That Clean Life

That Clean Life is an awesome meal planner that I have become obsessed with over the last few months. I'm always looking for healthy and easy recipes to try, but sometimes feel overwhelmed by all of the choices that are out there online and have started to get away from using cookbooks. That Clean Life has become a lifesaver to provide super easy and delicious recipes, an awesome meal planner and done-for-you grocery lists.

There's something that I really enjoy about meal planning - it's probably the Type A in me. And because it's something that I enjoy, I didn't think That Clean Life would be valuable for me. And then I found out about its full capabilities and saw it in action, and realized how well it could fit into my life. It's been a total game changer.

That Clean Life Capabilities

That Clean Life is more than just a piece of meal planning software or a collection of recipes. Here's why I've fallen in love and use it each week:

• There are currently more than 800 recipes to choose from and search for, with new, seasonal recipes being added each week
• You can search by ingredient or category, and each recipe has a beautiful photo + comments from those who have made the dish before
• Each recipe can be adjusted for the number of serving sizes, big or small
• Most recipes are gluten and dairy free, with lots of vegetarian, vegan and paleo options
• All of these recipes can be added into a meal planner for the week, where you can also indicate leftovers
• That meal plan is turned into a grocery list with the click of a button, and you can indicate which items you already have on hand. You can even email the grocery list to yourself
• You can add your own recipes into your recipe box, which allows them to be loaded into your meal plan and subsequently included in your grocery list
• There are also a tonne of done-for-you meal plans that you can choose from, with individual focuses like kid-friendly, paleo or a spring tune-up
• Recipes can be saved into Collections, which means that you can easily find recipes you've saved to put them into a meal plan in the future

And have I mentioned that everything is delicious?!

I love that That Clean Life easily fits into my way of eating, and makes it so easy to prep tasty meals and snacks. Like this layered dip I made for us on a Friday night when I didn't really feel like cooking and wanted to enjoy something a bit more snack-y for dinner.

I also love to be a part of the community, as I get to see when new recipes are added and love to creep on the recipes that other members have been making. Each recipe also has a comment section where members share substitutions, questions or comments they have. It's a great way to learn more about other people's experiences with the recipes, and often people's comments have enticed me to try a recipe out if I wasn't sure.

That Clean Life has also done an amazing job of creating healthier versions of treats, classics and comfort food - like this chocolate chip cookie pie.

Each week I get really excited to see the the new recipes that have been added, especially because they seasonal ingredients are enticing and inspiring. I'm so glad that I got over my own idea that this wasn't a service that I would use, because That Clean Life has helped me to discover and enjoy so many amazing recipes. The convenience of the grocery lists has been a game-changer, and we're now in a place where some of the recipes have become absolute favourites in our house. (like this butter chicken!) That Clean Life has taken my enjoyment of meal planning to a new level, and it's become integral in the way I make food each week.

Wanna give That Clean Life a go? You can try a demo membership for free, play around with the meal planner and try out 25 recipes to start.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I'll make a commission if you click a link and purchase something I've recommended, at no extra cost to you.

This is 32

I celebrated my 32nd birthday on April 8th and I've gotta say, I still feel very similar to how I did last year on my birthday. 

I celebrated my special day with some of my very favourite people and lots of great food. It was a Friday, so I started the day with a workout and then had a great day at work. We finished early and I had a beautiful walk in the sunshine and a manicure.

In the evening, Jessie, Lindsay and Corbin joined me for a spectacular dinner at Tori's After Hours. I've been to Tori's Bake Shop before (which is an all vegan bakery in the beaches with a really great selection of gluten free options). I had wanted to check out the After Hours for awhile, and my birthday seemed like the perfect excuse to do so!

The food was AMAZING. From gnocchi in a cheese sauce that I wanted to slurp up with a straw, to an incredible cheese plate with delectable gluten free crackers, amazing vegetables and a chocolate chip cake to top it all off - I couldn't have asked for a better menu. The kitchen even sent out a bonus mushroom pate appetizer because we were wearing birthday hats.

If you're in Toronto, I highly suggest checking it out - especially if you're with a small group! It's a great opportunity to order a bunch of dishes and sample the menu.

Corbin and I continued the festivities the next day with a delicious brunch at Harvest Kitchen followed by cupcakes at Almond Butterfly. 

