Mocha and spice, and everything nice

That's what these cookies are made of.

For those of you who missed yesterday's post, I'd promised to provide more info about the unbaked goods I made for the annual family swap. It looks as though Charissa got her wish (I'm glad to hear you're alright), as I've decided to post the chocolate cookie recipe today.

Inspired by the traditionally baked chocolate crinkle cookies, as well as my Rawchachino Cupcakes, I came up with these unbaked (no dehydrator necessary) Cinnamon Mocha Crinkles. They are easy to make in a pinch, and the results are delish :-)

Cinnamon Mocha Crinkles
1 cup almonds flour (finely ground almonds and/or pulp)
1/2 cup hazelnut flour (finely ground hazelnuts)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp. Java Teeccino grounds
1/4 cup date paste
sprinkling of cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
*finely ground coconut for rolling

In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, hazelnut flour, cocoa powder, Teeccino, cinnamon and sea salt. Add the date paste, and mix to combine. The mixture should be damp enough to mold, yet still crumbly like a cake.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal sections. Shape each section into a ball, roll them in coconut flour and flatten into cookie shapes. Don't worry if there are imperfection in your cookies; it's only the crinkle effect.

Holiday Cookie Swap 2008

Doesn't that sound official? Too bad I'm not talking about an all-raw cookie swapping event. Someone needs to organize one of these. Anyone having one in their neck of the woods?

Hey Jeff and Helen; the two of you need to consider hosting a NaturalZing sponsored raw cookie swap sometime in the future. Maybe next year. Hint, hint. And, don't forget to make some of those rawlicious recipes you've posted for us (especially the Rosemary Shortbread Cookies).

In the meantime, I'll just keep bringing my raw creations to our annual family cookie swap in exchange for the traditional baked varieties (my hubby and son will eat them). I get some new taste-testers each year; my grandmother tried one of each flavor.

To find out more about this year's unbaked offerings (I didn't even use a dehydrator to make these), stop by my blog later in the week.

Jacob's Rawzilla Birthday Cupcake

I wish I could persuade my little boy and his friends to eat Rawzilla cupcakes today, but they've opted for the traditional baked kind instead. At least, I can still join in the fun with my raw version.

If you haven't guessed it, we'll be celebrating Jacob's 6th birthday very soon (in just a matter of hours), and I still have a lot to do to get ready.

He's having a Godzilla/amusement park party, complete with a Godzilla stomp game, the Not-So-Giant Claw machine (inspired by the old black and white Giant Claw film, we opted to replace the usual pinata with a claw machine), mini golf, 3-D pin the tail on the donkey and Carnival game on the Wii.

Jacob is also big into crafts. He requested that we make finger puppets at the party out of felt. Something tells me this could get messy. Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday Jacob :-)

Martha's rawliday makeover

Okay, so maybe Martha didn't actually get a makeover. But, her holiday cupcakes sure did, courtesy of yours truly.

Now, you probably already know that I receive Martha Stewart's e-newsletter in my inbox from time to time. One of the latest issues included some fun ways to decorate holiday cupcakes.

Of course, I couldn't wait to turn them into raw versions, starting with this white Christmas tree cupcake. It is surrounded in coconut snow.

While recreating this cupcake, I realized one of the advantages to raw baking; you can make your cakes in any shape you like without a special pan or the tedious process of trimming and icing pieces together. I was able to mold the tree out of raw cake, while Martha's site recommended using a sugar cone as the base.

The tree is covered in piped icing pine needles and coconut snow. It actually looks a lot like Martha's handiwork, despite the rush (it was a last minute project before heading up to my son's school to volunteer).

Although I was in a hurry, I also managed to find time to rawify her holly cupcake. Instead of using candy, I took a more natural approach. I made my holly berries out of dried cherries and leaves out of pumpkin seeds.

It doesn't exactly look like the original, but I think I prefer mine. Maybe I'm a little biased. What do you think? (Mine is chocolate, by the way.)

Sweet Shannon's

While snapping a few shots down at the boardwalk the other day, I made sure to take a few of my favorite display. Sweet Sue's Bake Shop & Coffee Bar was all decked out for the holidays with a gingerbread and cupcake theme. Someone sure knew how to get my attention.

Rawified gingerbread and cupcakes have brought most of my readers to my site. In fact, it was my raw gingerbread house and cookies for Santa that prompted Dhrumil Purohit to invite me to join his We Like It Raw Squad.

This year, I opted not to make another gingerbread structure (been there, done that). Instead, I decided to combine my raw cupcake craze with this gingerlicious (I just made that word up) tradition.

The result was the cutest raw gingerbread cupcakes, iced with white frosting (gingerbread just has to be highlighted in white piping) and decorated with little raw ginger men, dried fruit pieces and a fresh cranberry on top. They look like they'd be right at home at the corner bakery.

