Anyway, it’s summertime and for me, it’s time for frozen stuff! I love making raw ice cream utilizing amazingly good-for-you nut fats (including coconuts; it’s a nut) whole and in “milk” form, but it takes some prep work, and I am really over the simple raw ice cream route. You know, frozen naner’s, water and sweetener ground up in the Vita-mix. Hot summer days create lazy kitchen days, with a craving for cool down foods, but I don’t always feel like diggin’ the meat out of a coconut, so I’ve taken the banana and given it new life by leaving it in it’s original shape, drowning it in chocolate sauce, rolling it in goji berry powder and freezing that bad boy! It doesn’t get any easier or delicious than that on a hot summers day.

Frozen Choco-Covered Naner’s w/Goji Dust – YEAH, BUDDY!!
Bunch of ripe bananas
2 cups Cacao Powder
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
½ tablespoon Vanilla Powder
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup Coconut Oil, warmed to liquefy
1 cup Goji Berries
Wooden skewers

First, cut bananas in half on the bias and freeze for ½ hour (they are easier to work with when they are a little firmer). Combine all the ingredients except the coconut oil and goji berries in a high-speed blender. With the blender running, add the coconut oil and continue blending to emulsify. In a clean Vita-mix container, grind goji berries into a powder (or you can use a coffee grinder) and set aside. Next, roll the nanas into the chocolate sauce, place onto a stick length-wise, then sprinkle all sides with goji berry dust. Lastly, place these beauties back into the freezer and freeze for firmness; at least 3 hours.

Store the leftover chocolate sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator. Before using, place it in the dehydrator to warm to liquefy it. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also place the container in a warm water bath.

As an almost graduated student of Gabriel Cousens, M.D., live-vegan food nutrition program (thank God for Vivapura superfoods! They gave me nonstop energy needed to study) and LOVER of raw food, I bring to you a recipe that is not just easy, my peeps are Vivapura do most of the work – well, them and the cacao Gods. Because I am a young grasshopper of Gabriel’s, I have a lot of clients who are healing on the deepest level through a low-glycemic raw diet (I like to call it the almost no-glycemic diet). Of course, there is more to this healing diet, such as how you oxidize food can dictate what you eat, etc., but today we are just going for a GREAT, SUPER AMAZING, EASY, SNACKY SWEET TREAT THAT IS PHASE 1!! Drum roll please….

I bring to you: VivaTurtle LOVE!! OMG! Chocolate-Caramel raw turtles that are low-glycemic. Yep!! Feel the love and don’t forget to share!!

Caramel Sauce
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon Pecan Butter
2 tablespoons Coconut Crème
1 tablespoon Yacon Syrup* (this is so low-glycemic, I allow this sweetener in a phase 1 diet; but very minimal use)
2-4 drops liquid stevia (to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Pinch Celtic sea salt
Water, as needed to blend

Directions
In a high-speed blender, blend all the ingredients, adding water to thin as needed. It will become more of a caramel-like texture with refrigeration.

*You can omit and just use stevia if on a VERY regulated low-glycemic diet. But, this gives the caramel the earthy flavor that dates or Turkish figs would normally bring to this recipe (this is how I make my regular caramel). Oh, and isn’t it hilarious that Spellcheck tries to change yacon to bacon!

Chocolate Sauce
1 1/2 cups Coconut Oil (not butter), warmed into a liquid (can melt in a dehydrator or in a warm water bath)
3 tablespoons Yacon Syrup*
2-4 drops liquid stevia (to taste)
3/4 cup Cacao Powder
Pinch sea salt

Directions
Blend all the chocolate icing ingredients in the Vita-Mix until smooth (like 60 seconds).

*You can omit and just use stevia if on a VERY regulated low-glycemic diet.

Assembly
Pour a one pound bag of I Thrive Trail Mix (Phase 1) into a large bowl. Next, stir in caramel until well-combined. Using a melon baller (or in the culinary world, we refer to this kitchen tool as a Parisian Scoop), drop balls onto a baking sheet, flattening out somewhat with a spoon, and place in freezer for at least 3o minutes. Lastly, dip hardened treats in chocolate sauce and freeze again until the turtles shells are formed!

Even Easier Option:
So, if you want to save on time, you can melt two Mint Zero Pointe chocolates from Sacred Heart over a double boiler (you can find this method on YouTube) and pour over turtle base; then refreezing. It gives them a minty, caramel taste reminiscent of Girl Scout Thin Mint and Caramel DeLite cookies all rolled into one. Nostalgic tastes are soooo rooted in those epigenes, right!?? However, this version won’t kill you!!

This smoothie is a great source of vegan Omega 3 & 6 without the heaviness of oil. This will keep you going for hours without an increase in blood sugar levels. Excellent source of dietary fiber, especially if you add the zucchini. For those who find maca on its own harder to swallow, the flavors of this smoothie combine really well and are even mellowed out by the zucchini. Feel free to experiment with other spices too! Green Leaf stevia is less processed than white or liquid stevia and actually helps stabilize blood sugar levels to keep your pancreas and liver happy.

