Summer Recipes: Açai Bowl, Avocado Salad, Watermelon Juice

I cannot believe I am typing these words... but the last days of Summer has gone. What?... Seriously where did the time go. Don't get me wrong, I love fall too but as you may know Summer is my favourite season of the year due to the warmth and the amount of glorious sun we get each day. It's now the end of September and to celebrate the beautiful summer days I wanted to share with you all a few picture, and recipes of the amazing food I've had this summer.

1. Watermelon Juice

My number one most consumed juice this summer is definitely this Watermelon Juice... I have had several if not cups, but pitchers of this juice. It has been hydrating me all summer long and watermelon is just my all time favourite fruit. It's super refreshing, hydrating, and delicious. Ok just make sure you don't drink a whole pitcher before going on a long car trip ;)

How to Make:

This super simple and you can definitely elaborate on the basic recipe. 

Ingredients:

~ 2 Cups Watermelon (Cold)

~2 Cups Water (Cold)

Method:

Blend these two ingredients in a blender and pour into your favourite glass, jar, etc.

Variations:

1. Add a few Mint Leaves to make it extra refreshing!

2. Add a few drops of stevia if you want it just a touch sweeter.

3. Add some Lemon Juice for an uplifting touch. 

Seriously the variations are endless! Play with it! 

...

 2. Raw Fruits and Veggies

Summer foods must must must include raw fruits for me... I am addicted to raw fruits. Especially in the mornings. I find myself devouring a crazy amount of either mangos, peaches, or watermelon, all my summer faves. 

Ok next to raw fruits... Salads are also a must. Another reason I love summer I can eat lots and lots of raw foods in which the amazing enzymes in our veggies have not been cooked and killed. This summer I have been obsessing in salads, in particularly this one Im gonna share with you all. 

This is my Summer Avocado Salad.

How to Make:

Again... So simple. Basically you just toss everything together ;)

Ingredients:

~ 1 Cup Arugula

~ 1 Cup Spinach

~ 1 Baby Cucumber

~ a few Cherry Tomatoes

~ 1 Avocado

~ 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds

Dressing:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice, a few dashes of Garlic Powder, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, and Paprika 

Method:

Basically chop, and toss everything together in a large bowl and season well.

Super Simple.

...

Best for Last:

Açai Bowl

Saving the best for last. My current obsession. I am OBSESSED. I can have this everyday for every meal. No joke. The oh so humble Açai Bowl. What makes it humble? Well first off Açai is a Super food and it is very high in antioxidants, Vitamin C, boosts immunity, and promotes anti aging properties, along with many benefits to a healthy heart. The list of pros is quite long and I could go on and on about how amazing Açai is for our bodies. Now some people use the frozen Açai Packets which are usually easily found in North America in stores such as Whole Foods, but in Europe it is a little harder to find so I like to use the powder form of Açai which I find from my local health food store. 

My Açai Bowls usually consists of frozen bananas, frozen blueberries, frozen/fresh kale, almond milk, a few dates, grounded flaxseeds, Maca Powder, and Açai Powder. This bowl is filled with superfoods, and foods high in fibre. I promise you it tastes like ice cream, and is just heaven to start off the day with... especially when you know its super good for your body.

How to Make:

This recipe is definitely not by the book, I definitely experimented with how I like mine to taste, and also what to add in for the nutritional benefits. So feel free to take out or substitute any ingredients that you need.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Frozen Blueberries

2 Frozen Bananas

1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries

1 Cup Almond Milk

1 to 2 Tbsp Açai Powder

2 Large Dates

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup (Optional)

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend. If you don't have a high speed blender slowly blend each frozen fruit.

2. Note that it is often that the mixture gets stuck due to the fact that it is frozen. If this happens add a little more almond milk.

3. Blend everything together until smooth and transfer to your favourite bowl.

4. Add Toppings! This is the best part! The choices are endless here are just a few I love:

Goji Berries

Granola

Fresh Fruits

Almond Butter

Chia Seeds

Bee Pollen

Cacao Nibs

Hemp Seeds

Inca Berries

...

