Under Construction!

Hello there! How are you all? I'm so sorry about my absence - it turned out to be a much bigger one than I had anticipated, but the last 2 years (yes that's how long it's really been!!!) have been full on! Full on in a good way - actually in a great way, but unfortunately just not in a way that's allowed me to blog.....and I've missed it. Not initially in all honesty as I was needing a break but now I am chomping at the bit and desperate to get back at it! However there is one problem... Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops is in need of a major, MAJOR, overhaul. What was a great start up platform is now tired and pretty sad looking and more so, not at all what I envision my blog to be like. So with some nervous anticipation I am going back to the beginning and starting over.

Unfortunately since I'm not nearly as computer savvy as I would like to be (read: not at all these days!) it is going to take some time. Looking at this little blog you probably wouldn't guess it but when it comes to things like this I'm actually a bit of a perfectionist which is why I can no longer stand to look at this blog! Everything it seems is wrong (layout, design and the terrible quality of photographs - just to get started!) so my next one - we'll call it Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops Take 2 - is going to be a labour of love and I won't be sharing it until I am completely and utterly happy with it. So I'm asking that hopefully you can bare with me a little longer for the new and improved Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops. I'm keeping my name because I still love that but I'll be updating most other parts. A lot of recipes will be transferred but some need the chop so if there are any in particular that you love and want to see transferred please let me know! My aim is to have a much more user friendly website so all future recipes will be printable. Of course I'll still be reviewing cookbooks - in fact it's my aim to review more and more as time goes on - and I plan to have a bigger focus on meal planning, but if there is anything else you would like to see please don't hesitate to let me know.

It's been a long time coming but hopefully I can get things up and running sooner rather than later! Thank you to all of you that have continued to follow along despite my absence and don't forget you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram as well for more regular updates.

Can't wait to talk to you all soon!

Lynds x

What's Cooking?!........

It’s hard to believe it has been 6 months since my last blog post! Seriously… where has this year gone?! However with that being said it’s not really surprising when I think about what has been happening over the last 6 months!

When we started the year all cozied up and warm sipping Champagne by the fire at my parent’s house in Scotland we knew that 2015 had some big changes in store for us, and for the first time ever at New Year I was a little apprehensive about the coming year, rather than my usual optimism of fresh starts and new opportunities.

Over the previous few years Scott had been away from home for work more and more and so finally we accepted that the only way to stop that from happening and to have him at home more was to move from Vancouver Island over to the Mainland which would completely cut down on his travel time and absences from home. It wasn’t an easy decision, especially for me, as it meant moving to a new city where we literally knew no one and starting over. My last big move had been from Scotland to Canada and one that at the age of 25 I perhaps hadn’t fully thought through. I moved to follow my heart but didn’t appreciate how hard it would be over time being so far away from my family and friends, especially as we all got older and had our own families. So we thought long and hard and by the time we had gone through all of the pros and cons we realised now was the time to make the move especially since Ben was starting Kindergarten in September. So our house was put on the market in March, we spent some time on the mainland finding an area that we loved to move to and everything was a go! After that life just seemed non-stop! We sold our house, bought a house, said our goodbyes, attempted to enjoy the summer while homeless for six weeks (although found an amazing place to stay!), had my Mum & Dad over (thank goodness – what a help!) and finally moved in to our new home just before Ben started school!!

Pack up a Picnic with a little help from GLAD

Who doesn’t love having a picnic? When the sun is out it’s all I want to do! For some reason food eaten outdoors seems to taste better so whenever the opportunity arises we pack up some food, grab our blanket and head for a picnic. It doesn’t matter if it’s a grassy park, on the side of a river or on a sandy beach, it’s all about being outside and enjoying some delicious food while soaking up the sun’s rays!

When packing a picnic you need food that is portable so I love lots of different types of picky food! Transporting the food in one piece is key and with the help of GLAD products it is effortless.

Some of my favourite foods to make for a picnic include Chicken Drumsticks which we barbecue ahead of time and slather with our favourite BBQ Sauce. Served with some homemade Coleslaw it makes a fantastic picnic treat that everyone loves.

I absolutely love GLAD Lunch To Go Containers which have a separate little dressing cup attached inside to the lid for your salad dressing! No more soggy salads as you simply dress your salad as you are about to eat it. Genius! You could also use them for veges and dip which I always grab for a picnic. It takes moments to prepare, is healthy, delicious and again every loves it. Or how about making some homemade Hummus and popping some good quality extra virgin olive oil in the dressing cup to drizzle over the hummus at the last minute… Or if you are a chilli addict like me fill the little cup with some of your favourite hot sauce, such as Sriracha and then you can add a spicy kick to your dips. Yum!

For something sweet and refreshing I can never resist wedges of Watermelon and fresh Strawberries which I again just pop into a GLAD container. I pack a Snack bag for any Strawberry Husks to be thrown into which makes for easy clean up and don’t forget the wet wipes for sticky hands which I pop into Medium Storage Bags.

Snack bags are also great for individual snacks for any young family members. I pack raisins, crackers and even baby biscuits in them for a quick and easy bite to eat.

