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Family Day Weekend Plant Protein Cookies (V)

It's the first long weekend of 2023 so we're jumping in with both feet and embracing every long weekend activity we can think of.

Sleeping in? Check. Breakfast in bed? Check. Reading more than one newspaper article over a morning coffee? Check. Messy baking adventures in the kitchen? ...Ok, sure, why not? Check! These protein cookies might leave your kitchen surfaces and hands a liiiittle stickier than when you started, but the resulting treats are well worth the clean-up.

Ingredients:

1 cup spelt flour

½ cup almond flour

1 scoop Greenhouse Plant Protein Powder

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup avocado or melted coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup chocolate chips (or any amount you like in your cookies)

Steps:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Add all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix.

Add in the wet ingredients and combine, then add chocolate chips.

Spoon the dough onto a lined baking sheet — it will be fairly sticky so a cookie scoop works best, but two spoons or some help from your fingers would also do the trick if you don’t mind getting messy!

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

The cookies should be soft when they come out of the oven and will have a little colour on the bottom. Allow them to cool to firm up and hold their shape. Enjoy!

-Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for Greenhouse

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Founders’ Letter: Price Increase Details

Dear friends,

We are sorry to announce that we’ve had to raise our prices. We know this likely is not the first message you will have received around this theme, and it sadly probably won’t be the last, so we’ll try to keep it to the point:

With continued unprecedented increases in costs throughout our supply chain, paired with the rising inflation impacting all of us, keeping our prices at the same level would have been unsustainable for our small business. We know this might be disappointing to hear, so want to reassure you that we are working on some ways of bringing prices down for our regulars. We’ll be announcing all the details of this later this month, so make sure you’re following us on social and/or that you’re subscribed to our newsletter to be the first to hear these updates. 

Thank you very much for your understanding and for being such an incredible community — we really couldn’t do this without you. With our respect and appreciation, Anthony, Emma, Hana, and Team Greenhouse

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We Have Donated $167K in Healthy Beverages (Almost 30,000 Bottles) to Food Banks and Food Rescue Organizations So Far This Year!

On January 8th, our eighth birthday, we made a commitment to donate $100,000 worth of beverages to local food banks this year. We are excited to announce that we have exceeded our commitment. By early Q3, we had already donated a total of $167,296 worth (that's nearly 30,000 bottles) of our organic beverages to local food banks and food rescue organizations including Second Harvest, Richmond Food Bank Society, Food Stash Foundation, Parkdale Community Food Bank, and Vancouver Food Runners. The rising cost of food – and particularly of fresh food like fruits and vegetables – has increased food insecurity, and put immense pressure on organizations like these. We are thankful for all of their hard work in rescuing food and providing nutritious meals to the 4.4 million Canadians (1 in 8 households) who are food insecure. We’re far from done with our product donations this year. Here's to our new stretch goal of $200,000 in donations!

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New Look, Same Mission: Meet Greenhouse 3.0

Us (Greenhouse): Hey there.

You: Who the heck are you?!

Us: It’s us! Greenhouse.

You: Noo. Sorry, not possible. I’m probably hallucinating.

Us: Mais oui chéri. It’s us. Don’t we look–

You: But you look–

All of us: MAGNIFICENT.

-Curtain-

Dear friends,

For the last year or so, the Greenhouse Optics and Design team has been toiling in a mysterious wing of our downtown office. The time has finally come to unveil the illustrated fruits of their labour. We’re talking about Greenhouse 3.0.

Behold–colourful artwork depicting each beverage’s star ingredients; tasting notes on the front label, so you know what you’re getting yourself into; newly prominent vitamin and nutrition call-outs; more real estate for that all-important word, “organic,” and better delineated categories. This is not a subtle shift. We’ve gone from black and white to technicolour.

Greenhouse 3.0 is the third packaging update in our 8.5-year history (see the first here and the second here), and our first since we launched in grocery stores across Canada four years ago.

If you’ve been with us from the start (thank you), you will remember our nearly-naked days, when our glass bottles wore little more than a name, icon, and list of ingredients. When we began to expand beyond our own stores, the government requested that we put on some clothes. We were becoming a national brand, and it was time to dress our bottles up with practical accoutrements like nutrition facts panels, French, and a tamper-proof cap. 

Let’s pause on the 1.0 to 2.0 precipice for a moment. It was a new era for Greenhouse. We were introducing Light Filtration. We were going national. We could no longer get away with bare-naked bottles, but we still wanted the vibrant liquid inside the glass to be the most prominent colour at shelf. That was why we went with a smaller body label and a jaunty neck label. That was also why, as a base colour for our new labels, we went with… brown. 

Now, we still think brown is a lovely colour. It’s the colour of chocolate, of teddy bears, of recycled paper, and of the healthy soil that comes from organic growing practices. In 2018, brown spoke to us as the colour of the recycled paper we had already been using for our bags, menus, and signage; it spoke of living juice that was made directly from organic produce from the farmer’s market. 

It was also the antithesis of the colourful cartons of pasteurized, high-sugar juice that had become our neighbours at the grocery store. Greenhouse is nothing like those juices, and we wanted to look different. To stand out. And we did. If it’s possible to stand out by being as subtle as possible.

