We didn’t peel ourselves out of bed yesterday until it was already afternoon. Desperately hungry, I started to call around, looking for a place to eat. Many of my favourite haunts were closed for the holiday. Sadie’s was open but it was going to be a 30 minute wait for a table.  We headed out in that direction when a guy in front of Shanghai Cowgirl (Toronto’s rock ‘n roll diner!) called out to us.

They were having their annual New Year’s Day Pajama Jam and we decided to check it out. Inside, a DJ was spinning tunes on his laptop and the waiters were dancing as they valiantly staved off hangovers in order to serve the hungry party-goers. Some of the other guests were still in their New Year’s finery, having not gone home yet. It was fun, and a New Year’s Day tradition I wouldn’t mind keeping.

The three of us each eyed the healthful and tasty sounding Vegan Delight (a veggie-laden sandwich), but instead set our sights on greasier options. We figured that, since we had stayed up well into New Year’s Day abusing our bodies, that our resolutions didn’t really count until January 2nd. So, we ordered the french toast, a veggie burger, and perogies, respectively. Most of the day (read: late afternoon and evening) was spent watching re-runs of Lie to Me and trying to stay awake. We ate leftover dumpling soup for dinner, but wanting to make sure I had a healthy dish to start the week off right at work today, I made a batch of sesame miso salad before bed.

In anticipation of starting the Clean Program next week (more on that another day), I also whipped up a batch of simple veggie stock to use in the many soups I’ll be consuming. I used stalks from one bunch of kale, stalks from 4 heads of broccoli, two carrots, one potato, and three cloves of garlic. However, stock is wonderful because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand and it’s great for using up leftovers, or pieces of veggies you’d normally throw away.

Chop your veggies and put them in a large pot. Cover with approximately 3 litres of water and add a pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Turn of heat and allow to cool. Strain into jars and freeze or refrigerate for later use. The purple kale in this recipe turned my stock a pretty colour of lavender.

I only worked a half day today and I’ve been spending most of the day furiously scribbling plans for bringing my resolutions to life. Right now, I’m curled up with a cup of my raw hot chocolate listening to Fleet Foxes. If you’ve made a resolution to be better to your body this year, why not try this sweet treat that packs a powerful nutritional punch?

Raw Hot Chocolate

2 tbsp. raw cacao powder
2 tbsp. coconut cream (or avocado)
1 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tbsp. goji berries
1 tsp. maca powder (optional)
tiny sprinkle of salt (optional)
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup nearly boiling water

1. Blend all of the ingredients except for the boiling water.
2. Add in the boiling water and continue to blend. If your blender cannot handle hot liquids, stir it in separately.
3. Strain and enjoy in your favourite mug.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? I’ll share more about mine tomorrow!

Sweet dreams,
xoxo S.