The simplest, yet most delicious. I love topping it with my Maple Coconut Pecan Granola, which I have a recipe for and will share very soon, but seriously you can go all out with the toppings. I love love Açai Bowls because they taste too good to be healthy, yet they do wonders for our health. I really hope you guys will try all these recipes out. I look forward to the new month of October and creating many yummy fall recipes. Till then I send everyone lots of love and happiness.

xoxo

Coco

Raw Cake: Vanilla Strawberry-Raspberry Cheesecake

Happy August everyone! Having been back in Amsterdam for 2 weeks already I must say I really miss the gorgeous summer weather back in Toronto. It's been cloudy, raining and on top of all this a super chilly August in Amsterdam. Leaving home this time was quite difficult. Having spent a whole month with my parents at home made it that much harder to leave them behind. I felt quite homesick coming back, and so I decided to cheer myself up by making something incredibly delicious.

Now I originally wanted to bake something super sweet, and indulgent as usual but having just been on summer vacation and not particularly watching what I've been eating... (aka junk food) I thought I should try to keep it healthy. Thats when the idea of making a raw cheesecake came into mind. I have seen several gorgeous raw cakes on Instagram and it has inspired me to make my own. I have once before attempted to these raw cakes... but let me tell you these cakes are seriously tough however they are very well worth the work. Now I don't want you to think that these cakes taste like the conventional "Cheesecake" the ones filled with cream cheese, butter, and eggs. I love those cheesecakes too but this cheesecake that I am going to share with you is more of a work of art that also benefits your health and tastes amazing at the same time.

Now that I've decided to go with a raw cheesecake it took me quite sometime to figure out the flavour of this little guy. I had made a Matcha Vanilla cheesecake before, but this time my boyfriend had kindly requested a fruity flavour since it is still summer. And since there were some fresh strawberries  and frozen raspberries in the fridge I went with those. I love the double layered raw cakes because of the beautiful colours each layer brought to the cake, so I decided to make the second layer a "Vanilla Cream" layer.

The structure of the cake starts off with the Base. The normal crust of a traditional cheesecake usually contains a "Graham Cracker and butter" crust. For the raw, healthy version I decided to go with a mixture of almonds, walnuts, and dates. So instead of filling our bodies with trans-fats and refined sugars, I went with the heart healthy monounsaturated fats, and natural sugars from the nuts and dates.

Now just so we are clear I won't be using any cream cheese, or dairy products in this cheesecake. The cream cheese is substituted with soaked cashews, maple syrup, lemon juice, fresh strawberries, and raspberries. These ingredients make up the first layer of the cake. As for the last layer, the Vanilla Cream, it is primarily made up of soaked cashews, vanilla powder, agave syrup, and lemon juice.

...

The ingredients are quite similar between the two layer, however one contains fruits, and the other is mainly just a simple cream layer. Along with that I used two different types of sweeteners. For the Strawberry-Raspberry layer I used Maple Syrup because it will add a really nice flavour for the fruit layer of the cheesecake. For the Vanilla Cream I wanted a more creamy consistency so I went with Agave Syrup, which is less runny and will help to achieve the creamy consistency. Now that you know whats going into this cake I think you would agree that this cake is even healthy enough for breakfast. (hahaha says the person who is trying to be healthy...)

Ok ok... so we know that this cake is healthy, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and raw but how do we actually make it? haha... here we go!

Ingredients:

Base:

100g Almonds
35g Walnuts
100g Dates

Strawberry-Raspberry Layer:

200g Raw Cashews
150g Strawberry
50g Raspberry
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Vanilla Cream Layer:

100g Raw Cashews
3 Tbsp Agave Syrup
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Vanilla Powder
1-2 Tbsp Water (Optional)

Directions:

Before we start make sure you...

