Last night I made such a delicious meal- I really felt like I stuck my entire foot in it (not literally, though). It was by far, the best vegan dish I ever made. I hope you get a chance to try it out and surprise your family, like I surprised mine.
Fried Mushrooms
2 cups of cornmeal
2 cups of Louisiana Fish Fry Meal (trust me, it’s necessary)
1/2 cup of almond milk
2 packs of your favorite mushroom ( I used an assortment amount but oyster mushrooms work perfectly)
1 cup of coconut amigos or low sodium soy sauce (you can omit this, if you like)
Your favorite egg replacement (just egg, egg replacement)
Cheese Grits
Instant Grits
1/4 stick of earth balance
2 cups of vegan cheese ( i used Daiya shredds)
1/4 cup of non dairy creamer
2 cups of non dairy milk
Marinate the mushrooms in a bag with the coconut amigos/soy sauce for about an hour. Take a ziplock bag and include all dried ingredients in a bag. Take the mushroom out of the sauce and dip it in the egg replacer and put it in the ziplock bag. Shake it well.
Add your favorite oil in a pan on medium heat. When its hot, carefully add the mushrooms. Turn it over every minute and a half.
Follow instructions on instant grits box. Once cooked, add non dairy creamer and cheese and butter and stir thoroughly. Melt some butter with a couple of tbsp of hotsauce. stir and drizzle over mushrooms. Enjoy while hot!
Okay, so Thanksgiving is over. You ate as much food as possible and now you can’t poop. Does that sound about right? Or your stomach has been in pain, which started from a few hours to now an entire day! Put down the pepto bismal ya’ll! Now is the time to get your body back into the business of providing you with good nutrients that will not only make you look better but FEEL better.
We are doing the RAW Vegan Challenge again for three days straight!! If you need further guidance, check out my RAW Vegan Challenge blog and follow naturally cocoa on instagram for some useful inspo. This time around I plan to do things a bit differently. My first goal is to prep. I want to prep everything (as much as possible) because that was my struggle in the previous challenge. I only prepared a few items in advance but I should have done more. Yup, that means make smoothies and juices ahead of time and throwing them into the freezer to thaw ( I will guide you on the process via Instagram video- coming soon!). Since I have some experience with this challenge, I know which recipes my husband and I enjoy. We love smoothies and juices! Raw nuts were filling and created yummy dishes, guacamole provides a shining star with any meal and sauces are for more than just cooked foods! I plan to incorporate more physical activity as well. I would like to do some light workouts (walking/jogging/yoga).
I am gradually preparing for the RAW Vegan Challenge- meaning, I have been eating at least one RAW meal a day. Breakfast is easy for me, so I’ve been making green smoothies and eating fruits and veggies on the side. This time around, I want to focus more on how I feel versus being vain and trying to lose those pesky 10 lbs (can that be an added bonus, tho?!). I plan to take 3 days off of social media and concentrate on myself (and family) more. Meditation and reading will be my top priority. I have a list of goals that I made last year and I would like to reevaluate them and adjust for the upcoming year ahead. If you are a veteran at the three day RAW, I challenge you do more. Whether it is focusing on goals for the future or turning away some hours that are normally spent watching television… figure out what works for you. If this is new to you, welcome. All I ask is for you to keep an open mind.
Please take pics and tag naturally.cocoa ! Remember you can do this ANYTIME in the month of December..even on Christmas 🙂
Better late than never should be the title of this blog. Remember September ( I know it feels like 20 months ago)? Well, during that time on Instagram (and this blog) we discussed the RAW 3 day detox challenge. If you don’t recall, just scroll down a post or two ago and you will land at the RAW Detox Post which will guide you with recipes and advice on how to complete a 3 day RAW Vegan Meal Prep. So I had a few people join the challenge with me and they gave me their personal opinion on it:
+ “Smoothies are easy for me. I can do smoothies for every meal.”
+ “It was a bit much for me about 1.5 days- I think I should have detoxed before starting.”
+ “It wasn’t bad”
+ “I lost a few pounds”
+ “I lost two pounds”
+ “I was grocery prepared than mental, but I got my parents to do it with me and they were pretty good accountability partners.”
