Pear & Apple Spiced Cider

       

Helloodles lovelies!

Today is another fall fabulous recipe and it is sooooo delicious!
It came about thanks to my fall bucket list, which included 3 different fall beverages to enjoy.
The first was a yummy pumpkin spice hot chocolate, second was a spiced cider, and third was a maple chai. Usually, I am pretty lazy about making anything other than teas or a smoothie, so I end up going to one of the cafe shops and getting something a wee bit more fancy. As I have been staying away from dairy, I have had to obstain; untilmrecently that is!
I got to enjoy my white hot chocolate at Second Cup with my son, who had espresso but tasted my drink and decided it was really good. I like Second Cup's pumpkin spice white hot chocolate but their drinks are overly sugared, so I asked for half sweet and I got it with unsweetened almond milk.
It's really a treat food for me, I may have it twice a year, but I savour every drop. I was also recently introduced to Starbucks London Fog with unsweetened almond milk and that was surprisingly lovely as well. 

All those creamy, rich, drinks are nice but sometimes you want something that has a more fruit based, fall spice kick.
That's where ciders come in.
Usually they are apple based but I came across some cranberry juice recipes and then I thought to myself, "What other fruit says fall?
Pears of course! Plums too but that's a different story, or I should say, recipe, for another day.
Today, it is all about the juicy pear.
Alright, alright, it is mixed with some apple but it's mostly pear juice based. I think this recipe is better for it.
The day I made it, the temperature had started to dip after I got back from church, that got me super psyched for cozy clothes. I rumaged through my closet and was able to bust out one of my velvet sweaters I had bought for myself last winter.
That sweater felt good on levels I tell yah!
It was a huge sale (70% off!), me gift last year; that I was so happy to get.
It was purdy, different design, cool colour-I kinda get stuck on black, warm, and velvet delighfulness!
Unfortunately, I had been so unwell and swollen from the exposure to black mold, that I was unable to wear it.
Here I am months later and doing so much better. I continue to lose weight, along with major reduction in swelling. That meant, when I put it on, it finally fit and felt super comfy!     

What a difference from this time last year, see for yourself.     

There's still a ways to go but it has been remarkable, especially, the last month and a half!
I had to do a 15 day fast, along with a whole bunch of other detox stuff but it is working. Slow but steady in this race.
Will do a big post on all that another time, today you came for tasty, heart warming, pear schtuff!

Here is the recipe with helpful pics, that I know you and yours will truly enjoy:
                   

PEAR & APPLE VANILLA SPICED CIDER
Ingredients:
2 Cups Real pear & apple juice
1/4 tsp Vanilla bean paste, can use real vanilla extract instead.
1/4 tsp Pumpkin pie spice mix
1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon
4 Slices peeled ginger
1 Thick sliver lemon peel-no pith (no white part)
1 1/2 tsp Pure grade B maple syrup

Method:
-In a medium size pot add all ingredients and whisk together, turn heat up to medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
-Bring to a boil and shut off immediately.
-Allow to sit for 3 minutes, then strain into mugs.
-Drink right away & share with someone you love.
       

What is most appreciated about this cider is that it gets almost all of it's sweetness from the juice, I added very little maple syrup, to cut the slight acidity, but feel free to omit it if you would prefer.
Let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments down below, I love to hear from you & answer any questions you may have. Now go get all cozied up and enjoy this gorgeous fall weather!
                      

Take care, be well, love freely.
Chef Kiki

What you Should Know About Going Gluten-free and Grain-free

(Please note that this is a blog re-post that I have carried over from my original blog, back in 2013. The information is very important and still pertinent for those of you going gluten-free)