Oh gosh, so good!

Corbin was leaving for Europe for a month a couple days later, so it was extra nice to have some quality time together. It was another beautiful, sunny day so we enjoyed the sunshine together and got to have a really nice meal! Harvest Kitchen is a great option for vegetarians and omnivores alike with lots of gluten free options. And Almond Butterfly just has the best gluten free cupcakes in Toronto - hands down. That weekend they had chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cupcakes that both Corbin and I devoured. 

I had a wonderful weekend and couldn't have asked for better company or more delicious food!! It was exactly what I hoped for and I felt very spoiled by all the love. 

In honour of my birthday, I started to make a list of all that I've learned in 32 years and it developed into a manifesto of sorts.

Those are the ideas I plan to live by as I head into this new year of my life! 32, let's do this.

Thank you to everyone who sent birthday messages and wishes -- I truly appreciate it!! xo

From Scratch Cooking: 2016 Edition

From Scratch Cooking is an awesome yearly initiative from the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. It is a digital cookbook for a cause, and this year's edition is benefitting Pencils of Promise. I am so proud of the work that all of the graduates of the CNE Program do, and this digital cookbook puts together 44 of their amazing recipes. The cookbook is available with a donation of your choice and all money raised will go towards Pencils of Promise.

Since I was on the team who helped to put together the book, I had the pleasure of pouring over all of the recipes and photos extensively. The recipes are gluten free, nourishing and delicious with awesome photos. So far I have made Robyn's breakfast cookies and Sondi's halvah oatmeal. (I was on an oat kick it seems)

Both were awesome!! I'm looking forward to making my way through the book and trying some more of the recipes. (These veggie burrito bowls and chocolate almond butter cups are definitely on my list!)

While the recipes are wonderful, this digital cookbook is about so much more than that. Pencils of Promise does amazing work helping to provide education, educational tools and schools to children in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos. Through their programs, they're working to change learning experiences for children in need and it's incredible to play a role in that. 

Since launching From Scratch last Monday we've raised more than $5,000, which is enough to send 200 kids to school for a year. It's been a very exciting week in the kitchen as we've seen the orders come in! We would love to increase that number to make an even bigger donation to help even more children have access to education. 

You can learn more about the project and grab your own copy of From Scratch here. 

And to give you a sneak peek into the awesome recipes that have been included, I'm happy to share this Mediterranean Frittata from Vanessa Gilic! It makes for a great breakfast (and can be prepped in advance to enjoy throughout the week) or you can enjoy it as a protein-rich dish at any meal. 

Mediterranean Frittata

Recipe + Photo Credit: Vanessa Gilic

Prep Time:  5 minutes

Cook Time:  7-10 minutes

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil or ghee

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 handfuls baby spinach

¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives

½ red pepper, diced

4 large pastured eggs

1 tsp dried oregano

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ cup crumbled goat feta cheese, optional

Handful torn basil for garnish

Recipe Directions:

1. Preheat the oven broiler to high.

2. Heat olive oil or ghee in an 8-inch cast iron pan (or other oven-safe pan) over medium heat.  Add the red onion and cook until it begins to colour (add some water if it starts to stick).

3. Add the spinach, olives and red pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is cooked down.

4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the oregano and pepper. Pour into the pan over the veggies. Sprinkle over the feta cheese, if using, and cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until the frittata begins to set.

5. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the frittata is golden and cooked through.

6. Let it sit for 5 minutes before garnishing with torn basil and slicing into thick wedges.

Prepped Organics - Organic Meal Delivery Service

I love cooking and meal planning and take great pride it nourishing myself and Corbin each week. With that being said, there is something really nice about having people cook for you! So when the lovely team at Prepped Organics reached out to me about sending dinner over one night, I jumped at the opportunity!

Prepped Organics provides delicious, nourishing and organic meal delivery in Toronto. You choose from their menu of dinners each week and they provide delivery Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I love that they have gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options for 1-5 people to cover a variety of preferences and lifestyles!

They have a unique menu each week and you can choose the option best suited to your tastes and dietary preferences. The meals come fully prepared with instructions on assembly and heating.

