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 Chocolate Lava Cake :)

Hi everyone! Just a real quick post today, to tell you about an idea for a raw chocolate lava cake. For some reason, I came across several SAD versions of this cake today, so it made me wonder if there was a raw version.

A quick search for a raw chocolate lava cake recipe came up empty, so off to the happy raw kitchie I went:)

I don't have an exact recipe, but don't worry, you really don't need one! Just use your favorite raw brownie/cake/date-nut ball recipe! The filling pictured is the old stand-by, chocolate avocado pudding, but a raw chocolate sauce would be more authentic:) You will also need a small 1 cup bowl, and some cling film to shape the cake.

Here is how to assemble the cake:

1. Make your favorite raw brownie or cake recipe in the food processor. I made a basic recipe like my raw caramel brownie bites, using 2 cups of nuts, and one cup of dates with some cacao powder, vanilla and salt. This made more than enough for 2 small cakes, each in a 1 cup bowl.

2. Take a small handful of the brownie mixture, and press it out onto some parchment, about 1/2 inch thick, and cut out a circle using the small bowl as a cutter. Cut another circle if you are making two cakes.

3. Line the small bowls with cling film, and press the remaining brownie mixture evenly into the entire bowl, about 1/2 inch thick. There was a little left over mix, enough for about seven little brownie bite truffle balls:)

4. Fill with your favorite raw pudding, or chocolate sauce(equal parts cacao powder and liquid sweetener like agave, maple, or coconut syrup, and a pinch of salt).

I used the ingredients shown, plus a little water to loosen the pudding a bit. I had some filling leftover, too:)

5. Top with the cut-out cake circle, and press around the perimeter to seal in the filling. I found it helpful to pull the cling film in a little while pressing gently on the top of the cake edge.

That's it! All done:) They were chilled for a short time because I wasn't ready to eat them yet, but I bet they are real good warmed in the "D" for an hour. To un-mold, hold the bowl in a clean cloth wrung out in very hot water for a minute, and pull it out by the wrap. As you can imagine, they are quite rich...almost half was enough for me:)

I had some caramel sauce to squeeze onto the plate, too:) It was similar to this recipe, if you would like exact measurements:)

Love ya!

~ETA~ the extra filling made an awesome fudgesicle:

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.

Chocolate Banana Pudding Cake

I found myself with a few too many ripe avocados today...hmmm, what's a raw, chocolate lovin' girl to do:)

Chocolate-Banana Pudding Cake


Crust:
1 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup dates, I used medjool
1 cup coconut flakes, I used fine shred
2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
pinch of cinnamon, optional

Filling:
4 medium avocados, soft and ripe
1 banana, spotty:)
1 cup raw cacao powder
¼-½ cup agave, to taste
¼ cup maple syrup, I used grade B
¼ cup coconut oil, softened, increase amount to 1/2 cup or sub cacao butter for firmer filling
½ whole vanilla bean, ground

1. Process all crust ingredients in food processor fitted with the "S" blade until crumbly and sticky. Press into 7" spring-form pan, or pan of choice. Chill while preparing filling.

2. Process all filling ingredients in food processor fitted with the "S" blade until thick and smooth. Pour into chilled crust.The filling is a variation of one of the most surprising recipes(IMHO) in the raw food world.

When I first tried this recipe on Gone Raw, I could not believe that avocado, sweetener, and cacao could turn into chocolate pudding (or mousse), but it did! There are countless variations of this avocado pudding:)

3. Top with large coconut flakes and cacao nibs as desired. I also added some raw choccie hearts from v-day:)

Click here to see my raw chocolate recipe, suitable for molding:)

This page has the chocolate heart mold I used, #VO24

4. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours before serving, small pies or tarts will take less time.

This recipe is adapted from one posted in the current edition of Better Nutrition. Thanks for the inspiration BN!

Anyone wanna piece?

Magic Chocolate:)

Happy Monday everyone!

I am back from my wonderful trip to Florida. We had a fantastic time visiting my family, and I am feeling so grateful right now. It had been about four years since I last saw my Mom, Dad, and brother. Thank you to everyone who wished us well during our road trip:)

As much as I love to travel, as Dorothy said, "There is no place like home". I was very anxious to see my pets and get back into my happy raw kitchen today!

I was delighted to make another yummy recipe from the amazing Kate Magic. After making Kate's incredible Marching Biscuits I was looking forward to trying this chocolate recipe also shared at the Raw Living site.