Proud though we are of our kraft-paper heritage, four years and a pandemic later, we are ready for a little colour. We are ready to illustrate the deliciousness of the liquid inside our glass bottles with artwork that brings our recipes to life. We are ready to brag in big letters about being organic, because it’s incredibly important to us not to serve you meticulously cold-pressed juice with a side of pesticides; and about our nutrition stats, because darn it our drinks are really, really good for you.

We know ch- ch- changes can be hard. If you need to go into child’s pose for a while, we get it. But rest assured that we’re not doing anything really drastic, like changing the recipe for Deep Roots or doing away with the Oxford comma.* This is a long overdue wardrobe update, and one we’re exceptionally proud of, because we pulled it off in-house. Bravo, Optics and Design.

Yours, changed for the better,

Team Greenhouse

*WAIT! One change is more than label-deep: We’ve improved our Shakes. They now have 18g of plant protein per bottle, and only 4g of sugar. We’re so excited about this that it’s getting its own blog post. Stay tuned.

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The Academy Awards x Greenhouse Viewing Party Menu

This Sunday, it’s the 94th Academy Awards, and this year, the hosts are back! We’re using that as an excuse to play host ourselves — a viewing party, complete with a themed plant-based menu.

Don your tux or designer dress, then roll up the sleeves and get stuck in! (Just try not to chop or mix too vigorously, or you may undo that perfectly coiffed hairdo).

Appetizer

The Power of the Dog

The Power of the (Ants on a) Log is that they’re an easy yet elevated snacking option for pre-awards milling and munching, and can be dressed up in practically infinite ways to suit your guests’ tastes (or the current contents of your pantry).

Entrée

Liquorish Pizza

This movie’s namesake comes from a slang term for a vinyl record, and while it certainly draws intrigue, we think in practice, the resulting pie (and the smell from the oven as it cooks) may not be quite so intriguing... We do, however, support inventiveness in the kitchen, and so to pay homage, we’re serving up another rather unconventional pizza tonight — Cauliflower Crust Green Pea-zza.

Dessert

King Richard

These tennis ball-hued Key Lime Bites by Tara Tomulka of Rawcology are raw (just like Serena and Venus’ talent) and make for perfect light bites for post-dinner snacking.

Aprés Dinner

Belfast

To close out the evening, we’ll be whipping up a batch of this warming Irish Coffee — a cozy companion to accompany the announcement of the big winners!

Happy dinner-partying!

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Green Matzo (V)

For ladies and gents who lunch crunch: your munchies have met their match-a with these green matzah.

With ingredients and a methodology as simple as this, you can whip up a batch of these square snacks in next to no time, and enjoy a satiating snack with just a hint of indulgence.

Here’s how to create these satisfyingly snappable (the crumbs are well worth it) snacks:

Ingredients:

½ cup white chocolate chips (look for vegan kosher if during Passover)

1 tsp matcha

½ tsp coconut oil

1 pack matzah

Your choice of toppings 

Steps:

Using a double boiler, melt your white chocolate and coconut oil together. 

Next, add the matcha powder and stir until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency.

Spread this green goodness on top of your matzah. Allow to cool, then consume!

-Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for GHJC

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Matcha Butter on Toast, Inspired by The First Mess 

Today’s morning snack is sure to make any breakfast-in-bedfellows green with envy. Whipped up in seconds (though decoration takes a little extra time, attention, and a steady hand), this smooth toast topper is an easy weekday power-up. 

But of course, the real star is the patterned honey drizzle. We learned this decoration method from Laura Wright of The First Mess. We knew she was responsible for the best vegan pizza recipes ever, but last summer she broke the internet (and our brains) when she fancied up her toast with little more than a toothpick. We’ve been practicing ever since, and, not to brag, but we finally nailed it. 

Ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut butter/manna (try Nutiva’s, or make your own using this recipe from Oh She Glows) 

1 tsp sifted matcha (sifting makes mixing easier, we like Matcha Ninja) 

Drizzle of honey (try the Raw Wildflower Honey from our friends at Beekeeprs Naturals)

Toasted bread of your choosing (go gluten-free if you wish! )

Steps:

Gently heat the coconut butter just slightly so that it’s gooey enough to spread. 

Add sifted matcha to your warm butter and mix well.

Generously spread your matcha butter over your toast slice, then drizzle honey over the top in straight parallel lines, equal distance apart.  

Lightly drag a toothpick through your toppings, in a direction perpendicular to the lines of honey, alternating in direction. Boom. Fancy!

Recipe, styling, and photography by Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for Greenhouse. Fancy Toast Method by Laura Wright of The First Mess. 

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Easy Breakfast Bark (V, GF)

This morning’s no-bake breakfast recipe involves our two favourite kitchen tasks (improvisation and reducing food waste, of course) and none of our least favourite (measuring and math, if you must know). Rather than prepare a parfait with any yogurt and/or bulk store detritus remaining in your kitchen this weekend, we highly suggest preparing a delicious bark instead. 

Ingredients:

½ to 1 small tub of coconut or dairy-free yogurt*

Fresh blueberries (or other fruit)

Chia Seeds

Hemp Seeds

Granola

Cacao Nibs

Drizzle of Honey

*OR, we highly suggest making your own if you have the time. (Warning: Some math may be involved.) Our favourite recipe is by The Minimalist Baker. Find it here—and be sure to read all of Dana’s tips!

