Recipes

There’s something kind of magical about being an adult. Especially on Valentine’s Day. Because in my home it means I get to combine two of my favorite tasks, creating vegan desserts and lavishing love on my family!

This year I’m making one of my favorite easy-to-make vegan desserts, DIY chocolate truffles. The perfect Valentine’s Day recipe. A little decadent. A little fancy. Treats that can be made in under an hour and for a fraction of the price you would pay for store bought treats. Did I also mention they are organic, gluten-free, low in processed sugar, and are customizable too?

Besides being very pretty these date truffles taste kinda amazing. Made from organic cocoa powder, organic maple syrup, and topped with organics, they are so so good! Which is why I wanted to post this little inspiration today – and some of you might be needing to bring a dessert or treat for a date with your loved ones or are looking for healthier treas to send to school for Valentine’s Day. These treats just might fit the bill!

The star of the show? Organic Medjool dates, of course! What would a plant-based dessert be without them? As with most date-heavy recipes, they are simple food processed treats. Easy enough to make on a weeknight but decadent enough to serve as a date-night-in treat too!

Now, you might be thinking, what if you are making them just for yourself? You’ll be sure to have an absolutely wonderful Valentine’s Day night-in and enjoy every moment and bite of it! Oh, and the best part? They can be made ahead of time and kept tucked away in your freezer and thawed hours before delivering these treats! A huge bonus in my book! Self-care always!

So if you are looking for a healthy, affordable Valentine’s Day treat this year, these DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolate Truffles are worthy of any Saint Valentine’s Day festivities!

I love that these date truffles can be customized with a myriad of colorful coatings. I like to use a mixture of cocoa powder and Ceylon cinnamon for some, chia seeds mixed with black sesame seeds for others, and enjoy adding chopped pumpkin seeds or walnuts to others! The choices are endless!

Now if you’d like to see how I transform these delectables to giftable using humble Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day wrapping, check out my latest YouTube collab video for more ideas:

I hope these truffles will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to your Valentine’s Day treats this year at home! Eating plant-based doesn’t mean you have to skin on the luxury and sophistication you have come to expect from commercial truffles this time of year! Give them a try, you’ll love them!

Now I want to ask, will you be making treats for yourself or loved ones this Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear your foodie love story below!

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Homemade Vegan Valentine's Day Truffles

Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 60 Truffles

Serving Size: 1 Truffle

Calories per serving: 45

Fat per serving: 3g

These truffles are the perfect Valentine’s Day recipe. A little decadent. A little fancy. Treats that can be made in under an hour and for a fraction of the price you would pay for store bought treats. Did I also mention they are organic, gluten-free, low in processed sugar, and are customizable too? Give them a try for those you love this Valentine's Day and all year long!

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups organic medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup dark chocolate, 70%
• 1 tablespoon organic cocoa powder
• Zest and juice from 1 organic blood orange
• 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
• 1 cup organic walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
• 1/2 cup chopped, semi-ground organic pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup mixture of half organic cocoa powder and organic ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup mixture of half black sesame seeds organic chia seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F/175 °C.
2. Place walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 min until golden brown. Cool completely.
3. Then place nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
4. Pitt your dates; composting your pits.
5. Temper your chocolate; stove top double boiler method or 15-20 second increments in the microwave.
6. In a blender, add pitted dates, salt, zest, and orange juice. Blend until a very smooth cream.
7. Add dark chocolate and maple syrup to food processor and mix for 2 minutes until smooth.
8. Place the date mix in the fridge for a couple of hours until firm.
9. Use your palms to make perfect round sized truffles.
10. Coat them in different toppings.
11. Place the truffles in small boxes, lined with paper liners, and wrap them up.
12. They keep best in fridge, but can be frozen for up to 3 months until you need them.
13. Makes 60 truffles.

Notes

Need an affordable packaging idea? Consider Dollar Tree treat boxes and compostable paper mini cupcake liners!

