twelve balls of love

it's my girlfriend's birthday. she is now 19. but we have an ongoing joke that she's actually 12, because she can act pretty silly. she brings out the goofiness in me as well; this is a good thing because i can be too serious sometimes... no really.

to show her my adoring devotion and love i made her 12 chocolate covered peanut butter balls.
they're pretty freakin good.

we were SUPPOSED to go out like every night this week and party until the wee hours of morning (19 is the legal drinking age in canada). but i have gotten a terrible swollen throat so i've been really sick for five days now. it hurts to swallow and i can't eat any solids! what a BUMMER, right? ah well, i will make up for this lost party time when i recover. it's turned into a liquid cleanse i guess? gotta look on the bright side.

for now though, i need to seriously rest and recuperate. i've been drinking tons of lemon tea, miso soup and hot water. also been doing some salt water gargles. i juiced some fruit and veggies yesterday and today and it actually tasted AMAZING. very soothing.

i think this is a virus or bacterial infection or something. if it lasts more than a week (oh god please no) i'll have to go to the doctor but i'd rather not. i prefer treating illnesses myself and naturally. i'm not too concerned at this point.

i'm going to take advantage of this time and read some good books (atlas shrugged, cat's cradle), have a bubble bath, watch some good movies (back to the future trilogy, anyone?), catch up on sleep, and i guess detox since i can't eat anything... i wish i could eat these.

my mom said they were PERFECT and couldn't be improved, which i was actually thrilled-out-of-my-pants to hear (well, i don't wear pants, so, skirt) because she is my toughest critic - which i much appreciate. i hope you agree with her. if you make this recipe, let me know how it goes and if i should change anything because the recipe written here will be slightly different than what i did.

make 'em mostly raw by using raw jungle peanuts & peanut butter!

chocolate peanut butter love bites: makes 12 and ONLY 12 (teehee)

center:
1/3 cup peanuts
1/4 peanut butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 oats
2 tablespoons almond butter

chocolate:
3 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 heaping tablespoons cacao/cocoa 
1/8 teaspoon salt
teensy bit of cayenne and ginger powder
1-3 tablespoons almond milk
1/2 dark or raw chocolate bar, melted (optional)

coating:
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 teaspoon salt

in your food processor, blend all the ingredients for the PB center together until it forms a ball and you can press it together. form them it into balls and put in the freezer.
to make the coating, pulse the nuts and salt in the food processor until they're like large crumbs... you can see in the photos. put in a large bowl and set aside.
to make the chocolate, blend all ingredients together in the food processor until smooth, it will start thickening fast so take out your frozen PB balls and dip them in the chocolate, then roll them in the chopped nuts. stick back in the freezer for an hour or two and voila! 

i love you, amber! xox

raw chocolate mousse

uh... yeah. make these now.

i felt like creating something a wee bit fancy yesterday for my family and friends. we had a ripe avocado so i utilized it in the name of raw vegan splendor. turned out pretty decent, if i do say so myself (and i just did, so there). while you read the post, look at the pics and check out the recipe - i suggest you listen to THIS. i took lots of pictures for you today to feast your eyes on. FEAST:

i love having fresh mint from the garden for garnishes on desserts. to be honest, i'm not the biggest peppermint fanatic but i do adore the splash of colour. i am addicted to chocolate (that should be pretty apparent by now) but all the brown leaves something to be desired; purely for aesthetic reasons.

the bottom of these is a chocolate nut crust and it's topped with a chocolate pudding kinda deal. i made a quick chocolate sauce to decorate. i suggest letting them sit in a fridge for a few hours. i let them set overnight. i'm pretty sure if you do everything wrong in this recipe - it will still be delicious...

IT'S ALL CHOCOLATE.

double chocolate mousse delights: makes around 8 

crust:

1 cup walnuts

1 cup almonds

1 cup dates

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 tablespoons cacao/cocoa 

mousse:

1 avocado

3 tablespoons cacao/cocoa

1/4 cup honey/maple syrup 

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted (optional if you're using a chocolate bar)

3-4 tablespoons nut butter (i used peanut butter)

vegan milk, as needed (around 1/2 cup or something?)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/3 cup dates/prunes

1 vegan chocolate bar, melted (i guess this is optional, but i recommend it!)

chocolate sauce:

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon cacao/cocoa

3-5 tablespoons vegan milk

to make the crust, put all ingredients in your food processor and process until the nuts are crumbs and everything kinda sticks together. press into the bottom of big cupcake molds lined with plastic wrap or tinfoil; put in the fridge.

to make the mousse, blend all ingredients until smooth (you can do this in the food processor.) see if you wanna add anything. it should be pretty thick already, and it will set more in the fridge. spoon into each of the cupcake molds and stick it in the fridge for an hour or more. 

when you wanna eat them - ASAP i would assume - make the chocolate sauce by stirring all ingredients together. take the mousse cups out of their molds and decorate on plates with whatever you like! drizzle on the sauce and serve. YUUUMMM <3

chocolate hazelnut spread

like nutella? this is a raw, vegan version. free of dairy, processed sugar, palm oil and artificial flavours. with just a few ingredients - this is way better for you, and incomparable in taste. try it out today! i eat it straight up with a spoon. it's also really easy to add into desserts... including banana ice cream. oh my ice creamy goodness.