* Measure out 200g of Raw Cashews and soak this in water overnight/6 hours or more.
(Strawberry-Raspberry Layer)

* Measure out 100g of Raw Cashews and soak this in water overnight/6 hours or more.
(Vanilla Cream Layer)

                                                                                 ...

1. First off I used a square springform pan of 6 inches by 6 inches/15cm x15 cm.

(You can also use a round springform pan if you wish... just keep the size close to this one and it should be fine.)

I begin by taking a large piece of parchment paper and roughly cut out a square piece that was around the size of this pan and placed it at the bottom to prevent sticking and allowing the cake to come out easier serving.

2. Now we are starting the cake from the bottom the Base Layer. For this layer I measured out 100g of Almonds, 35g of Walnuts, and placed these two ingredients into the food processor. I found it to be much better to first process the nuts alone before adding in the dates. Process the nuts until they resemble a crumb like consistency.

3. Now that the nuts are blended up you can add in your 100g of Dates and process the nuts and dates together. *I used some Deglet Nour dates here which are much more affordable than the Medjoul Dates. Feel free to use what you prefer. I found that soaking them in some warm water for 30 minutes really help them to soften up and they blend up much better this way. (Just remember to drain the water out completely after soaking) 

Process the nuts and dates till it reaches a doughy consistency. (So basically when the dates are well incorporated with the nuts and it starts to form a sticky ball)

4. Once you have your sticky nut & date dough press this into the bottom of the spring pan. This part is super fun because you get to use your fingers! It's kinda like playing with play dough! Just try to press it down flat. This forms the crust of our cakes. Now place this into the freezer to set.

5.  While we wait for the Base to set. We are gonna move onto the Strawberry-Raspberry Layer. For this layer I used 150g of fresh Strawberries, 50g of frozen Raspberries (that I defrosted), 2 Tbsp of Lemon Juice, and 2 Tbsp of Maple Syrup. I placed all these ingredients into a food processor and blended it together till everything was smooth.

* Now if you prefer to having a super smooth consistency for your cheesecake then I would recommend taking a fine sieve and straining out the seeds of the strawberries and raspberries. But I personally really love the texture that they bring to the cake so I kept them. 

...

6. Continuing with this layer take the 200g of soaked Cashews, and drain the water out and place this into your blender. Along with the cashews place the Strawberry-Raspberry sauce we just made along with 1 Tbsp of Maple Syrup and blend this together until it becomes smooth and there are no clumps.

7.  Now take out the Base Layer we made earlier from the freezer and spread this mixture of Strawberry-Raspberry Cream onto the base. I used a rubber spatula to smooth out the top of the layer. Place this back into the freezer to set.

8. The final Layer! Our Vanilla Cream. So for this layer I took 100g of soaked Cashews, 2 Tbsp of Lemon Juice, 3 Tbsp Agave Syrup, 1 Tsp Vanilla Powder, and placed these ingredients into the blender.

* I would recommend if your having troubles blending this mixture to add in a tiny spoonful of water just to help the mixture blend. Again we want to reach a very smooth and creamy consistency. 


9. Now take out the pan with the previous two layers we have made from the freezer and spread this Vanilla Cream over top of the Strawberry-Raspberry layer and smooth out the top. Place this back into the freezer and let the cake set for at least 2 hours before attempting to eat it. This is the really hard part! Hehe!

                                                                               ...

So once it has been about 2 hours take your cake out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes. This will assure that your cake comes out of the pan in one piece. I usually place a large cup under the cake tin and push upwards to slide the cake out.

And now you can decorate your cake with anything you can imagine! I just sliced up some fresh strawberries and placed them right on top of my cheesecake.

