George Street – St. John’s Newfoundland.

hey guys!

I have so many amazing pictures, so I’m trying to figure out how to share them all with you! 

So I figured I’d do it area by area… so today is George Street, which is a street blocked off, full of good old Newfie pubs & bars… or barrrrrrrrrr which is how you say it here ;)

While you are looking click the play button to hear one of the musicians we heard… it’s an amazing song about Newfoundland!

I took a picture of every bar on the street, so you can get a feel for the place!

 

Trapper John’s – 1 of 2 places to get screeched in… (we went somewhere else!)

It’s a fun street, most of the bar’s have live music, at least a few times per week.

It’s not a long street, but just packed… every single building is another one.

Green Sleeves is the Pub I spent most of our time at.  Live bands both nights!!  Awesome!

Apparently I didn’t get a picture of the bar I got screeched in at… but I have pictures of the actual event, for a different post ;)

D made me take a picture of this…

because apparently no night on George Street is complete with out some “Ziggy Peelgood” fries… (I never tried them, so I can’t say!) haha

There you have it folks!!  George Street at it’s finest!  I had tons of fun here, even not drinking…. the music is AMAZING… people are friendly, what more can you ask for?

Hope you enjoyed this!!  Lots more pictures where these came from!!

Anywhoo, we are all tucked in after a 5 hour drive to Dave’s home town, which is tiny and beautiful… only about 8oo people.  The town is tucked into a pretty little ocean bay… pictures to come!! (once I get enough sleep to be able to function!) haha…

Enjoy your day,

Jess

ps. remember to “like” dairy free betty on facebook – I’ll be doing a “Newfoundland Treats” giveaway for facebook fan’s only in the next day or two!!  

Guest Poster – Pam!

Good morning guys!!  If you are in google reader, click onto my blog to see the new design??  How do you like it!??!

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I am SO excited about this post!! Pam, who “likes” Dairy Free Betty on facebook, took the bait when I was pleading for a non blogger to do a guest post!   I have known Pam forever and almost her whole family reads my blog (Hi Mandy and Judy!!)
Plus, Pam and family are also from Newfoundland (but lives on the island now too!!)
Welcome Pam and thanks so much for doing this – I think you should start one for sure!! ;)

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  I woke up this morning before everyone else and peeked outside to see.....................rain. What a surprise!!! We have had great weather for over a week now so no complaints. I showered, got ready for the day and decided that because it was pouring, it would be blog post day!

Soo I thought I would tell you all a bit about me. I am NOT dairy free or a blogger but am interested in new things, new healthy recipes that taste good and I absolutely love to cook. I find it's good for the soul. There is nothing better than a day spent cooking, baking and cleaning.

I live on Vancouver Island with a Husband, a 2 year old son and a cat. I am a stay at home Mom and love it (mostly!!LOL) I have known Jess since Elementary school and through the wonders of facebook, one of us found the other and voila I am here! Ok so enough rambling, on to the cooking!!

I decided to make Teriyaki Tofu.


I found the recipe in a (gasp) Martha Stewart book. I of course tweaked it because after all, recipe is merely a suggestion, not a rule.
Here's her version:

• 
  2 pkgs firm tofu, each sliced crosswise into 6 rectangles.
  
• 3 TBSP finely grated ginger( I love ginger and added double this amount!)
  
• 1/4 c. Soy Sauce
  
• 1 TBSP rice vinegar( unseasoned)
  
• 1 TBSP Sugar ( I used organic honey)
  
• 2 TSP cornstarch
  
• 2 TBSP vegetable oil
  
• 1 - 1 1/2 c. water
  
• (I added 3 cloves of grated garlic too)
  
• Press tofu. ( once sliced arrange on a single layer over paper towel on a baking sheet and layer with more paper towel and place a baking sheet on top to weigh it down)

Make sauce by whisking ginger, garlic, soy, cornstarch, vinegar, sugar, and 1 c of the water.

In large skillet heat 1 TBSP of oil over medium heat. Cook half the tofu until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes a side. Repeat with remaining tofu.