                               
  Today is groceries day, we ran around to about 4 different stores but something is always missing. It seems buckwheat is considered "exotic" as a food staple in my neck of the woods. Ugh! It's alright though because I will be making a stop in the next few days to grab my missing ingredients at the health food store. So, I have been in an allergy cycle for the last week that has been making me feel physically miserable even though I have been in a positive frame of mind. I had finally calmed my reactions to the final day or two of bloat and itchies and was in a great mood about it. 
Then I went to my Vietnamese joint I adore because I can actually eat gluten-free there, well, maybe not so good for me after all as I reacted to the rice noodles which is the same dish I have been having for a long time but the last few times I have been reacting to it and nothing has changed in the recipe. I am on friendly terms with the staff & Chef so it's easy to ask. Now it seems that I will be making more changes to my already complicated eating regimen. I am reacting to all manner of grains, gluten free grains!!! I had gluten-free rice crackers and my body flipped out, same with my quinoa bread and various other foods. Not cool. It seems this may be an autoimmune response which may be linked to my thyroid. More tests yippee!!!!!! NOT! 
Actually, it deserves a good giggle. It's become de rigueur to have complications somewhere along the line for most gluten-free eaters. I read a whole bunch of info on a great blog at:
Betterbydrbrookewordpress.com

This is what she had to say and I think it's going to help save my life and bring balance back to my days.
                      
Why You're not Losing Weight on a GF Diet.

You Could Be Reacting To The Gluten Free Grains You’re Now Eating
A sensitivity to gluten increases the chances that you’re also sensitive to many of the foods you’ll turn to on a gluten free lifestyle including sorghum, millet, tapioca, amaranth, quinoa, rice, hemp, corn, and potato. These foods do not contain gluten but may still be a problem for you, this is called “gluten cross reactivity”. And if you’ve got a gluten issue, I’ve got some really bad news: coffee and chocolate are among the most common cross reactors. Tragic, I know.

Consider a grain free diet and utilize non-grain based starches such as sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, and legumes (note: autoimmune patents are also at high risk for reacting to the lectins in legumes, sorry! Best for you folks to leave them out as well.) Cyrex Labs offers a gluten cross reactivity panel if you’ve committed to gluten free and wondering which grains, etc might be good alternatives for you. Visit www.cyrexlabs.com and look at Array 4.

You May Have Increased Intestinal Permeability (AKA Leaky Gut)
This means larger proteins are getting through a leaky intestinal barrier causing inflammation and winding up you immune system. A “leaky gut” is due to inflammation in the gut that has caused a bit of swelling in the cells of your intestines, damaging the junctions between the cells allowing larger proteins to get through. Normally only small things pass through such as a single amino acid or a molecule of glucose. When these larger proteins end up in our blood stream where our immune system sees them and attacks, causing inflammation, bloating, puffiness and trouble shedding fat.

This creates inflammation in and of itself, which makes it hard to lose weight, but it also increase the chance that you’re have any of those cross re-activities I just mentioned.

We can get a leaky gut from years of a bad diet, eating foods that we are sensitive to, taking antibiotics or doing anything that disrupts the delicate balance of probiotics in our gut, various medications, having hypothyroidism or being under high stress.

Gluteomorphins May Be At Play
You may be reacting to gluteomorphins, a byproduct of our own digestion of gluten which act in the brain on opiod receptors causing a “high”. When we take that away, you obviously feel worse for a period of time as you go through a withdrawal period. Crazy huh? Our food is literally medicine!

When people have this reaction, they not only feel pretty lousy when they first come off gluten but their cravings for it sky rocket. If they manage to stick to their gluten free guns, they will usually end up eating a lot of other carbs to satisfy the cravings causing weight loss to stall….or worse, causing a weight gain.
Hidden Exposure
Despite your best efforts – you may still be eating gluten. Here’s a lengthy list of at least some of the more common places you’ll see it:

Gluten Containing Grains:
Wheat
Barley
Spelt
Kamut
Rye
Triticale
Most processed cereal
Oats (unless specifically labeled gluten free and note: oats are common cross reactors as well)
Couscous
Bulgar wheat

Short List of Commonly Used Gluten Derivatives:

Alcohol made from grains: beer, whisky, vodka (unless purely potato), Scotch, most liquors and cheaper wines.
Artificial coloring additives
Chewing Gum
Battered Foods (i.e. fish sticks, fried appetizers, occasionally sweet potato or regular fries) and foods fried in same oil as battered foods (French fries).
Biscotti, pastries and any baked good made from flour, not specified as gluten free
Bran
Many juices and fruit drinks
Sauces in general, horseradish sauce and most pre-made salad dressings (unless gluten free)
Canned meat containing preservatives, canned vegetables (unless in water only)
Items containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein (often made with wheat)
Caramel (other than from US and Canada)
Imitation seafood (usually made with a starch, common in sushi)
Instant hot drinks (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc)
Ketchup and most condiments (anything made with modified food starch has corn and/or wheat)
Rice syrup (may contain barley malt)
Soups (most commercially made canned or frozen soup)
Spices including white pepper, curry powder, bouillon cubes or powder
Soy sauce (except Tamari wheat free soy sauce) and most Chinese sauces
Malt
Veined cheeses (may be made from molds that may be of bread origin)
Mustards (unless specifically gluten free, read label for modified food starch)
Margarines
Sausages
Flavor enhancers including MSG (monosodium glutamate), glutamic acid, monopotassium glutamate, ammonium glutamate

