First Post & Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownie Love!

Welcome to my blog! Thank you for stopping by and seeing what I am up to. I started this blog because I have been so inspired by all the awesome, wonderful, thoughtful, creative, and funny bloggers in the foodie blogosphere. You all inspire me to keep cooking, keep making things, keep trying new things, and you keep me laughing with some of your posts when I need the Laugh Break! Some of the bloggers whom I adore and who have inspired me to take this new blog idea of mine from idea-tossing-around-in-my-head to Just Doing It are Kristin of Kristen’s Raw, Gina The Fitnessista, Heather of HEAB, Miss Choosing Raw Gena, LovIn My Tummy’s Sarah who is currently (and sadly for me and all the rest of us!) on a little blogging break….as well as all the other bloggers who’s blogs I read and who I listed on my blogroll.

 

Without further ado, let’s get to the business of my sharing my Exciting Weekend. Just kidding. It really wasn’t exciting. I didn’t even drive anywhere from Friday afternoon to Monday morning. I try to do the environment (and myself!) a favor by not venturing into my car at least once a week or at least every few weeks I try to not drive for at least 24 hours, but this was sorta a record, verging on 3 days without driving. We walked everywhere we needed to go, which was really not anywhere super adventurous. Just being outside, fresh air, summertime, parks, ya know, normal family-friendly, G-rated, boring stuff.

But, I did take pictures of lots of the workouts I did and some of the food I ate and also some of what I fed Scott (dear husband = dh) and Skylar (dear daughter = dd, who is 2.5 years) and also some of what I made over the weekend. I’ve been stockpiling pictures like a madwoman. National Geographic is gonna call me soon and see if I have any stock photos for them to use. Just kidding :)

This was my dinner Friday night. A Salad Beast as the Fitnessista would call it: organic herb salad mix from Trader Joes, broccoli, cucumbers, yellow peppers, tomato, Brussels’s sprouts, juice of a half an orange and a drizzle of agave as my dressing, coupla twists ‘o pepper, done. Yum.

Also had carrots with this bangin dippy concoction I made in the Vita-Mix, inspired by LovIn. Please excuse the classy baggie action there. I tweaked her recipe a bit and came up with my own special blend, noted in parentheses. Her’s was a re-do of an ED & BV recipe. I have that cookbook, too. Love It!

Sarah’s Revision of Eat Drink & Be Vegan Cinnamon Dipping Sauce and then my re-Revision & Tweak of hers…Lotsa tweakin’ goin’ on!
* 2 T. lemon juice (I used the juice of a quarter orange)

* 2 T. apple cider vinegar

* 1/4 c. water (I omitted)

* 1/2 t. cinnamon

* 1/2 t. cumin

* 1/4 t. ginger

* 1/2 t. salt (I omitted)

* 1 t. dijon mustard (I used dry mustard powder, about 1/8 t.)

* 1/4 t. xanthan gum for thickening (I used about 1/2 t. because I like it a little thicker)

* 1 packet stevia, or honey or agave to taste (I used agave, and quite a bit :) because I like things sweetie )

This has become my new Go To Dip!!! Dippity Do-Da, Dippity Yay, My Oh My What a Wonderful Veggie Day. Ok cheesefest on hold now.

Scott’s dinner plate (with the cheat of Trader Joe’s Turkey Meatballs on top his salad. So easy, not the healthiest thing in the world, but not the worst). And lookie all those veggies. The ‘balls will suffice for Tired Wifey on a Friday Night.

Skylar’s Little Plate of Goodness: Corn, Carrots, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Yellow Peppers, Apples, Raisins, and some Cheese Pizza (also courtesy of TJ’s freezer section, they are the hors d’ourves pizzas, 12 little minis to a box and two of these little silver dollar pizzas make a great toddler din-din). My Little Vegetarian eats plenty of veggies that some cheese pizza is a okay by me. Who says 2 year olds won’t eat their veggies?

Friday night I put whole rolled oats in bowl, about 1/3 cup dry to 2/3rd’s cup of water, and let soak overnight in fridge.

Saturday morning added cinnamon, a little brown sugar or agave or if you wish, or nothing if you’re a purist which I am not! Voila, breakfast.


Drumroll please, this is what you’ve scrolled all the way down to this monster post for, isn’t it. The raw vegan brownie recipe and method. Well here ya go!

The recipe is loosely, and I do mean loosely, based on this one. I omit lots and don’t really even attempt to get the brownies into a traditional “brownie” form…I like them like raw brownie dough, the kind you probably ate as a kid, licking the beaters getting chocolate all over your face. I kinda like it like that, so if you want more solid, less-gooey brownies, you should probably not do all my recipe tweaks.

The ingredients I use: agave, Green & Black’s organic cocoa powder, bourban vanilla (not technically raw but oh well), medjool dates, and organic walnuts (final 3 items from TJs).

Put 1 cup loosely packed, pitted, medjool dates, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup agave, dash of vanilla (can be quite heavy-handed if you like vanilla like I like it), all into Vita-Mix and blend.

You may have to scrap down the sides, on and off goes the V, but keep on blending. Be careful though not to overheat your V, I have been known to do that. (That sounds kinda x-rated doesn’t it!). It takes me maybe 60-90 secs of on and off blending to get the desired consistency.

Next scrape that really thick vegan chocolatey awesomeness into a container and freeze. The biggest PITA will be cleaning your V now, but I promise, it’s worth it for these brownies.

Picture looks a little blurry but it’s really just the Icy Condensation of the container that came outta da freeza. I will say these brownies should be eaten with a spoon. They are ooie, gooey, yummy, and make me have a mouthgasm. But I eat maybe a tablespoon or two, tops, at a time because they’re realllllyyyyy rich. Keeps “forever” in the freezer. And by forever, I mean the whole time you can keep yourself or your family member(s) outta da freeza.


I promise not to exceed the length of Webster’s Dictionary for future posts, but had alot of stuff stockpiled from the weekend. And this was just Friday night and Saturday morning!

:)
Averie

Tip of the Day: When it comes to desserts and sweets or other errrr ummm non-essential food items you feel you want to partake in, I say go for it! In moderation, of course. Just listen to your body. If you’re really wanting it, go for it! But try to take a moment before pounding back say oh a half-tub of the aforementioned brownie recipe, you may realize, ya know, I just really need a hug from my sweetie or I need fluids because I didn’t drink enough water today or I need to go read a mindless gossip trashy magazine because I need a mental vacation for a minute, then do those things instead. Listen to your intuition above all else.

p.s. After all this typing, I realized I don’t like the font I chose. Next post may look a little diff.