I love a little something sweet in my life but I do not like how sugar effects my body. Sugar has always been an enemy for me for as a youth not only was I overweight but I was addicted to sugary substances and craved candy and confections daily. It is often thought that all vegetarians are healthy but that is not the case, you can still be a junk food vegetarian for candy, cakes, cookies, chips, and all of those other processed foods are also meat free!

As I became an adult and began to be more cognizant about what I was eating, I began to recognize these cravings and wondered what to do about them. At this point I was eating loads of veggies, running 5 miles a day and feeling pretty great and then one day I would splurge on a few sour patch kids and could instantly feel that desire to eat every single one and that need to have something sweet after every meal. My sweet tooth was incredibly immense so I began to cut sugar out of my diet.

I am not going to lie to you and tell you that I never eat sugar. If I am at a party I eat cake, if I want a cookie, I go for it and on occasion I do eat a bag of sour patch kids but the thing is that having cut out sugar for so long, items laden with it seem almost too sweet, sickly so. To top it off, unfortunately those sugary treats instantly give me a headache, make my ears itch and can lead to yeast over growth and really, who wants to be bothered with all of that.

That being said, I prefer to fulfill my self proclaimed sweet tooth in a more natural way, sticking to honey or maple syrup and now that I do not eat sugar on a regular basis, those sweeteners seem plenty sweet to me!

With the holiday season in full swing, I always challenge myself to make a healthier dessert so that I am not tempted into overindulgence by any of those sugary baked goods. Instead I choose to finish my meal with a touch of natural sweetness and whole foods that didn't undergo endless processing. I made this beautiful tart as an addition to my Thanksgiving meal and felt that it was a wonderful success. My only complaint is that I wish I had a smaller springform pan for a taller end product but maybe I will get one for the holidays - wishlist anyone!

This raw pear tart is simple in its ingredient list, just sweet enough, easy to make and beautiful to look at. I hope that you enjoy!

P.S. I also eat this for breakfast without any guilt!

Raw Salted Caramel and Pear Tart

Crust

1 cup walnuts

12 Dates

1 tbs Coconut Oil

1 cup Rolled Oats

Salted Caramel

15 Dates

1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1/4 cup water

Cashew Pear Filling

1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours

9 Dates

2 Pears, peeled and cored

1 tbs Coconut Oil

1 tbs Arrowroot Starch

2 tbs Honey (use maple syrup if vegan)

1 tbs Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

3 Pears, cored and sliced

Process the walnuts, coconut oil and oats in a food processor into a course crumb. Add one date at a time until the mixture starts to hold together. Press the mixture into a spring form pan. I used a 9in. for a thicker tart, utilize a smaller pan. Place in the freezer to set.

Process the dates and sea salt in a food processor, slowly add water until you reach the desired consistency. You could also use coconut milk for a creamier caramel as well. Spread the caramel over the crust. Halve one pear, coring and slice thinly, arranging on top of the caramel and return to the freezer.

Place the soaked and drained cashews, dates, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, honey and arrowroot starch into the bowl of the food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes or so. Pour and spread the mixture evenly over the caramel and pears. Core and thinly slice the remaining 2 pears, organizing them on top of the tart. Sprinkling remaining walnuts and drizzling with honey. Freeze for at least 4 hours to set.

Let defrost for 1/2 hour before serving. Enjoy!

Summer time is a time for ice cream, I love ice cream. It is so creamy and sweet and there are so many flavors! I would love to eat ice cream every day but I know that the high sugar content and far content make it a special treat so what do you do when you are looking for a healthy alternative that is just as creamy and delicious without all of the preservatives, calories and fat? You make nice cream! So what is nice cream exactly?

Nice cream is essentially - not ice cream. It is made from frozen bananas, when the bananas are blended in their frozen state they release pectin which in turn creates a creamy frozen treat. Bananas are a good source of B6, Vitamin C, potassium, biotin and copper. They prevent high blood pressure, keep your cholesterol levels low and of course are low in fat. They have also been shown to improve digestion and enhance athletic performance.

Overall, bananas are an awesome addition to your diet and are super inexpensive. I usually buy a large bunch of bananas and if they start to turn throw them right in the freezer. Therefore I am always prepared for nice cream or smoothie making.

The best part about nice cream is that you can add whatever additions you would like, from chocolate to fruit to nuts to herbs, the only limit is your imagination!

Nice cream is also versatile based on your ice cream preferences, if you like soft serve you can eat it right away, if you like hard ice cream you can through the nice cream back into the freezer for an hour or two and scoop away.

Decorate with Peaches, Walnuts, and Mint

The other day I picked up my first peaches of the season and they inspired this delicious summer treat. This pie is a simple raw, no bake delight that comes together in 15 minutes plus an hour or two for freezing. Each element of the pie only has a few elements; the crust is simply walnuts and dates, the peach ice cream consists of peaches, bananas, and vanilla extract and the date caramel adds a natural sweetness. A food processor makes quick work of the blending and then the freezer does the rest of the work. I hope that you enjoy!

Raw Vegan Peach Ice Cream Pie with Salted Date Caramel and Walnut Crust

1 1/2 cups Walnuts

26-28 Dates

1/4 cup Hot water

5 Bananas, Frozen

2 Peaches

1 tbs Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Chopped Walnuts, 1 peach, and mint leaves for garnish

In a food processor add the walnuts and 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Turn the machine on and add 6-8 dates one at a time. You want the dough to stick together when pressed but not be too wet. After 6 dates check the consistency and add more if needed. Press the walnut dough into the bottom of a 8in. springform pan, smoothing so it is even throughout. Place in the freezer while you prepare the date caramel.

Soak 20 dates in hot water for 10 minutes and then drain. Add the dates and 1/2 tsp sea salt to a food processor. Blend, slowly adding hot water until the dates are broken down and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides frequently. Spread the caramel over the walnut crust and then return to the freezer while you prepare the peach ice cream.

In a clean food processor, add the frozen bananas and vanilla extract. Blend until they start to get creamy, add the 2 peaches in piece by piece until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Pour over the date caramel and distribute evenly. Freeze for one hour, garnish with chopped walnuts, sliced peaches and a sprinkle of mint leaves (I used chocolate mint). Return to freezer and freezer for one more hour. Eat now or freeze it over night, just let it sit for 5 minutes before consuming. Enjoy and healthy eating!