Vegan Mofo 2014 - Vegan Eats for Fueling Your Body

Linz and I are super pumped to be participating in Vegan Mofo once again! After last year's hummazing extravaganza of hummus, we've decided to blog a month of Vegan Eats for Fueling Your Body.

We bounced around ideas for themes for a little while, but came back to the fact that both of us are super focused on fitness right now, with my Insanity going strong and Linz training for a 10k on September 20. It also means a bit less hummus in the fridge and a little more variety, and that's really okay with me. (I think Corbin is the only one who is a bit upset as he LOVED being a hummus taste tester. Have no fear lovie! Delicious things are coming!)

We've broken down our theme into weeks, with this week's focus being breakfast. We've already blogged super tasty breakfast tacos and pumpkin cornbread waffles (in honour of #wafflewednesday) with more yumminess to come tomorrow and Friday. Week two will be lunches, week three will be dinners and the last week will be desserts and snacks. So much gluten free, vegan deliciousness!

It's also a great way to focus on my own eating and how I am truly fueling my body! I'm in 'Recovery Week' for Insanity and next week I start month 2. All the titles in month 2 involve the word 'MAX', so I'm a little scared. MoFo is also an amazing time to discover new blogs, awesome peeps and yummy recipes - which is all awesome!! I'm having fun using randomofo.com to browse through all sorts of different posts and following #veganmofo2014 on Twitter & Instagram. This all fits in nicely with my goals for September, which I posted to Instagram yesterday.



Vegan MoFo also gives Linz and I an 'excuse' to schedule cooking dates into our weeks, where we collaborate on yummy things. I'll be heading to her house after I finish this post so we can make a sweet fall-inspired breakfast for Friday's post and something tasty to kick off lunch week. Food + Friends = Fun

You can find all of our Vegan MoFo posts over on Lindsay's blog, The Kitchen Operas.

Do you participate in Vegan MoFo? Who are some of your favourite bloggers to follow during this yummy month?

Five Things I've Learned About Hummus

1. Hummus has infinite possibilities
It's been just over two weeks and we've made ten different types of hümmi for Hummus Month. And we've still got a whole Pinterest board of hummus recipes and inspiration. (Hummus cupcakes? Sounds weird, but I'm so into it!) Hummus month is gonna go strong until the end of September and I'm stoked.

2. Other people really like hummus 
Linz and I have been bogged down in hummus, but we've happily shared with our esteemed group of taste testers. Our readers, commenters, Twitter followers and Facebook friends are also really into this hummus domination, which is super cool.

3. Have no fear, hummus is really easy to make

I too have fallen prey to buying hummus in the store with an excuse of "convenience" or lack of time. But really, basic hummus takes about five minutes to make. You could really just go throw some chickpeas, tahini, a couple cloves of garlic, lemon, salt and oil into a food processor, turn on some Robyn and have super delicious, easy peasy hummus in about 5 minutes. (The Robyn is so that you can have a mega fun dance party in your kitchen while your hummus essentially makes itself) In talking about this month of hümmi, I've been surprised by the number of people who ask "how do you make hummus?". It's the easiest. And you'll feel awesome and virtuous. Give it a go. 

4. Linz and I make great collaborators 
We're having far too much fun with hummus. We talk, text and tweet about it daily, and our weekly yoga/hummus dates are the best. We're really silly and giggle about the most ridiculous things, but I think our hümmi recipes are continuing to get better.

5. There is such a thing as too much hummus
Not gonna lie, I was really sick of hummus after week one. We had both made hummus during the week, then collaborated on more hummus on the weekend and sampled one another's. There was hummus everywhere and it was actually too much. And this coming from a gal who LOVES the stuff! This week was a lot better, with only choice hummus opportunities and eating. It also helps that the recipes we made over the weekend are divine!!

In honor of our hummus love, Linz and I are gonna talk about all things hummus at our #hummuschat this Thursday September 19 at 8pm EST! Some of our favourite people are going to be joining in for this chickpea celebration and we'd love for you to be there too. Follow us on the Twitter (@ashleydtl and @kitchenoperas) and check out the #hummuschat hashtag to join in the fun!

Vegan Mofo - Why Hummus?

It all started with a conversation about peeling chickpeas.

Linz and I were at brunch way back in March and started chatting about a blog post I had seen relating to peeling chickpeas prior to making hummus. We both agreed that it would be a fun way to spend an afternoon and that we would have to try it (this is how you know we're meant to be friends).

This led to more talks of hummus and our mutual love of hummus. As vegetarians, hummus is a pretty normal staple for both of us and something we both really adore. We suddenly found ourselves coming up with all sorts of ideas for delicious, creative and magical variations of hummus. We realized that:
a) chickpea sales were going to go up in our neighborhoods
b) we were gonna need more food processors
c) a month of hummus would be a perfect way to celebrate Vegan Mofo

So I guess the question really is, why NOT hummus?!