The week they sent us dinner, I had to go for the Greek grilled chicken with rice pilaf and Greek salad with a local sheep milk feta. I noted that I was gluten free and dairy free and everything was easily accommodated! They even made me a special dairy free tzatziki to enjoy with my chicken which was a really lovely touch!

I was super impressed with the team hand delivered my package to me and explained everything that was inside. They even included some special raw, gluten free peanut butter cookies as an extra special treat - nice touch!!

The preparation instructions were easy to follow and everything came together in less than 15 minutes, including heating everything up. 

The meal was delicious. I was especially impressed with how moist the chicken was, even after we heated it up. Greek food is some of my very favourite food, so this was a great meal! The portion for 2 people was very generous and we were able to enjoy leftovers of salad and rice the following day.

I loved using their service and will definitely keep it in mind when things get crazy in the future - it's so nice to have an expertly prepared meal that takes the guess work out of shopping, preparing and cooking with organic ingredients. Chef Anna & the team makes the food with care and it shows in the preparation and level of detail of everything included.

If awesome organic food, delivered to your door sounds like it would be helpful (and awesome!) for you, the team at Prepped Organics have a promotion running where you can use the code WELCOME25 to receive 25% off your first order.  Enjoy!!

Making my Way Through The UnDiet Cookbook + Giveaway

Almost exactly seven years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. It feels like a lifetime ago.

My doctor told me to eat a "healthy, well-balanced diet" and to avoid things like nuts and seeds that might cause problems. He offered traditional medicinal options including medication, surgery and hardcore, experimental medication -- none of which sounded like great options to me. I made the decision to see a naturopath, made major changes in my diet and saw incredible improvement.

Before my diagnosis, I knew nothing about Crohn's Disease and didn't know anyone who had it - so I did what any good person does and took to the internet! I searched for blogs and other folks who also had Crohn's. While reading the comments on a random blog post one day, I discovered the blog of a Toronto nutritionist who also had healed herself from Crohn's Disease.

Her name was Meghan Telpner.

I started religiously reading her blog and decided to treat myself to some of her cooking classes for my birthday. Gluten free, dairy free cooking was all new to me, so I needed all the help and inspiration I could get! I documented our weekly classes here on the blog and the recipes I learned from Meghan became staples in my new way of eating.



After the cooking classes ended, Meghan continued to be an important person in my life. I followed her blog, helped out at events, cheerleaded for her programs, took a life-changing adventure to St. Lucia and beamed with pride when her first book, UnDiet came out. While it was awesome that I could finally stop using the duotang of recipes and had them in proper book form, it was mostly so inspiring to see someone I admired so much reaching their goals and doing awesome things in the world.

This past March I was taken down with that horrific godzilla flu and was pretty much confined to bed for over a week. After a nap one day, I checked Facebook and saw that Meghan had posted a job description for an 'Executive Assistant and Director of Outreach and Customer Happiness'. I eagerly read through the job description and when I got to the bottom of it I thought to myself - that is the perfect job for me. I applied. I interviewed. And a few weeks later I had my first day in the kitchen, working with Meghan (and her small but kick ass team).

I knew that the UnDiet Cookbook was going to be coming out in the fall and Meghan and I discussed some of the plans leading up to the release of the book. Because of things that we were working on, I actually had a manuscript of the book (in a word document) on my computer before the book even came out. I started to peruse recipes and got really excited for what was to come.

The book included 130 gluten free, dairy free recipes including some old revamped favourites (from the duotang days) and a whole bunch of brand new, shiny ones! The first recipe I made from the Word doc was the Banana Berry Oatmazing Muffins - Corbin joked that they were muffins from the future since the book hadn't even been released.

He also said they were some of his favourite muffins ever.

They were incredibly easy to make, adaptable (depending on the type of berries you used) and didn't taste "gluten free" - they just tasted like a delicious muffin!! I brought them into the kitchen for Meghan and Maeve, and Maeve declared it one of her favourite muffins as well. Success!

However cool it was to have the word doc version, it was even better to get my hands on the actual book. The recipes themselves are amazing, but when you couple the recipes with the beautiful photography from Catherine Farquharson and Miya Visneyei and incredible food styling, it really is something else. Every photo is amazing, and that visual appeal is so important to me in a cookbook!

