Seriously, this was really tasty. I made the sauce super quick by mashing some raspberries with raw honey, hence why you see seeds. The sauce MADE the cake even more awesome though. Every bite danced on my pallet. Yeah, I really just said that.
So for those of you who are reading my blog, you’ll know I’ve been venturing into cooking more raw foods. This was a cake I made based on this recipe by Ani Phyo that was over at the Raw Epicurean. Since I’m not making anything original, I’ve decided to rate the recipe.
First off you should know that I don’t have a food processor (one of the three key equipment you’ll need to switch to a raw food lifestyle, the other two being a Blendtec blender, which I have, and an Excalibur Dehydrator, which we’re getting.) A food processor is really wide and has a lot of horizontal space for the food to move around in. It also has “s” shaped blades, which helps to chop up food more evenly in a shorter period, so it doesn’t over process foods. However, it won’t get things as liquidy smooth as a blender, hence why both a recommended.
But, I’ll be using a blender until I find a good used processor that’s relatively inexpensive as Eric and I have already dropped a lot of cash between the blender and the dehydrator (getting her next week, whee!). When you’re making this recipe, you want the walnut/cocoa (or cacao based on what you have) mixture to be really flour like, but if you process it to much the walnuts will release oil and turn it into walnut butter, instead of walnut cake.
This plate is actually a small salad plate, so you can get a sense of how small it is. Also notice I only used five smashed up raspberries on the top.
Also this cake is REALLY small, but it’s very dense, tasty, and very filling per slice. Technically one serving size is 1/6th of the cake, and I had 1/12th and it filled me up. And yes, I had it for breakfast. We meant to eat it last night but I fell asleep, so it sat in the fridge and hardened up. However, since switching to raw food, my stomach has shrunk and I don’t need a lot to fill me up, which as many bigger ladies know, is an amazing thing. When you get bigger, your stomach stretches. Some really big people have huge stomaches, which is why you see people getting gastric bypass surgery. You can eat a tub of mac and cheese, feel full, but since you don’t have any nutrients, your body is still hungry. Eat 1/3 that amount in kale (or even just a bit in a smoothie) and you’ll find yourself able to take less naturally. Or make the mac and cheese with some sort of sprouted grain pasta and a whole raw goat cheese/almond milk sauce. With a side of spinach. Or chop up the spinach fine and sprinkle it in after your healthy food has been made.
Inside of the raw cake. Since I'm using a blender I left it a bit nuttier. It tastes like the moistest brownie you've ever eaten.
There are a few things I want to improve for next time. I made an avocado mousse the other day, but since I overmixed the avocado it left a slightly diff. aftertaste to every bite, so I under mixed a bit this time. You can see a few avocado pieces in the ganache, but it’s super duper rich, so you can’t taste the tiny pieces. I also added flax powder to the cake.
You should check out the recipe and try it yourself. If you don’t have a high speed blender or a processor, try to find walnut-meal, date paste, and dark chocolate powder (or cacao powder, or dutch processed cocoa powder.)
Whenever I stress out about the state of the day to day stuff I have to get done, whether its website and various graphic/photography projects, or planning a wedding, or just cleaning house, it helps to remind myself that this is the size of our planet. Then to take that out a step further…
This is based off of a great image, but this version comes with music (yay!)
Looking at this helps me keep in mind that while all this stuff that we worry about and stress over seems SO BIG in our every day lives, in the long run everything is so incredibly tiny, that you can really just breathe, relax, and keep on trucking. (or it’s modern equivalent)….
:) Anyways, if you read this, hopefully it’ll enlighten and make your day flow better. Just keep swimming…
I’m shocked and appalled. Now you’re really stretching it Hollywood. You’re bastardizing the last remaining untouched shred of my childhood movie watching experience!!!!!!
……did anyone else watch this movie A LOT (for some reason) when they were younger?
First of all, let’s take pause for a moment a realize the amazingness that is the word tool. It’s such a beautifully accurate adjective that doesn’t get as much use as it should. It’s perfect when referring to those who aren’t quite as ignorant as douche bags, not nearly mean enough to be an asshole, but annoying enough to be called a name.
I’m adding the description from the show breakdown if anyone has a desire to submit someone. I could think of about 18 people to submit just off the top of my head. And hopefully, if your friend is called out on being a tool, they can redeem their “untool” status by recognizing their tool-like behavior and reclaiming their awesomely cool “not-a-tool” persona. TOOL!!!!!
:)
“Is your partner / friend simply a Tool and does not know it? Are you at your breaking point with their bad habits like flirting, the control freak, the know it all, the doormat etc? If so we would like to hear from you! Examples: The Flirt “You and your boyfriend go to a bar and he flirts with ever cute girl but won’t admit it”. The Control Freak “You go to a restaurant with your friend and she insists on ordering everything because she claims to know the best dishes on the menu”. Nominate your boyfriend / girlfriend / Partner and we will help you fix it! A well – respected cable network is looking couples for a new reality show. You must be ages 25-40 to qualify. Please send us the following information. Your names Age Photo (you and your partner / Friend) How long you have been together And tell us why you would like to nominate your partner Send emails, contact information and Stories along with Photos to: lightingpointcasting@gmail.com”
Friends, this is one of the big things you’ll really see me on my soapbox for.
So, something that I still have a really hard time with understanding is why Prop 8 passed, why people voted Yes on it, and why people think it’s okay to classify one group of people as “lesser” just because their religion says so. Of course, I’m only speaking rationally here, but doesn’t it seem that people who love God have much bigger things to worry about in the eyes of their Lord than voting Yes on Prop 8? God’s not gonna smote you to hell, you know. Remember that whole sin forgiving thing? Yeah. I dunno, I think that the whole “loving thy neighbor” thing holds more weight than “not-letting-thy-queer-neighbor-get-1000plus-legal-rights” thing. Sigh. And for people who this wasn’t a religious issue for – really? Really? Not cool man, soooo not cool. Linked from my friend Dani. ;) She’s is very full of awesome.
First of all, let’s take pause for a moment a realize the amazingness that is the word tool. It’s such a beautifully accurate adjective that doesn’t get as much use as it should. It’s perfect when referring to those who aren’t quite as ignorant as douche bags, not nearly mean enough to be an asshole, but annoying enough to be called a name.
