Peach Apple Celery Chutney!!

I like making chutney, it is very simple and adds huge flavors to even the simplest dish.
I always thought chutney was to sweet or to spicy, but when you look for good quality
made chutney, you have opened a new door of wonderful flavors.
Chutney is not a jam, usually it is thicker pieces of what ever you are making into a chutney.
They can be savory or sweet, fruit or vegetable, and even both combined:)
This recipe has a sweet note from the peach and apple, but the addition of the celery brings it all
together.
You almost get a saltiness from the celery:)
After making this recipe you can experiment with all different flavors!
I like serving it with your favorite vegan cheese:)
You can also serve it on baked tofu, over faux chicken and rice, crackers, etc.
Have fun with it and try new things.
This chutney should be eaten the day you make it!

Peach Apple Celery Chutney
makes almost a 1 cup

1 apple
1 peach
2 stalks of celery
1 Tablespoon of butter + 1 teaspoon
little water
sea salt

Wash fruit and vegetables, chop apple and peach into chunks,
chop celery into 1 inch pieces (approximate)
 In a Small pan melt 1 Tablespoon of butter, add celery cook 1 minute, then add the 1 teaspoon
of butter, apple and peach with a pinch of salt.
If the chutney seems a little dry add a little water
Cook covered 5 to 7 minutes.
Just until fruit is cooked though, not falling apart.
Taste for salt.
Serve cooled or room temperature:)
                                                        Birch Life

 

Friday's Picture Smiley Poppies

I love Poppies, they have such a delicate petal, almost like tissue paper.
They always have a happy smile:)
                                                                       Birch Life

Smooth Mango Peach Frozen Strawberry Smoothie The last one of The Smoothie Series

The final recipe in the smoothie series!
Thank you, to all of you that have really enjoyed the series.
I love to create in recipes, so don't think I won't be working hard on new ones:)
If you have a idea or suggestion, email me or write me on Facebook.
The final recipe is a delicious smoothie, it combines mango, peaches with
frozen strawberry's, you get a smooth and creamy texture, and the frozen
berry's give you a nice cool down when it is hot outside:)
Peaches are a great treat, there is something special when you eat a
juicy, sweet peach, it gives my a big smile:)
They have a nice amount of liquid, so you don't have to add a extra liquid!
I like adding mango to smoothies it just gives it a thickness, without
adding cream!
Even a whole mango and a few Tablespoons of yogurt blended together
is really a great treat!
Start experimenting with mango and you will find a new Love:)
                                                                    Birch Life

Smooth Mango Peach Frozen Strawberry Smoothie
Makes 2 cups +

1 mango
2 peaches
1 cup frozen strawberries
3 Tablespoons of yogurt (I used vanilla, vegan)
1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Wash fruit, peel mango, take stone out of peaches, and
add everything to blender.
If you need more liquid, add a little vegan milk(whatever kind you like)
but you shouldn't have too:)

Friday's Picture Who wants to swim in the Bodensee?

Who wants to go for a swim in the Bodensee?
I love swimming:)
The first walk into the water, the coldness on your hot skin.
Are you a dive in or a slow walker in to the water?
When you go in the water, the lightness you feel.
You feel refreshed and almost like a weight has been lifted off of you:)
The Bodensee is cold, but on a hot day it feels sooooo nice.
People swim in the Bodensee every day in the warmer season:)
                                                            Birch Life

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Topping for a Steamy Baked Potato;)

This is a ultimate comfort food! It ticks all the boxes, warm, creamy, hot, and filling!
It is a simple recipe for 1 to 20,I also like to make it when I have been outside all day and you need a hardy meal:)
I love broccoli,and I cook it until there is still a crunch.
Spinach is a great basic ingredient to have on hand, I buy frozen, you can take as much as you need,
and nothing goes bad.
The combo is soooooo good over a steamy baked potato, I like to buy the yellow flesh potato's
they have a creamer texture and more flavor.
As always use what you like!

