raw vegan peanut butter cookies

peanut butter always makes me feel better... in a sandwich, in a cookie, out of the jar.  i can always rely on it, especially during a cleanse... yes, i am still on it (let's forget about those hot chocolate drinks i had on the weekend, deal?).

so when i came across this recipe for raw vegan peanut butter cookies i knew i had to try it.  no sugar, no white flour, no processed stuff.  these "cookies" are made with ground almonds, peanut butter and sweetened with dates.  that's it!  it was a timely and marvelous discovery.





stored in the fridge for snacking throughout the week

the recipe:

1 cup raw or dry roasted almonds
1 cup pitted medjool dates
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. add the dates, peanut butter and vanilla. if your almonds and peanut butter are unsalted, i'd add about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in as well. pulse for a couple minutes until it forms a dough. you may need to add a couple more tablespoons of peanut butter. shape into little walnut sized balls and place each ball on a piece of parchment paper. press down with a fork to make the characteristic peanut butter cookie markings.

 

i hope you will try them and love them as much as kai and i do.  they are delicious (especially the next day).

downton abbey

i recently completed the first season of downton abbey; it was a marathon viewing! 

there is really nothing like a costume drama for escapist entertainment.  i am totally immersed in this edwardian series... watching life as it existed 100 years ago, a time of servants and great estates.  it is beautifully filmed... the english countryside and costumes are swoon worthy.  and that castle with its exquisite library and the family dinners in the dining room with everyone dressed in formal attire... can you imagine?

it is fascinating to watch all the interactions that take place among the servants and the aristocratic family that lives in the house; i love the crawley sisters with their hopes, dreams and jealousies;  the villains are deliciously evil; and maggie smith plays dowager lady grantham with such talent (her one liners are real zingers). 

i am eager to download season two from itunes (images from season two!).  staying home and curling up with the ipad to watch this addictive drama sounds good to me; a perfect wintertime activity.  i will be caught up in no time. 

 

weekend pics

this weekend was spent mostly on the north shore...  well, that is, when we weren't chilling out at home with tea and movie watching and vegan cookie making :)

because of kai's cancelled soccer game on saturday we joined stefan on the north shore for an errand at the auto mall... and as luck would have it the auto mall is very close to thomas haas!  so after dropping off the car we meandered (kai longboarded) over to the café for a most delicious lunch; beef and barley soup, smoked salmon sandwich, and the most amazing hot chocolate (with maple syrup!), our first of the hot chocolate festival.  we also found a little path for kai to do some exploring among the trees and along the dam.  it was a nice little outing.

on sunday, we joined kai on grouse mountain... while the city was overcast and cold, the top of grouse was cheery bright, sunny and warm.  during kai's ski lesson stefan and i snowshoed... leisurely.  due to the lack of time (mixed in with a lack of motivation, perhaps just a tad) we didn't go up dam mountain as we normally do.  we did snowshoe in the park, lounge in the chalet, and on the way home we stopped by soirette to partake in our second hot chocolate drink of the weekend... peanut buttery goodness.

is it possible that i had a third hot chocolate drink before the weekend ended?  i'm afraid i did (i know!).  we met up with some friends at chocolate arts (my drink had a hint of raspberry and sweeter than the other two) then went to their place for a lovely beef and lentil stew.  it was so very good that i am attaching the recipe below.

all hot chocolate drinks were very good but my favourite was the one made by thomas haas... chocolate-y, smooth, with the perfect amount of flavour (not overbearing, not sweet).  just delicious!

the north shore and thomas haas:





 

 
grouse mountain and soirette:

 



the city was covered in a blanket of clouds



 





 

 

friends and chocolate arts:

 







bella... hopefully a permanent resident at our friend's home







the stew alexia had simmering all day... very yummy (warning: measurements are an approximation)



did you all have a lovely weekend too?