Epic Halloween Cake! (and contest winner!)

The moment you all have been waiting for is here! I finally made a giant epic cake thingy using 4 pounds of nuts, a crap load of chocolate, and a whole bunch of epicness! Sure it may not look like very much to the naked eye, especially if you bring into consideration that it looks about the size of a regular cake. Bring in the fact that its completely raw and I ate a most of it single handedly, and we have a whole new story.

This cake may be one of my greatest accomplishments yet! Though the pictures arn't exactly what I had desired, it still looked epic and tasted delicious! So pictures aside, i'm proud of this cake of epicness and no one will take that away from me. NO ONE!

Epic Halloween Cake

Cake Ingredients

2 c. Macadamia Nuts

2 c. Brazil Nuts

1/2 c. Flax Seed

1/2 c. Pumpkin Seed

3/4 c. Hemp Seed

2 c. Shredded Coconut

1/2 c. Coconut Oil

3/4 c. Agave

3/4 c. Dates

4 tbsp. Salt

-Blend together your nuts and seeds until it resembles a crumbly flour.

-Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a dough begins to form.

-Set aside.

Raspberry Cream Ingredients

1 c. Raspberries

1/2 c. Cashew Cream*

1/2 c. Agave

-Add everything into your blender and blend until smooth.

-Set aside.

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients

2 c. Raw Cacao Powder

1 c. Coconut Oil

1/2 c. Cashew Cream*

3/4 c. Agave

2 tsp. Salt

-Blend everything together until smooth.

-In round cake pan, begin assembling your cake. Put down a layer of the cake dough so that is covers the bottom and the edges.

-Put down a layer of the chocolate frosting and then a layer of raspberry cream. Then add another layer of dough and repeat. Keep doing this until you are out of raspberry cream, but make sure there is enough frosting to cover the cake's outside.

-Put the remaining dough down as a top layer. Then, coat the cake entirely with the remaining of your frosting. Add coconut shavings if you so desire.

-Put the cake in the freezer for about 10-20 minutes so the icing can set.

-Enjoy!

Yep, i'm proud of this recipe. It took me a while to come up with the recipe, but it was very much well worth it! So many combinations for something like this, though. A raw chocolate hazelnut spread instead of frosting, coconut instead of cashew cream. I guess I just love food in general!

Everyone i've had tried this told me they loved it. My mom said it was the best thing i've made yet and both of my brothers enjoyed a slice. Even my girlfriend, who usually isn't fond of my cooking, told me it tasted excellent. And for the record, i'm the only person even remotely vegan let alone raw who tried it. That should say something! I preferred the chocolate frosting though, while they enjoyed the cake itself a bit more.

Now that my dessert is out of the way, time to announce the winner of my raw dessert contest. And the winner of the Raw Sample Pack from NutsOnline.com iiiiiiiiiiis.....

pureglow*16

She was the only eligible contestant to actually put her own recipe in. She also both liked both myself and Nuts Online on twitter. Not to mention, my obsession with peanut butter may have helped her just a bit.

Congrats Pureglow*16. Be sure to email me your address and phone number at the626drew@gmail.com so i may send your prize right away!

And everyone, don't forget to check out her awesome recipe for Raw Reeses!

Whats your favorite Halloween candy?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Dessert Roundup

This weekend has been insane! Tests, food, and epic times hanging out with a few friends. Epic people make for an epic time. Also, that contest i'm working on seems to be a bit of a hit, i'm glad to say. Looking forward to the epicness that is raw dessert!

So many awesome recipes have been submitted for my raw dessert contest. The rules were basically to send me a link, recipe, or picture of your favorite raw dessert. Here are my favorites so far:

Pure glow sent me a link to her version of "Reeces" Peanut Butter Cups. With chocolate and peanut butter being my two favorite things in the world and this being my favorite Halloween candy before my vegan times, of course a trip down memory lane always is a plus for me.

Vegan Sweettooth's Raw Brownies were also suggested. I've seen, read, and made a lot of brownie recipes in my life time and they may be my favorite raw recipe for when I don't have much time to make anything. Throw a few simple ingredients into a food processor and blend until its a doughey yumminess. Then freeze for a few minutes to let it set and you're done!

What caught my eye about her brownies, was her pictures. I swear, they look just like the baked kind! That, i've found, is very hard to pull off so kudos to you VST!