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Topping for a Steamy Baked Potato
Makes 11/2 cups (it may make more because of the liquid in the spinach)

1/2 lb broccoli
8 oz of frozen spinach
1/2 cup of milk (I used oat milk)
3 Tablespoons of butter (vegan)
1 Tablespoons of potato starch
sea salt

Wash and chop broccoli into bigger chunks, in medium pan add 1 tablespoon of butter, when melted
add broccoli, saute until there is a slight crunch.
Then add spinach to the broccoli, 2 good pinches of sea salt.
Cook until spinach is heated though and water is released from spinach.
Mix milk, starch and a good pinch of sea salt until smooth.
Then add it to broccoli and spinach mixture, and stir until thick.
When thick add the last 2 Tablespoons of butter.
Before you spoon the creamy topping, over steamy baked potato add a pinch of sea salt to the baked potato!!!
Always taste for salt, add more if you like. If you want when serving add a dot of butter on top!
For even richer, add butter to steamy potato, before broccoli mixture.
                                                                      Birch Life

                                                               

Friday's Picture!!!

Who wants to take a relaxing walk in the woods?
I love walking in the woods, the air is so clean, and fresh!
Take loooooong deep breath, and exhale all the stress, it feels so good:)
Also take time to enjoy the sounds of the woods.
So maybe this weekend take a nice relaxing stroll in the woods:)
Maybe, hug a tree;)

                                                 Birch Life

Daiya Vegan Key Lime Cheezecake Review:)

I love Daiya products so much:) There products really have great flavor and are a wonderful alternative for us vegans, or people who cannot have dairy.
 When I saw it in the freezer section, um interesting!
I am not a cheesecake fan, it is heavy and sooooooo rich, I never really would eat it
before I became vegan.
I read the ingredients, and I was like this sound so good.  
The bonus, it was also gluten free!!!!

They make 4 flavors Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Key Lime:)
I picked Key Lime, because when you eat vegan and gluten free, Key Lime is very
rarely an option:(
The main ingredient is coconut, so you know it is going to be very creamy!
When arriving home I read the directions, they say to thaw in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.
I left it in over night, it worked perfectly:)
Important to eat it 48 hours after thawing, no problem, it will be gone;)
When I opened the box I could smell the Key Lime already!

How does it taste? I know you are thinking!
AMAZING, totally creamy, the right amount of key lime!
The crust is light and tastes just like a regular graham cracker crust!
It tastes like the best cream, rich, thick, smooth, flavorful piece of "regular" cheesecake you have every had.
You can't tell it is vegan, and gluten free!!!!!
I served smaller pieces the first time, and then we wanted seconds, but then the richness
of the second piece came out, and we had to save the rest for the next day.
I would definitely purchase this again!
Cheesecake is a difficult cake to make, so why do you have too, just buy this one,
and in 3 hours you could be eating this creamy, rich, smooth delectable cheezecake:)

 You can see when I cut the piece, it was very smooth and creamy!

   Enjoy, remember if your store doesn't sell it, tell them you WANT IT!!!
                                                                           Birch Life

Smooth Avocado Tangy Kiwi Smoothie

Smoothie series continues:) Kiwi's are a fun fruit!
People are always puzzled, what to do with them?
I have once seen someone eat the whole kiwi like an apple, even the fuzzy skin!
I like to add them when I need something a little tangy in a dish!
They make a perfect addition to a smoothie!
I like the tiny seeds in the kiwi, the way they pop when you eat them.
This smoothie has a smooth rich texture because of the avocado, and when you add the
kiwi it gives it a tang.
When you add fresh lemon juice it is a burst of sunshine!


Smooth Avocado Tangy Kiwi Smoothie

2 avocado's
1 1/2 cup of milk ( I used almond milk)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (vegan) You can use any flavor you like to compliment the smoothie
2 kiwi's
3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Wash the avocados and scoop out flesh, wash and peel the kiwi's, then add ingredients
and blend until smooth and rich!!!!
   
