So it is 10:41pm, and I have decided to write a little blog about my trip. I am sorry my posts aren't very informative, but I have decided informative and consistent is not quite my style. I am more sporadic and randomly writing posts in the middle of the night (yes, this is my middle of the night... I am an old soul and I think it makes me pretty cool).

Out of the rambles and into the post!

Day One

Me and Alex arrived in Reykjavik in a not so graceful manner at 4:40 am. The whole city was totally silent (and slightly creepy) but we were pretty thankful we had those few hours to explore the streets before the hustle and bustle started. We had an early breakfast at The Landry Mat... just for a small bite to eat and a coffee. A cool place to visit and stop for a drink. 

I just got "toast" for breaky, it came with random items including butter and cheese which I did not eat.

We then went to our air b&b, unpacked, napped showered and then woke up in search of food. So we dragged our bodies into the city and that is when we found THE NOODLE STATION

Those of you who follow my Instagram know that I'm not kidding around when it comes to my food. If it is terrible, I will let you know. This place was super cheap and so good. Noodles come in 3 flavours beef, chicken or veggie. Me and Alex came here like 3 times and got the veggie every single time. It was amazing and I actually miss it.  After we ate we explored the town a little more.

I grabbed this cute little lemonade at a local bakery. 

We explored the pier in Reykjavik.

We went through LOTS of local gift shops. This one was one of our favourites.

Saw some cool and creepy street art. Right up my alley.

Day Two

Our second day was a bit of a whirl wind.

First, we grabbed lunch as Kaffi Vinyl. Our most favourite spot in Reykjavik. A vegan and vinyl cafe... basically this place was like my and alex's love child. The food was AMAZING and the atmosphere was great. Eating in Iceland is expensive, but to us this place was worth it. 

I got a 'pulled pork' style sandwich... it was so. freaking. good. Alex ordered some sort of tofu thai noodle dish that was also really great!

After we finished our lunch we took a road-trip to the blue lagoon (about 40 minutes from Reykjavik)

I have read reviews on the blue lagoon that say it is mostly a tourist attraction and something you can skip... I do not agree. When we arrived it was foggy and rainy,  we floated around surreal bright blue geothermal pool,  gave each other mud masks, floated on noodles and had some drinks!

Day Three

Our third day was the first day we went outbound from Reykjavik. We explored some of Southern Iceland and hit Seljalandsfoss (waterfall) , Skogafoss (waterfall) and Vik (cute costal city). 

Seljalandsfoss was pretty sweet! It was about an hour and a half from Reykjavik. You can see the waterfall gliding down a cliff from miles away, we can't go to webster falls anymore. 

The next sight we saw was Skogafoss, which was completely UNREAL. Given, there is a lot of other tourists there. But the waterfall is so immense that you really forget. The scenery surrounding the waterfall was beautiful as well. There was a restaurant and gift shop on site, but we didn't go to either... mostly because there was no wifi (judge us, we don't care).

Our last stop of the day was Vik! An adorable little coastal town with black sand beaches, bright houses and a church on a hill top.

During our day road trip we stopped lots times at anything we found interesting. 

Like this cool house we liked alot:

Or this little hobbit hole in the side of the mountain:

Day Four

On day four we gave our selves a little rest. We walked around Reykjavik, got some souvenirs for friends and family, went to the noodle station AGAIN and tried Reykjavik chips! A cute and cheap little fry place with the BEST fries with great sauces to go with them. 

I got a small fry with vegan peanut satay sauce! YUM

Later we went out to kaffi vinyl where we had some drinks, played some board games and hung out for the evening. All of the wine was vegan and organic and the people were super friendly.

Day Five

This day was probably my favourite of the trip. Me and Alex headed to the west (maybe? idk, ask him) coast of Iceland to see Kirkjufell. 

Kirkjufell is about a 2 hour drive from Reykjavik, we ended up stoping along the way TONS and these stops were some of my favourite memories. 

We first stopped at the side of the road to pet Icelandic ponies! We had tried the day we went to Vik and the ponies were mean and looked a little unpredictable (they had babies with them, I don't blame them). But there was a few people feeding and petting these ponies so we decided to give it a go. WORTH IT. The best creatures ever. 

It really was a beautiful drive.

We stopped at one pull over point and ended up hiking down a hill and finding a hidden waterfall. 

Unfortunately the sun was too strong and there were too many people at Kirkjufell to get a good picture (I'm impatient) so this is what ya get. It is basically a small waterfall next to a cool mountain. I would recommend seeing this because the drive was so amazing.

Day Six

On our last day we decided to spend one last day in the city. 

Of course we went to Kaffi Vinyl one last time. Had an amazing wrap, Alex had Mexican soup (unpictured) 

We went to the top of the Cathedral to get a view of the city.

