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Dessert & Treats

Baking, Bar, Create, Dessert & Treats, Dining Room, Dwell, Entertain, Fashion, Flowers, Food, Gluten Free, Inspiration, Local Love, Occasions, Spring, Vegan, Wine & Cocktails

A SIMPLE EASTER DINNER FOR TWO

Remember when I mentioned over the holidays that I wanted to bring more ENTERTAIN content to JustineCelina this year? Although these weren’t quite the circumstances I envisioned (now that’s an understatement!), I’m thrilled to share A Simple Easter Dinner For Two with you today! While Easter certainly looked a lot different for everyone this year given the current global situation, we decided to make the most of it and celebrate here in our home in Calgary — just the two of us. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we’d spend an Easter without the large family gatherings in the country we’ve become accustomed to over the years — but rather than mourning the loss of our cherished traditions, we resolved to stay home and create a few of our own!

In over a decade together, this was the first Easter dinner we’ve celebrated in our home — and I wanted to mark the occasion by capturing these memories to look back on. I put on a dress, ordered flowers, made some nostalgic family recipes along with my first ever carrot cake — then we popped some Prosecco and enjoyed A Simple Easter Dinner For Two (Adam was actually peeling potatoes in the kitchen to my left as I snapped these photos from my tripod!). I was reminded of my ability to find beauty in uncertainty and create amongst chaos — these are things I find very cathartic and truly bring me joy. While it wasn’t a traditional Easter, it was still a lovely weekend — gifting us with lessons in resiliency, enjoying life’s simple pleasures and doing the best you can with what you have, where you are! Whether you’ve stopped by today for details on our Easter in quarantine, are planning a more intimate Easter gathering of your own, or are visiting years in the future once this is all behind us in search of some easy Easter entertaining ideas, I’ve got you covered!

April 18, 2020 by Justine

Appies & Sides, Baking, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Dinner, Food, Gluten Free, Lunch, Roundups, Salads & Bowls, Smoothies & Juices, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

28 PLANT BASED RECIPES MADE WITH PANTRY STAPLES, FROZEN FOOD AND STURDY PRODUCE

Happy Saturday, friends. How’s everyone doing? These are certainly strange and uncertain times. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine blogging about this topic, under these circumstances! But like many of you, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best serve my community in this time of need — and its been so heartening reading stories of individuals and businesses stepping up to care for one another. I’ve always taken great comfort in preparing nourishing meals for myself, my family and my friends — and that extends to all of you! In light of recent world events and the different realities we’re all currently facing in this unprecedented situation, this week I focused on what I could do here at JustineCelina to help. As we spend more time in our homes over the next few weeks (or months) and adapt to a new normal, we’ll inevitably be cooking and eating more meals at home — something I’m very passionate about. So, I rescheduled the pretty cocktail I had originally slated to publish on Spring Equinox (which is now live!) to bring you 28 Plant Based Recipes Made With Pantry Staples, Frozen Food and Sturdy Produce — the ultimate resource in feeding yourself and your family well, and economically, during this challenging time.

I’ve scoured my virtual recipe box to compile 28 extensively tested, plant-based, inexpensive, easy to prepare, immune boosting recipes from breakfast through dinner (with snacks in-between!). Each of these recipes are free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar, but many also yield large batches — which are perfect for families, meal prep or freezing to ensure you have nutrient dense meal options on hand. I’ve always been one to keep a well-stocked kitchen — the majority of my recipes focus on inexpensive but versatile, plant based, pantry, freezer and fridge staples that pack a nutritional punch. I’ve also sprinkled this mega-post with ingredient substitution ideas and tips for maximizing the life of your produce, so you can make the most of what you have on hand (this is actually how my most inventive recipes are conceived, food never goes to waste in my kitchen!). We’re all in this together — so if you’re craving some time in the kitchen cooking, baking and recipe making, I’ve got you covered!

