Category: Food

Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa

12/7/2016

This year for Christmas, why not wow your guests with an updated (made from scratch, healthy, and completely vegan!) version of boring hot chocolate!
This drink is best sipped on Christmas Eve, in front of a roaring fireplace, surrounded by people you love. And that's why I named it "Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa". Ice Cream Hot Cocoa? You're probably saying to yourself. That doesn't make any sense!
I agree! When I came up with this idea, I thought it was totally weird also, but I just really wanted to put some of my new vegan ice cream into hot cocoa! And so I did! And it turned out to be pretty amazing. It's actually really cool, because the ice cream doesn't melt right away like you would think, nor does it turn the mug of hot cocoa cold. It just kinda sits there and adds flavor, it cools down the hot cocoa so it's a drinkable temperature, and if you use a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, you will get to eat chunks of cookie dough! Yay! Still think it's weird? Why not make some and see for yourself! This recipe is way healthier than those packs of hot choclate, it's completely vegan, and you get to impress people by saying that you made the cocoa from scratch! So enjoy!

You can see the chunks of ice cream sticking out

This recipe will fill 3 mugs

What you will need;
-3 cups of your favorite dairy-free milk (I prefer almond milk)
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/4 cup raw sugar (this stuff is way healthier than white sugar)
-2 scoops of your favorite dairy-free ice cream. I love So Delicious
Coconut Milk Ice Cream, and I highly recommend the chocolate chip cookie
dough flavor, because once the ice cream starts to melt into the hot cocoa,
you will have chunks of cookie dough floating in your hot cocoa, and it is
absolutely amazing!
-As many marshmallows as you prefer
-Cinnamon

What to do;
-Heat the milk in a pan over the stove
-In a bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and raw sugar
-Once the milk is almost boiling, stir in the powder and sugar mixture
-Stir for one minute, so as to make sure the milk and powder mixture is
completely combined
-Then boil until it's frothy

How to assemble your hot cocoas;
-Find a very festive, Christmas-y mug.
-Ladle hot cocoa into the Christmas mug. A little over half full.
-Put two big scoops of ice cream into the center of the mug.
Don't stir!
-Top with mallows
-Sprinkle with cinnamon
and then serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, maybe so much so that it will become a new Christmas Eve tradition! Either way, have a wonderful week, and I will not be posting next Monday because I have a lot of festivities and such going on, so have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Peace Love and Christmas Eve Hot Cocoa
Jess <3

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How to Make Your Own Organic Vegan Fair Trade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

8/22/2016

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Organic, Vegan, Fair Trade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

If you regularly read my blog, you know that I am an advocate for Eden Ministries, as well as the head of social media and volunteer for P.A.T.H.S. Both of these organizations help fight against human trafficking, which is a cause I am very passionate about. I had known a lot about the sex trafficking scope of the spectrum, but I was absolutely horrified to learn of another form of human trafficking, labor trafficking. Labor trafficking can look like a number of different things. Whether it be sweatshop labor, people kept against their will and forced to work long hours for little to no pay, and also, child labor. So when I found out that child labor is rampantly used in the chocolate industry (today's chocolate industry!), I decided to boycott it. Seriously, the everyday chocolate brands we eat in America, use chocolate that comes from child labor slaves in different countries. While these companies are totally aware of this, they continue to use this chocolate. Why? Because it is cheap. And it makes them more money.
So I decided to do my part. No more chocolate peanut butter cups (which are my favorite!). My husband was quite sad when we went to the store and looked at all the candy bars, only to find that they were all manufactured by companies that support child labor. So I made these, and here is how you can make your own!

What you need to make your very own organic, fair trade, non child labor version of chocolate peanut butter cups;
-Cupcake papers
-Organic, fair trade peanut or almond butter.
I use Once Again Almond Butter. Once Again is an American, employee owned, and completely fair trade company, whose products are all completely organic.
and
-Organic, fair trade melting chocolate.
Some good brands are Mama-Ganache, and Dolci Frutta, You can find more online, or at your local health shop. Just be sure to look for a fair-trade certified kind!

Step 1. Melt your organic, fair-trade melting chocolate, following package instructions.

Step 2. Spoon a little of the melted chocolate into the bottom of the cupcake papers. Don't make it too full, there's two more layers about to be added!

Step 3. Melt your organic, fair trade almond (or peanut) butter in the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl.
Step 4. Spoon some of the melted nut butter on top of the chocolate.

Step 5. Spoon more chocolate mixture on top of the peanut butter layer.

Step 6. Let sit and cool for a bit before diving in!

So start reading up on this topic, and find out which companies refuse to help end child labor. Write letters to them. Tell them you are going to boycott them until they make an effort to change! And until then, enjoy your own homemade delicious organic, vegan, fair-trade chocolate peanut butter cups!

Peace Love and Child Labor Free Chocolate
Jess <3

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Quinoa Summer Garden Bowl

7/11/2016

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I have become quite obsessed with quinoa lately, as has the rest of the nation, and for good reason! Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat, it has almost twice as much fiber as most other grains, it contains iron, is rich in magnesium, riboflavin, and manganese! Plus it's super delish; I just love the texture of it!
So I decided to make a nutrition packed recipe, that's perfect for summer!

Quinoa Summer Garden Bowl
What to do;

*Cook your quinoa according to package directions. I was surprised to find that cooking quinoa is a lot like cooking rice! I recommend cooking the entire bag of quinoa, since it refrigerates good, and makes a perfect snack or lite summer lunch.

*While your quinoa is cooking, cut up your vegetables. You can really use any vegetables you think would be good in your quinoa bowl. I used broccoli, onions, garlic, and green and yellow peppers in mine, and it turned out amazing.

*Once the quinoa has finished cooking, take the lid off and stir all your vegetables into it. By doing this, you're letting your veggies "cook" a bit, but they're still staying raw, which is where all the nutritional value comes from.

*Transfer the quinoa and veggie mixture from the pot it was cooked in, into a large bowl.

*I don't really ever measure stuff when cooking, I just use what I think looks about right for me and my likings, and this was no exception. So! Stir together a couple squirts of lime juice, and a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. It's all about preferences. I like to go a little crazy on the lime juice, because it gives it a great flavor. The olive oil also gives it an amazing flavor, plus adds some moisture. Just be sure to not make it too oily. Toss into the quinoa mixture.

*Sprinkle in some garlic powder and sea salt, and you're done!