As always, 100% organic, vegan, whole foods.

• 8 oz of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbl vanilla
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

If you're like me, you love cheese. Between watching cheesy romantic comedies and eating cheese, I like to write cheesy blog posts. I love cheese on everything! With the below recipe, you can have your cheese and eat it too! Lots of it! I Am Present is full of versatility and life, and cheesiness, of course. Enjoy!

FARMER-STYLE CHEESE
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups soaked cashews (soak for 8 hours and rinse before using)
1 tablespoon miso
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon coconut oil
3/4 cup fresh water

Place the soaked and rinsed cashews in a blender along with miso, salt, oil, and half the water. Start to blend on low, turning up the speed slowly. Add more water as necessary to keep mixture pulling down to the bottom of the blender. When a smooth consistency has been achieved, taste your creation. This cheese can be used as is or hung in a double layer of moistened cheesecloth to ripen and drain., making a slightly firmer and tangier cheese.

Note: You can change the flavor or color of this cheese very easily by adding one or more of the following: cumin powder, turmeric powder, parsley, cilantro, bell or black pepper. Be inventive and let your creative juices flow! (Just remember if you're going to be using cilantro, parsley, or bell pepper, chop them first and add them from the beginning so they have a chance to be well incorporated.)

This fresh fruit parfait is a hot item at our cafes - selling out just as soon as it hits the dessert case. Try this recipe with your favorite fruit, or try just the coconut meringue on top of a piece of pie or an ice cream sundae.

Recipe by Chaya-Ryvka Diehl

www.theLivingVision.com

Chaya@theLivingVision.com

Calling all raw chocolate lovers, hear yee, hear yee; If you would love to be able to take 6 simple ingredients, turn them into the most delicious chocolate treat ever, and do it in less than 10 minutes this recipe is perfect for you!

I suggest printing this recipe out and pinning it up to your fridge because I am sure you will be making it on a regular basis. Make it with your children, and enjoy it as a healthy dessert alternative! If you want a chocolate free version use carob powder, or lucuma powder (for a blonde version) instead of the chocolate (you may want to reduce the sugar a bit because carob and lucuma are both already slightly sweet).

For those of us who are gluten-free and/or vegan and need to find good baked goods to enjoy while everyone else is pigging out on the "regular" stuff, this is recipe is for us.  And all of my friends who AREN'T gluten-free or vegan totally enjoy these treats as well.  I was at my friend Debbie's house when she made these for her first time, and we both discovered our new favorite cookie.  Even if you don't have time to make the icing, these cookies are great all by themselves.  But we highly recommend the full experience.  And yes, they do taste like my favorite Girl Scout Cookie, Thin[k] Mints.  Enjoy!!!

Seven years ago today I was 19 years old and running away from a flirtatious and awkward 18 year old boy who wouldn't give up on me.  For months prior I kept giving hints that I wanted to be friends and nothing else.  I felt weird that he wasn't getting it, and I wasn't certain enough to outright tell him.  

We met online.  I was desperate for a roommate at the time and he thought that I was interesting.  I met him at my favorite smoothie/tea shop and he gave me my favorite movie on DVD (which he bought in preparation for our first meeting) before I even sat down.  He quickly became one of my best friends and we started working together dressing up as Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam for a tax company (which was far beyond his comfort zone, but allowed him to be close to me).  He obviously wasn't having a good time dressing up and waving at cars (something that I felt inspired about at the time).  We didn't have much in common.  I was a newfound feminist student activist; he was a programmer and gamer.  I was weary about dating him because I didn't see us having similar goals or even similar languages. I was the type of person that wore a prom dress made of duct tape.  He was the type of person who left high school out of disinterest.  

He made advances that pushed at the boundaries of friendship and I nervously rejected them, unsure of how such a relationship would work.  While sitting on the couch, he would reach for my hand or lean in for a kiss.  I didn't know how to react and so I didn't say anything and carefully avoided him in romantic settings.  I thought maybe something was wrong with him because I didn't understand why someone would be so intensely interested in me.  

Have you fallen in love with our desserts?  Do you keep coming back again and again for more cocao bliss?  You are in for a treat with this simple and quick recipe for a powerful punch of dark velvety goodness.  We like to spice it up with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top.  Heat up your Winter days with a mouth full of "Super Hot"!

From our recipe book: Sweet Gratitude (with dozens of other mouth watering, knee buckling dessert dish recipes)

At Cafe Gratitude, we go out of our way to support businesses that share our mission:

Crafting nutritious whole foods locally and in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.

That's why we are proud to offer a delectable selection of Coracao's signature chocolates this holiday season.  These sweet treats are as dense in minerals and micronutrients as they are in 'Yum!'