Avocado pineapple kale smoothie

I had an avocado that needed to be used so I looked around for smoothie recipes that used them...the recipes I found called for other ingredients I didn't have on hand, so I experimented with creating my own and it turned out quite lovely.

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup baby kale (or spinach)

1 cup orange juice

Maple syrup to taste (I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high til smooth. Yum!

Raw vegan raspberry cheesecakes in mason jars

One of the challenges I've facedwhile trying to eat clean has been craving sweets at night...sometimes I end up going wild and eating 10 cookies out of the bag :/ So my new plan is: at least once a week, make a batch of "clean" desserts in mini jars that can be a single, portion controlled serving...I'm hoping this will help cut back on the late night binging! This week's treat is so yummy I wanted to share :)

Raw Vegan Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes

{makes 8 half-pint jars}

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup raw pecans

2 tbsp raw cocao powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

Filling:

1 1/2 cups cashews (soaked at least 8 hours)

1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup raspberries (I used frozen, but fresh will work too)

Juice of 1 lemon

Optional ganache topping:

2 tbsp coconut milk

2/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:

In a food processor, combine dry ingredients and process until pecans are in tiny pieces, then drizzle with maple syrup and pulse until combined. Divide crust mixture into the 8 jars and press it down so that it sits flat in the bottom of the jar. Next, drain the cashews and place them in the food processor along with all other filling ingredients except the coconut oil. Process until cashews become crumbs, then drizzle on coconut oil and continue to process until creamy (this may take a couple of minutes). Pour filling into jars, refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving (overnight is best). These will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

For the optional ganache step (I made half of mine with ganache and half without), heat coconut oil in a pan (or in a bowl in the microwave like I did) until just boiling. Remove from heat and immediately stir in chocolate chips. Pour on top of cheesecakes before refrigerating.

Enjoy!