The book starts with an introduction to Meghan's story, what it means to live the UnDiet Life and provides some guidance on how to get started in the kitchen. From there, the recipes are broken into 8 sections, followed by an awesome Lifestyle section including beauty care recipes, entertaining, travel tips and some thoughts on how to live the very best, most vibrant life.

I have peppered my book with stickies, highlighting the recipes I want to make and have had a blast cooking my way through it. 

I'm obsessed with the 'Begin with Brekkie' section. The Sweet Potato Zucchini Hash Brizzles are absolutely delicious and so easy! I paired them with poached eggs and it was the perfect combination. I also loved the Chocolate, Chocolate, Say it Twice Pancakes (which are like eating cake for breakfast) and the Vegalicious Quiche complete with millet crust!

Everything in the book is vegetarian / vegan friendly, and there are also options to make many recipes in the book nut-free, grain free or protein-powered. Meghan's UnDiet philosophy is all about breaking the rules and leaving the labels for tin cans - and advocates for people to eat what works for them while remaining open to the evolutionary nature of what our bodies need at different times in our lives.

Everything I've made has been a success so far! Favourites include the Creamed Mushroom Love Soup, Flourless Ginger Pear Tartlets, Balsamic Roasted Vegetables, Golden Girl Citrus-Spiced Tempeh and the Let's Stay Together Crackers (which impressed Corbin immensely "you're making homemade crackers?!")

Even though I've gotten a pretty good head start with the recipes, with 130 in total, I still have a ways to go! I haven't even dipped into the beauty care section (homemade toothpaste? yes!!) and want to try my hand at making some of the condiments from scratch, like the Spicy Mango Chutney.

This book is beautiful.
The recipes are awesome.
And it's already a staple in my kitchen.

I may be a bit biased, but I truly mean it. Even if I weren't working for Meghan I would have bought this book on release day and be cooking through it just the same (just without the bootleg word doc preview maybe...)

Meghan was a person I needed to meet seven years ago and her recipes, enthusiasm, passion, drive and philosophy have played a huge impact on my healing and my life. Her story reassured me that I was on the right track with my own healing and everything else that has followed has been a big beautiful bonus! I'm grateful that I now get to go to work in the kitchen where so much changed for me and work alongside someone who has been such an incredible mentor, cheerleader and friend.

---

The UnDiet Cookbook is all kinds of awesome and I'm really excited to be able to give away a copy to one very lucky reader! (And since I see the author on a pretty regular basis, I can probably even get it signed for you!)

Congratulations to Faith!! I'll be emailing you to get your details so I can send the book out to you ASAP. 

To win your very own copy of The UnDiet Cookbook:

Leave a comment below with your name, email address + the recipe you'd want to make first from the UnDiet Cookbook (you can take a peek inside the book to get some ideas or see what other folks have been enjoying on the Virtual Book Tour!)

Contest closes at 11:59pm Thursday November 12. I'll pick a random winner from all comments received and notify the winner by email. Contest is open to US and Canadian residents.

Good luck!!

Weekend Adventures

This weekend I had a lot of 'me' time and I feel like it was well deserved. July was an amazing month, but boy was it busy! After Fringe, I was basically in the city for less than a week. I took off to Nashville for an incredible experience at Summit, came home for 4 days and then got back on a plane to go to Alberta for 10 days. I'll be blogging more about both of those trips -- I can't wait to share all that I learned / saw / did / experienced - ahhhh!!

My weekend started off with a super fun party in the east end of the city to celebrate the first birthday of the Confidential Musical Theatre Project. I've had the pleasure of performing in 2 shows with this company and both have helped me grow as a performer! It's an exhilarating (and terrifying) experience that I think every actor should pursue. I got to sing "I Still Believe in Love" from They're Playing Our Song and broadcasted it live on Periscope (you can follow me @ashleydtl to catch those sorts of things!) It was an awesome night and I had a blast connecting with fellow performers and reflecting on all that has happened in a year!

The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxing. Since I moved to the west end of Toronto (after being an east ender for a loooong time) I've been discovering all sorts of great places in my hood to substitute all of my old haunts. I decided to explore Roncesvalles on Saturday as I was looking for a dress to wear to a wedding in September.