Raw On 10 was also chosen as a raw dessert favorite, and I must admit that her caramel apple pie was most impressive. I don't have a dehydrator so I probably won't get a chance to make it, but her recipe looks absolutely amazing! Creativity and good taste clashed in this epic recipe and i intend on trying to make this, even if its not dehydrated. Just look at that! Tell me you don't want some of that gooey apple goodness.

On the lighter side, an awesome pie from Happy Cow was also sent to me. Happy Cow has some pretty awesome raw recipes, and their raw strawberry pie looks delicious and really easy! Sounds like epicness in every slice to me.

Anyways, don't forget to join the Raw Dessert Contest! The winner gets a Raw Sampler Pack from NutsOnline.com! When i announce the winner, i'll also post an epic recipe I came up with for a giant Halloween dessert. It involves lots of chocolate and lots of epicness!

Don't forget to enter my raw dessert contest here!

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Raw Dessert Contest!

CONTEST TIME! HECK YEAH!

As I stated in my last post, Nuts Online is one of my absolute favorite companies due to the fact that they have amazing prices and awesome stuff. I could rant on and on about how amazing their food is, but why just tell you when you can get a little tasting of their amazingness for yourself?

So i figured, a little sampling of their awesomeness! The winner of this contest will receive a free Raw Sampler Pack (priced at $20) from Nuts Online. The sampler pack comes with not one....not 5.....but of the best raw and organic foods they have to offer for absolutely no cost! Here is what you'll get! Keep in mind, you are getting a sampling of ALL of these.

RAW CEREALS & BARS

Acai Blueberry Superfood Cereal

Wake up your taste buds with Acai Blueberry Superfood Cereal! Grain-free, nutrient-dense, raw, and packed with flavor, this superfruit cereal is an awesome way to get more color in your diet.

Organic Raw Cacao Goji Energy Squares

A delicious raw treat that's a healthier version of a brownie, packed with antioxidant rich cacao and goji! Great for an energy boost!

RAW FOODS HIGH IN PROTEIN

Organic Quinoa

The 'mother grain' is extremely high in protein (12-18%) and supplies complete protein, meaning that it includes all 9 essential amino acids. It can be sprouted and eaten as a snack, on top of salads, or mixed in trail mixes!

Organic Hemp Protein Powder

This protein packed organic hemp protein powder is a must have for any athlete or raw foodie. Packed with 50% protein and all of the nutrients from hemp seeds, this powder is chock full of energy.

Spirulina

Spirulina is one of the most nutritionally dense foods in the world. It is a complete protein, packed with iron, and may have antiviral and anticancer effects! It helps detoxify our bodies and lowers cholesterol / blood pressure.

Organic Maca Powder

Organic Maca Powder (raw) is an adaptogenic root that enhances your ability to deal with stress while boosting energy, endurance and performance. In traditional Peruvian culture, Maca is believed to be an aphrodisiac. It is rich in sugar, proteins (18 amino acids and 7 of the 9 essential amino acids) and important minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are extremely high in Omega 3 and are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Chia seeds can be eaten raw as a dietary fiber and omega 3 supplement.

RAW SNACKS

Organic Cacao Nibs (Raw)

Organic Cacao Nibs are a real chocolate treat. Made from crushed Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional beans, these raw nibs are the original unsweetened chocolate chip. Crunchy, flavorful, and packed with powerful nutrients and natural mood lifters. Try them on their own, or sweeten with bananas and dates for a truly healthy chocolate. Perfect for mixing into smoothies or trail mixes.

Turkish Figs

Figs are one of the sweetest fruits available that are also high in key nutrients like iron and calcium!

Organic Almonds (Raw, No Shell)

Organic raw almonds are high in detoxifying minerals (magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, and manganese) and vitamin E! Even better, they protect against obesity, diabetes, heart disease and lower cholesterol / blood pressure.

EPICNESS!!! So now that i've revealed the prize, here is the contest!

Raw Dessert Contest

Create or post a link of your favorite raw dessert and why you love raw food!

