Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Raw Vegan Chocolate Turtles

Hump Day.  A lovely day not because they're be any humping going on, but because I will be humping my bootie all over town because I just got hired to teach yoga classes at a gym!!!!  So I need to get my H.R. paperwork handled and a drug screen done and need to run around all over the valley to do it.  I am sooo thrilled, I cannot wait to teach my own yoga classes on a permanent basis!!!  It's just what I needed to start feeling more connected to the yoga community in Phoenix as well as just connect with others.  It's hard moving to a new city and trying to forge new connections and friendships so this opportunity has me grinning from ear to ear!

Moving along, thanks for the comments on yesterday's Cherry-licisous apron action.


And my chocolate chia pudding.


And it still sounds like my Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups are a super hot ticket.  Yay!  And it seems that the Pea Household isn't the only house who's been enjoying them and getting in on the action, judging by my comments section on these.   Keep your pics, links, and recipe stories coming!  I love hearing about your efforts!
 
For today I'd like to take a little trip down Store-Bought Memory Lane.  Store-bought treats I've remade mostly or all raw, and completely vegan, that is.

There was my Raw Vegan Girl Scout "Thin Mint"-Inspired Fudge
 
My Raw Vegan Girl Scout Samoas Cookies
 
 
My recent Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups.  Reese's Company, you better watch yourselves.



And for today, my Raw Vegan Chocolate Turtles.  
Remember these?
Turtles Anniversary Tin


Well, I redid them and they should take you precisely 10 minutes.  Raw, Vegan, 3 Ingredients.


Averie's Raw Vegan 3-Ingredient, 10-Minute Chocolate "Turtles"
1/3 c pecans (walnuts will do in a pinch)

1/2 c melted chocolate (i.e. 2 Full-Size Squares of Melted Baker's Brand Chocolate because it's dairy-free, or melt 1/2 c Chocolate Chips, or a Cocoa Powder/Agave/Coconut Oil Mix)

1/8 to 1/4 c agave + pinch of salt.  Freeze this mixture to create your raw vegan caramel sauce.  Or, just use something full of HFCS like Smucker's Caramel Sauce for Ice Cream Sundae's.  Your choice.
Yields: 4 Turtles.  Intentionally a very small recipe, feel free to mass-produce.



First, melt your chocolate (Raw Foodies, use whatever ratios of raw cocoa powder, agave, & coconut oil suits you to keep it raw).  I use the 45 seconds in the microwave trick and melted about 1/4 c worth, which is 1 Baker's Chocolate Full-Sized Square. (You'll melt the other square later).




Take the 1/3 c pecans & Divide into 4 Piles on parchment paper or wax paper for easy removal & Pour the melted Chocolate over the Nut Piles.  Try to distribute it evenly.




Next, Pour the Caramel Sauce of your choice over the Chocolate-ized Nut Piles

I love Caramel so I was not shy about going heavy-handed.



Pour Chocolate over the Top.  I melted up 1 more square now.  



Transfer to the Freezer or Fridge to allow for hardening.



In a half hour or less, look at how chilly & yummy that Vegan Turtle looks!



The Underside of the Raw Vegan Turtle



And the side view



If anyone cares to see some greenery, here you go.  Huge Plate of Rabbit Food to go Along with my Turtles.  This rabbit ate greens, cukes & zukes, tomatoes, orange & yellow peppers, carrots, and dressed it with agave, OJ, and cracky blacky.



Obviously for dessert I plowed through some Raw Vegan Chocolate Turtles!  Super easy, raw, vegan, no special appliaces needed, from cupboard to freezer to mouth all within a half hour, promise.  I love the crunch of the nuts, with the ooey-gooey-ness of the carmel, all bathed in chocolate.  Hello. Good. Stuff.
And even though Raw Wednesdays are over because October is over, I thought that these were a fine raw addition to Wednesday!





