Raw in a Flash Video: Chocolate Sauce

As you may recall, back in August I was telling you about my participation in the Omni Video Contest. Don and I decided to jump in with both feet and managed to submit a grand total of 9 short videos, which I've been sharing here every few days for the last several weeks. This is my last video submission. I would have liked to do another one but we've now shifted into trip preparation mode, getting ready to head south around the end of the month. Anyhoo I hope you guys have been enjoying the vids and even learning something along the way!

Today's recipe is a really yummy raw vegan Chocolate Sauce that is once again super easy and can be prepped "in a flash" in the blender. Enjoy it drizzled on fresh fruit, ice cream or whatever dessert you have lying around the house. It also makes a fab cake or cookie icing once firmed up in the refrigerator!

And now for the recipe...

Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup raw cacao and carob powder (I like to use 3 parts cacao to 1 part carob but you could use all cacao if you prefer)
1/2 cup pecans, soaked
1/2 cup raw liquid sweetener, such as honey, coconut nectar or agave
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract or liquid vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender such as the Omni V 3HP blender until smooth.
 
Enjoy it drizzled on fresh fruit, ice cream or your favorite dessert. It also makes a fab cake or cookie icing once firmed up in the refrigerator.

Will keep for about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

To liquify again, simply warm up gently on a bowl filled with hot water.

About the Omni Video Contest
The Omni Video Contest doesn't officially end until November 15th.  The winners will be determined by the number of visitors a participant's video(s) receive until then. These are cumulative, so in other words, it's the total visitors to all of my videos combined that matters.

So it would be really awesome if you could take a few minutes to sit down and watch my Omni Contest videos. It is my hope that you'll find these a valuable use of your time, as I've made a point to select especially yummy recipes that are super simple to prepare and that you can easily include in your daily routine. Hopefully you'll be tempted to recreate some of these at home and maybe even learn a trick or two from the ton of information and tips that I share during these short demos.

And don't forget to share the videos' links with friends and family if you think that they might be of interest to them!

*~*~*~*~*

My Other Omni Contest Videos

Strawberry Banana Shake

Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze

Raw Vegan Pad Thai

Raw Vegan Basil Pesto

Raw Vegan Cucumber Dill Soup 

Raw Vegan Mayonnaise

Raw Vegan Ranch Dressing

Raw Vegan Cheezy Spinach Almond Soup

*~*~*~*~*

A Little About The Omni
I guess it's no big secret that I'm thrilled that there's a solid high power blender alternative to the more common Vitamix and Blendtec's Total Blender. Not because these don't do a fine job, but because they leave a great big gaping hole in your budget.

At $250, the Omni 3 HP blender costs significantly less than similar machines and yet yields a comparable performance.

Some Omni facts:

• Electronic like the Blendtec but much simpler to use
• Substantially quieter at 85 db
• Somewhat slower RPM means thorough emulsification requires a bit more time than the competition, and for that the motor should experience less stress/longer life
• Comes standard with the 64 fl oz square container and a food tamper
• Has a six blade system
• Comes with a 7 year warranty on parts and labor for the motor/base and 1 year on the drive socket, container and blade assembly

As Don points out in his Kitchen Blender Value Review, "clearly the Omniblend V is the substantial Value King as it is about equal to the competition in functionality and expected durability for a much lower cost."

Finally the Omni also comes with a free copy of a raw recipe book that I've written especially for it: Deliciously Raw. (That's how impressed I am with its performance!)

Thanks in advance guys for your help with this! You all rawck!

Raw in a Flash Video: Cheezy Spinach Almond Soup

We just held our Raw Radiance Retreat over the weekend and it went super smoothly. Yay! It was definitely the first one of many. There's a wonderful complementarity between Ulla and us, and working with her was such a delight! I took lots of photos over the weekend and still have some editing to do, but I'll be posting about our experience within the next few days.

