Fudgie Hemp Balls

Hello everyone! Just a quick hello and recipe idea today. You don't even want to know how busy we have been since the big move!

Of course, we all have to eat no matter how hectic our lives may be. Isn't it wonderful that even the simplest raw foods can be beautiful and nourishing? I have been living on smoothies, juice, salads, and an occasional treat:)

Sometimes around 3p.m. I need a little "pick-me-up". Often it is in the form of chocolate hehe. The following recipe is an estimate, hope you don't mind!

Fudgie Hemp Balls

For fudge balls:
8 Pitted medjool dates
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder, or carob
1 heaping tablespoon hulled hemp seeds (aka, hearts)
1 heaping teaspoon coconut oil
few drops extract such as hazelnut or vanilla, optional

For decoration:
1-2 tablespoons hemp seeds for rolling

1. Process first 5 ingredients in food processor fitted with an "s" blade until mixture starts sticking together.

2. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in extra hemp seeds. Fudgies can be refrigerated about 1 hour to firm up. These are very soft and chewy if eaten right away. Recipe makes about 6 balls.

Another quick burst of energy recently came from this frozen treat...reminded me of a hazelnut mochachino...

The mug was drizzled with chocolate syrup (coconut syrup mixed with cocoa powder) and the frosty drink was a couple of frozen bananas blended with one packet of microground coffee:) 1/4 cup hazelnuts, a drop or two of hazelnut extract, 1 Brazil nut, sweetener, and a splash of water to blend. This had me going until midnight! Ya might not want to drink this the same day you eat the fudgies, just sayin':)

Now, if there are any gardeners out there, I would really appreciate your help! I am attempting my very first garden:) I would love if you could share your favorite online resources with me in a comment or email. I have started some seeds...

and really need specific details on organic gardening. Google searches have led to information overload. BTW, my gardening accomplishments include a pitiful herb garden in a pot last year...lol!!!

'Lil sprouts are so cute:)


Hope you are all having a wonderful day!!! Love ya:)

Raw Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Today I made little cupcakes...luscious lemony goodness:)



I almost forgot how delicious, quick, and easy this recipe is!

Just thought you might want to know...haha!

ETA!!! Links to the original recipe are no longer working. Due to so many requests for this lovely cake recipe, I am posting the recipe exactly as it appeared on Raw Freedom Community.
Cake
1 1/2 c grated Jicama *** if it's too 'juicy' squeeze the liquid out by hands*
1 Granny Smith Apple pealed & ground
2 c. Almonds soaked/dehydrated ground fine
4 T golden flax ground fine
1/4 c agave
1 tsp vanilla
lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c poppy seeds.

Mix all Ingredients and form in any shape you want; I made a 5 1/2 inch round dish lined with saran wrap.

Then top the first layer with Frosting

Then top the 2nd layer/round. Flip out and place on a plate and frost the whole cake (top & sides)


Frosting: ****THIS IS SO LIKE 'Costco' white frosting!

1 c OMEGA NUTRITION coconut oil (it does not smell/taste coconuty) The one I used is just like Crisco !

Beat/Whip this with beaters! from my SAD baking days!

Add 1/4 c agave

Juice of 1/2 lemon IF YOU LIKE MORE LEMON DO juice of 1 and or zest. whip again.

Spread quickly as it starts to melt a little.

Sprinkle Poppy Seeds on sides or designs if you make a different shape.

Top with Lemon zest curls or slices.

Place in Ref for an hour or so. Serve at room temperature!

The 12 Rules of Eating

The 12 Rules of Eating

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Haha…there are no rules! But wouldn’t it be easier to choose what to eat if there were?

I know some of you may be struggling with eating raw (or not!) You may be wondering exactly what or what not to eat, or if it is OK to eat some cooked food, or something not vegan.

I usually don’t voice my opinion on this subject, well, because it is just that…my opinion, and the only person directly affected by what I eat is me.

I must admit, I am fascinated to learn why others eat a diet that includes lots of raw food. It is also very helpful for me to see what works for others. And, of course, I love to see what you are eating!!!

Some of you may remember that I am the only person in my household that eats mostly raw food. I chose to start eating raw food for my health several years ago. Although I did not have any health problems, I felt that eating raw was the best way to prevent future health problems. If possible, I would like to avoid some of the illnesses that run in my family. We all have a survival instinct, and mine really kicked in! That, in a nutshell, is why I eat mostly raw.

When I started to eat raw, I did not have any support. As a matter of fact, almost everyone around me did not understand why I wasn’t eating the way I used to. I could not even get my hubby to try my new raw creations. I was, and still am, all alone in my raw food world…haha!

