julia's blog

What Not to Say (to anyone struggling with fertility)

julia — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 20:14:07 +0000

Chances are, you know someone or will know someone that is struggling with infertility. The rate of infertility in North America is about 1 in the 6 couples and chances are there may be people in your family, in your workplace, and in your friend group struggling with starting a family. After years of working with fertility, it is still surprises me to hear what patients have to deal with from seemingly well-intentioned co-workers, family, or friends.

Pistachio, Cardamon, and Rosewater Cake

julia — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 05:13:06 +0000

This cake was inspired by a recent trip an amazing Middle Eastern restaurant in Toronto called Byblos. It was a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving weekend with family while sharing some unbelievable dishes and exclaiming over the food! If you are ever in Toronto, I highly recommend a visit- you won't regret it. For dessert I ordered the pistachio cake with yoghurt mousse. While this cake is in no way on par with that decadence, it is my gluten free attempt to capture those flavours.

Basil Walnut Pesto

julia — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 19:42:12 +0000

This is one of my favourite pestos for brown rice pasta or zucchini noodles. Every time I make it it turns out a little differently because I am horrible with measurements. I eyeball all my measurements which makes it very frustrating when anyone tries to replicate the recipe. I keep saying I am going to get better at making a note of all the amounts I used, but it has not happened yet despite the three empty recipe notebooks waiting for me on the kitchen shelf. Am I incorrigible? I'd like to think there's always the possibility of change...

Buckwheat Crepes- Two Ways

julia — Tue, 13 May 2014 03:57:31 +0000

A friend recently told me about the delicious buckwheat pancakes she made for Mother's Day Brunch and I was immediately dreaming of whipping up some buckwheat crepes. It's a great gluten-free alternative to wheat flour crepes and and has a distinct nutty flavour that brings a richness to breakfast or brunch. This recipe made so many medium-sized crepes that is was plenty for some almond/peanut butter and banana filled ones for breakfast and some savoury, chicken and asparagus filled ones for lunch.

Buckwheat crepes:

Valentine's Sugar-free Chocolate

julia — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 18:00:20 +0000

This was my first attempt at making chocolate- and it wasn't perfect. But with some tweaking, I think this could be my new favourite pastime. There is literally nothing unhealthy about this chocolate, which makes it a great addition to your diet. When you start off with unsweetened baking chocolate you are looking at a decent source of a number of minerals including zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium and iron. The important thing to remember is what kind of sweetener you use. The higher the glycemic load of your sweetener, the less healthy this treat will be!

Drinking and Making Merry

julia — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 20:40:00 +0000

This time of the year, over-indulgence is a popular topic. You can find plenty of magazine articles with tips on how to not over-eat at holiday parties, how to not over-spend on presents, and how to not get over-stressed about the holiday chaos. But I don’t often see any articles about how to avoid drinking too much and/or how to deal with the consequences of drinking too much.

A Pizza Photo Essay (Gluten-free, yeast-free and almost lactose free!)

julia — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:37:17 +0000

I was really, really craving pizza one day- which is extra torturesome if you don't eat gluten, dairy or yeast. I decided however, that I would try to come as close as possible to baking a delicious pizza pie. As close as as possible to what I remember a pizza tasting like. I think it's been eight years since I have had a "real" sllice of pizza- which is probably a good thing because it helps with minimizing the disappointment of something not tasting like you remember it tasting.

Gratitude

julia — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:45:36 +0000

This beautiful weather has me feeling really grateful for all the wonderful things in my life. I have been exclaiming every time I look at the ocean: “This is so ridiculously beautiful”. The sunshine makes the surface of the water look so sparkly and the contrast between the blue sky and green foliage everywhere is amazing. I have been walking around outside for hours just looking at things. I can't stop taking it all in, and smiling to myself. My left shoulder is unreasonably sunburnt and my feet really hurt, but I feel great.

The Gluten-free Cheat Sheet

julia — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:18:01 +0000

The hard part about going gluten free is figuring out how to cook, bake, and prepare food differently than what you are used to. A lot of times people feel overwhelmed by the prospect so here I am including a basic how to get started cheat sheet. If you are interested in trying some gluten free baking and seeing if you feel better than when you eat wheat, these tips can help you get baking!

Gluten-free Grain Flours

Cinnamon Spice Doughnuts with Chocolate-Ginger Glaze

julia — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:37:28 +0000

I have noticed lately a correlation between the lack of sunshine in Victoria and my desire to consume baked goods. This could be dangerous for a number of reasons, but I am determined have my cake and eat it too, without sabotaging any of my health goals. In this case, the most delicious, cakey, cinnamon spice doughnuts with chocolate-ginger glaze. If you omit the chocolate glaze, this recipe is completely gluten free, dairy-free and sugar free. It is suitable for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and the Paleo diet.