 Yoga Today is Eka Pada Sirsanana


Tip of the Day:  Open call for your photos and links to recipes of mine that you've made and featured on your blog!!!  I am doing a Reader Tribute Post so please, send me your links or pics, and I will get everything published soon!  If you're slacking on getting things turned in, no worries.  I plan to do lots of these types of posts coming up so they will all eventually get published.  If you have a blog, you don't even need to send me jpegs.  Just send me the link to your post and I will "lift" the photos I need from your link.


So today when I found out that I was really getting hired to teach yoga, I was totally ecstatic!  I have to say, in this economy and job market, the average person isn't exactly thinking, oh let me go drop $17 for a single yoga class and lots of jobs and hiring opportunities have dried up, as they have in most industries right now.  And looking for a job in any job market can be an extremely humbling experience, at least in my opinion.  I'd love to hear any stories on what lengths you've gone to, had to go through, or any interviewing or job-searching stories you'd like to share?  Mine involved sending out a mere 20 resumes to teach yoga.  It's not brain surgery, it's yoga.  But apparently the competition is fierce!  Tell me about your job-searching trials and tribulations!

Stay Tuned For The Readers' Photos & Recipes Tribute Post (so send me your pics/links!)...


48 comments:

Diana said...

Congrats on the new gig!

Nice job going new school on the old school turtles. It's about time they got an upgrade. :)

TheFitnessFreak said...

Okay, all of those goodies are making me hungry and I'm out of food! At least I get to go buy some tomorrow : )

No job searching here and probably not for the next few years. I'm glad my DH has been at his company for a while and they are good to him. Right now being a mommy is enough for me : )

katherine said...

Congrats on the new job opportunity!!

Sarah @ The Foodie Diaries said...

Averie!! Congrats on the yoga job! Your students are going to love you as the yoga guru we all know and love you as :)

Shannon said...

i chose your turtles!!! LOVE. congrats on your yoga gig :)

Cindy said...

oh now NOT fair making more fab candy before I get pb cups done...(maybe tonight) and I will get some links together probably in the morning for ya! sounds like fun!

so so happy for you and your new yoga teaching! I have been at my job for 18+ years. sigh

I'm a little out of the job hunting phase. I have to only appreciate my job and the many benefits I am blessed with ... and some days it's hard to appreciate it when my heart is at home. I am working 4 day weeks most weeks now and so it's getting a bit more balanced. The gift of TONS of vacation after being there so long.

I'm off to go melt some chocolate!
MMMMMM and turtles are so goooood ..what carmel sauce do you use? i need to find some.

greensandjeans said...

AVERIE! I can't wait to hear about your new job, and of course, to take a class!

HippieMom said...

Great! Congrat for the job ;-)

XoXo

HippieMom said...

Great! Congrat for the job ;-)

XoXo

ktbwood said...

those vegan turtles=AMAZING! gahh..and your yoga poses!! i seriously am considering doing just yoga and no running..do you run at all?

Devan Geselle. N said...

Oh My Gosh!! LOVE :D I am so happy for you! you totally deserve this new job!

i seriously need to get myself nooch. im going to order it since I cant find it. those PB cups have my name alll over them

Living and Loving in L.A. said...

Yay Averie!

You go girl! Congrats on your new awesome job! That's amazing! I'm so excited for you!!! Can't wait to hear all of your stories from class!

Sheri (Green and Crunchy) said...

Congrats on the great new job! Doing what you love and getting paid for it -- fabulous!

Raw vegan turtles? SWOON.

All these awesome desserts you post...I like the way your mind works :)

xo Sheri

Karin said...

Congratulations on your job!! I've honestly never had any troubles with finding a job but I've only worked at two places so far though.. I had the weirdest job interview for my current one (I work for an embassy). Two people interviewed me and I had to talk in 4 different languages during that half hour. It was fun though ;)

Thinspired said...

The apron is ADORABLE! I love fun aprons :)

Congrats on the new yogi job! What a lovely way to spend your days :) They'll be lucky to have ya!

