Happy Sunday, almost Monday morning! Well, hey, at least you had fun this weekend, right? What did you do? I did yoga on Saturday, and it was awesome to find out that I am nearly finished with my 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program, as I mentioned yesterday! Sunday morning, I did some yoga at home, had Scott get lost with Skylar for 3 hours, and I ran around like a freak mommy on a mission! I was in 3rd Birthday Party Decorating, Shopping, and Organizing Mode! I managed to hit CVS Pharmacy for a card and cute wrapping bag, the grocery store for some last minute eats and candy Sprinkles which are a party necessity, and Target for everything from Sesame Street books to a pink tutu. Here’s a couple sneak peak pictures and I promise lots more birthday party pics tomorrow!
I flew home, got everything wrapped, house decked out in pink streamers, cupcakes with sprinkles ready, just in time for the Birthday Girl to walk in!
And she loved every second of her party!!!
I am really glad you enjoyed my Highlights of the Week Post, where I recapped everything from Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes
to Greenery with Homemade Salad Dressing
To my Homemade high Raw Vegan Desserts:
Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
and No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
But, it’s a new week and time for a new recipe!!!
Remember when I made my Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups?
And while you’re at it, my high Raw Vegan Chocolate Turtles are a snap, too!
Anyway, I thought it was time to re-make and tweak my high Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Recipe using Vegan, Gluten-Free White Chocolate!
Don’t like store-bought? Make your own! Use Hannah Kaminsky’s Recipe.
Hannah also happens to be the Author of This Book: My Sweet Vegan which I previously reviewed and completely adore! Stay Tuned for my spin on Vegan Fudge inspired from this book coming up soon…
Recipe & Directions for: Averie’s Vegan White Chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cups
The White Chocolate Outer Coating
1 c of white chocolate chips, chunks, or hunks (if using Baker’s Chocolate, about 10 squares)
Optional: 1/4 c dark chocolate (about 4 squares), see below
Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Filling
1/3 c Peanut Butter (could also use Almond, Sunflower Seed, or Cashew Butter)
1 Tbsp Raw Cocoa Powder (if you don’t want to chocolate-ize your Nut Butter, then omit this)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp Agave (Or use maple syrup or yacon syrup. This is optional but you may find that after adding the cocoa powder to the PB that the PB becomes quite thick. If you’re using Almond Butter or Sunflower Seed Butter for the filling which are naturally thinner and runnier than PB you may omit the additional liquid. If you want it sweeter, add sugar or stevia.)
The Filling Recipe Yields 8 discs.
Note: This filling alone makes awesome snacks (more on this below)! The cocoa powder turns the Peanut Butter into a dough-like consistency, without sticky PB-fingers!
First, I melted the White Chocolate
In the Microwave, 45 seconds, remove & stir.
Then, 30 more seconds & Stir. Watch chocolate in the micro like a hawk, checking every 10-15 seconds so you don’t scorch it!
Pour the White Chocolate into paper muffin liners
Let it Harden for 5 Minutes in the Fridge and get busy Creating the Filling.
The Filling–See Above for Amounts
Peanut Butter, Cocoa Powder
Agave, Vanilla Extract
Stir. Tastes really divine as you now have chocolate peanut butter sweetened with a little agave and flavored lightly with vanilla.
Make disc shapes with the Filling
Mentioned Above but Bears Repeating! This filling alone makes awesome snacks! The cocoa powder turns the Peanut Butter into a dough-like consistency, without getting sticky PB-fingers!
Fetch your Muffin Liners from the Fridge & Place the Discs into the Liners
Cover with more White Chocolate
And for those of you who Can’t Decide Between White or Dark Chocolate…
….melt some Dark Chocolate (Baker’s Chocolate, Semi-Sweet, vegan chocolate chips, other chocolate chips, whatever you enjoy)
And Cover the other half with Chocolate!
Refrigerate for 10 minutes to fully harden
After Refrigeration
Then, Unwrap an All White
The Center
Unwrap a Half White/Half Dark
The Center
Posing Together
Showing their Middles
And Skylar wants In On The Act!
Then I wrapped them up. Guess who’s Getting these?
My Secret Valentine Is!!!
I signed up for Janetha’s Secret Valentine Exchange. I hope the recipient likes them! And no, you can’t sign up now; the deadline has already passed, sorry!
Recent Greenery Included Raw Brock, Sugar Snap Peas, Tomatoes, Carrots, and Brussels’s that I steamed for 1 minute in 1 inch of water in a microwave-safe bowl. I am asked this frequently, so I am just repeating it for all my awesome newer readers!
And dressed my Greenery with homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing
And Dessert…
….well, yes, a White
…And a Half-White/Half-Dark.
And The Birthday Girl (February 2 to be exact) had fun eye’ing them, too.
But she loved her birthday cupcakes. Her first cupcake ever in life was eaten today. Age 3. She’s looking at it like it’s the holy grail of sugar and honestly, I was glad to give it to her to make her day exactly what she wanted as she’s been requesting cupcakes for the last few months! My little vegetarian gobbles raw veggies better than most adults and you only live once, right! And you’re only 3 once, live it up sweetie, I love you soooo much!!!!!!!!!!! One day I hope you read this. Love, Mom! xoxoxo
Yoga Today is Kukkutasana
Full lotus first, but be sure to warm up your Hips and pay attention to your hip opening, rather than just thinking this pose is about the knees, when entering full lotus. Then, insert your arms through the holes. Then lift off. Lean Forward if you’re lifting off. Lean Forward far more than you think you need to. You need to bring your center of gravity forward or else your bootay is going to weigh you back and downward and you won’t achieve liftoff. As I’ve mentioned before, these are poses to work towards; not feel bummed if you’re not there today. And really just have fun with yoga!
