Hey Friends!! I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday, and are still ready for more celebrating with New Years Eve ahead!! I spent time with friends and family, sledding on a White Christmas morning (how picturesque), eating a ton of delicious things, and just enjoying the Holiday weekend!
I know the Holidays can bring a lot of indulgent moments, as they should, but I like to keep a few healthy-ish options in my back pocket to keep the season a little more manageable! I’m pretty excited to share these recipes with you from Facebook Live with Vitamix! You can catch it today, 12/28 at 2pm EST. When Vitamix HQ invited me into their test kitchen to do some cooking, how could I say no? We had a blast!
I got to use the GORGEOUS A3500 Ascent Series with the Copper Shell, which is not only an amazing kitchen tool, but so beautiful and perfect for this time of year with all things shiny! I own the A3500 and I use it every single day. I know you’ve seen my frothy coffee pours, but I also use it for soups, salad dressings, baking mixes, and homemade nut milk! It is my very favorite tool I own.
With that being said, I want to share these Healthy Recipes with you, and I hope they make their way to your parties soon!
Blood Orange Manhattan
serves 2-4.
-I love this cocktail because it’s just the right amount of sweetness from the fresh fruit, without any added sugar, keeping it a healthier beverage option!
What you need:
1 Blood Orange, peeled. Save the rind for garnish!
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Bourbon
1/4 cup Dry Vermouth
8 shakes bitters
Orange Peel & Cinnamon Stick for Garnish
Directions:
1. Peel blood orange and add to Vitamix. Blend with 1/2 cup water to make a Blood Orange Puree.
2. Add bourbon, Vermouth, Bitters, and blend on medium until all ingredients are combined. The color should be a beautiful red!
3. Pour over ice and garnish!
*If blood oranges aren’t available, a regular orange will still be delicious! & if you have some extra time on your hands, you could roast the orange at 400 for 10 minutes to bring another layer of flavor to the drink! Yum!
Vegan Pumpkin “Cheesecake” Bars.
serves 8-12
-I’m not vegan, but I love dairy free options, and these are so good you won’t even miss the cream cheese!
What you need:
Crust:
1 bag of your favorite granola, I used an 11oz bag of something with cinnamon flavor!
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted.
Filling:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup any nut butter, I used almond butter.
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Directions:
1. Add crust ingredients to Vitamix and blend until incorporated, and granola has broken down into a fine meal.
2. Line a baking dish with parchment (this part is crucial, trust me, without it, you won’t be able to cut the bars or get them out of the pan), lightly dampen your hands, and press crust mixture into the bottom of the pan.
3. Now, add all filling ingredients, and blend on medium to medium-high until filling is smooth and creamy. This takes about 2 minutes. When it’s done, spread filling over crust with spatula.
4. From personal experience, I like to let my bars chill over night so they set up completely. After they’re firm, I take them out of the pan (thank you parchment paper), cut into squares, and try to keep from eating all of them at once! You can drizzle these with nut butter, and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice for garnish. Even your non-vegan friends will love these!
I really hope you enjoy the Facebook Live, and these recipes! Currently until January 7th, all new blenders are $70 off online and include free shipping! If you need the Copper Shell Ascent 3500, you can find it here.
I love mine & I know you’ll love it, too!
Thanks for hanging out Friends! See you on Instagram!
-Aubrey
#thatswhatsheeats
Cannot say “Thank You” enough to Vitamix for having me, for a gorgeous machine, and for the ability to work with them on such fun things! Keep your eyes peeled for some more fun projects, and maybe even a giveaway in 2018!