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My affair with food has existed possibly since birth. My earliest memories included spending Saturday’s in the kitchen watching my grandmother make desserts while reading her floor to ceiling collection of vintage cookbooks. My favorites? Dessert cookbooks from the late, great Julia Child.

I like good food (obviously, who doesn’t, right?), and I only post my personal favorite recipes on this blog. While I do believe that healthy food can be tasty, in regards to dessert, it’s not always as easy to find recipes that pull off both great flavor and are as healthy as they are easy to prepare.

Coupling this, with my recent desire to develop tasty dessert recipes that also help me to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet. Because sugar is great once in a while, but not when you’re scarfing it down day in day out. It’s a totally other matter!

Which is why I wanted to share one of my latest dessert obsessions, strawberry pistachio vegan brownies!

Brownies, that aside from tempered organic cocoa butter, are raw, vegan, gluten-free and guilt-free.

Featuring a combination of dates, pistachios, black walnuts, dried cranberries and strawberries, and glazed almond butter, maple syrup, and cacao dough that yields a rich, chocolatey perfection!

Although these don’t taste exactly like traditional butter and sugar based brownies, they are nonetheless chewy, rich, full of chocolate and a great way to satisfy that sugar craving. Perfect for the upcoming Valentine’s Day week ahead!

Keep in mind, this recipe is nuttier than my family tree and equally full of dates, so it isn’t exactly frugal. But it lasts quite a while and can be served in small portions.

You can get away substituting many of the ingredients and toppings based on what you have at home. You may not need to go out and buy a ton of stuff. Because shopping your pantry first is a must in my book!

You can also check out this recipe in action here:

And now that you’re looking to satisfy that sugar craving with something a little healthier, give this recipe a try:

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Vegan Strawberry Pistachio Brownies

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Yield: 16-24 brownies, depending on size.

Serving Size: 1 brownie.

Calories per serving: 80

Fat per serving: 8

A rich, chocolate, gluten-free brownies. Perfect to satisfy your Valentine's Day date-night-in plans or for any time of year!

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts nuts
• 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons organic pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup organic raw cocoa butter, tempered
• 2 1/2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
• 4 tablespoons raw almond butter
• 1/2 cup dried organic cranberries
• 1/2 cups dried organic strawberries

Instructions

1. In a high-quality food processor, add your nuts, and dried fruit. Blitz the ingredients together until well chopped but not minced. Remove from food processor. Set aside.
2. Add the dates, tempered cocoa butter, cocoa powder, almond butter, and maple syrup to your food processor.
3. Blend until a smooth dough forms and the mixture no longer sticks to he sides of your device.If you find that the mixture is too dry, you can add a date or two more. If you find the mixture too sticky, blitz up a couple more nuts and add it to the fruit-nut mixture, until you are able to touch the dough without it sticking to your fingers.
4. Add the dough to your fruit-nut mixture. Fold together evenly.
5. Spoon the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or pan and press it into a large square about 1/2 an inch thick completely around.
6. Place your pan of brownies in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm and set.
7. Cut the brownie into 16-25 pieces. Remember, these are rich and a little goes a long way!
8. These brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks, and last about a month in the fridge, and up to a year frozen. If frozen, thaw for one hour before eating.

Notes

Share, pin, and enjoy!

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Please note, this post is sponsored by alpha Burritos and Moms Meet.

Air Fryers have become on the hottest cooking trends of the past few years. Both for their ease of use and utility of being able to achieve an air-fried crunch consistency to most foods, just without all the oil. As a result, my air fryer has become one of my go-to’s in the kitchen. Especially for snacks! Which is why today I’m sharing my favorite way to cook my favorite plant-based burritos from Alpha Burritos, in the air fryer!