Heat remaining oil in skillet, add sauce and cook until just thick enough to coat a spoon. Return tofu to the pan and toss to coat.
I served it with Coconut Rice (sub coconut milk for water in the rice pot, add ginger,, garlic and onion all finely minced) and Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli.


So it was just me and my son tonight for dinner, my husband is working evenings right now, and we loved it.
My son( finicky 2 year old) ate two plate fulls and I ate my whole portion. I wasn't convinced on this recipe and am not a huge tofu fan............but loved it.

I threw a few cashews into the sauce at the end of cooking and it was awesome. It makes a lot though, we have lunch for tomorrow!
Well the rain has cleared and we are off to run off our tofu dinner! Thanks Jess for letting me borrow your "people" for a day and enjoy your trip. I am craving pineapple crush now!

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Thanks Pam!!  This looks amazing!! Thanks so much for doing this!  It’s a really fantastic recipe!!

Maybe if I have extra room, I’ll bring you back some pineapple crush!! :) 

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Last but not least, I am going to have a Newfoundland GIVEAWAY going down for my facebook fans only!  So make sure you come and “like” Dairy Free Betty!

Our Big Earth – Stuffed French Toast!

Hey guys,
I know I promised a wonderful blog post all about my adventures, but the sun is FINALLY shining today, so I am taking the day to go exploring (and eat at a Veg restaurant!) AND I totally forgot that my 2nd post on OUR BIG EARTH was up today…
So go HERE to see this lovely recipe for Stuffed French Toast!!
Up tomorrow, one of my lovely NON bloggers is doing a guest post and it’s AWESOME!! :) 
See ya tomorrow!!

Guest Post - Ilana (Vegetable Fettuccine a la Vodka)

Good morning guys!!   So happy to have a guest poster today, as we were out a little too late last night listening to live music and having a great time!!   Sooo sleepy and uncreative! haha 

Thanks so much to Ilana for doing a guest post for me.  Ilana's blog is fabulous and as I get to know her, she is one of the sweetest girls around!!  

Enjoy

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Hey hey party people! My name is Ilana and I write a blog called Happy Healthy Hottie, where I talk about overcoming my negative self image through healthy eating and lifestyle habits. I'm so excited Jess is letting me guest post on Dairy Free Betty! This wonderful blog has been a great resource for me ever since I removed dairy from my
life.

I was the girl who went vegetarian with the insistence that I would "rather die than give up dairy." As a child,
my #1 go-to meal (and comfort food) was a big bowl of angel hair pasta swimming in butter and parmesan cheese. Imagine my surprise, when, at 21 years old, my body no longer liked dairy? I was devastated! But,
I cut it out and I am a much happier girl for it. My family doesn't seem to always understand the "no dairy" concept e- they always try to "sneak it in" thinking I won't know so it won't bug me.

Wrong! I don't get it, you wouldn't ask someone to go roll in a patch of poison ivy, so why try to get me to eat something that makes me ill? I understand that my mom is concerned about how much calcium I am getting in my diet, but I eat tons of calcium-packed plant-based food every day, so I'm not worried! Some of my favorite plant food sources of calcium include brussels sprouts, kale, and other leafy greens, which pack a rich punch of iron in addition to calcium (good for those bones)!

My all-time favorite way to eat my calcium, though, is tahini! Tahini (or tahina, or tehina, or tehini, etc...
Because it isn't an English word, there is no official designated spelling) is the paste formed from ground sesame seeds. It can be raw, roasted, made from hulled or whole seeds, and there is even a tahini made from black sesame seeds available. I tend to buy raw, unhulled tahini but they are all excellent, and I doubt it makes a significant difference, taste-wise. I live in a neighborhood with a large Middle Eastern population, so tahini is easy to find, but if you don't see it in the ethnic foods section of your local grocery, check
at your local health food store by the nut butters.

Tahini is a permanent staple in my cupboard. My mother once described it to me as "the Middle Eastern mayo" and she was completely right on that count. I use it almost anywhere I want a touch of creaminess, especially salad dressings, and I eat it at least once a day!

