Coconut Almond Bars

Yields: 10 to 15 bars

• 4 ounces coconut butter (where to buy coconut butter)
• 2 – 1/2 tablespoons raw honey (where to buy raw honey)
• 1 – 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (where to buy coconut oil)
• 1 – 1/2 cups raw, organic coconut flakes (where to buy coconut flakes)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract (where to buy vanilla extract)
• 1 cup raw, organic, fair-trade dairy-free chocolate chips (where to buy soy-free chocolate chips)
• Organic soaked and dehydrated almonds (where to buy almonds)

The How-To

1. In a double boiler, melt together the coconut butter, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and coconut flakes until melted and well-combined. Pour the mixture into a glass dish lined with unbleached parchment paper (either a loaf pan or 8×8 dish will work great). Press the mixture down firmly in the dish with your hands. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.

2. While the coconut mixture is cooling and firming in the freezer, melt the chocolate on the stove in a double boiler. Once almost all the chocolate chips are melted, remove from heat and mix until all the chocolate chips melted together.

3. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer, invert to a cutting board, and remove the parchment paper. Cut the coconut mixture into desired sizes (I went with long skinny bars).

4. Take a spoon and place a little bit of melted chocolate on top of each coconut bar, add one to two almonds on top of each bar. Let set for a few minutes.

5. Take the parchment paper used to line the glass dish, place on the counter, and then place a wire cookie rack above the paper.

6. Place a bar on top of a fork and dip into the chocolate, use a spoon to aid in covering the bar completely with the melted chocolate. With the bar still on the fork, lift it out of the chocolate, and give it a little shake to get the excess chocolate off. Place on the wire rack. Do this for all the bars.

7. Once the bars are all placed on the wire rack, put in the fridge to cool and harden completely. Once hardened, store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding

1.) 2 medium-sized avocados, ripe

2.) 1 tsp cinnamon (optional) (like this)

3.) 1/4 cup cacao powder, raw (like this)

4.) 3/4 cup honey, raw & local (like this)

5.) 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (where to buy coconut oil)

6.) Dash of sea salt (like this)

7.) 1 tablespoon vanilla (like this)

*I use the most local, organic ingredients I can get my hands on 

*Makes about 4-6 servings.

It goes like this:

Combine all ingredients into food processor and blend until well-combined.  I suggest giving it a taste test to determine if your own taste buds would prefer it with more honey, for example, to cut the strength of the cacao, or more cinnamon to give it an added kick.

Healthy Fruit snacks from thankyourbody.com

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice or fresh orange juice (if you don’t like sour go with orange!)
2/3 cup frozen or fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries are all great.)
1 – 2 Tbs honey
5 Tbs gelatin (from grass fed cows… like this)

Looking for quality real food ingredients? Be sure to check out the Village Green Marketplace!

Directions:

1. Pour juice and berries into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until berries become tender and begin to soften.

2. Add honey and stir until completely incorporated. You will want the fruit to dissolve quite a bit until you have a compote.

3. Puree mixture using a immersion blender or small blender (my magic bullet works great for this!)

4. Let sit, off heat, for 5 – 10 minutes.

5. Whisk in gelatin, one tablespoon at a time. Whisk vigorously until completely incorporated, mixing the gelatin in very gradually to avoid lumps. (If you do get lumps, just run the mixture through your blender again or you can put it back on the heat to help dissolve the gelatin.)

6. Pour into a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 glass dish. Refrigerate until set (30 minutes to an hour). Cut in small squares. (You could also use some cute molds like this and create awesome shapes. I’m not awesome like that… but you could be!)

Note: I like to keep these in my fridge (I love cold things!), but they do transport and keep nicely at room temperature.

5 Tips To Healthy Nails

I find myself becoming obsessed with the look and health of my nails.  Now that the weather has gotten much colder (don’t let me get started on this past weekends snow storm). I find my hands are getting dryer and need some TLC.  Whatcha gonna do?  It’s actually very simple with these 5 steps.

1. Don’t let cuticles weaken – Keep them moistened and, whatever you do, don’t cut them or push them back too far, as that inhibits healthy nail growth.
2. Massage nails to increase circulation.  I know it sounds silly, right?!, but this results in healthier, faster growing nails.
3. File nails properly and sparingly - Do not file the tops of your nails because it wears down the nail’s protective surface.   Using a fine-grained nail file, move from the corner to the center of the nail in one direction only.  Avoid sawing back and forth – it can cause splits and breakage.
4. Make your manicure work for you – I know we love how our manicure makes our nails look, but never leave polish on for more than one week, and always allow a day or two between manicures to allow your nails to breath.
5. Keep nails hydrated by protecting, conditioning and sealing them. I strongly recommend only using nail products that are 3 Free (Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP Free).  Yes many nail polishes contain the carcinogen Formaldehyde and other toxins.

So what nail products do I use?  I am a devout user of ButterLONDON.  I love their colour palatte, the quality is phenominal, they were the first company to sell non toxic nail lacquer in the USA – and I can feel comfortable painting my little girl’s toes, what more can I ask for…Glamour and Safety.

DIY: Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub

Most likely, all the ingredients are right in your pantry. You’ll be left with silky, soft skin and the warm scent of fall.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Organic Fine Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/4 Coconut Oil
• 1/3 Pumpkin Pie Mix

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients until fully blended.
2. Add Coconut Oil and mix until fully smooth.
3. Add in Pumpkin Pie Mix, mix until blended.
4. If your scrub is too runny, add more sugar.
5. Cover the scrub and let sit.

TANGERINE FACE CREAM

Tangerine face cream helps keep your face moisturized and smooth.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons of raw mango butter
• 3 tablespoons of sour cream
• 1 tangerine’s worth of juice
• 1 capsule of vitamin E oil

Mix the mango butter, sour cream, and vitamin E oil in a blender, then puree. While pureeing, mix the tangerine juice in. Enjoy!

APPLE AND HONEY ACNE TREATMENT

This paste helps clear up acne and leaves your skin looking and feeling great.

INGREDIENTS

• Honey
• Grated Apples

Mix the honey with grated apples until a paste is formed. Apply and leave on for 15-20 minutes to allow time to dry. Rinse with warm water. This can be done 2 to 3 times a week.