Thoughts & Coconut Cashew Strawberry Swirl Nice Cream

Where did 2014 go?

It went somewhere cold and snowy because now it's 2015 and looking really warm and sunny with dabs of snow on top, like a big vanilla scoop with strawberry swirls and white sprinkles on top. 

Sort of like that. If 2015 really does look like that, then that means that we're in for a treat!! Haha!

Anyway, it's been two weeks of winter break from school and already I've started to get flustered about getting back on top. You know, the books and tests and grades. That's kind of why this nice cream miracle happened. 

Even though it's super chilly outside, nice cream still has its very own warm place in my heart… And stomach!

Of course I adore banana ice cream: it's sweet, plain and simple, which creates the perfect soft-serve image in my head regularly. It's great for a right-out-of-the-blender treat, but not for a real rich and creamy dessert that replicates a the thick scoops you can get by the beaches in Seattle. That place is gorgeous and so are its ice cream shops. 

My nice cream creation is made out of coconut milk and cashews- rich and creamy that perfectly replicates a Seattle scoop! I've never really tried the two together for nice cream, and I admit that the thought of trying something different that didn't entirely include bananas sounded intimidating.

For this recipe, I assure that it's really not! We're still on the blender bandwagon, yea? There isn't an ice-cream maker for this recipe to be seen! (And I don't have one either)

Anyway, I hope you all kick off the new year with fresh spirits and some yummy, creamy, rich and smooth nice cream like this. At least, that' how I am…..

COCONUT CASHEW STRAWBERRY SWIRL NICE CREAM FOR WINNERS;

*2 frozen, spotty-dotty bananas, peeled and super ripe as always

*1/4 C of soaked cashews, rinsed

*1/2 C of full-fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen)

*1/2 C of frozen strawberries- diced 

*1 tsp. each of vanilla extract, honey/agave (or 1-2 drops of pure stevia), and lemon juice

*fresh orange juice from 1 squeeze orange

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the bananas, cashews, and coconut milk together with the freshly squeezed OJ. 

2. pulse the strawberries and other liquidy things I asked for in next. 

3. pop in the freezer for about 6 hours and stir every half-hour for a creamy consistency

4. HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND ENJOY THIS LOVELY STUFF WITH A SPOON BECAUSE YOU CAN JUST EAT IT FROM THE CONTAINER- ICE CREAM SCOOPERS ARE WAY OVERRATED!!

Xxx, Alli <33

Not Too Sure, Answers to Everything, & the Warmest Cookie Latte for a White Christmas!

Since my last post, I've been thinking about how insightful I've become over the last few months: I'm not really feeling too pressured to be fit the exact measurements I always thought I had to meet. Today I realized that it's okay to not know.

I usually have an answer for everything. For example…..
Why do you feel sad/unhappy today?
~I'm anxious, and I need to remind myself that my size or looks don't define me. Sometimes, I have unhappy days where all I think about is myself, but I'm trying not to think about myself so much.

Why are you angry at other people? What did they do to you?
~I think I'm angry at everyone right now because I'm mostly angry at myself. I feel like all of my faults have been turned onto other people and now it's their fault that I'm mad, but it's really not.

But when asked how I feel about everything in this moment, I don't know.

It's okay that I don't know. I don't have to feel every minute and every answer to my hypothetical questions. I'm not even sure I know what I'm typing.

I know that I feel happy, but then afraid at the same time. I'm afraid of looking back and never moving forward. The past is apart of me. But I am not my past; I am my future. Many months ago I was my past, but that was my future. My future now is ahead of me, somewhere where I'll be wiser and more lively instead of just someone with a past that she'll never let go of.

And so for now, I don't know. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel relieved or frightened; Maybe both. What I've learned over the past few months is that it's okay to no know for sure. Nobody has the exact answers to everything and who really could? Even if I did have an answer now, I bet you all that it would change in my dysmorphed, colorful world of confusion and amazement. You don't have to feel or know in the exact moment to be wise.

It's 60 degrees and the end of December. I've finally accepted that we are not having a white Christmas here in Salt Lake. Oh well, maybe there will be a white Christmas actually. I'm not too positive on that one though. 