I know there may be someone reading this, who might not have any support from those around them. I hope if you made the choice to eat raw for any reason you will find the strength to stick with it. {{{HUGS}}}

In order to keep eating this way, I needed to have a very strong belief that eating raw was best for my health. I know that by staying healthy, it will also benefit my family since I am a mother, wife, and daughter. All my research on staying healthy told me to eat lots and lots of raw, organic food.

It all boils (or dehydrates) down to one simple thought…

Nothing that anyone else eats affects MY health.

Now, I don’t mean to say that in a nasty way, it is just the truth. It is what helps me to stay raw.

In my perfekt:) world, everyone would be eating mostly raw, vegan food. We would all probably be healthier for it, and maybe insurance and taxes would go down, and the world would be a better place to live. So in a way, what everyone eats actually does affect me.

But I only have control over what I put in my mouth.

Naturally some of the food choices my family members make affect me directly, but they are old enough now to make their own decisions.

We are all different, with different needs and tastes, and different reasons to eat what we choose to eat.

Even if we are all eating raw food, you may choose to eat different things than I do.

Eating is very personal.

I alone am responsible for what I eat.

Now, my compassion for animals and the environment factors into eating raw vegan food. It makes me think twice about how I eat, but I never forget the main reason for me to eat the way I do, my health.

I like to think of us all at big huge buffet, picking and choosing different things to put on our plate…but sitting down at the same table to eat:)

Since you have been kind enough to read this little semi-rant, here is a quick little recipe for you! And remember, I luv ya no matter what you eat!

Trail Mix Truffles

1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4- 1/2 cup of happy trail mix, chopped in f.p.

Happy Trail Mix:
equal parts of cashews, pistachios, goji berries, mulberries, hunza raisins, and cacao nibs. I measure 1/2 a cup of each ingredient and keep in a mason jar.

1. In a food processor fitted with the "S" blade process dates until fine.

2. Add cacao powder and process until sticky. You can add a splash of water or a dash of vanilla if needed.

3. Pulse in walnuts until well chopped and mixture holds together.

3. Shape into 12 one inch balls, and roll in chopped trail mix.

A Big Kiss for Mom!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to return to my happy raw kitchen just in time to share a special raw treat for Mother's Day.

This big giant "kiss" is so fast and easy. It is a raw variation of something I used to make with the little ones in my former daycare, and everyone always loved it! We used to make it with rice krispie treats or chocolate covered cheerios...shhhh!

You will need a few simple things:

1.) A funnel...this one has a lovely "kiss" shape:)

2.) A favorite recipe for raw chocolate, or raw brownies, or *anything else that can be shaped. Some yummy raw chocolate, either plain, or with fruit and nuts added is always delish!

3.) A square of foil or shiny silver fabric if you have it. You will need a bit of clear tape to secure the top if you are using fabric.

4.) A square of waxed paper.

5.) A strip of paper for a sweet message to tuck in. I printed out some messages on a word document and cut them into strips.

Step 1:
Prepare your treat recipe. I used some raw chocolate covered buckwheaties, the raw foodies answer to the chocolate "crunch" bar :)

Step 2:
Fill a funnel with the treat mixture to shape it. Be sure to plug the hole in the bottom of the funnel with something if your mixture might run out. Raw brownie mixes should be fine without filling the hole. Of course, you can hand shape brownie type treats into a "kiss" shape by hand. (I set the chocolate crisp filled funnel in a teacup to chill in the fridge until hard).

When it was chilled, I un-molded the "kiss".

Step 3:
Wrap the treat in waxed paper.

Step 4:
Wrap the treat in foil or shiny metallic fabric for a more eco-friendly version:)
Before securing the tip, tuck in your paper strip with a sweet message to Mom!

*** ETA*** For my sweet "fruity" friends :)!!!

*You can still enjoy making this treat with all fresh fruit.

Simply fill the corner of a "baggie"(I know, not so eco-friendly) with fruit. I used berries, but any small or cut up fruit could work. Secure the bag with a twist tie and snip off the excess bag.

I added a small circle of light cardboard (from a tea box) under the berries to prevent squishing and shape the bottom of the sweet fruity kiss. I used the seal from a mason jar as a template for the circle.

Wrap in foil or fabric, adding a special message as desired.

Smaller kisses can be made simply using strawberries.


I hope you like this fast and easy raw treat idea.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone.

