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Milk Chocolate Salted Pecan Butter

February 10, 2014 by Erica

Milk Chocolate Salted Pecan Butter

Happy Monday! I often post healthy recipes on Mondays, but I think today deserves some chocolate.

Not only chocolate… chocolate and pecans.

Milk Chocolate Salted Pecan Butter

I have a slight pecan obsession. I’m actually surprised I don’t have more pecan recipes on this site. But it’s tiiiime to fix that! And it doesn’t hurt to add to the chocolate archives, either.

Remember the cashew-macadamia nut butter I posted a few weeks ago? Well, it’s probably one of my favorite recipes on this site. It’s a pretty solid rule that anything I can’t stop eating is blog-worthy! And in that post I wrote about the time or two that I’ve tried to make pecan butter… with horrible results. As I was writing that, I was thinking, hmmm, that doesn’t make any sense. There must be a way to fix that. So naturally… this happened.

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Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Bites

February 7, 2014 by Erica

Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Balls

Can we talk about recipe fails for a minute?

A few weeks ago I posted my latest recipe fail on Facebook – I was trying to recreate the blueberry vanilla cashew Kind bars that I love (and that you can no longer get at Starbucks – wahhhh!). Unfortunately, I was far from successful.

Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Balls

They looked pretty and tasted delicious, but they just wouldn’t firm up. And when I tried to cut them… well, they didn’t look so pretty anymore.

Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Energy Balls

I had to take a picture because it was so hilarious.

They didn’t stick together at all, and were basically like eating globs of raisins and nuts covered in honey. Not terrible, but not exactly something I could recommend to you all.

But listen, I love those Kind bars, and I am seriously bummed that Starbucks doesn’t sell them anymore! (At least the Starbucks I’ve been to…) So despite failed attempt #1, I decided to bring my food processor to the rescue. And that’s why today we have, not bars, but balls.

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Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Pancakes

February 5, 2014 by Erica

Happy Wednesday!

I am still huddled under my blanket in front of the space heater, but this time I made you pancakes.

I’m in a pancake phase right now… still… from the holidays. Though I would rarely choose pancakes off a menu, something about having house guests always makes me want to whip up a double batch. It just seems like the hospitable thing to do! Ain’t nobody doesn’t like pancakes.

Especially these pancakes.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup

February 3, 2014 by Erica

Good morning! Did everyone enjoy the Super Bowl last night? Or were you like me, and just there for the food, beer and commercials?

I have to say the commercials didn’t really do it for me this year. I guess car commercials never really do… and there are sooo many of those. The Budweiser Clydesdales, on the other hand, just get me every time. Plus a cute puppy? Yes. That one definitely brought a tear to my eye, but I think last year’s is still my favorite. The one with the guy who raises one of the Clydesdales? Too too cute.

But yeah, I guess I am mostly there for the food and beer.

I made a good Super Bowl dip this year, though of course I didn’t get my act together to give you the recipe ahead of time. Oops? Planning ahead for food holidays is not really my strength, and for that I hope you’ll forgive me. Rest assured I’ll post that dip for you soon anyway. Maybe it can be a… Valentine’s Day dip? Now you know I haven’t planned for that one, either.

But what I do have planned is soup!

A vegan soup chock full of roasted red peppers, thyme, and cauliflower.

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Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Apple-Miso Vinaigrette

January 29, 2014 by Erica

Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Apple-Miso Vinaigrette

I haven’t been doing a great job of eating my leafy greens lately. Well, actually, it’s my dark leafy greens I haven’t been eating. For some reason I’ve been on a lettuce kick… maybe using up the the leftover lettuce from all those burgers? Normally, I’d choose kale or spinach over regular ol’ Romaine any day. It recently occurred to me that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d bought kale. Obviously I had to remedy the situation immediately!

And I remedied it the best way I know how – by giving my kale a massage.

Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Apple-Miso Vinaigrette

A while ago I confessed that I didn’t really get the “massaged kale salad” thing. Aaaand I also confessed that I was immediately sold on the whole deal, because it really makes such a difference in texture. It softens the kale up and makes it way less jaw-achingly fibrous. If you typically skip kale salads, I beg you to give your kale a little massage! You just might turn over a new leaf… har har har.

We’re improving the kale’s texture even more by slicing it into thin ribbons. That way we can make this into a chopped salad, which is my favorite way to eat salad lately because of all the texture you can get in one bite. Start with some kale you can really sink your teeth into, and add crispy apples, crunchy walnuts, chewy roasted chickpeas, and creamy blue cheese to each bite. WHAT could be better, I ask you?! Ah yes… tossing the whole thing with a dreamy dressing of apple cider vinegar and miso.

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