In the meantime here's another short video in my Raw in a Flash series. Today I'm showing you how to make a Cheezy Spinach Almond Soup. It is super creamy, has an incredible flavor and is very satisfying. One of my favorite comfort foods!

Cheezy Spinach Almond Soup

Serves 2-3

2 cups packed spinach
1 1/4 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup almonds, soaked for 8 hours or overnight
1/4 avocado
1 garlic clove
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh dill
1 tsp light miso or 1/2 tsp salt (or more, to taste)
Water until desired consistency is reached

Blend all ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth.

If you wish a warm soup, use hot water or heat it up gently on the stove while stirring constantly.

Omni V 3 HP
If you'd like to learn more about this more affordable 3 HP blender, Don and I share our impressions of the Omni in greater details on this page.

 You can visit Omni's website directly by clicking on the banner below.

*~*~*~*~*

My Other Raw in a Flash Videos:

Strawberry Banana Shake 
 Kelp & Zucchini Pasta in Mushroom & Spinach Cheeze Sauce
Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze

Pad Thai

Basil Pesto

Cucumber Dill Soup

Almonnaise (Almond Mayonnaise)

Ranch Dressing
 

Sunny Raw Kitchen Tour Update
I was telling you in a recent post that we are slowly getting ourselves ready to get back on the road; we'll be once again headed down to the US for the cold months this fall. This will be our first time traveling in the luxury of our RawVee rather than a tent (woo hoo!) so we're mighty excited about the prospect. What a relief not to have to constantly unload and reload the van. Yay!

Anyhoo I mentioned that we would love to connect with some of you guys along the way and that we'd need a bit of property, a large yard or driveway to set up our RawVee, with hopefully the possibility of water and electric hook up. It occurred to me shortly afterwards that this might be a major limiting factor for many of you who live in the city or just plainly don't have much parking space. Sooooooo we'd like to emphasize that our first priority is to spend time with you and that we'll be happy to stay at your home or set up at a nearby campground or RV park if need be. ;-)

One of the fun aspects of the way we like to travel (with minimal planning and maximum fluidity) is to watch the itinerary gradually take shape according to the invitations we receive. The initial part of our journey is now starting to come together. Yay! We'll be headed down to Milton Freewater, OR via Spokane, WA and continue south to Utah. We'll then make our way through Arizona, California, and most likely drive back to BC along the West coast.

If you live somewhere along the way and are interested in hosting us or connecting during this next phase of our rawdventures, please send me an email with the subject line “Sunny Raw Kitchen Tour 2012” at:

sunnyrawkitchen(at)gmail(dot)com

For more info about our Sunny Raw Kitchen Tour and how we propose to go about it please read this post.

Raw in a Flash Video: Almonnaise

 

It's been quite a challenging week for us. For one thing the weather has really turned and we can feel the undeniable promise of winter coming. In our case this means we have to get ready to move, as we won't be able to stay comfortably in the trailer where we are for much longer than another 5 or 6 weeks. My fingers are actually so stiff from the cold that I'm having a hard time typing right now. Brrr! Anyhoo, as always, transitions are not an easy time. We still haven't got a clear sense of what The Mystery has in store for us next and are doing our best to try to decipher the omens.

Also my laptop is seriously sick. We suspect that the logic board or the video card is toast; a costly repair that is probably not worth getting done as the computer will be obsolete in another year or two anyway. It's a major expense we hadn't expected, especially unfortunate right now. In times such as these it can be hard to remember that all will work out for the best in the end. I just wish I could see with greater clarity what is the right course of action.

Anyhoo, difficulties or nay, thankfully I can still take refuge in my sunny raw kitchen and whip up something delicious to brighten up my mood. Today I'm sharing with you a video in which I demo how to make a raw vegan almond-based mayonnaise. We've been making a variation of this recipe for many years. It's sooooooooo creamy, versatile and best of all yummy! It makes a fantastic dip for veggies, condiment for sammies (try it on a piece of onion bread with a slice of tomato and some sprouts!) or even dressing (just thin it with a little water).

