Creamy, cheesy pasta.
Just because you’re eating vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this classic!

When it comes to an easy lunch, Mac & Cheese has always been one of my favourite go to’s. And when we decided to go vegan I was NOT willing to sacrifice on flavour, texture, or even colour (it’s just not Mac & Cheese without that signature fluorescent orange glow). But nailing those components took A LOT of trial and error. We tried recipe after recipe… and I don’t like to brag, but I feel like I’ve nailed it.

Not only is this recipe DELICIOUS and crazy easy to make; it’s jam packed with goodness. Roasted Sweet Potatoes, nutritional yeast, cashews, and turmeric… these are just a few of the yummy ingredients! I like to make up a batch of this sauce at the beginning of the week so I have it on hand for a super simple lunch or quick dinner. Top it off with some steamed broccoli and fresh peas and you’ve got some seriously healthy YUM in your bowl (and belly).

Sweet Potato “Cheese” Sauce:

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup canned coconut milk

1/2-1 cup veggie broth

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

3 TBSP nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp paprika

Pinch of turmeric (for colour)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Thoroughly scrub and clean sweet potatoes.

3. Leaving the skin on, cut the potatoes in half. Place face down on a parchment lined baking pan and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes (or until fork tender).

4. When the potatoes come out of the oven allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes.

5. As potatoes are cooling soak the cashews in boiled water for 10-15 minutes. Drain.

6. Once cool enough to be handled safely, remove the skins from the sweet potatoes. At this point the skins should easily peel off.

7. Place all ingredients (except for the veggie broth) into a high speed blender.

8. Blend, slowly adding veggie broth, until creamy and smooth, and your desired consistency is reached.

This SCRUMPTIOUS jam is quick and easy to make, made with super simple ingredients, completely free of refined sugars, and jam packed (haha!) with the goodness of chia seeds (hello, omega 3’s, protein, and antioxidants!). Goodbye, expensive sugary store bought jellies. Hello, fresh homemade mixed berry jam!

Mixed Berry Chia Jam:

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen mixed berries

1/4 cup water

4 TBSP chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 TBSP coconut sugar (or sweetener of your choice)

1 TBSP lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Combine berries and water in a small sauce pan.

2. Warm over medium low heat to thaw berries.

3. As berries thaw and soften add in chia seeds, vanilla, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix well to evenly distribute chia seeds.

4. Use a fork/potato masher/pastry cutter & mash up berries to your preferred consistency.

5. Let the jam simmer over medium low heat until slightly thickened (approx. 5 minutes) – stirring occasionally to ensure the chia seeds don’t clump together.

6. Remove pan from heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.

7. Transfer to a sterile mason jar and allow the jam to cool and thicken completely (preferably overnight).

Enjoy!

Last Spring my husband and I celebrated the welcome news that we were expecting a new addition to our little family – February 2020. This news was especially welcome after a winter of grieving a heartbreaking miscarriage. We had dreamed of a sibling for our 1 1/2 year old daughter and longed for a baby to fill the empty place this recent loss had left in our arms and hearts. When I discovered I was once again pregnant I was filled with cautious hope. It was difficult, at first, to allow myself to start preparing for this new baby. However, as the weeks wore on, and ultrasound results and midwife appointments revealed a healthy baby boy growing in my womb, my excitement and desire to prepare our home and life for my newest little love grew too.

While pregnant with our first child I was immensely blessed with three separate baby showers. In addition to this I found myself wonderfully overwhelmed with offers of free second hand clothing, baby toys, and all sorts of parenting supplies from thoughtful friends and family (and acquaintances, and friends of friends and family…). I spent countless hours sorting, purging, and organizing – and entered into motherhood with more provided for us than I ever could’ve dreamed of. As a new comer to the world of minimalism I hoped to approach newborn care as simply as possible. However, as a first time parent I had a very limited concept of what I would actually need entering into this new season. It’s easy to get caught up in hype and convinced of necessities (that aren’t actually necessities) by the onslaught of ads, articles, and advice that inevitably comes your way as expectant parents.