My personal opinion on the challenge is different since this has been my third or fourth time. I was hungry the first evening but that was to be expected. However, this was my first time meal prepping EVERYTHING! Prior to it, I would just buy salads and raw dishes from local restaurants ( I use to live downtown which made life easier to access all the good vegan places). Every night I stayed up to prep for the next day and by Day 2, I was pissed at the amount of time I was spending making meals for everyone ( hubby, myself and my child who eats a normal diet since she is 1 and because I SAID SO…argue with yourself before you try me)J
My mind was sharp and I felt in control with my emotions. 2020 has been a tough road for my little family and the raw foods calmed my spirits. My husband felt the same way and wanted to continue. I was sick of prepping and said we will figure out a strategy for next time. Otherwise I would totally do it again! And I plan to…right after Thanksgiving J
This time I will prep all 3 days as best as possible and provide more smoothies. My fave recipes included the juices and RAW Tacos!!!! So bomb. Follow me on Instagram at naturally.cocoa and join the upcoming challenge. Details will be on the gram!
Halloween looks very different in the Howard household this year. I have always enjoyed Halloween and trick or treating and candy and costumes! This time of year always gets me super pumped because I do believe this is a special night for the dead. Yes, I’m the weird one who enjoys ghost tours and visiting cemeteries in New Orleans ( I have twice lol!)
Since I have a little one, I can experience my love for Halloween with her. Before the increase in covid cases, my plans were to put Gabs in a wagon and trick or treat through our neighborhood so we..i mean..she could enjoy her candy 🙂
Yet, Covid numbers have increased rapidly in Texas and so we figured it was best to stay inside and stay safe. L I couldn’t leave yall hanging though! Below is a tasty Halloween Margarita Recipe and Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Recipes that I fell in love with. If you follow me on Instagram at naturally cocoa, you can see my bartending/cooking skills come to life hahaha!
If you are bored tonight and staying in, I suggest giving these spooky treats a try. Very few ingredients on both recipes and it’s easy to make. Entertain yourself and as always, be safe!
yield: serves 2
HALLOW-RITA: HALLOWEEN MARGARITA
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
4 oz tequila
2 oz triple sec
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 cups crushed ice
lime wedge
lime slices, for garnish
1/2 cup black salt
blue food coloring
red food coloring
green food coloring
DIRECTIONS:
In a tumbler combine tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Pour the mixture into a large measuring cup or a bowl that you can easily pour from. Next, add the food coloring (about a drop of each at first). Continue to stir and add colorings until desired mixture is achieved. It took me about three rounds.
Pour the black salt onto a plate. Take the lime wedge and rub it around each glass. Dip the glass into the black salt.
Fill each glass with ice. Pour the margarita mixture into the glass and garnish with fresh lime slices!
Line a 12 cup standard size muffin tin with paper liners.
Place half of the chocolate chips (1 cup) and half of the coconut oil (1 tablespoon) in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then another minute and stir until melted and smooth. If you do not have a microwave, you can use the double broiler method to melt.
Scoop about half of a tablespoon melted chocolate, and place it in each liner. Use a small spoon to spread it around and up the sides just a little bit. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
While the chocolate hardens in the freezer, add the peanut butter and powdered sugar to a bowl and mix with a spoon or fork until well combined and a sort of dough is formed. Taste for sweetness, and add more sugar if desired. If using unsalted peanut butter, add a tiny pinch of salt.
Remove the pan from the freezer. The chocolate should be quite firm and not melty anymore. Place a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate in each cup, and press down a bit with your hands. It does not need to be flattened completely. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Melt the other cup of chocolate chips and the last tablespoon of coconut oil, as you did before. Scoop 1/2 tablespoon on top of the peanut butter and spread immediately with a small spoon if needed and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired. Because the peanut butter was in the freezer, the chocolate will harden quickly. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
Storage: Store the peanut butter cups in the refrigerator or freezer, as they will melt rather quickly at room temperature because of the coconut oil. If you want them to be more shelf stable, substitute melted vegan butter for the coconut oil, or leave it out completely.
Video
Notes
Many brands of chocolate chips are vegan, simply check the ingredients list for milk fat, butter oil or any other animal based ingredients.
Instead of chocolate chips, you can also use vegan chocolate bars, which may be easier to find depending on where you live.
Calories estimate is for 1 peanut butter cup if you make 12.
These can be made into mini peanut butter cups! Use a mini muffin pan and mini liners for smaller treats.
I have found that when making candy, it’s best to use regular peanut butter, not the natural kind. Natural can be so runny or very thick, and is not as consistent. For the best filling, use regular creamy peanut butter.