Steps:

Use a clean spatula to spread a thick layer of yogurt onto a piece of parchment paper. Your layer should be about 1 to 2 inches thick. We recommend using a baking sheet under the parchment paper to stabilize your spreading, and to create boundary lines for your bark, but spread out however much yogurt remains in your fridge.

Scour your pantry! Before your next trip to the grocer, use up any remaining granola, fruit, nuts, chocolate, or seeds. Generously sprinkle these toppings over your yogurt spread with clean hands—no measuring equipment needed!

When you have coated the entire surface area of your spread, move it to the freezer. Freeze until solid. It should be firm in about 2 to 4 hours.

Remove from freezer and break (or slice) the sheet of bark into smaller pieces. Enjoy! Any remaining pieces should be stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

-Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for GHJC

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The Pancake Primaries

Which pancakes are you going to vote for this Pancake Tuesday? Narrowing down our options is a careful selection process involving frequent flipping and much gnashing of teeth. We’ve stacked up our top five ‘jacks, starting with sweet and moving toward savoury, so you can make side-by-side comparisons of their fluff-to-substance ratio, drizzle-worthiness, and other important criteria. We tried to organize a debate, but alas it didn’t pan out. No matter: let’s get to know the contenders, and get winnowing.

1. Blender Pancakes (V, GF)

The only thing batter than breakfast in bed? Pancakes in bed! This fluffy plant-based variety is sure to keep your cozy on even the snowiest of mornings. What is more, you can whip up the batter in a high powered blender, so no fancy standing mixer—or gruelling arm workout—necessary. The flapjacks are also incredibly versatile, meaning you can smother, sprinkle, or drizzle with snowfalls of whatever toppings your heart desires. Get flippin’!

Pancake Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free oats

2 ripe bananas

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp water, whisked and refrigerated for 15 minutes) or egg alternative of your choice

1 ½ cups Almondmilk

Topping Ideas:

Berry Almond Buttery: Smother your stack with warm almond butter, then sprinkle smashed frozen raspberries, sliced strawberries, and chopped almonds over the top for added sweetness and crunch.

Choco-Banana Drizzle: Melt your favourite dairy free chocolate and drizzle over the pancakes. Next, add a handful of sliced bananas, a pour of maple syrup, and more shavings of chocolate. Finish with a Greenhouse Hangry Bites atop the stack.

Blueberry, Cardamom + Lemon: Sprinkle a few thawed frozen blueberries onto your pancakes. Next, spoon a dollop of cardamom lemon yogurt onto the pile (simply stir together 2 tbsp of plain plant-based yogurt with a pinch of ground cardamom, the juice of half a lemon, and half a teaspoon of maple syrup), and add lemon zest for garnish.

Steps:

Combine all ingredients in your blender.

Blend until your pancake batter reaches a consistency smoother than freshly fallen snow.

Gently heat a generous dollop of coconut oil in a frying pan, and slowly ladle in the batter for one flapjack from your blender until you reach your desired pancake size.

Cook until bubbles begin to form, then flip the pancake and cook the other side for about two minutes, or until golden. Once cooked, remove from heat and pile on to a plate. Repeat until your batter is finished.

Decorate your pancake mountain with your favourite toppings. If you need a little inspiration, give one of our recommendations above a try.

2. Pumpkin Pancakes (V, GF)

Smashing news: here we have a spiced squash-themed stack for your year-round PSP pleasure. These, too, can be whizzed up in the blender for quick breakfast activation. If there’s any truth to the adage “You are what you eat,” we’re pretty confident we’re going the way of Cinderella’s carriage by the end of the day.

Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free oats

½ cup pumpkin purée

½ tbsp flax meal

1-2 tbs maple syrup (optional)

¾ to 1 cup Almondmilk

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Pinch of cinnamon

Coconut oil for frying

Topping Ideas:

Maple syrup (naturally)

Coconut cream

Pumpkin seeds

Chia seeds

Chopped nuts

Whatever you desire

Steps:

Blend all the pancake ingredients using a blender or food processor. (Or a gourd, old-fashioned bowl + spoon).

Heat some coconut oil in a pan on medium heat.

Once hot enough to sizzle, dollop your mixture into the pan in pancake-sized pools.

Cook until bubbles begin to form, then flip the pancake and cook the other side for about two minutes, or until golden. 

Once cooked, remove from heat and pile on to a dish. (Extra points if you keep this warm in the oven.) Repeat until your batter is finished.

Stack onto a plate, then pile on toppings of your choice before serving.

3. Apple ‘Jacks (V, GF)

This vintage Greenhouse recipe is made with an entirely plant-based and gluten-free batter, into which we’ve mixed two full-sized, shredded apples. (Surely this must count as our apple a day!) Still not done with the forbidden fruit, we also added a generous handful to garnish each golden flapjack stack. Naturally, we suggest serving to the apple of your eye.

Pancake Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free flour of choice

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp ground flax

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 cups Almondmilk

2 apples, shredded

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Toppings:

2 apples

1 tsp cinnamon

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp maple syrup

Steps:

In a large bowl, mix all dry pancake ingredients.