Christmas drinks at Starbucks are always so yummy and super festive! They're too overrated for me though. I wanted something eggnogy, fresh, minty, creamy, warm and milky- so I created the perfect Cookie Latte one night a few nights ago whilst sleep-drinking. (I was super tired and practically sleeping) 

The crazy amounts of sugar and odd processed crap the legendary Starbucks drinks has to offer just…. didn't appeal to me. Apparently there's no real pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes. How shameful and appalling, really!

My wintery concoction turned out fab I'd say! IT'S ALSO SUPER EASY TO MAKE! It's perfect with the slight buttery taste the pb gives and the vanilla makes a warm drink. At the end, with the dark chocolate 88% chunks, they melt and are irresistibly sweet and yummy in your mouth!! Ahhh….

COOKIE CHOCOLATE WHITE CHRISTMAS LATTE:

 *1/2 C of almond milk + 1/4 C of canned full-fat coconut milk (I like to use Trader Joe's or Thai Kitchen)

*1 tsp. of honey, pure bourbon vanilla extract, and coconut sugar each

*1.5 tsp. of creamy natural peanut butter

*1 small square of at least 88% dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces. 

I don't recommend using cacao nibs because they don't melt the way that super dark chocolate does

DIRECTIONS:

***The best way is to make on the stovetop, I posted the way to do it in the microwave on instagram, but since then, I think that the stovetop way works better to break up peanut butter chunks and to melt everything in***

1. In a small sauce pan, stir the almond and coconut milk and coconut sugar together on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until nice and frothy.

2. add in the honey, vanilla, and melt your peanut butter in the microwave so you can stir it better. Stir until well combined- 3-4 minutes.

3. pour into a white Christmas mug and stir in the dark chocolate chunks! Enjoy!!

Xxx, Alli

Peace Within, over 1300 Pageviews on VBK, & Christmas Banana "Ice-Cream"!!

The lighting is perfect: it's almost a gloomy day, dark and misty but the air is dry and silvery. Perfect time to post.

I've not had hardly any time at all to post, I just barely had to get a new phone because I dropped my old 5c on my friend's toe and it dropped and the screen literally faded to dark purple. What the heck? This past week was the last week of school before a whole 2 weeks of break! (I just adore Christmas and New Year's break!!) 

Anyway, in this post, I'm going to share my thoughts and feelings on how I've changed over the past couple of months, and how my change has been a good effect on me and my surroundings.

My mental health has improved quite a bit. Even though it may seem so sparkly and like I'm so joyful all the time, I'm not. I'm a real person with real feelings that I don't always brush off. What I've learned over the past couple of months is that my body is often in a war with itself. For now, I'm finding some unity within. 

Most days, my body image is alright. Some days though, I feel lonely and miserable, withdrawn and isolated. With these real feelings, I mask them into a false feeling I like to call 'fat'. I feel fat on those days. Here's something I've learned: you cannot simply feel fat, you must be calling yourself fat because of unwanted feelings you don't feel like coping or coming to terms with. This isn't for everybody, but I hear this a lot. 

I also have anxiety. Anxiety is merciless. My anxiety is not me, but I like to hide behind the shadow it creates. I usually fret over small flaws and details in my everyday life, whether it be me consuming food with a lower nutritional value than I'd like, or not moving around enough. 

Butterflies eat away at my gut. My eyes aren't my eyes anymore- they're some dark, shadow's eyes that have no depth with specks of panic. My hair becomes brittle and thin, and my hands turn eggplant purple; My hands become cold. There's also a constant ring inside my head- I'm not crazy, but guilt likes to bottle up inside my gut and come up to my head to explode. I think the guilt likes to trick me into thinking that I'm worth less than how much I really am.

When I feel like this, I am quick to recognize that I've sank to the bottom of a murky pool with sharp edges and weeds swimming around. Today I swam and pulled myself up to the surface of the pool; I am okay. 

The past few months have been mostly lived in peace. I like the word peace, it reminds me of a beautiful river streaming freely; I'd like to live in that river forever. The plan for the next couple of months is to renew peace within my body for good. Maybe my body and I can be friends. Think of your body as a house: you wouldn't try to burn it down, so why would you try to damage your body in order to even make it look like something unrealistic? 