March 21, 2020 by Justine

40+ PINK VALENTINE'S DAY IDEAS | free valentines day background | free valentines day wallpaper | valentines day gift ideas | galentines ideas | Galentine’s party | Valentine’s Day recipes | Valentine’s day menu | Valentine’s day 2020 | Blogger’s favourite Valentine’s Day Ideas | Pink Valentine’s Day Recipes | Pink Valentine’s Day Outfit Ideas | Valentine’s Day Entertaining Ideas | Romantic Valentine’s Day Ideas | The Best Pink Valentine’s Day Lipsticks // JustineCelina.com

Baking, Beauty, Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Digital Blooms, Entertain, Fashion, Flowers, Food, Fragrance, Makeup, Occasions, Roundups, Smoothies & Juices, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

40+ VALENTINE’S DAY IDEAS

Year after year as we approach Valentine’s Day, I find myself seeing through proverbial rose-coloured glasses and craving all things pink! And during the almost 6 years I’ve been blogging here at JustineCelina, I’ve created a plethora of dreamy, pink themed content. To celebrate love day this year, I’m sharing mega dose of all things pink, feminine and romantic in my 40+ Valentine’s Day Ideas roundup — featuring a collection of my favourite love day inspired things across categories. From what I wear, to the beauty products and fragrances I chose, to the flowers I bring into my home (or to my screen!), to what I eat and drink to how I entertain and practice self care, I love to incorporate February’s quintessential hue into Valentine’s Day — no matter what I’m up to!

Whether you’re in search of Valentine’s Day outfit ideas, the perfect rose toned lipstick, gift ideas for your significant other, pretty cocktails, seductive fragrances, plant-based pink recipes, flower arranging tips and education, self care ideas, or Galentine’s Day entertaining inspiration, I’ve got you covered! Plan yourself the best Valentine’s Day yet whether you’re single or attached, no matter how you celebrate by fixing yourself a delicious pink cocktail (may I suggest a Rose Infused Cherry Gin Fizz?) and cozing up with me tonight for some fun, attainable and creative ways to infuse a festive touch into your to your love day!

February 14, 2020 by Justine

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Food, Gluten Free, Paleo, Spring, Vegan, Vegetarian

HAZELNUT OATMEAL GOLDEN RAISIN ENERGY BITES

Lately I find myself craving simplicity in all areas of life, including what I fuel my body with. My no-bake Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites are reminiscent of your favourite cookie, elevated with a healthy, plant based, protein-packed, antioxidant-rich spin! This incredibly easy recipe comes together in just 10 minutes with 9 intensively nourishing ingredients — including fibre-rich quick oats, omega-packed flax meal, my new favourite vanilla protein powder, Bulk Barn’s decadent hazelnut butter (my most recent culinary obsession!), scrumptious golden raisins, pure Canadian maple syrup, creamy vanilla extract, Himalayan pink salt and a kiss of cinnamon. As always, they’re free free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar — and absolutely delish!

I’ve been really inspired in the kitchen lately and have so many recipes I’m excited to share this season, but these golden balls of energy have become a staple (if you follow along with my Stories, you’ll know how many times I’ve whipped these up recently!). I love to meal prep a batch on Sundays to ensure I have a quick snack or post-workout fuel whenever I need it. Sometimes I even make a double batch and freeze them! In fact, I’m headed out to finish photographing the second part of my Spring 2019 Lookbook this afternoon and have a few tucked away in my bag for a quick, nourishing snack on the run. Add the ingredients to your grocery list and whip these tasty little bites up today for a wholesome, nourishing, family-friendly snack you can enjoy all week! Join me today for my new favourite energy bite recipe and a chat about sustainability, zero-waste and the little changes I’ve been making to reduce my environmental impact.

June 5, 2019 by Justine

Pantone Colour of the Year 2019 Living Coral Inspiration | How to Incorporate Pantone's Color of the Year 2019 Living Coral in Your Home, Beauty Routine, Personal Style, Wardrobe, Flowers, Decor, Food, Drink and Entertaining this year | Living Coral Interior Design Trends | Pantone Living Coral Inspiration | How to Use Pantone Color of the Year 2019 Living Coral // JustineCelina.com

Beauty, Dessert & Treats, Digital Blooms, Dwell, Entertain, Fashion, Flowers, Food, Inspiration, Living Room, Makeup, Pantone, Plants, Roundups, Smoothies & Juices, Spring, Summer, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

PANTONE 2019 COLOUR OF THE YEAR INSPIRATION | LIVING CORAL

Happy love day, friends! This year, I’m putting a PANTONE 2019 Colour of the Year spin on Valentine’s celebrations with a warm, pink-hued introduction to all things Living Coral! By now, you’ve likely heard about 2019’s hottest hue — either here at JustineCelina, or elsewhere online. As a creative professional, I’ve followed PANTONE (the global colour authority for creative industries) for inspiration my entire career. In fact, I even have a section dedicated to them here on the blog to categorize all my PANTONE inspired work throughout the years! As someone who’s very inspired by colour, I love to stay informed about the latest colour trends and allow them to inspire, challenge and push my creative work.