Add shredded apple, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and Almond Milk to your bowl. Depending on your gluten free flour, you may find your mixture is still slightly too thick. If this is the case, add more Almond Milk, pouring in ½ cup at a time.

Let mixture sit for 5 minutes while you are heating up your pan or skillet.

Pour batter into your pan and flip when bubbles start to appear on the flapjack’s edges. Pro Tip: If your first flapjack is a little out of shape, fear not. We sometimes deem the first pancake a practice ‘cake, consuming immediately as we make more plate worthy flapjacks.

Once you have prepared all your pancakes, keep them warm in an oven on low heat while you prepare the apple topping. If you are an incredibly proficient multitasker (we’re jealous), you may be able to prepare both at the same time.

In a pan, bring all topping ingredients to a boil, and let simmer until lightly cooked.

Remove your flapjacks from the oven, plate them, and garnish with apple topping. Add chopped nuts and more maple syrup if you’d like, and enjoy!

4. Savoury Pancakes with Smoked Tofu “Bacon” Bits (V, GF)

Another heirloom from Greenhouse’s salad days, these savoury pancakes were developed when we first launched Unsweetened Almondmilk. Of course, we could hardly look ourselves in the mirror if we were to permanently remove sweet Canadian Maple Syrup from our flapjack and waffle routines, but we must admit, we’re still flipping over these Savoury Pancakes. With this decadent stack of warm flapjacks, topped with a heaping mountain of our favourite veg, you won’t be missing something sweet.

Savoury Pancake Ingredients:

1 cup Unsweetened Almondmilk

1 tbs oil, plus extra for the pan (we used olive oil, but warmed coconut would work well, too)

½ cup yam, peeled, sliced, boiled or baked until soft, and mashed

1 cup GF oat flour, plus an extra 1-2 tbsp if you want a less-moist pancake

1 tsp baking soda

Salt and pepper, to taste

Suggested Toppings:

For “bacon” bits: smoked tofu, thinly sliced + 1 tsp tamari

Avocado

Heirloom tomatoes

Handful of greens (arugula or microgreens)

Sautéed onions

Hot sauce

Drizzle of olive oil

Savoury Pancake Steps:

Add oat flour, baking soda, and salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and combine.

Add cooked yam, Unsweetened Almondmilk, and oil. Whisk well to form flapjack batter.

Warm a pan or skillet with oil over medium heat. Once ready to sizzle, add batter for a pancake—more than one if you have the space and skill.

When bubbles form across the surface, flip and cook until golden brown.

Work through your batter until all that remains is a golden stack of savoury pancakes. Garnish lovingly, and enjoy.

“Bacon” Bit Steps:

We’ve garnished our flapjacks with a smoked tofu “bacon,” and we must first thank fellow Canuck Jillian Harris for the inspiration behind this technique.

Toss tofu slices in tamari and let sit while you heat your pan on low with some oil.

Add tofu and cook on low for around ten minutes on each side, or until slices reach desired crispiness. Pro Tip: They won’t be fully crispy until you let the slices cool.

Once cool, slice into smaller strips or bits and add to your short stack. These also make a great addition to salads, breakfast bowls, and more.

5. Za’atar Tahini Latkes (V, GF)

Gently fried in coconut oil until golden as gelt, these latkes are the perfect bites to serve up during any festive season. Serve with a small dish of coconut yogurt or plant-based sour cream for dipping, or top individually.

Latke Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes, shredded

¼ onion, thinly sliced  

1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp water, whisked and refrigerated for 15 minutes) or egg alternative of your choice

2 tbsp gluten free flour or matzo meal  

1 tbsp za’atar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Coconut oil for frying

Toppings:

Plain coconut yogurt, or plant-based sour cream

Za’atar

Lemon

Tahini

Roughly chopped dill

Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

Begin by thinly slicing your onions and shredding the potatoes, using a grater or a mandolin. Next, take the shredded potatoes, place onto a tea towel, and squeeze hard to drain any excess liquid. This will help the latkes to crisp up nicely when frying.

Add all the shreddings and remaining latke ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat.

As the oil warms, begin creating individual latkes by forming the mixture into smallish balls and giving one last squeeze to eliminate any remaining moisture. Carefully place these into the pan, taking care not to overcrowd it.

Fry the latkes until golden brown (around two to three minutes on each side), then transfer onto a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Serve with a dish of coconut yogurt (or sour cream), with a generous helping of za’atar, a squeeze of lemon, some roughly chopped dill, a spoonful of tahini, and salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can top latkes individually and serve.

There you have it, friends! Go forth and pancake.

-Team Greenhouse

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Boost Your Routine

After what felt like maybe the fastest 365 days ever, a new year has begun. And with it comes a resolution-fueled desire to at the same time start fresh and start better. Creating routines that will make the return of your day-to-day work, home, or school schedule run like a well-oiled machine, while also looking out for your health.  

Setting up and fine-tuning the perfect routine helps you to create a system to fall back on automagically, making it easier to get things done without thinking about them and reducing stress. When it comes to diet, sleep and exercise, a solid routine is linked to improved mental and physical health, and those with more daily routines are able to cope better when faced with life stressors(1) (let’s be honest we all have them!).

In a perfect world we get all the nutrients and energy we need from what we eat and a good night’s rest, but with increasingly hectic schedules sometimes we could use a little boost to help us get there. That’s where Greenhouse Boosters come in.

