Happy Monday Bloggie Friends! How are you today? How was your weekend? Mine was great! Let me count the ways. Some of the cool things included getting together with fellow blogger Madeline, like I mentioned I would be. Here’s a few pics from our coffee outing.
Skylar with me today and 2 year olds generally last about 3.478 minutes in coffee shops. Skylar lasted over an hour which was great, but Madeline was awesome with her and humored Skylar by drawing and playing along with Skylar’s “artwork”.
She even let Skylar try on her cool yellow shades.
During the rest of the weekend, I whipped up a few creative vegan chocolate treats, and taught yoga, which still has me grinning from ear to ear! Tell me about how your weekend unfolded and what kinda trouble you got into stayed out of.
Thanks for the great feedback on enjoying my Weekly Highlights & Recap post that I did. I’m glad you liked everything from Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls
To Kale Salads
And a big Congrats to the Winner of the $25 EcoStore USA Gift Certificate…Enjoy it, Sweetie!
But it’s a new week and time to start fresh, so here’s a few things I made this weekend…
Butterfinger Oats
1/3 c dry oats, 2/3 c water (could use almond milk but I didn’t have any open), and then added cinnamon, brown sugar, butterscotch chips, and a smashed mini-Butterfinger (we’re slowly making our way through the excess Halloween candy I purchased. At this rate we should have it done by Halloween 2010.)
For one of our din-dins I took some of the never-ending bounty of potatoes that I bought on my TJ’s Grocery Haul and cut up some red potatoes + yukon golds, mini-carrots, doused with EVOO, S & P, 1 Tsp Ground Ginger(ginger is a great tenderizer and flavor booster)
Roasted at 400F for about 40 minutes
And served the roasted veggies along side a Hugh Jass Pea kinda Salad of greens, cukes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers with some of my Homemade High Raw Vegan Slaw Dressing
So after all those taters and green goodness, it was time for dessert. Enter my newest, super easy, 3-ingredient (raw) vegan dessert. No fancy appliances needed. A spoon will do. Curious?
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Averie’s (Raw if You Want) 3-Ingredient, 10-Minute Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
Yields: 2 Peanut Butter Cups. Intentionally a very small recipe, feel free to mass-produce.
1/2 cup melted chocolate (i.e. 2 Full-Size Squares of Melted Baker’s Brand Chocolate because it’s dairy-free, or melt 1/2 c Chocolate Chips, or a Cocoa Powder/Agave/Coconut Oil Mix)
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Nutritional Yeast, optional
In a microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate and spoon a thin chocolate layer into paper muffin liners (two). Allow chocolate to cool in the liners. While it is cooling, prepare the peanut butter and nutritional yeast mixture by stirring to combine it in a small bowl. If you don’t have nutritional yeast, omit it. It simply gives a slightly salty, cheezy, “gritty” and more authentic texture to the filling (similar to the Reese’s filling) but is not essential. Spoon the mixture on top of the cooled chocolate base layer. Melt additional chocolate and spoon melted chocolate over the top to completely cover the peanut butter. Allow cups to set up fully before eating, at least 5 to 10 minutes in the freezer if you are in a hurry.
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First, melt your chocolate (Raw Foodies, use whatever ratios of raw cocoa powder, agave, & coconut oil suits you to keep it raw). I use the 45 seconds in the microwave trick and melted about 1/4 c worth, which is 1 Baker’s Chocolate Full-Sized Square. (You’ll melt the other square later).
Then, take paper muffin liners and Pour the Melted Chocolate in, just coating the bottom of the liners.
Mix up the Filling
2 Tbsp PB + 1/2 Tsp Nooch
Optional: Dash of Salt, Dash of Agave, Dash of Vanilla Extract. This is to your taste and highly subjective, so do as you wish friends, but I think my version is quite Reese’s-like.
If you’re having a hard time getting your nooch well-incorporated into your PB, zap in the micro for 15 seconds.
I love how the nooch actually gives the PB that barely there, ever-so-slight chunky factor like the filling in Reese’s Cupsis.
Spoon the Filling into the now-hardened (or somewhat hardened) Chocolate Layer
Transfer your cups carefully to a plate
Put them in the Fridge to Harden Fully
And look at how chilly & yummy that looks!
Unwrap & Notice the rippled or ruffled Reese’s-like edges.
I normally would just make teeth marks, but I used a knife to show you the inner workings of my Vegan PB Cups.