                                                                Birch Life

Friday's Picture Rescue Turtle:)

This turtle was found laying in the parking lot! If we just left it, the turtle would of died or been crashed!
So we rescued him or her and brought it to the pond in the back,
were it swam free!!!

  The turtle is on the bottom in the middle of the picture, by the shore, the little yellow dot!!!
                                                                          Birch Life

Sweet Cherry Juicy Grape Cashew Coconut Lettuce Salad

I enjoy salads, but I need to always, to do something different,

otherwise they can get boring:

You always need to start with a good quality lettuce. I like the butter lettuce type.

I like also to use a head leaf lettuce rather than lettuce in a bag.

Like always, you choose what you like:)

The flavor in this salad is great, kind of a surprise when you are eating it.

When you add fruit to a savory salad it gives it a new layer:)

This is a perfect salad, it has a refreshing element to it, with the addition to the cashews

that give it a saltiness!  

Sweet Cherry Juicy Grape Cashew Coconut Lettuce Salad

serves 4

1 Large head of leaf lettuce

24 cherries

24 grapes

1 cup  salted cashews

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup coconut flakes

4 teaspoons of mayonnaise (vegan)

2 teaspoons of honey 

sea salt

Wash lettuce and dry, then wash and cut cherries(take out pit) and grapes in half.

Arrange lettuce over 4 plates and divide the ingredients over each plate!

Mix coconut milk, mayo, honey until well combined, then add a good pinch of sea salt!

Before adding the dressing add a pinch of sea salt over each salad!

Then drizzle dressing evenly over each salad.

The pictures are before the dressing, I didn't take one after I added the dressing:(

                                                                    Birch Life

 

 

Pukka Three Mint Tea review

I am a big tea drinker, I have tried many many tea brands:)
I have learned that the box can be very deceiving, they describe the tea, but it tastes completely different
then what you imagine.
I was given a sample at a natural food store, for the Pukka Three mint, it was like mint
tea. I have drank mint tea before! I will try it, and threw it in my bag.
When I got home I put it in my tea sachet bowl.
A few days later I decided to try it:)
I was sooooooooo surprised and delighted with the taste.
Like you I have drank my share of peppermint tea, I have stopped drinking it in the past years,
because it hasn't always agreed with my stomach.
I have found that it has been bitter or super minty for me.
When I drank this one it was so good, because it is a mix of peppermint leaf, spearmint leaf,
and field mint.
It is a wonder blend and it works wonderfully on my stomach.
I don't know why but this blend is not overly pepperminty the spearmint gives it a
smooth and very cooling undertone:)
I steeped it only 2 minutes, but you can definitively try steeping it longer if you prefer.
I highly recommend this tea for any tea drinker!
I have since purchased quite a few boxes of the tea:)
                                                                    Birch Life

Friday's picture It is 2 part!!!!!!

I like watching birds, it is very relaxing! This one was just standing tall, like a graceful
Lady! It stood there for awhile then flew away without a sound:)
A perfect exit!
                                                                 Birch Life

Thick Juicy Pear and Sweet Strawberry Smoothie

From reading my blog you all know I love pears:)
So I wanted to use it in my smoothie.I began thinking, what can I add to it to make it a really delicious smoothie?
For me pears have a mild sweetness, I don't want to loss the flavor of pears.
I needed to add a fruit that was going to have a burst of sweetness.
My first thought strawberries, they have a great sweet flavor, so you don't have to add
a sweetener.
The combo is really amazing, you can really taste the separate flavors of pears
and strawberries. That was what I wanted, to taste the juicy pears:)
The smoothie has a thick consistency!
This one is my favorite;)


Thick Pear and Sweet Strawberry Smoothie
makes 3 cups


4 pears
4 Tablespoons of yogurt (vegan)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)

Wash fruit, and cut pears, strawberries into chunks, blend all ingredients until
smooth!!
                                                       Birch Life