Amy said...

I just found this awesome raw recipe from nutritionals Rose Cole for an eggnog substitute. I can’t believe how good it is, and it’s sugar-free, dairy-free, and RAW! http://ow.ly/BN0C Just thought I would pass it on.

Jessica said...

Girl - turtles are one of my most favorite candies!! Yum! Congrats on the yoga job! Woohoo!

Alison said...

Eeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkk CONGRATULATIONS Mama that's AWESOME! I want to come be a student! Things are falling into place, I'm so excited for you, way to go!

Thin mints? Samoas? Turtles? Good god woman you are a rock star!

Michal said...

mmm these looks scrumptious. i love your new apron too its so cute!

VeggieGirl said...

MAAAAAAJOR CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!


Ohhh turtles - used to love those :)

Kimberly said...

Oh, I'm SO happy for you!! How exciting!

And by the way, all your yummy looking raw treats are killing me! I can look, but no touch:( You are a genius with all these different ideas. Of course Turtles used to be one of my faves, along with Reece's!

cookingforaveganlover said...

wow must make turtles

shelby said...

Congratulations Averie on the job! That is so awesome!

Oh my gosh! you are just cranking out the yummy desserts! Keep em coming! I can't wait to get the ingredients this weekend :)

Karen said...

Congratulations on the new job! It is a tough economy to get hired in. Way to go!!!!!

Abby's Vegan Eats said...

WOOO congrats Averie.. thats really exciting. Im happy for ya!

Although I have a job currently Im looking for another!! lol I teach middle school and ideally I want to get back to elementary age. Its really tough, though. You literally have to know someone important to get a job in the chapel hill area.

Your turtles=amazing looking!!!!!!

Lauren said...

You just keep on topping yourself!! TURTLES?? Ahhh! :) I am drooling!

Congrats on the new job! XO!

Hayley said...

Congratulations on the new yoga instructor job!!! That is SOO fantastic! I'm totally jealous of all those students who get to take your class. You're going to be awesome. Scratch that - you already are. :)

Turtles are some of my absolute favorite desserts - right up there with Reese's PB cups (soon to be raw vegan PB cups!) I need to get myself some nooch and get on the Averie chocolate dessert bandwagon!

Erika said...

Yay on the new job and good luck passing the drig test! ;) I get why they do it but I think it is funny knowing how natural you are!

And I love turles. The combo of nuts, caramel and chocolate is ultimate bliss.

And I will send you the link from when I made your raw vegan cheesecake. yum!

eaternotarunner said...

Those turtles look so good! They are on my list of things to make :-)

*Naomi* said...

you said it girl, competition is SO fierce out there! I do have a full time 40-hour a week job but my hours leave me plenty of time to teach Spinning classes outside of the gym, and now a days it seems that everyone is hopping on the fitness instructor bandwagon so it has been so hard for me to find classes to teach elsewhere! I am still sticking with it thougJ!

YES You can drink some of my caramel vanilla coffee with SILK...and I think i can see you drinkingi it in 4 sec flat LOL

those turtles look delicious as always, Averie, you never cease to amaze me!

CONGRATS ON THE POSITION!!! SO EXCITED AND HAPPY FOR YOU!

Katie said...

New favorite person. I have been CRAVING Turtles. Like seriously craving them for a month, but couldn't think of a better option to the Godiva version. I am totally going to add that to my list of your desserts I HAVE to try.

Congrats on the new gig you'll ROCK. I wish I could do half the poses you do, but I'm just proud if I can do tree!

Bekah said...

Yay for the gym gig! I actually started out yoga at my gym, so I can appreciate they hire the real deal for instructors. :) Since then.. my practice is more at home, but I still enjoy going once in a while.

Loove the turtles! Agck, I love making nut clusters and what not, and how they set up= amazing.