Unfortunately, this is a traditional bakery where everything is actually baked (no dehydrators here). Wouldn't it be nice if it were an unbakery? It would be even nicer if my name was on it.

Okay, now I'm being naughty (as opposed to nice). I definitely don't have the time and money to make it happen, much less have the customer base around here to support it. I guess I'll just have to pretend in my kitchen at home (seriously, I sometimes pretend I'm running my own unbakery, while creating raw treats in my kitchen. It's probably a lot less stressful than the real deal).

And, you can, too. Here's another cupcake recipe, as my holiday gift to you.


A Trio of Gingercakes
1 cup pecans,
ground into flour
1 cup almonds,
ground into flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup date paste
1/2 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
1-2 Tbsp. agave nectar
ginger, to taste
pinch of sea salt

In a bowl, combine the nut flours, flax, ginger and sea salt. Stir with a whisk or use an electric mixer.

Next, add the date paste and molasses (I like to mix the two together before adding them to the flour). Whisk/mix, paying close attention to the consistency of the batter. Add agave, to taste. Whisk/mix to combine. The batter should be moist enough to hold its shape, but dry enough to still have a crumb-like texture.

Divide the batter in thirds to make a trio of cupcakes. Form them into cupcake shapes, and decorate to your hearts content. I used this whipped icing, raw gingerbread men, dried fruit and fresh cranberries. Happy holidays :-)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I already knew Matthew and I were made for each other, but it's always reinforced when we're able to read each other thoughts.

For instance, the other day I had that familiar holiday tune stuck in my head, and then suddenly, my hubby came walking down the hallway singing, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." This was a big deal considering the fact that he rarely sings.

On the other hand, I guess it wasn't a surprise, since holiday decorations are popping up everywhere. My son made sure we put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving, and he instructed Paw Paw as to where to put the outside lights, garland, decorative bows and the two reindeer.

Jacob also loves to point out the displays on the side of the road. Secretly, I light up when I see them, too, although I think Matthew is well aware of my childhood fascination (especially since we rarely had them on my house when I was little. That's why Paw Paw hung them up to greet us the day I arrived home with my baby from the hospital almost 6 years ago. Now it's a tradition.).

Last week, I made my way down to the beach to get a glimpse of the preparations for yesterday's celebration (there was a parade, a visit from Santa and more). Wreaths and banners were already displayed on the light posts aligning the boardwalk, and with my camera, I captured a beautiful scene of a man dressing up the community Christmas tree.

I guess it really is looking a lot like Christmas. We even had some snow last night. I wonder if we'll get more for our holiday. I'm dreaming of it.

Get your own copy

I know; how rude of me, right? I sound like such a Scrooge. What happened to my holiday spirit?

Well, I still had it during Thanksgiving, as I remembered to be grateful for the book I received and the opportunity to review it. However, my selfishness took over, and I decided to keep this gift for myself.

As part of "The Green Beauty Guide" virtual book tour, I've been blessed with a complimentary copy of this jam-packed guide to greening your beauty routine. It is overflowing with so much useful information that instead of passing it along to a friend, I opted to save it as a reference for cleaning out my not-so-green products, selecting safer versions and even whipping up natural beauty recipes in my own kitchen.

Lucky for me, I discovered that many of my favorite products were one-, two- or three-leaf approved by author, Julie Gabriel. In addition to explaining what to and not to look for in a truly green beauty treatment, she also recommends more than a few of her faves using this ranking system.

For instance, my Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash with Organic Tea Tree Oil and Awapuhi received a modest one-leaf, while my John Masters Organic Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner got top honors with three leaves.

But she doesn't stop at your face and hair. She gives options from head to toe, with a chapter devoted to each and every step in your beauty routine. There's a section on cleansers, toners, home facials and scrubs; moisturizers, eye treatments and zit zappers; sun protection; body care, including baths, sugar waxing, cellulite solutions, manicures and pedicures; hair care; baby care; mineral makeup and natural fragrances.

Each chapter addresses the reasons why you may or may not want to include a particular step (such as "Do You Really Need a Toner?" and "How Many Moisturizers Do We Need?"), an explanation of how the particular product works and a brief review of what ingredients should be avoided (the first few chapters are devoted to why it is so important to chose green beauty products, what makes the majority of offerings so toxic and how to "Become an Ingredient Expert"/"Do-It-Yourself Green Beauty"). Then, she lists some green-worthy options in each category.

The best part is what follows. She gives multiple recipes for homemade formulas of just about every beauty treatment imaginable. Ms. Gabriel definitely isn't stingy either, as she gives up her simplified take on "Klosterqu Melissen Geise" unisex cologne (first made by Carmelite monks in Paris in 1611, it is also known as Eau de Carmes) and her modernized version of an ancient perfume referred to as "Queen of Hungary Water." She even teaches you how to wax with items from your kitchen and get a safe faux glow with a walnut-hued concoction, while keeping your skin as soft as a baby bum (she's got recipes for taking care of that, too).

