a forest full of songbirds

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Storybook dress.

I am smitten with this new arrival in the shop. A beautiful, whimsical floral and bear print sleeveless dress with a lovely little mustard Peter Pan collar. This dress makes me dream about wandering through the woods and reading fairy tales. Limited quantities, so swing by and pick it up while you can!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Blood orange smoothie

Blood oranges are definitely one of my favorite fruits. So yummy and such a gorgeous color inside! I always get excited when I see them at the co-op. Today I'm sharing my recipe for a smoothie made with this delicious citrus wonder.

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberries (I used fresh, but frozen will also work)

2/3 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 blood orange, peeled and separated into segments

1 cup regular orange juice

1/4 cup vegan coconut milk yogurt (or regular plain full fat dairy yogurt if you're not vegan)

2 tbsp sweetener of choice- I used maple syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high until smooth :)

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

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!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

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!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Vegan peanut butter, molasses & oat balls

Last night I was craving something sweet yet filling so I experimented with the ingredients I had on hand and whipped up these yummy treats...

Ingredients:

2/3 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes

1/2 cup dry oats (I used steel-cut, but any type will do)

2 tablespoons black strap molasses

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup (or to taste)

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or coconut butter, I used half of each)

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, heat peanut butter and coconut oil until melted. Stir in oats. Remove from heat. Add in the molasses, maple syrup, and 1/2 cup of the coconut flakes. Stir well to combine. Form into balls, then roll the balls in the remaining coconut flakes. Refrigerate at least one hour prior to serving. (or just eat sone warm and mushy like we did lol) Enjoy!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

In the Pines

Sharing some photos from our walk in the woods by the river...miss A is teething (back molars) and refused to take a nap today so I didn't get any of her this time since she was being grumpy!