Almonnaise
From Carmella's Delightfully Raw

1/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water (put 2 ice cubes in the water)
1 1/2 tsp raw agave or honey
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp herbal seasoning of choice (I like unsalted Spike)
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp yellow mustard powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic
---
1 cup cold pressed olive oil
3 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Process first nine ingredients in a high-speed blender such as the Omni V 3HP until smooth. It may take a while to break down all of the almonds but don't lose heart!

With the blender running on low, remove insert in top and drizzle in the oil in a thin stream.

Keep the blender running and add lemon juice and vinegar. Blend on low for a few more seconds to allow mixture to thicken.

For a plain Almonnaise, stop here.

For a Herbed Almonnaise, now add:
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried dill
1 small green onion, minced

Blend briefly, only to incorporate.

Refrigerate in an airtight container. It will keep for about 10 days.

Carmella's Notes:
~ The purpose of the ice cubes is to help thicken the mixture. If the almonnaise seems runny after adding the oil, add in an ice cube or two to help thicken it up again. Bear in mind that it will also thicken once refrigerated.

~ If you don't have almonds already soaked, you can also use dry almonds. Just make sure to powder them up in a coffee grinder or in the blender first before adding the rest of the ingredients.

~ For a lighter almonnaise you can replace half of the olive oil with 1/2 cup Irish moss paste. To make Irish moss paste, blend 1/2 cup packed soaked Irish moss with 1 cup water until completely broken down.

~ Don't hesitate to make your own herb blend by using your favorite dried or fresh herbs!

Omni V 3 HP
You can learn more about the Omni 3HP blender on this page.

 You can visit Omni's website directly by clicking on the banner below.

*~*~*~*~*

My Other Raw in a Flash Videos:

Strawberry Banana Shake 
 Kelp & Zucchini Pasta in Mushroom & Spinach Cheeze Sauce
Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze

Pad Thai

Basil Pesto

Cucumber Dill Soup

Raw in a Flash Video: Cucumber Dill Soup

The weather has started to cool off noticeably since September has arrived. It's as though Autumn is suddenly in the air. I was hoping for an extra month of heat since Summer was so late but I guess that was wishful thinking. *sigh*

Anyhoo, I've got just the perfect recipe, whether you're tucked away in a warm corner of the globe or getting ready to bunker up for the cold months! It's no big secret that Don and I are huge fans of raw soups. We've been starting off our dinners with them for years
and years.

Just Like Campbell's Tomato Soup

For us, soups are the perfect healthy savory fast food; just chop everything and dump it in the blender with some water, exactly like for a fruit smoothie but with vegetables instead. A fantastic way to consume lots of fresh veggies with minimal preparation!

Here's a wonderfully alkalizing and refreshing soup that is a major staple for us. We make a variation of it at least a couple of times a week. We're partial to warm soups - they're sooooo comforting! - so we like to use hot water for a lovely lukewarm mixture, but I'm sure it would also be awesome served cold.

"What? Hot water!?! Doesn't it cook the soup?," you wonder? No need to worry, there's a trick to insure that your soup retains all of its nutritional value and precious enzymes in the process. See, because the veggies are usually coming straight out of the fridge, once combined with hot water we've found that the soup comes to the perfect lukewarm temperature. It does require a little practice, however, as the density and temp of your ingredients will affect the amount of hot water that you need. For instance a tomato soup will require less hot water than a zucchini or celery soup. It sounds complicated but, really, you get the hang of it very quickly. The key is to start off with a small amount of hot water at first, run the blender for a few seconds in order to pulverize everything, then adjust the temperature by adding more hot or cold water, depending on what's needed, in order to reach the consistency that you'd like.

Another option would be to use cold water and then very gently - and meditatively! ;-) - warm the soup up on the stove on low while stirring constantly, so as not to cook the enzymes touching the bottom of the pan.