This pandemic has caused all of us to stay at home, become inactive and eat whatever we have available..which is fine while on survival mode.
Now we are still in the midst of the pandemic BUT we can start working out more and focus on our health. I have been eating all the wrong things! My body feels sluggish and (TMI) my regular bowel movements have been kinda off schedule. When I added this challenge on Instagram stories- I was surprised at the number of people willing to join in the detox. It made me feel good knowing we have all been looking for a clean start. So this is the clean start.
A 3 day RAW DETOX Challenge.
Take a journey with me and follow a RAW Plant Based Regimen for 3 days! You may ask when does it start?? AND my answer is: THIS MONTH! In the month of September 2020- pick 3 days out of the week to focus on eating raw uncooked fruits and vegetables ALL DAY. Juices and Smoothies included! Now you may say…girl bye. But hear me out!! Eating uncooked fruits and vegetables will allow your body a chance to receive all of the vitamins and minerals that are generally lossed when cooked. Â
 If this challenge is just “too much” incorporate 1 RAW Plant based meal a day. It’s all about the effort. I have created a meal plan with links to all of the recipes in the table below the plan. Make sure you start this challenge while you are in town and near a bathroom. Raw Fruits and Veggies will go through you pretty quickly. Eat/Drink as much as you want and as often as you like. Now is not the time to count calories. Take pics of your meals and follow my Instagram: naturally.cocoa while I travel this journey with my family. I’ll be keeping you posted on grocery list and food demos soon- be on the look out!
First off… I pray you + your loved ones are safe! This quarantine life is so draining and the constant pull towards working longer hours, staying on social media and watching TV has really taken a toll on everyone’s physical and mental health!
Now is not the time to fall into old habits of sedentary activities! Though we are still in the dark about this virus and how it affects everyone so differently, we can only focus on one thing….“control the controllables”.
What can you control now? For the Howard household, we have always been pro active in nutrition and physical activity. We decided to keep this routine and add a few additional vitamins/nutrients for a great immune system. One of them being… Sea Moss.
Irish Sea Moss Gel
Algae has always been around!
In fact, prior to the Sea Moss wave, I use to take blue green algae pills recommended by my previous employer at the time, in his plant based wellness clinic. I don’t remember feeling a difference in energy but was told about its numerous health benefits; including the potential to lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Spirulina had limited studies and even though I continued to believe in its benefits…it was hurting my pockets. The pills weren’t cheap.. So I ditched it and moved on with life.
4 years later, algae comes back into my life again in the form of Irish Sea Moss Gel. Irish Sea Moss is a part of the red algae family. Great benefits- Rich in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and more! Now that I am older and quite frankly more exhausted…I need to SEE the benefits for myself; which I did! I noticed an increase amount of energy… and it’s easy on the pockets too.
As a new mom, I would run to the coffee maker every morning to get that boost. Ever since I began adding the gel into my smoothie, I no longer feel the need to drink coffee. My energy was there! I have a very busy job in which I work 9 hours a day AND play daycare with my little one. My brain can be all over the place but the sea moss really allows me to be alert. I notice a difference if I miss a day of my smoothie! Now I do have a doctor’s appointment next month and I am curious as to how my blood work will look. I will keep you updated but for those who are looking for some energy- give the Irish Sea Moss Gel a try. Make sure to buy from a reputable source! You can make it on your own as well. I plan to make it in the kitchen and post the recipe in the near future.
Happy Saturday! Today in my very BLACK household, we are treating today as a day of rest. This country has so much to work on in terms of injustice, police brutality, homophobia, racism and sexism that the Howard household felt like today was not a day to celebrate this country..it would be hypocritical. However, we are going to enjoy some vegan treats with our family and play some Marvin Gaye and Frankie Beverly outside..why? because we can 🙂 and we don’t take being alive for granted!
This morning I whipped up a very quick vegan dessert for our afternoon festivities. I got a chance to relax from work for a few days prior and found this recipe from pinterest. Now that my little one is a toddler and gets into EVERYTHING, I am more aware of how I spend my time. Literally, this recipe took 5 minutes to make. I did use a pre made crust and the vegan whip cream is not homemade ( I used Trader Joe’s coconut whip cream- AMAZING), so that cut the time in half. I did not use fresh lemon juice either but its your choice. Like I said, I love to cook but I also love my child, and I need to keep my eye on her at all times 🙂
Recipe is below pic. Put whatever fruit you like. I choose the colors of the PAN African Flag, red, black and green. Red for the blood we shed, black for black people and green for growth.