Note: gluten free grains include rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and teff.

And one final thing: gluten may simply not be as inflammatory for you as it is your friend who had the skies part and the heavens sing when they cut it out. In this case, there may be another reason why your weight loss has plateaued and some gluten containing foods on occasion will probably not make or break your health.

So, if going gluten free was less dramatic than you’d hoped, consider these things and take another pass accounting for the reasons above.


Thank you Dr. Brooke, so I am now going to clean & cleaner eating and praying for positive results. I will be incorporating digestive enzymes, good probiotics, Aloe Vera whole leaf juice, liquid iron, and protein that is allergen friendly. My beloved who is also a weight trainer specializing in sports nutrition recommends Iso Pure. I will get back to you on all of this. 
In the meantime, I am happy to post a snapshot of my fridge which I feel very blessed about being filled with a powerhouse of healthy foods. Thank you God for making such things available to those of us in need, I know how lucky we are.
Here is what a clean eating fridge looks like:

Blueberry Syrup (4 Ingredients)

Awwwww yeah! Blueb season is upon us!

I am on a blueberry addiction, which is quite common for me. I get cracked out on a delicious fruit or food item and binge on it for about 4-6 weeks, then I don't want to know about it for at least half a year or more. Luckily it's always healthy stuff I go crazy for and I think I am easily on my 20th pint of blueberries in 3 weeks, shhhhh it's our little secret. Mwuah hahahaha 
As it turns out, two of my pints were not tasty. They were sad, gritty, bland, and lonely bluebs. So, I say, when life gives you bad blueberries you make blueberry syrup to smother your pancakes, Crêpes, ice cream, mini shortcake, everything. Eat all the blueberries, all of the time!!!!!!! 
I like this recipe because it's super quick, easy peasy, and has only 4 Ingredients. I know, super awesome sauce with a cape! 
Here you are peoples, now go out there and get you some blueberries. 

BLUEBERRY SYRUP:

Ingredients:
1 Pint washed blueberries 
3 Tbsp grade B maple syrup 
1 Tsp vanilla extract 
Small pinch pink sea salt

Method:
-Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to simmer, cook for 3-5 minutes. Don't overcook, you want blueberries to still be looking like their round pillows of antioxidant goodness but softened a bit. 
-Turn off and remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes and pour into serving container. The pectin in the blueberries will thicken this up and you will have a great syrup saucy consistency. 
Serve over whatever you desire, wrap it, keeps in the fridge 3 days. 

The Best Raw Vegan Banana Bread Sticks

                         

Yipeeee!

Nana bread lovey's, and she be rawfood vegan goodness! 

Wait, she be awesome with a cape on yo banana goodness! Teehee...

I came up with this recipe this week because I had so many bananas in the freezer that I had to do something with a few of em'. 

I need to cop to something, I usually dislike banana anything in rawfood except for eating a real banana alone or bananas that are dried in lime juice-will post that recipe another day. Yep, banana dehydrated stuff is not my cup of tea but like I said, there was an avalanche of bananas to contend with. These breadsticks are super deelish! It was a pleasant surprise that they came out so yummy and they were liked by all who tried them, double win!

                          

It made a full tray, I didn't dare make more in case I did not likey. Now I know and will be "unbaking" them more often, you need to get the kids in on making these as they will enjoy smashing up the bananas; there is also no "cooking" involved so let them have fun. One of the things I appreciate about rawfood is that old and young alike can make this food.

This recipe is part of stocking up your pantry in prep for the 30 Day Self-Love Detox Challenge, there will be some more lovely recipes this week so you need to come back and you should subscribe to get them sent directly to your inbox, in case you have not already.