Our Boosters are a family of small-yet-mighty potions that contain a concentrated dose of high-quality, organic, functional plant-based ingredients. Each Booster has a different primary function, ranging from supporting the body’s immune function and gut health, or calming the mind, to improving energy levels and focus.

You shoot straight up, or dilute them in water to up your hydration game while still reaping all the Booster benefits.

Meet the Boosters

Inside Job

Nothing says you have your life together like a solid morning ritual, and starting with the inside first is always a good idea. Inside Job, a zippy blend of organic lemon, organic fermented apple cider vinegar, vegan probiotic, and a dash of cayenne, gets things going on the right foot. Lemon aroma and flavour influence the initial phase of digestion, the one that produces saliva, helping kick-start the cascade of enzymes that are released to facilitate digestion(2), making this Booster ideal to take before or after a meal.

Probiotics act as daily fuel for your hardworking gut microbes, which crowd out harmful bacteria, stimulate the immune system by amplifying anti-inflammatory action in the gut, and by creating a healthier microbiome environment that leads to improved digestion, reducing symptoms of gas and bloating after eating (3). The environment in your gut can shift quickly, so a daily dose of probiotic support will help it to flourish. If you find your digestion gets sluggish, down this zesty dose.  

Fiery Ginger

Is your forecast looking under the weather? Chance of sniffles, incoming headache, or a sore throat flurry? You’ve got a lot to accomplish and you don’t have time for this. Enter Fiery Ginger: the kick in the pants your immune system needs when it’s running at half empty. Red-eye flight? Fiery Ginger is small enough to make it through security. Have a wedding in two days and feeling like some sniffles might steal your thunder? No way are you missing out on the Electric Slide! Fiery Ginger will have you dance-floor ready.  

Thanks to a potent blend of cold-pressed ginger and turmeric, vitamin C-rich citrus, and oregano extract, this fiery tonic has you covered from all angles. Derived from the oregano herb, oregano extract contains antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties helping to ward off potential cold and flu, or preventing secondary infections if you’re already fighting an existing virus (4). Now, that’s nothing to sneeze at! Cold-pressed organic ginger and turmeric roots provide a one-two punch, as ginger helps soothe an upset stomach, and curcumin, the key compound in turmeric, lowers levels of inflammation in the long-term(6). Good luck sniffles, she’s a feisty one!

Pick-Me-Up

When that mid-day slump saunters in, you need something that will get you through the day, so you can make it to that evening spin class or that much-awaited happy hour with friends. Get yourself a Booster that can ready you for whatever lies ahead! Pick-Me-Up helps you stay the course of your newly perfected routine.

This Booster gets its lift from a caffeine-rich tea leaf hailing from South America called yerba mate. Unlike coffee, yerba mate produces a more sustained, even-keeled release of gentle-landing caffeine into the bloodstream leaving you less jittery and more energized, ready to take on whatever life throws at you. With 100mg of caffeine (the equivalent of one cup of coffee) you will be sufficiently amped to tackle your to-do’s.

Determined to get the most out of your workout? Yerba mate is considered a central nervous system stimulant, and has the ability to maintain the breakdown of carbohydrates during exercise for an extended period of time, helping improve cardiovascular efficiency and prevent lactic acid build-up (6), so you can hit a new personal best.

Besides gearing you up for activities, yerba mate has other health benefits that include antioxidant properties, improved digestion, and lowered cholesterol (6)- Ka-pow!

P.S. Your coffee called, and it misses you.

Lullaby

With all you do in a day, a wind-down routine is equally as important for success as a morning ritual. A restful nights’ sleep sets you up for success for the rest of the week and helps you perform at your best. Like a drinkable version of those trendy weighted blankets, Lullaby helps promote feelings of calm and relaxation to help you power-off at the end of the day.

This soothing Booster contains a blend of lemon balm, a mild sedative that has been shown to reduce restlessness and insomnia (7), and passionflower, which has been shown to improve sleep quality and total sleep time (8). Together these two botanicals create the perfect gentle sleepiness storm.

Try adding Lullaby to a cup of hot water and sipping before bed to help lull you into sweet dreams.

Farma-C+

The newest addition to our spunky Booster family, Farma-C+ takes your immune system support from ritual to powerful regimen. With 1111% of your daily value of vitamin C, think of this as the super-powered version of that vitamin supplement you take everyday.

Loaded with some of the most vitamin C-rich organic ingredients, like acerola cherry, sea buckthorn berry, and a mix of citruses, this unique blend is as delicious as it is potent. Regular intake of vitamin C is known to bolster your immune system and is preventative against respiratory infections (9), so it’s ready to fight off mean viruses that come its way. What better tonic to cheers to your health with?

Whether you are trying to stick to your routine, or cultivate a new one, Greenhouse Boosters help you stay on the proverbial routine wagon and supercharge you when you need it most—  in a convenient and cute recyclable bottle to boot!

P.S. Save 22% when you stock up on Boosters at Greenhouse.ca until January 31st. Live outside of our Ontario delivery zone? Our Boosters have gone nationwide at Greenhousejuice.com.

