Free Time, Free Chocolate Shakes, Free Free Free!

I have been on a blog moratorium for a month. My comment box was down for a week and I couldn't comment on any of the comments. After that happened, I decided I wanted to, you know, shake things up a bit and take some time off. I've spent many hours writing and cooking and baking for my blog, not to mention reading and commenting on other blogger's posts. I wanted to see how I would utilize this new found time. A lot can happen in a month, 9 1/2 Weeks, 3 weeks or 22 Weeks. At least a lot can happen in those Lifetime movies and Drew Barrymore Flicks. Maybe Bill Murray is available to star in my life story. It's been a long winter.

Anyway, there are a couple of reasons I have plotted my return for Valentine's Day. Three of my fans have, okay one...one of my fans has begged me to come back. Here's a tip. If part of your life plan includes playing 25 cut throat rounds of "Words with Friends" everyday (ahem ahem, Cari) you will be caught, especially if you are like me and lack the humility game gene. I promise not to woohoo over my 40 and 50 and 60 point words on FB ever again. Nobody applauds on FB anyway, they just post snide comments like, "how 'bout writing a blog instead of playing another FB word game, GiGi?" Yeah that was my one fan comment. I received that comment tonight so I felt pressured to come back and besides I was tired of losing to my friend Cari anyway. She scores a lot of 100 point words.

More importantly, I scheduled my mighty comeback for Valentines' Day so I could tell you a tale about chocolate. More precisely, yummy slave chocolate. You know that beautiful dark chocolate sea salted vegan heart your Bf just coughed up some dinero for? Sure it's thoughtful, romantic, scrumptious even. It's even got the big V stamp of approval on it's cushy box. Well you can just kiss that big V goodbye, sister. I would suggest that you hurry up and eat all that Valentine chocolate before you read on.





You see, the people over at the Conscious Eating Conference and IDA (In Defense of Animals) told me they would be so pleased to have Veganville sell their goodies at their event, but they needed to know what kind of chocolate I used. I use white chocolate from Pangea or Food Fight or Vegan Essentials. For chocolate chips I use WF 365 vegan chips. Sure bet, vegan, with a big V right? Wrong! Apparently even these chocolates are made by Lilliputians in a third world country. According to the conscious eating people if I use a chocolate that exploits anyone under three feet (four feet is okay) I contribute to the harm of a sentient being. My vegan card could be pulled.

Naturally, this got my shackles, up. Or is it hackles? I always get those two things confused. I believe I am a devout hardcore vegan. I have not exploited anyone in a couple of years. I'm the daughter of a poor share holder. I even read "The Help". None of that counts in the conscious eating folks book. This chocolate stuff is serious business. My questionable chocolate will have to take the day off from this event, while I explore slave free chocolate options. I'll bring my kinder gentle lemon molasses, carrot cake and punk-in voopees with me.

I'm sure this event will be eye opening. There will be experts in the field of sustainable agriculture, animal well being, farm workers and the environment who will answer questions and help people understand why we need a truly stable global and local food system where all have access to healthy food, where all are treated with compassion, and where all are well fed. To find out more about the Conscious Eating Event or to register click here .

Now let's all celebrate a Slave Free Valentine's Day with this special shake!

GiGi's  "Harriet Tubman" Almost Raw Chocolate Shake
Serves 3 People (one must be under 3 feet)


2 C cold almond milk

1 Ripe avocado (cut in chunks)

5 T slave free cocoa powder (sometimes you can find it next to the slave free xanthan gum)

3 Heaping T agave or as much as you like to sweeten

1/4 C vanilla rice milk ice cream

5 ice cubes

I am graced to have a special blender with a milkshake blade. Add all the ingredients to your blender and well yeah, go ahead and blend. This is very filling and delicious. Go ahead make it for dinner, and you'll free up the rest of your night wink, wink.

Happy Valentine's Day. It's nice to see you all again. Can't wait to catch up with all my friends and their blogs.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

MoFo 16 Welcome to Parfait World

I think I just ate my weight in agave sweetened gluten free cake. If it sounds less than appetizing it wasn't, but it is a pretty ugly cake. I hate to talk behind my cake's back but it's not a cake you'd want to escort to a party where there's a beautiful spread. It's better to eat it under the covers with the lights off. And you won't have to answer to anyone. Or you could try the botox of the cake world...usually it's frosting but yours truly is still off the sugar. This works on dense cakes. Grab the cookie cutter of your choice and and stamp out a shape of cake. Like I just did, now ugly cake is a star in her own right.

Guess what, guess what guess what?? No, silly. We got the ice cream maker to make ice cream. Psycho boy defrosted the freezer and turned it up as far as it would go and yay my first attempt worked, but I would definitely tweak it. PBoy ate all of it. Well I had a little. I used vanilla soy creamer, coconut milk, vanilla flavoring and agave. I realized I'm not such a fan of soy creamer, but I'm stoked that I got the consistency right. It was spoonable. Check out my parfait world. I included strawberry Rice Dream ice cream which happens to be one of my faves. Just in case you don't have an ice cream maker, right yet. Right yet? Must be my Southern evil twin who just wrote that. Right yet?

Feel like indulging in a parfait? Scroll down my recipes to desserts and I'm sure you'll find one that will make your taste buds happy. See the example of "Just Peachy" parfait.