For today, my body is at peace. It might not be tomorrow or the next day, but for today, that's enough.

On the other (less emotional) hand, VBK had reached over 1300 page views! What a pleasant surprise! Thanks to everyone who has read my blog. I'm blushing right now <3

Today I'm sharing with you guys a new favorite banana "ice-cream" recipe! You all know the drill- freeze some spotty-dotty bananas and whip 'em up to create an ice cream like texture. 

The right blend of citrus and matcha green-tea flavor along with berries really gives a pop-tart taste and smells just like Christmas should. Tip*: if you freeze the bananas and let them thaw for 10-15 minutes, then you'll make the blending process easier on your blender or food processor. 

HEALTHY CHRISTMAS CHEERY ICE'CREAM:

*2 frozen, spotty dotty ripe bananas, sliced

*1/3 C of any plant-based milk(s) (for this I used half coconut and half almond)

*1 tsp. each of matcha green-tea powder, pure vanilla extract, orange zest, and honey

*1/2 C of frozen mixed berries

*1/3 of a frozen acai berry packet

*2 ice cubes

*sprinkle of excitement for Christmas (coconut sugar)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start whipping up your bananas with the plant-based milk(s), frozen berries and acai packet, and ice cubes. After, you should stir the stuff

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip up some more. When you're finished whipping and stirring, then scoop the yumminess into a colorful Christmas bowl and let sit in the freezer for approx. 30 min. to an hour to harden and thicken up for the perfect ice-cream/frozen sorbet like texture. 

3. Sprinkle some coconut sugar on and enjoy by the fireplace! Actually, please don't. The whole thing will melt profusely. Stay cozy though!

***NOTE: Please take into account that I am posting something said very personal. If you are in any way triggered by this, then please notify me. I'm trying to, as I said, find some peace within and this is my journal. Xxx, Alli <3***

Life is like a cloud.
It's heavy, more cumbersome. It's also rainy but sunlight always shines through the murky, gloomy globs of mist and air. Actually, life is more like the weather- the right weather, that is. Life is like the weather in Utah, always right on the seasons and quick to shift out of order unexpectedly. Because how could it be like the weather somewhere always alluring and too honey-colored and charismatic, like in the South or in Hawaii?

As humans, we like to keep things on edge. The windy, boisterous days sum up hard faces and silent treatments, while the rainy days suffocate too much bliss and elation. In a weird way, those days level out in the early midst of Springtime and sometimes Autumn. In the real weather of Autumn/Fall, there are the crispy chills of burnt char and there is not much of the dewey scent lurking in the air anymore. Lemons are abundant in this season; There's only sour faces and too many sweet, superficial know-it-alls.

I'm not comparing how my mood is in these seasons, I'm just comparing the seasons to life. In the Summer, the cold lemonade stand resemble rebellion, and adventure is fresh in our minds. How about stepping out on the deck in a funky new halter top, or try rocking that pink mascara? But then there's the snow. The snow, there's only so much that I can brag about here in Utah. It's not slushy- rather a warm heat-blanket that covers the world around me. The books about Christmas aren't lying, the snow really is a huge blanket. Our lives revolve around the winter time. Not exactly the season, but life resembles it in a beautiful and wispy way. You're never too mental and never too alluring.

The point is that our lives must be sticky-sweet and too ripe but sour. If our lives revolved around the weather in, say Hawaii, there would be too many artificial sweeteners. I'm not bashing warm weather, but balance is good. In life balance is the key.

Balance is the key to a lifestyle. In food, in exercise and daily life, balance is everything. A little too much weight on one side, and the key to balance can be destroyed- forgotten and lost is what they say. It's so easy to leave out the essentials and to forget about balance. There is no such thing as normality, but there is such a thing to being sweet and sour. When life gives you lemons, make strawberry smoothies. Don't make lemonade. Just make lemon-water, it's more hydrating anyway.