Without further ado, banana bread crisped delightfulness.

THE BEST RAW VEGAN BANANA BREAD STICKS

makes 1 Excalibur tray

Ingredients:

(I use organic, try to do the best you can with what you can afford. The coconut oil really does need to be cold-pressed though.)

2 Very ripe bananas mashed

3/4 Cup almond pulp leftover from making almond milk (recipe link below)

1/2 Cup Brown flax ground

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 Cup coconut flour

1/2 Cup date paste (recipe follows below milk recipe)

1/2 tsp Fresh scraped nutmeg

1 Tbsp coconut oil cold pressed unrefined

3 Tbsp Dark Maple syrup (grade B)

1/8 tsp Walnut oil (DO NOT use more!)

1 Cup Raw Sunflower seeds, soaked 2-3 hours, drained & rinsed well

2/3 Cup almond milk mixed with 1/4 Cup water (almond milk recipe below)

Method:

-In a blender mix sunflower seeds with almond milk & water mixture until a thick paste forms. Place in a bowl with mashed bananas, maple syrup and vanilla.

-Add date paste, nutmeg and coconut oil, mix together well.

-Add all dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined, the flax seeds will give you a very thick dough.

-On a teflex or parchment lined Excalibur dehydrator tray, spread dough out to about 1-1 1/2 inch thickness, square off edges.

Place in dehydrator on rawfood 105 degree setting, for 2 1/2 hours, remove and score with a knife into rectangular "sticks". (See the pics down below) Put back in the dehydrator for 10 hours.

-Check to see if the sticks are getting to a medium pliable bread consistency, you need to make sure they are not too wet because they must be flipped onto a new Excalibur tray lined with the regular white tray sheet it comes with because you need the air to circulate over and around the sticks so they dry properly. 

-Place an Excalibur sheet lined tray (Do not use a teflex sheet, just the regular plastic white sheet the trays always come with) over the top of the sticks and quickly flip the tray over. You will be able to gently and slowly remove the teflex sheet or parchment paper. (Don't force it if they are not ready, place them back in if it is too hard to remove)

-The score marks will be evident, at this point you can take some of the pieces and use them as warm bread for breakfast with nut spread and fruit if you like. Otherwise the sticks go back in the dehydrator for another 8-12 hours depending how crisp you like them. I left my sticks in for a total of 24 hours.

-Once dry, remove from the tray and gently break the sticks where the score marks are. Store in an airtight glass jar. These will keep for several weeks, if they don't all get eaten first! 

As always, pics follow below to help guide you along. Leave any questions or comments down below, I love to hear about your kitchen adventures.

                           

http://bienconfitglutenfree.blogspot.ca/search?q=date+paste 

                            

Gluten-free Raw Vegan Blueberry Bon-Bons & Agave Nectar Information

                            
Happy Monday Morning Lovelies!

Looks like it is time to make something delicious, I adore these blueberry charmers. I am sweetening these without using agave nectar, below the recipe I am including a whole bunch of well researched information on agave nectars and why it is so awful. I used to use this product but cut it out of my diet completely in 2011. The recipe follows after all the info, if that's what you came for, scroll down to after the last links.

Warmer weather is on the way and that means goodbye winter weight, hello healthy clean eating choices. I need snacks, quick, grab and go yum yums for the munching moments that come up. The problem is that all too often they are so sticky sweet that it hurts my teeth and gives me headaches. I have a sweet tooth but it seems that the level of sweet I like differs greatly from the average sugar monster. I gave up on "health" bars a long time ago and decided to make my own with way less sugar, a fraction of the cost, and ingredients that I could pronounce. 
I don't use agave, you may feel free to use it as a maple syrup replacement but a lot of information has come out on agave and after I researched and listened to how negatively my body responded to it, I gave it up. I don't miss it, I know it's big in the raw vegan world, which was where I first discovered it years ago, but it's not a healthy sugar or corn syrup alternative. As a matter of fact, it's not even raw. It goes through a serious process to come out like how we are used to seeing it and with a taste we like. In it's truly raw state, agave is very thick, almost black, and super bitter. That kind of agave has some medicinal properties but is used sparingly. In our North American way, we have denatured a product to suit our sweet tooth needs and have hoped for the best until we find out the worst. I was just as guilty of this as any other, I firmly believed that Agave nectar was raw and had a lower glycemic index than sugar, blah blah blah. New studies have actually come to find that it's just as bad if not worse than corn syrup because it's more quickly absorbed than corn syrup and has been processed to a point where it has no health benefits what-so-ever.
Here is a small excerpt from an article at the huffington post, the link follows underneath if you want to read more. And before all the haters start firing off, for the sake of balance, I have included a write up from another health site that says why Agave is not as bad as high fructose corn syrup. I give you the information, take what you like and leave the rest. All I know from my personal experience is that my body started reacting very negatively to Agave in a very short period of time and I never looked back. I don't want to have my stomach swelling, making horrible sounds, severe nausea and then itchy skin to be a part of my treat routine.