Eventually I was able to experience and understand what items I personally found to be helpful as a parent. I still find myself constantly purging, reviewing, and reorganizing because each new stage of childhood brings about different challenges and different needs. As we’ve looked forwards to welcoming another newborn into our home I’ve been grateful for the ability to reflect and determine how I can prep for our little newcomer with a truly minimalist mindset. Honestly, it’s surprised me how little I’ve needed in order to feel ready for our baby boy. Keeping it simple in the beginning is the best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed or inundated in the future.

Every baby is unique. Every parent is unique. Because of this I don’t believe I can pull a magic number of onsies, sleepers, slippers, or swaddles out of thin air and deem it “enough”. I certainly couldn’t fault anyone who feels they might need/want more (or less!) than we do. It’s genuinely a personal preference.

I would love to share how I’ve approached building up my supply of newborn “essentials” with simplicity, sustainability, and a tight budget in mind.

Choose New Items with Intentionality… A life changing tip I discovered when attempting to simplify my daughter’s closet has forever revolutionized the way I approach children’s clothing, nursery decor, and even toys. A fellow minimalist shared how she chose a simple, cohesive, colour theme for her children’s wardrobe. They shopped for new items with only these colours in mind (obviously there was space for her own children’s preferences as they grew and formed their own style/opinions). The reality is that parent’s choose their children’s clothing for a large majority of their young years. Choosing a colour “theme” that both you (and they) love makes it infinitely easier to keep their wardrobe simple while avoiding collecting random pieces that never get worn because they don’t work well with other pieces. It reduces the stress of choosing out an outfit every morning. There’s no digging, stressing, or struggling to find specific pieces.

I have found that a helpful way to approach minimalist parenting is to apply a similar principle to the majority of children’s items in our home (until our children are old enough to express their personal preferences). Whether it be a decision to intentionally choose wooden toys over plastic, or a simplistic natural scheme for nursery decor, it is currently my responsibility to monitor what comes into our home and, consequently, our children’s every day lives. Creating healthy parameters by knowing our own preferences, hearts, and desires for even these, seemingly small, decisions can have a big impact on our daily experiences as parents.

Take Stock of What You Already Have… When we were told I was pregnant with a baby boy I was thrilled! Surprised (we had been so sure we would have another girl) but absolutely thrilled! I was only disappointed knowing that the beautifully minimalist collection of my daughter’s second hand clothing – that was being stored in our basement – wouldn’t be used as I dreamt it would. However, when I started searching through my stash I discovered a multitude of “gender neutral” items that would work wonderfully for our little boy. A number of swaddles, pants, onesies, and pajamas from my daughter’s old closet became a wonderful starting point for our son’s wardrobe.

I also took this approach when it came to nursery decoration. Repurposing and reconfiguring decor/lighting/storage we already had in our house allowed me to create a cozy little space for our son – inexpensively and simply. Get creative, think outside the box, and you may be surprised to discover what you already have – hiding in plain sight!

Say “Yes” to Second Hand Offers – With Standards … It may be that you have a completely different experience than ours but, every time I’ve announced a pregnancy, I’ve quickly found myself on the receiving end of multiple offers for second hand clothing, toys, and baby gear. It can be easy to feel turned off by the idea of using someone else’s second hand stuff, or overwhelmed by the feeling of obligation to keep things you don’t want or won’t use simply because someone gave it to you. However, some of my favourite and most used/helpful baby items have come from a friend’s previously loved collection. I recommend open communication. We all enter into parenthood with needs/wants we would like filled before the baby comes. I try to openly express these specific needs we have – increasing the chances of seeing those needs met and helping to avoid receiving anything unnecessary/unwanted. Next, My policy is to always check if they want specific pieces returned for sentimental reasons or future use. Then, I will ask if they are comfortable with my plan to donate/thrift any items that I can’t/won’t use. It is such a blessing and joy to experience the generosity of a loving and giving community. And it feels good to know that I’ve avoided the waste (both financially and environmentally) that comes from purchasing new.

Keep in mind that you are not obligated to accept or use anything that you don’t love or that won’t work for your space/lifestyle. You always have the power to say “no” to any and all items offered – but you never know what gems you may miss out on by never saying “yes” (even if it does mean a little extra sorting and organizing).

