Raw Vegan Apple Crumble & Two Awards

Hi Frrrrriends, how are you doing?  I'm doing pretty good.  I went and got my hair done for the first time at a new salon.  Since moving to Phoenix, I had not yet had my hair done and after 5 years with my guy back in San Diego, I was a little nervous about my first salon visit.  Although I am mostly happy, I wish the highlights were a smidge chunkier and blonder.  However, I can't fault the girl for being a bit conservative; I'd rather add more than try to tone down foil-happy-hairdresser-hair.  That look where you look like Kelly Clarkson circa 2005 with the skunk-striped chunks?  Yeah, those.  Thankfully I'm not sportin' those, but it's just a little subtler than I may have preferred, but oh well.

Anyway onto the food....glad to hear that the chia recipes were a bit hit.  Thanks everyone for your awesome comments!  Thanks Alison, for already makin-n-groovin' on the chia seed pudding!

If you haven't gotten into chia seeds, you really should because once you get over their slightly chewy texture, they are really versatile.  Hubby even likes it when I make him chia ice cream.  Basically just my chia pudding that I amp up with extra stevia or agave and then freeze it solid.   Another idea would be to make the pudding and then spike it with cinnamon & nutmeg.

Or here's another recipe off the top of my head that I bet would be good....2 Tbsp Chia Seeds, 1/2 c apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, agave....yeah, fall in the house for sure.

Moving right along to more fall action...my Raw Vegan Apple Crumble.  I've made it before, you can check here or mosey on here, but this is what I did last night:

Averie's Raw Vegan Apple Crumble
I took 1/2 c oats + 1/3 c almond meal + 2 Medjools Dates and ground that up into a crust with the VitaCrusty.  I smooshed it into the container and doused it with cinnamon.

Then I peeled, cored, and diced 1 huge apple.  To that I added 1/4 c brown sugar (omit if you want to be totally raw and just use agave), 1/4c agave, dash of vanilla, 1 Tbsp Cinnamon.  And mixed it up.

I poured that mixture over my crust.

Then, I created the crumble topping. 1/3 c oats + 1/3 c almond meal + 1/4 c brown sugar + 1/4 c agave....

...& blended.

Place the crumble topping over the apple awesomeness, squirt some more agave over the top if you desire it extra sweet as I do, and you're all set to devour.

Look at all the slurpable agave-cinny juice.  So good!

I said it last time I made it, but I think this new batch was my best batch to date.  I think it was the vanilla extract I used when mixing up the apples that did the extra special trick.  

As for the Awards....Thank you Amanda and Michele who have both recently honored me with awards!!!!  Sorry girls that I haven't had the time to properly blog about it, but muah!!!! & a big hug right back at ya both!!!!  Once upon a time Justine honored me and I blogged back then about some random Averie facts in case you wanna check that out.

What have you been awarded with in life that you're proud of?  Tell me, I'm nosey!

VeganMofo in the house today.



Yoga today is Firefly Pose, aka Tittibhasana.  

Tip of the Day:  Take a minute and call someone you haven't talked to in awhile and tell them you're thinking of them just because....  Just because you value their friendship and we're all so busy and caught up in our own little rat race that it's nice to take 2 minutes out of our own busy-ness and just thank our friends for being there.  It will brighten your friend's day no doubt and you won't feel quite as self-centered, either.  Works for me at least.


Stay tuned for more dessert posts.  A mind-altering one that I promised...

AND a raw-ified and vegan-ified Girl Scout cookie recipe, if you missed Thin Mint Fudge, here ya go...

 

....to tide you over til I get to posting my next Raw Girl Scout Cookie Creation that starts with an S....


Do you view going to the salon as a reward or more of a time & money drain?  I go back and forth.  Sometimes it is pampering and nice but other times it's just kinda what-evah.  How do you view it?  Or what do you do, in general, to pamper yourself?  Please tell me, I need to hook that up!