Fudgesicles

I'm posting this recipe right on the heels of my last post because the recipe is the same.  The only difference is that don't eat the chocolate avocado pudding right after you make it, you freeze it!  This makes the most decadent, creamy, rich, and satisfying fudgesicle you've ever had.  I think they are SO much better than anything you buy in the store which is full of refined sugar and processed junk.  My kids go nuts over these and love taking part in making them which I think really helps when it comes to teaching them about healthy foods.  This is a treat, but it boasts wonderfully healthy ingredients like, avocados (full of vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats, and fiber) and cocoa powder (the number one antioxidant food in the world.)  Let's hear it for chocolate, creamy, and delicious all being part of a healthy diet!

(Here is the link to the recipe)

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

 

I want you to listen closely as you look at this picture and tell me if you hear angels singing?  Do you hear them?  I do!!  This is one of those recipes that, I think, is angelically good.  I had seen similar recipes for avocado pudding and read the rave reviews, but was optimistically skeptical.  I anticipated a somewhat passable pudding that you could be proud of nutritionally and learn to think of as a good processed free pudding alternative.  I had read a few reviews that people hated it so I didn't want to expect too much.  Boy were they wrong, it was terrific!  I'm not sure why someone wouldn't like it.  I changed my version a bit to fit my tastes and guidelines and also to make it deliciously simple.  I hope this doesn't disappoint.  It's one of our new family favorites!

2 avocados

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

1/8 tsp. salt

Put everything in a food processor (I used my mini) and turn it on!  That's it, so simple.  The kids loved it and the first thing my husband said was it tastes like creamy chocolate frosting.  Guess what's going to be on our next cake?  You can eat this immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  This makes about 4 small servings, but you could easily double it to make more.

Chicken and Vegetable Gnocchi Soup

I love soup!  It always feels like comfort food to me.  My new favorite thing is to eat at our backyard picnic table with the kids running around in the grass and enjoy the nice weather after the long winter.  This soup was what we had for dinner last night in our backyard and it felt like nature and my taste buds were giving me a big hug!

I first got this recipe from my friend Jeni.  I've since altered it to make it completely processed free and increased the veggies.  I kind of like to think of it more like a vegetable soup with a little chicken rather than the reverse.  I used a packaged gnocchi to make this fast and easy, but you can make them yourself with whole wheat flour or brown rice flour as a substitution for refined white flour.  Either way, it's delicious!

1 chicken breast, diced

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

4 Tbsp. butter

1/2 to 1 cup diced celery

1 onion diced or pureed

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp. whole wheat flour/brown rice flour

1 quart half and half

2 carrots finely shredded

1 zucchini shredded

2 containers of chicken broth (14 oz. size) or one 26 oz. container

1 package gnocchi (whole wheat or gluten free made with rice flour)

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped finely

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

In a large pot, cook the chicken in the coconut oil.  Remove it from the pot and set aside.  Add the butter, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium heat until translucent.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute before adding the half and half.  Cook the gnocchi and set aside. Add the carrots and zucchini as well as the chicken back into the pot and let it thicken.  Pour in the chicken broth and allow to thicken again.  Add the gnocchi, spinach and seasonings and heat through.  Take a final taste before serving to check the seasoning.

Feel free to add any other leftover veggies to this soup, it will only make it better!  This can also become a vegetarian soup if you leave out the chicken and substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.  This pairs nicely with some clean biscuits (here's mine) and/or a nice salad. 

Peanut Butter Frosting

 

This recipe was inspired by my husband.  He LOVES the combo of peanut butter and chocolate.  For his birthday, I decided I had to come up with a peanut butter frosting to top my clean chocolate cake.  Of course I didn't want to use any refined sugar seeing as I wanted it to be processed free, so this is not as "fluffy" as other frostings.  But it does hold it's shape enough that I think you could even pipe with it.  Let me tell you what a big hit this was.  My husband said this was his favorite cake ever!  I have to agree it was super delicious.  We have since made this again and I swear it was even better than I remembered the first time.  I think this has become my husband's official birthday cake!

3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

4 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a medium size bowl, heat the peanut butter in the microwave for one minute.  Stir in the coconut sugar and heat for another minute.  You are looking for the peanut butter and coconut sugar to really combine and soften.  Add the butter and vanilla and beat with a mixer until it's smooth.  This should be firm enough, but if it's not, you can sprinkle in a small amount of spelt or whole wheat flour and mix again.  This can now be spread on a cooled cake or piped.  If your coconut sugar is not very fine, measure it first, then put it in a food processor or spice grinder and pulse to get a nice fine texture.  Store the leftover cake with frosting in the refrigerator - if you have any!