Thrift, thrift, thrift… Maybe I talk about thrifting too much. But if I’m honestly going to share my “tips” for preparing for a baby than this has to be on the list. There is a seemingly ENDLESS supply of baby stuff out in the world. And much of it, once used (usually pretty lightly because babies grow so quickly!) is donated to thrift stores. The day after we were told I was pregnant with a little boy I carved out an hour of my day to stop by a local second hand children’s shop. Twenty dollars later I had a great stash of adorable onsies, pajamas, pants, and shirts ranging from newborn size to one year. As my pregnancies progressed I’ve made a few more intentional trips to various thrift stores, searching for specific items, to fill any supply gaps I’ve felt we were lacking.

Purchase with Patience… There have been/are a number of adorable baby items I long to add to my collection or feel I “need” in order to be fully prepared for babe. It can be so easy to stress over these wants/needs – often leading to a quick purchase of an item that we don’t truly love or that may not fully align with our desire to shop and live sustainably/intentionally. However, one of the gifts of pregnancy (usually) is time. We are gifted nine months to stock up for our little newborns. I’ve found that if I can remind myself that many of my seemingly pressing needs (& most of my wants) don’t have to be fulfilled instantly – then I can keep my eyes open for sudden sales from my favourite shops, an unexpected secondhand offer, or the ultimate thrifted find. Most likely, the opportunity to fill a need with a quick purchase will always be there. But by exercising a little patience, while keeping your eyes open and your heart intentional, you may avoid spending unnecessarily or sacrificing standards.

I’ve recently found myself saying to friends and family that I feel even more prepared to welcome our baby boy than I did while pregnant with our first. What continually surprises and delights me is knowing that, comparatively, I have less of everything set aside for him. It’s not the number of sleepers, swaddles, baby blankets, or bottles I have stored that’s given me confidence as an expectant mom – but the intentionality of minimalism and freedom from unnecessary excess.

Over the last few years I have become increasingly aware of how much waste I create during the holidays. Every Christmas since I can remember we’d pull out our black garbage bags and fill them to the brim with non-recyclable wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. Plastic toys came packaged in layers of more plastic. Single use cutlery, plates, straws and napkins made Christmas dinners easier to clean up. The quantity of my gifts were always more important than the quality of my gifts – and all this waste was created with out a second thought.

But it was impossible to close my eyes and ignore the excess once I saw it. As my family took steps to create a more minimalist home and simple lifestyle I realized how unnecessary so much of the garbage created by Christmas truly was. We could simplify and minimize our waste without missing any of the beauty and tradition we’ve always loved about the holidays.

We certainly aren’t perfect, but we are embracing the process of learning how to celebrate Christmas sustainably. Here are some of our favourite ways to keep waste to a minimum this Holiday season!

Decorate – Naturally!

Buy a fresh Christmas tree.

Growing up, my family bought a real Christmas tree every year. When my husband and I got married we continued the tradition. There is nothing like the smell of fresh pine filling up your living room as you pull out your favourite ornaments and twinkle lights! Decorating with a real tree has so many benefits. Even though a fake tree can be used for years in a row, they eventually end up in a landfill. Fresh Christmas trees can be composted or recycled and mulched. A lot of townships and cities have special tree pickup days after the holidays. We opt to let our tree dry out in our backyard. We save it for a big bonfire to celebrate the beginning of the summer! Buying a real tree is also an excellent opportunity to support local farmers. And speaking of Christmas tree farms, growing these seasonally sold trees naturally creates oxygen and cleans the air! They might be a little messier than the prefabricated alternative – but we find it worth the mess every year.

Decorate your home with natural greenery and natural/locally made/thrifted ornaments.

Creating a cozy home filled with holiday cheer isn’t something I’m willing to sacrifice just because I want to celebrate minimally and sustainably.

Outside our front door we have an antique metal maple sap bucket filled with fallen birch branches, extra boughs from our tree and backyard, and woven wooden stars. It looks so festive and barely cost me a thing! Try foraging around your yard or local green space to find fresh branches and boughs. Don’t live in, or near, a forested area? You can also purchase fresh greenery from local nurseries/farms – even some grocery stores carry them!

There is a huge excess of Christmas decor out there, and you can keep it out of the landfill by reusing it rather than buying new. If you need/want to freshen up your home’s holiday style try hunting through some local antique shops for unique finds. Some of my favourite ornaments are our vintage glass Christmas balls and carved wooden Santa’s – they are all filled with such character and history. Not feeling thrifty? You can also find businesses that sell local artisan’s work or imported handmade, fair trade, decor.

