Sandi Swiss likes Ground Flaxseed

Sandi Swiss is a lovely vegan lady who is also the bearer of sweets! She is the baker behind the Chicago suburbs' best (only?) vegan bakery, which she runs with her partner Brian, Canary Confectionery! They don't have a storefront location, but you can order baked goods, truffles, and other sweet treats from them for your own party or event. Canary Confectionery even made the cupcakes for my most recent birthday celebration! You will be able to find Canary Confectionery treats for sale in the food court at the upcoming Chicago VeganMania. Sandi also runs a group called Compassionate Friends of the West Suburbs which she keeps updated with information, events, and other items of interest.

The Vegan Thing Sandi Likes is Ground Flaxseed!!

I am sure there is someone our there thinking "WHAT? Of all the awesome vegan foods out there you choose flaxseed!? What about pizza? Or Earth Balance? How is flaxseed better than ice cream? Nothing is better than Diaya cheese...This girl is nutty!"

BUT, after thinking about all the vegan things I like, I realized that I wanted to talk about something that is awesome in more than one way, I use alot, and that some people may not know about. So I thougt about my eating habits, and that led me to ground flaxseed! In addition to the health benefits to flaxseed (Omega-3 fatty acids, high in fiber and lignans) it is very versatile. I first started using it in my morning smoothies for the health benefits. A banana/mixed berry/flaxseed/kale smoothie really makes a tasty difference in the morning!

Being a baker, I also use it as an egg replacer for some of my vegan treats! Some people say it has a nutty flavor, so I usually use it in recipes that go well with nuts or already contain nuts like fall cookies and carrot cake. Now I was really nervous the first time I uesd flaxseed in baking, when you mix it with water or a milk substitute, it gets reallllly gummy and makes for quite the unusual batter. But something magic happens in the oven and fantastic baked goods appear chock full of omega-3's and fiber!

While I was on vacation with my friend Melissa, she made raw "pancakes" using ground flaxseed, and they were so tasty, I make them at home now with bananas and nuts. Flaxseed is also found in crackers and other snacks, however it does need to be ground to get the health benefits. I buy mine whole and in bulk at Whole Foods and grind it in my Vita Mix, because I read that it has the most nutrients right after being ground. The rest I put in my freezer. You can also buy it already ground! If you haven't already tried flaxseed, I hope that you consider tossing it into your next smoothie or cookie recipe.