Ah, chocolate cups!

It's amazing how many times I can lose something.
I had two camera cords, yet I managed to lose both of them.
Then I lose my camera...

Oh well, what can be lost can be found, right?

Well, I finally found my camera cord so now I can finally upload pictures and artwork. It just took me a couple weeks of searching!


York Mints were always a favorite of mine. They, and Reese's, were definitely my favorite part about going to the grocery store with my parents. Of course, I would never eat them now, but luckily, making homemade mint patties isn't that hard to do.
They're a little bit more goopy, and the rice syrup may make them not as pure white, but I thought these turned out delicious!

Peppermint Patties:
1 C quinoa
3/4 t peppermint extract
1/4 t vanilla extract
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
pinchi nutmeg
2/3 C almond milk (plain, unsweetened)
1/4 C Rice Syrup

1. Bring the quinoa with 2 C water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for 11 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Once cool enough, blend the quinoa with the rest of the ingredients in a blender. It's okay if it's not perfectly smooth.

Tahini-Ginger Filling
1/2 C tahini
1 t cinnamon
2 Tbsp maple syrup
ginger root, to taste
1/4 C peanut butter
Dash cayenne pepper

Toss everything in the food processor and blend.


To make the chocolate cups:
In a double boiler, melt chocolate (Use at least 1 C and add more as you need to. The amount of chocolate will depend on how much you use per cup and how many cups you're making).
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake holders (I like If You Care brand ☺), and spoon in enough melted chocolate to cover the bottom of each holder. Place in a spoonful of the filling inside, making sure you can see a ring of chocolate on the outside (the filling should not be touching the holder). About 1 1/2 Tbsp is a good amount, but it all depends on what you like.
Spoon on some more chocolate over the filling, enough to cover it and leave a more or less flat top.

Allow to cool.

Enjoy! :)

Raw Apple Cobbler

From Thanksgiving to New Year's, it's really easy to forget about health.
It's the holidays, it's cold, family get-togethers... all of these things make eating sweets very justifiable. Especially on Thanksgiving when the majority of my calories are coming from mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie!

But eat decadently doesn't have to mean eating poorly. This raw apple cobbler was well-liked by family- even the New Orleans-food loving step-cousin of mine.


Ingredients:
4 C apples, diced

Sauce:
1 banana
1 apple
1/3 C maple syrup
1 T cinnamon
1 C almond milk

Crust:
2/3 C almonds
1/2 Tbsp neutral oil (I actually used flax oil for omega-3's, and it came out fine!)
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp raisins

Chop up the apples and place in a serving dish, I leave the skin on.
Then, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree. This will make more than enough, so you'll only need about half of this. Pour what you will use over the apples and toss.
Add the almonds to the food processor and pulse. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Crumble this over the apples.



It can be eaten right away, but it's better if it's left to marinate a little in the fridge. It's perfect for both dessert and breakfast!

Sugar of Choice

It's Friday- 4 days after Halloween.
Yet tonight, tons of children and teens are parading the town in their costumes in exchange for some free candy.

Why?

Because Halloween was cancelled.

Or, postponed, I should say. A snow storm on Saturday brought down trees that weren't ready for this heavy snow fall and hadn't lost their leaves yet. Trees brought down electrical wires. We had three snow days this week. Some people in my school still don't have power, despite it already being a week past the storm. And it's only the beginning of November...

But I digress. Sure, a snowstorm in October is sad. It's also sad that an uncountable number of children are going to get high off of sugar after this beloved holiday.
It's one thing to indulge on occasion. But does it have to be on processed, refined candy that isn't fair trade? Made from milk from factory farms and cocoa from unsustainable farming practices that exploit its workers?

The answer is NO!
I've surely proven that you can enjoy sugar, Sugar, SUGAR from natural sweeteners! (Of course, only on occasion should we do this!)

Here's a list of all different sweeteners. They all have their own perks, and all are a big step up from the typical refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup that we see too often in the supermarkets!

Agave Nectar: Agave is less viscous than honey, and falls low on the glycemic index. It's 1 1/2 times sweeter than refined sugar, so only 75% is needed when substituting. Temperatures should be lowered when using for baked goods by about 10 degrees F, since agave browns at lower temperatures than sugar does.
There are 3 grades of agave: light, medium, and amber. Light is sweet with a neutral flavor. The flavor intensifies as the color darkens, and the 'blue agave' is the most unrefined and natural.

Barley Malt: dark, sticky, and with a bold flavor. It's not as sweet as agave or as "assertive" as blackstrap molasses. It falls low on the glycemic index, and goes well with Autumnal recipes and breads.

Date Sugar: Date sugar is ground from dehydrated dates. It has a high fiber content and a variety of nutrients. It can be used in place of refined sugar in a one to one ratio.