What is the "Real" Truth about Agave?
If you knew the truth about what's really in it, you'd be dumping it down the drain and that would certainly be bad for sales. 
Most agave "nectar" or agave "syrup" is nothing more than a laboratory-generated super-condensed fructose syrup, devoid of virtually all nutrient value, and offering you metabolic misfortune in its place. 
Unfortunately, masterful marketing has resulted in the astronomical popularity of agave syrup among people who believe they are doing their health a favor by avoiding refined sugars like high fructose corn syrup, and dangerous artificial sweeteners.
And if you're diabetic, you've been especially targeted and told this is simply the best thing for you since locally grown organic lettuce, that it's "diabetic friendly," has a "low glycemic index" and doesn't spike your blood sugar. 
While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze -- that doesn't mean it's good for you.
Most agave syrup has a higher fructose content than any commercial sweetener ranging from 55 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent.
This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS.
It is important to understand that fructose does not increase insulin levels, which is not necessarily good as what it does do is radically increase insulin resistance, which is FAR more dangerous. You see, it's okay for your insulin levels to rise, that is normal. You just don't want these insulin levels to remain elevated, which is what insulin resistance causes.
That is why fasting insulin is such a powerful test, as it is a very powerful reflection of your insulin resistance.
In addition to insulin resistance, your risk of liver damage increases, along with triglycerides and a whole host of other health problems, as discussed in this CBC News video about the newly discovered dangers of high fructose corn syrup. The study discussed in this news report is about HFCS, however, it's well worth remembering that agave contains MORE fructose than HFCS, and in all likelihood, it's the FRUCTOSE that is causing these severe liver problems.
How Agave is Grown and Produced Proves it is Unnatural
Agaves grow primarily in Mexico, but you can also find them in the southern and western United States, as well as in South America. Agaves are not cacti, but succulents of the yucca family, more closely related to amaryllis and other lilies. Edible parts of the agave are the flowers, leaves, stalks and the sap. 
A mature agave is 7 to 12 feet in diameter with leaves that are 5 to 8 feet tall -- an impressive plant in stature, to be sure. There are over 100 species of agave, in a wide variety of sizes and colors.
Although the industry wants you to believe that agave nectar runs straight from the plant and into your jar, nothing could not be farther from the truth.
In spite of manufacturer's claims, most agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from its pineapple-like root bulb. The root has a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules.
The process which many, if not most, agave producers use to convert this inulin into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted into HFCS1. 
Though processing methods can differ among manufacturers, most commercially available agave is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals. Here is a partial list of the chemicals many producers use:
Activated charcoal 
Cationic and ionic resins 
Sulfuric and/or hydrofluoric acid 
Dicalite 
Clarimex 
Inulin enzymes 
Fructozyme 
How natural does this sound?
The result is highly refined fructose syrup, along with some remaining insulin.
Most agave "nectar" is neither safe nor natural with laboratory-generated fructose levels of more than 80 percent!
Is There Really a "Safe" Organic Agave?
Part of the problem leading to the confusion is that there are some natural food companies that are indeed committed to excellence and in providing the best product possible. But let me assure you that in the agave industry, this is the minority of companies. 
Nevertheless, these ethical companies seek to provide an outstanding product. There are a few companies who commit to and actually achieve these criteria and actually:
Work with the indigenous people, 
Use organic agave as the raw material, free of pesticides 
Process it at low temperatures to preserve all the natural enzymes 
Produce a final agave product that is closer to 50% fructose instead of over 90% 
Fructose is bonded or conjugated to other sugars and not floating around as "free" fructose, like HFCS, which is far more damaging. 
The VAST majority of companies however do not apply these principles and essentially produce a product that is, as this articles states, FAR worse than HFCS.
If you are going to use agave you will certainly want to seek out one of the companies that adhere to the principles above. However you will still need to exert caution in using it.
Just like fruit it is quantity issue. Fructose only becomes a metabolic poison when you consume it in quantities greater than 25 grams a day. If you consume one of the typical agave preparations that is one tablespoon, assuming you consume ZERO additional fructose in your diet, which is VERY unlikely since the average person consumes 70 grams per day.
Even a hundred years ago, long prior to modern day food processing, the average person consumed 15 grams a day.
Listen to YOUR Body
Many people will not be convinced by my arguments and data. They certainly can choose to do that but they are only hurting themselves. Fortunately there is a very simple way to learn if the fructose level you are consuming is safe.
When you consume fructose over 25 grams per day it will very likely increase its metabolic byproduct, uric acid, in your blood. So you can go to your physician and have a simple uric acid level done.
This is not a fasting test and is very inexpensive to do, it's typically free with many automated chemistry profiles.
If your level is above 5.0 you will want to consider reducing your fructose level until the level drops below 5.0. This will provide you with a valid, objective parameter to let you know if the information I am sharing is correct for you and your family.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/agave-this-sweetener-is-f_b_537936.html 