- Laura Jeha, RD, MHSc for Greenhouse

References

1) Creating Healthy Routines 2) Functional foods with Digestion-Enhancing Properties 3) Probiotics: What You Need to Know 4) Essential Oils of Oregano: Biological Activity Beyond Their Antimicrobial Properties 5) Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health 6) Yerba mate: Pharmacological Properties,Research and Biotechnology 7) A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and insomnia in children 8) Effects of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus on polysomnographic sleep parameters in subjects with insomnia disorder: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study 9) Vitamin C and Immune Function

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Founders’ Letter: Gr8 News on Our Bubbly Birthday

Dear friends,

We’re eight! On this extra-special “champagne” birthday, our coupes runneth over with kombucha and gratitude. Maybe it’s just the bubbles, but we’re feeling a bit misty-eyed as we contemplate the year that was, and the one to come. Thank you for your ongoing support.

We celebrated our birthday last January with the announcement that we had achieved B Corp status and raised $12,000 for Fred Victor in support of their mission to end homelessness in Toronto. This year, with COVID and lockdowns continuing to affect our community and food insecurity on the rise, we are marking our birthday by making a commitment to donate $100,000-worth of beverages every year to a local food bank, in line with our mission to offer widespread, sustainable access to plant-based nutrition and wellness of the highest quality. We will share more details about this initiative in the coming weeks.

Also in line with our mission, Greenhouse is going global. Like Pinky and the Brain before us, our plans to Take Over the World are underway. We’re not yet ready to start shipping ALL of our glass-bottled, refrigeration-required products the world over (drone delivery remains a work in progress), but our R+D, logistics, and web teams have been working hard behind the scenes to create products can go the distance, such as our astonishingly awesome new Organic Booster line-up, and to build out a way to send Greenhouse beyond Canada for the first time. Visit greenhousejuice.com (yes, our old URL––if you noticed that we are high-fiving you from over here) to take a look around our jumping-off-point for world domination.

Not to be outdone, our local website over at Greenhouse.ca is currently hosting a sale! Greenhouse products are all 22% off, in celebration of this bright and shiny New Year. The sale will run through the month of January. We hope you take the opportunity to try something new. Maybe a 1L bottle of organic kombucha to join us in our celebration of all things 2022?

With our deepest thanks and adoration to ∞ and beyond,  Emma, Anthony, Hana, and Team Greenhouse

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The Power of Digestive Rest

Rest is regenerative. Wake up from a delicious 10-hour sleep after a week of sub-par nights and you feel like a brand-new human that can take on the world (or at the very least, that growing ‘to-do’ list..). Similarly, a short fruit ‘n veggie-led reboot can be restorative as well. Enter Greenhouse Organic Juice Cleanses. Fruits and vegetables that support digestive rest and reset change things from within and can have a greater impact on your intestinal health and overall well-being than you might think.

Microbiome Restoration

Your microbiome can shift as quickly as your latest Netflix obsession. Even a 1 to 2-day period will show changes in your microbiome, which can impact a multitude of things including weight, cholesterol levels, and gut motility (1). The community of bacterial friends in your large intestine is like a fingerprint, the strains and quantities of different bacteria are unique depending on the individual and have an array of different functions. The vegan probiotic, B. coagulans, found in Greenhouse Probiotic Lemonades, is particularly good at aiding bacteria in digestion and increasing protein absorption (2). When it comes to beneficial bacteria, the more robust the variety, the more your microbiome can flourish, and Greenhouse vegan probiotics are particularly helpful in diversifying your microbiome and giving your body a jump start!

Probiotics aren’t the only tool we can use to influence our microbiome. Diet can rapidly influence the quality and quantity of bacteria in the gut in as little as 24 hours (3) (take note, impatient friends!). Shifts in gut bacteria can occur from a few specific dietary changes and the impact can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on how it alters bacterial populations. One major change is seen in the amount of vegetable-based or animal-based food within the diet. In diets where animal fats and proteins are dominant, greater numbers of bacteria that are associated with inflammation and dysfunction of the intestinal barrier are produced, making you more susceptible to infections and food sensitivities (1). On the flip side, consumption of plant-based pea protein, like those found in Greenhouse Organic Shakes, helps maintain the intestinal barrier and produce more short-chain fatty acids, the main source of fuel for your microbes and a crucial component of gut health (3). Foods that can hinder gut bacteria diversity include processed carbohydrates, sugar and artificial sweeteners, while consumption of fruits, vegetables and fermented foods help promote beneficial bacteria growth (4). Think fibre-rich kale, carrots, apples and beets as well as their more ‘cultured’ pals like kombucha.

In essence, even a short vacation from the diet pop and sweets will make your microbes happier!

Rest and Reset

You may be thinking, is a few days really enough time to kick-start a healthier me? In short, Yes! A study of twenty healthy adults showed that a 3-day juice-based diet significantly altered intestinal microbiota for the better. The 3-day juice-based diet influenced the species of bacteria in the intestine, significantly increasing the proportion of Bacteroidetes, a kind of bacteria that is associated with low body weight and intestinal health (5). Subjects who experienced weight loss during the juice-based diet found that their body weight remained decreased after a 2-week period following the 3-day juice-based diet, hinting that the positive effects persisted when they went back to their regular routine.