Now it goes without saying that I love to cook from scratch most days at home. But as much as I love to cook, there are some weeknights when I’m just out of steam by day’s end. And on those nights I love being able to just grab something from the freezer. However, I know most frozen meals are not the most nutritious or good for my waistline. So when I come across a more protein-rich, plant-based frozen foods line I made sure to stock up my freezer with Alpha Burritos. A 100% plant-based frozen meals that are delicious. Check out more facts about these burritos here!

Alpha Burritos are available in four delicious varieties including Mexicali, Fajita Chick’n, Philly Sandwich, and Pizza. They contain clean, quality ingredients, including 11 grams of protein while remaining free of GMOs, cholesterol, hormones, corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and all animal byproducts.

I also love that Alpha is committed to making 100% plant-based, protein-packed convenient meals that allow consumers to make better plant-based meal planning and meal prep choices without sacrificing taste or quality. Their product line as a whole is delicious, provide clean, clear information of their labels, and all of their products are ethically sourced and are free of animal byproducts.

Moreover, all of Alpha’s Burritos are packed with protein, veggies, and a variety of flavorful seasonings, all packed into a soft tortilla shell and hand rolled. High in plant protein, cholesterol free, and non-GMO, each burrito is made with clean ingredients your family will love.

I’m sure you can why I keep Alpha products on-hand at home.  Having tried each variety Alpha Burritos, I’ve been able to also experiment on my favorite way to prepare these gems at home. Generally, I love to prep them in a panini press. Because aren’t all foods somehow tastier with grill marks on them?

However, I love most foods cooked in my air fryer. They always come out crunchier and texture is a big issue for me. And it wouldn’t be me without adding a little something extra to the mix. So when it comes to preparing my Alpha burritos at home, they are always cooked in my Air Fryer. So if you too would like an even more healthful way to cook your go-to convenience foods at home, check out my recipe below.

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An Air Fryer Alpha Burritos Recipe

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 Burrito

Ingredients

• 1 frozen burrito

Instructions

1. Cook frozen burrito in your air fryer for 12 minutes at 320 degrees. Pause air fryer halfway through and flip your burrito. When done, your burrito should have a golden crispy shell! : end of the recipe.

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Friends, now that you’ve heard about the awesome products from Alpha, will you be trying them yourself at home this season? Leave me a comment below and let me know which variety you are most excited to try first!

Learn More About Alpha Brands:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Wonderbag caught my attention quite some time ago. As it’s advertised as a portable non-electric slow cooker, its sustainability made it a must-try on my list of small kitchen appliances to try out this year. After ll, why not save our planet’s energy and mine too?

What I like about Wonderbag:

Whad like most about Wonderbag? It works without electricity. Making it a truly green product. I also love its portability factor. In that, it can be used for camping, potlucks, or anywhere else without an outlet.

​​​​​​​There’s also the companies mission statement. For every Wonderbag purchased in the U.S., another Wonderbag is donated to a family in need in Africa. As a former missionary to the continent, this is a philanthropic effort very near and dear to my heart.
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Then there is the utilitarianism of the bag itself. For you can use it for up to twelve hours without drying out or burning your food. It’s machine washable on the gentle cycle and its temperature-controlling construction allows it to be used as both a cooker and cooler.

​​​​​​​Wonderbag also comes in several fun prints. Which is a selling point for me as I’m currently fluctuating between being matchy matchy to minimalist-chic, a.k.a, gray everything. Which is subject to change as often as the wind bows. Making this product as practical as it is neat in design.

Review of the Wonderbag Portable Slow Cooker

Its no surprise, I love a small appliance. And I have had periods of obsession with both my Instapot and my Crockpot. Especially my Crockpot. So when the Wonderbag was presented as a greener alternative to crockpots, it was one of the major reasons for me to try this out at home.

​​​​​​​With that said, there are differences between the two appliances. Namely, with the Wonderbag you cannot set it & forget it. Not without prep work.

You will essentially need a dutch oven and a heating source. For when using the Wonderbag, its best to know up front that in order to properly use this bag, you will need to boil for 5-20 minutes with every meal.

