CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER RICE CRISPY SQUARES

Hello, friends. I stumbled upon a giant bag of puffed rice at a local grocery store a few days ago and immediately had the urge to create a vegan choco pb rice crispy bar. This is a super quick and easy recipe; sweet, chewy and crunchy, a perfect energizing snack or fun dessert any time of day. I'm not kidding: I threw this recipe together in under 15 minutes while I was waiting for my dinner to finish cooking. The bars turned out excellent the first try, so while I didn't actually plan on sharing the recipe, here I am. This would be made more epic if you add chocolate chips, pretzels, crushed potato chips, and/or vegan marshmallows. Then again, wouldn't everything?

MANGO BANANA SMOOTHIE with GINGER KOMBUCHA

Hello, darling readers. I've been away for 8 days in the far north of Turtle Island, in Kwanlin Dün lands (aka Whitehorse, Yukon Territories). The temperature was -20 most days, and whole rivers and lakes were frozen under many feet of pure, white snow. I hiked through the woods and took in the humble silence of earth in the absence of other humans. I wrote a lot of poetry and experienced some profound moments of realization atop tall hills, utterly and gloriously surrounded by icy blue peaks and deep green forests. I become a witness to my own existence in a way I've never been before. There are no words to express the emotions that found their way to me in those mountains. Since I am literally made of earth, I am always home, no matter where I am on the planet. However, in a more specific sense, I have returned to my regular living space, and bring you this recipe now. 

OATMEAL CHOCO CHIP COOKIES (GLUTEN-FREE)

Hello, my darlings.

Back for a short post because I have the unexpected energy! I'm gonna talk about mental illness for a hot second and then get on to the fun stuff (cookies)! <3

Mental health update: depression in my life has been getting more intense and at this point it's a full-on disability. I am on medication and getting through some workbooks for cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). I am really grateful for all the coping skills I have learned and am practicing every day. More than ever I am able to recognize and remind myself: this is an illness in my body and NOT a personal failure. There is no need for shame or judgement here, just compassionate acceptance and gentle observation. We all exist in radically different bodies and environments. The body I am in happens to have some weird brain stuff that makes things more difficult for me than other people. We all have our own obstacles and challenges in life. I'm human. It's OK.

Onto foodzy thingz.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK BROWNIES with COCONUT MILK & OATS

Allo, loves. Hope you're doin' ok, but if you're not, that is alright too! Life is full of ups and downs, struggles and joys; it's the balance that I sit in gratitude with. The multiple, unique seasons of the earth are each necessary and dependent on one another to create a nourishing whole, and I believe my life is made up of the same recipe. (Obviously, I've been meditating a lot lately, and listening to Oprah's podcast). To celebrate whatever is worth celebrating in your day, I made brownies. 

STRAWBERRY COCONUT SMOOTHIE with a LIL BEET

Baaaaaabes. How are you. How is your month going. How are you sleeping. What are you eating. Why am I not putting question marks at the end of these questions. In today's post I am gonna give you a quick lil run down of what's been up with me. Then I'll talk about the recipe for a sec. Then I promise I will go. I SWEAR. 

After a long period of what felt like a necessary hibernation, I have emerged from the cavernous recesses of my emotive existence in a refreshed and renewed state. I feel capable, grown, confident and energized to continue manifesting the life I know I desire and deserve. (Can you tell I haven't stopped listening to Oprah's Super Soul podcast. Still no question marks.) I am SO SUPPORTED by my amazing friends. Bless our hearts for the femme softness we provide and embody for one another.

1-INGREDIENT COCONUT BUTTER

What is there to say? You came for a coconut butter recipe, and I am here to provide. This could literally not be any more simple, unless someone out there has figured out how to make a 0-ingredient coconut butter. However, I imagine that would either be 1) a minimalist, conceptual art project, or 2) a very sad, unsatisfying batch of coconut butter. So I will stick with my recipe.

WALNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE with SWEET POTATO FROSTING

Do you like moist, dense brownies? Do you like creamy, cinnamon-y sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Then I bring good news with me today, friend. This recipe is for you. It's both those magical, wondrous foods combined into one cake. Hellooo.

SUPERFOOD DOUBLE CHOCOLATE POPSICLES

Today has been a whirlwind but also super chill. I had a bunch of social plans - beach day with comfy inspiring friends, late afternoon tea with a wise lady bud, and then a date with a new person - but I woke up feeling anxious and decided to stay in my house all day. Sometimes I just need to do my hermit mode. I would confidently say it's worked out though. I got some work done (i.e. this recipe), painted more of my room white, listened to a bunch of great albums and podcasts, and I think this evening I will do some yoga and have a bath. I just had a cyber "chat" with my ex partner and it didn't totally petrify me so that's progress too. One foot in front of the other, right? I have been trying to take it easy this week because I have my new tattoos that are healing, so I can't really sweat or be in the sun. For those of you who know me even a little bit: you know that sweating and sunbathing are all I really do in the summer. So I have been actively trying to stay cool and in the shade. I miss the gym and biking, but it's nearly been a week so I can get back to 'em soon. I'm not good at sitting still.

Enough of me, though. On to popsicles.

COCONUT TWIX BARS

This recipe is 100% inspired by and adapted from The Coconut Goddess. I saw their raw vegan Twix bars on Pinterest or somewhere a few days ago and my heart was like: "Hey we need to make these today, mkay??" So I did, with my own tweaks. They are soooo decadent and delish. I have been eating them as energy snacks on bike rides and after the gym, etc. They are mainly made up of nuts and dates: first we've got a cookie layer followed by caramel, finally all coated in dark chocolate. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG. Make a bunch and keep 'em in the freezer for a quick, sweet snack whenever ya feel like it. Probably a great choice if you're trying to move your kids' treats in a healthier direction too. Or any human's treats.

MY CURRENT FAVE SMOOTHIE {RECIPE}

As the title blatantly shouts, this is my smoothie of choice right now. I made it for the first time maybe four days ago (when I was still hungry after dinner) and ever since I have been having it every morning with my oatmeal before I go to the gym. It came together randomly and ended up blowing my mind. It's nice and sweet but also super nutritious. I just put in all the ingredients for this drink on cronometer.com and here's what we've got going for us when we sip it down: nearly 20% of your recommend daily intake for protein, 58% for riboflavin (B2), 79% for pyridoxine (B6), 499% for vitamin C (!!!), 107% for copper, 28% for vitamin K, 37% for magnesium, 64% for manganese, 36% for potassium, 30% for selenium, and I could just keep going.

THIS IS IN ONE [DELICIOUS] DRINK, PEOPLE. HELLO.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BROCCOLI + CHIPOTLE ALMOND SAUCE

I still haven't showered today. Apparently it's good for the skin to let your sweat dry after you've been in the sun, because it helps with vitamin D absorption. So I hear. I am using that as my excuse for being smelly and sticky right now. I went to the gym this morning (and sweat out a storm) then immediately made this when I got home. Seriously, I didn't even take off my shoes. Then I laid out in the sun for the afternoon while I listened to Dan Savage's Lovecast. In short: I don't think I need to take a vitamin D supplement TODAY. Hah. I will shower after I write this post though, because I am obsessed with how good it feels to be clean after being sweaty. Yes, I am super privileged because I get to shower everyday. I am also super grateful, not that that matters. I guess I'll talk about the recipe now...

TACOS with TOMATO CORN SALSA + SPICY NUT MEAT

The power was out for 24 hours [until just a couple hours ago] 'cause of crazy wind storms so I had no choice but to make raw food yesterday for lunch. Thus, this recipe requires no equipment but a knife and a hand or two. Fortunately I was planning on making it anyways. What we've got here is cabbage leaves wrapping up fresh, juicy, limey veggies with crunchy, spicy nuts and seeds. Ya can't go wrong.