I made approximately 7-8 slices of cake with this recipe, but its all up to the size of the pan you use, and also how you cut them. The left over pieces I keep stored away in the freezer. When I want to eat it I usually leave it out on the counter for around 30 minutes, or if you know you want to eat it for dessert on the night of, you can always leave the cake in the fridge on the morning of, and by dinner time it should be ready to eat straight out of the fridge! It is a bit of work to make this raw cake but I feel super satisfied and very proud to make something super beautiful and delicious yet extremely high in nutritional benefits! I hope you all will give this a try!!! Stay happy and healthy.

xoxo
Coco

Gloomy Baking Days, Raw Vanilla Cashew Mylk Recipe

I sit here writing this post by the window of our living room... Its been a gloomy week here in Amsterdam. The sun occasionally comes out but as soon as it does the clouds always seems to find a way to cover it again. The rain is inevitable, and so I am staying home and baking up a storm in the kitchen. Did I also forget to mention we are officially on summer break now. So basically I have already fallen into the unhealthy cycle of staying up late and waking up whenever I decide I guess... and boy is it wonderful. Summer is the one time where I get to indulge in a complete break where I just don't do anything. But then again that little voice in my head always reminds me that I should be doing a few Tendu's and Plies... I guess Im still a little bunhead at heart. 

...

So what did I bake? What has Jess been baking? Well in the oven at the moment we have a Cheesecake Soufflé, and last night and the day before I baked a batch of Macarons, and might I add that I am obsessed with baking Macarons... I guess it could be because of how temperamental these little guys are, and yet I am still trying to figure out how to make them like the ones you see in the French Patisseries. I would say with every try they get a tiny little bit better but they are nowhere close to what I would like them to be, and so I must keep trying... haha I guess everything in life is like this...work,work,work.

The Soufflé is out of the oven now and it needs 2 hours to set up in the fridge before its ready to be devoured by my boyfriend and I... actually its mostly made for him since dairy products don't go well with my tummy, but who am I kidding I really am looking forward to that cake being ready.

Ok so baking a lot, but also eating a lot of sweets, and I am worried about seeing the dentist when I go home next week but for now I am just gonna indulge... at least thats what I keep telling myself.  So back on track. The point of this blog post is to share with everyone something super indulgent, creamy, and delicious. In case you all are baking and need something to go with all those sweet treats I'd say this one is a clear winner... And don't worry its actually a super healthy recipe, and will have you wondering how on earth it tastes so good. It is a homemade nut milk or "Mylk" and I call this "Creamy Vanilla Cashew Mylk". Prepare yourself cause I personally have stopped buying nut milks from the stores since making it myself. It is so fresh and creamy, and 100 percent homemade. Did I mention it only takes about 2 minutes? Oh and of course the Nutritional Benefits of this Cashew Mylk is much better than any normal milk from the grocery store, it contains no preservatives, it is high in monounsaturated fats which is important for a healthy heart, it is rich in magnesium which will help your bones stay strong, and of course it is amazing for the digestive system. This Mylk is filled with plant protein and will keep you feeling satisfied and keep your blood sugar in balance. The nutritional benefits will go on forever since this mylk is made up of mainly raw cashews, and dates. So enough said lets get onto the recipe!

The equipment you will need:

1. Highspeed Blender

2. Nutmilk Bag, or Cheese Cloth, or strainer

3. Glass Jar

Ingredients:

- 1 Cup Soaked Raw Cashews

- 1 Cup Soaked Date Water

- 1 Cup Water

- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Powder

- 5-8 Dates

Directions:

1. Soak the Raw Cashews in water preferably over night

2. Soak the Dates in a cup of water

3. Give the Cashews a good rinse underwater

4. Keep the water that the dates have been soaking in

5. In a blender place your Soaked Cashews, Date Water, Normal Water, Dates, Vanilla Powder

6. Blend it together till its all combined (on the Vitamix its approximately a minute)

7. Now Strain your Cashew Mylk with a Nut milk bag, or a strainer.

8. Transfer your Mylk into a glass jar and this will keep in the fridge up to 3 days.

The end result is incredible... your mylk will be frothy, super creamy, and 100 percent homemade and preservative free! This is a must try. A glass of Vanilla Cashew Milk along with a Raw Chocolate Caramel Slice and I feel like a kid again coming home from school having fresh cookies and milk... but of course its much better than cookies and milk since everything is raw, vegan, gluten free, super high in nutritional benefits, and tastes worlds beyond your normal cookies and milk. I hope this will become a staple in your fridge like it has in mine and let me know if you choose to give this one a try!

xoxo

Coco

Birthday Treats: Raw Chocolate Caramel Slices

Hello everyone!