Dried Fruit: A healthy choice for sweetening things, dried fruit, especially dates, work well for blended things, on top salads or other main dishes to give a sweetness to them, or just by itself for dessert or snack!

Fruit Juice Concentrate: As the name implies, it is made from fruit juice, which is slow cooked. It is different from many commercial concentrates, which often strip the juice of its nutrition and flavor.

Fructose: It is derived from fruit and has a close resemblance to granulated sugar, but it is more concentrated. It has a lesser effect on blood sugar than does sucrose, but it has little nutritional value. When substituting, use half of the amount called for.

Honey: The debate over whether honey is vegan or not is ongoing, but I decided to include it anyway. Although not a part of my diet, honey is a natural source of sugar that has nutritional value along with healing properties. It is said to be the world's oldest medicine. It's thicker than maple syrup and has a distinct flavor. Whenever buying honey, it is VERY important to buy from a local beekeeper who takes care of the bees!

Maple Syrup: My absolute favorite sweetener, maple syrup is boiled down from the sap of maple trees. It has two times the amount of calcium than milk. It's important to buy pure, organic maple syrup to avoid formaldehyde. Also be sure to check if the company uses animal fat in the maple syrup.
Grade B maple syrup has more intense of a flavor than grade A, which has only a subtle maple flavor.

Maple Sugar: This is remains when all the liquid has been cooked out of maple syrup. It has a maple, earthy flavor. It's two times as sweet as refined sugar.

Molasses: Made from the juice of sun-ripened cane. Sulphured-molasses is a by-product of refined sugar, so unsulphured is preferable.Blackstrap molasses is the of the cane syrup after the sugar crystals have been isolated. It is high in nutrients.

Natural, Fair Trade, and Organic Sugars: such as Florida Crystals, are minimally processed cane sugar, usually vegan. The liquid syrup is dehydrated and then milled into a powder.

Rice Syrup: Brown rice syrup is made from rice starch that is converted into maltose. It has the mildest flavor of the liquid sweeteners, but has an almost candy-sweet taste.

Stevia: It is a very sweet pale green powder. It's 200x sweeter than white sugar, so a little goes a long way. Stevia is derives from an herb native to Paraguay.

Sucanat: A product from Wholesome Foods, Sucanat is made from evaporated cane juice, then milled into granules. It retains more nutrients than sugar cane does, and has a mild flavor that has a hint of molasses. Use it in a 1 to 1 ratio for sugar.

And, of course, we cannot forget fresh fruit. The best of the best- you just can't beat it!

So what's you favorite sweetener? ☺

Blackstrap

Oh sugar, how we love you so...

And maybe a little too much. The USDA estimates that every year, each American eats roughly 156 pounds of added sugar. That's quite a bit... It's no surprise there is such an obesity and diabetic epidemic in this country. What can we expect?
The sugar often comes in the form of junk food, sodas, and candies- not surprising. It also hides in places one wouldn't expect it, like crackers, yogurts, peanut butter, and more.

But sugar doesn't have to be unhealthy. We like it so much because in ancient times, sugar was such a rare treasure to come by. Our desire for it now is a leftover trait from our ancestors who would be driven by their taste buds to work extra hard just to enjoy a sugary natural treat, like honey or sweet fruits. But unlike refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup; fruit and honey are good for us. Being vegan, I choose not to eat honey or any bee products, but there are still plenty of better sweeteners that can be enjoyed.

Dates are the most natural. And then there is agave syrup, rice syrup, barley malt, molasses, stevia, and, my personal favorite, maple syrup (which may or may not be vegan, it's important to contact the company to ensure no animal ingredients are used!). And which of them all is the healthiest?

I have an aunt who is rather adamant about blackstrap molasses. She will eat a spoonful of it, and loves adding it to her breakfasts.
Blackstrap molasses are just one type of molasses, and are by far the healthiest. Out of all the liquid sweeteners, this is probably the least sweet. 'Acquired taste' would be a proper term for it, as it is a bitter, bitter syrup.

The molasses is a byproduct of the cane sugar industry. When sugar is boiled for a third time and the sucrose crystallizes, the nutrients removed from the now-refined sugar concentrate into a thick, dark syrup.

It's rich in manganese, copper, iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, and selenium. In fact, it provides more iron than red meat per calorie, and with no fat or cruelty. For just one tablespoon, it provides roughly 20% RDA of iron. Along with 17% calcium for only 50 calories.

It delivers a robust flavor reminiscent of baking cookies during the holidays (or at least for me it does!)

I struggle to eat it straight, for it is not that same delicious, sweet goo that maple syrup is. Yet taste buds grow to accept and love it, as I am doing it. I love adding it to fruit purees for breakfast and to raw pie crusts to give them that extra kick. It may not be raw, and is it in no way a cup of kale, but it's a great way to sneak in extra minerals in places you would least expect it!

How do you enjoy eating your molasses?

