ago, I set my eyes on NYC. 

Convinced that I was going to spend the rest of my days, dancing. Something I so love to do, and thinking NYC was the dance capital of the world. 

To myself I said, let me try and go see whats there for me. I learnt that the arts are a fantastic part of the hustle and bustle in NYC.  I also learnt that many artists feel that same vibrancy and they celebrate their roots there, in this cultural mecca. Before I left, I painted my hair blue, as I often do. MY FAVOURITE COLOUR, BLUE. One that signals wisdom, and reverence for spirit. I left NYC because someone stole the keys to BMW. hahaha, right? Not a good reason, but that was the reason. When I began this blog, my colour theory instructor, her name was Julie, she said "Oh your doing a blog, thats great...Just don't write anything negative..." 

You know what I realize in my travels, is that the human mind loves to cling to negativity. It actually finds sorrow more familiar than joy. We have to train our minds to be grateful, and to really embrace the positivity in the many aspects of our lifestyle. There have been studies in science to back this theory, and it's not something I just made up. 

So why, than, are we so quick to avoid what is natural to us? Why the effort to see beyond the familiar? 

I juxtapose if the familiar pathway to our brain is sorrow, than what of this joys being born from the same tears and pain? Because the duality exists ...there isn't one without the other. And yet ...so much emphasis is on this module thought that says be happy, think positive ...

I don't know what to tell you, all I know, this blog, I started to tell you about my journey through doors that I would open. Has become a story of many doors that closed to me. ahhh, so the adage 'when one closes, two opens...' 

For now, a brief video on how I was able to do my hair for that trip to NYC.