Fast & Easy Valentine's Day Desserts-Part 1, Blogger Meetup, Pottery Pickup
Posted Feb 09 2010 2:12pm
Hi Bloggie Friends! How are you doing today? I'm doing great because I just came from a blogger meetup withMaureen of MommyRD. We actually met at the same coffee place that Madeline and I meet at for our coffee dates. But the difference was that Maureen came with baby Ava. Skylar thought it was pretty cool that there was a "baby" there. As if she's "so old" nowconsidering we just had Skylar's 3rd Birthday Party last week and all. Here's Skylar noshing on her snacks and hamming it up. With Fashionista Barbie nearby. And here we all are It was lovely meeting Maureen and Ava and we can't wait to get together againsoon! So moving along... Do you have Valentine's Day Plans? Sadlythere will be nothing too exotic or special going on around here. The days of Tiffany's Blue Boxes and dozens of roses are behind us. Getting excited over cheap organic produce and trying to save money by shopping at TJ'swhile hoping Skylar gets the hang of this potty-learning thing fairly soon because diapers are expensive is kinda more our speed these days. Oh not to mentionScott's traveling later in the week so that alone absolves him from having to plan anythingspecial means that plans won't get made.Oh well. And I honestly don't care. The lack of any nice plans makes my Valentine's Day Desserts seem extra special when stacked up againstwellnothin' else goin'.
Before I get to thatjust wanted to thank everyone who chimed in with the comments on the Vegan Fudge & Food Rules post. Your thoughts about Michael Pollanand Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet.. were most appreciated and as I saidit's all about being consciousmindfulletting go of this desire to be "perfect" with every single food choice we make. Because as I said in that postthebeauty of food and our food choices is that in 3 hoursyou can eat again and choose more wisely next time.Keep it easyrelaxedand mellow is what I try to do!
But let's talk about Valentine's Day Desserts!
EasyFastValentine's Day Dessert Number 1 My Vegan Fudge
Ahhhgood stuff!
It's richdecadentfudgywonderful. Good vegan stuff. And it's soy/nut/gluten free which is a bonus in my book. This fudge is really simpleand it really takes about 10 minutes and you're done. And this is my Dessert Suggestion #1 for your Valentine's Day Sweetheart. You're thinkingbut I don't have a Sweetheart. Yesyou do: Yourself! Make it for yourself!!!
EasyFastValentine's Day Dessert Number 2 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries Enter my 2 Pints for $3.99 recent find I have no idea why restaurants try to charge like $5 bucks per chocolate-dipped berry when they are so easy to make at home. Maybe size does matter (TWSS); the bigger ones bring in more money.
You can either keep the berries whole or slice them. I employ the greater surface areai.e. more cut sidesequals more chocolate per bite. See geometry was not lost on me if I can put things into relevant chocolate terms. And drizzling is nicetooif you don't want to dipjust drizz. Ingredients:
2 pints strawberrieswashed and dried 1 bag Chocolate Chips or 10 Baker's Chocolate Squares Optional: 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil
1) Line a cookie sheet or tray with parchment paper and set aside. 2) Melt chocolate in microwave(Put 3/4 of bag of Chocolate Chips or and coconut oil if you're using itin a microwaveable container. Heat for 30 secondsstir. Repeat. Heat until most of the chocolate is melted. Add remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.) or melt over stovetop in a double boiler. The Melted Chocolate Tip:Make Your Own Raw Chocolate!!!! Averie's Quick Raw Vegan Chocolate Recipe 3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 2 Tbsp Agave 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil Dash of Vanilla Extract Stir. Voila. Raw Chocolate. So easy!
3) Dip strawberries into melted chocolate. Let excess drip back into the container.Note: If chocolate is too thickjust heat a little more. If chocolate is too thinlet it cool to the desired consistency. 4) Put on the prepared tray. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.
EasyFastValentine's Day Dessert Number 3... Peanut Butter Cup & Dark Chocolate Carmel Chocolate Chip Cookies Oh WaitYou'll Have to Stay Tuned for Tomorrow's Post- Part 2 for this Recipe!
After I left My Blogger Meetup with MaureenSkylar and I went to pick up the Coffee Mug we Painted for her 3rd Birthday. It was such a fun day! This was the Before And this is the Finished Mug After Firing. It's one of those memories I will cherish as a mother. Who cares if the mug turned out cute or not. The memory of spending the day with my lil pumpkin on her 3rd Birthday,messy purple paint and allis what I will always remember. For Dinner yesterday I made a Cesar-Inspired Salad. Mixed greenscarrotscucumbersfresh & sun-dried tomatoes. And dressed it with my homemade Creamy Tahini Raw Vegan Dressing Maureen is a fan of this one! And I know that tahini and hummus and nooch variations have been all the rage lately. I've been enjoying my tahini-inspired dressing for awhiletoo!Feel free to add hummus or nooch til your hearts content because nooch just makes everything betterdoesn't it!