Garden fresh Asparagus Carrot Spread topping for canapes

Making spreads are really interesting, there are so many different ingredients you can use.
This one is a great option for a party or even to eat as a meal.
I like asparagus, it has a fresh earthly flavor, so good when you get it locally fresh:)
I added carrots, for their sweetness, to balance the earthly almost rich flavor of the asparagus.
I like to serve it on a canape(toasted bread), it makes it feel special!
Individual servings are always the most popular at a party:)

Garden Fresh Asparagus Carrot Spread topping for canapes
Makes 1 cup

6 stalks of asparagus
1 small carrot
2 Tablespoon's sour cream (vegan)
1 Tablespoon milk (I used almond)
1/2 teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
sea salt
bread (I used gluten free)
butter(vegan) for spread on top of bread after toasting!

Small stock pot bring 3 cups of water to boil with a good pinch of sea salt.
Wash and chop carrots into 1/2 inch rounds, then add to boiling water.
Wash and chop asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces, when carrots have been in water
for 5 minutes add the asparagus and cook another 5 minutes then drain and let cool.
When vegetables are cool add them to blender and sour cream, milk, fresh lemon
juice and 2 good pinches of sea salt.
Puree until smooth, taste for salt add more if desired:)
Toast bread, then butter, and cut into whatever shape you like!
Tip: When I made these for a small party they were the first to go, so make a lot.
                                                            Birch Life

Friday's pictures Sweet Mother and baby bird in the nest!

This one is so sweet, it is a Mother, and her baby, in the nest on the edge of the lake:)
Take time this weekend to enjoy a leisurely stroll, where ever you are in the world!

                                                                       Birch Life

Sunny Mango Blueberry Smoothie

Mango's are like little sunshine's, the perfect smoothie ingredient! It gives the smoothie a great body:)
When I make smoothie's, I like to have a thicker consistency, so I look for
fruit or vegetables that will give me that. I don't like to add ice or protein
powder to get a thick consistency. When buying mango's, I look for healthy, and
unblemished, with a slight give. The secret is to let them ripen on the counter until very ripe!
What do I mean? I have found that leaving them to ripen, and getting very soft to the
touch, you get more flesh from the middle seed. When I let them "soften" I
don't get as much of the seed:( So watch them, and let them get very soft
without going bad!

Sunny Mango Blueberry Smoothie
makes 1 1/2 cups plus

1 mango
1/2 cup milk ( I used oat milk)
1/4 cup blueberries
2 T blueberry yogurt

Wash and peel the mango, cut into chunks, add everything to blender
and mix until very smooth.
                                                      Birch Life

Velvety Avocado Sauce over Noddles!!

I love mac and cheese, but being vegan it can be hard
to find a good vegan mac and cheese. I think I miss the smoothness of cheese on noodles.
It is not really about the cheese, it is about the texture and feel you get in your mouth.
So I came up with this recipe, to have the same smoothness, but I think I like this
better then mac and cheese:)
This recipe is so good, it is so quick to make,
when you have no time.


Avocado Sauce over Noodles
serves 4

250 grams dried pasta (gluten free)
1 avocado
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk (I used almond milk)
1 Tablespoons vegan butter
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
sea salt

Make noodles as directed by package. When noodles are done, before draining
save 1/2 cup of noodle water.
Add butter to the drained noodles and a good pinch of sea salt, and let cool.
Open avocado and scoop out flesh, mash with milk and a good pinch of sea salt, until smooth.
Add squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
In large bowl put noodles in and add avocado sauce, slowly add
noodle water only until creamy and every noodle is coated.
You may not need all the noodle water, just eyeball.
Taste for salt!
I don't have a picture, but it is very delicious and has a nice presentation.
                                                                        Birch Life    

Friday's picture Who wants fresh coconut water?

Who wants fresh coconut water?
It is very very important to stay hydrated when it is hot outside!
Water is always good, but think of other ways,
watermelon, cucumbers, and juicy apple;)
So drink up or eat something with a high water context.
                                                                  Birch Life