Sweets & Treats

No-bake chocolate cheesecake bars with a grain-free date-nut crust and dark chocolate cheesecake center finished with a sweet raspberry swirl.

Hiiiii how was your Valentine’s Day Weekend?

I was fortunate to have many opportunities to celebrate the love over the past few days.

On Valentine’s Day I did a Galentine’s Day dinner with my sister, then on Saturday I had a Valentine’s Day themed brunch with my bookclub.

If I’m being honest, I was a little bit apprehensive about the day.

This was my first Valentine’s Day as a single lady in over 15 years, so I wanted to make it especially sweet.

I watched RomComs with my long distance BFF long and ate plenty of Hu Kitchen chocolate, and even did a little retail therapy online.

Don’t worry, I left enough chocolate for this latest recipe.

If you didn’t get the chance to treat you and your loves with something sweet this V-Day, I’ve got just the thing.

These Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Cheesecake Bars scream self-care, self-love, and healthful indulgence.

They’re made with just 8-ingredients for a vegan, grain-free, and refined sugar-free treat.

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3-ingredient chocolate strawberry truffles made with canned coconut milk, dark chocolate, and freeze-dried strawberries. Try pairing with Rosso wine!

I recently re-watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for the first time in over a decade.

Have you seen it?

It’s one of my all-time favorite films, even though it’s not the kind of movie I can watch every day (or every decade, apparently).

Anyway, I had to chuckle when Jim Carrey’s character says that V-day was “invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”

I definitely wallowed a bit in the perceived truth in that quote, but then I dusted myself off and made some plans.

This year, I’m celebrating all of the love surrounding me.

Familial love, deep friendship, passion for my blog and business, and love for you, too, friend.

I’m also celebrating my love for all things wine and chocolate in this new plant-based wine pairing.

Get your heart right and make these 3-Ingredient Chocolate Strawberry Truffles enjoyed with a glass of Rosso!

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Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a pomegranate twist! Vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free with an almond flour base.

Confession: Lately I haven’t been feeling much like a food blogger.

Let me explain.

I put so much energy into creating eats for the blog during the day that when it comes time to make anything extracurricular, I just can’t.

For example, last Friday night book club when we all brought a dish to share…you bet I showed up with a bottle of wine, a package of my favorite hummus, and a box of grain-free crackers.

And I felt pretty OK watching my friends roll in the F&V recipes while I stood there dunking crackers into pureed chickpeas that I didn’t puree myself.

I blame the season for my slight identity crisis.

It’s hard to show up in all the ways you normally show up plus get all the gifts, send all the cards, and bake all the cookies.

I set an alarm this past Wednesday morning  (ONE week before Christmas!) and scribbled out all of my Christmas cards in one furious four-hour sitting.

I wrote my name and address over and over and over again on red envelopes with achey glitter dusted hands.

Last night I had a massive Amazon shopping spree, adding items to my cart and obsessively checking the ship date to ensure arrival before Christmas.

All of the expectation of gifting and receiving can be tough, but you know what should be effortless?

Your holiday cookies– these Pomegranate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

You’re going to love these healthier holiday cookies packed with pomegranate arils and dark chocolate chunks!

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Vegan and grain-free mint dark chocolate coconut layer bars made with a cacao date-nut base, sweet coconut butter center, and mint dark chocolate top.

The expiration date on my almond milk this morning read “12 04” in blue typeface and I thought to myself, oh, good, I’ve got time to enjoy it.

Except I didn’t because looking down at my iPhone calendar I realized that it’s already December, actually, and today is December 4th.

So I poured a big glass of almond milk and chugged it while it lasts.

Kind of like my almost expired almond milk, I feel like the end of this year is going to be here before we know it.

Today there are exactly three weeks until Christmas and four weeks until we ring in 2020- WHAT.

The end of this year just feels heavy, you know?

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, honestly, with awkward energy flowing between efforting through December tasks and making big plans for the next.

So, maybe we could use a refresher?

These Mint Dark Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars are a great refreshing distraction to this busy season.

They’re delicious in three easy layers that are vegan, grain-free, and naturally sweetened with no bake time required!

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