Cucumber Dill Soup
From Carmella's Delightfully Raw 

Serves 2

1/2 medium avocado
2 cups lettuce, packed (optional)
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped cucumber
1⁄4 cup parsley
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 green onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon light miso
Salt, to taste
Water, until the desired consistency is reached
---
 1⁄4 cup fresh chopped dill

Blend all ingredients except fresh dill in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.

Add dill and process briefly only to incorporate.

If desired, break up seaweed, such as a sheet of nori into your soup bowl for extra traced minerals. Just make sure to omit salt in the recipe!

P.S. If I've gotten you curious about raw soups, hop over to my Recipe Index where I must have close to a hundred more yummy soup ideas!

P.P.S. You can learn more about the Omni 3HP blender on this page or visit Omni's website directly here.

*~*~*~*~*

My Other Omni Contest Videos

Strawberry Banana Shake

Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze

Raw Vegan Pad Thai

Raw Vegan Basil Pesto

Raw in a Flash Video: Basil Pesto

August is such a magical month here, especially when you have a garden. Regard- less of how long it might have taken for summer to arrive, by this time the weather is wonderfully sunny and warm. And of course everything is just bursting out and growing like crazy!

This is the first year that I've started my own garden pretty much from scratch, deciding what to plant and where. Before that I only got a chance to get involved later in the season once things were already in the ground.

This task proved to be both exciting and intimidating at the same time! I opted to start small and keep it simple, growing just a few no-brainer things. Among them were several basil plants. To me there is nothing quite like fresh tomatoes and basil to embody the summer's bounty.

Here's an awesome Pesto recipe that is easy, light, versatile and utterly delicious. I like to make it with both basil and spinach but you could use only basil if you prefer.

And now for the recipe...

Basil Pesto
4 cups fresh basil and spinach, packed (I like to use 1/2 of each but you could also use only basil)
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup walnuts, soaked for 4 hours
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients in a high-power blender and process until smooth. (You may need to use a tamper to keep things moving.)

Store in an airtight container in a fridge or in the freezer.

Enjoy on your favorite crackers with a nice juicy slice of tomato, on raw Pizza or Zucchini Noodles, or in a scrumptious Lasagna such as this one.

Raw in a Flash Video: Pad Thai

 

I was on the look out for a yummy sauce to feature in my Raw in a Flash series and I settled on a lovely Pad Thai dish. Perhaps not your obvious choice when you think of making something quick, but, really, you'd be surprised! Once you whiz up the sauce in the blender - which should take 10 mins max - then you can adjust the dish according to how much time and energy you've got. For a super simple version, just toss your favorite raw noodles in the sauce, or if you're up for something a little more elaborate, follow the entire recipe.

I've already shared with you another variation of Pad Thai some years back, but this new recipe is slightly different. It calls for almond butter only (rather than a combo of almond butter, tahini and cashews) and skips the sundried tomatoes. Actually, I must admit that I like the result a lot more. It's totally deeeeee-lish!

I'm using red pepper flakes for heat as Don and I aren't big fans of really hot spicy food, but feel free to replace these with fresh jalapeno peppers.

Oh and the best part is that it keeps well, making it an awesome lunch to take along with you!

And now for the recipe...

Raw Vegan Pad Thai

Serves 3-4

Sauce  
1/4 cup + 1 tbs raw almond butter
2 1/2 tbs lime juice 

2 tbs melted coconut oil 
1 tbs tamari  
1/2 tbs grated fresh ginger root 
1/2 tsp salt  

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or fresh jalapeno if you like it hot!)
1 1/2 Medjhool dates or 3 small soft dates 
1/3 cup water

2 garlic cloves
 
Blend until smooth in a high power blender.

Veggies  
1 medium zucchini, spiralized 
1 medium daikon, spiralized 

1 medium carrot, julienned 

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 cup snow peas or snap peas, sliced
1 green onion, sliced 

1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade (cut into fine strips)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chiffonade

Assembly  
Place all veggies in a large bowl. (You may want to roughly cut the Zucchini and Daikon Noodles for easier handling.)

