Goodbye Google? Blog Relocation Update

It's been awhile, right?

I am actually a bit sheepish to admit that it's not so much due to any deliberate intention to neglect Blogspot, but mainly because my posts have not been carrying over from Wordpress as initially planned.
As the mirror settings do appear to be accurate (& I've been a bit overwhelmed with Spring activity), I really cannot say exactly why it's not working or spend much time trying to fix any problems at present. As such, it seems a far more time efficient endeavour for me to simply post a link here to redirect readers to my regularly active blog.
To be completely frank, I have actually been more than ready to abandon this final scrap of my relationship with Google anyway. Considering such, this little mishap seems like a wonderful indication from the Universe that it may very well be high time for me to commit fully to Wordpress and not worry too much about the cross-posting thing...

A lot has been happening:

•  My raw/vegan "butter"/margarine recipe was just featured on two great blogs (including the fabulous Vegan Bloggers Unite!), whilst having been hailed as "the holy grail of butter" by another enthusiastic blogger (she wasn't even vegan, so I know it's a real crowd-pleaser across the board), which made me smile...
• I celebrated 23 years of being vegan, right along with my birthday (which also coincides with "Cinco de Mayo"). The recipes shared in my commemorative post are a reflection of all elements.
• I started juicing again, experimenting with leftover pulp, and am now bracing myself for my very very first online giveaway for those who wish to participate in "Juicy June" along with me!  

...and I have so much more to share!

Perhaps I shall retry the mirroring thing between sites sometime in future, but at present I feel it best to simply focus my efforts and energy into making the Wordpress blog at http://RawVeganista.com the very best it can be. I truly am delighted with the outcome of my site's redesign which I feel is more attractive than blogspot, easier to navigate, and far more pleasant for me to post and share from virtually anywhere. It's even browsable by category & I have implemented a course layout for the recipe menu! =)

I sincerely hope that all who have followed me here will continue to support my work by subscribing to my posts via Wordpress (toolbar), Networked Blogs, and/or Bloglovin. Soon I will set up a way for subscription via email as well, since several readers have queried regarding such an option.

I will also continue to update my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, & Pinterest accounts as often as possible - and of course I am now on Bleat.

Thanks to everyone for showing so much love and enthusiasm for my work and life's mission! Ⓥ♡★

Hempseed Mayonnaise

"Mayonnaise" made from hulled hemp seeds started off as an experiment, and has since evolved into one of my most highly praised and requested specialty condiment formulations. It's one of my elementary menu items for teaching in workshops which I also enjoy using in various dishes on occasion. This simple blend is rich in protein and valuable omega fatty acids, whilst adding a creamy consistency to every dish blessed with its presence. It works exceptionally well in mock tuna salad, and also adds a lovely finishing touch to raw sandwiches/rolls/wraps and other preparations well-suited to condiment.

Ingredients:

• 1C hemp hearts (hulled) hempseeds
• 3 Tbsp Bragg's raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Udo's 3•6•9 veg DHA oil
• 1/2 C H2O
• pinch of salt

Preparation:
Place all ingredients into Vitamix & blend until a smooth, creamy consistency is achieved.

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Avocado Pesto

After 30+ days into my Lenten fast from tree nuts, I've found myself simplifying meal preparation by using fewer ingredients requiring of less processing. Thanks to my absolute favourite farm-direct source for fresh fruit (via Lorax Community's weekly food cooperative) I found myself with MANY avocados on my hands - many of them ripening simultaneously!

As such, I felt it wise to use several at once in various new ways and so... Avocado pesto was created.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados (skinned & pitted)
• Handful of basil
• Several sprigs of Italian (flat) parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• Pinch of rosemary (set aside for seasoning/garnish)

Preparation:
- Combine avocados, basil, garlic, Celtic salt, and  parsley in food processor & blend until smooth (using S blade).

The end result should be a smooth, creamy, and delicious pesto sauce, as shown in the featured image on this page - with spiralised raw courgette & sweet potato. This sauce is perfectly textured and full of flavour, easy to prepare in just a few minutes without any added oil, seeds, or nuts!

Spiced Orange Cacao Sesame Orbs

Although I rarely seem to experience cravings for non-fruit sweets, for some reason I recently felt like making/eating something with a confectionery, bread/donut-esque consistency…

Upon wandering into the kitchen & perusing my culinary arsenal, I discovered a huge mass of sesame seeds, along with a fair amount of coconut butter, cinnamon, and some other key elements. After a few moments of mad kitchen science and food processor play... Spiced orange cacao & sesame orbs were born!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp coconut butter
• 1 Tbsp lucuma powder
• 1 Tbsp Gnosis Mayan Heat Hot Chocolate Elixir
• 1 tsp coconut nectar
• 1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 scoop Sunwarrior vanilla protein
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp Udo's 3•6•9 veg DHA oil
• Organic blood orange peel, dried & ground into fine powder
• Spring water to consistency (mine was infused with lemons & their peels)

Preparation:

1. Place dry items in food processor, process until well-integrated.
2. Pulse in coconut butter, coconut nectar, and Udo's oil.
3. Add H2O gradually until mixture becomes a firm & slightly sticky ball of dough.
4. Roll in hands until spheres are formed, then roll in sesame seeds until evenly coated.

Warm Salted Caramel Sauce

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Many thanks to everyone who voted on recipes to be posted for the first week of Spring.
                    ☼ ❀ ✾❁☺

This creamy sauce was another fun bit of experimentation with Sunwarrior's delicious vanilla protein powder, which ended up tasting as luscious as it looked. I cannot remember the last time I devoured a mountain of apples so quickly as when they were naughtily smothered in this warm salted "caramel" sauce...

As promised, here is the formula I used to create this decadently delicious blend:

Ingredients

• 1/8 C Raw Unhulled Sesame Seeds (Organic) + 1 tsp for garnish
• 1 C Sunwarrior Vanilla protein powder
• 1 Tbsp Lucuma powder
• 2 Tbsp Coconut nectar 
• 1 Tbsp Vitamineral Earth
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C H2O

Preparation:
Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until smooth & slightly above body temp.
Pour generously over chopped apples, garnish with reserved sesame seeds