Most of my wardrobe comes from Damzels and I had wanted to visit the west end location for some time - it did not disappoint! I found myself trying on countless dresses and had to choose between a bunch of dresses for the wedding. I found a beautiful green dress to wear and also grabbed a sweet bamboo t-shirt that is so soft! I love the service when I go to Damzels and always leave happy.

Since it was a 'me' day, I treated myself to a quickie mani at The Ten Spot and enjoyed some huevos rancheros for brunch at The Ace. 

In between brunching & my manicure, I checked out all sorts of neat little stores on Roncesvalles and had a lovely afternoon! I picked up some awesome cards at Scout and coveted some beautiful jewelry and handbags at Frock. After I nearly walked all the way down to Queen Street, I walked back up to where I had parked my bicycle and biked to the Junction in the sunshine to get a cupcake at Bunners.

Peaches and cream? Heck, yes!

It was a perfect day to be out on my bicycle and walking in the sunshine, exploring different neighbourhoods that are close to me. I maybe capped all of that off with a nap - that's what weekends are for, right?!

How was your weekend? Do you have any favourite spots in the west end of Toronto?

Little Life Box

Isn't it nice to get things in the mail that aren't bills or subscription information for various theatres? (Maybe the second one is just me...) I've always loved getting goodies in the mail, so when the kind folks at Little Life Box offered to send me some treats I was stoked!

Little Life Box is a Canadian company and touts itself as a healthy alternatives subscription box. The boxes feature a variety of samples including beauty care, snacks, supplements and home items, with the selection changing from month to month. You can purchase the boxes monthly, pre-purchase up to a year in advance or send one as a gift.

My box arrived the week of my birthday on a day that I was working from home. Canada Post delivered it to me right around the time I felt like I needed an afternoon snack, so it couldn't have been more perfect timing.

When I opened the box, I was greeted by some pretty sunshine-y yellow wrapping and an adorable bunny-adorned card. 

I opened it up to find a wide variety of snacks, some laundry detergent samples and some bamboo cosmetic applicators. I was familiar with many of the companies whose products were included but was happy to discover a few new ones as well (including my favourite item of the bunch - the chocolate covered cocoa beans!). 

Everything was Ashley-friendly except for the Chai tea mix, though I later found out that there is an option to choose between an original or vegan box. Each month you can check back on the website to learn more about the products that are included and purchase some of them directly through the site. 

It was definitely a sweet treat to receive my Little Life Box and lovely to see a Canadian company offering a fun subscription box! 

Lunch Diaries - April Edition

Happy Earth Day!

Since I've started my new job, I'm getting back into the groove of having a more regular routine of Monday to Friday work. I have the pleasure of working from home a couple of days and then I'm in the office/kitchen on the others. It's been great inspiration for me to get back to meal planning and packing lunches - which is a great way to support the earth (and my wallet!)

I've had some yummy things pinned on various boards for awhile, so it's been awesome to try out some new recipes to make and bring for lunches. I happily enjoyed this spiralized zucchini salad a couple of times last week - it was super easy and delicious!

I'm not always awesome at preparing meals in advance (unless I make something for dinner, or do some batch prep) so I really appreciate lunches I can pull together in 10 minutes or less in the morning. This was definitely fit that criteria! I also added some goat cheese for some extra oomph and it was perfect.

To make this citrus kale salad with tahini dressing, I picked up some beautiful organic heirloom carrots to roast.

This was another easy one to make, outside of prepping the grapefruit - does anyone have any tips for ditching the pith?? I happily did and it was worth the effort, but there HAS to be an easier way, no? Loved this salad and all the components and the carrots were a beautiful, colourful touch.

On the weekend, Corbin and I had a super cute bike date in the sunshine and headed to Maha's for lunch!

I want to do a full post about my love for Maha's at some point in the future. I've been lucky to know Maha and her family for years, after I met them when I was in high school and volunteered with a youth choir. I had the pleasure of enjoying Maha's cooking and recipes and was so excited when her passion led her to opening a restaurant. It is nothing short of amazing.

On Saturday, Corbin and I landed the coziest corner of the restaurant, which was the perfect spot to enjoy my foule (a bean dish) with sunny eggs and cumin homefries. So good!

The spices, the texture, the flavours, the mix of old and new - everything at Maha's is divine and it's wonderful to see friends doing what they love! More on Maha's to come.

Do you have any go-to lunches that you love to pack?