This is one of my favorite ways to eat tahini - my revised version of my favorite childhood comfort food. While my days of slurping up ribbons of pasta drenched in rich, dairy-based dressings are long gone, this amazing vegan-ized fettuccine "a la vodka" quite makes up for it. In fact, this is definitely my new comfort meal, and I don't feel a bit guilty about it the next day!

To amp the healthy factor in this recipe, I use "fettuccine" made by peeling zucchini and carrots into long, thin strips with a vegetable peeler, but this sauce tastes delicious on top of your favorite pasta too! I'd recommend trying it out on top of penne, to replicate the Italian classic.

T
his recipe serves one - me! - so if you want to make more,simply multiply the measurements by however many people you're cooking for.

Vegetable Fettuccine a la Vodka

1 zucchini

2 medium carrots

1 cup broccoli, chopped into small pieces

1/3 cup marinara sauce (whatever you have on hand)
or crushed canned tomatoes

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp olive oil or water

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Set broccoli in a basket over boiling water to
steam for 5-7 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached.

While broccoli is steaming, rinse and peel your zucchini and
carrots into long, thin strips into a bowl, and mix.

In a separate, smaller bowl or a small blender, mix together
marinara, tahini, olive oil/water, and pepper until smooth.

Top zucchini and carrot noodles with broccoli, then pour the
marinara-tahini sauce over the whole thing.

Mix up well, serve, and enjoy!

I promise this is a dead-ringer for penne a'la vodka from your
favorite Italian restaurant! The broccoli and the noodles soak up the
sauce and each bite is flavorful and delicious. This colorful dish
never fails to pick up my mood at the end of a long day!

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Thanks Ilana - this sounds amazing!! 

Make sure to check out her blog Happy, Healthy, Hottie!

Her blog is awesome you'll love it!! 

Tomorrow I've got some more highlights of our trip for you!! Including some AMAZING live music! 

Take care, 

Jess

Newfoundland Part 2

Hey guys,

Sorry for the lack of posting, we have just been meeting up with friends and doing some shopping!!   Nothing super blog-able!!

Last night though we went up to Signal Hill!

I will go again and take better pictures, it was starting to get dark.

Click on the photos to see them larger!!

View of Downtown St. John’s

The other direction…

haha I look bald in this picture too!!

So pretty up here, but soooo chilly!!

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There have also been some good eats!! I’ve been trying to stuff in as much veggies/fruit as possible… so far so good…

Lunch – spinach/romaine salad with chicken and mandarin oranges – so good, and I couldn’t finish it, it was too huge!! 

D had his 2 favourite Newfoundland tradition…

Garlic cheese fingers and a Black Horse Beer…

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The next day  we went for breakfast at Cora’s with some friends– I have heard about Coras from other East Coast bloggers… I was excited – but had no idea what to expect…

This was amazing – bagel with lox/capers (no cream cheese/butter) and so much fruit…  I ended up taking home 1/2 the fruit because there was just too much!!  Beautiful hey?  I can’t wait to go back!

mmmm so good!!

We haven’t been eating much because we have been waking up late (12 ish due to the time difference still) and have brunch and then dinner later…. plus I have tons of tasty healthy snacks stored away in our room!! :)

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Other than that, we have been strolling down George Street –which is loaded with a million bars… this is it while quite…

about 2 hours later it was jam packed with drunk folk… haha

Anywhoo… I am looking for a few more guest posters, so if you are interested let me know through here, twitter or email!! :)

Jess

Hello!!!!!!!!

hey guys,

No post today, nothing exciting going down… did lots of shopping though!!  woo hoo!! :)  I never find stuff I like, and today I scored!!  Maybe i’ll post pictures later!! 

Hope everything is good in your neck of the woods…

 

ps. I didn’t get screeched in last night, thanks for the prayers ;) hehe

Screeched In

Hey guys,

So we made is safe and sound after over 12 hours of travelling.  3 planes later, we show up in St. John’s and IT’S SNOWING!   ICK

It’s gone away now, and it was fine anyways, since I was so tired – we got to our hotel room and I slept for about 3 hours, we went for dinner and I came home and slept for 16 more!!   There is a 4.5 hour time difference here, so hopefully now I’m caught up!

Have seen much yet except this…

and our view from our room

St. John’s is known for their beautiful colored houses.

D mentioned these were lower cost housing type houses, so the real ones we’ll see will be much more fun!!

First thing D bought when we got here…

Pineapple Crush!!!!!!!!!!!!!  which I think you can only get in Newfoundland!!!  It’s  good, but probably the sweetest drink you could ever imagine...

Trying to wake up here now (it’s 11:30am –BC time is 7:00am) so we’re both still feeling off!!  Then it’s off to get some groceries to stock up the room, do some sight seeing,  a BBQ at our old roomates place (who moved here last year) and then… (pray for me) a night out drinking with a bunch of Dave’s Newfie friends…   A) I don’t drink  much – one drink and I’m done  B) There is a very good chance I will have to get “screeched in” to become an honorary Newfie…

Here is an example of what getting screeched in looks like… (please watch it’s very entertaining)

It includes; trying to speak in Newfie Slang, while wearing clothing they choose, eat a capeline (fish), drink a shot of screech (gross rum) and then kiss a dead, cold cod fish.

 

Please pray for me, this could be an interesting evening!! 

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I’m scared…. haha

 

Jess

Guest Poster – Christie!

Hey guys! 

While I’m traveling across the country,  I thought I would entertain you with a lovely guest post from Christie @ Honoring Health.    She has a delicious homemade chocolate coconut milk ice cream recipe for you!! Sounds delish!!  Thanks Christie for doing this!! :)

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Hi Dairy Free Betty readers! My name is Christie and I write the blog Honoring Health, a blog about Honoring Mind, Body and Spirit through Intuitive Eating and Holistic Wellness.

I am thrilled to be writing this post for Jess while she is away.

Today, I would like to share with you a recipe for one of my favorite treats as the weather warms up – homemade chocolate coconut milk ice cream.

Part of the process of learning to eat intuitively was tuning into my body’s signalsand feeding it the food that makes it sing and unfortunately, dairy isn’t one of them. So, as any ice cream loving girl would, I started making my own!

This chocolate coconut milk ice cream is rich and creamy and totally satisfies that ice cream craving. I also use this recipe as a base for more fun flavors like rocky road or peanut butter swirl. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Homemade Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Makes about a Quart

2 cans coconut milk

1/2 cup agave nectar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp xanthum gum

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and process until mixed very well. Place the mixture into the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and process again just to be sure it is stirred well. Add to your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions. I have found that with coconut milk ice cream, the longer, the better. I left mine in the ice cream maker for about 40 minutes. Remove from the maker and scoop into a freezer safe dish and freeze until ready to serve. If you eat it right away, it will be more like soft serve but if you freeze it before eating, it will be more like store bought. The xanthum gum helps with creaminess as well as preventing iciness. Enjoy!

Thank you, Jess for allowing me to write a post of your fabulous blog! And thank you all for reading, stop on over toHonoring Health at anytime, I’d love to see you all there!

Get to know you (me) Huh??

First off…. the winner of the lovely Glass Dharma gift certificate! 

which is…

I am SOOOO happy she won, she was convinced that she was going to win it too!! haha… I chuckled when I found out it was her!! Ali – I will send your info off to Glass Dharma after I hit publish!! :)

Lots more good giveaways coming up soon guys!!

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Since I haven’t been feeling well the last few days… and haven’t eaten a single thing fun at all…  I decided to do the get to know you (me?) section!!  I am loving the “get to know you” part of my blog!!  And I was thinking that these would be fun questions for me to answer too!!

What is your name?  Jessica

Blog addy if you have one? I think you may know this already.

What inspired you to start blogging? Oh She Glows, hands down.  I found her so interesting!

Give us a quick bio of who you are? 30, engaged (Wedding in February), cute doggie, currently somewhat unemployed (working some random jobs here and here), going back to school full time in September (super nervous),  dairy free (bet you didn’t know that one? haha)

What are 3 foods that you always have in your house? Eggs, popcorn kernels, typically kale!

Favourite recipe? (provide link if you have it) I have a tie right now,  My red thai curry recipe and Averies Raw Cookie Dough Balls.