The recipe is I Can Go Go Go Too...

There are two delicious layers to this treat. Each layer is brilliant on its own, and combined makes a fabulous and healthy treat.

For half the recipe, I subbed the zest of one orange for the orange oil. I omitted the optional ingredients, and used agave for the sweetener in both layers.

The chocolate layer called for coconut butter (I used Artisana), but was a bit thick, so I added a heaping spoonful of coconut oil(I used Tropical Traditions) to the mixture to loosen it.

I molded them in a brownie bite pan, and topped the chocolate layer with a mix of chopped goji berries, cacao nibs and hemp seed. Half the recipe made 20 bite sized chocolates.

Since Valentine's Day is soon, I added a raw chocolate heart to the lighter layer of several choccies, which was actually the bottom:) These would make a lovely treat for your 'special someone':)

I absolutely love this recipe! I am always amazed that yummy raw treats can be so good for us too!

Huge thanks to the lovely Kate Magic for sharing this fantastic recipe with us! I look forward to trying more of your recipes soon:)

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope to see you soon:)

A bit of Magic and a taste of Heaven:)

I could not resist the name of this post:)

The reason?...I made Kate Magic's Marching Biscuits,

and Antony Heaven's Chocolate Spread to go on them!

I recently became a fan of Antony's blog. I love all the recipes he shares with us, and pictures of what he is eating.

There are quite a few of his recipes I would like to try, but we had to start somewhere, right?

Several of Antony's posts mentioned Kate Magic's Marching Biscuits. They looked so good, especially when Antony made his own chocolate spread to top them!

Click here for Antony's Blog post that got me so interested in trying this yummy recipe:) The link to the biscuit recipe is posted there as well.

Here is the link to Antony's post with the Chocolate Spread recipe

You know by now I have a hard time following directions:) I did not have a few of the ingredients, so I omitted them(zylosweet, he shou wu, and purple corn). I used about 3/4 cup of agave for added sweetness. My currants replaced the raisins called for. I also added 1 more cup of water, as Antony suggested.

The directions say to mix and soak just the seeds overnight with the water, but I mixed in the currants, cocoa, and lucuma too.

As soon as I added the water and agave to this mixture, look what happened...

It made me laugh as it started bubbling and gurgling for about a minute. This may be the strangest looking raw food pic I have ever posted...lol!

After everything calmed down, it soaked overnight.

In the morning, I was able to make several different variations. I made some with goji berries,

my favorite:) had dried cherries,


and one I left plain with the currants. I made some into heart shapes, and decorated them with nuts, seeds and lavender.

I cut some into squares and some into long bar shapes...


Click here if you would like some tips on making raw breads and crackers.

I made half the fabulous chocolate spread recipe, and added the cacao, coconut and maca to taste, since I was not sure about the 'd' measurement:)

If you have a stick blender, it is the perfect tool for making half of the spread recipe.



This spread was so delicious! I ate much more than I should have because I sat down on the couch with the spread and a plateful of the long biscuits! I am calling this my lunch for today:)


Try it, and you will see what I mean:)


Thank you so much to Kate Magic, and Antony! I loved both these recipes, and together they are especially awesome.

Choccie Cherry Chia Pudding

Happy Monday everyone!

I want to express my sincere gratitude for the wonderful response to my last post, Recipe Index. I added the index icon to the top of the right sidebar for your convenience:) Thank you all so much:)

I have been so inspired by the chia pudding trend lately among fellow bloggers! What chia pudding trend, you say? Check it out!

Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Chia by Nikki of Yummy Raw Kitchen

Chia pudding by kelli of Animal-Friendly Eating

Chai Chia Pudding by Michal of lil Earth Muffin

Goji Chia Pudding from Raw Goddess from The Adventures of Raw Goddess Heathy

Chia Seed Porridge with Bananas and Raisins by Antony of Antony in London

And I am only going back about a week!!! If you, or someone you know has posted a chia pudding recipe you would like to see added here, please let me know:)

Of course I can never forget my first;)
Chocolate Ecstasy Tapioca Pudding from Slosh-uh on Gone raw!

And here are a few more posted on Gone Raw

Here is a coconut one to try.

How about a warming chia pudding :)

Goji chia pudding

Chia Chocolate Chip pudding!

Chia Mulberry Goji Pudding

Chia pudding is a wonderful way to get in some healthy chia seed. Here is my recipe, inspired by all of the above!

