And I Shall Eat Strands of Gold

It seems that I can't get enough of spaghetti squash this season. If it is not for its ever so slightly sweet taste, its texture is what makes this vegetable really unique. My favourite part is actually the scraping of the flesh that magically turns into golden strands leaving me almost always in awe at the intricacies of nature. After all, I have quite recently discovered this vegetable since my arrival in Canada. Strangely, I do not recall seeing spaghetti squash in Ireland nor the UK even though I am almost sure they must have been there; I guess I have never paid any attention to this vegetable before. I am glad that curiosity has had the better of me into luring me to try it out; oh the nice dishes I would have missed otherwise!

Through the ages, the Prophecy told us that the Spice will Rise!

Pumpkin Spice - two words that now quintessentially bring up the amber and golden warm hues of Autumn, if not another name for the season itself, with pumpkin-flavoured drinks, snacks and even home decor items - candles, potpourri, fragrance diffusers, you name it - sprouting at every street corner. I cannot help but wonder whether the love for this spice has grown to be just another trend. Even shop decors are made to evoke the alluring aroma. Is there such a thing as pumpkin spice overdose? This sweet mellow warm spice seem to be pushing season boundaries by emerging earlier every year. But would we reach a point where pumpkin spice would merely be just another plain old flavour like vanilla?

Gooey Chocolate Crème Dessert sans the Fat! (can be made sugar-free too)

Fall is quite the time to be lured into rich chocolatey finger-licking indulgence. And believe me I've got one recipe that is just right for this time of the year plus (and that's a big plus) it comes sans the fat! But that is not the only plus, it can also be made sugar-free if you use stevia or date syrup (for a lower glycemic index). We all know that being vegan is not automatically synonymous with "skinny" and when it comes to that, I am one of those who have always carried a few extra pounds. Going vegan has actually made the extra pounds to accumulate a little more -- vegan food is so delicious! So, while I don't try to eat a low-carb diet, I do however considerably cut down on fat. I do believe that the fat that we get through natural foods like bananas, avocados, seeds is by far superior to processed oils and margarine. Oils are however not completely eradicated from my recipes; I try to use the healthier ones like coconut oil as far as possible. However, when I can avoid them, by all means, I do.

Oats Gone Coconut!

A long overdue video which should probably have been posted a few years ago along with what has now become my most visited post to date - Homemade Oat Milk. However, not until when I recently stumbled upon this post from The Tropical Vegan, that I gave my homemade oat milk a whole new spin. It's those moments when you can't help tap yourself on the head thinking why haven't I thought of that before. Seriously, I do sometimes make coconut milk from the desiccated flakes but never have I thought of mixing the two. Indeed, a tablespoon of coconut flakes along with the oats makes a whole lot of difference to the milk. It helps the oat particles hold together better and lessens the sliminess. I never make oat milk any other way now, definitely a keeper. Since both Boyfriendlovlie and I are allergic to most nuts and we have reduced our soy milk consumption to almost zero, the Lovlie Cocoon never goes by a week without at least three batches of oat milk made. We use it in our teas, smoothies, cereals, sauces, baking, you name it.

I've used quick oats, which require no soaking, in the recipe but I have recently started to use oat groats soaked overnight, drained and rinsed before grinding in the same way. Organic oat groats, that I have started to buy in bulk, make a tastier milkier consistency and are cheaper too. If you are allergic to gluten, use gluten free oats.