As you can probably imagine, I’m particularly passionate about PANTONE’s selection for 2019! If you’re craving a serious dose of colour to help see you through these final wintery months as we (slowly but surely!) transition into spring, today’s post is an ode to Pantone’s 2019 Colour of the Year. Get ready for a mega dose of Living Coral inspiration — including my favourite ideas to inspire you to incorporate this beautifully vibrant and energetic hue into your personal style, home decor, plants, flowers, beauty routine and even your food and drink this year!

February 14, 2019 by Justine

Business, Create, Creative Process, Dessert & Treats, Dwell, Flowers, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Local Love, Occasions, Pantone, Spring, Wellness, Wine & Cocktails

MY 3RD BLOGIVERSARY + 10 THINGS I LEARNED IN MY THIRD YEAR OF BLOGGING

Friends, welcome back for my annual (and very belated!) Blogiversary celebration! My 3rd Blogiversary went roaring by on March 2nd — but to be honest, I was completely engrossed in our Living Room Reveal and some other fun, last minute projects at the time. Earlier this year I chatted about changing things up around here and creating space to let life happen — and that’s exactly what I’ve done! There’s been a lot happening here at JustineCelina lately as we get ready to reveal the next rooms in our SPACE REFRESH series (coming your way later this month!) and I simply had to prioritize my time differently to make this all possible. March was one of my most creatively fulfilling months of my life — it left me completely exhausted but also incredibly inspired! In the two months since My 3rd Blogiversary I’ve reached some milestones I’ve dreamed of achieving since launching JustineCelina and they’ve reminded me exactly why I started this whole thing in the first place. So, although it’s a bit late and I’ve been chipping away at this post when I can, I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this Pantone Spring 2018 inspired 3rd Blogiversary soirée with you!

In the midst of it all, I came up with the concept for this celebratory post pretty last minute — about 10 days before the shoot (which, admittedly, was about 2 months ago!). It was so spontaneous, but serendipitous and things just fell into place (I shot it myself one sunny Friday afternoon with my tripod and self timer). This year, we’re going all out — because after 323 blog posts, almost a million views (OMG!), 180 000 images, 2 900 comments and a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears (quite literally), I truly never thought I’d get here! My third year was one of intense growth, both on these pages and off of them — I hope you enjoy reading about 10 Things I Learned in my Third Year of Blogging in this raw, honest, unabashed post (you may need a sparkling glass of rosé to get though it!). Whether you’re new to JustineCelina (and there are a lot of you beautiful people — welcome!) or have been with me since the very beginning, I’m so grateful to have you here celebrating with me today!

May 19, 2018 by Justine

Baking, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Food, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

GLUTEN FREE SPICED SWEET POTATO BREAD

Wow, it’s been a minute since I published a bread recipe here at JustineCelina! Today I’m so happy to finally share one of the very first loaves I ever developed — seriously you guys, this recipe is ancient. It’s funny — there are so many old recipes like this that I’ve never had the chance to share with you! Currently I have about ten autumn recipes in my archives that have accumulated over the years — since I like to share things seasonally and don’t blog about food exclusively, you can see how they’d really add up. Well, this is one of them! My friends and family are very familiar with my Spiced Sweet Potato Bread recipe, however, this autumn I revamped it to be free of dairy, gluten (both of which I now have sensitivities to), refined sugar and oil. Sounds like a drag right?! Wrong!

My Gluten Free Spiced Sweet Potato Bread tastes like a beautifully spiced, indulgent, autumnal cake — I promise absolutely no one will know it’s a ‘free from’ recipe! A mega dose of nutritious, mashed sweet potatoes and decadent coconut milk mix and mingle with fall spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice to create a dense, cake-like loaf enjoyed by plant baser eaters, people with food allergies and sensitivities and anyone that loves delicious seasonal baking! If you’re looking for healthier or allergy free alternative to seasonal desserts for Thanksgiving or holiday festivities, this Gluten Free Spiced Sweet Potato Bread is my top recommendation. I brought it to a family Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit — even the picky eaters and little ones loved it! It also makes a fantastic breakfast, snack or clean dessert anytime you’re craving something sweet, spicy and nourishing. If you’re in the mood to bake this weekend (bonus: it makes your home smell amazing!), fix yourself a delicious chai latte, haul out your mixing bowls and throw on your coziest sweater — I have just the recipe!

November 11, 2017 by Justine

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