The water and mineral content of the Himalaya salt will help you stay hydrated, it also brings out the sweetness of the stevia. Remember that chia can hold up to 14 times its weight in water so be sure to stay hydrated through out the day to keep things moving along in your colon. Drinking chia smoothies regularly (along with hydrating adequately, gentle exercise like yoga and a diet high in raw vegetables) is bound to keep your internal elimination organs healthy and clean. Chia’s absorbing properties help draw out toxins and the hard shell can clean the intestinal walls.

All in all, a fabulous life-affirming smoothie! May you enjoy radiant health & happiness!!!

Chia Amazingness
a low-glycemic smoothie

5 tbs. Chia Seeds
2 cups filtered, spring or Reverse Osmosis water
1 small organic zucchini
several pinches Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp Super Maca Powder
organic green leaf stevia, to taste
organic cinnamon, to taste

Blend in a high-speed blender until smooth and seeds are broken apart. Experiment with water to see what your preference is. Keep in the refrigerator for a few hours for a thicker smoothie. Add ice cubes to the blender in the summer for a chilled version.

Optional:For fast oxidizers who require more fuel and are able to digest fat easily, add a tablespoon of Coconut Oil to this smoothie. It tastes great!

Add blueberries or Jarrah Bee Pollen for more sweetness.

First up is Xell Calderer of Internal Hygeine. Xell is a Certified Colon Therapist and Wellness Coach who runs a thriving practice in Stamford, Connecticut. You can find many Vivapura products at her office!

Xell’s Amazing Chocolate Carob Chia Pudding

Vanilla Brazil Nut milk or nut milk of choice

8 tbs. Chia Seeds
1 cup strawberry/kiwi rooibos tea, vanilla rooibos tea (steeped strong)
or 1-2 cups Vanilla Brazil or Sicilian Almond milk

Whisk chia into liquid and set aside.

In high speed blender (Vitamix or Blendtec), place:
½ to 1 tbs. Ultra Tocos*
2-3 heaping tbs. raw Italian Carob (or use more cacao)
1 heaping tbs. raw Cacao powder
½ t – 1 tbs. GMO free lecithin powder*
2-3 small dates or 2 or more large Medjool date (the dates adds body and sweetness)
1 – 3 tbs. Vanilla Agave (optional) or stevia to taste (for those sweet tooths out there!)
¼ tsp Sunfire salt (can use Celtic or Himalayan)
½ – 1 tsp. vanilla powder
or ½ vanilla bean, scraped (optional)
1 – 2 tbs. lucuma powder
dash of yacon syrup (about ½ T, optional)
small chunk of cacao butter or cacao paste (optional)
1 tbs. coconut creme (optional)

Once chia has soaked for about 10 minutes, place chia “gel” into blender with other ingredients and blend at high speed until smooth. Eat immediately or allow to “set” in fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.

Variations:
Add 1 or 2 tbs. of Vivapura raw almond butter for a more decadent and rich chocolate almond butter cup type pudding.
A banana may be nice here, but watch your food combining! This is already pretty complex. Sometimes you gotta live on the edge, though!

Vanilla Brazil Nut Milk
-keeps for up to 3, maybe 4 days.

1 heaping cup raw brazil nuts or soaked Sicilian Almonds
¼ tsp sunfire salt
3-4 dates or vanilla agave to taste (optional)
½ to 1 T lecithin (optional but adds great creaminess).
1 T plain or vanilla coconut crème (optional)
¼ vanilla bean pod or vanilla powder
4 to 6 cups water

Place nuts and 1 cup water, and salt, in high speed blender, working your way to high speed. Once things look blended, continue blending and fill the container with rest of water (I usually fill while blending and fill until container is full). Blend very well.
Strain through nut milk bag and pour back into blender, add additional indredients as desired. Blend again, and pour into glass containers. Delicious!

Variations:
Pour half of the milk back into container, add 1 to 2 tbs. yacon syrup, and 1 to 2 tbs. lucuma powder for a maple/caramel type drink that is exquisite and so creamy.
Brazil Nut Milk is lovely gently warmed with shaved nutmeg and cinnamon on top.

As a bit of a bonus, Xell also sent me a few juice recipes to help me along on my feast and I thought I’d share them here with you as well!

50% spinach
48% carrot
2% beets
(this is an incredible colon cleanser, too! This is especially good before a colonic)

Another, inspired by Angela Stokes:
coconut water
1 to 2 T green food (greener grasses is lovely)
1 to 2 T Vivapura bee pollen
This is simple and delicious, a great addition to a liquid meals day

Fave green juice
6 stalks celery
1 large cucumber
1/4 fennel bulb
1 to 2 apples (green or Fuji)
1 lemon
1 or 2 heads of Romaine or Spinach
handful of dandelion greens
1/2 pound sunflower sprouts or another head of Romaine
small chunk of ginger (optional)
Delicious – one of my favourite combos.