Love and hugs (and raw chocolate, or fruity, kisses) to all!!!
Angela

P.S. to all my blogging buddies...By the looks of my Google reader, you have all been very busy since I was away, and I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to.

Halloween Chocolate!

For many people the word Halloween is synonymous with chocolate!! I love to indulge in a piece of healthy raw chocolate once in a while, and Halloween is a great excuse:)

Don't worry, making raw chocolate doesn't have to be scary, unless you want it to be!

This recipe is yet another incarnation of my raw chocolate chip recipe. It uses mostly cacao butter and just a spoonful of coconut oil to enhance the melt-in-your-mouth quality. It is a harder chocolate that will stay hard at room temperature, as long as your room is less than 80 degrees:)

Halloween Raw Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup grated cacao butter, ½ cup melted measure
¼ cup agave, or sub a scant 1/4 cup maple syrup or coconut nectar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Pinch salt

Preparation:

1. To melt cacao butter, place grated butter in a glass bowl placed inside a pot or larger bowl filled with hot water. I use water that has been warmed on the stove to just below a simmer.

I check the temp of the melted butter with an instant read thermometer. It stays below 90 degrees when melted. Cacao butter may also be melted in a bowl in the dehydrator. Do not allow water to get into the chocolate, as it will "clump".

2. Once cacao butter is melted, add agave, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and salt.

3. Allow mixture to cool slightly, until it starts to appear a bit dull and has thickened. This is also the texture you want to pipe raw chocolate chips.

4. Carefully spoon chocolate into molds. Tap mold on counter to level chocolate. Place lollipop sticks into chocolate and turn once to fully coat stick with chocolate. Tap again on counter to level if needed.

5. Place filled molds into fridge until hard. This should fill two average chocolate molds, depending on size.

6. When fully hardened, turn mold up-side down and gently press back of each mold to release chocolate. Special treat bags are available for lollipops .

All molds, sticks and bags are available at large department stores and craft stores.

This is my favorite chocolate recipe, and it is very versatile. It is awesome with dried fruits and nuts added. Try adding some buckwheaties for a Nestl*s Crunch kind of treat. Great for dipping fruit like strawberries, too!

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A little about the ingredients used in this recipe:

These are some of the ingredients I usually need to purchase online. I do try to avoid doing this, but some things just are not available in the several stores I shop at. I try to get the best quality I can afford at the time of my order. The coconut oil, Organic Nectars agave and cocoa powder pictured are from stores:)


To grate cacao butter, I use the fine shredding blade on my food processor.

The entire pound of cacao butter can be stored in a quart sized mason jar once grated. I cut out the name(for identification), and nutrition label from the package it came in for reference. I find the melted amount to be about 1/2 of the dry grated butter measure.


I hope you will enjoy making some raw chocolate as much as I do. This post will be added as a link to my Healthy Raw Halloween Recipes post.

Halloween3

Another trick for creating a festive Halloween party is to use a raw recipe that you already love and dress it up for the party.

I love Sarma's Congo Bars featured in her book Living Raw Food. Don't worry if you don't have the book yet, this recipe can be found online! Thank you Sarma for sharing this wonderful recipe:)

I had to make some slight ingredient changes, but they still came out fantastic!
You can cut these into desired shapes, or play around a little like I did:)

The little squares are made in a silicone brownie bite mold. The cupcakes are the chocolate base mixture rolled into balls, topped with the coconut mixture, and placed in mini cupcake papers made for Halloween. These were very easy to make. I processed the base mixture a bit more so they could be easily molded.

All the special treat molds, wrappers and picks are available at larger craft and department store.

I also molded some of the Congo Bars in cookie molds. This was a metal pan, so to release the chilled treats, rub the outside of the pan with a clean cloth rinsed and rung out in very hot water.

A few creepy props like the novelty mice, treat bags, and Halloween picks make them perfect for your guests.

These work especially well because of the black and white color combination. Of course you may use your favorite brownie and white icing the same way. This party idea is geared toward older children and adults.

I am adding this post to Healthy Raw Halloween Recipes for convenience.

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Here are some of my favorite pics from yesterday:) We went to the Oktoberfest at Whiteface Mountain. I always love going to the high peaks area. It is about 20 minutes from where we live, so we go several times a year, but fall is my favorite:)

A lovely waterfall on the way

Going into the ski area

The Ausable River as we were walking in

On the gondola going to the top of little Whiteface...waving to Joyce in the Green Mountains of Vermont in the background:)

Looking down at Lake Placid

The top of Little Whiteface

Healthy Raw Halloween Recipes

October has always been my favorite month. Fall is such a beautiful season. Crisp air, changing leaves against the bluest skies, and some of my favorite fruit, like honeycrisp apples and concord grapes!

