Bleeding Hearts

Could also be named Love Bites but considering how I have very recently became a single lady, I'm going with the slightly more distasteful name...

Whether you have an oh so significant other or you are planning on cuddling up to your roommate or Fido tonight, these bite-sized bits of love will provide anyone with a healthy dosage of endorphins. Hello world!

Bleeding Hearts

Raw vegan, gluten free, and willing to resolve all your of sorrows.

Ingredients:
1 c walnuts
1 c dates, soaked until soft
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
add-ins of your choice (cinnamon, cacao nibs, chili powder, mint extract...)
Raspberry Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:
Food process all ingredients together.
Roll out "dough" between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
Cookie cut to your hearts desire!
If you don't have cookie cutters, use a cup or a knife and a little creativity ;)
Frost with Raspberry Frosting.

Raspberry Frosting
Because it's delicious and blood should be red.

Ingredients:
frozen raspberries
optional: sweetener of choice (stevia, maple syrup, honey, dates...)

Directions:
Puree raspberries in food processor or blender.
Add in sweetener if you want (I did not think this was necessary but others may think that berries are a bit bitter).
Frost the hearts or eat straight up (both ways are awesome).

And for everyone's viewing pleasure...

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.