Vegan Harvest and Hot Fudge "Lara Bars" ...

Good afternoon, Gnawers!  It has been such a wonderful Sunday for me so far.  I slept in with the sound of rain beating on my roof and my puppy snuggled up by my side.  I can't remember the last time I was able to do that!  The storm cleared by the time I got up and left a cool sunny day in its wake.  It has been a "windows open" kind of day.  I love having the fresh air blowing through my house.  I have spent the morning and early afternoon leisurely reading magazines and doing some light cleaning around the house.  It is the rest and relaxation I so needed after a few stressful weeks.

As many of you know, I have been talking about my search for a good vegan pizza alternative for weeks now.  One of my readers suggested buying a vegan frozen pizza made by "American Flatbread" the last time I talked about my pizza cravings.  I happened to find an American Flatbread "Vegan Harvest" pizza at Whole Foods this week.  I was super excited, but did not want to get my hopes up ...

Drumroll please!  Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdb ...

IT. WAS. AWESOME!  It came out the oven with ooey gooey melty cheese and the tomato sauce was perfect!  The herbs you see on the pics below were already on there straight from the box and they added a scrumptious flavor.  I didn't have to add a single thing to this delectable pie.  This pizza will definitely be a good back up from here on out when I have pizza cravings.  Hallelujah.

In the past few days, I have created or found vegan mac 'n cheese, vegan ranch dressing, and vegan pizza... all much healthier versions of the favorites I used to eat!  There is really no excuse now for going back to my old ways.  As I have said all along ... this is not a "diet".  This is a new lifestyle.  A way of being.  I plan to live like this from here in out, and finding treats like this makes it that much easier!!!

I decided to cook a little this afternoon too.  I am finding it peaceful and relaxing rather than a pain in the butt these days.  Funny how things change ...

Most of you probably know what Lara Bars are.  They are delicious unprocessed snack bars with very few ingredients.  I often grab one with a piece of fruit in the morning for a quick breakfast or snag one in the afternoon if I am going to have a late dinner.  I found a recipe for Hot Fudge Brownie "Lara Bars" on the Chocolate Covered Katie website recently and wanted to give it a try.  So, that is what I did today!  I made only a few slight variations.  They turned out AWESOME.  Even, dare I say, better than Lara Bars.  They are rich and fudgy and will be perfect for a little sweet treat when my sweet tooth kicks in.  Like my very own secret weapon!  They are also easy and quick to make.  Winning!

Hot Fudge Brownie Lara Bars


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 and 1/3 cup pitted dates
• 4 tablespoons organic cacao poder (or cocoa powder)
• 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation Instructions:

1.  Add all ingredients to food processor or blender (VitaMix!).

2.  Blend until combined well.

3.  place dough on a cutting board and flatten to 1/2 inch thick with your hands or a rolling pin.  You can also put it in a ziplock bag and shape the dough in there before cutting.

4.  Cut into bars.  Put parchment paper between bars to keep them from sticking to each other.  Serve and enjoy!!!

I hope you are each having a Sunday as enjoyable and relaxing as mine is today!  Self-care is such an important part of this process ... a lesson it has taken me way too long to learn.  Even if you are busy or stressed today, try to carve out at least 15 minutes that are all yours to with what you wish ... breathing is a good place to start!  :)  More goodness coming your way as we kick off another week!  Until next time, dear Gnawers ... take good care of you!!!