Recipes can be posted:

• In the comment section below
• On my twitter @vegmuffinman
• Or at Facebook.com/rawtothefullest

Extra entry for:

-Adding at least one picture

-Creativity

-Originality

-Holiday theme (preferably Halloween)

-Liking either I or Nuts Online on Facebook or Twitter

Submissions must be posted by Midnight EST of Sunday, October 23rd

And that's it! Its that simple. I hope to see some awesome posts soon. At the end of the contest, I intend to make something raw and huge so be on the look out for that! That will be the post in which I will announce the winner.

Post your entries in the comment section below or on Facebook or Twitter!

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Nuts Online

MC ANDREW IN THE HOUSE! Alright vegans, raw foodist, and people everywhere unable to find raw, organic nuts for a good price! This post goes out tooooooooo. *reads a little card from my back pocket* NUTS ONLINE!!!!

Alright, but seriously guys. I want to dedicate this post to Nuts Online for the main reason that they have the best prices on just about any raw, organic snack I can think of for amazing prices. No, they did not pay me to post this nor did they even ask. They are just an absolutely amazing company and i believe they deserve a little bit of street cred on the internet.

This is the only company I go to to buy nuts, spurlina, dried fruit, and a few other things just due to the fact that they are dependable! I am a high schooler and have personally bought a few hundred dollars worth of stuff from them over the course of the past year due to the fact that they are just that good!

They have a wide variety of just about everything, and it gets here within about two days! I have never gotten a late order from them, and the food always tastes incredible! When i first got a package from them, it did taste a bit odd. It was like they added something that made it taste incredibly good, but i couldn't put my finger on it. So I looked at their bio and I finally figured it out.

The Nutty Family

Sandy David Jefferey & Kenny

Its love. There is love in every single delicious package i've ever gotten. When you buy so much, you also get a little sample of something else and even that little thing has love in it!

My personal favorites (all raw and organic):

-Amazonian Jungle Peanuts

-Spurlina

-Maca

-Pumpkin Seeds

-Pecans

-Cacao Powder

-Cacao Butter

-Almond Butter

-Macadamia Nuts

-Gogi Berries

I could go on and on all day, but the best bet would be to try it for yourself. So go! Go get some amazing food for an incredibly cheap price! NOW!!

Whats your favorite nut?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Raw Coconut Yogurt

Thick, creamy, and oh so good, raw coconut yogurt is frickin awesome! I love it! Its that magical meal you can eat all day without gaining a pound and will actually cure you of health problems! Magical bowl of deliciousness. GET IN MY BELLEH!!

Whats for breakfast?

Raw coconut yogurt!

I feel drained of energy. What can I have to fuel me up?

Raw coconut yogurt!

My stomach is kind of upset. What can help my digestion?

QUICK ZELDA! SAVE THE PRINCESS FROM THE CASTLE!!!

Raw coconut yogu......wait a sec.

The recipe is really easy too and not too hard to come by if you have some way of getting your hands on coconut. Even here in Georgia, the local Whole Foods Market carries them. And without that, almost every grocery store around here carries the rest of the ingredients. So sweet! So creamy! I need me some YOGURT!!

Raw Coconut Yogurt

(makes about 3 cups)

Ingredients:

6 Thai Coconuts

1/3 c. Virgin Coconut Oil

1/4 c. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Vanilla

Probiotics (optional)

-Open up the coconuts and pour the water of one of them into your blender. Pour the water from the rest into a container and refrigerate (you can add some probiotics and make coconut kefir!)

-Scrape out the "meat" and add that to your blender with the remaining ingredients.

-Blend until everything is smooth and creamy.

-Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

-Enjoy!

This stuff is so GOOD! I even added in some raw almond butter and berries, but this stuff is good as it is! I thought when I went raw, yogurt was completely off my to-eat list. But apparently, this stuff tastes even better than the dairy stuff. And its made of one of nature's most perfect foods, coconut!

Coconut is amazing for your skin (especially coconut oil) due to the oleic acid in it. It also cleanses you, restores your body, and helps you to loose weight by building up your thyroid gland. It increases bone density, heart health, and energy! It heightens your taste, suppresses cravings, helps with blood pressure, bad breathe, and just about any other health problem I can think of. I could go all day, but i'd rather not bore you.

The probiotics make it that much better! They add enzymes to your stomach to help your digestive system and the rest of your body to work that much better!

Bottom line, coconut is awesome. Don't have some? Get some.

What is your favorite coconut recipe?

