Mason Jar Key Lime Pie

So I was watching the news this morning – and they mentioned key lime pie!   KEY LIME PIE (drool).    As they made it, they named off a bunch of ingredients as I whizzed together an almost raw, gluten free, dairy free Key Lime Pie (vegan too if you switch out the honey for another sweetener).

For the Crust

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup coconut

3 medjooled dates (pitted)

3 tsp maca powder

Pinch of sea salt

Whiz all crust ingredients together in food processor.   The crust will not be solid when finished, it’s more crumbly!    If you want it more solid, use more dates.

Use 2 heaping TBSP per mini mason jar

 

For the Top

2 ripe avocados

Juice of 1 – 2 limes – if you are using actual key limes you will have to use a few more.  A little under 1/4 cup lime juice.

Zest of one of limes

1-2 TBSP honey or sweetener of choice (or enough to your taste)

Put all top ingredients together in food processor and whiz together until smooth.  Taste and adjust flavors as needed.  You may like it sweeter, or want more lime or lime zest at this point!

Spoon 2 TBSP on top of crust. 

Awesome breakfast or snack – plus it freezers awesome (and will help avocado stay green– so would be a great snack to send with the kids in their lunch kits – as it should be thawed by lunch time!

And of course there is something special about mason jars!  I don’t know why but I love them – they range up there in my favorite things with sharpies, bath and body works and lululemon

Enjoy!

Jessica

ps.  Thank you to the news this morning for inspiring this recipe!! It was tasty!

Dairy Free Christmas Treats

Hey everyone!!  Finally a post from me!    I apologize for not posting, but I have only been cooking 1x per week due to my work schedule (working nights) and our busy weekends! 

I’m starting my holiday baking though, which reminded me of a few treats I made last year when I was writing for Our Big Earth!

Here you go!!  I will try to post more baking – as I am obsessed with this caramel recipe and I’m trying to make lots of Christmas caramel treats!

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It’s amazing that the store shelves have been stocked with Christmas decorations for a month now, and that Christmas is just around the bend, which means it’s a perfect time to start Christmas baking!  

As many of you know, if you don’t bake or make treats that means you probably won’t get any treats at Christmas. Every treat laid out beautifully at family and friend’s homes that you can’t touch. For me baked goods don’t call my name as much as chocolate does! One of my favourite Christmas treats were my Grandma’s chocolate covered dried fruit and nuts, oh the horror when I couldn’t even have a single bite!

If you are dairy-free or vegan I know you feel my pain. But I have a bunch of great alternatives for you this holiday season! Each one of these is very fast to make, cheap, gluten-free and make fantastic gifts. I don’t often go anywhere over the holidays without a plate of these goodies and they are typically the first ones to disappear (I promise I’m not the only one eating them!) All the goodies can be frozen, to pull out before guests arrive.

After a few years of buying very expensive dairy free chocolate, I was ecstatic to find out that President’s Choice, “The Decedent” chocolate chips are dairy-free. They have a great rich chocolate flavour, and are the chocolate that I use in all the recipes.  I also buy a 10lb box of chocolate chips at Costco – and they are dairy free and tasty!

Peanut Butter Cups

These little beauties are a favourite around our house. Also last year they won a Christmas baking contest! They are so simple, yet so tasty!

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 TBSP coconut oil (optional, but adds to the flavours)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• Mini cupcake liners (Dollar store often has fun holiday themed ones!)

-Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler until smooth.

-Mix peanut butter and icing sugar together to form a dough. If dough is sticky to touch, add extra icing sugar.

-Add a bit of melted chocolate to cupcake liner. Tap on counter until chocolate fills bottom of liner.

-Once all liners are full, put into fridge or freezer until solid.

-Once chocolate is solid, take a dime size amount of peanut butter dough and roll into a ball, then flatten.

-Add to liner; keep the peanut butter dough away from the corners of the liner.

-Cover with a bit of melted chocolate – tap until peanut butter is covered.