The benefits go well beyond body weight. Amping-up intake of fruits and vegetables has a positive impact on internal body functions too. For starters, fruits and vegetables are rich in polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that are broken down in the large intestine where they promote abundance of bacteria in the microbiome (5). A juice-based diet was also shown to increase nitric oxide, a compound which dilates blood vessels to lower blood pressure (5). As the juice-y cherry on top, fruit and veg are high in prebiotic fibre, a form of indigestible starch that feeds microbes in the large intestine, keeping their populations thriving. Shoutout to The Giver, The Good, and Vanilla Almond Brekky, which are all-star sources of fibre and veg. Think of Greenhouse beverages as a cornucopia of microbe goodness -- bottled in glass, of course.  

Take note, changes to microbial communities can revert to their original state just as quickly, so keep the progress following a cleanse going by continuing to incorporate lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into meals and don’t despair if you get off-track for a period, you can experience inner benefits even just 1 day into changing dietary routines.

Give your body the equivalent of a digestive long-weekend with a food reset, like a 1-, 2- or 3- Day Greenhouse Cleanse and rewrite the new year narrative with a clean slate from the inside out.

Psst! Save 22% on Greenhouse Cleanses until January 31, 2022. No code required. Save automagically at Greenhouse.ca.

- Laura Jeha, RD, MHSc for Greenhouse

References

1) Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome 2) Probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 Improves Protein Absorption and Utilization 3) Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health 4) Microbiome restoration diet improves digestion, cognition and physical and emotional wellbeing 5) Health benefit of vegetable/fruit juice-based diet: Role of microbiome

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House Holiday Hours

‘Twas the week of Christmas, and all through Greenhouse, all the fridges were stocked, we’re pleased to announce. Come say Hi today to stock up on last-minute stocking stuffers, Plantmilk for Santa, Organic Smoothies to fuel you through the day, and gift cards because who doesn’t love a little something extra? Holiday hours below.

Christmas Eve

Eaton Centre: 11am-4pm⁠

Forest Hill: 9am-5pm⁠

Macpherson: 9am-5pm⁠

Queen West: 11am-5p⁠

St. Clair: 11am-4pm⁠

Union Station: 8am-3pm⁠

Christmas Day⁠

All stores closed⁠

Boxing Day

Eaton Centre: 10am-6pm⁠

Forest Hill: 10am-4pm⁠

Macpherson: 10am-4pm⁠

Queen West: 10am-4pm⁠

St. Clair: Closed⁠

Union Station: Closed⁠

December 27-30⁠

Eaton Centre: Closed⁠

Forest Hill: 8am-6pm⁠

Macpherson: 8am-6pm⁠

Queen West: 10am-6pm⁠

St. Clair: 10am-5pm⁠

Union Station: 8am-3pm⁠

New Year's Eve

Eaton Centre: Closed⁠

Forest Hill: 9am-5pm⁠

Macpherson: 9am-5pm⁠

Queen West: 11am-4pm⁠

St. Clair: 11am-4pm⁠

Union Station: 8am-3pm⁠⁠

New Year's Day

All Stores Closed⁠

January 2nd⁠

Eaton Centre: Closed⁠

Forest Hill: 8am-6pm⁠

Macpherson: 8am-6pm⁠

Queen West: 10am-6pm⁠

St. Clair: Closed⁠

Union Station: Closed⁠

End of Year Delivery Schedule

Over the holidays, our delivery service will take a short break. All delivery will be paused on the following days:

Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25th

Boxing Day, Sunday, December 26th

Monday, December 27th

New Year’s Day, Saturday, January 1st, 2022

Sunday, January 2nd, 2022

Happy Holidays from all of us at Greenhouse!

[ghjco]

Chocolate Dipped Matcha Cookies (V)

JERRY: You see, Elaine, the key to eating a black and white cookie is that you wanna get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate.

US: But have you tried the black and green cookie?

While we’re not ones to flout tradition, we openly welcome opportunities to playfully veer away from the conventional. Not to challenge Jerry, but we had a hunch chocolate and matcha would be just as (if not more) life-changing as the classic black and white combo. As a wise comedian once said, “If people would only look to the black and white green cookie, all our problems would be solved.” We’re looking, and it’s a matcha made in heaven.  

Ingredients:

1 cup plant-based butter (plant based butter is usually soft enough to work with when it is cold so no need to have it at room temp)

½ cup maple syrup

2 ¾ cup flour plus extra for rolling

1-2 tablespoons Matcha Ninja matcha (depending on how much you love that matcha flavour)

½ cup of dairy-free chocolate chips

1 tsp coconut oil

Steps:

Mix together maple syrup and butter.

In a separate bowl whisk together matcha and flour, then slowly add dry ingredients to wet.

Once a dough has formed cover and place in the fridge to firm up while the oven preheats to 350 F.

To roll out the dough you should use two pieces of parchment paper. First lightly rub flour on the parchment paper that will touch the dough, then roll dough between these two pieces of parchment paper until it is about ¼ of an inch thick. Remove one side of parchment paper and lightly flour the top of the rolled dough. Then put parchment paper back on the dough and flip. This will make it easier to remove each cookie once you have cut them out.

Using a round cookie cutter (or the right-sized jar/bottle) cut out your cookies and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (we did 10 and they were really yummy, slightly chewy shortbread).