Its June and even though the weather in Amsterdam isn't the most sunny at the moment I can't help but smile knowing that it's one of my favourite times of the year. I do have to say I am exhausted, the season at the Dutch National Ballet is coming to an end with only 5 more working days left and with 4 more performances in our last program "Transatlantic". I have had an adventurous season and have learned lots, and developed in ways of dancing and in everyday life. I am very happy and grateful for all the kindness that have been shown to me. With the end of the season being quite demanding both physically and mentally my body has asked numerous of time for some sweet treats, and of course how could I refuse myself of chocolate, and cake? It is the month of my birthday, and why not?!

On the day of my birthday I didn't really have the time to celebrate with stage rehearsals all day and night. So naturally I decided to scroll through both Instagram and Pinterest and find anything that I fancied... and truth be told I wrote down about 5 different choices. As of now I have already made 2 out of these 5 desserts, and I think I will make my way through them all eventually... but there is one that I must absolutely share with everyone... this is probably going to be one of my all time favourites for a very long time.

I don't remember why I almost started drooling when I saw this picture (probably because there was chocolate), I was literally almost late for a rehearsal because I was so excited and determined to make this for my birthday. I believe the picture of this dessert was floating about on Instagram, Im not a hundred percent sure which account, but it was beautiful. It was a Triple Layer Chocolate Caramel Slice... Ok if this doesn't make much sense, (so the first layer the Base, then the Caramel, and finally the Chocolate). Now what made this so exciting for me was because I wanted to figure out a way to make this recipe healthy... so that I could eat it for breakfast if I wanted, hahaha chocolate for breakfast YES PLEASE!

It took a bit of research, trial and error, but finally I can share my favourite version of these scrumptiously healthy chocolate treats. Did I mention its Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, and most importantly super delicious. These slices won't be spiking blood sugars, in fact most of the sugar in this recipe comes from dates. So yup its super healthy, and will give you plenty of energy and happiness.

So lets get into the recipe!

Ingredients:

Base:
-1 cup Cashews
-1/3 cup Shredded Coconut
- 3/4 cup Soaked Dates
- Pinch of Sea Salt

Caramel:
-1 cup Soaked Dates
-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
-3 Tbsp Tahini
-1/2 Tsp Vanilla Powder
- Pinch of Sea Salt

Chocolate:
- 3 Tbsp Cacao Powder
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp Carob Powder
- 1 Tsp Cacao Nibs (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Place the cashews and shredded coconut together into the food processor and process roughly together.
2. Drain the soaked dates (Don't throw away the date water, use it as a sweetener for other recipes) and add it along with a pinch of sea salt in the food processor along with the cashew and coconut and give it a few pulses until combined.
3. Press the dough into a lined square tin, (Mine is 23 cm (9") and place into the freezer to set.

4. For the Caramel place all ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth. Spread this mixture evenly over the Base you just made, and place this back into the freezer.
5. Next for the Chocolate, melt the coconut oil, and add in the maple syrup. The heat should be quite low.
6. Whisk in the cacao powder and the carob powder. Keep whisking till the cacao and carob have dissolved into the mixture.
7. Now drizzle the Chocolate over the Caramel layer and sprinkle on the cacao nibs.
8. Cover with a plastic wrap and place into the freezer. This should set and be ready in less than an hour.

* If you don't like Cashew Nuts feel free to swap it with Almonds, or Walnuts, even Pecans would work very well.

