If you feel bloated or gassy after consuming dairy milk, then you could be lactose intolerant, or simply have sensitivity to dairy. Continuing to consume these products without addressing the root cause will only leave you feeling uncomfortable and eventually lead to inflammation in the body.

Lucky for you, we now have many dairy-free options on the market such as nut milks, oat and rice milks to enjoy your morning cereal, smoothies and yummy milkshakes. But if you only knew how many unnecessary ingredients go into commercially prepared nut milks, you would not want to consume them.

SO WHAT'S THE FIX? Make it yourself at home... yes, DIY your nut milk. :)

Today I share with you my delicious coconut milk recipe that only takes 5 minutes to make. And then we use what we make and turn it into a smooth creamy ICED SPICED CHOCOLATTE. OH YES! Sounds yumm? Let's get started!

TIP: Check out full instructions in this video.

Coconut Milk Ingredients:
~ Makes 2 servings

• 2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• Cheesecloth and blender

Directions:

1. Pour water and coconut into a blender. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This will help break down the coconut fats and flavours.
2. Blend on high for 20 seconds.
3. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth.
4. Enjoy, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

TIP: Use the coconut leftover in cakes and cookies. Or toast them and sprinkle on smoothie bowls.

Spiced Chocolatte Ingredients:
~ Makes 2 servings

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 4 squares of dark chocolate bar
• 4 medjool dates
• 2 shots of espresso
• Spices of your choice (cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice cloves, vanilla, cayenne pepper)

Directions:
Blend on high, serve on ice! :)

Store bought granola bars come loaded with sugar and unnecessary ingredients. If you want simple chewy gooey granola bars made from scratch that don't spike up your blood sugar, check out this recipe. Enjoy them as snack bars, or break them into a yogurt parfait for breakfast.

~ Makes 6 granola bars

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups rolled oats
• ½ cup of add-ons of your choice (I used roasted chopped almonds, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips) anything goes!
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
3. Combine the dry ingredients - oats, coconut and the add-ons.
4. Add the wet ingredients - honey, coconut oil and vanilla.
5. Combine thoroughly with a spatula.
6. Pour into the loaf pan and press down very firmly (this is important, otherwise your bars will fall apart).
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Let it cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then place it in the fridge for another 30 minutes. NOTE: do not remove from pan until fully cooled, otherwise it will all fall apart.
8. Remove from pan and cut into rectangular bars.
9. Enjoy with two tablespoons of plain yogurt and some berries. Yumm!

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Colourful food boosts you mood, don't you think? This beautiful quiche spin off comes with a gluten-free 'crust' made with layered purple potatoes, and topped with all the goodness a quiche presents.

For a lighter, healthier weekend brunch, try this colourful dish. It will feed both, your eyes and your appetite.

- Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 purple potato, peeled and thinly sliced in circles
  
• 1 cup fresh or frozen spinach
  
• 1/2 sliced tomato
  
• 1/4 onion, sliced
  
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
  
• 2 eggs 
  
• 1 egg white
  
• 2 tbsp goat cheese
  
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon (or any other fresh herb)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease 6" x 3" round pan with oil or butter.
   
3. Tightly layer the potatoes overlapping each other.
   
4. Lightly brush the potatoes with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
   
5. In the meantime, sauté the onions in a pan, add the spinach and combine.
   
6. With a whisk combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
   
7. Arrange the spinach mixture over the potatoes.
   
8. Align the sliced tomatoes and goat cheese.
   
9. Pour the egg mixture.
   
10. Sprinkle with chopped tarragon.
    
11. Bake the quiche at 375°F for 30 minutes.
    
12. Let the quiche cool for five minutes before serving.
    

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Did you know a broccoli is a giant bundle of unopened flowers. Yes, how amazing is that? And a cup of broccoli contains more vitamin C than an orange. So eat up these beautiful flowers!

Here is a quick and easy broccoli soup recipe I experimented with yesterday. If you're pressed for time, this soup only requires about 20 minutes to cook. It's wholesome, nutritious and delicious. Even the kids will love it!

