Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

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This is a yummy, very filling smoothie with good fats for brain power. Fats are also needed for all body membranes, including the skin and cell membranes. 

This has a nice, speckled appearance when made with the cacao nibs, but if you opt to use regular cocoa powder, it will look more like a chocolate milk shake.

1/2 of a ripe avocado (or one small)

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs, finely ground

1 1/2 cups raw nut milk

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Raw Chocolate Pudding

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This is very good! I've been making it for a few years now. It tastes very much like regular chocolate pudding. 

2 cups raw coconut meat from young coconuts

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup ground raw cacao (or cocoa powder)

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

2 tsps vanilla

1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Put all in a blender or Vitamix and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for a day or so, if you can wait that long! It generally thickens a bit after a day or so. If you don't care about it being totally raw, you can use cocoa powder instead of ground cacao nibs (that is what's pictured; the cacao has a more speckled appearance). You can also throw in a tablespoon or so of raw coconut oil to make it even creamier and give it a coconut flavor. 
 

Raw Chocolate Ice Cream, No Guilt

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Did you get enough ice cream this summer? It sure did taste good, didn't it? But if you're anything like me, it probably left you feeling all gummed up inside. Maybe now you're constantly clearing your throat or blowing your stuffy nose trying to get rid of all the mucous. Yuck!

But here is a raw ice cream you can feel good about. It is made with dates, bananas, and raw ground cacao. Just mix those ingredients in a food processor in whatever combination  tastes best to you, adding a little agave nectar or honey if you really feel it needs it. Then stick in the freezer in a stainless steel bowl. Take it out every half hour or so and stir the outside to the inside until the dessert is frozen through. This reduces ice crystals. 

Enjoy!!! 

Macaroons, Blonde or Chocolate

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Among my favorite dehydrated goodies are coconut macaroons! They are so yummy and really great for on-the-go snacks. This all goes according to taste, but they go something like this:








1 cup blended young coconut meat (optional)
1/2 cup coconut oil (optional)
1 cup agave nectar or raw honey (more or less to taste)
3 cups dehydrated almond meal (or something of that nature)
3 cups dried coconut (the good stuff, no additives)

These measurements are just approximate.You can use less almond meal, more coconut or vice versa--just go by taste and what you have on hand. You can add vanilla if you want. If you want chocolate, add about 1/2 cup raw cacao powder and increase the sweetener if necessary.

Now, I roll it out (or you can leave it in the fridge a few hours first), using some parchment paper between the dough and the roller to prevent sticking, or pat it out, to a thickness of about 1/3 to 1/2 inch and use a small round cookie cutter to cut. I carefully use a frosting spatula to lift the macaroons up and place them on the dehydrator tray and start dehydrating at a temp of about 105*.

This will take several hours. I check on them every so often, and take out any that seem to be getting done faster than the others. I like to take them out at different stages so I have some that are chewy, some that are crunchy. The chewy ones are wonderful, but the crunchy ones carry better.