Raw Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

I've been on a documentary-thon lately and am Hungry for Change! (See what I did there?) I'm choosing Forks Over Knives and trying a plant based diet. To kickstart it, my family and I went to my favorite raw food place, The Green Boheme. Everything there is completely raw and vegan and absolutely delicious! If you've never been there before or think being vegan is all about salads, think again! There's burgers, pizza, ravioli, and even enchiladas! Super tasty!

Anyway, for dessert they had some macaroons: vanilla chai and chocolate. But looking at the ingredients, I already had some on hand and figured I would try to make some myself when I got home.

Introducing my (raw, vegan) chocolate coconut protein macaroons!

1 cup unsweetened coconut threads
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (I used organic cacao nibs ground to a powder)
1 tablespoon bodylogix vegan protein powder in chocolate
1 tablespoon agave syrup
Salt to taste

Combine and pulse all ingredients in a food processor. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for an hour or two and enjoy!

Anyone else trying to better their lives in 2014? Try these macaroons and let me know what you think!

My First DIY Subway Art!

 

Like I said, I am NO graphic designer. I lack a lot of creativity and a design eye. However, I can't help but love the look of subway art. There are so many different ways to do it from very simple to very complicated. At my parent's house, they only have black ink and white paper so I was a little limited. Thankfully there are thousands of FREE fonts out there one can use to jazz up their documents. I used this tutorial for getting started on my first attempt at subway art.

I created the above image with text boxes and a standard size of 8.5 x 11. I've been using MS Word for way over a decade and just learned these two things.

1. To make MUDSLIDE vertical, highlight the text box -> Format tab -> Text -> Text Direction.
2. It is also easy to space out the letters, ex. Gin + Tonic. Highlight the text -> Home tab -> Font -> expand menu -> Character Spacing -> Spacing. And adjust as needed.

Those little tidbits are probably basic word knowledge but they sure come in handy when making subway art and you don't have something better like MS Publisher or Picasa already on your computer. Anywho, this little piece will be the cocktail menu for my family's Christmas get together tomorrow...ah! it's 12:26, today! Well, Merry Christmas!

Please share your tips! This was my first attempt at this and I'm sure it won't be my last. I'd really like to try this in a cutout version using the silhouette. Wish me luck!

DIY Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix in a mason jar

With the holidays around the corner and still no source of income, I decided to get crafty and finally bring one of my many pocketed Pinterest projects to life. Initially the idea came from Lauren Conrad's blog, but just google "mason jar gifts" and take your pick. Everything from cakes, mixes, scrubs, dips and even sewing kits, there's definitely something for everyone in your life.

I think the best part about this project was how affordable it was. I initially planned on giving some of my best girlfriends a duo of nail polish from Ross or TJ Maxx but at over $8 a set, it was beginning to add up! I headed over to WinCo with my mom at about 11pm (they're open 24 hours and great for last minute ladies like myself) and gathered the supplies. The awesome thing about WinCo was that you could buy in bulk! I know they aren't the most socially conscious retailer out there but feel free to buy in bulk at Whole Foods if that fits your shopping practices better. You're going to get the best deal from the bulk bins.

12 8 oz canning jars $7.98
1 lb belgian cocoa mix $2.00
mini marshmallows $0.98
1/2 lb peppermint candies $1.50
--------------------------------
= about $12.50, or a little over a dollar per jar!

I'm no graphic designer by any means, I created some tags in Microsoft Word but it was a process. After I had already finished the project I wanted to go back and play with making tags. Well, silly me! There are a ton of premade labels online, especially if you buy the easy stickers by Avery, their website has a lot of templates to choose from.

I originally wanted chocolate chips but the ones my Mom had on hand were old and not fit for gifting and I was already too lazy to go back to the store. Assembly was easy: cocoa mix, peppermint candy, (the layer that would have been chocolate), marshmallows, gift tag & string. I've seen them done way cuter with bakers twine or even a pretty ribbon. If I had my Silhouette Portrait I would've cut some snowflakes to tie on as well. Or even if I had my cardstock, choose a cuter design for the back of the tags than the hot pink cardstock I already had (haha!).

Next, using the extra, I had to taste test.... Delicious!

Update: My parents gifted me Rumchata a bit early. If you don't know what that is, it's horchata (a Mexican rice milk drink) and rum. Add that to hot cocoa? Heaven!!

What are you making for your friends if you're on a budget this year? Or better yet, what are you drinking while you make them? ;)