Why Agave Nectar is Not Worse Than High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Fructose is not inherently evil

Agave nectar is high in fructose, but so are many foods that we eat. This is Dr. Mercola’s main beef with agave nectar. And while it is true that agave is quite high in fructose, it is the most common form of sugar in all fruits. Dates, molasses, raisins, apples, honey, and even many vegetables and other plants are high in fructose. Fructose is a natural form of carbohydrate, and for thousands of years, it has been an important source of energy for the body.
In fact, fructose in live raw fruits is good for us! A scientific statement from The American Heart Association found that consuming limited amounts of fructose, in a pure form, had no negative effects on the majority of individuals. Other studies show that fructose, in limited amounts, may even reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Another study found that the beneficial fructans found in agave may help fight bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as other diseases such as diabetes and colon cancer. This research also suggested that fructans may promote the creation of beneficial gut bacteria, allowing for better absorption of calcium and magnesium (two important minerals for bone health).

Fructose & HFCS are not the same

There is no comparison between a natural form of fructose, such as in fruit or from agave, and the chemically-processed, pesticide-laden, genetically-modified High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The fructose in agave is a slow release form of sugar. This means that, in comparison to HFCS, which spikes blood sugar levels, agave does not cause the stimulation insulin secretion that leads to harmful rises in blood sugar. What is more, the enzymatic processing of agave is very different from the process of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, which fabricates fructose out of the glucose made from the milled starch of corn.
For High-Fructose Corn Syrup, glucose chains in the starch are broken down into long chain lengths of glucose molecules. These long chains are less sweet, but offer easier viscosity and functionality than raw glucose.
Producers of HFCS are looking for this better viscosity and adaptability, as it allows them to add it, unnoticed, to virtually any substance. To do this, they dry the corn and mix it with water and sulfur dioxide.
From there, the starches are separated from the kernel, fiber and protein. The separated starch slurry is then processed at very high temperatures, mixed with acid, neutralized, and then treated with an enzyme to create a 42% fructose and 55% glucose syrup. It is these strong acids and caustic chemical additives that are believed to be related to mercury contamination in HFCS. Moreover, most HFCS is made from genetically-modified corn, adding yet another contaminant into the processing mix.
Organic agave nectar’s processing could not be further related from this aforementioned processing of High-Fructose Corn Syrup. Agave is processed through either the use of natural enzymes, or through the use of thermal hydrolysis. These processes are essentially used only to evaporate the nectar from the liquid juice that is extracted from the plant. The processing of agave is done in the exact same way in which bees make honey, whether through a natural enzyme in the bee’s stomach, or when they fan their wings to evaporate the natural water out of the sweet liquid before capping into the honey comb.
In essence, no refinement, beyond the evaporation of water, occurs in agave processing. To put this in perspective, one must consider that hydrolysis is a 100% natural process of molecule separation. The human body does it every day!
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/agave-nectar/  


And now, we move onto the recipe that you came for, I like these really cold and a bit hard so I keep them in the freezer but you can eat them room temp or cold out the fridge. 