Dessert was Vegan Fudge. Love It Yoga Today is One Legged-Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) This Yoga Picture was taken in Aruba over the Holidays towards the end of a nicewarmearly morningsolo yoga sessionwith the sunlight streaming in.Warmthlightloveall coming in. So nice!
Hard to believe that just 6 Weeks Ago I was Here in Aruba.
I'd be lying if I said an afternoon on the beach wouldn't totally rock right about now! I'll just have to live vicariously through the Pea Family Trip that's coming up.
For Newer Readers who Missed My TripEnjoyPictures Here or Here or Here. And for Older Readers who just want to torture yourself with gorgeous beach sceneshave at it! haha! It was an awesome trip and I am sooooo grateful to have spent the holidays with my family there.
Tip of the Day: My Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Give Away!!!!! If you're not enteredwhat the heck are you waiting for?! The Winner Will be Chosen on Friday (the 12th) just in time for Valentine's Day!
Questions: What's your Take on Valentine's Day and Gifts? If you're in a relationshipdo you give your significant other giftson Valentine's Day and on other holidays? I got married fairly youngso I've been married 9 yearstogether nearly 11 years. When we were first togetherwe did gifts on anyand allholidays. HmmmGroundhog Day just passedis that a gift-giving holiday or not...kidding! But back in the daywe never missed a holiday with the giftsflowersdinners outblingy kind of presentsthe whole bit.Fast forward a decadea childlargely living on one incomebecause let's face it yoga teacher's aren't getting rich these daysand we don't do gifts anymore. You can read all about that here. I meanI'd never turn a gift downI'm not a Saint! But as a general rulewe'd rather just save our money and put it towards a big trip at the end of the yearand real life stuff that just comes up takes financial priority over gifts...like new windshields and dental work and health insurance premiums. Do You Give Gifts on Valentine's Day?
Are you doing anything for Valentine's Day? If sowhat?!!! Let's face it ladieswe'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for a Blue Boxa Dozen Rosesand a really nice Dinner Out. OkI'll speak for myselfbut as I already mentionednothing special planned.
Are you buying anything for your significant other or do you exchange cute little Valentine's Day things with your friends? What are you getting them?
Do you think that the best gifts are homemade? I like giving homemade goodies and treats because I think it shows that you cared enough to do something that took some time and effortlike cooking,or painted pottery kind of gifts. So in many waysyou really can't go wrong with homemade. What do you think of homemade gifts?
Stay Tuned For Part 2 of the Fast & Easy Valentine's Day Desserts...
But the difference was that Maureen came with baby Ava.
Skylar thought it was pretty cool that there was a "baby" there. As if she's "so old" nowconsidering we just had Skylar's 3rd Birthday Party last week and all.
Here's Skylar noshing on her snacks and hamming it up. With Fashionista Barbie nearby.
And here we all are
It was lovely meeting Maureen and Ava and we can't wait to get together againsoon!
So moving along...
Do you have Valentine's Day Plans? Sadlythere will be nothing too exotic or special going on around here. The days of Tiffany's Blue Boxes and dozens of roses are behind us. Getting excited over cheap organic produce and trying to save money by shopping at TJ's while hoping Skylar gets the hang of this potty-learning thing fairly soon because diapers are expensive is kinda more our speed these days. Oh not to mentionScott's traveling later in the week so that alone
absolves him from having to plan anythingspecialmeans that plans won't get made. Oh well. And I honestly don't care. The lack of any nice plans makes my Valentine's Day Desserts seem extra special when stacked up againstwellnothin' else goin'.Before I get to thatjust wanted to thank everyone who chimed in with the comments on the Vegan Fudge & Food Rules post. Your thoughts about Michael Pollanand Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet.. were most appreciated and as I saidit's all about being consciousmindfulletting go of this desire to be "perfect" with every single food choice we make. Because as I said in that postthe beauty of food and our food choices is that in 3 hoursyou can eat again and choose more wisely next time. Keep it easyrelaxedand mellow is what I try to do!
But let's talk about Valentine's Day Desserts!
EasyFastValentine's Day Dessert Number 1
My Vegan Fudge
This fudge is really simpleand it really takes about 10 minutes and you're done. And this is my Dessert Suggestion #1 for your Valentine's Day Sweetheart. You're thinkingbut I don't have a Sweetheart. Yesyou do: Yourself! Make it for yourself!!!