-Return to fridge/freezer until harden.

Fruit and Nut Bark

• 1/2 cup toasted, unsalted nuts (can be assorted), pistachios look beautiful!
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (chopping into small pieces )
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 TBSP coconut oil

-Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler.

-Once melted, mix nuts and dried fruit into chocolate mixture.

-Pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet

-Smooth until 1 inch thick

-Place in fridge or freeze until solid

-Break into assorted sized pieces and serve slightly chilled

Marshmallow Snowflakes

Great recipe for left over chocolate!! Looks beautiful on a plate with other goodies.

-Dip marshmallows into melted chocolate and roll in coconut.

-Place on parchment lined baking sheet and place in fridge until chocolate is solid.

Chai Tea Candied Nuts

I have made this recipe with a few different flavours of spice including chilli pepper, cinnamon, curry and they are all delicious but this is my favourite and most festive! Plus your house smells amazing while cooking!

• 3 tea chai tea bags (or more if you like more spice)
• 3 cups unsalted, raw nuts (I used almonds and pecans)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. earth balance butter (or butter of choice)

-Break open chai tea bags, pour chai into coffee grinder or spice mill to grind into a powder.

-Add nuts, water, sugar, butter and chai tea into a pan.

-Turn stove to medium heat and stir nut mixture until the liquid has dissolved and nuts are caramelized.

-Stir constantly to prevent burning.

-Transfer onto a parchment lined pan and put into fridge until cooled.

-Break apart once cooled.

Hope you enjoyed these!!  I will have more for you soon – I promise!

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Fruit and Brownie Kebabs

Helloooooooo – long time no talk!!  I’ve been a busy bee!

I have an awesome easy take to a BBQ dessert for you today! 

Fruit + Brownies = perfect BBQ/shower treat!!

Fruit and Brownie Kebabs

10 kebab sticks

4 bananas

20 strawberries

1/2 fresh pineapple

10 mint leaves

Lemon juice

Brownies

For chocolate drizzle

1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

1 tsp coconut oil/

First off you need to make some brownies (because I’ve been so busy, I used a bought brownie mix (many of them are dairy free if you look at the ingredients), if you want to make your own here are two different recipes!   Make sure brownies are completely cooled (I popped mine into the freezer).

Slice up strawberries, pineapple and bananas.  Toss in lemon juice

Cut brownies into 1 inch x 1 inch cubes (you need 20 in total)

Start assembling kebabs – each one should fit 2 pieces of each fruit, 2 brownies and one mint leaf! Arrange however you want!

For the drizzle – melt chocolate chips in a double boiler – add in coconut oil to make it easier to drizzle.

My brownies didn’t work out so well, so they weren’t perfect little squares.

Everyone really enjoyed them – especially the kids!  It’s a nice light dessert for a hot night!

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So I’ve noticed that the walking challenge has kind of died down… Today is the half way point!

If you have been walking – make sure to update your totals!  I know it’s hard in the summer time, but keep it coming!!  

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Hope you are having a great week!!   Hard to believe it’s already Wednesday!!

Honey Almond Thumb Print Cookies

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadian Folks! Eh!

Guess what I’m doing today?

Wooooo!!!!  I’m doing Zumba in the parade!!   1.25 hours – 11 songs x 2 – I’m going to be one tired – but super pumped cookie!  SO excited!! Hopefully someone will take pictures so I can do a re-cap!!

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Moving along…

There is this amazing gal in my life.

I call her (and her sister) – my little sisters!

My parents and her parents have always been good friends and when I was 18, I moved to their town – they were the only people I knew – so needless to say I spent a lot of time with them and they became my family!

This amazing gal was a bridesmaid in my wedding (obviously), even though she was always supposed to be a flower girl (what can I say, I waited a long time to get married!).  She also graduated from high school a few weeks ago, and I’m one proud big sis!!

ANYWAYS – this whole segue is because when I go visit, she always makes some dairy free treats (she’s an amazing cook!)  Anyways, last time I went to visit she made me these amazing cookies!   And I stole the recipe from her!