We couldn't determine any reasons why hummus was a bad idea, so Lindsay is going to be hosting our month of hummus over on her lovely blog in honor of Vegan Mofo. Expect all sorts of chickpeas, tips and tricks, stellar recipes, some extra special guests and all kinds of fun. Get ready, its going to be 'hummazing' with all the hümmi* that we're going dream up!

*we have decided that hümmi is the appropriate plural of hummus

All sorts of Bridesmaid Fun

It's been two weeks since my sweet Lindsay tied the knot with her love and what an amazing time it was!! The week leading up to the wedding was CRAZY! With a wedding shower, bachelorette, rehearsal, manicure date and rehearsal dinner, we were completely consumed with wedding madness but thankfully it was an absolute blast with some very fun people!

For the bachelorette we headed to Herbal Infusions for an awesome tea cocktail workshop.

Dan's tea shop is one of my favourites in the city and he put on a great event for us with minty mo-tea-tos, orange blossom oolong cocktails and lavender infused gin slushies. We even had festive straws for the occasion.



We paraded Linz through the city, finely attired in a tiara and pink feather boa.

And ended up at Hey Lucy for gluten free pizza and martini - madness.

The next few days included a lovely rehearsal at our venue

Photo by MJS Photography

Manicure fun at The Ten Spot

And an incredible feast of Trinidadian food at the rehearsal dinner.

What a wonderful meal!! And so Ashley-friendly!!

I feel so blessed to have spent such a special week with one of my very favourite people and her family and friends to celebrate her big day! Next week I'll be sharing photos and stories from the wedding - stay tuned!!

Cupcakes for Lindsay

You know how you meet someone sometimes and know instantly that you're going to be friends? That's how it was with Lindsay and I.

We initially bonded over our love of musical theatre, singing and Idina Menzel in 2008 and our relationship has flourished since then.

We sing together.
We make delicious gluten free, vegetarian, Ashley & Linz-friendly things.
We take hilarious adventures.
We share a love for tea,  kale, girly things, Pinterest and everything to do with hummus.

And our voices combined reach decibels that only teeny tiny dogs and unicorns can likely hear. (we take our #twosquealingsopranos hashtag quite seriously) 

I adore this woman who is a kindred spirit to me in many ways. And in the years we've known one another, the two of us have been through a lot.

She has supported me through so much, including my Crohn's diagnosis, going gluten free and dairy free (and everything else free), the end of my relationship with my ex-fiance and everything else along the way. She has been one of my biggest supporters in all my artistic endeavors and has always been there to lend a hand or an ear when I needed it most. A couple months ago I was going through a drawn out break up, Linz was there to listen, (gently) force me to eat, distract me with shopping adventures and sangria and give me flexibility to sleep on her couch for a weekend while I needed the extra support.

I've had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with her family as we've prepared for the wedding and they are some of the most delightful people I've ever encountered. Her fiance is an awesome guy and I've had so much fun with both of them over the years; I love their love. She is surrounded by so many beautiful people who love her immensely, which is further affirmation to what an exceptional person she is. Linz is kind, hilarious, talented, charming, empathetic and wonderful; she's one of the best friends I could ask for. I only hope that I've been as good of a friend to her as she has been to me.

It was such an honour when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, and I'm grateful that the last year has brought us closer together. The planning process has been a lot of fun and I'm so happy that I got to be so closely involved! This week has been full of wedding shenanigans and formality, culminating in the big day on Saturday. I've already cried so many times (with joy!!) about the wedding and I don't know how I'm going to keep it together this weekend. Thankfully my dress has pockets to store all the tissues I'm gonna need... 

The bridal shower was this past Sunday and I wanted to make extra-special Linz-friendly treats for everyone to enjoy so I pulled together these cupcakes. Based on a few different recipes, I was quite happy with the results and so was the bride-to-be. 

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes for Lindsay 

Gluten free, Dairy free

Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
(Aka Lindsay's Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake in miniature form)
Gluten free, Dairy free
2 c. cooked quinoa
1/3 c. almond milk
4 large organic, free-range eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. coconut oil
1 1/2c. organic cane sugar
1 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line two cupcake tins with 18 liners. Use snazzy ones for extra pizzazz

In a blender, add the quinoa, almond milk, eggs, vanilla, and coconut oil. Blitz until smooth.

 In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Once well combined, add the quinoa mixture from the blender.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, so that each is about 3/4 full. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F, until a knife or skewer inserted into the centre of  a cupcake comes out clean. Put on a cooling rack to cool.

Dairy Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Gluten free, Dairy free  

I love to use my pink Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this recipe! This was the first time I had made it with something other than butter. It's a little more fussy and needs to be stored in the fridge (especially in 40 degree heat), but the result is incredible and creamy! 

5 large free-range, organic egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp organic sugar
Pinch of salt
485 g. Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool - about 8-10 minutes.