EasyFastValentine's Day Dessert Number 2
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Enter my 2 Pints for $3.99 recent find
I have no idea why restaurants try to charge like $5 bucks per chocolate-dipped berry when they are so easy to make at home.
Maybe size does matter (TWSS); the bigger ones bring in more money.
relevantchocolate terms. And drizzling is nicetooif you don't want to dipjust drizz.Ingredients:
1 bag Chocolate Chips or 10 Baker's Chocolate Squares
Optional: 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil
Directions:
2) Melt chocolate in microwave (Put 3/4 of bag of Chocolate Chips or and coconut oil if you're using itin a microwaveable container. Heat for 30 secondsstir. Repeat. Heat until most of the chocolate is melted. Add remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.) or melt over stovetop in a double boiler.
The Melted Chocolate
Tip: Make Your Own Raw Chocolate!!!!
Averie's Quick Raw Vegan Chocolate Recipe
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Dash of Vanilla Extract
Stir.
Voila. Raw Chocolate. So easy!
Tip: OrMake your own Vegan White Chocolate Like I Told You About Here
3) Dip strawberries into melted chocolate. Let excess drip back into the container. Note: If chocolate is too thickjust heat a little more. If chocolate is too thinlet it cool to the desired consistency.
4) Put on the prepared tray. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.
EasyFastValentine's Day Dessert Number 3...
Peanut Butter Cup & Dark Chocolate Carmel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oh WaitYou'll Have to Stay Tuned for Tomorrow's Post- Part 2 for this Recipe!
After I left My Blogger Meetup with MaureenSkylar and I went to pick up the Coffee Mug we Painted for her 3rd Birthday.
It was such a fun day!
This was the Before
And this is the Finished Mug After Firing.
It's one of those memories I will cherish as a mother. Who cares if the mug turned out cute or not. The memory of spending the day with my lil pumpkin on her 3rd Birthday, messy purple paint and allis what I will always remember.
For Dinner yesterday I made a Cesar-Inspired Salad. Mixed greenscarrotscucumbersfresh & sun-dried tomatoes.
And dressed it with my homemade Creamy Tahini Raw Vegan Dressing
Maureen is a fan of this one! And I know that tahini and hummus and nooch variations have been all the rage lately. I've been enjoying my tahini-inspired dressing for awhiletoo! Feel free to add hummus or nooch til your hearts content because nooch just makes everything betterdoesn't it!
Dessert was Vegan Fudge.
Love It
Yoga Today is One Legged-Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
This Yoga Picture was taken in Aruba over the Holidays towards the end of a nicewarmearly morningsolo yoga sessionwith the sunlight streaming in. Warmthlightloveall coming in. So nice!
Hard to believe that just 6 Weeks Ago I was Here in Aruba.
Tip of the Day: My Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Give Away!!!!!
If you're not enteredwhat the heck are you waiting for?! The Winner Will be Chosen on Friday (the 12th) just in time for Valentine's Day!
What's your Take on Valentine's Day and Gifts? If you're in a relationshipdo you give your significant other giftson Valentine's Day and on other holidays?
I got married fairly youngso I've been married 9 yearstogether nearly 11 years. When we were first togetherwe did gifts on anyand allholidays. HmmmGroundhog Day just passedis that a gift-giving holiday or not...kidding! But back in the daywe never missed a holiday with the giftsflowersdinners outblingy kind of presentsthe whole bit. Fast forward a decadea childlargely living on one income because let's face it yoga teacher's aren't getting rich these daysand we don't do gifts anymore. You can read all about that here. I meanI'd never turn a gift downI'm not a Saint! But as a general rulewe'd rather just save our money and put it towards a big trip at the end of the yearand real life stuff that just comes up takes financial priority over gifts...like new windshields and dental work and health insurance premiums. Do You Give Gifts on Valentine's Day?
Are you doing anything for Valentine's Day? If sowhat?!!! Let's face it ladieswe'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for a Blue Boxa Dozen Rosesand a really nice Dinner Out. OkI'll speak for myselfbut as I already mentionednothing special planned.
Are you buying anything for your significant other or do you exchange cute little Valentine's Day things with your friends? What are you getting them?
Do you think that the best gifts are homemade?
I like giving homemade goodies and treats because I think it shows that you cared enough to do something that took some time and effortlike cooking, or painted pottery kind of gifts. So in many waysyou really can't go wrong with homemade. What do you think of homemade gifts?
Stay Tuned For Part 2 of the Fast & Easy Valentine's Day Desserts...