I hope you enjoy these yummy cookies!

Honey Almond Thumb Print Cookies

2 cups flour

1 cup almonds (or cashews)

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup oil

Jam for filling (I use only the best – Newfoundland Nan’s Homemade Raspberry!)

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Pre-heat oven to 325.

Put almonds (or cashews) in a blender or food processor and chop until it becomes a chunky flour consistency.

In a bowl – add flour, almonds, salt, honey and oil and mix until it looks like this…

Next – roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheet.  (the dough will seem crumbly, but go with it!)

Put a thumb print in each cookie (think – the deeper the hole, the more jam!)

Add in jam or other goodies into the hole (peanut butter and jam is awesome)

Bake cookies for 15 – 20 minutes or until they begin to brown!

Let cool – and drool!!

These cookies have an awesome flavour – the roasted almonds provide a crunch, and the honey adds an awesome sweetness!  Plus the jam becomes oozy and caramelizes a wee bit!

Hope you give these a try – they are fantastic!

Enjoy your Canada Day or July 1st!!

Are you up to anything fun this weekend?

PS.  Update of the cute puppies coming up next week!

Healthy Banana Bread

I asked the hubby the other day what we wanted me to bake, and without hesitation he said BANANA BREAD with chocolate chips!   Just the thought of that made my mouth water!!

Okey dokey, I’m on it!!

Healthy Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

First mix together in a bowl

2 c flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

Then combine in a separate bowl

• 3  very ripe bananas squished and squashed!
• 2 chia eggs (2 table spoons chia seed + 6 TBSP water – let sit 15 minutes) or 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar ( may want to use less if adding chocolate chips, it was a tad sweet)
• 1/2 c almond milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• zest of an orange

Mix wet and dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a bread pan and add mixture.

Bake for an hour or until tooth pick comes out clean!

Slice and enjoy!

Well… a few more hours of work for me and then I am off for 3 days!!  So excited!!

I hope you enjoy your weekend!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Hiya!!

Well the long weekend is over, I hope you had a great Easter holidays (if you celebrate it!!)

I will be doing a re cap of ours, we disappeared for a weekend away, and it was GLORIOUS!

Anywhoo… back to the balls!  

The amazing gals that I go to school with have been sweet enough to bring me these amazing balls from a local health food store on days when the teachers brought dairy laden treats (aren’t they the greatest).   I knew that I had to re –create them because they are SO good, and the place they get them is almost an hour away!

Here are the deets.

Easy enough!!  Rolled Oats, Salted Peanut Butter, Honey, Coconut and Carob powder.

Ok… I actually wrote down the recipe down… and then it disappeared!! (OH NO!)

Bear with me, I’ll try to recap it!!

Ingredients include;

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup oat flour (just blend oats together until flour like!)

1 TBSP honey (or agave to make it vegan)

1 TBSP cacao powder

1 TBSP sunflower seeds

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

1/4 cup coconut for rolling!!

Ready, it’s pretty easy peasy. 

Mix all ingredients together (except coconut), roll into balls (makes 6) and roll in coconut.

Ta da!! You have yourself some tasty, purse ready treats!

A little birdie told me these are AMAZING crumbled over dairy free ice cream!

If they are too sticky – add more oat flour -  to dry, add more pb or honey!

Store in the fridge and they should last awhile!! (although you’ll probably eat them before that!!)

 

Get creative too!!  You could use different nut or seed butters, as well as sub chopped nuts for the sunflower seeds (I just like the crunch)

Enjoy!!

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And two new to me blogs of mention!! (I LOVE finding new blogs)!!

http://dalailina.wordpress.com – Great blog, so many different interesting topics (and a super cute family)

Diary of a Vegan Girl – Lauren is just so sweet, and I love getting to know her through her blog (she also has a Whole Foods giveaway going down right now)

 

Hope you have a great Tuesday – don’t forget to BREATHE!!

