Vegan Raw Desserts

healthy eating

Chocolate Hazelnut Milk

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Sometimes, being dairy-free can feel limiting. I grew up drinking milk with every meal, and drinking chocolate milk with my school lunches was always my favorite. Once I realized dairy was one of the main reasons my stomach hurt, I simply had to cut it out. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t miss it! Lucky for me, playing in the kitchen is literally my favorite thing in the whole world. It makes me happy, destresses me when I have a bad day and feels super rewarding when someone enjoys my one of my treats. In any case, this Chocolate Hazelnut Milk was created out of nessesity. I was craving something chocolaty, rich and smooth and, after 3 attempts, I nailed this recipe!

Check out how easy it is to make this recipe on your own.


Chocolate Hazelnut Milk
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 5 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 5 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Chocolate Hazelnut Milk
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 5 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 5 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 60-90 seconds. Strain through a nut milk bag. Store in airtight mason jar.
Recipe Notes

Helpful Hints:

Add an additional teaspoon on cacao powder if you really love chocolate.

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Pecan Pie Energy Balls

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Pecan Pie Energy BallsI love this time of the year! The holidays are here, which means the most flavorful and delicious desserts of the year! I have so many yummy desserts that I will be sharing this holiday season, but I wanted to start with the most simple and easiest recipe of them all…Pecan Pie Energy Balls! These little bites are just something I put together because I needed a good snack for my lunches. They were so good I have a batch ready at all times.

Check out my youtube video here.

Pecan Pie Energy Balls
Print Recipe
The holidays are here, which means the most flavorful and delicious desserts of the year! These little bites are just something I put together as a quick snack for my lunches.
Servings Prep Time
15-20 balls 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
15-20 balls 5 minutes
Pecan Pie Energy Balls
Print Recipe
The holidays are here, which means the most flavorful and delicious desserts of the year! These little bites are just something I put together as a quick snack for my lunches.
Servings Prep Time
15-20 balls 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
15-20 balls 5 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: balls
Instructions
  1. Process all ingredients in food processor for about 60 seconds or until graham cracker–like consistency. Crumble should hold together when squeezed. Form into 1 inch balls.
Recipe Notes

These balls can be stored in the refrigerator for one week or in freezer for up to one month.

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FAT: It Doesn’t Make You Fat!

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food-nature-autumn-nuts

F-A-T.  This three letter word has caused too much confusion for far too long!  Today, I want to shed some light this topic. People are still afraid of eating fat, which is so sad.  Back in the day, it was widely excepted by nutritionists that consuming fat caused people to get fat. But the science of today has been updated… much like your new smart phone (loving that new iOS 10!). And, let’s be honest, none of us want to trade in our new and improved smart phones for an outdated flip phone. So, it is time for all of us to get the latest update, but this time for our nutrition and better health! My goal is to keep this post short and sweet as this is the first post I am writing on this topic, and I am sure there will be many more to come.

hand-top-white-old-1

Lets start with the most basic fact we need to know. Fat is essential to our diets and general wellbeing. Now to be clear, I am talking about healthy fats like nuts, avocados, olive oil and coconut oil. I do not mean the unhealthy fats in processed fast food. To understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy fat check out this link.

olive-oil

So why is healthy fat so essential?  Eating fat improves your energy levels, regulates hormones, supports brain function, helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A,D & E), helps gain muscle and, when eaten with carbs, slows down the absorption of food, which helps control blood sugar spikes! Meaning it controls insulin spike! This is so important because insulin is a fat-storing hormone. So fat actually does the opposite of what we all thought to be true years ago. These are just some of the awesome benefits to eating fat. If you would like to learn more, I suggest checking out Eat Fat, Get Thin, & Always Hungry?.

I hope this post peaks your curiosity and inspires you to learn more. Be on the look out for my next blog on what I eat in a day to stay on track.

Sweets In The Raw: Naturally Healthy Book Launch Party

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raw book launch party

Earlier this month, I had my official launch party for my cookbook, Sweets In The Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts, at True Food Kitchen Fashion Valley.  I pulled out all the stops to make it truly amazing! I figure you only have one big launch party for your first cookbook ever, right?!?

raw book launch party food

I was so happy to see everyone who came to support and celebrate the book, despite it being a Thursday night, the official start of the football season (Go Chargers!).

raw book launch party group shot

To see so many loving and familiar faces was truly humbling, but to see so many new people who have been following me through my blog, social media and TV appearances was incredibly flattering. Thank you ALL for being so supportive. I really hope you love this book and the desserts inside it as much as I loved creating it! With that being said, there were so many different things that came together to create this event, so I wanted to take a minute to share some images and thank some important people who made it all possible.

raw book launch party book display

vegan lemon cookies
vegan chocolate truffles                 sunfoods launch party
raw book launch party samplingraw book launch party 3

A massive thank you to Sunfood, True Food Kitchen (Lea, the restaurant manager there is the best) and BROOKE LIMPERIS PHOTOGRAPHY for sponsoring my event. Not to mention everyone who has made this cookbook a reality: Mike Carpenter (photographer), Stacey Uy (graphic designer for cookbook), Danielle Grady (editor), Lisa Dibbell (editor), Jeniffer Thomas (book consultant), Samantha Murphy (social media graphic designer), Kristi Dosh (national pr), Tricia van Dockum (local pr), Paulina LaScola (photographer) and of course my #1 supporter, Dan Marquis (test taster & husband).

raw book launch party people raw book launch party event                              raw book launch party book signing

Long before before creating this cookbook, I dreamed of how it could impact individual people’s lives and then hopefully, the world. At the event, I was able to hear everyone’s specific stories as to why they came, and those stories were truly inspiring.  To see the impact this project has already started to create is incredible. Without you, I would’ve never thought about making a cookbook.

raw book launch party group shot true food raw book launch party family pic

Private Event: Spouses Night Out

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Laura Marquis, author of Sweets In The Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts and owner of Marquis Pilates will be hosting a raw dessert demo where she’ll introduce techniques in making healthy sweet treats! These raw dessert recipes are quick and simple to make and provide your body with a ton of nutrients while you indulge!

Menu includes:

Chocolate Truffles
Pumpkin Bars
Eggnog

Strawberry Banana Nice Cream

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strawberry banana ice creamI love ice cream!! I mean, I really, really love it. So much so that I’ll hear an ice cream truck and want to go chasing after it! The struggle is real, guys.

You may know this already, but, sadly, I have a few problems with ice cream…
#1 I can’t eat dairy.
#2 Most ice creams are loaded with sugar.
To combat my dilemma, which I’m sure many other people are facing (I’m looking at you, millions of humans with diary issues!), I created several vegan ice cream recipes in my cookbook, Sweets in the Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts. However, not everyone has an ice cream maker or 45 minutes to spare, so I needed to create an even easier option!
strawberry banana nice cream
And here you are! Enjoy this vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free Strawberry Banana Ice Cream the next time you are craving a sweet treat!
Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
Print Recipe
If you love ice cream, you have to try this delicious and much healthier vegan alternative!
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
Print Recipe
If you love ice cream, you have to try this delicious and much healthier vegan alternative!
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Cut banana into coin size pieces and freeze until rock solid. Process the frozen banana, strawberries and vanilla in a food processor. Process just until your nice cream looks creamy. Serve right away or save into a container and freeze until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Helpful Hint:
Hold onto the food processor in the beginning as the frozen bananas may cause a jolt in the very beginning!
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