Decorating with sustainability/simplicity in mind doesn’t mean you’re home will be lacking in Christmas cheer!

Wrap Presents with Recyclable/Compostable/Reusable Materials.

Last year was the first time I really put the effort in to reduce my Christmas wrapping waste. Mainly because I love my pretty Christmas papers and bags. It’s ALL about the aesthetics for me. I take way too much pride/satisfaction in the beauty of the presents under my tree. I was happily dubbed my family’s official wrapper for years growing up. It’s literally one of my favourite parts of the holidays. It’s no wonder it took me so long to try and find some alternatives to all the glitter, gold, and plastic bows!

Last Christmas my decorative wrapping was replaced with a giant (and inexpensive!) roll of brown craft paper. My pretty bows were replaced with butchers twine (you can find twine in multiple colours online if you want variation). I also found jute or yarn to be lovely alternatives to plastic ribbon. I trimmed some excess branches off of our tree and tied them onto the presents to pretty them up – and loved the results! More plastic free decorative options are: rosemary sprigs, cedar cuttings, or a pretty handmade ornament!

The only non-recyclable I used was scotch tape, which had to be pulled off of the craft paper before it could be placed in the recycling bin.

This year I have been DETERMINED to do an even more thorough job of eradicating waste from my wrapping. My favourite discovery has been Washi Tape! Many Washi Tapes are made of plant materials and are compost/recycling friendly. In fact, a lot of town/cities will accept craft paper in the compost too. I joyfully discovered that our township does! It feels so satisfying to know that all of our wrapping waste can be thrown in the green bin after Christmas morning.

Reusable wrapping is also an excellent option. The last couple months I’ve been scouring the Salvation Army for second hand sheets/fabric cuttings/drapes that I could use to wrap presents in. I FINALLY found the loveliest cotton bed skirt that was easily cut up to wrap multiple gifts under our tree. More reusable ideas I love are: fabric bags, decorative storage containers, scarves, and pretty tea towels! I’ve also read about families who create Christmas scavenger hunts. Presents are hidden around the house to be discovered – instead of wrapped and placed under the tree. If you have small children this could be such a fun and exciting experience!

Plan a Plant Based Christmas Menu.

If there is anything I’ve discovered since switching to a vegan diet 3 years ago – it’s that I don’t have to miss out on my favourite holiday flavours and foods just because I’ve cut out animal products. Eating plant based is an amazing way to lessen your environmental impact/carbon footprint this Christmas (and into the new year!). There are now endless recipes at our fingertips, and so many options in our grocery stores – it’s not difficult to switch out your favourite Christmas classics with a delicious vegan alternative. My go to holiday dinner is stuffed butternut squash – filled with wild rice, fresh herbs, cranberries, chickpeas, spinach, apples, and cashews! On the side I love garlicky mashed potatoes, vegan gravy, and maple glazed carrots! For dessert? Vegan apple or pumpkin pie with coconut whipped cream on top. Yum!

If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of making a plant based Christmas dinner, why not try simply switching out one or two of your favourite dishes with vegan or vegetarian alternatives? It’s an easy and healthy way to make your Christmas more sustainable.

About three years ago my husband and I moved from our first home (a sweet one bedroom apartment) into our new home (an adorable three bedroom house). We had so much packed into our tiny rental, I felt sure that our new space would feel immensely spacious in comparison!

However, shortly after our move I found myself already stressed out by the surprising overflow of STUFF in our house. There was a mountain in the guest room, piles in the basement, and somehow we still didn’t have enough cupboard space in our kitchen. How had we ever squeezed into our old apartment? Also, the decorations I had always dreamed of having the space for – my coffee table, with it’s decorative tray, stylized stacks of vintage books, and cute succulent centerpiece – had to constantly be readjusted, dusted, and updated. The larger space I dreamed of and beautiful things that I had collected to display weren’t creating the joy I had imagined they would. I was too busy monitoring all the details of their upkeep to even enjoy them. I was overwhelmed by a future of seemingly endless organizing and extra cleaning. There had to be a way to simplify. So I decided to start by tackling my most personal corner of chaos. My closet.

