chocolate covered mint patties

YUM! These remind me of After Eights... or those Girl Guide cookies.

 
Except these are incomparably better for you. They're mostly coconut and cashews - can you say hello, glowing skin and strong nails? Everyone should get healthy by eating dessert. It's just the best.

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I've been pretty busy. There's a lot of new people in my life right now, plus I'm looking for a job (it's about time, I know), and trying to figure out my future! I'm really excited about building my tiny house, and I'll need to work all summer to save up enough for it.

I've also been having a lot of crazy messages from the universe lately. All these symbolic signs keep showing themselves and I can't ignore them. Many of them have to do with my dreams and my art. Anyways you don't care about this - you care about chocolate covered mint patties. So here you are.

 
I have been seeing these all over the internet and figured I should probably make them. When I saw them on Rawified (awesome blog!) yesterday - it got me in the kitchen. You should make these soon. They're easy, quick, fun and DELICIOUS! Nothing else to say, really.

Mint Chocolate Patties: makes twelve or so

1/3 cup dried coconut chunks/shreds

1/3 cup cashews

1-2 tablespoons cup melted coconut oil

2-3 Tb honey/maple syrup/agave

1 tsp peppermint oil

Pinch of salt

1-2 tablespoons cup melted coconut oil

1/3 cup cacao powder

4-5 Tb honey/maple syrup/agave

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon and cayenne (makes it sooo much better) 

Blend all ingredients from the first list together until smooth. Pat into flattened balls (patties) with your hands and set them in the freezer for maybe 30 minutes.

Next, process all the ingredients from the second list together until smooth - raw chocolate! Frick, so good.

Finally, dip each pattie in the chocolate sauce and watch them harden almost immediately. Eat 'em up!

 

the ellusive kale chip

Rarely is the kale chip able to be photographed. It lives a short but full life of passion, love and flavour; until it is quickly destroyed because of it's own irresistibility. Tragic for the kale chip - oh so delicious for its hunter. 

If kale ever becomes extinct - you can blame me.

 -

When it comes to kale chips, I am a merciless hunter. I ferociously eat every one in sight, often not pausing to breathe, until before I realize it - 3 bunches of kale have disappeared. Every time I make kale chips I say to myself "Okay Emily, THIS TIME you need to leave some for others." 

It never works.

Today I wanted to make kale chips because I had extra Pad Thai sauce and Hemp Sauce which I planned on using as the dressing. Well, my mom and I went to the market and bought 3 bunches. When I got home this evening I dressed them all and stuck them in the dehydrator to blossom into glory. 

=

I tend to eat them at all stages - when they're totally fresh with just the dressing on, when they're starting to soften and get gooey as they warm up, and when they're finally a crunchy chip. So by time they reach the last stage, most of them are gone anyway. Then before I know it, I've eaten the rest. This is why I never have pics of kale chips on my blog.

You have no idea how much will power it took to NOT eat these chips before I took pictures, AND to save a (very small) bowl for my mom for when she got home.

Anyways: moral of the story - kale chips are ADDICTIVE. Be careful.

They don't stay around for long. 

If you want a recipe for les chips, just use any sauce recipe I have on the blog, and put it on a bunch of ripped kale pieces. Then dehydrate for a couple hours or until they're crunchy.

If you wanna make your own sauce, I recommend making a blend of tamari, lemon, garlic, miso, nutritional yeast, nut butter, and some spices. It makes a cheesy, salty dressing... mmm =)

Here's some of my recipes for dressings: Spicy Thai Sauce and Creamy Hemp Sauce. And this is my basic recipe:

Kale Chips: serves...?

3/4 cup cashews

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 T curry powder, or any other spicy powder you adore

1 T miso

Splash of Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Clove of garlic, chopped

Water, as needed

2-3 bunches kale

Blend all ingredients - except kale - in blender until creamy and smooth. It should turn into a thick, delicious, saucy thing... unless you or I forgot an ingredient. Add other things to your liking. Set aside.

Wash kale and break into large chip sized pieces (they will shrink a lot). Put in your biggest bowl and throw in the sauce. Mix it in with your hands - this is surprisingly enjoyable - until all the pieces are evenly coated. Try one...

Yep. I know. You're gonna eat 'em all.
 

Now put them on dehydrator trays and dehydrate for a couple hours, or until they're crispy. If you don't have a dehydrator, just use the lowest temperature on your oven.