chocolate hazelnut spread: makes about 2 cups 

2 cups hazelnuts
1/4 cup cacao
1/4 cup melted cacao butter
1/4 cup honey/agave/maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup or so vegan milk, adding as needed

make the hazelnuts into hazelnut butter in your blender or food processor; it will take a little while. if you want more flavour, toast them first. then add all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. it should be pretty creamy like a spread. see if you like it - add what you want accordingly. put it in a jar and refrigerate. sneak this treat whenever you want to.

guess what - i will be 19 years old in like 3 weeks. i am so ready to hit the clubs and go crazy with my friends. wanna join? here's a diplo's new EP to get you in the mood. you know i like ALL kinds of music, so i will admit this is my guilty pleasure.

fruit tartlets with vanilla cashew cream

these tarts are so cute. you can't resist them. it's funny how whenever you decorate things with fresh fruit they become more appealing. our bodies know what they want!

i thought i was only going to be able to use the kiwi we had in the house but just as i was about to decorate them my mom came home with fresh, locally grown, organic strawberries! perfect.

you know i'm obsessed with chocolate, so today my goal was to make something without it - for once in my dang life. it looks like there's chocolate in the crust but that's just the skin of the almonds, prunes and raisins.

the filling is like a cashew custard i suppose. it's actually just cashews,  maple syrup, vanilla seeds and nut milk. oh ma gad. too good. i was eating spoonfuls.

the light was great in the kitchen today so i took lots of photos - hope you don't mind ;) i think these would be fun for a garden party. it is finally getting to be that time of year! imagine bringing them out on a cute little tray with some fancy drinks or whatever and impressing all your friends... mhm. do it.

these better be gone by tomorrow because that's when i start my liquid cleanse (i don't know if i'll be able to resist the temptation!) as i said in the last post - i'll be having lots of juice and smoothies, and tea and nut milks as well. after my 10 day cleanse i will going into my 21 day water fast!!! yippie!

anyhoo - time to give you the recipe if you want to make these. as usual, they're super easy and far too delicious to be healthy... yet they are.

fruit tartlets with cashew cream: makes 1 large tart or about 6 small
-
crust:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup prunes/raisins/dates
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons flax seeds

cashew cream filling:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup or so nut milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup/agave
1/4 teaspoon each of salt, cinnamon and ginger powder
seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

to make the crust: pulse the nuts in your food processor until they are crumb-sized. add the other ingredients and pulse until the mixture starts sticking together. you might need to add more prunes/raisins/dates. press this mix into the bottom of a tart tin or several tartlet tins. put in the fridge.

to make the cashew cream filling: blend the cashews into cashew butter then add all the other ingredients until smooth. yummmmmm. spoon this evenly into your tart/tartlet tins and put back in the fridge while you cut up your fruit. decorate as you please - then enjoy!

aged pine nut cheese with garlic & rosemary

Oh so creamy. Oh so delicious. Oh so dairy-free. You need to make this... oh so soon. 

After learning from my first go at nut cheeses, I have improved the recipe. I used half pine nuts, put it through the Vita-Mix and didn't freeze it (still smacking my forehead for that). It ended up being SUPER creamy and full of flavour. I let it age for 3 days this time and warmed it in the oven for about an hour, which developed the flavour and rind ever more.

My mom, who used to be a cheese lover and has practically given up dairy now, says that she loves this. Greg said he liked it too although "it's nothing like cheese". I have to agree. Don't expect cheese when you eat this - it's not! It's delicious cashews, garlic and rosemary. Enjoy the incredible flavour and texture for what it is. I guess you could call it Nut Pate if you want. Anyway - it's tasty and good for ya.

-
Aged Pine Nut Cheese with Garlic & Rosemary: makes 1 wheel 
-
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup cashews
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of a lemon 
1 tbs sun dried tomatoes 
2-3 tbs whole rosemary 
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup water
2 tbs favourite oil 
-
Soak the nuts for around 2 or 3 hours. Blend all ingredients in high speed blender or food processor (blender really makes a difference though) until smooth. See if you like the taste. Change it until you do.
-
Line a colander with a cheesecloth and put it in a bowl. Transfer the cheese mix into the colander and set it in a warm place for 1 or 2 days. Then leave it in the fridge for another day. You can dehydrate it or put it in your oven at a low temperature for maybe 30 minutes so it develops a crust. Enjoy!
-

In other news: I watched A Night At The Roxbury a few nights ago and my love of disco has been reborn.  I downloaded the album, and as I wrote this post I was listening to this:

And this...

YOU CAN'T SAY YOU DON'T WANNA DANCE TO THESE, ALRIGHT. 

Besides, the music videos are freakin' amazing. 

cheers to fruit, wine, and mexico!