Kinda Highly Addictive. But the fun stuff usually is. Feel free to make a larger batch. There are lots of pics, but the whole thing took less than 10 minutes of active cooking time. You just have to let them firm up, and I bet that could happen in 15 minutes in the freezer. So, you’re less than a half hour away from homemade vegan PB Cups!! What are you waiting for?
They are rich, smooth, and even more satisfying because you made them yourself. And, you can feel awesome knowing there are no yucky ingredients in them. And did I mention the pretty rippled edges. Love those.
Do you like peanut butter cups?
Have you ever made them at home?
I seriously agree with you on the "having an open mind" front, especially around the holidays.
I love my family to death, but they are also committed omnivores. But in my experience, if I go with the flow and don't hate on their food, they don't hate on mine and go out of the way to make me feel right at home. It actually warms my heart that they care so much, because when I became a vegan I sort of thought I was on my own from here on out :)
Two of my fave things in the world: lululemon and vegan espresso drinks.
Okay first, your espresso drinks are kiiiilling me!! SO tasty looking! I had an espresso machine back in the day and it was awesome. Definitely on my "to buy" list again. I suggest you steam up some apple juice with cinnamon, it's soooo good :)
And I live in cropped pants too. They are my fave :)
holy balls. nine posts later.. i have a LOT on my mind. i took notes:
i love your rad lamp, and your furniture.. love, glad you reposted that GP because it had such GREAT info that i am sure a lot of your readers did not see when it was on my blog, that soft serve is dreeeeamy..gaaah, skylar's shades! YES! i have some identical!, those PB cups look PROFESSIONAL. holy crap. and the turtles may be even better. WOW!!, id say something to the cig flicker. for sure., that tribute post WAS INCREDIBLE! write a cookbook. now. i am so serious! your recipes obviously inspire everyone :), that espresso machine IS SO FREAKIN FANCY! jealousy!!!! wow! have you tried blue diamond almond milk? maybe you will like it? who knows. maybe not! i love your approach at gift giving. you are such a thoughtful person. and i love the new threads. and i love you. sorry i have been such a bad blog friend.. i realllllly missed your fantasticness. love you!
OK I can't believe you got that kind of foam on with ALMOND milk- that NEVER worked for me, ever! So I went back to dairy.
And those ph strips made me laugh b/c I used to check my urine (sorry TMI) when I was on Atkins like you're supposed to do to see if you were in ketosis. needless to say, I don't do that sort of thing now :-)
What great shopping finds! Your yoga outfits are awesome… I'm totally with you on tight pants. I don't understand how anyone can find them comfortable. I don't know about them, but wedgies are SOOO not my thing. ;)
Quick question – how did you get yoga certified? That's always been a goal of mine, and I'm just curious what kind of program you did.
OMG, you have no idea how jealous I am of that Espresso Maker!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can I come over?????
xxoo
Heather
Yay for shopping! Your clothes are cute and that espresso machine looks so high tech! Love the awesome coffee creations :) Skylar's pottery is adorable, too.
It's definitely gonna be weird going back to living with my fam during the holidays, when I've been used to living by myself and doing my own thing. I think I'm just going to consciously keep reminding myself to relax, chill, and just enjoy spending time with them :)
Okay, I am completely jealous of your espresso machine, but I am also excited to see all the yummy drinks you come up with. That vegan caramel macchiato looks amazing!
Niiiice Lululemon finds!
And I have been eyeing an espresso machine for a while now… lucky girl.
Can't wait for round 2 :D
Love you new outfits. So jealous that you the Lulu store so close to you… though probably a good thing that we don't live near one ;)
Your reader tribute post was so nice! Thanks for linkage!
And congrats on your purchases. I love all the pants and yes, I agree, pants do not need to be super tight! And the espresso machine! So fun!
Enjoy all the stuff and tell Skyler, I will buy her pottery someday!
okay.. first, I LOVE the cropped pants.. pink waste band is right up my alley! second, i want to get a fun espresso maker (although im tea drinker) but the hub is all about his old school french press. either way.. think of all the money you will save NOT going out for fancy coffees! LOVE IT :)
Bahhhhh I wish we had a LuLu here! I'm so jealous! I love your tip. We all should have an open mind!
Love the new clothes! So cute!
Reading your posts always makes me hungry Averie!! I don't need to stay sane during the holidays – my family are crazy just like me and I love it! Hey I've moved blogs too in case you've missed it :)
love the lulu goods AND the awesome new expresso machine! tell skylar she totally rocked that pottery!