Turtle Mud

Nearly every Tuesday, after my sister goes to work, my mom and I go food shopping at (what is perhaps the greatest corporate business there is) Whole Foods. I love it- aisle upon aisle of all sorts of healthy, organic, vegan foods. Not to mention the food bar...
It's pretty amazing how a supermarket manages to give me more options than the typical restaurant can. I just love being able to decide whether I want Thai noodles with sesame tofu, or the vegan Penang with a potato Somosa, or maybe just a sald or roes oats with fruit. And they even have vegan desserts!? Bliss! (It's so nice to have one day a week when I get a break from making my own meals)

Even my brother enjoyed the food they have there. He is nothing like me when it comes to eating habits... I'm the organic lovin', raw-enthusiast, locavore, vegan... He's the chicken nugget guy. 'Nough said.
But he liked the food at Whole Foods- albeit, all he got was chicken, mashed potatoes, and a turtle cake.

Now, I've never had anything Turtle before. But the very idea of mixing chocolate cake, pecans, caramel, and whipped cream enthralled me. I had to make a vegan version of this. I really wanted to try it...

So I did. That following weekend. And it came out wonderful!


Turtle Mud:
Constituents:
1 Chocolate cake recipe (Below)
Sugar sauce (Below)
2 C roasted pecans
1 Tub of Suzanne's Rice Mellow- or any type of vegan marshmallow fluff or whipped cream you want (but, damn, this stuff is good!)
The Cake:
1 ½ C sugar
½ C vegan butter
1 ½ C flour
¾ C cocoa
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ C applesauce
½ T vanilla extract
¼ C agave
1 ¼ C almond milk
1 T vinegar

1.) Preheat oven to 375.
2.) Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to thoroughly combine.
4.) Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan, and bake for 30 minutes


While that's in the oven, make the sauce:
In a blender or food processor combine the following:
¾ C pitted dates
½ C maple syrup
3/4 C water
½ T cinnamon
¼ C plant milk (I used soy)


When the cake is done cooling, cut it into 1 inch cubes, or whatever size you want. It's alright if it crumbles, after all, mushed cake always tastes incredible!

In a dish large enough, start adding some cake, spoons of rice mellow, spoons of the syrup, and pecans, to get a good mix of everything. And voila! Turtle Mud!

If you're making this for just immediate family, you may want to half the recipe. Unless, of course, you want to be stuck with leftovers ;)

Rice Pudding (A Breakfast or Dessert Item- you decide!)

I love breakfast. It is no doubt my favorite meal of the day...
Maybe because the mornings are my alone time while the rest of my family sleeps (I'm an early bird...the only teenager I know who happily gets up before 7 am on a weekend), or maybe because it starts the day off right. And there isn't anything like a good, hearty breakfast to put you in a good mood before a weary 7 hours of school...

That, or the fact that you can get away with eating dessert-like items for breakfast!

I have a sweet tooth. Most taureans do.
I love having a bowl of quinoa or oatmeal [very] liberally drizzled with maple syrup, or a plate of sweet, juicy, fresh fruit. Or maybe cakes, muffins, scones, or cinnabuns.

And I don't see anything wrong with that...
To be honest, I thought this was normal though. I mean, what with all those nasty, processed cereals being sold today. (Though, you can't really compare a home-made, not-Quaker bowl of oats to Lucky Charms) But I guess my parents didn't agree. They thought it was odd that I offered to make rice pudding for breakfast before we went skiing...

But it's all the same. Whether you eat it in the morning or at night, rice pudding is still a yummy bowl of...rice. And hey, at least it's brown rice! Plus, if we didn't eat High-on-the-Glycemin-Index breakfasts to make our blood sugars crash, how else would we get rid of all that energy a vegan diet gives? (hee hee)



Brown Basmati Rice Pudding
2 C brown basmati rice
4 1/2 C water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick
1/3 C raisins
2 C unsweetened, plain plant milk (more or less to preferance, I like a litle bit more)
1/2 C maple syrup
1/4 C agave nectar
2 Tbsp vegan butter
1/4 C slivered almonds
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1) Whirl the rice in a blender/food processor/coffee grinder to chop it up a little bit. It's okay if some turns to rice flour, but make sure most of it is about half the size it was.
2) Toss it in a pot with the water, cinnamon stick, and salt and bring it to a boil. Once it's rolling, reduce heat, add the raisins, and let it simmer until all the water is absorbed. (It took mine roughly 25 minutes, but my grains always seem to cook faster than the recommended time- whether they've been chopped up or not)
3) When the water has been absorbed, and the rice is soft and cooked fully,remove the cinnamon stick and add the milk, maple syrup, agave, butter, almonds, vanilla, and spices. Mix it thoroughly and let it cook on low just a couple minutes longer...
4) Done! I prefer mine cold, but it's tasty either way :)



And enjoy it for both breakfast and dessert ;D