What is your food eating style? (Whatever I see; clean; veggie; vegan; etc)  I’m not a labels kinda girl.  Of course I am dairy free, I try to eat clean, but let’s be honest, no body is perfect.  I try to stick to healthy foods (and I mostly do) but my mouth waters when D has garlicy, cheesey pizza bread….  mmmm

If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life… what would it be? Sushi… hands down… bring it on… (with spicy mayo please)

If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why? Hot pink!!!  Because I just love that color and it explains my personality!

If I gave you a million dollars, and I told you that you had to spend it in 1 week – what would you do with it? Travellllllllllllll… white sandy beaches, Buddha-ful places (like Thailand) – Then come home and pay off all zeee bills… and maybe a few other peoples too!!

If you could have one super hero quality – what would it be, and why? I want the ability to save the world!  No big deal. 

If you were having a “themed” dinner part – what would be the theme, and what would you cook? My favourite restaurant experiences was definitely Moroccan.  If I had all the money in the world, I would transform my living room into a Moroccan tent – pillows, carpets – luxury. Hand washing between each meal…    For dinner I would make the lovely pickled veggie salads, the soup, Couscous and a lamb tangine.  Followed by desert and fresh mint tea. 

List 3 of your favourite blogs with links…  I love a lot of blogs… but I get excited when the following are updated lately.  And I want to make sure it’s blogs I don’t chit chat about on a regular basis (Mama Pea, Oh She Glows and Girl on Raw) because you all know I love these guys!!

So here are 3 new ones!

#1 Chloe @ Naturally Frugal  just got engaged, so of course I am extra loving her’s right now!! Go give your congrats!! (Their story is super cute)

#2 Run Sarah is a new blogger I’ve “met” through the BC Blogger get together we are planning for this summer!! (Email me if you want the details) -  She details all the yummy veggie food she eats and it looks amazing!!

#3 Tracy at Tropical Happiness – she is just a lovely person… her blog is fun and upbeat – and right now she has a wedding recap (it was her anniversary yesterday) and she was a BEAUTIFUL bride!!

-This is an extra because EVERY food blogger should see this website…  Tastespotting – most amazing/inspiring photos eva!!

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Probably won’t see a blog post from me tomorrow – we are starting out long journey to Newfoundland (West Coast – East Coast!!)

Lots left to do – finish packing, return some stuff, pick up more invitations, see if I can find Vega’s new shake and go product…(high on my list).   Plus we have friends staying at our house while we are gone, so have to spend the day cleaning up for their stay… – haha they jumped at the chance to be in a house with a hot tub and backyard!!

I do have a bunch of guest bloggers lined up for you guys though!! And I will be doing random posts while we are gone!! 

Ciao for now my dears!!

Jess

A few tasty treats!

Bonjour my lovely blog readers…

I have some tasty treats in store for you today.

First off a few people asked me how to make Guinness Fried Onions!! 

Heat a pan with oil, toss in one onion and a splash of water.  Sauté away until the water is gone, then add in about 1/4 cup of Guinness.  Once the beer has evaporated add more, until about have used most of the can of beer.  Sprinkle with some salt… Delish!  They get super caramelized and delicious!

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I got inspired the other day and finally made some “Cashew Cream”

Into the food processor went about 2/3 cup of cashews, 2 TBSP maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla and enough water to puree until creamy.

Then pour over fresh fruit, or oatmeal….

A M A Z I N G

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last but not least… last week Jocelyn @ Jocelyn Eats Fresh tweeted a recipe for BROWNIE in a cup…

Hello… it took about 2 mins to get ready and about 2 mins to cook…  Then I topped it with banana soft serve…

Hello Gorgeous…  This was fantastic…

Very chocolately…  Check out the recipe here…

Make it, you won’t be disappointed!! :)

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I promise I have been eating other things besides sweets, but none of them have been tasty enough to blog about!!

I am off to a lovely pedicure now (I haven’t had one in  forever)  Thanks Amanda for the GC!!!

Last day to enter my Glass Dharma Giveaway, don’t miss out!!

Question of the day!!  We are traveling to the East Coast very soon… Wondering what your healthy food traveling tips are?  What to do you bring to eat on the plane etc???

Jess