Zucchini Pasta

I used to be a huge carbivore, so pasta, pizza, and bread where always some of my favorite foods! And to tell you the truth, I still dream of such foods ever since becoming a raw foodist. I'm still working on bread and pizza, but pasta is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Just need some sauce and..well....a zucchini.

Its WAY better than it sounds, I assure you. I've never been a big zucchini fan so when I noticed a lot of raw foodist using it instead of pasta noodles, the face of a jack-o-lantern became my expression.

no more pasta?!

Fear not Mr.Pumpkin face! The pasta actually turned out amazing! With a good sauce and cutting the zucchini just right, I got my happy pumpkin face on.

Thats right Mr.Pasta Pumpkin. Get that happy face on. This stuff actually tastes really good. And if anything, it looks pretty and only took a few minutes.

Raw Zucchini Pasta

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4. medium Zucchini

1 Roma Tomato

1 Red Bell Pepper

1/2 c. Sun-Dried tomatoes

2 cloves Garlic

2 tbsp. Oregano

2 tbsp. Basil

1/4 c. Olive Oil

-Put the sun-dried tomatoes into a bowl of warm water, just barely hot enough that you can put your fingers in without getting burned.

-Peel the skin off of the zucchini until there is no visible green. Then cut them into pasta-shaped strips.

-Drain the tomatoes from the water and put it into a food processor or blender. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until you get the desired consistency, depending on how chunky you like your sauce. Add some warm water if necessary.

-Pour the sauce over your pasta.

-Enjoy!

See? It wasn't that hard at all. And with this, the zucchini ends up unfavorful and tastes just like pasta! This is also one of my favorite sauce recipes for the reason that its really easy to make and tastes awesome. Sometimes ill add onions or some extra garlic to give it a bit of a kick. I was pleasantly surprised and am kind of curious what else I can do with a zucchini. Oh well. I guess that's for another day.

Is there a food you used to hate, but love in one particular dish?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin, chocolate, pumpkin, chocolate, pumpkin chocolate! I can't decide which to choose! So wait...if I can't decide, then why not choose them both?

Last year during Vegan Mofo, I remember seeing a few posts on Pumpkin Swirl Brownies. I even made some when I used my other site and was pretty proud of how they turned out. Now that i'm a raw foodies though, I was very curious of if I could recreate the dish of pure epicness. I do have some newly made raw pumpkin puree in the fridge, so whats stopping me? Its brownie time.

Raw Pumpkin Brownie

(Serves 12)

Brownie Ingredients:

2 c. Pecans

1 c. Pumpkin Seeds

3/4 c. Cacao Powder

4 Dates (pitted)

1/8 tbsp Coconut Oil

1/3c. Honey/Agave

2 tsp. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

-Grind your pecans and pumpkin seeds into a coffee grinder until they become almost the texture of flour.

-Put your nut/seed flour, the cacao powder, and salt into your food processor. Pulse it a few times until they are well mixed.

-Add in your remaining ingredients and mix them until it forms a crumbly dough. Add a bit more coconut oil or honey if you thing its needed.

-Mold half of your dough into a container and freeze. Set the other half aside.

Pumpkin Filling Ingredients:

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Pumpkin Puree

3 Medjool Dates

2 tbsp. Honey/Agave

-Blend everything together in your food processor or blender.

-Pour the filling over the first brownie layer. Then add the remaining chocolate as a second layer.

-Enjoy!

This turned out excellently, even with the ingredients being as simple as they are. It was a little time consuming making the pumpkin puree, but I guarantee you it was well worth it. Pumpkin-chocolate combinations are kind of different, but I'll be looking forward to finding out other things I can do with the two. Especially with orange and black being perfect halloween colors! MWAHAHAHA!!!!

What are your favorite orange and black things?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Raw Pumpkin Puree

PUMPKIN!!!!! PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How can you ever have fall without pumpkin? Carving, Pies, and pumpkin...well..everything!

So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the minute I got the opportunity, I bought myself a pumpkin and carved the heck out of it. Kudos to anyone who can guess what I carved. If you can, leave a comment below telling me what or who you think I carved!

Here's a hint:

Making raw food from pumpkin, however, is a bit harder if you don't do it right. Most pumpkin purees involve boiling the pumpkin to soften it enough to use. With this in mind, I set out to create a delicious pumpkin puree without having to cook it. So this is what i've come up with.

Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients:

1 Pie Pumpkin

1 Apple

-Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out all of the seeds and insides. An ice cream scoop works excellently for this. Then core the apple.

-Cut up the pumpkin and apple into small pieces or cubes and put those pieces into a juicer.

-Put both the pulp and the juice into a food processor or blender and blend until the texture is smooth. Add water if needed until everything is smooth.

-Enjoy!

I also saved some of the juice just for the sake of Harry Potter references

Finally, a pumpkin puree that a raw foodist can partake of. Some people just settle for carrot puree and say you can't tell the difference, but if I want some pumpkin then i'm gonna have some pumpkin!

Pumpkin is also one of the nutritious fruits available (yes, its a fruit). Not only the mineral rich flesh, but the seeds are also incredibly good for your body and in many cases considered one of the healthiest foods on earth. But I didn't really use the seeds in this recipe in this post, so lets save that for another day.

I'm not big on counting my calories since I really dont need to worry about it with a raw diet but for those of you who are, there are only about 40 calories in every half cup of this puree! It contains a load of beta-carotene, which is basically just Vitamin A when its in the body. Vitamin A is awesome for your vision and helping to reverse skin damage. Also this vitamin is not too bad at boosting your immune system so when its combined with the vitamin C that's in here, its a perfect food for those winter colds.

It also has about 5 grams of fiber for ever 1/2 cup so your digestive system and cholesterol levels will both thank you for that. The Vitamin E in here will help your skin and the vitamin B5 will help to balance out your hormones.

So not only is this stuff going to taste incredibly good in a pie (a recipe for that is coming), but its also amazingly healthy for your body too! I added the apple in here to give it some sweetness for desserts, but you don't really need it if you plan on using this recipe for a soup. Expect me to be eating this stuff all month long!

Whats your favorite pumpkin recipe? And did anyone get what I carved?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Raw Chocolate Macadamia Nut Mounds

Almond joy and Mounds were almost the definition of my perfect candy as a kid. Chocolate, coconut, and nuts all combined together into a harmonious symphony of sweet bliss upon my tongue. As many know, those three are some of my absolute favorite foods and with the fact that they combine together, things just get better from there.

Well when I lived in Hawaii, almost every store had chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and of course some of them were coated or filled with coconut. I don't need either one of those! Who would even want a commercial peice of crap when you can create something that tastes a hundred times better?!

Raw Chocolate - Macadamia Mounds

Macadamia Dough Ingredients:

1 c. Macadamia Nuts

1/4 c. Almond Butter

1 c. Shredded Coconut

1/4 c. Honey/Agave

1 tbsp. Sea Salt (Himilayan Pink preferably)

-Combine all of your ingredients into a bowl and use a fork or your hands to combine everything.

-Put in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate.

Chocolate Ingredients:

1 c. Cacao Powder

1 c. Cacao/Coconut Oil(softened)

1/2 c. Honey/Agave

3/4 c. Shredded Coconut

-Mix the cacao powder, oil, and honey or agave together in a small bowl.

-Take your macadamia dough and dip them each into the chocolate, coating them.

-Put them back into the freezer for a few minutes, or just until the chocolate hardens.

-Take them out and dip them into the chocolate. Then, dip them into the coconut. Continue this step until all of your coconut and chocolate are used up.

-Freeze for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.

-Enjoy

I am actually really proud of myself for these. I even took them to school, and the people I see usually eating vending machine crap claimed it as the best candy they've ever had! They tasted rich, chocolatey, and absolutley delicious! I like using macadamia nuts over most others due to the fact that they taste really really good!

They are also one of the most beautifying nuts on the planet. They contain a large quantity of oleic acid in their fats cells which is the absolute best fat for skin. Cacao and coconut also contain these acids in their fat, making this sweet and delicious food incredibly rich in beautifying oils. Just look at any cosmetic products, and you will most likely see cacao or coco (coconut) oil in them for that exact reason.

If you havnt heard through my Twitter account yet, i will be working on a HUGE project for Halloween as a big finally for Vegan Mofo. This is the biggest project i've ever done, and may just be the biggest raw dessert i've ever seen!

Whats your favorite old school candy? Do you have a vegan or raw version of it?

-Andrew D. Morrison-