 

Do you have a favourite “ball” recipe?  Do share!!

Dinner Party Wars

Hiya!!

So it’s been FOREVER since we did “dinner party wars” with our friends, but I figured it was fun and I should post about it!!

The deal was 3 couples, each hosting a dinner party.  Points were set for theme, atmosphere (music, decorations) the food, and the hosting abilities!!  It was SO fun!

The other 2 parties were a Mediterranean Crawl and Mardi Gras!   I will blog about the Med Crawl, but the night of Mardi Gras, I wasn’t feeling well and forgot my camera (but it was AMAZING)

We were up first and we had a Mexican Fiesta!!

We set the menu…

Mexican Fiesta

Drinks Selection

Jamaica Juice ~ hibiscus flowers steeped with a twist of lime

Juicy Blended Strawberry Margaritas (tequila and triple sec per request)

Paloma ~ Sparkling Grapefruit juice with lime, salt and tequila OLE!

Mexian Beer ~ Sol or Pacifico with a twist of lime

Appetizers

Cooked Shrimp Ceviche with Mango served with Fiesta Corn Chips

Molletts ~ toasts adorned with re-fried beans, cheese and topped off with crispy bacon

Dinner

Fresh Homemade Corn Tortillas

Chicken with a Warm Tomato Sauce

Risotto Style Mexican Rice

Slowly Simmered Refried Beans

Coriander Spiced Cabbage, Pico de Gallo, Red Salsa, Green Salsa and Guacamole

Dessert

Cinnamon and Sugar Banana’s Flambéed with Rum served over coconut ice cream

Spiced Mexican Coffee

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We set the scene…

We bought the "table cloths” and turtles in Mexico when we were there for our wedding!

And I made the centre pieces!  I wish I could find the link to the “how to” on these, it was SO easy and they are so pretty!

I didn’t get to snap too many photos of the food as we were SO busy getting it all together.

But these are what I got!

Coriander Spiced Cabbage – which was basically sliced green cabbage, grapeseed oil, ground coriander, lime juice and salt and pepper.  Massage it all together and let it sit.

 

Fresh tomato salsa.  It tasted much better than it looked!

Two more salsas!!  We got the recipes from our Salsa and Salsa tour we did in Mexico (which I still need to do a post about!!)   You can go here for the recipes!

Ok… you try to make refried beans look good!!  

Guacamole – simple – avocados, lime, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Palomas!!!  If you have never tried these, you must.  2.5 cups sparkling grapefruit juice, 1 shot lime juice, 1 shot tequila and a pinch of salt!  SO good!

Strawberry Margaritas!

Hot husband…  oops not on the menu!  

You can see the plates ready for the ceviche and then the mollets.

Of course there was more food, but I was too busy cooking and socializing to snap photos!

 

But then there was dessert,  I almost set our house on fire, but it was SO worth it!

 

Cinnamon and Sugar Banana’s Flambéed with Rum served over coconut ice cream

1/2 banana per person sliced length wise.

1 tbsp butter (I used earth balance)

1 tbsp brown sugar

sprinkle of cinnamon

1 shot glass rum and a match.

Melt butter in a heat proof pan (only melt butter in a space the size of your bananas – does that make sense?!) ha

Add in brown sugar and cinnamon – cook until it begins to bubble.

Add bananas into the sauce and let cook for about 50 seconds per side.

Once bananas are flipped – get the rum and match ready.

(I take NO responsibility for burned anything)

Pour the rum in the pan, light the match and toss her in (and duck)

Let the alcohol burn off

Transfer 1/2 banana onto each plate with some coconut ice cream and drizzle with the rum/butter sauce!

AMAZING!

Just for the record, I used Purely Decedent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream

(wow that’s a mouthful, but a tasty mouthful!!)

The good people at Turtle Mountain sent me coupons for their tasty treats and this has been one of my favorite things I’ve tried!

I highly recommend it for all your Dairy Free Folks out there!!

Hope you enjoyed!!