With mixer on medium-low speed, add the coconut spread a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all of the coconut spread has been added, whisk in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth.

Refrigerate immediately. Whip in mixer before using if not using icing immediately.

Putting it all together

Once cupcake are cool, pipe or frost with the buttercream. I was storing the piping bag in the freezer until I was ready to pipe. The buttercream holds its shape well enough to be piped and looks really pretty, it just needs to be cold.

Drizzle with a chilled dairy free caramel - I used this one.

The cupcakes are best stored in the fridge, but should be taken out of the fridge about 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the buttercream to soften and the cupcakes to thaw a bit. The buttercream is insanely smooth and the texture contrasts nicely with the chocolatey cupcakes. The caramel makes them a bit messy, but caramel + chocolate is a divine flavor combination. All taste testers agreed!! AND they're gluten-free and dairy-free!



Can't wait to continue the celebration with Lindsay, her soon-to-be husband and all of their family and friends. It's going to be an incredible day for one of my most favourite people. I love you Linz!

Woman to Woman at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Way back in the depths of winter I received a save the date for "Woman to Woman - a Lunch in the Garden" at the Toronto Botanical Garden. This was appealing to me for three reasons:

1. I didn't know that the Toronto Botancial Garden existed
2. I love any opportunity that calls for pretty dresses, hats, flowers and fascinators
3. It gave me hope that summer was coming!

I asked Lindsay to be my date and the two of us patiently waited for late May to arrive. We chatted about wardrobe and hats and were delighted when it was finally time for our fancy garden lunch!

As soon as we arrived I was taken aback by how gorgeous the Toronto Botanical Gardens is. How did I not know about this place?? They're tucked away at Lawrence and Leslie and upon entry I felt like I was discovering a magical Toronto secret. 

With 17 gardens over 4 acres, it is a truly magnificent space that Linz and I had the chance to explore. It was an incredibly sunny, warm day which made it perfect for a garden lunch in support of the programming the TBG offers to children and adults and the maintenance of the gardens.

Amid the gardens there were lovely fashions from vendors at Bayview Village and a silent auction among other festivities throughout the afternoon.

We were pleased that there was a scrumptious vegetarian option of mini Swiss chard souffles with leeks and tofu from Daniel et Daniel for lunch. We both raved about how spectacular it was and definitely went back for seconds...

There was also a beautiful dessert tent filled with stunning and delicious treats.

Mini-desserts on spoons are all kinds of awesome. Big win.


It was awesome to dash away from work for an extra special lunch with one of my very favourite people in such a beautiful setting! So glad that I discovered the Toronto Botanical Garden and can't wait to go back to do some more exploring. Thanks to the lovely folks at TBG for the invite!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours.

I wish you a brilliant day filled with wonderful people, magic, delicious food and a whole lotta love.

Last night I had the pleasure of celebrating Christmas with Lindsay and her familia and friends with dinner and a heated Kris Kringle game. Lindsay's mum had requested that we sing Wintersong, which is her favourite... so here it is a capella, complete with a gorgeous & gigantic Christmas tree, Christmas cracker crowns and Lindsay and I being giddy at the opportunity to sing together



I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my Christmas Eve. I am looking forward to spending the day with even more wonderful family and friends and wish the same for you xo

Singing with Lindsay

Meet Lindsay.

I am so blessed to call this gal one of my dearest friends. We first met through Weight Watchers way back in 2008 and both of us knew that we would fall in love and be great friends. It started with dinner and an Idina Menzel concert and took off from there. 

Lindsay was one of the few people brave enough to cook for me when I started my elimination diet and changed my diet so drastically. She went on a mission to make me gluten free things that were delicious and wonderful, even making gluten free pita one night when I was coming over for dinner. She has since gone on to be a bit of an expert in gluten free bread baking, even teaching a class in Meghan's kitchen (which I was lucky enough to attend in the spring!)

oh yes, that is gluten free

She is the cutest teacher and everything was so yummy. I've made her gluten free chapati quite a few times because they're super easy and delicious!!

I'm also ecstatic to be one of her bridesmaids for her wedding in June!! It was actually at her bread baking class that she officially asked me to be in her wedding party and we certainly lived up to our hashtag of #twosquealingsopranos. Bridesmaid planning has been a blast so far and I'm over-the-moon thrilled for her big day in the summer.

Lindsay is also a beautiful opera singer and voice teacher, and we've had the opportunity to sing together a few times, which is just the most fun. We had the chance to share the stage again this weekend at Buddies for Singing Strong's Holiday Magic cabaret.

I've probably said it before, but singing with people you love is one of the best feelings in the world. This show was no exception. While we didn't do a duet this time around, it was still so magical to be onstage with her and also get to watch her perform. 

Lindsay is such an exceptional person and I am so thankful for the opportunity to sing with her, cook with her and most of all, call her one of my best friends.