Monday Meals: Chocolate Banana "Ice Cream" Cake

You will need:

• A mini cheesecake pan
• 1 Banana
• 1 TBSP Cocoa powder
• 1 portion last week's dark chocolate for one (optional but highly recommended)
• Frozen berries (optional)

1.Throw banana and cocoa powder in the blender (or mush very very well with a fork.)

2. Pour cocoa banana mixture into a cheesecake pan. To make your life easier, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper first.

3. Top with frozen berries 

4. Throw in the freezer

I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to freeze. I make the cake in the morning and leave it in the freezer all day, then have it after dinner for desert! I eat this all to myself but I suppose you could share… 

You'll want to take it out 10 minutes before eating because it'll be hard as a rock! After popping it out of the cake pan, pour the dark chocolate recipe on top and it'll harden instantly like magic! Enjoy =D

DIY Fridays: Cheap and easy art portfolio

This one is for the artists and art students out there! Or anyone who has to cart around large drawings.

I just started the BCIT Interior Design program this year and spent an entire paycheque just on school supplies! I was not willing to invest another $200 in a portfolio but I still needed something to carry my drawings in, so I made my own. 

You will need:

• Waterproof portfolio cover ($5-$20 at art stores depending on the size. Mine was $7 for a 26"x32")
• 2 foam boards (around $3 each for a 20"x30" at art stores)
• Duck tape ($1.25 at dollar giant)

1. Duck tape all the edges of both foamboards (if you don't do this, the edges will be too rough)

2. Put the foamboards side by side

3. Tape the boards together at the top, the centre, and the bottom

4. Flip them over and do the same to the other side

And you're done! You have something to carry your oversized drawings in

my disproportionate cubes

Monday Meals: Dark chocolate for 1

This recipe is perfect for a lonely night in. It's based on Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe, but I've modified it so it makes a single serving. When it comes to chocolate, I do not understand the concept of portion control, so I prefer making single servings for myself, especially when I'm alone and there's no one to help me eat it. 

You will need:

• 1 TBSP cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP coconut oil (Costco- $16 for a giant tub)
• 1/2 teaspoon agave syrup 
• Mini cupcake liners
• Any add-ins your heart desires (you'll want salted pretzels, trust me.)

1. Melt coconut oil in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time until liquified.

2. Mix all the ingredients together and whisk well with a fork.

3. Throw your add-ins into the cupcake liners. Sadly, I ran out of pretzels.

( I used salted almonds, sea salt, peanut butter & dried pomegranate seeds.)

4. Pour the chocolate sauce on top of the add-ins.

4. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes (or freeze for 10 if you're inpatient like me) and enjoy!

What they look like after you pop them out of the cupcake liners

In the past I've used popcorn, sprinkles, hazelnuts, pistachios, shredded coconut, coffee grinds and sea salt.

"Birthday chocolates" for my boyfriends birthday dinner with salted popcorn and sprinkles 

I've made bigger batches of these for dinners and they were a huge hit. Coconut oil has a low melting point so they do melt in your hands and can make a mess, but no one seemed to mind. 

They go wonderfully with wine too 

Coffee chocolates 

Instead of making individual chocolates you could also make 1 big bar like the one below. Just lay some parchment paper down on the lid of a Tupperware box, pour the chocolate mixture on top then lay another sheet of parchment paper on top and refrigerate. 

Almonds & pink Himalayan sea salt

There's other cool uses for this chocolate sauce too!

You could pour it on your popcorn like in the photo above. If you pour it on ice cream it hardens instantly like DQ cone dip! It's delicious poured all over hot oatmeal too. The best part is it's guilt free! I mean if Dr.Oz says coconut oil is good for you...

What do you like in your chocolates?

Monday Meals: Kimchi fried Quinoa

I work in a sushi restaurant where they make this deliciously greasy kimchi fried rice. I wanted to recreate this dish so that its lighter and packed with more nutrition than white rice and canola oil have to offer.

What you need for 1 serving:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (directions on how to cook quinoa here)
• 1 cup or more spinach
• 1/2 cup kimchi (if you live in the lower mainland, you can get this in any grocery store)
• 1 garlic clove crushed (or to taste)
• 1/2 TBSP coconut oil (or any good high heat oil, grape seed works too!)
• 1 tsp Sriracha (optional for extra spice)

Optional garnishes:

• Green onion
• Sesame seeds 
• Sriracha 
• Seaweed

1. Heat your oil in a pan

2. Add garlic & cook until fragrant 

3. Throw in kimchi & sauté with the garlic until kimchi starts to wilt

4. Add your quinoa & stir fry for a minute or 2

5. Add the spinach at the very end and cook until the spinach wilts 

That is all. Super easy!

You can add mushrooms, veggie ground rounds, tempeh, tofu, (or meat if you're a carnivore.) I like to keep it simple. Adding too many things takes away from the kimchi flavour. 

Happy Monday!

Sunday Steals: $15 summer outfit from Garage

I know its not exactly shorts weather but how can I say no to $10 high waisted shorts?

Can you believe this entire outfit was only $15? $5 for the top and $5 for the bottom. 

Thats what I like to see on a price tag!

I love how versatile these pieces are.

I paired the top with my favourite jeans 

and the shorts with tights, a cable knit and ankle boots. Much more weather appropriate

The shorts could use a little more length in the back, but beggars can't be choosers. 

I can't wait to wear this outfit next summer! Only a few more months to go...

What was your best bargain find?

DIY Fridays: Easy peasy photo project

This will take you about 5 minutes...

Here's what you need:

• string lights
• a hammer
• a nail
• clothespins 
• photos 

1. Hammer a nail into the wall to hang your lights from.

2. Clip the clothespins right next to the lights.

3. Clip your photos to the clothespins so that each photo has a light behind it like so:

Your photos will be lit up from behind.

What NOT to do

What to do 

The only trick with this is to make sure ALL the lights are BEHIND the photos and there are no lights sticking out.

Thats all... Told ya it was easy!

Here are my pictures hanging in my little work area. Unfortunately there's nowhere to plug the lights in on that wall, but they look good while they're not lit too!

Monday Meals: No bake Fibre 1 Monsters

Sometimes I like to have something small & sweet with my coffee. By sometimes I mean any time I have a coffee. So what's a girl to do when the cookie supply is gone? Make more of course! I wanted something quick, semi-healthy, and no bake. I came across this Fibre 1 recipe and gave it my own twist.

What you need:

• 1/3 of your favourite chocolate bar ( I used Aero Dark $1.70 at your local gas station)
• 1 Heaping TBSP peanut butter
• 1 cup Fibre 1 Original Cereal (All Bran Buds work too)
•  Goji berries, craisins, or red mini M&M's for the eyes ( I used dried goji berries)

 1. Melt Peanut butter and 1/3 of your chocolate bar in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until mixture is completely softened (time varies depending on the chocolate bar you use).

2. Pour cereal into peanut butter/ chocolate mixture.

 3. Stir stir stir! Until cereal is evenly coated.

4. Plop spoon fulls of the mix onto a tray lined with parchment or aluminum foil (or they will stick).

5. Stick the "eyes" on.

6. Refrigerate until they solidify (about 10 min).

Aren't they cute? And just in time for Halloween!

Speaking of Halloween, here are some cheap last minute costume ideas:

Darth Vader: $5 mask and zero effort required.

Couples costume idea: Darth and Chewbacca's night out

Comic book character: all you need is a steady hand and some costume makeup

Cheers to Monday! What's your favourite chocolate bar?