Choccie Cherry Chia Pudding

2 tablespoons chia seed
1 tablespoon hemp seed
1 teaspoon cacao powder
1 teaspoon agave, or sweetener of choice
10 pitted cherries, chopped or halved
1/4 cup brazil nut milk*, or milk of choice:)

*Brazil nut milk:
12 brazil nuts, shelled:)
1 cup water
vanilla and sweetener, optional

For 1 cup of milk:
Blend all ingredients, strain, or not...lol

1. For chia pudding, mix chia, hemp, cacao.
2. Add nut milk. Add as much as desired, but at least 1/4 cup.
3. Stir until combined.
4. Sweeten to taste.
5. Add cherries, and an extra sprinkle of that healthy hemp:)

Chia pudding is a great recipe idea to make your own.

There are endless combinations, just put in what you like:)

Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake

I feel like I am the last raw food blogger on earth to try Ani Phyo's famous Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake! Really, I don't know what took me so long:)

It is featured on page 49 of Ani's Raw Food Desserts book. If you love fast, easy, and delicious desserts, I highly recommend this book:) You can find it through her website.

Check out my first taste of Ani's recipes here.

I loved Ani's mango tart-lets, as well!

A quick Google search found the recipe online.

I was very impressed with this recipe! It has very few ingredients, and comes together in a flash!

The rich cake is made from walnuts, cacao powder, dates and salt. The creamy ganache is a blend of dates, agave, avocado, and cacao powder. The raspberry filling is simply raspberries:) I was lazy and made the frosting first, and didn't wash the processor in between...shhh, don't tell;)

I shaped it by packing it in a 5 inch spring-form pan. It is such a cute cake! I think you could easily make cupcakes with it too:)


Thanks to raw Chef Ani Phyo for this yummy recipe:)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Thanks so much for stopping by:)

Chocolate Pecan Pie:)

Happy Monday everyone! I wanted to start the new year off in a sweet way:) This will be another one of my quickie posts, but I wanted to share this amazing dessert with you!

I was just reminded of this yummy pecan pie by Jennifer Cornbleet. I first saw it posted by Joyce of Beautiful Living Food in Vermont. It was recently posted by Kelli from the blog, Animal-Friendly Eating.

The recipe is featured in Jennifer Cornbleet's book, Raw For Dessert.

A nut crust spread with chocolate ganache, topped with a smooth date based filling and yummy pecans. I did alter the recipe slightly to taste and ingredient availability as I went along:)

As Joyce said, this has to be one of the richest, most decadent raw desserts ever!


This was surprisingly quick to put together. I chilled it outside on the porch today, so it was ready about 1 hour after filling...hehe!

Just a small slice of this amazing pie should be enough to satisfy any sweet tooth! I am hoping it freezes well because I had almost all of the slice shown, and cut the rest and put it in the freezer. I love to have a beautiful dessert like this on hand for when the mood strikes me to have something sweet:)

Thanks to the lovely Jennifer Cornbleet for the recipe, and to Joyce and Kelli for posting on their blogs about how amazing it is:)

I am off to enjoy this beautiful sunny, but very cold day!!! See you soon:)

Raw Cherry-Hemp Brownie

I really want to thank everyone who has been leaving such wonderful comments!

I am so humbled by such kind words, it makes me feel so good, like I am not alone in my little raw food world..hehe!

And now...
The raw vegan holiday cookie of the week...

Raw Cherry-Hemp Brownie

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
½ cup soft dates
½ cup dried cherries
¼ cup hemp seeds
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon cherry extract
¼ cup cocoa powder
Dash salt


1. Process all ingredients in food processor fitted with “S” blade until mixture holds together.

2. Shape into rounds or pear shapes for Rudolf:) I made about 1 dozen.

3. Chill while making frosting.


Raw Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
¼ cup coconut oil, room temp
¼ cup grated cacao butter, 2 tablespoons melted measure
1 tablespoon agave
1 tablespoon cacao powder

Melt cacao butter over hot water in small bowl. Let cool about 15 min at room temp.

Add coconut oil, agave and cocoa powder.

Mix until well combined. If cacao butter is very warm, and melts coconut oil, allow to stand at room temp until frosting consistency.

This frosting will be soft at room temp, but get hard when chilled.

Decorate frosted brownies as shown using dehydrated raspberries or cherries, almond slices, cut pecans, pumpkin seeds, and currants.

Please forgive the quick post today:) Holiday Hugs to all!!!