All you need is LOVE

John Lennon sang it best, "all you need is love". I truly believe this. Amongst everything that can happen throughout our lives, we couldn't survive without love. You don't have to pay for it, you don't see it at a store, you LIVE and BREATHE it. Love is created all around for us to embrace and give back in return. Are you accepting of love?  One of my favourite quotes is, "life happens when we are busy making other plans", so get out there and enjoy it!

I also highly recommend a dog, animals are full of unconditional love :)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see one of my greatest friend's marry her prince charming at the Banff Springs Hotel in Calgary. And let me tell you, love was in the air! And not just between the bride and groom, but their family, friends and even the atmosphere was all filled with something very special and sacred. I love LOVE. Always have, always will, and I've made it my mission to spread as much of it around as I can. Since I'm in a committed relationship (get your minds out of the gutter!) the love I spread is of friendship, humour and really trying to make people happy and smile. How do you share love? Sometimes you will make a connection with someone you just met and it will impact your life forever. Remember that every encounter has its place in our lives, if we're open to it. Just some food for thought for you today :)

The people we had the privilege of meeting this weekend, many from out of town (Toronto, Halifax, PEI) were all so gracious and excited to celebrate, the energy was infectious. It was so fun hanging out before the wedding and even more fun reminiscing with the bride to be about when we lived together and all the crazy memories we've shared over the years. She is an amazing friend and her and her husband I know will live happily ever after. Here are some pics from the wedding, check out the hot bridesmaids ;)

 

Alright, now that the mushy part is done, let me share what we ate on the weekend! The chefs at the Banff Springs definitely didn't disappoint. The rehearsal dinner on Friday, wedding on Saturday and brunch on Sunday were all delicious, along with the many bottles of wine we consumed...opps. I had every intention of sticking to my gluten-free nutrition plan, however some pumpkin cheesecake and sticky toffee may of snuck onto my plate, damn you sweet tooth! I did bring a few trusty Elevate and Quest bars for healthy snacking in between the wedding and pictures etc, but this stuff was too good to pass up. Here are some pictures below of our brunch; buttermilk pancakes and chicken sausage, a palate sorbet cleanser in between meals at the wedding (may of also been used as a wine glass, nothing but class over here!), a gourmet chicken dish, Swiss chard, carrot cheese cake, sticky toffee pudding (a PEI favourite) and room service dishes. SO GOOD!

That's pretty much the wedding recap in a nut shell, mixed with speeches, tears, lots of laughs and dancing. It was fantastic. Now I need to start working on planning my wedding. I still have a year right?!

I mentioned in my last post that I would share some quick snack ideas I grab when I'm in a rush (which is too much lately), so here you are:

Elevate bars:

My favourite "protein bar" by far. They are made with all natural ingredients (that you can actually pronounce), are gluten and wheat free, have a mixed balance of protein and carbs and taste great. Here is the website if you'd like more info: http://www.prosnack.com/

Quest Bars:

Quest bars are quite popular on the fitness front these days so I had to find out what all the hype was about. They have 20g of protein, 4g of fiber, no added sweeteners and considered to be low carb. They are also relatively low calorie (about 170 per bar) and taste pretty good I must say. I've heard they can be hard to find in Calgary, but I've seen them at Nutrition House and GNC. http://www.questproteinbar.com/

 

Home made Bars:

Obviously the best choice since you can use your own ingredients but I admit I only make these once in a while. I've found a few different recipes online and created my own concoctions but they are all very similar. In an effort to finally post this blog, I am giving you a borrowed recipe (with a few modifications I've made) from PaleOMG, a blog I read frequently. These bars taste delicious and here is her exact link to them: http://paleomg.com/strawberry-protein-bars/

Protein Bars (nut free)

 

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 8-10

 

Ingredients

• 1 package (6 ounces) of Paleo Dried Strawberries (Could you any dried fruit as long as it's not processed with added sugar)
• 1 container (7.5 ounces) of PaleoKrunch Nut Free Cereal (Could you Love Crunch Granola which is what I used)
• 3 tablespoons coconut cream concentrate or homemade coconut butter (Can buy at Community Natural Foods or Planet Organic)
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter (I used almond butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 scoops Formulx Vanilla Protein Powder (protein powder of your choice or omit completely)
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Add dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until the strawberries begin to break down into small pieces.
2. Then add paleokrunch cereal to the food processor mix well until combined with the dried strawberries.
3. Add coconut cream concentrate, honey, sunflower seed butter, vanilla, protein powder and salt to the food processor and mix until completely combined.
4. Line a glass 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Add mixture from the food processor into the baking dish and press down evenly to flatten out throughout the dish.
5. Place in freezer to let set for an hour or longer.
6. Cut into 8-10 granola bars or whatever size suits you.
7. Keep refrigerated until serving.
8. I've added this as my favourite part of the recipe: Make your favourite hot cup of coffee or tea (my pumpkin chai-tea latte is a great choice), wrap yourself in your coziest blanet on the couch, and dip one of these babies into your drink and enjoy. Pure bliss right ;) 

 

 

OKAY, this blog is officially done. I might need to start making them shorter so I can post more frequently, but I always seem to have so much to say! Happy Hump day all, have a great day!

Sending you many blessings and love,
Sam xo