Vegan / Sugar-Free / Gluten-Free Goji & Pistachio Raw Cacao Recipe

goji and pistachio raw cacao

by Kelly Keough

1 1/4 cups Artisana coconut crème

3 tablespoons Madhava agave

2 teaspoons chocolate extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup ZSweet®

3 tablespoons Navitas Naturals cacao

3 tablespoons roasted carob powder

1/4 cup pistachios, shelled

1/4 cup Navitas Naturals Goji berry

2 tablespoons Navitas Naturals cacao nibs

Manitoba Harvest hemp milk for thinning

Melt coconut crème and place in food processor. Add agave, stevia, and ZSweet®. Blend. Add cocoa and carob and blend. Add in Goji, pistachios, and nibs. Pulse until just incorporated. Use extra hemp milk for thinning. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread mixture a 1/4 inch thick. Set in freezer for 15 minutes. Break into pieces.

Unconventional Angels Coupon Book Hits Stores in October

Everyone Can Save Money and Save Lives!

Santa Barbara, CA – October 1, 2009 – This October, shoppers will have a chance to save money on their favorite natural and organic brands while helping to save the lives of malnourished children around the globe. In an unprecedented joint initiative called “Unconventional Angels,” Vitamin Angels in partnership with The Organic Center and the Organic Trade Association, is offering a free coupon book featuring over $40 in savings.By redeeming coupons and saving money, consumers will be helping Vitamin Angels to achieve its goal of reaching over 10 million children this year. One third of all childhooddeaths are caused by malnutrition. For only 25¢, Vitamin Angels can provideenough micronutrients to reduce child mortality by 23%. It’s a simple, effective solution to a major global health problem. Shoppers should look for the Unconventional Angels coupon book in participating stores including Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods Markets, Sprouts, Henry’s and Sunflower Farmers Markets, Vitamin Cottage, Better Health and Fruitful Yield along with hundreds of independent natural and organic retailers (a complete list is available at: http://www.vitaminangels.org/unconventional-angels).

Participating Retailers

“By participating in this cause-related coupon book, smart shoppers can feel good about saving money while helping underprivileged children around the world,” says Howard Schiffer, Founder of Vitamin Angels. “This important program benefits consumers and supports the growth of natural and organic business while also supporting a life-saving effort around the world.” In addition to redeeming a coupon, customers can provide vital support by donating at the register, donating online by going to vitaminangels.org or by sending a check to Vitamin Angels PO Box 4490, Santa Barbara, CA 93140 USA.

Participating Brands

About Vitamin Angels Vitamin Angels is dedicated to reducing child mortality worldwide by advancing availability, access and use of essential micronutrients, especially Vitamin A, to newborns, infants and children under five. In 2009, Vitamin Angels will connect over 10,000,000 children in over 30 countries, including the US, with the vital nutrients they need as a foundation for good health. To learn more about the problem of global malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and Vitamin Angels' solution for change, log on to our website at www.vitaminangels.org.

October Gluten-free / Sugar-free Classes

Sweet chef Kelly Keough is hosting more sugar-free / gluten-free raw cooking classes & demos this month at Whole Foods Markets in Southern California. Stop by for some delicious, innovative & simple recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth without tipping your scale.

10/1, Thurs: 4-7 pm - 19340 Rinaldi St, Northridge - Demo

10/6, Tues: 6:30 pm - 239 N Crescent Dr, Beverly Hills

10/13, Tues: 6:30 pm - 7871 W Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles

10/15, Thurs: 6 pm - 21347 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills

10/19, Mon: 4-7 pm - 465 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena - Demo

10/21, Weds: 7 pm - 3751 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena

10/23, Fri: 4-7 pm - 6350 W 3rd St, Los Angeles - Demo

10/26, Mon: 4-7 pm - 331 N Glendale Ave, Glendale - Demo

10/28, Weds: 4-7 pm - 24130 Valencia Blvd, Santa Clarita - Demo

10/29, Thurs: 4-7 pm - 11666 National Blvd, Los Angeles - Demo

Save On ZSweet®, Save Kid's Lives.

ZSweet® is a proud sponsor of Vitamin Angels, a charity that sends essential nutrients to undernourished children around the world to help reduce mortality rates and help kids lead healthy, productive lives.

Look for The Vitamin Angels coupon book at natural retailers this month. For every coupon you redeem those brands will donate a portion of your purchase to this important cause.

Learn more about Vitamin Angels.

Print, share & redeem our ZSweet® Vitamin Angels coupon.

SUGAR: Seeing Is Believing

I just came across this eye-opening website, sugarstacks.com. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and nothing could be truer when it comes to how this site illustrates with sugar cubes the amount of sugar we consume in many popular snacks and beverages.

They also use carrots to show how many you'd have to eat to equal the same amount of sugar, and it's unbelievable.

Fortunately, health conscious consumers can use ZSweet® to fill the sugar void without concern for calories and all the other sugar-related health problems.

photo credit: sugarstacks.com

ZSweet® Celebrity Sightings... Did You See Her?

Yesterday I went to visit Kelly Keough at Whole Foods in West Hollywood. She was sampling her delicious sugar-free / gluten-free, vegan, raw hemp ball truffles made with ZSweet®... did you see her? More importantly, did you taste the truffles? They are UH-MAZ-ING!!!

Also spotted at Whole Foods that day were actors Kathy Najimy from movies like 'Sister Act' & 'Soap Dish' & Andrea Roth from the FX Show 'Rescue Me'. They both tried ZSweet®... how cool is that? We hope they become big fans!

Kelly has more free demos & cooking classes going on in the L.A. area Whole Foods all month. Click here for dates & store addresses.

photo credits: kathynajimy.com, fxnetworks.com

Mr. Sparkle Moment

We just had a Mr. Sparkle moment here at ZSweet® Corporate. Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer discovers his face on a box of Japanese laundry detergent and he's completely perplexed as to how it got there? Well, one of our friends just sent us a photo of ZSweet® being sold at a store in Hong Kong. We're thrilled it's there, we just don't know how it happened. D'oh!

Konnichiha to our ZSweet® fans in Japan!