Of course if your picnic is a last minute adventure then there is nothing wrong with making up some quick and easy sandwiches with everyone’s favourite fillings, and if you are really stuck for time stop at your local supermarket or grocery store on your way and grab some of your families favourite foods.

So what are you waiting for?! The next time the sun is shining and you have a day off, pack up some of your favourite foods or head to your local deli, pop it all in a cooler or hamper and find a nice spot for you to enjoy. It’s what sunny days are made for and with GLAD products it’s easy!

Here are a few more of my favourite Picnic foods:

Quinoa Salad

{Easy to make and great for anyone unable to eat Gluten.}

Scotch Eggs

{Such a treat and make for an ultimate picnic! Just don’t forget the ketchup!}

Pan Bagnat

{The ULTIMATE picnic sandwich!}

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches with Dill & Lemon Cream Cheese

{For an extra special treat!}

Pasta Salad

{Who doesn’t love a good Pasta Salad!? If needing to be Gluten Free substitute the Pasta for a GF alternative – my fave is Corn Pasta.}

Duck & Soba Noodle Salad

{Kicking things up a notch and making this an extra special picnic!}

Hummus

{If you want to surprise children why not try Beetroot Hummus or Carrot Hummus for some fantastic all natural colourful food!}

A selection of Cheese, Hams and Cold Meats

Olives

Lemon Drizzle Loaf

{Transports well and doesn’t need to stay chilled. Simply wrap in Cling Wrap.}

Lemon Coconut Bars

Passion Fruit Lemonade

Classic Lemonade

Limeade

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Picnicking!!

Curried Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

It’s amazing how comforting and nourishing a hot bowl of soup can be. This is a perfect soup to warm you up on a rainy day and it takes no time to make at all. Even better it is a delicious, filling soup that is completely gluten and dairy free!

I made this recently because I’d received some vegetables from my Mother-in-law as they were moving and she was emptying her fridge. I used what I had but don’t worry too much about exact quantities – if you have 1 sweet potato use it all, you just might need to add a little extra stock. I like this particular soup to have texture which is why I grate the veggies but if you prefer you could easily blend it for a smooth, thick soup.

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

4 carrots, peeled and grated

½ good sized sweet potato, peeled and grated

2 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated on a microplane

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tsp curry powder

200ml coconut milk

1000ml vegetable or chicken stock

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan then add the leeks. Cook for a few minutes until softened but not browned, then add the grated carrots, sweet potato, garlic, ginger and curry powder. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to make sure nothing catches and then add the coconut milk and stock. Season with some salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary then ladle into bowls while piping hot! 

*For extra spice add some fresh chilli, finely chopped and if you find the soup too sweet you could add a spritz of lime juice.

Change of Diet ~ Entering the World of Wheat Free and Limited Dairy....

*Image courtesy of logo-kid.com

Yes you read the title right!! For various personal reasons our Dr. has suggested that we try a Wheat Free Diet with limited dairy. Now if you know me (or have looked at the amount of recipes I  have under the pasta section!) you'll know that giving up wheat (albeit temporarily) is a b-i-g thing for me. Without doubt one of my favourite things in the world is a big bowl of Spicy Tomato Pasta and as for French Bread.... don't even get me started! However I am more than willing to give this a go so I thought if I'm going to do it I would share my experiences with you.

Now I know going Wheat Free isn't exactly a new thing and for many different reasons millions of people have jumped on the Gluten Free Band Wagon, I just didn't think I would ever be one but here I am! I'm not going to lie, when I initially started doing some research and looked for delicious wheat free recipes that were also limited in dairy it was overwhelming. My moods have been up and down over the past 5 days but I finally think I am getting there.... well to grips with it anyway. I still have a long road ahead and know I will have my cravings but today I am definitely feeling positive about things.

So what have I done? Well for starters, I haven't thrown out every item that has wheat in it. For now it's just been put to one side and instead today I replaced it with some gluten free alternatives. After doing some research I decided to try Corn Pasta rather than the Rice Pasta (which I have had in the past and really didn't like). I have also stocked up in Gluten Free Crackers (which I have yet to try) and lots of super crunchy Rice Crackers which I absolutely love anyway so no issues there. Since toast features heavily in my breakfast routine I've had to come up with some new ideas so today I made a giant batch of Granola* for us as well as some Granola Energy Bars courtesy of Dorie Greenspan's wonderful book Baking Chez Moi. I also have plenty of eggs in the fridge and this morning I had a delicious breakfast of Scrambled Eggs with Spring(Green) Onion, Tomatoes, Chilli and Coriander (Cilantro) with some Avocado on the side. It was delicious and I certainly didn't feel like I was missing out! A lot of Smoothies and Juices are going to be appearing so today I also stocked up with plenty of fruit (including frozen fruit for things that aren't quite in season yet), spinach and kale as well as Pomegranate Juice, Coconut Water and Almond Milk. I also bought some Coconut Yogurt which is another new item for me and yet to be tried (I'll let you know how I find all the new things!).