I had tried purging and organizing before; but always struggled to let items go, just in case I woke up one day and regretted my decision. I wanted to challenge myself to really change but I desperately needed some direction to know where to begin. Naturally, I started searching Pinterest for inspiration. I saw some posts about capsule wardrobes and soon afterwards discovered project 333. The basic idea is that you build a capsule wardrobe of just 33 pieces of clothing for 3 months (with seasonally appropriate changes made for the following 3 months). From all that I read it sounded like having less could somehow make the process of expressing my personal style easier. It felt like the perfect solution, because my tendency is to avoid structured plans – I’m naturally whimsical and free spirited – but I knew that to motivate myself and move forward I had to follow some guidelines.

If you’re thinking of minimizing your wardrobe – but aren’t sure where/how to begin – I’ve listed some steps below that I found empowering and enabling!

Step 1: Before starting the process of minimizing my closet it helped me to sit and think through how I wanted to structure my wardrobe. I forced myself to be practical and really consider how my clothing needed to serve me on a day to day basis. I asked myself questions like: What pieces do I need for work? What do I like to wear at home or on my days off? What’s the weather like where I live? What colours/textures/styles make me feel the most confident?

Step 2: Next, I made a rough plan of action – writing down all of the items I knew I wanted to keep as staples. It helped me to feel less overwhelmed when I finally stood in front of my closet.

Step 3: Collecting and organizing all of my clothing into “yes”, “no”, and “maybe” piles really helped the process along. Once I had all my “yes” items organized I could go through my “maybe’s” and see what items I still needed to fill my “Project 333” guideline. Then, if I had already reached my maximum number for that specific category (shirts/pants/shoes etc.) I made the decision to let that item go. I found that starting with a specific goal really removed the debilitating pressure of decision making for me.

Once I finished minimizing and organizing my closet I felt SO empowered to keep the momentum going. I quickly realized how my simplified and unified wardrobe was benefiting my daily life. Dressing was less stressful because there was less to sort through. Every item was my favourite fit and style. I wanted to rest of my life to feel the same way. Over the next months I dove headfirst into my new found passion for all things “minimalist”. I read blog posts, listened to podcasts*, and watched documentaries*. I sorted through every room in my house, following a similar strategy to how I simplified my closet. The more I minimized my belongings the freer I felt. There was less clutter, less cleaning, and more time to enjoy my moments at home – rather than use those moments to complete a list of chores. In the future, I hope to share more of my process and some of the strategies I’ve used to help myself and my family really embrace this lifestyle. But for now I want to share one of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way…

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris

I am easily swept up by the excitement of new ideas. I’m a self proclaimed lover of change. It’s a joy for me to throw myself completely into the process of learning, starting, and creating. Sustaining my drive and new found passion is where I often struggle. Beginning the transition into a minimalist lifestyle I wanted to move forward full throttle, all inhibitions cast to the side. According to some minimalist philosophies that would have looked very extreme and quite austere. However, I not only had a partner whose space I needed to respect, but I also realized the need to honour my own heart for aesthetics. Having a home filled with our bare minimum”useful” belongings was great in theory – but it didn’t consider our personal preferences or style. If I removed every lovely “useless” belonging we owned I knew I wouldn’t be able to sustain this lifestyle change for long.

For us, beauty is the soul that makes our house a home.

This is why I would call myself a “Cozy Minimalist”. As much as I love the mindset of intentionality behind eliminating every non essential from our life (whether it be physical items, unhealthy mental clutter, an excess of responsibilities that steal our time, or unhealthy/toxic relationships) I also value the feeling of joy that items in our life can create. Whether it be an extra mug or two (or ten) that you make space for in your cupboard, an overflow of cozy pillows and blankets on your couch, a special collection from your childhood, or a generous and eclectic smattering of artwork on your wall – the items we own can add intrinsic value into our lives. What’s of upmost importance, and what the purpose of Minimalism has come to mean for me, is the time I take to carefully and intentionality assess what brings true life and joy into my family’s hearts and lives.

*Some of my greatest information and inspiration came from following along with The Minimalists. If you click the links provided they will lead you to their podcast and documentary pages.