Chocolate Walnut Pie

 

Lower in sugar than traditional pecan pie and dairy free, this one is definitely a family favorite.

 

Yes, that's a store-bought crust. After numerous attempts it has become evident that pie crusts are not my thing.

Ingredients:
1 oz coconut oil, melted
1.5 oz unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
8 oz brown rice syrup
2 oz maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 oz chopped nuts (a combination of walnuts and pecans is good)
3 oz chopped dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix everything together, pour it into a pie shell and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until mostly set but still a little wobbly in the center. In our convection oven, it took 38 minutes at 325 F.
My favorite way to have this pie is early in the morning, cold out of the fridge.

Strawberry-Almond Smoothie

 

Call it heaven in a glass.
Or breakfast.

I'm not usually one to sub beverages for meals, but this smoothie is so creamy and filling, it will make you forget about lunch.

Combine in a blender:
5 dates, soaked overnight in...
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almondmilk
2 ripe bananas
10 frozen strawberries
1/4 cup smooth almond butter

Blend away! Makes 2 generous servings.