* If you don't like Tahini, Almond butter, or Cashew butter, even Peanut butter would work too. (I personally love what the Tahini brings to this recipe)

* For the Chocolate remember to keep the heat of the saucepan on low and keep whisking to prevent it from burning.

So after waiting about an hour or so take it out of the freezer and just let it rest in room temperature for a few minutes. Now all you have to contemplate on is how you will divide up these slices. I managed about 9 squares... I had some left over ingredients from the base so I used two small oval ramekins as well. But the more the better in this case I say... It all comes down to the size of tin you use. Mind you my slices weren't exactly all consistent in size, the chocolate is slightly delicate to cut but the imperfection of the cuts just makes it look extra rustic and beautiful.

To really indulge myself even more I made a Raw Vanilla Cashew Mylk, and seriously a glass of this mylk with a slice of this Caramel square... is simply heavenly. (The recipe for the "Vanilla Cashew Mylk" will be up in a future blog post.) I had a really awesome birthday thanks to these little squares they were really better than any cake I could have asked for, not to mention they are much healthier. Please let me know if you end up trying this! I would love to know how it goes!!! 

xoxo

Coco

Recipe: Vegan Tahini Pad Thai Noodles

Over the past couple of days the weather has been screaming summer with the temperature around 25 degrees everyday and the sun bringing us loads and loads of shine. These nights I couldn't really bring myself to 'cook' my dinner. With my boyfriend already complaining about feeling too hot I decided to stick to cold noodles... Now I'd say this was a success. Having recently gotten back from Spain our cupboards were quite empty I rounded up some ingredients that were lying around the house and decided to make a Tahini Sauce which would be mixed together with some veggies that both my boyfriend and I loved... And so now we are just a tad obsessed with these noodles on those days where you just want something 'cold' for a change.

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 4 Tbsp Tahini
- 1/3 Cup of Hot Water
- 2 Tbsp Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp of Grated Ginger

Directions:

1. Heat up a pot of Boiling Water and pour this into a large bowl.

2. Next place a smaller bowl, (I use a glass measuring jar) into the large bowl of Boiling Water.

3. Now place your ingredients starting with your Hot Water, then Sugar, then Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Grated Ginger, Tahini, Vinegar into the measuring jar and keep stirring. The heat from the Large Bowl of Hot Water should keep the sauce at a liquid temperature. Just keep stirring.

Noodle and Assembly

Ingredients:

- 1 Package of Udon Noodles
- 1 Cup Bean Sprouts
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Snap Peas
- 1 Small Hand full of Chopped Cilantro
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Red Cabbage
- 1 Block of Firm Tofu
- 1/2 Cup of Chopped Chinese Cabbage
- 1/2 Cup of Chopped Cucumbers
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- Sprinkle of Toasted Sesame Seeds (Optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the Udon Noodles in a pot of boiling water, once cooked drain the noodles under cold water and keep them in the cold water so they don't stick.

2. Cut your veggies (Cucumber, Red Cabbage, Cilantro, Snap Peas, Chinese Cabbage).

3. Dice up Tofu into Cubes.

4. Dice the Garlic and heat it up in a frying pan with 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil.

5. Once the pan is heated place the cubed Tofu into the pan and fry until it is Golden Brown on the outside, add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Now its time to assemble everything... First I drain the noodles and place as much as I would eat into a bowl, then I place in the Chopped Veggies (Cucumber, Red Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Snap Peas) and give a good toss. Next I place the Sprouts on top and layer on the Fried Tofu. Finally I pour on the Tahini Dressing, and Garnish with the Cilantro and a sprinkling of Toasted Sesame Seeds.



