Raw Chocolate for Valentine’s!

http://gnosischocolate.squarespace.com/

Imagine my surprise when Orlando (who the regular readers might recognize as my boyfriend’s name by now) handed me a Valentine’s gift bag, with a HANDMADE card in it, and as my face got closer to the bag, I smelled a familiar scent:  chocolate.  Yes, he got me raw chocolate for Valentine’s.  Not only that, but he got my favorite brand:  Gnosis.  Orlando doesn’t go online a lot and probably has only seen blog pages that I directly have shown him, so it was just by chance he picked my faves.  They had a special “love” chocolate bar, too.

Also, I am the first vegan Lando has ever come across (knowingly), so he’s been learning for the almost year we’ve been a couple about what I eat, don’t eat, why, the difference between raw vegan and cooked, etc.  He’s a fast learner and great listener.  Gnosis had chocolate with honey in it…..he knew to close that page.    I love this man!

For Valentine’s for him, I made gluten-free chocolate chip bars.  These bars are flavorful but healthier, in my opinion, than refined-flour “regular” chocolate bars, as they have garbanzo bean flour, fava bean flour, and whole-grain amaranth flour.  (Recipe from The Best Gluten-free Family Cookbook)

Last night, he got some gluten-free lasagna rolls as well, with brown rice pasta, tofu-basil filling, fresh tomato-oregano-garlic sauce, and a pine nut-nutritional yeast sprinkle on top.  He said it was delicious.

I hope everyone else had a great weekend, whether you celebrated V-Day or not!

Second place or tied with favorite raw chocolate brand:  www.rawchocolatelovenyc.com

Raw Chocolate Brazil Nut Cups

http://rawgoddessheathy.blogspot.com/2008/12/raw-goddess-heathys-just-desserts-ebook.html

I made the “Peanut Butter Cup” recipe from this book except using Brazil nuts instead of almonds (ground into butter).  I am not going to attempt to take a picture because dark brown and light brown and my camera will look like a big circle of mud.  They are so delicious and one is very filling!    I probably won’t be buying raw chocolate bars anymore, now that I know how to make these.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake (raw)

Sweet Gratitude

This is my second dessert from the Sweet Gratitude cookbook.  The batter, mostly comprised of coconut oil, ground nuts, and dates, didn’t seem as smooth and light as the book described, but I think it will still taste great and the frosting is absolutely delicious!  I’ll try to get an inside shot.

Verdict:  Very sweet, delicious.  Minor problem of the nuts not being ground enough but otherwise, the batter/cake part seems great!

Raw Marble Cheesecake

Just Desserts (from Raw Goddess Heathy)

Pretty frustrated when the springform pan of the prettier and more accurate “marble” did not release, I took a photo of this one instead.  It’s a really good cheesecake, made from readily-accessible ingredients, and the chocolate flavor is just right.  I can’t wait to try more from this book!  Thanks, Heathy (www.rawgoddessheathy.blogspot.com).

Raw Pecan Turtle Cheesecake Slice

Sweet Gratitude

This dessert was excellent, very rich and chocolately!

Pecan Turtle Cheesecake

Sweet Gratitude (a raw food dessert recipe book)

This is going to be so good!  I didn’t want to take it out of the pan yet, since I will be traveling in a vehicle to share this with friends tomorrow, so I hope to get an inside shot then.  If you’re a raw foodie who loves making desserts, I would get this book – everything sounds so awesome and creative.

The bottom layer/crust is chocolate with pecans; the filling is both a chocolate and a caramel cheesecake swirled together, and the top is a caramel sauce with cacao nibs, pecans/macadamias, and yacon syrup.

Warrior Protein

I am not the type of person that would normally use a protein powder, protein supplement, or protein extra anything, because I normally get twice as much as I need just from the salads I eat, but I have been trying to eat higher-protein, low fat, and low sugar at night-time, to prevent fatty buildup in places such as my thighs.  So I found this raw vegan rice protein that has merely 80 calories a serving and 15 grams of protein, is sweetened with stevia, and is also sprouted, www.sunwarrior.com.  I mixed mine with some water and ice, Vita-Mixed it up, and it’s delicious!  Does have a bit of that stevia aftertaste, but that doesn’t bother me so much.  Now I just have to get used to drinking a snack, which is very strange for me.  I’ll probably end up eating a snack AND drinking this….knowing my appetite. 

Three Cakes

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Chai Latte Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Cookies ‘n Cream

This one isn’t as pretty as I had hoped….but it’s the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, also with caramelized walnuts added in the frosting and on top.

Desserts

Chocolate Cake from the Post Punk Kitchen Recipe Section (“Rich Chocolate Cake”), with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes, adapted from the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World recipe.

And last, but not least, from Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs from the same book, this time with ganache hearts!  (All shown in carrying cases for traveling tomorrow…..er, today, since it’s 2 a.m.)

Caramel Peanut Chocolate Pie Update