It is also the month to celebrate harvest time and Halloween!

I would like to share some of the healthy raw treats I have created especially for Halloween. The first four treats were made last year. I am adding links at the bottom of this post for all the new creepy cuisine from this year:)* More than 10 new recipes and ideas for 2009!!!

Darlin Clementine Punkins

Ingredients are per 'pumpkin'

1 clementine
12x12 square cling wrap
1" clear tape
scraps of felt, cut for eyes , nose, mouth, or googly eyes:)
twist tie
silk ivy leaf
green floral tape
glue, if not using self stick felt or googly eyes

Preparation:
1. Wrap clementine in cling film and twist tightly.

2. Secure at top with clear tape.

3. Cover clear tape with green floral tape, snip to desired length.

4. Attach ivy leaf to twist tie with floral tape,cover entire length of tie with tape.

5. Twist leaf/tie around stem as desired.

6. Apply face as desired.

Note: choose self-stick felt for really little children. This is a great one to have the kids make with you...they create the cutest faces!

This is the perfect healthy nut-free handout treat for Halloween, and the little ones really seem to love them:)

This pic shows the different steps:

You can also use colored construction paper for features and leaf and masking tape as an alternative for the stem:


Here are some cute faced punkins:

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Boo~nanners!

Ingredients:

peeled banana, cut in half, each banana makes 2
orange juice
dried shredded coconut
currants or raisins
popsicle sticks
Preparation:

1. Sprinkle banana with orange juice

2. Roll in coconut...you may find it a little easier and neater to use a zip top bag for this step if the little ones are making these:)

3. Gently press in currant eyes

4. Place on popsicle stick

Can be frozen if the kiddies like them that way:)

I recently told someone in my HFS about the boo~nanners, and mentioned to just "Google" it for the recipe. I googled it myself to make sure it would come up and was very pleasantly surprised how many websites featured my lil boo~nanners:)
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Frightening Fruit Fiends

Servings: 4 per apple

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and quartered
assorted nuts and seeds
nut butter
berries,grapes,or small fruit like kiwi berries
frilled toothpicks
orange juice
Preparation:

1. Carefully remove football shaped slice from apple quarter, reserve for tongue

2. Sprinkle all cut surfaces with orange juice

3. Fill with nut butter ,if desired

4. Add nuts or seeds as teeth, tongue is cut from removed apple piece(stick in with a bit of nut butter)

5. Add eyes with toothpicks using berries or grapes

These may be better for a little older boys and ghouls…I mean girls:)
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Fudgey the Friendly Bat


Ingredients:

2 cups unsoaked, pitted dates
¼ cup cocoa powder
sesame seeds, optional for "eyes"

Preparation:

1. Place dates in food processor fitted with “S” blade, and process until well chopped.

2. Add cocoa powder and process until a ball forms.

3. Roll to desired thickness, between cling wrap.

4. Chill until firm.

5. Cut as desired ..I used a small bat:)...also shown as a truffle in mini cupcake paper with holiday pick.

6. Decorate with sesame seeds for eyes and use the end of a straw at an angle to make a smile:)

Of course , you can use your favorite fudge or brownie recipe for this and make any additions like vanilla bean, or other flavorings:)

If you would like to individually wrap these, let them dry out a bit on the counter before slipping them into lollipop bags.

Store in fridge.
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Click here to see these and more healthy raw Halloween treats from Gone Raw.

Oh, and Happy World Vegetarian Day everyone!

I am very honored to be mentioned on Vegan Baking, Raw Halloween Treats From Around The Web by Mike, aka CanarsieBK. Check out his site, and the other awesome links in that post:)

Thanks to Raw Food Nation for including two of my recipes in this post!

Thanks to Recycle Your Day for choosing my Halloween Chocolate to be in the top 5 healthier Hallogreen treats for 2009:)

Thank you for all the love and links in the blogosphere too:)

*I will be adding new raw and healthy Halloween ideas here:
Punkin Bowl for dip








Sarma's Congo Bars dressed for the party!








Watermelon Brain!








Creepy Creature Finger Food








I Scream








The Grim Rimmer











Swamp-water Smoothie and 3 cute kid snacks!









Halloween Raw Chocolate Recipe








Savory Raw Halloween Ideas








Spooky S&M Salad








Smoky Bones











Creepy Caponata









Ghosts in the Gravy Yard









Vampiric Vermin:)









Spooky Sweets