In Tucson, there are SO MANY yoga studios, that one of our most well known institutes that has massage therapy, yoga instructor schools, masseuse school, it closed down! (Bad, bad economy.) I never went, except for the occasional massage, but I was still kind of sad.

Kris | iheartwellness.com said...

Mmmmm I looovee Turtles! These rock sista friend! I am going to make some of these for the holidays :)

I really admire that you have found yoga and have stuck with it for 10 years! That is great! You are a huge inspiration my friend.

PS. How do you bend yourself like this?!

XXOO
Kris

chrystad72 said...

You come up with the best looking desserts! I'll tell ya! Everytime I read a new post there is always an amazing looking dessert. It all looks fabulous!! Congrats on the new job!! Thats super exciting. Its always fun starting something new. Cant wait to hear about it. Have a great day!

glidingcalm said...

ahhhhhhhhhh Averie!!!!!!!!! Congrats on the great news!!! I wish you could teach me yoga! Someday I'll have to come visit and take your class, or get a private lesson! ha


love all those delicious chocolate treats!!! those peanut butter cups are so perfect, WOW!


HAVE A BEAUTIFUL HUMPDAY in your cute cherry apron!!!!!!!

K from ksgoodeats said...

You know what, I think you're turning me into a chocoholic! I don't like chocolate that much but every time you post a creation, I want it!

LOVE the apron by the way! CONGRATULATIONS on the job!! That's awesome and I know you're going to be a great yoga teacher!

eatingtolivelovelaughtri said...

Congratulations on the new job! Yay!

AND...OMG!! I need one of those turtles!

Julie said...

AHHHh!!! you got the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm SO excited for you :)

the celebration calls for cake. bake a cake.

We Rise said...

hey averie,

the treats look great!

I swear I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but what exactly makes those peanut butter cups raw? I mean, they are certainly a healthier version than reeses, but nothing a raw foodist could actually eat! Nooch, the chocolate (melted or not) and peanut butter aren't raw food products.

FoodFitnessFreshair said...

Congrats on the teaching gig! I teach at a gym in Philly, and after every class I feel so fulfilled. Teaching is such a wonderful experience. You'll have to keep me updated on how your first couple classes go!

Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) said...

We Rise...
You didnt leave an email address. If you want a more thorough reply, please leave one.

However the short answer would be to ues RAW nut butter, use RAW cocoa powder, agave, and raw Coconut Oil to make chocolate sauce and so forth. It's more time consuming/expensive to keep them totally RAW, but do-able. Hope that helps answer your question.

luckytastebuds said...

Ahhh Averie you are killing me with the goodness of your creations!!! The turtle is AWESOME...*drool*

Congragulations on landing a job!! That is SERIOUSLY awesome! To be working in a field you love (and do everyday anyways) would be my ultimate dream. :P Too bad I don't get paid for eating! hahahah

Carbzilla said...

Hooray - big happy dance for your new job!

I laughed so hard over the drug screening! Let's hope that Chia seeds don't show up as something else and you pop a positive!!! ROFL

Okay, maybe not funny. Sorry, just the thought of a drug test made me giggle.

The turtles look delish - maybe a holiday treat!

mary said...

I have to say. I love that apron and I want it. My aprons are so blah. For lack of a better word.
theprovidentwoman.com

Anne said...

Congrats on becoming a yoga teacher here! I'd love to take your classes, but I'm a COMPLETE yoga beginner. If ya ever teach a total intro class, lemme know ;) Those vegan pb cups look amazing! So do the turtles. Have a lovely night!

Emily Eats said...

Many congratulations for getting the yoga job! Wow. I wish I could come along a be a student of yours. You have such an amazing and inspiring body. Best wishes, Em.

Mastering Public Health said...

Wow, you have really outdone yourself! I can't wait to try the peanut butter cups and caramel turtles recipes. Thank you. Your blog has quickly become one of my favorites!

Richard said...

Wow, these chocolate turtles look amazy, I imagine those would be a hit with kids and adults..will be sure to try this recipe, thanks

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin