Happy Monday, friendly faces! 😀
… and welcome to the last Monday of April! The closing of an old month calls for a new monthly favourites post, and while I know that April technically has a few more days left in it, I very much doubt that I’ll fall in love with anything new in that time, and since I’ve already got other posts planned for the next few days, April favourites gets defaulted to today…
That’s all for intros! Let’s jump right in to the good stuff…
The foods of April were brought to you by the letter “C”. First up, Chickpeas…
I buy the canned beans from Eden Foods because they’re organic, salt-free, and come in a BPA-free can. I always have these grand notions of buying dried beans, soaking them, and cooking them up myself, but really… ain’t no one got time for that! I tried it on a few occasions and after being less than impressed with the results, I threw in the towel and went with store-bought instead. Eden Foods cooks their beans in kombu, which enhances the flavour and gives them a softer texture. I can’t even tell you guys how many cans I went through this month, and I’ve been enjoying them roasted, blended, and even straight up from the can…
Next up? Chocolate. This one shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Easter assaulted us with all things cocoa, but I was introduced to a new-to-me brand of chocolate this month that I kind of fell head over heels for…
Giddy Yo Yo — organic, fair-trade, and 100% raw chocolate. Not only do the bars have an amazingly deep and complex chocolate flavour, but the company itself kicks some serious butt. They’re dedicated to using the highest quality and most nutrient dense ingredients available, as well as improving the quality of life for many Ecuadorian workers. As an added bonus, their products are also free of gluten, nuts, dairy, soy, refined sugar, and “all other nasty funk” 😉
And if you need further proof that I was obsessed with both of those C’s this month, just take a look at April’s recipes…
Crunchy Honey Almond Roasted Chickpeas
No-Bake Double Chocolate Fudge Protein Bites
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Oatmeal Cookie Dough Breakfast Bake
Can we say chocolate in ALL the things? Apparently 😯
You guys, I think there might be something wrong with me… Remember how I didn’t set foot into a Sephora in March and barely had any beauty products to share with you? Well, the same thing happened in April. I only managed one trip towards the end of the month, and only walked out with one item. That one item, though, I’m absolutely smitten with…
Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara. I received a little sample size of this mascara in a gift set that I got for Christmas, but put off using it because I didn’t buy into all the hype. Cue me kicking myself… repeatedly. This stuff isn’t mascara — it’s magic. Not only does it add great length and volume, but it isn’t clumpy, doesn’t flake off, holds a curl, and stays put so that I don’t have to worry about being left with raccoon eyes by the end of the day. And the brush is basically a dream…
“The specially designed brush features staggered bristles that grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The custom-domed tip uses precision bristles to lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes.”
It’s like a push-up bra for your eyelashes 😉 No joke!
Other than that, I only have one more beauty-related thing to share with you guys — oil pulling.
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic detoxification technique which involves swishing a tablespoon of oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes before spitting it out and going about your normal brushing/flossing routine. The oil supposedly pulls toxins out of the mouth, teeth, gums, and throat, which not only improves oral health, but affects the rest of the body as well.
I’ve been oil pulling on a daily basis since around the middle of March, and I would have mentioned it sooner, but I wanted to give it some time to work its magic before I offered any opinions. You guys… I love it. I don’t want to go too in depth into what oil pulling is and what the benefits are, but I will say that a few improvements I noticed were: whiter teeth, a cleaner feeling mouth, better digestion, and better sleep. Obviously I can’t say whether or not oil pulling is what’s 100% responsible for those things, but it’s a practice I’ll definitely be keeping up for quite some time. Let me know if you’d like to learn more about it and I’ll write up a more detailed post for you guys!
Remember my book haul from a few days ago?
I decided to start with Graceling
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight – she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.
She never expects to become Po’s friend.
She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace – or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away…
I’m a big fan of books that have a strong female protagonist, which is definitely one of the things I loved about Graceling. I did have a few issues with the some of the ideas surrounding womanly strength and independece that Cashore not-so-subtly puts forth throughout the novel, but overall I found it to be an enjoyable read that I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan of books like The Hunger Games or Divergent… although it errs to the side of fantasy rather than dystopia.
First off, I really liked the idea of The Graced — individuals who are born with a remarkable ability that sets them apart from “normal” people and changes their eyes so that they are two different colours. Definitely an interesting concept to build a world around.
Second, I loved the characters. Katsa drove me crazy in some regards, but she was also a character that I could really empathize with. I loved her strength, I loved her determination, and I loved that you could see her grow with some of the walls she built around herself coming down by the end of the book. Perhaps not as much as I would have liked to have seen, but enough to be content.
Po was my favourite — now where can I find myself a guy like him? 😆 He was a stark contrast to Katsa in every way, but their chemistry was absolute perfection, and their relationship made the hopeless romantic in me do all sorts of happy dances. Still gushing about it.
Overall, it was a fast paced book with a good story, an interesting world, and characters you really come to love. I definitely recommend picking it up if you get the chance.
April was a blasty blast! Here’s what happened on Spoons this month…
- I was lucky enough to be able to take two snowboarding trips to the mountains this month, but only recapped one — as we speak style…
- Birthdays! Both my mom and dad are April babies, so there was a lot of cake…
- Food talk (read: WIAW) involved:
- I shared some blogging tips with a post on 11 helpful WordPress plugins.
- Lots of good stuff came out of my kitchen!
- Aaaaaaand to close off the month, I’ve got a pretty awesome recipe coming up for you guys tomorrow. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: none of the products mentioned above are sponsored — they’re simply ones that I use regularly and love. This post does, however, contain some affiliate links.
Tell me 3 awesome things that happened in April!
Would you be interested in a post on oil pulling?
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You had a busy month, girl! Thanks for the report on oil pulling … I swear every time I read good results (which is frequently!) I get one step closer to actually trying it myself … but I’m still a few steps away :). Just seems like so much WORK and kind of nasty! But I know I’d get used to it!
I’m totally with you on the beans.. Canned is just so much easier! I have to tell you how much I adore your recipes I have never been disappointed! Your chickpea recipe is next on my list. Also, I love the blogging tips. Your blogging posts are what helped me get started so thank you!
Yay I’m so excited you finally tried Giddy Yoyo chocolate! Isn’t it amazing? I got to work with the company and chat with their sales reps when I worked at my old job, and it made me just fall in love with the company. They hold all of their ingredients to the highest of standards – it’s really impressive!
Love these:) I tried oil pulling for awhile, and it was okay, but I don’t think I did it long enough each day. How long do you do it? My mouth was tired after 5 minutes!:)
I do it for about 20 minutes each time. And I don’t think you have to do it too vigorously for it to be effective — you can always work your way up from 5 minutes 🙂
Thanks dear! I’ll try that tomorrow morning!:)
Would love a post on oil pulling! I’ve read a bit about it and given it a go (could not get past 5 minutes though!) but would love to hear more about your experience with it.
ooh great mascara! good pick! Have you read Crown Duel? I remember it being similar to Graceling -one of my faves!
I haven’t, but if it’s similar then it’s definitely going on my list!
And I know what I’m about to request from the library 😉 sounds right up my alley!
Eden Foods are more expensive, but so worth it. They are amazing beans. I’ve been wanting to jump into oil pulling for a while now, but haven’t taken the time to just try it already! For sure write that post!
Great roundup! I can’t believe it’s already the end of April. This year is flying. Thanks for reminding me to try your chickpeas too. They look so good! I need to try oil pulling. I have terrible sinus issues. I would love to hear more about your experience with it.
I need to get my hands on some of that giddy yo yo chocolate – what a find!
Oil pulling – I lasted about a week but found it really hard not to swallow it!? I want to try this again but I am always so strapped for time in the morning…Do you do it for the whole 20 minutes? I would definitely love to see a more detailed post on it from you 🙂
Yup! I do actually do it for the whole 20. I find that keeping myself occupied with something else is the key. I’ll usually do it first thing in the morning while reading blogs and the time goes by pretty quickly.
I recently started oil pulling too, mainly for bad sinus congestion that interfered with my sleep. I used to take a nasal spray at night but the oil pulling has completely cleared it up! I’ve noticed that if I don’t pull on the weekends, the congestion starts coming back. I was skeptical at first but now I swear by it!
P.S. Personally, I can never get enough chocolate recipes. Love them all 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Amber! My mom suffers from sinus congestion and I’ve been trying to convince her to give oil pulling a try but she’s skeptical. I’ll have to let her know it’s worked for others.
You made a lot of great chocolate recipes this month. Anything chocolate pretty much wins in my life though. I cannot believe how fast this month went by. I got engaged, starting working full time and finally had a decent road race the first week of April…that seems like just yesterday LOL!
Your blog is so darn pretty! It is just relaxing to read. And…I may have made a couple of those skillet cookies this week……
Please do put up a post about oil-pulling! I’ve been reading about it a lot recently and am interested to give it a whirl once I understand the technique a bit better! I’ve never tried raw chocolate but it sounds great…I mean if it’s chocolate, how bad can it be ;)! Definitely going to look out for some when I’m in London next month :)! As for those roasted chickpeas- thanks for reminding me that I need to get on with trying it like yesterday…I see a new snack addiction coming up!
i have heard of that detoxing before but feels so weird thinking about oil in my mouth….April was a good month to begin with as i went to SF but i lost my boss unexpectedly which sucks right now 🙁
I found out I was Pregnant in April!
Anything with the word Giddy in the title I think would be worth trying! It makes me smile!
!!! Omg! Congratulations, girl! That’s freaking awesome news!
SO many delicious recipes! I cannot wait to make the protein balls when I get my apartment moved this week and I must try making roasted chickpeas myself! I love you and your recipes…keep ’em coming lady 🙂
I’d love some more blogging tips! I still feel like a newbie! But hey I haven’t even had a one year with my blog so I kind of am! I still can not figure out these dang plug ins and nothing seems to be put where I want it haha! Oh so confused!
Three awesome things that happened in April was sister bonding, family bonding, and after today college grad status 🙂
College grad??! EEEE! HUGE congrats, girlie!!
Your recipes always make my stomach rumble when I’m looking at them!!! Oh my goodness I want to make them ALL, especially the ones involving chocolate chips 🙂
I love that mascara! It makes my lashes HUGE 🙂
Mhm YES to all the chocolate recipes! I’m eyeing that enormous skillet cookie and think that it’s about time it made an appearance in my tum. So interesting about the oil pulling- I’ve never heard of that before! I would definitely be interested in reading a post that explains more about how it works :).
Happy Monday!
It was a fantastic month for Spoons! Like, how could the chocoholic in me not love all those recipes? Pretty sure I pinned all of them … if only that made them appear in front of me. You should consider writing synopsises and book reviews! You do a really good job every time! I’ve never tried oil pulling, but I would love a detailed post on it – it sounds really interesting!
Yes PLEASE to an oil-pulling post! I have a beauty/lifestyle channel on YouTube and I’m always interested to learn about new beauty techniques 🙂 Happy Monday!
I’m newer to reading your blog (and to the blog world in-general). You seem to have a solid reader following. Any tips on building that would be much appreciated 🙂 Also, I love roasted chickpeas! I can tell you dig the sweets, but if you’re a fan of salt & vinegar potato chips, I’d recommend trying roasted salt & vinegar chickpeas… it changed my life! 😉
Building up a solid readership definitely takes a little bit of time and effort, but my biggest piece of advice would be to figure out what your niche is and be active in that community. Comment on similar blogs, share posts/updates via Twitter, link your blog to a Facebook account — anything to get your name out there 🙂 Other than that, be patient and don’t get discouraged!
The oil pulling theory I am hugely skeptical about, so a detailed post from someone I trust will be highly appreciated 🙂 .
All of those recipes in April!? Ohmyyy, I didn’t even realize…well done you! The Cookie dough bake has me smitten..I had it twice so far already!
Raw chocolate is the best!! I snagged some on a trip – brazil nut creme and mint creme – (the price was enough to give me hernia), but so incredibly rich and satisfying.
Beauty tips would be a fabulous idea (your daily skincare routine, exfoliating and such?); I adore expanding my knowledge in that sphere 🙂 .
Yes!! You should write up a detailed post about oil pulling. I’ve been so curious about it, and wondering if it is worth it enough to try. And omg, those almond honey chick peas, I had completely forgotten about them, and now you reminded me, and now I’ll be making those next weekend!!
I have heard of this oil pulling but have yet to try it. I don’t know that I ever will but maybe you will convince me otherwise. I mean, I am still downing my Apple Cider Vinegar every morning which I think did what it was supposed to but who really knows.
I tried oil pulling once recently (on the day of my dentist appointment, no surprise….) and while I didn’t love it (my mouth felt weird and oily for a good hour afterwards, even though I rinsed my mouth out), I obviously need to try it again to see if I actually notice benefits. I’d be interested in seeing a post on it!
Ohmygoodness almost May. Almost summer weather…seriously cannot wait.
I am always on the lookout for tip posts, especially beauty and health-related of course! I read a lot about oil pulling but cannot get myself to justify the cost of just swishing coconut oil in my mouth to spit it out :-/ I mean, I really do need to look for a way to fall asleep sans Zzquil so maybe I should give it a go?
I’ve heard all about oil pulling and did some research on it…I just REALLY don’t know if I’d be able to swish oil around in my mouth for 20 minutes! lol But maybe one day I’ll give it a go. Most everyone I’ve talked to say that they don’t even notice the time, so maybe it won’t be as bad?
As for the chocolate….Im in a bad bad way thanks to that stuff!! I hit Target up Friday night and [accidently] found there discount Easter candy….50% off!!
The time does go by pretty quick as long as you keep yourself occupied. I do it while reading blogs in the morning and don’t usually notice it.
You should have come to the green living show this weekend, Giddy YoYo had a huge booth! Plus Kewaza uses mostly giddy yoyo products 🙂
So I lasted 2 days oil pulling…fail.
YES to chocolate in ALL things! I am also guilty of having eaten chickpeas straight up from the can – but I recently switched to dry ones that I soak and cook. I have not seen giddyyoyo bars here..i gotta check them – they look ridunckulously delish!
YES to a post on oil pulling – I saw some news people talking about it and have been curious so would love to know your take. Yes to more blogging tips – in fact – yes to ANY tips!
3 good things in April, my dad’s bday, my mom’s wound responding to hyperbaric treatments, and my daughter making up with a dear friend!
Awwr so many good things for your family in April! Happy to hear it, Shashi 😀 And here’s to an even better May!
I keep meaning to try oil pulling! I’m going to put a note in my phone to remind me to start tonight!! I do the ‘oil pulling’ technique on my face – it works so much better than soap/moisturizers/chemicals.
Can you believe it’s almost May? OMG. Seriously…
All those snacks look delicious! I can’t wait to try them.
Please write up a post on oil pulling – I am very intrigued!
I loved Graceling too! It’s nice that it’s on a similar vein as Divergent, Hunger Games, etc. but is unique enough that it’s not the same story over and over – it pulls you in from a new angle. 🙂
Hmmm…in April I got into UBC! I think that is exciting enough to count as three things! I had no idea what oil pulling was until you mentioned it, so YES please. Anything to make me feel less guilting about my (lack of) flossing. 😉
I need to find that Giddy Yo Yo chocolate somewhere!
And about oil pulling….I think it’s an awesome thing to do, BUT it’s really not good for everyone. I only see great things about it in the media, so I started doing it every other day with coconut oil. I then talked to my naturopathic doctor about it and she said she highly advised I not do it – because I already struggle with acne, she said that the oils may pull toxins up and out through my skin, making my skin worse. I haven’t done it since! I guess what I’m saying is it would be an awesome post to write about just make sure to say that it’s not great for everyone 🙂
Eep I never heard about that but I’ll keep it in mind. I actually noticed my skin clearing up since I started, so I guess it’s different for everyone.
I’m so with you on the beans!! You had a great month! I made your breakfast bake, this weekend…. Loved it!
I just bought a jar of coconut oil for oil pulling…but Im scared to do it haha!
It’s actually not bad at all! Coconut oil tastes a lot better than other oils so you don’t feel so gaggy, and it doesn’t leave a coating in your mouth afterwards or anything. You can start with 5 minutes and work your way up from there.
Oh my word, the Giddy Yo-Yo chocolate looks amazing! I’m assuming they sell it in the States? And I’m so with you on the soaking beans front, for reals – AINT NODODY GOT TIME. I was super excited to find out about the Eden brand…and of course since finding out, I’ve yet to pick them up. Standard.
I’m actually not sure about Giddy Yo Yo in the States. I know they’re a Canadian company and I never looked for them in Whole Foods or anything. Worth keeping an eye open, though!
I’m all about the tips–any tips any time are much appreciated! Also YES to the oil pulling post. I’ve heard of it but am skeptical because I’m skeptical about everything so I’d love to hear about it in more detail!