frozen almond joy.

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here’s an indulgent chocolatey summer delight!

although - i’m discovering that maybe i am one of the only youngish people who truly loves an almond joy? it has been made clear to me in my peer research that not a lotta people like almond joys at all - in fact, it seems that many people despise almond joys. to that i say - boooo.

ya know what else i like? black licorice. i am a grandma.

so this one goes out to you, 3 other people besides me who love almond joy!!

this recipe started off being a bit on the healthier side, like an almond joy smoothie, but then i decided to trash it up with some fudge and shredded coconut on the rim of the glass. it was a good move.

related: i always loved a mocha coconut frappuccino from the ‘bux. if you’d like to veer in that flavor direction instead, omit the almond butter, add a bigger pinch of espresso powder, and definitely add the coconut extract to the mix.

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chewing the texture of the fudge and the coconut with each gulp of this frozen beverage treat really makes this a full-blown dessert! what fun.

i made this before using dates and i think they really add great body, texture and sweetness to this cold drink. it will turn out fine without dates, but give it a try if you’ve got ‘em! this is a beverage for us old-souled 30-something grannies-at-heart, after all.

Frozen Almond Joy

Makes 2 Beverages

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup almond butter

  • 1 can very cold unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

  • 2 TB. honey or agave nectar

  • 4 large soft dates, pitted (optional, but recommended)

  • 1/8 tsp. espresso powder (optional, but recommended)

  • 1/8 tsp. coconut extract (optional)

  • 2 TB coconut oil

  • ice

  • 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

  • 1/4 cup hot fudge, softened

Instructions -

Spread the hot fudge on a small plate and twist the rim of each glass into the chocolate, then twist into a plateful of sweetened shredded coconut to coat. Let sit in the fridge while you blend the beverage.

In a blender, add the almond butter, cold canned coconut milk, cocoa powder, sea salt, agave, and dates. Blend very well until the dates are pulverized very well into small bits. Add the espresso powder and coconut extract (if using) and coconut oil. Blend again until very smooth. Lastly, add 1-2 cups of ice and blend until entire mixture tastes smooth and cold. Add additional honey or agave to sweeten, if necessary.

Stick the whole blender in the freezer if you have time - let the mixture chill for 15 minutes and quickly pulse again to reincorporate.

Immediately pour the frozen almond joy into the prepared glasses. Enjoy immediately with a spoon or wide straw!

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qp

celery + ginger juice.

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happy 2019!

honestly, i just felt like taking a few photos when i recently juiced some celery with ginger. no recipe here! although, i wished i had a lemon to add to the mix here.

i know celery juice is allllll the rage for health purposes, but i do not like celery. adding fresh ginger really makes it drinkable for me and a bit spicy too! lemon would be really good in this.

i juiced up 2 big bunches of celery stalks and a big piece of ginger (probably 5-6 inches, & left the peels on) and yielded more than 24 ounces of juice. if you despise cleaning your juicer like i do, this was a great item to bulk-juice and store in a jar in the fridge. i drank about 6-8 ounces of the juice each morning until it was gone.

also….immediately after cleaning the juicer, i went to put it away and dropped a few pieces of the machine down this dark cabinet abyss in our pantry and i have no idea how we’re going to get them out. there’s probably a treasure trove of half eaten bags of chips down there, too.

here’s to the memory of this celery + ginger (+lemon) juice refreshment, and to hoping we can fish the juicer parts out from the deep dark corner of the pantry in 2019.