Tip of the Day: My Yoga and Raw Vegan Foods Retreat!
On the Beach in San Diego
August
Be there and get your Om Shanti Shanti on while eating your weight in veggies.
Next Tip: Questions:
Which PB Cup would you Grab: A White? or a White-n-Dark Combo? Or Both?! haha!
I loved both!
I normally love my Chocolate Dark, but in the Spirit of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to do something White! And that inner Filling! Mmmm….PB, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla Extract, and Agave….what’s not to Love?
Next:
If you could receive something in the mail, up to $25 bucks, what would you like to receive? And yes, I am sorta fishing for my Secret Valentine’s present in addition to the homemade goodies I’m sending. Or would a big stash of homemade goodies from me be ok?
Next:
Valentine’s Day Plans! Have any? What are they? Anyone just trying to get a date think that you’re getting engaged, getting married? Or maybe you’re going out for dinner and hoping your date at least popped for some Godiva! We will be doing precisely nothing. Especially on a Sunday night with a 3 year old. Romance would be someone other than me unloading the dishwasher. Please all you young hot things, tell me what you have in store for the big V-Day! I need to live vicariously…haha!
This Week Stay Tuned For Birthday Party Pics, a Mega Oats Post, and other good stuff…
I love the amazing grass bars, thanks for sharing the code!
I hope it's me that's your secret Valentine b/c everything looks so fantastic :)
My husband began to eat like me a lot, and says he feels so much better now that he cut out processed food! My parents do for the most part I think, but they live 7 hours away, so I can't be sure! My in laws also took on a lot of my habits. They both swear oats for breakfast changed their lives, and it's because of me!
My family thinks I am crazy for what I eat. My friends joke that I go outside and eat the grass off of the ground. I am a walking carrot stick to them all. But, you know what? I love the way I eat and I feel so vibrant and healthy because of it! They should be jealous of my cholesterol and blood pressure test results! ;)
We don't have any big super bowl plans… just watching the game at home :)
I grew up in a healthy eating household. We did most of our shopping at a local co-op and grew a lot of the veggies we ate. I got a lot of funny stares in the cafeteria growing up. I guess not many 9 year olds bring hummus to lunch…
hey averie! in my family we always eat the same diinnenr. my mom always has cooked with organic ingredients and shes a vegetarian, so most of our meals are packed with veggies! and ive showed her many of your recipes and she loves them! :) love that first picture of skylar shes sooo cute! have a great day xoxo soph
ooh, i'm just catching up from the week and i loved the pics of skylar, she looks so happy!!! i'd be glowing if i were her mom ;) love the oatmeal creations, too, in fact i'm wish i was not still at work so i could make something fun…
My hamstrings are SO tight from years of running. It has taken a lot to be able to touch my toes again! Love that pose!
And I am trying AT LEAST one of your recipes this weekend, I will let you know when I do!
xo
K
love your question: Any Recipes that are healthy, crowd pleasers and don't involve a slab of bbq ribs and a case of Bud?
so funny! congrats to the giveaway winner, lucky girl! skylar is SO lucky to have you as her mama, you make the best food ever! seriously, check out all those pics, i'm drooling. i esp love the tuxedo looking pb cups!
Butterfingers on oats?!?!?! Sounds AMAZING!
I'll definitely be trying that stretch- thanks for the tip!
My family has eaten much less meat since I became a vegetarian, but they're not as interested in healthy eating as I am. My brother in particular tends to give me a hard time about the way I eat, which bothers me a lot. I am really lucky that my boyfriend's mom is very into macrobiotic eating, so he grew up eating a lot of the foods I enjoy and has an open mind about trying new things!
No one I know eats like me, they think I'm an exercising freaky eating weirdo! They except it and me but they do think I'm nuts! I don't care though as I know I'm eating in the right way and they're so eating inthe wrong way with all their maccy d's and KFC"s yuk! x x
My family pretty much all eats the same – I grew up eating hearty, but healthy meals, and never too much. There was 5 us and my mom only ever made 5 chicken breasts, 5 pork chops, enough servings for just 5 – so we never overate. :)
I also got me some Sun Warrior chocolate yesterday! I really do like the taste. Only con is that I tried to mix it in my shaker alone, and it didn't go so well, so I think it needs a blender. :)
Are the Amazing Grass bars yummy? I love their chocolate shake mix but am wary to try new bars *nudges my Larabar lovers*
As to your question, my family eats similarly to me (my dad eats what is in the house but eats meat when he's with friends etc and probably would survive solely on cereal w/o us) and my mom is unprocessed vegan (occasional fish eater…like once a month or once every few months) and I am a full vegan from vegetarian my whole life of seventeen years :)
I went through a short 'questioning' *cough* bingeing on sweets and crap *cough* phase when I lived by myself for the first time (boarding school in 11th grade) but now I feel more grounded and at ease and have started a food/life blog :) I also want to get more into yoga, and you're truly an inspiration in that department
My parents eat like me when I cook for them. When I don't, my mom loves subway, the local pizza house, anything cheap and fast. I figure at least I've made half an impression. And my dad is fully hooked on flavored peanut butters, so that's also a win.
OK I really love those bars, now I need to contemplate stocking up
Hey!! I've done the butterfingers crushed on oats before too :D Scott rules!!
A lot of my friends are vegetarians/vegans and my family is very open to trying new things. They are like me and eat mostly whole foods. Most people just rave about how delicious things taste and I love it because sometimes people are ignorant about what delicious things you can make that come from our good earth. And I'm with you on not caring. If they enjoy it then that makes me happy, and if they think I'm weird.. well then oh well!
No superbowl plans for me!
XOXO