Winter Sparkle (Molasses Cookies)

Spice and sparkle: two things that my winter cannot be complete without. I'm not talking spice in the form of cayenne & capsicum. I'm talking cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. Whether you've got lattes-a-brewin' or cookies-a-bakin', nothing beats the cold weather comfort derived from something warm and spiced. The fragrances alone are enough to entice you to curl up under a blanket in front of a fireplace (or radiator) with your favourite person (or book) occasionally glancing outside to appreciate the aesthetics of the season. While this festive time consistently inspires twinkling lights, glittery greeting cards and sequinned attire, Winter's ultimate shine comes from that iridescent sparkle that only truly occurs for a precious few moments as the sun rises over the blanket of an overnight snowfall. 

If only I could have something that was both sparkled and spiced...

Oh! That's right. I can. These cookies. Molasses, cardamom and cinnamon come together to produce this chewy delicious magic. The sparkle comes from rolling the dough in raw sugar just before baking. As they stay soft and chewy for many days after baking, these make the perfect edible gift for that hard-to-shop for person on your list.  Or, you know, for yourself!

Juiced Up (Juice Recipes)

Juice cleanses (also known as juice fasts or juice feasts, depending on who you ask) seem to be all the rage these days. Popping up everywhere from celebrity gossip rags to health food blogs, many raw foodists, foodies, and everyday people swear by them. I've read multiple claims that a diet consisting of fresh juice will cleanse everything - from your skin, to your palate, to your colon, to your soul. While I've never been one for fad diets, this idea of a juice cleanse has intrigued me for months. A combination of my desire to hit the reset button on my eating patterns along with my absolute love of juice lead me to hop on this shiny new bandwagon for a little ride.

It lasted all of 6 hours.
Till I fell off.
And ate an entire container of hummus.
With a spoon.

So, be it! I will never be the kind of girl who can survive on juiced vegetables and supplements for weeks on end. Or even for a day. Still, those short few hours reminded me that I definitely am the kind of girl who likes to experiment with food. Finding myself in a slight cooking rut shortly after my return, I saw juicing as this fantastic opportunity to try new things. How many juice combinations could I make? So, so many. So many, that I decided to blog about it. Here, my friends, is a list of juicespirations. Oh, and a word of warning: beet juice tends to dye certain things red. Like your hands. Your clothes. Your juicer. And, well, your body waste - which can be frightening, but totally harmless. So drink it. A lot. Because it's absolutely delicious. And so good for you. So, so good.