Vegan Lemon Cheesecake
No Bake, Dairy Free Vegan Lemon Cake by Sarah Jane Parker of “The Fit Cookie”
Fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat the non-dairy cream cheese with a hand blender to soften it and make it smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, natural yellow food color, and the lemon zest.
Then beat in the lemon juice and vanilla, mixing well so the cheesecake mixture is smooth.
Add 1/2 of the container of CocoWhip to the bowl and beat together with the cream cheese mixture until it’s smooth and mixed thoroughly, then fold in the remaining CocoWhip by hand with a spatula.
Spread the cheesecake mixture into the pre-made or homemade cookie crust, spreading out to make it smooth on top.
Chill for 4 or more hours, until it is chilled and has firmed up.
Serve topped with raspberries or strawberries and mint leaves for garnish. Enjoy!
I know, I know…its been way too long! And if you follow my Instagram or facebook- you are aware that we are near the end of our 2020 NATURALLY GREEN CHALLENGE!
Originally, I planned to have this blog posted at the beginning of our challenge so I could bring about a bigger audience but SO much has happened! I have a new job and even though it is a blessing, like every new job, it takes a few months to really find your groove and get comfortable.
Gabrielle is 6 months now! She is talking ( she says dada of course lol) and she crawls and eats real food. She is so much fun and I love her dearly. When I am not juggling motherhood and work, I still try to manage to be the wife my husband fell in love with. Making time to love on one another can be challenging but it’s so necessary and needed. Then the remaining 3% of me that is left is either spent hanging out with friends, working out or having self care me time… and this blog is self care to me!!
I will do better and my goal is to post every Friday/Saturday or every other week!
The Challenge: We have 2 days left of the 2020 Naturally Green Challenge, but you can still hop on board and create your own timeline. The rules are: For 30 days you are to include one GREEN Vegan Meal a day. I say green because its very easy to eat a meal (for me anyway) that is Vegan. However, it is not as easy to add fresh green produce in it. Green veggies don’t get the kind of praise they need. They are packed with Vitamin A and C. A great source of potassium and fiber and they are low cal! Which means, eat up sis, they won’t make you fat! I encouraged all participants to take a picture and hashtag #naturallygreenchallenge. I encouraged others to write out there goals. Whether it was to lose weight, to cook more, to be healthier..anything.
I wanted the challenge for my edges…. Yes my hair edges. My hair went through post partum shedding and if you are a mom you may be familiar with post partum shedding. One minute your luscious hair is down your back and then three months later, you look in the mirror and your edges are BALD! I couldn’t believe it. My stylist said this was normal but I need to add more greens and vitamins- of course, my know -it- all self told her “ Im a nutritionist, I know what to do”. But really… I had no clue. I eat healthy right? So I assumed but in reality- I ate a ton of processed vegan food! Which is vegan but NOT HEALTHY! Anyway, I managed to style my hair in a way no one could see them and kept my day consumed with eating healthier for REAL and drinking water. I wanted others to join in because I knew people were looking to achieve healthy goals in 2020 and it’s so easy to achieve them in a group.
Anyway, take the challenge. Find your own goals. And follow my food page: naturally.cocoa for more help with eating greens and new meals. Have fun and see yall soon.
Its holiday season folks! Bring on the cheesey music , games and laughter. But let’s not forget the pie! My instagram family voted for pie as a dessert to make and I couldn’t have been more happier. This Pecan Pie is so easy to make and so good— it’s a must for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The special ingredient…coconut milk brings a nice surprise to the flavor. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Miyokos)
1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon
fine sea salt
1 prepared pie crust
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat
the oven to 350°F then parbake your prepared pie crust for 7 minutes. Set it
aside to cool. In a measuring cup, combine the coconut milk and cornstarch then
whisk until smooth.
In
a saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and toast in
the pan for about 30 seconds while stirring continuously. Pour in the maple
syrup, coconut sugar, coconut milk mixture, vanilla and salt. Whisk until
smooth.
Remove from heat then pour the mixture in the pie crust until
filled to about 1/4-inch of the top of the crust. Bake in the oven for about 30
minutes, or until filling appears mostly firm when you gently jiggle it. Cool
on the counter for 2-3 hours then cover and store in the refrigerator for at
least 8 hours, ideally overnight. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least
an hour before serving. If it’s too cold then it will be firm but serving it at
room temperature makes for the perfect texture.
