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Lemon Lime Macaroons

March 16, 2017 · Natalie 30 Comments

Naturally sweet coconut complimented by the bright citrus combination of lemon and lime makes these macaroons a perfect sweet simple 5-ingredient snack!

My one and only health food store is a bit of a drive away. Only about 30 minutes, but I do have to cross the ocean to get there. Okay it’s technically a bay and the bridge is only a few miles, but that somehow makes it feel like a bigger effort. That bridge is a good deterrent really, otherwise it is likely I would end up going every day for one thing or another (not to say I still don’t make the drive at least weekly). But only health food store = expensive health food store, so I try to stay away as much as possible.

Vegan Coffee Cake

March 13, 2017 · Natalie 127 Comments

Moist fluffy oat flour cake with two layers of cinnamon streusel and a silky glaze on top–this Vegan Coffee Cake is a delectable baked morning treat!

Sometimes when I finally crack a tricky recipe and am completely in love with how it turned out I cannot wait to share. I want to shoot the video as fast as possible, edit even faster, and have it posted yesterday. My excitement turns into an urgent need for you to know all about whatever this tasty treat is too.

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cookies

March 9, 2017 · Natalie 37 Comments

With two kinds of cookie in every bite, these Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cookies are swirly soft-baked snacking at it’s sweetest! Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.

There is something unusual about this recipe.

No it’s not the melding of two kinds of cookie into one, although this is my first time making a half-and-half cookie.

No it’s not that this is the first cookie recipe since last Christmas.

No it’s not the scrumptious soft-baked texture or the sweet baking scent of these two-toned cookies, although those things do come with. I don’t know what made these cookies so especially aromatic, but the cookie fumes they pump into Disney World could be based off of these exactly.

Mint Chocolate Shamrock Smoothie

March 6, 2017 · Natalie 17 Comments

A two-toned healthy Mint Chocolate Shamrock Smoothie with two veggies hiding underneath sweet, frosty, milkshake-meets-smoothie flavor!

I considered skipping St. Patty’s Day entirely in terms of a themed treat–there are so many healthy shamrock shake recipes out there already. But the idea to add chocolate to the shamrock and sneak veggies into both layers persuaded me to not pass up the minty green occasion. Also the concept of coating a jar in copious amounts of chocolate may have had something to do with it. For presentation purposes of course.

I have missed making multi-layered milkshakes and frozen fruity jars these past few chilly months. Filling up a glass with countless shades of sweet and sprinkled-in things is always one of the most fun kitchen creation processes. It’s March now. It’s spring soon. It’s time to bring back the frosty beverages and bowls, I think.

This Mint Chocolate Shamrock Smoothie could reasonably replace your morning green smoothie (well minus the chocolate drips maybe). Veggie colored, fruit sweetened, and a little chocolate with breakfast never hurt anybody. And when it comes to veggie count this one may actually win with two veggies blended in, not just the spinach you are expecting.

Thank goodness I don’t organize or clean out my freezer very often because while digging for the frozen bananas (which get buried deep during the winter) I spotted a bag of frozen cauliflower I didn’t know I had and decided to put it to use

I’ve seen this smoothie trick of trend for a while now, but had yet to try it for myself. Pack in extra veggies while making the smoothie extra thick? Um YEAH! And it’s already an established fact that I am not opposed to cauliflower as chocolate.

As you can see in the video it really boosts up the frosty texture, and you cannot taste it. Or if you can taste it then you clearly did not add enough cacao powder.

Except for that one unexpected add-in, I kept everything else simple. Minimal ingredients. Standard smoothie stuff. Your smoothies always involve piped coffeehouse-style whipped toppings, shaved chocolate, and fresh herb garnishes too, right?

A two veggie, two tone, almost too pretty to eat treat for two!

Mint Chocolate Shamrock Smoothie

★★★★ 4 from 1 review

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 smoothies 1x

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Description

A two-toned healthy Mint Chocolate Shamrock Smoothie with two veggies hiding underneath sweet, frosty, milkshake-meets-smoothie flavor!

Ingredients

Scale

Mint layer

3 frozen bananas
1 large handful spinach
1/2 tsp mint extract
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)

Chocolate layer

2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen cauliflower
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 cup non-dairy milk

To serve (optional)

1/2 cup chocolate chips
Coconut whipped cream
Chocolate shavings and mint leaves to garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Melt the chocolate chips. Dip the rim of your jars/glasses into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to drizzle/drip more around the top. Coat the spoon in chocolate and shake it in the bottom of the jar to create the small chocolate splatters. Freeze for 5 minutes.
Blend each smoothie layer separately until very creamy.
Layer into the decorated jars/glasses. Top with coconut whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and mint leaf.
Enjoy!

More sweet treats worthy of a whipped cream swirl…
-A shake-smoothie hybrid of a different color
-No one said the swirl itself couldn’t be chocolate
-My favorite pie in creamy and quick parfait form
–Golden and full of only good stuff

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Birthday Cake Overnight Oat Parfait

March 2, 2017 · Natalie 22 Comments

This Birthday Cake Overnight Oat Parfait is all the fun flavors of a sprinkle-studded birthday cake in one healthy fruit-sweetened breakfast jar!

It’s almost my birthday so I will put sprinkles in my breakfast if I want to.

In years past I have planned a cake or cupcake recipe for right around this time, sticking with classic b-day tradition. But this year I decided on a sprinkle-studded breakfast parfait because it’s as much of a party but without all the multi-layer messy frosting fuss. You could even stick a candle in top if you wanted to, but I am not responsible for any fire damage that may lead to.

Now I know I said there wasn’t any tricky layering involved in this birthday breakfast, but to earn the title of “parfait” there still have to be a few deliciously distinct layers…

The cake crumbles. At the very bottom of the jar is one of my favorite vanilla cupcakes crumbled into sweet cake chunks. A delicious end note of cake after you make it through all those sprinkles. Be sure to really smush the crumbles in though (or even put a thin layer of frosting on top) otherwise the oats will seep through and take over the bottom spot.

The funfetti oats. The main component of this party-in-a-jar and the only reason we can justify calling it breakfast is the overnight oat layer. Just because they are technically a breakfast food doesn’t mean they don’t taste like birthday though. Cake flavor courtesy of sweet vanilla extract, squishy dates, optional vanilla protein powder for extra thickness, and of course SPRINKLES!

Since we are sweetening with dates here, you will need a blender. I like to blend everything except for the oats and sprinkles until very smooth and creamy, then add the oats and briefly pulse them in. Sprinkles are best saved until the next day, and stirred in right before eating. I went with classic funfetti-style sprinkles but you could use these homemade coconut ones too.

The coconut “frosting”. Since the oats are already so thick and rich, I decided to go light and fluffy for the frosting. Coconut whipped cream works perfectly, or Cocowhip. Because sprinkles look most birthday-appropriate when resting on a fluffy cloud of something creamy!

Toppings. I don’t think the extra cake and sprinkles on top even require an explanation. It is my birthday in a couple of days, remember?

You can keep this birthday jar all to yourself, but with the cupcakes in there too it really is enough breakfast to share. Or save for dessert later–up to you!