Checked out what I believe to be the COOLEST COFFEE SHOP EVER - Reykjavik Roasters. All unique vintage furniture, white walls and an over all cozy feel.

We looked at the local street art and proclaimed ourselves the Pizza King and Queen.

Thanks for all the amazing memories Iceland! We will be back soon.

FAQ:

Where did you stay/How much did you pay? An airbnb in the suburbs of Reykjavik. It was clean and had everything we needed. The host was awesome and we met a couple from Finland and they were super nice. It came to about 60$ a night. If you would like to know the exact place we stayed feel free to contact me below!

Did you rent a car? Yes we did, it was the most expensive part of our trip. It was around 900$ to rent a car for the week - and we went with SS Car Rentals. They were very nice and easy to use, picked us up from the airport and gave us clear instructions about how to return the car and such. 

Any recommendations on how to save money? Food is the most expensive thing in Iceland. Make your own. There is a discount grocery store called Bonus which is perfect. It was where we bought our candy and ramen ... lol

Did you take any tours? No. We basically decided what we wanted to do, and did it. We like to have our freedom. It is just as expensive to do tours as it is to rent a car and do it yourself. 

Everyday Part 1: Spirulina Smoothie

People often ask what I eat as a "healthy" vegan. I have heard complaints that it is hard to be vegan and be healthy because so many often make the mistake of trying to replace animal products in their diets. The truth is there is some pretty good substitutions out there if you are looking for some good old fashion comfort food. But when you are looking to stay on the healthy track, you need to open your mind a little.

Forget about what your diet was like before and start replacing it with new, healthier items. Think of it this way: dairy, which is a huge part of many North American diets is terrible for you. Milk is a substance specifically made by mother cows to make their babies gain 500 lbs over the course of a year. Yikes. But don't feel bad because cheese has a protein called casein in it, which basically makes it as addictive as cocaine... So, I get it. You like your damn (not the word I wanted to use here) cheese. Too bad you need a lightning speed metabolism and a stomach of steel to eat it.

Our bodies are built to be lazy. Naturally they want to consume as many possible calories with the least amount of effort. So YEAH we crave really crappy high fat foods. It is called the pleasure trap. If you are interested in this, watch the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrXOXAPcHEw

ANYWAYS- This recipe is one I use often. It is healthy, helps my skin clear up and gives me my IRON needs! YAY IRON.

Some say spirulina is an acquired taste, but I love it! Maybe it is because I'm used to it, but I really CRAVE the taste of it. YUM. Here are some benefits of spirulina:

• antioxidant (very powerful)
• very helpful for those with anemia (low in iron) 
• aids the immune system
• prevents cancer 
• reduces stress, anxiety and nervousness (eating for your mental well being YAY)
• fortifies and restores sheen to hair and nails 
• reduces high cholesterol
• MORE http://en.mr-ginseng.com/spirulina/ 

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas
• 1 tbsp spirulina powder
• 1 cup almond/soy/coconut milk (whatever I have around)
• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup water (if needed- depends on the consistency you like)
• 2-3 tbsp maple syrup or agave 

Method:

• put it all in a blender
• blend!
• drink it up

Cashew Cheese

This is one of my favourite recipes ever. Almost every long-time vegan knows about cashews and their magic, and even if they don't they should. 

Basically if you blend soaked cashews with some garlic and lemon juice BAM, you get this amazing cheese. The recipe below is for more of a dip like cheese but I will explain ways you can change it around to fit almost all of your cheese needs. 

TO MAKE IT SUPER EASY- I MADE THIS VIDEO

*it is my first time making a youtube video, I'm aware it sucks*

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp any vinegar 
• garlic to taste
• salt to taste 
• a mix of your favourite herbs 

Method:

• Soak cashews over night (at least 4 hours) until soft texture
• blend cashews in high-speed blender with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and salt
• after it is all blended and smooth mix in your herbs
• serve and enjoy
• THAT EASY

How can I change it up?

Cream Cheese

- add double the cashews to create a thicker texture

- stir in some chives

- refidgerate until it becomes the desired texture (30 mins-1 hour)

Spinach Dip

- do not use vinegar

- add more cashews

- thaw some spinach and stir it in

- use oven safe dish and bake at 350 degrees for 50-10 minutes until top is golden

For Pizza

- do not use vinegar

- use more cashews to create a thicker texture

- add more salt

- spoon onto pizza and toss in the oven

Mexican Dip

- add chile powder, cumin, salt, and smoked paprika (cayenne if you are brave)

- if you're lazy just add taco seasoning

- do not use vinegar

- add more cashews to make it thicker

- add can of diced tomatoes

- use over safe dish

- crush corn chips and bake until top is golden brown