Toss with desired amount of Sauce. 

Let sit on the counter or in the dehydrator for 15 minutes before serving to allow the veggies to soften up a bit.

Serve topped with roughly chopped almonds. 

Carmella's Notes:  
~ In the video I say that the dish takes about 20 minutes to assemble but I failed to take into account that I had an assistant helping me with the chopping. ;-) It might take closer to a half hour.

~ For a simpler version, omit the veggies and just toss your favorite noodles (zucchini, daikon or kelp) in the Sauce. If using kelp noodles just make sure to let the dish sit for at least 30 mins to allow the noodles to soften up.

~ For extra decadence add thin strips of young coconut meat. Heavenly!

~ This dish will keep well for a couple of days, stored in an airtight container in the fridge. 

*~*~*~*~*

My Other Raw in a Flash Videos:

Strawberry Banana Shake 
 Kelp & Zucchini Pasta in Mushroom & Spinach Cheeze Sauce
Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze 

Raw in a Flash Video: Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze

 

And the Great Vegan Cheeze kick continues... ;-)

What can I say? I just can't get enough of this delicious super quick and versatile vegan cheeze that lends itself to umpteen variations. This time I let myself be inspired by the delicate fragrant aroma of fresh tarragon from our garden, and with a hint of Dijon mustard for yet another tasty combination. Mmmmm...

Raw in a Flash Video Extravaganza

Today marks the official launch of my friend Thomas Fox's Omni Blender Video Contest which I just told you more about in this post. Of course, I couldn't resist jumping early into the fun! ;-)

Just in a nutshell... Starting today I'll be posting a new Raw in a Flash video featuring a recipe made with the Omni blender every few days for the coming weeks. I'll be demoing some of my favorite super-simple-yet-scrumptious recipes and sharing all kinds of helpful tips in the process. 

So it is my hope that you'll find a few minutes each week to sit down and watch these videos. I've made a point to select especially yummy recipes that can be prepared 'in a flash' and that can be easily included into your daily routine. Hopefully you'll be tempted to recreate some of these recipes at home and maybe even learn a thing or two from the ton of information that I pass on during these short demos.

And now for the recipe...

Tarragon & Mustard Vegan Cheeze

Inspired by Jo Stepaniak's awesome Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tbs agar powder

1/2 cup almonds, soaked for 8 - 12 hrs

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbs hemp seeds

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tbs onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dry mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1 garlic clove

---

1 1/2 tbs finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves (or 2 or 3 tsp dry)

Set aside a 2 cup plastic storage container.

In a blender add the almonds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, hemp seeds, onion and garlic powders, dry and Dijon mustard, salt and garlic clove.

Combine water and agar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often with a whisk, until completely dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add mixture to the other ingredients in the blender and process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary. 

Add chopped tarragon and process briefly on low speed, just to incorporate.

Pour into container and cool uncovered in the refrigerator.

When completely cool, cover and chill several hours.  (I usually serve it after 1 hour or so).

To serve, turn out of the container and slice.

Store covered in refrigerator.  Will keep 5 to 7 days.

Carmella's Note: I usually put my cheeze in the freezer for 30 mins or so then transfer it to the fridge. That way it's ready to be served even sooner! Yay!

Enjoy!

Raw in a Flash Video: Pasta in Mushroom & Spinach Cheeze Sauce

One of the recipes I get most complimented about is probably my Spinach & Cream Pasta Casserole; a really yummy dish I was inspired to create early on in my raw gourmet phase. It consists of several steps and therefore requires some time in the kitchen. Definitely worth every bit of it, though, I promise!

Then a couple of years ago I developed another somewhat similar pasta combo for my Delightfully Raw book that used Cultured Nut Cheeze as the base. "Wow," is all I can say! It really took things to another level, lending the finished dish a lovely depth of flavors.