Serves 3-4 people
~ Prep time: 10 minutes
~ Cook time: 15 minutes
~ Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1L organic broth (chicken or vegetarian)
  
• 1 peeled chopped potato
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
  
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs for garnish

Directions:

1. Toss all the ingredients into a pot.
2. Add broth, and bring to a boil.
3. Once the potato is well cooked, the soup is ready to be creamed.
4. With a hand blender, mix the soup to a creamy consistency.
5. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and enjoy!

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~ Yields 8 balls
~ Prep Time: 15 minutes
~ Total Time: 45 minutes

Matcha is one of my favourite superfoods! It is literally stone ground green tea powder, packed with anti-oxidants, fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins.

Matcha helps fight inflammation and free-radicals in the body. It can help lower cholesterol, provide an energy boost and prevent disease. In fact, one cup of matcha is equivalent to 10 cups of green tea! Add it to almond paste, and you got a super healthy, energizer snack!

When your sugar cravings hit you, these matcha delights are a healthy go to snack. They are full of healthy fats, proteins and nutrients, and very low in sugar. They won't raise your blood sugar and crash your energy, and you won't feel guilty eating them. Enjoy!

 
Are your sugar cravings holding you hostage in your own body?
Join us in the 21-Day Crave Crusher program on May 14! This is a LIVE online program for women with a sweet tooth, to take you from craving sweets to trimming your waistline, supercharging your energy and regaining your feminine glow – without giving up your favourite desserts!

For more info visit: https://bareholistic.lpages.co/cravecrusher/

I was craving mushroom soup the other day, so I started googling for a recipe. To my surprise, I could not find a recipe that I liked. They either contained wheat and dairy, or cornstarch (one of those highly processed ingredients) that I don't recommend using.

So ... I decided to experiment with my own ingredients and here is how it turned out.

DELICIOUS! CREAMY! FLAVORFUL!

Now THIS is a delicious bowl of cream of mushrooms!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Ingredients:

• 9 mushrooms
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of broth (chicken or vegetarian)
• 1 cup of coconut cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Chop up the onions and mushrooms, stir fry in a pan with a little oil or butter.
   
2. Squeeze in the garlic, add salt and pepper.
   
3. Pour in the broth and coconut cream, bring everything to a boil.
   
4. Let it cool a little, then blend with a hand blender until creamy.
   
5. Add fresh cilantro and serve.

TIP: You can use any types of mushrooms. To intensify the flavour, you can also grill the mushrooms first.

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"The healthiest cookies on the planet!" It's almost like eating a salad. :)

I have always enjoyed a decadent moist slice of carrot cake. But when you get lazy and are in need of a quick 'carrot cake fix-me up', you can make these simple carrot cake cookies!

These cookies are moist, yummy goodness, so healthy that you can even eat them for breakfast. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, suitable for vegans. They are full of nutrients, and yumminess.
(Adapted from www.mindovermunch.com)

So let's get to it!

Yields: 7 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
TOTAL: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large very ripe banana
• 1 medium grated carrot
• 1 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• A pinch of nutmeg and ground cloves

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In one bowl mix the wet ingredients: banana, butter, honey, vanilla.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients: oats, nuts, baking soda, spices; mix well.
5. Add the carrots and mix.
6. With a large spoon scoop out cookie size amounts of dough onto the baking sheet.
7. Flatten the cookies to your desired thickness. Note: these cookies don't rise.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Are your sugar cravings holding you hostage in your own body?
Join us in the 21-Day Crave Crusher program on May 14! This is a LIVE online program for women with a sweet tooth, to take you from craving sweets to trimming your waistline, supercharging your energy and regaining your feminine glow – without giving up your favourite desserts!

For more info visit: https://bareholistic.lpages.co/cravecrusher/

Who said baking needs to be complicated? Here is a simple almond cake with only 4 ingredients. And may I say, there is no guilt in eating this cake. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, loaded with almonds and no refined white sugar - just pure goodness! The cake comes out fluffy and spongy, oh YUM!
(Adapted from mom's kitchen :))

Yields: 4 slices
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes
TOTAL: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 100 g almond flour
• 50 g coconut sugar (I actually only use 25 g)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
2. Prepare a 6"x3" pan with parchment paper.
3.Beat the egg whites until white peaks form.
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with coconut sugar.
5. Add vanilla and almond flour, and mix until well combined.
6. Add the egg whites, gently mix until well combined.
7. Pour the mixture into your pan, bake for 20 minutes.
8. Let it cool, and enjoy!