Totally Awesome Giveaway!

... it's not mine, it's total sweetheart Katie's, but go here and check it out! Wildbars are raw and chocolatey deliciousness and if you haven't checked them out, run to the nearest health food store and grab one! They're a little pricey but sometimes you can get lucky and find them on sale (I got a bunch for $1 each)... they are full of nutrients and sooo yummy!

Favorite Things to Eat

Hopefully I'll get around to posting more frequently, but for now... some food-gasmic shots ;)

Raw vegan fudge with blueberries

Raw eggplant ravioli with pesto

Raw, gluten-free tabbouleh (hemp seeds, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, lemon juice, parsley, salt & pepper -- let marinate overnight for best flavor)

Raw sushi (jicama 'rice', marinated portabellas, living alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, red pepper, wasabi, served with pickled ginger)

Giant tossed salad (spring mix, huge handful fresh basil from one of the plants on our balcony, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, hemp seeds, homemade citrus vinaigrette) - definitely an everyday staple

Support Katie's Awesome Charity Drive

Go here to check out Katie's Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness and her amazing giveaway... because she's a gorgeous girl with a huge heart.

Nut-Free Cacao-Hemp Butter Bites

I stumbled across the brilliant Matthew Kenney's recipe for Almond Butter Cup Ice Cream *again* and decided that I needed to make it... or at least the almond butter cups... problem being that I can't have chocolate, vanilla, or almond butter.... so what's a girl to do? Improvise of course! Below is my variation on his recipe for the almond butter cups. I just made classic banana ice cream (frozen bananas thrown in the Vitamix and blended until smooth, with the addition of raw cacao nibs... I seem to tolerate raw cacao just fine, but no other chocolate. You could certainly add raw cacao or carob powder or vanilla) and added the cacao-hemp butter cups. They also rock on their own.

Sweet Syrup:

2 T raw agave nectar

2 T pure maple syrup

1 packet Stevia (optional)

1 c. dates, soaked in ~3/4 c. warm water (reserve water)

2 T raw honey

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until smooth.

Hemp Butter Mixture:

1/2 c. raw hemp butter

1/2 c. raw tahini

1/2 c. sweet syrup

1/2 c. raw coconut oil

1/2 T sea salt

Stir ingredients in bowl until mixed together. Set aside until ready to use.

Chocolate Sauce:

1 c. raw cacao nibs

3/4 c. raw coconut oil

remainder of sweet syrup

1/4 - 1/2 T sea salt

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until smooth.

Line small jellyroll pan (cookie sheet with sides) with parchment paper. Pour slightly less than half of chocolate sauce into pan in even layer. Place mixture in freezer for about fifteen minutes until slightly hardened. Pour hemp butter mixture over chocolate sauce, then layer remaining chocolate sauce over hemp butter. Swirl mixture with knife and return to freezer until frozen solid. Cut into small squares and store in freezer until ready to use (will be rather unstable at room temperature due to the coconut oil). Deee-licious!