STRAWBERRY MERRY SMOOTHIE

*1 C of frozen strawberries

*3/4 C of coconut milk

*1 tsp. of raw cacao powder and vanilla extract each

*1 super ooey-gooey persimmon

*1 package of frozen, pureed acai

*OPTIONAL, but what gives the best color and flavor: 1/2 of a frozen pitaya (you can use 1/2 of a PitayaPlus pack

*1/2 C of filtered water

Blend it all up in your Blendtec blender and practically inhale enjoy and have a wonderful, healthy Thanksgiving!

Xxx, Alli <3

VBK's Best Healthified Pancake Saturday Stack [wild blueberry and cinnamon mylkshake pancakes]

So many Pancake Sundays have gone by without notice. Such a shame. At least tomorrow shall be celebrated and praised with pancakes. I'm not sure why-maybe it's because making pancakes and taking pictures of them and noshing decorations for them making them pretty cute takes a long time. I am a girl with not a lot of patience. I like to get to the end of the story, where the girl lives happily ever after in the spotlight. I like my banana ice-cream right out of the blender, as opposed to letting it freeze for 2 hours just for the consistency. And I like pancakes that take less than 30 minutes. I'm pretty sure I've just done that. 

So fluffy, so light, and cinnamony with warmth and a heavenly scent that fills the house. I guess I should really take the time to make some delightful pancakes like these more often, because it's obviously all worth it! 

Cinnamony cinnamony eat it up, yum! These taste even better with wild blueberries inside them. They burst with a jammy flavor in your mouth- but don't let the wild blueberries spill everywhere! That happened to me and it was so not fun sweeping them up while they're juices spilled purple all over the place! 

VBK''S BEST PANCAKE SATURDAY STACK   

*1/8 C of coconut flour and pumpkin puree each

*1/2 C of oat flour (you can either buy this or grind rolled oats up in a blender/food processor.) + 1 Tbs. of rolled oats

*2 Tbs. of greek yogurt, plain or vanilla works well

*1 tsp. each of baking powder, vanilla bean extract, cinnamon, and either natural maple syrup or maple extract

*1/2 tsp. each of nutmeg, optional maca powder, and coconut sugar

*1/4 C of coconut milk

*2 egg whites or for a vegan substitute, use 1 flaxseed egg

Method to happiness:

1. Mix everything together and flip on a pre-heated pancake pan and top with lots of goodies.

2. ENJOY!! 

Let's go wild blueberry picking please

Xxxx, Alli

Spinach & Avocado Frozen Yogurt + Very Berry Kitchen's Favorite Banana "Ice-Cream!" (the oh-so vanilla post)

The days are going by too quick; It is almost Thanksgiving and we just barely got over Halloween! I have been getting lots of sore throats and cold chills recently, and I really hope that I don't start coughing all crazy because I literally look like quasi-modo whenever I cough! (Special Fact: drinking pineapple juice is 5x more helpful than cough medicine.***) Pumpkins and distinct kinds of cooky-shaped squashes are everywhere. I mean, literally everywhere because my sisters even have pumpkins in their rooms.

Next weekend, I plan to have a "healthified" booth at a Japanese boutique where you can sell anything you want! My uncle Mike is going to sell his bottle openers, and my bootiful cousin Madi is going to sell her precious bows  which are oh-so lovely! (I can't say that the bottle-openers are oh-so lovely! Teehee) 

Anyway, I'm still deciding on what to make for the boutique, because I want everything to look and taste sinful, but the treats and desserts will all be totally healthified and pro-nutrient dense! Maybe I'll make my legendary sweet-breads, or maybe even a fully-raw vegan cake. But for now, we shall eat and fantasize over a big bowl of spinachy-avo-froyo! Lettuce (pun pun!) have our froyo and always eat it.

SPINACH & AVOCADO FROYO + VBK'S FAVE NICE-CREAM!

