Raspberry Fudge Ice Cream

This takes less than 5 minutes to make and only 4 ingredients!!! I have made it 3 times so far and plan on making it again... tonight.

RECIPE HERE!

It's from Chocolate Covered Katie and is really really amazing. It's so rich that it's almost unbelievable that it's healthy!

• Cacao powder is friggin' PACKED with antioxidants. Packed as in it has the most antioxidants compared to all other foods, teas, etc. Also it has lots of soluble fiber, magnesium, chromium, iron, and has more vitamin C than any other common nut or seed.
• Raspberries have phytonutrients for antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic protection. The are an excellent source of manganese, dietary fiber and vitamin C, as well as a good source of riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium and copper.
• Coconut butter is thought to be anti-aging and although they contain mostly saturated fats, they are unlike the saturated fats in meats because they are short to medium chain fatty acids which are more water soluble than longer chain fatty acids and thus require less energy for the body to absorb and utilize. Coconut butter actually helps to lower cholesterol.

Drink your greens.

As I said yesterday, when I know I have a stressful week coming (i.e. midterms and a mondo paper), I stuff myself with vegetables. Here's another (sneaky) way to do just that!

The combination of the pink raspberries and green chard creates

a lovely chocolate hue... that looks nothing like pond scum...

Chocolate Raspberry (and Greens) Smoothie
Don't limit yourself to what I did. The idea is to drink your greens so add whatever else you like after that initial ingredient! The chocolate raspberry mixture is delicious but don't be afraid to experiment with other fruits, no fruits, nut milks, nut butters...

Ingredients:
2 bunches greens of your choice (I used rainbow chard)
2 handfuls of frozen raspberries (or blueberries, strawberries, rasberries...)
a heaping spoonful or two of unsweetened cocoa powder
optional: natural sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, stevia...)
water (or juice or non-dairy milk of choice)

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Add enough water to achieve desired consistency.
Drink your greens and cheers to your health!

California Christmas: Fruit Salad

Planning the christmas brunch menu with my aunt and uncle was legitimately a bizarre experience for me the other day. Fruit salad is a classic choice for such an occasion but fruit in the winter? Want to know what fruit is in season in Michigan right now? There isn't any... Unless you count apples that are in cold storage or the decent variety that I have been collecting in my freezer.

California Fruit Salad
Obviously not a very practical recipe for a Michigan winter but I do get to step out of my comfort zone (root veggies and greens) this christmas.

Ingredients:
3 c seedless grapes, cut in half
3 tangerines, peeled, sectioned, and cut in half
1 melon, balled
about 10 raspberries
juice of 2 lemons
a hefty T of local honey
1/2 c of fresh mint, chopped

Directions:
Mix grapes, tangerines, and melon in a large bowl.
Whisk together lemon and honey.
Mix in mint.
Pour liquid mixture over fruit.
Sprinkle raspberries over top.
Garnish with a few mint leaves.

Vinology

At the beginning of this local food journey I had assumed that I would only be able to eat food that I had cooked for myself but low and behold, I am singing a new tune after the events of last night. To conclude Marcy's Birth Week, the Zatz family ventured to Ann Arbor and took Hadas, Marcy, and I out to Vinology.

After scoping out the menu online, I was very hopeful that I would be able to actually order a dish. Not only does their menu rotate seasonally, these wonderful words are printed at the bottom:

To support our environment and local economy, 

we focus on local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible. 

Participating farms in this menu include: 

Eat Local Eat Natural, Guernsey Dairy, Calder Dairy, Miller Amish Chicken Farms, 

Gunthorp Farms, Werp Farms, Mighty Good Coffee, Avalon Organic Bakery

Nevertheless, I called in to see the extent of local purchasing Vinology takes part in. I learned that about 90% of their produce is from local sources. I was directed towards Aaron, one of the chefs, to discuss just what that meant.

I ended up talking to Aaron both on the phone and at the restaurant. He helped me navigate the menu to see my vegan options but when he offered to make me something special, how could I say no? Considering I am a far from picky eater, he surprised me with this beautiful creation:

Photo Credit: M Ziggity

Rice pilaf with saffron, topped with huckleberries, micro greens, and thyme.
A salad of dandelion greens, carrots, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes, tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.
Roasted zucchini and asparagus in a roasted red pepper sauce.
All of which was grown in Michigan (except the rice...)

Although this will obviously not be a typical dining out experience for me (Hello college student budget), it made me realize how accommodating people will be if you are open and honest about your lifestyle. I could have easily kept my mouth shut and ordered the veggies salad, the only dish on the menu that explicitly is from Werp Farm, but I'm glad that I didn't. Not only was Aaron more than willing to make me something special because of my dietary restrictions, he saw it as an exciting challenge!

All I can say is, don't be embarrassed about your personal goals or what you consider important, you'll be surprised to find how many people want to know more or actually share them!