                                 

GF RAW VEGAN BLUEBERRY BON-BONS:

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup ground almond flour
3 Tbsp ground tiger nuts
1 Tbsp cinnamon (yes, a tablespoon is right, not a teaspoon.)
1/4 tsp pink sea salt
1/4 Cup dried blueberries
2 Tbsp hemp protein powder 
3 Tbsp dark maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil


Method:
-In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients, mix in blueberries, stir.
-Add oils and maple syrup, then mix with your hands, should clump together and easily form in your hands.
-Roll into bite sized balls, this recipe makes 12 regular sized bites but I make them a bit bigger so I get 10. Place on parchment paper as you roll them out so they don't stick.
-Chill in fridge for 2-3 hours, I like mine frozen but you can also make them and eat them room temperature.






These last 5-7 days in the fridge, (I always finish them before 7 days) and up to 4 weeks in the freezer (I don't keep them in the freezer longer because the nuts pickup flavours and get freezer burn quickly.)
This is a fun recipe to do with the kids because it's easy, no cooking or baking is involved, and they are fun to roll. I like to introduce raw vegan or healthy foods to people with these kinds of recipes. Leave your comments down below and don't forget to subscribe! 

Vanilla Bean Almond Milk Vegan Rawfood

                           
Bonjour mes loverlies!

This is such a delight, I don't ever want to go back to store bought nut milk again. I finally found a very reasonably priced nutmilk bag ($4.95) & decided to give this a whirl. I also wanted a better consistency for my recipe for Chia Pudding that I will be posting soon,soon, soon. Here's a picture to drool over. 
                       
Here's the recipe and I give you 2 different ways to prepare it, the smaller amount is the one needed for the Chia Pudding recipe, which I will link here once it's up & vice versa. There is no substitute for vanilla beans in this recipe because the flavour truly shines with the real deal. Plus if you are on an autoimmune protocol, the alcohol in vanilla essence is not recommended. Details are below with pictures as always.

Vanilla Bean Almond Milk:

Ingredients:

1 Cup raw almonds soaked overnight and rinsed
1/4 Scrape of fresh vanilla bean (no substitute) 
Small pinch of pink sea salt
3 1/2 Cups Filtered water
1 Tbsp Dark maple syrup 


*1 1/2 Cups Filtered Water for the Chia Pudding recipe, so not 3 1/2 Cups, only the 1 1/2 cup for Pudding recipe only!!!!All other ingredients remain the same.

Method:

-Place nuts and water in blender, add all other ingredients. There is a picture down below to show you how to split & scrape a vanilla bean. Then blend for 45 seconds at high speed. No chunks remaining.
-Place nutmilk bag over large non-reactive bowl, carefully pour blender contents into nutmilk bag. 
-Now squeeze and strain until no more liquid comes out. 
-You will notice that there are black flecks, this is normal. It is the little flavour pods from the vanilla beans, leave them in there.
-Carefully transfer milk & be sure store in glass jars.

Makes almost 4 cups
Keeps for about 5-7 days in fridge. I always use it up within 3-4 days though because it tastes so good.

*For the chia pudding, all steps are the same excepts you use the smaller quantity of water. The reason is that you need a richer, creamier milk to get the consistency right for the chia cherry vanilla bean pudding recipe. Trust me, it makes a difference.



Take a fresh vanilla bean, it must be soft still. Lie it flat and use a knife to carefully split down the center but not all the way through. Now using the same knife, run it flat, down the inside where you split it. The pods of glorious flavour will come out. They are sticky & fragrant, your hands will smell divine. Don't waste them or the empty pods. The empty pods can be placed in sugar to make vanilla sugar. The remaining vanilla seeds can be added to smoothies, baking, whipping cream, another kind of nut milk, ice-cream. DO IT!!!!!! lol







The pulp is great for rawfood nut crackers, check out my best apple pie cracker recipes in previous posts! 
So don't chuck it out, you can freeze if you need to.
Leave your comments and triumphs down below, I really like hearing all about your kitchen adventures!