Hey yall- I lovvveee festivals. Margarita festivals, Caribbean festivals, food festivals— >> especially Vegan Food Festivals. Although I am not complete 100% Vegan, I am aware of the wonderful benefits behind the lifestyle! You’re helping the environment, the animals, your health..but no one told me about the really great food festivals in this benefits package. Vegandale Food Festival makes its way to several big cities throughout the year and when it made its stop in Houston on Saturday, I knew I had to check it out.
A few of the vendors I was already familiar with such as:
Agape Juices
Cinnaholic
Soul Food Vegan
However, they have 25+ vendors and I wanted to explore. Our first stop was Pythagoras conscious food philosophy. We stopped and grabbed a pizza. The wait was a bit much but that is a good thing for business. The pizza was very yummy. The pepperoni taste like the real deal and they warmed each personal pizza in the small oven. While waiting on pizza, I slid to the booth next to us called Cascabel. They had tacos with the original fixings of jackfruit and soy crumble. To me…I could make these same tacos at home BUT the sauces they had gave it a good punch. Hubs loved the spicy red sauce on one taco and that sold me as well.
We washed everything down with a Dragon Moon Punch from Pythagoras Conscious Food Philosophy. The punch was $4 but it wasn’t much in the cup. I was handed a open cup of roughly 6 oz. Tony and I gulped it down in 2 seconds, disappointed we didn’t have more juice. But that’s apart of the healthy food world. Food is pricey. So we went to what we knew, which was Agape Juices. We received a 16 oz. (edit original) for about $8 of freshly pressed juice. Pricey as well but its black owned so we let it go lol. I received a sunshine drink made of oranges, turmeric and ginger. Very tasty. It wasn’t sweet but I figured since oranges aren’t in season this was the reason. Tangy with spice. Loved.
Next we made our way through the crowd with our baby stroller to another booth. Side note: Next time I would suggest they chose a larger park. The Sam Houston Park was packed and it was a struggle going through certain areas. Maybe they didn’t anticipate the high turnout but I think Discovery Green might have been a better location. Tony went to a booth that advertised vegan crab cakes po boy. I stayed in a line that advertised vegan buffalo chicken sandwich. This booth was called Snackrilege and I’ll admit I was nervous going up there. Looked a bit demonic with the symbols and horns as such. BUT Never judge a book or booth in this situation, by its cover. Everyone was so nice and friendly. And the sandwich—literally >>>the BEST FOOD ITEM I HAD ALL DAY. Hands down- they won! The texture of the meat substitute was great. It didn’t leave an aftertaste like some products I have discovered. They also had great buffalo sauce but the star of the sandwich is the “blue cheese” dressing. Its mixed with shredded cabbage or slaw and it was out of this world. So amazing. It sucks they aren’t located in Houston. They are all over Cali and of course, Austin. Hubs swore that he would go back the next time he has an audition in Austin for them. He even followed them on social media. Yup it was that good.
Last but not least, we needed something sweet. I heard great
things about the donuts booth towards the front but Tony really wanted the ice
cream. We had to choose since our little one was with us and I knew she would
be getting fussy pretty soon. We went for the ice cream. Eggloo company (based
in New York) had a long line for their waffle cone and ice cream. Tony ordered
cookies and dream but they were out of that ice cream so we had to sub it with
vanilla. I got the strawberry. The line was super long but we made friends with
the people in front and behind us. The friendly couple behind us offered a
mozzarella stick from another long vendor line and we greatly appreciated it.
Tony and I split the stick. Though there was clearly no pull, leaving the hot
stick in your mouth gave a pleasing taste. Very yummy. I was impressed but not
enough to get in line. After we got our dessert orders we sat on the bench and
finished it off. The waffles were soft which is a plus because I hate hard shelled
waffle cones (which is everywhere). The ice cream was good. I wasn’t super
impressed by the ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s makes an amazing dairy free line
that has made my taste buds spoiled so now I am a snob when it comes to vegan
ice cream.
After we ate we made our way home. Our 3 month old received
many compliments and honestly she was such a good baby there. Once home, the
Howard family collapsed from food comma. Can’t wait for the next vegan
festival!
Naturally Cocoa 