Woman in Real Life

My affection for muffins is no secret. I may have mentioned my love for these portable, healthy snacks about two dozen times on this blog. It's funny because I don't really eat bread often. It doesn't excite me much so I see it as a waste of calories. Muffins, on the other hand, are a bread-type product I can get behind! Especially when they are homemade, wholesome and full of fruity goodness, like these vegan Peach Walnut Muffins. These muffins would make a lovely Christmas morning breakfast addition. Munch on them while the kiddies open their gifts. They will also transition well into the New Year, when you're feeling all that post-holiday guilt and looking for healthier snacks.

Over the Christmas holidays, we'll definitely be hitting our favourite all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant...maybe more than once! But the leisurely days of vacation also offer up time for experimenting in the kitchen. It's a good opportunity to make your own sushi rolls (maki) if you've never done it before, or even if you have. If you're new to sushi making, it seems more complicated than it is. Once you get the hang of it, it's an easy and convenient process. Make a little sushi for a snack or a lot for dinner, and get the family involved. Kids can layer the toppings on the seaweed and try their hand at rolling the sushi. Our latest family favourite homemade sushi rolls are these Peach Avocado Sushi Rolls With Teriyaki Sauce. They are simple to make and have a fresh taste that combines sweet and savoury elements.

A couple of weeks back, I shared a recipe for warm, buttery Peach Perfection Vegan Scones. Today I'm sharing another easy baking recipe that takes advantage of canned peaches. I like to use canned California cling peaches in baked goods because they are convenient to keep in the pantry no matter the season and the peaches are already peeled so you can sweep them into a bowl and have a delicious treat on the table faster than you can get to the coffee shop.

The key advantage to baking your snacks and desserts at home, besides better flavour, is knowing exactly what you're eating. No mystery additives or artificial flavours. Just pure, natural ingredients that come together to make a tasty and wholesome treat. Like these Peach Oatmeal Snack Bars.

I have been all about scones lately. I suspect it has to do with those feelings we get in the middle of winter - the desire to shut ourselves off from the (grey and dismal) outside world and snuggle in with a cuppa and a warm baked good. Hibernation is oh so tempting in January! But as we are also meant to be thinking of good health in the new year, I thought I'd create a comforting vegan scone recipe with added nutritional benefits, using fruit that's easy to find in winter.

Perhaps you can start the new year off with a total commitment to eating healthy foods like salads, fruits, vegetables and legumes, without any chocolaty desserts or sweet candies. But I'll bet that come February most of us are about ready for a change of pace. That's where balance comes into the equation.

I have been doing well this January, focusing on smoothies, smoothie bowls like my Peach Pie Smoothie Bowl, juices and salads. But I have a long history of devotion to dessert and I know that denying myself any sweets won't work indefinitely. So recently I created this healthy dessert parfait to satisfy my cravings in a healthy way - a way that doesn't encourage overindulging.

This Peach Pie Smoothie Bowl is the New Year's healthy answer to peach pie. It's a tasty blend of California cling peaches, a touch of decadent coconut cream, bananas, Medjool dates and toppings like coconut, blueberries, oats, chia cereal and cinnamon. Besides being super healthy and delicious, this peach smoothie bowl is vegan and gluten-free. It makes for a great start to your day or even a satisfying evening snack. If you fill up on something healthy in the evening, you're sure to reduce junk food cravings.

During long, cold winters like this one, I find it difficult to keep enough fresh fruit in the house. Often the quality of produce available in grocery stores in winter is not up to par. And even when the fruit is better quality, the price can be prohibitive.

Inspired by the need for more fruit in my family's diet, I created this light yet satisfying Sunny Peach Salad using canned California Cling Peaches. This refreshing salad sits on a bed of baby spinach. It has a gentle sweetness from the peaches and a tangy punch from canned beets. Despite its refreshing lightness, it makes a filling lunch or dinner starter, in part because of the healthy fat provided by fresh avocado. Tasty pecans add protein as well as more fibre and a pleasing crunchy texture.