Once cookies have cooled, melt dairy-free chocolate chips and coconut oil until smooth, and dip cookies. Let sit for as long as you can stand waiting, then enjoy!

-Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for Greenhouse

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Chocolate Mint Cookies

Santa’s palate is discerning. Wow him this season with this plant-based, gluten-free spin on a Girl Guide classic. Best served with Oatmilk.

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour 2 ½ tbsp cacao powder 2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 ½-2 tbsp maple syrup ½ tsp peppermint extract Pinch of salt

Topping Ingredients:

Melted dark chocolate (we used plant-based chocolate chips) ½-1 tsp coconut oil (if the melted chocolate mixture is too thick) ¼ tsp peppermint extract Crushed candy canes (optional)

Steps:

Mix together all cookie ingredients and form into a ball. Refrigerate until firm.

Preheat your oven to 350 F

Remove dough from your fridge and roll between two sheets of parchment paper until it reaches your desired thickness (or thinness).

Using a cookie cutter (can be any shape) cut out your cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Tip: once you’ve rolled out the dough, pop it in the fridge or freezer for a minute before cutting out the shapes. This makes the dough easier to handle. You can also use a knife or spatula to help transfer the cookies to the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Melt chocolate then mix in peppermint extract and add coconut oil a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate and cover completely. Use a fork to handle the cookies to help strain the excess chocolate and transfer the cookies to a parchment paper-lined drying rack or baking sheet.

Top with crushed candy canes if desired. Place in fridge or freezer until set and enjoy! Store in fridge or freezer.

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Founders’ Letter: Price Increase Details

Dear friends,

We are sorry to announce that we’ve had to raise our prices. It pains us to do this, as we are always seeking ways to make our organic, plant-based nutrition more accessible. However, over the past year we have seen unprecedented increases in costs throughout our supply chain, and keeping our prices at the same level would have been unsustainable for our small business.

As you may remember, the last time we changed our prices was in January 2018. Back then we did not raise them, we brought them down by an average of 30 percent. We did this without making any compromises. Actually, our beverages got better: safer thanks to a novel light filtration method and more consistent thanks to new state-of-the-art pressing and bottling lines.

In the subsequent three years, and particularly last year when we closed more than half of our stores and saw some of our sales channels dwindle or dry up during the lockdowns, we have held firm to these prices despite ever-rising costs. While today we have no choice but to face the reality of this not being a long-term option, we want to reassure you that there are still several affordable ways to buy Greenhouse:

For our dear, dear regulars: We try to make it more affordable to stock your fridge with Greenhouse by offering volume discounts and running special promotions (like the holiday gift card promo). Ask a member of our team to point you in the direction of the best deal we’re offering right now.

To take a Greenhouse tour of Canada: While our stores are the only places to get our full menu including House Exclusives, Smoothies, Salads, and Bites, you can find several of our beverages at grocery stores and cafés across the country. Our partners set their own prices, and sometimes they’re a downright bargain. Visit greenhouse.ca/locations to see the full list of partners.

For the biggest, greenest discount and an element of surprise: Download the Too Good To Go app, and look for a Greenhouse location. At the end of the day, we sell anything in our fridge that is still within its shelf life but getting close to the end of it through this app at ⅓ the retail price. That includes food items as well as beverages! Order through the app, and our team will set aside a surprise bag for you to pick up. Help us eliminate food waste while trying new things and getting three for the price of one––it’s a win-win-win!

Stay up to date: Keep an eye on our website, greenhouse.ca, and subscribe to our newsletter (at the bottom of every page) for exclusive deals. We are also going to make an announcement in the New Year that we think will make you smile, as we’re working on a new way to deliver the lowest possible price to our most loyal customers every day. 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter, for your understanding, and for being the most extraordinary community we could ever hope for.

With our greatest respect and appreciation,

Anthony, Emma, Hana and Team Greenhouse

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Za’atar Tahini Latkes (V, GF)

Gently fried in coconut oil until golden as gelt, these latkes are the perfect bites to serve up during any Hanukkah festivities. Serve with a small dish of coconut yogurt or plant-based sour cream for dipping, or top individually.

Ingredients:

Latkes:

2 russet potatoes, shredded

¼ onion, thinly sliced  

1 chia egg, or other egg alternative

2 tbsp gluten free flour or matzo meal  

1 tbsp za’atar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Coconut oil for frying

Toppings:

Plain coconut yogurt, or plant-based sour cream

Za’atar

Lemon

Tahini

Roughly chopped dill

Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

Begin by thinly slicing your onions and shredding the potatoes, using a grater or a mandolin. Next, take the shredded potatoes, place onto a tea towel, and squeeze hard to drain any excess liquid. This will help the latkes to crisp up nicely when frying.

Add all the shreddings and remaining latke ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat.

As the oil warms, begin creating individual latkes by forming the mixture into smallish balls and giving one last squeeze to eliminate any remaining moisture. Carefully place these into the pan, taking care not to overcrowd it.

Fry the latkes until golden brown (around two to three minutes on each side), then transfer onto a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Serve with a dish of coconut yogurt (or sour cream), with a generous helping of za’atar, a squeeze of lemon, some roughly chopped dill, a spoonful of tahini, and salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can top latkes individually and serve.

-Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for Greenhouse