Today's recipe is sort of a cross between these two. It has that 'gourmet touch' thanks to Cultured Cheeze, yet can be assembled fairly quickly.

Who said that fast and easy had to be boring, eh? ;-)

And now for the recipe...

Zucchini and Kelp Pasta in Mushroom & Spinach Cheeze Sauce

Serves 2-3

Prep Time: Less than 30 minutes (More if you don't have Basic Cultured Cheeze already made)

Step 1:
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs tamari

Toss together and set aside while working on the rest of the recipe.

Step 2:
1 1/2 cups sliced spinach
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

Massage together in a bowl until spinach is wilted. Set aside.

Step 3:
1 1/2 medium zucchinis, peeled

Make Zucchini Noodles with your favorite spiral slicer - I prefer the Benriner Cook Helper Slicer. (Find out why by reading my Ultimate Guide To Equipping Your Raw Kitchen!)

Step 4:
In a large bowl combine the following:

3 cups or so of zucchini noodles
3 cups or so kelp noodles that have pre-soaked in water for a few hours
Marinated mushrooms and spinach
1/2 cup Basic Cultured Cashew or Macadamia Cheeze
2 tbs finely chopped green onion
1/2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 crushed garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
2-4 tbs water, until desired consistency is reached (bear in mind that some liquid will be released by the veggies as they sit in the sauce!)*
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*You might want to mix the Cultured Cheeze and the water first before adding the rest of the ingredients for easier handling.

Allow the kelp noodles to sit in the sauce for at least 30 mins. in order to soften them up.

For a warm dish, place covered in the dehydrator at 110 for 1 hour.

Optional: For extra yumminess, sprinkle the top with a Brazil Nut Parmesan or Pine Nut Parmesan.

Raw in a Flash Video: Strawberry Banana Shake

Today I'd like to share the first video of a new recipe series that I call 'Raw in a Flash'. For various reasons, many of us don't have the time and energy to play in the kitchen for long or as much as we'd like. That doesn't have to mean that we compromise our health with junkie fast food or that we need to be ever munching on celery sticks and green mush! ;-) In 'Raw in a Flash' I will be presenting simple yet very tasty recipes that can be prepared in a short time with a minimum of equipment.

Since a good blender is a 'raw foodie's best friend' and a great time saver, it will be the appliance that will be called for the most. In that light I've decided to feature the Omni V, a relatively new 3HP blender that I discovered a year and a half ago. While its performance is very comparable to other high quality power machines on the market, at $250 it costs significantly less than these, making it the 'best bang for your buck'. This series will give you an opportunity to see for yourself how well it fares. You might also want to check out this page dedicated to the Omni.

To launch this series I've chosen to share with you guys one of my favorite smoothies. In fact, once I'm done typing this I'll be whipping up a batch for today's breakfast. ;-) It's actually a recipe that I developed for the Deliciously Raw book that I wrote especially for the Omni blender. Originally it was made with strawberries but you can easily substitute these with any other type of berries that you have on hand. 

And now for the recipe...

Strawberry Banana Shake
From Carmella's Deliciously Raw

Prep Time: Less than 10 mins (a little more if you don't have almond milk already made)

Serves 2

2 cups almond milk*
2 medium frozen bananas
2 cups strawberries or other berries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup soft dates
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or liquid vanilla
2 tablespoons lucuma
1/2 cup ice cubes

*To make almond milk, blend 1 cup almonds that were soaked overnight with 3-5 cups of water - depending on how thick you like it - in a high power blender until nuts are completely dissolved. (About 1 min. or so) Then strain mixture through a nut milk bag, a paint straining bag or even a panty hose. Refrigerated, almond milk will keep for 3 to 5 days.

Process all ingredients in a high power blender until smooth and creamy.

If necessary, adjust sweetness by adding a raw liquid sweetener, such as coconut nectar, honey or agave, and blending again briefly.

Carmella's Note: If you don't have ice cubes, you may want to add some water until the desired consistency is reached. 

Enjoy!