Many of the recipes involve purchasing essential oils, which can be costly. I recommend picking and choosing a few basic ones first, before dropping a wad of dough on all of them listed in the book. You can always add more as you get more comfortable with your creations. I even eliminated some of the oils in the recipes to keep from being overwhelmed.

But don't fret just yet. Many of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen, like the water, oats and onion in the "Kinky Oatmeal Mask" I mentioned in my last post. I just wish all of the recipes were vegan, although many of the nonvegan ones can be altered to suit your needs. For example, I found that some of the milk baths can be reproduced using coconut milk.

Speaking of baths, the bath salts, scrubs and body oils would make great gifts this time of year, along with this book. You can even make these "Green Feet Fizzies" (and you thought it was another cupcake; I added dried mint leaves to mine) for the whole family quite economically, which are comparable to Lush Bath Bombs, minus the preservatives and synthetic perfumes (it looks as though they "green-washed" me - another term for the book - with their cute lack of packaging and grocery-style displays; they weren't as natural as I thought).

The end of the book has a very valuable tool, worth more than the book's $16.95 price tag. There is a listing of the "100 toxic cosmetic ingredients you don't want in your beauty products." I used this to weed out some of the bad guys in my bathroom and have taken it on more than one shopping excursion to prevent buyer's remorse.

Now you can see why I can't part with my copy. You'll just have to pick up one of your own. I'm anxious to hear your reviews, too :-)

In the meantime, the author was nice enough to participate in the following Q&A. Read further to see if she's answered any of your questions. Thanks Julie!

Which beauty products are the ones you can't live without?

It’s a completely vegan selection: Dr. Bronner’s liquid and bar soaps in Baby Mild and Tea Tree Oil; chamomile and sandalwood steam distillates from Mountain Rose Herbs that I buy every month despite custom charges (I am in the UK) and my husband’s protests (he’s an avid greenie, but he wants me to buy local, and I cannot find organic sandalwood local. Hmm. May need to reconsider my priorities.

For moisturizing, the only store-bought product I own is Skin Food by Weleda; the rest that I use is homemade. Right now it’s a moisturizer I made of green tea, wheat germ oil, organic olive oil, organic grape seed oil, hyaluronic acid, palmitoyl pentapeptide, and green tea catechins. It’s completely green but it’s very scientific. And it keeps my skin youthful and acne-free.

What carrier lotion, cleanser, etc. do you use?

I make my own base cream to play with various active ingredients such as peptides, idebenone, gold, silver, GABA. I am really brave because I work from home, and if something gives me breakouts, my daughter will be the only person to know. My husband is very fond of my complexion, so I always wear shimmery makeup by the time he’s back from work.

My base cream consists of olive and wheat germ oil in the base of emulsifying wax and green tea infusion. If anything happens, green tea will soothe my skin until I take the offending ingredient off. So far, nothing happened but I keep green tea as a skin insurance.

Back to cleansers. I use my own Petite Marie Organics cleanser which has a natural non-detergent base of Castille soap and decyl glucoside. I enrich it for my own use with green tea, sweet fenner, chamomile, calendula, and my family loves it. In fact, my daughter refused to let us shampoo her hair with any soap or shampoo until we tried this cleanser. From now on, I use it to remove makeup, my husband shaves with it, and we bathe our 20-month-old petite Marie in it. I don’t use any animal-derived ingredients in any of my products.

Where do you buy most of your ingredients for making homemade beauty products? Is there a site where they can be bought online?

I buy ingredients from MountainRoseHerbs.com and SkinActives.com. I also buy ingredients from small family manufacturers around the world. I usually find them on eBay. It's very ethical since you don't waste money on dealers.

How would someone modify your nonvegan recipes? For instance, do you have any substitutions for the ones that call for powdered milk, eggs, etc.?

Emulsifying wax is even better than beeswax, and it’s completely unscented. You can replace eggs with thickening products such as guar gum, acacia gum, or organically produced xanthan gum. Soy, almond and oats milk are wonderful replacements for cow's milk in recipes, and you may even find condensed versions that work really well for masks and cleansers.

Can you provide a raw vegan beauty recipe for my readers?

Not one but three:

For oily, acne prone skin nothing works better than onion puree. Make the puree in a food processor and apply at least weekly. You can also process onions with raw oats and garlic for maximum impact against acne.

For dry skin, mash one banana with six strawberries. Apply all over your face, including eye area. Strawberries will exfoliate while banana will supply minerals and vitamins.

For darks spots, apply raw potato puree anywhere you’d like to lighten things up a little bit - including eye areas! If there’s no time to make raw potato puree, apply raw potato wedges under your eyes to lighten undereye circles.