​​​​​​​In testing out my Wonderbag, I opted to try out one of my favorite new recipes, Moroccan Soup. a recipe perfected by my friend Melissa, from the house of Plaid Fuzz. Here’s how it went:

Moroccan Soup Recipe For the Wonderbag

What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is to throw together. Using simple ingredients like green lentils, frozen butternut squash, potatoes, carrots, and garam masala, you have a soup on your hands that delicious. Especially on a cold winter day.

After prepping my ingredients, I added all my root vegetables, lentils, spics, and water to my cast iron dutch oven. Then, after bringing it to boil over medium-high heat for 20-minutes, I transferred the dutch oven to the Wonderbag to cook for 6 hours.

When I opened Wonderbag and lifted off the lid, the soup was pipping ho and ready to be srved. Yum!

I tried cooking several other crockpot recipes from this blog in Wonderbag too, so I can say with confidence that soups and stews are the easiest to make. I’m going to try cooking rice in it next (which is what Wonderbag recommends trying first) and then trying my hand at DIY vegan yogurt.

​​​​​​​While there is definitely a learning curve, once you get the hand of the initial boiling process, the rest of a piece of cake. Or in this case, a cup of soup!
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​​My recommendation? Start using the Wonderbag with a recipe you already know down pat with either a crockpot or instapot, and you’ll be golden.

​​​​​​​Friends, it’s as easy as that to use the Wonderbag at home. And with soup season underway, what better time to try out a p9ece of greener innovation yourself at home!

Now I want to ask, have you tried the wonderbag at home? Or are yo considering adding this to your at-hme smal appliance arsenal in the coming year? Leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts on this low energy marvel.

Christmas Cracker Candy. It’s all your Christmas candy wishes wrapped up in one salty, sweet, and oh so good bite! With Christmas just around the corner, you’ll want to try this recipe at home!

Christmas Cracker Candy, unlike other candies that require thermometers and paraffin, is made with only simple ingredients: Crackers, Earth Balance spread, sugar, chocolate chips, and walnuts. So with just 5 ingredients and 30 minutes, you’ve got instant holiday joy!

Making Christmas Cracker Candy couldn’t be easier! Just arrange a sleeve of saltine crackers in a pan. A jelly roll pan or full bakers sheet is perfect for arranging all 36 crackers. While any large rimmed sheet will work well for this recipe.

Next, make your caramel candy topping by bringing equal parts Earth Balance spread, or butter, and brown sugar to a soft boil for 3-5 minutes. You’re looking at a temperature of around 270 degrees. Your caramel sauce will be ready when you start to see slight bubbling around the center of your pan.

Now, pour your caramel sauce over your crackers and bake for 5 minutes at 300 degrees. Then carefully remove your candy from the oven and set aside.

While your crackers are in the oven, melt your chocolate chips. You can easily do this by microwaving your chips in 30-second increments until melted. Be sure to stir your chocolate chips after each 30-second round of microwaving.

Then spread your melted chocolate over the hardened caramel and add your toppings. I love black walnuts but pecans, Oreos, chia seeds, or dried fruit works well too!

And if you want evenly sized pieces of candy, consider cutting your candy while it’s still warm. Once cooled it will be harder to do so.

The final step, and notably the hardest, before digging into your Christmas Cracker Candy chill it in the refrigerator until it fully hardens for 2-3 hours.

There you have it! Christmas Cracker Candy! The easiest of all Christmas recipes! I hope you’ll try your hand at making this awesome holiday candy this season. You’re really going to want to eat it all. No judgment if you do. It’s that good! If you’re looking for other holiday desserts check out my other recipes on the blog and on Pinterest! I’m always finding tasty new recipes!

Friends, will you be trying your hand at this Christmas Cracker Candy or do you have go-to holiday candy recipes you’ll be making at home this season? I’d love to hear about them below!