Now look at that! Finished and it is perfect to prep ahead of time to store away in the fridge to a night in the week where there is just no time, all you have to do is assemble the ingredients. I really hope you will give this one a try, I for one am in love with this Tahini Pad Thai.

xoxo
Coco

Review: Chanel #647 Lilis

The weather has been incredible over the past couple of weeks, for me at least... I have just gotten back to Amsterdam from the super sunny Spain, and surprisingly Amsterdam is just as sunny and gorgeous as Spain. It feels as if summer is really coming... finally. And since I have a couple days free I decided to celebrate by doing my nails! Exciting that I have finally had the time to sit down for 30 minutes to do and worry about nothing but these little guys. So which colour now... well in the end I picked one of my All Time Faves... Chanel #647 "Lilis". What makes this colour a "Fave"? Well first off I got this nail polish for myself on my 18th birthday, (I know I know spoiling myself at such a young age) the first birthday I spent away from home. I was very home sick then but this colour somehow brought some warmth to me in my little room. This colour is one that will give you energy on those days that you just don't feel like getting out of bed. And now when I pulled it out of my drawer it seems perfect for these sunny days of May.

I personally would describe Chanel #647 as a "Coral red". It is not truly as protruding as a "Red" polish since it has a"Coral" undertone and so it is much more wearable for everyday, and much more cheerful than a simple red polish. Under the sun this colour becomes more of a "Coral Pink" shade. Im not the best at describing colours, and I may be colour blind and I just don't know but to me this is what I interoperate this colour to be. In simple words this colour makes me Happy. Super happy. 

I love the way this polish applies on to the nail. It is really creamy, and is opaque on the nail with just one coat. Of course if you decide to go with 2 coats it is even better. Chipping wise I'd say like most Chanel polishes don't  have the best resistance to chipping. But then again it really depends on how much work you are doing with your nails. If I were sewing or trying to scrape things with my nails then most likely it would chip within that day. I personally like to apply an extra coat of Deborah Lippmann's Top Coat which prevents the polish from chipping since I am a bit more active and clumsy with my nails. This Top Coat usually keeps my nail polish on chip free for around 4 days 5 days depending on the polish. 

Overall I highly recommend this nail polish for anyone who is looking for a colour to brighten their mood or just a colour that brings a pop of warmth and energy to their look. For around 24 Euros and 28 USD it is really a treat, but is is well worth it and I believe in treating your self once in a while cause you deserve it. 

lots of love xoxo 

Coco

Coconut Goji Bliss Balls Recipe

Hello everyone! I have just recently gotten back from Spain and believe me when I say I have missed my food processor and blender oh so much, I really have. Today I will finally be sharing this recipe and I am super excited for all of you guys to try this one. These little bombs are perfect for a "Pick-me up" or I personally love having one or two with a cup of coffee in hand. They are packed full of protein, healthy fats, and will keep your body energized. I have seriously been meaning to post this recipe much earlier, since these little guys are simply divine.
Now onto the recipe...

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Cup of Almonds
- 1/2 Cup of Walnuts
- 2 Tbsp of Pine Nuts
- 1 Tbsp of Chia Seeds
- 1 Cup of Dates
- 2 Tbsp of Goji Berries
- 1 Tbsp Cacao Nibs
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Cup of Shredded Coconut

Directions:

1. Place the Almonds, Walnuts, Pine Nuts, Chia Seeds, Goji Berries, Cacao Nibs, and Chia Seeds into a food processor and Pulse well until you reach a crumble like consistency.

2. Next place your Dates (make sure your remove all pits), and Coconut Oil into the food processor.

3. Blend again until your mixture becomes sticky and when you press the mixture it sticks together.

4. Now roll your mixture into little balls and roll them in the Shredded Coconut.

5. Keep them in a container in the fridge for 30 minutes before eating.

* If they don't stick as well add in a couple more dates, or 1 Tbsp of Maple Syrup



This recipe usually makes around 8 to 10 balls, you can easily double or triple the recipe depending on how big your food processor is. For my boyfriend and I we can easily devour the whole batch in one sitting. They are seriously addictive. I absolutely love these little bombs, and I hope you will too! I will be posting other recipe and blog posts soon so be sure to check back soon and let me know how it goes!!!

xoxo
Coco