I made these with my friend the other day. Got the idea from Happy Healthy Life. They are delicious, nutritious, and liable to get you buzzed... or not. It's up to you. Either way - aren't they just perdy?

The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18 sooooo I'm rather excited. The subject of alcohol for raw vegans is an interesting and controversial one. For me - wine is totally acceptable, especially red wine. We get ours from a local U-Brew. Also, sake is raw and quite tasty! But wine is the drink of choice here normally. When the occasion strikes, a cooler or a beer might be alright too.

Maybe later on in my life I'll become more strict but for NOW, my attitude about it is that life is meant to fun. You gotta live a little! Just be responsible, keep health in mind, and have a good time!

I, personally, like to party. Methinks my diet in Mexico will be TONS of tropical fruit, a bit o' booze, and lots of sunlight.

Fruity Paradise: makes 2 tall glasses

500 ml carbonated juice (we used San Pellagrino Limonita)

250 ml white wine

Various chopped fruit 

(we used frozen peaches, mango, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, and fresh kiwi)

Layer fruit in two tall glasses in order of their colour, darkest to lightest. Pour in the wine, then the juice. Yum! Get your drank on!

If you wanna make these virgin, just omit the wine (duh...) and add more carbonated juice or carbonated water, or just juice. 

CHEERS!

OH MY RAW caramel apples

You have not lived. 

Not until you make these. I didn't think they'd be so darn delicious. But yet again... I was wrong.
All the different textures and flavours make for an incredible experience.

The best part? These are GOOD FOR YOU. Your body wants them. 

Why? Because they're full of nutrients and vitamins that will help you live long. 

Being "caramel apples", they clearly consist of an apple being covered in caramel. All I did was change my definition of caramel! In the raw food world, my caramel is just dates, water and spices. 

I covered a couple organic apples in that, and chopped up some fresh pecans and threw them on one (I put peanuts on the other). For the final touch, I drizzled on a simple chocolate sauce: cocoa, agave, almond butter. 

Who says raw vegans can't have any fun? These are way better than your regular caramel apples not ONLY in taste, but also because you feel good after eating them. NOT GUILTY. 

Food is love, love is happiness, and happiness depends on health.

So eat healthful foods! It's simple. Sometimes I crave some kind of processed cooked food for a second, like pizza, cookies, chips or other vegan goodies. Then I remember: I can make a BETTER version of it that my body will actually thank me for in the long run. I mean c'mon, you've got no excuse to eat crap when you can eat stuff like this:

I wanted to get a few photos with a bite out of an apple, so I had an excuse to try them =) I took a big, messy, caramel-apple bite... literally stopped chewing and said "oh my god no freaking way" out loud in the kitchen by myself.

I talk to myself a lot.

But with good reason! These taste ridonkulous. And I don't say ridonkulous, so you know they're gotta be nuts (no pun intended). Really though - try these out and share them with your loved ones. Everybody will appreciate it. They're a great Valentines Day present, heeey?

I was noble today and gave mine to Dad after taking a few bites. It took a bit of will power but I HAD to share it with someone, it was so delicious. I only made two, so I'm saving the other one for my brother Greg. 

He's trying to eat healthier and get in shape since he's struggled with his weight for awhile. He actually started his own blog about it! Check it.

He's doing a vegan-week so last night he went to The Naam with his girlfriend and brought me back their raw pie! As a thank you, I made him a caramel apple =) 

It makes me really happy and excited he wants to get healthy. I can tell he's serious about it this time. So I wanna support that as much as I can, and show him how ridiculously delicious and easy eating well can be. 

CRAZY Raw Caramel Apples: makes 2, but you can effortlessly make more

2 Apples on skewers (try to get organic!)

1/4 cup dates   

2 Tb melted coconut oil

Cinnamon, salt & mesquite if you have it

Water, as needed

1/4 cup finely chopped nuts 

2-3 Tb cacao

2-3 Tb agave/honey/maple syrup 

2-3 Tb nut butter

3 Tb melted coconut oil

Blend dates with coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, mesquite and water to get a smooth, thick consistency. You can add more sweetener if you want. Cover the apples completely with the "caramel" and then dip them in the chopped nuts so they stick. 

Then mix the cacao, sweetener of choice, nut butter and coconut oil until smooth. Drizzle it all over the apples and VOILA! Om nom nom. 

Sexy and I Know It

Last weekend, my friends and I made stencils to spray-paint t-shirts, bags, and hoodies with. One of my friends is going to the LMFAO concert soon... thus the title of this post, and her stencil (it's one of their songs). We also tried nail marbling! Check it out here. I've made bags before that say "I think, Therefore I Am Vegan" and "Veganism Is For Lovers!" which turned out quite nicely. This time I made my stencil read "Eat Raw - Live Long - Be Sexy".
P.S. Don't judge me for liking LMFAO if you think they're ridiculous. I generally don't like main stream music but sometimes you have to love top hits (although most of the time they are awful). But if it makes you happy, I don't CARE if it's lame top 40! Yes, LMFAO's music is terrible but I love it anyways. It makes you get up, dance and have a good time - there ain't nothing wrong with that.