*1 C of plain greek yogurt mixed with 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

*a huge handful of baby spinach

*2 Tbs. of soy milk (or any other plant-based milk your heart desires)

*1 rip of a vanilla bean

*1/2 of a super ripe banana

*1 frozen kiwi- diced so your food processor/blender can run smoothly

*1/4 of a mushy and super creamy avocado

*2 frozen, spotty dotty bananas + 1/2 of a banana- not frozen

*1 rip of a vanilla bean

*1 medjool date- pitted and pureed (if it's not pureed, then you might get teensy chunks of the date, even you have the highest-speed blender/food processor out there)

*2 ice cubes

*1/2 tsp. maple extract (or 1 Tbs. pure, natural maple extract)

*a tiny scoop of PB + a tiny drop of almond milk

Very Berry Kitchen's method:

1. In a very high-speed blender, blend the all of the ingredients together for the green frozen yogurt part. Pour this into half of a container and freeze.

3. In a food processor/blender, blend all of the banana ice cream ingredients together, save the PB and maple. After everything is blended all the way through, add the PB and maple and pulse. Pour this into the other half of the frozen container and freeze for at least 45 minutes for a creamier consistency. 

3. Top with any other yummies and ENJOY!!

this is the same recipe, but with some blackberries added to the nana nice-cream part <3

Xxx, Alli

One More Month Of Loveliness & Honey-Baked Strawberry and Poppy-Seed Almond Mini Bread Loaves

There are countless times I have jumped into big piles of burnt leaves.

A season I have always dreaded has actually grown on me. Pumpkin has burst into a flavor I have appreciated greatly and balsamic vinegar has become a staple with all things sour-dough. Maybe the charred leaves are good for props on instagram. And maybe, just maybe, I really do enjoy cinnamon flavored everything. 

Jumping for joy 

I love pictures! Pictures are memories that never end. You can replay the memories over and over again in pictures. Here's the thing: we all grow up but in pictures, everyone stays the same. Nobody is reminded of the animosity of a person someone has become. Or of the dead. Everybody is reminded of the sweet and crisp memories that they shared with the people in the pictures. That is just how life goes on and on and on. 

Anyway, the leaves in the American Fork canyon were beyond beautiful. They were not charred to a flaming red and pumpkin orange yet. They were bursting with dynamic yellows and the Aspen trees were thick with syrupy golden yellows and crimson red leaves. If I were a leaf, I would want to live in the season of Autumn forever. 

Well, I'm a person. I can at least eat Autumn spices and foods forever. So to be very honest with you all, I have been noshing eating lots of warm, creamy, honeyed sweet-breads everyday this Fall. 

I have a standard recipe for all of my mini loaves that pop in and out of my little toaster-oven, so you can surely tweak any of the recipes to make them you very own! This recipe that I'm featuring is going to be an almond poppy-seed and strawberry bread. I use only wholesome ingredients in these loaves, along with only whole wheat flour. You can mix up the whole wheat flour if you really want to: spelt flour is nice, oat flour, almond flour, or even regular all-purpose flour would suffice in this recipe. 

Nothing tastes more like the season of pumpkin spiced-lattes than these babies do!!

HONEY-BAKED STRAWBERRY AND POPPY-SEED ALMOND BREAD + ingredients

*3 Tbs. of whole wheat flour 

*1 1/2 tsp. each of bourbon vanilla extract, freshly squeezed (or bottled) lemon juice, maple syrup, and poppy-seeds

*2 Tbs. of low-fat greek yogurt (I used Trader Joes' brand, but you can of course use any other vegan sub. like soy yogurt or coconut-cultured yogurt. I just haven't found a brand I really like.)

*1/2 C of soy milk

*1/3 or 1/2 of a small mashed, and spotty dotty banana (just as ripe as you would use for traditional banana bread)

*1 tsp. of baking powder

*3 small and very berry delicious strawberries- roughly sliced

*some honey for drizzling over

My method:

1. In a measuring cup, mix the vanilla, lemon juice, maple syrup and milk together. This makes a vegan buttermilk with the lemon juice and milk. Let sit for 10-15 minutes or until it starts to curdle. 

2. Mix all of the ingredients together. Let this sit for approx. 10-15 minutes longer. 

3. Pour the bread batter into tiny bread loaves and drizzle with lots of honey/agave nectar. In a pre-heated toaster oven @425 degrees, bake for 16-18 minutes and ENJOY!!