On a wintry day while the snowflakes are gently descending, let the luscious aroma of chocolate fill your home. As old jazz music softly serenades you, snuggle on the sofa and indulge in this decadent delight. This vegan hot cocoa is rich, creamy, and blended for a perfect frothiness. Chocolate soothes the soul. I dearly love chocolate and even wrote an entire post on Why I Believe in Chocolate.

Recipe:
• 16 oz water
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1-2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients together until it’s perfectly creamy. Heat to your desired temperature.

Here are some options you could add to your hot cocoa.

Top with:
• mini marshmallows (I use these vegan ones)
• whipped cream

Stir in:
• chocolate chips
• peppermint stick, a drop of peppermint oil, or replace water with peppermint tea
• pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Notes:

I like rich, dark chocolate and prefer 2 tablespoons cocoa and 1 tablespoon or less of sugar… while my sister enjoys sweet milk chocolate and likes 1 tablespoon cocoa and 2 tablespoons sugar. So adjust the recipe to your taste.

For a thinner consistency, add less cashews.

You can substitute almonds or hazelnuts etc for the cashews.

Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to soak the nuts for a few hours before making this.

You can use white sugar instead of coconut sugar, or a little bit of stevia.

Thank you for visiting my website and thank you to my sister Melissa for taste testing and for taking the beautiful photographs!!

Granola is so easy and cheap to make! Seriously, making your own instead of buying granola or cold cereal will save you so much money. My husband and I love to eat it as a cereal with some dairy free milk, a topping for coconut yogurt parfaits, or just to munch on. I make a large base recipe and then customize smaller portions of that into a variety of flavors. I like to mix in additional ingredients after it’s baked for two reasons. It’s healthier to eat raw nuts/seeds etc, and because I like to have options.

Basic Granola Recipe:

Mix together in a large bowl:

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 
• 6 tablespoons flaxseed (I use ground flax)

Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl:

• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup raw honey (not for strict vegans)
• 1-2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Combine all together. You can use a large spoon or your hands if you need to.

Spread evenly on two large cookie/baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes, stir, then bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool.
Scrape it off the cookie sheets, and break into pieces if needed.  
You can now mix in any additions if you’d like. I like to store the granola in glass jars.

Addition Options:

Here are just a few ideas. I haven’t listed any specific amounts on this because I leave that to you to decide what ratios you like. Basically you just add anything and everything you want to your granola haha. 

Pumpkin Granola:
• substitute cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice
• add raw pumpkin seeds
• add almonds, pecans, or other raw nut

Berry Granola:
• add any dried berries (blueberry, strawberry, etc)
• add raw sliced almonds 

Tropical Granola:
• add shredded coconut flakes
• add dried fruit (mango, pineapple, and/or strawberry)
• nuts optional

Coconut Granola:
• add shredded coconut flakes
• add sliced almonds or other nut

You could also add: raisins, chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs, sunflower seeds, fresh fruit, etc.

I hope that you found this useful. Thanks for visiting my website! 

Yesterday was my birthday! (I’m 28 if you are wondering.) For my birthday dessert my husband made pumpkin cheesecake. It’s so, so, SO good. What’s not to love about a cheesecake WITH pumpkin AND is vegan? It’s also easy to make #win.

You could also make this recipe gluten-free just by using gluten-free graham crackers in the crust recipe.

Graham Cracker Crust Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (tip: use a blender)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Mix together and press into a pie dish. Bake at 375 F for 7 minutes, then let it cool.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe:

• 16 ounces of your favorite vegan cream cheese
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix together the cream cheese, coconut sugar, and vanilla.
Optional: add one cup of this mixture to the crust to create a double layer cheesecake.
Stir in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
Spread into the pie dish. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Enjoy!

With the Fall season approaching, I was inspired to create a salad that captured the essence of Autumn. The salad and dressing are both incredibly easy to make and so delicious! The ingredients compliment each other nicely and it truly tastes more like a dessert than a salad. I believe that food should be enjoyed, while still being somewhat healthy of course.

Essence of Autumn Salad Recipe:

There are no specific amounts listed for this salad recipe, because the beauty of making your own food is to add however much you like! Want your salad to mostly contain candied pecans? Go for it!

• green leaf lettuce and/or spinach
• diced pear or apple
• dried cranberries
• raw pumpkin seeds
• orange vinaigrette dressing
• candied pecans
(cook pecans at medium heat with coconut oil, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and a hint of vanilla, until carmelized.)

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey or coconut sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk or blend until mixed. Keeps in refrigerator for up to one week. Shake well before using.

Thank you for visiting my website! If you try either of these recipes out please let me know how you liked it!

Ahhh chocolate. The delectable, melt in your mouth goodness. “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”  Theobroma cacao is the Latin name for the cacao tree and actually means “food of the gods”.  Throughout history chocolate has been highly valued. For centuries in early Latin America, the cacao bean could even be used as currency.

According to this Smithsonian article, “Both the Mayans and Aztecs believed the cacao bean had magical, or even divine, properties, suitable for use in the most sacred rituals of birth, marriage and death.”

This could’ve been me! If only I had found a golden ticket! ↓

Dark chocolate is healthy and contains a lot of minerals and antioxidants. The overly processed chocolates with a disgusting amount of wax, milk, and sugar obviously aren’t going to be good for you.

Don’t you just love Beatrice’s secret to longevity?!

The history and health benefits of chocolate are cool, but more importantly, chocolate is good for morale. Chocolate has a special gift for boosting your mood. Helping you feel that everything is going to be OK. It can also be glamorous to indulge in some fine chocolates. It’s so important to allow ourselves to enjoy the simple things in life. Take your time. Enjoy every bite.

What J.K. Rowling wrote on Pottermore is absolutely perfect;

“The mood-enhancing properties of chocolate are well known in both the Muggle and wizard worlds. Chocolate is the perfect antidote for anyone who has been overcome in the presence of Dementors, which suck hope and happiness out of their surroundings.

Chocolate can only be a short-term remedy, however. Finding ways to fight off Dementors – or depression – are essential if one is to become permanently happier. Excessive chocolate consumption cannot benefit either Muggle or wizard.”

Below is a great video about a girl, chocolate, and WWII. It’s an incredibly moving story.

Chocolate is wonderful. It’s delicious for the soul. I believe in chocolate.