BLUEBERRY NICE CREAM with CINNAMON + BAOBAB

Eating massive bowls of nice cream for breakfast, lunch or dinner is 100% a THING in the vegan world. This is because our nice cream is just made of frozen bananas and other fruit. That's why you can and SHOULD eat as much as you want. In this version I'm givin' ya today, I threw in blueberries from the front yard as well as some baobab and cinnamon powders for A) extra flavour and B) extra nutrition.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING BOWLS with COCONUT CREAM + CHERRIES

This recipe is everything you want chocolate pudding to be. I have nothing else to say for now, so talk soon.

X

THE BEST CHIA PUDDING {with vanilla, cinnamon + raisins}

I have been eating this all week. It is SO GOOD and so good for you. It reminds me of rice pudding, which I used to love when I was a kid. Chia seeds are excellent at pulling toxins and other junk out of your system, and their texture is magical when you let them sit for a little while in liquid (in this case, spiced almond mylk). They puff up! I think it's adorable. 

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES with QUINOA and ALMOND BUTTER

So comforting is the chocolate chip cookie. I made this recipe 3 days in a row because it's so damn delicious and simple. If you have a Blendtec and their twister jar, the recipe becomes even easier because it grinds things into flours and butters in NO TIME. I throw in almonds and they practically evaporate into almond butter. Amazing. But if you don't have a twister jar / Blendtec blender, have no fear. Any other high speed blender should do the job. These cookies are perfect with a glass of fresh almond milk. I have a bunch of stuff I must do today so I am keepin' this post short. Enjoy!

SHOCKING PINK ICE CREAM

I'll be straight up: the colour is from beets. BUT. Do not fear - if you don't like beets, the flavour is subtle and you can cover it up with other yummy, pretty things like berries, coconut, Rawxies (which are soooo good, lemon poppyseed is my fave) and brownies. If you like beets, then this is probably your wet, ice creamy dream come true. If you aren't sure about beets WITH ice cream... just see what you think. Iiiii think you will love it. Pretty sure I got the idea to do this from Steph over at @happyandhealthy96 so shout out to DAT BABE. 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

These are happy cupcakes. 

The ingredients are good for you in every way. They are healthy, wholesome, delicious and easy to make. They are lovely to look at, and fun to share. They are a mini celebrations of all that is good in this world! 

MARSHMALLOW CREAM CAKE

This was a delicious accident. I meant for this to be your run-of-the-mill raw vegan cream cake (which sounds like an oxymoron... shh), but I wanted to add a bit more substance to it without adding a bunch more heaviness, so I chose to throw in some chia seeds. I figured they could multi-task and work to thicken up the batter too, since chia seeds plump up with liquids and make a kinda superfood pudding. Well, thank goodness I did. When I took the cake out of the freezer, sliced myself a piece and tasted it - I was pleasantly surprised by the texture. It's light and fluffy just like marshmallows! Not nearly as sweet, because I prefer to leave my desserts au natural and not add too much sweetness (even though my sweeteners are pretty au natural themselves), but I immediately thought: I can call this bad boy a marshmallow cake!

THE PERFECT RAW VEGAN BROWNIE (FOR TWO)

When life gives you cashews, dates and cacao powder... make this recipe. It is SO simple and takes only a few minutes to whip up. Then magically the final product is a glorious, moist, chocolately treasure you can share with your lover and/or yourself. It doesn't get better than this. This recipe was mainly copied from the basic brownie recipe in Lisa Viger's new cookbook: Easy, Affordable Raw. You might know Lisa from Raw on $10 a Day, a fabulous website that provides endless ideas for inexpensive, quick raw vegan recipes. Hers was one of my favourite inspirational blogs when I first went vegan and got into raw food. I love the cookbook too. It's basically her website on paper. If you are just starting to get interested in raw food, healthier vegan food, cleansing, sprouting, fermenting, or simply exciting new recipes - I suggest you check the book out. There's tons of useful info inside, plus loads of colourful photos. It's a very practical tool to have in your kitchen.