Skincare You Can "Eat" and a Raw Cookie Recipe
I recently organised a little 'party' to showcase an organic, local, and hand-made skincare range which I love, called Vanessa Megan. I invited about ten girls over to have a play with some of the products and hear first-hand from Vanessa why it is so important to feed your skin with natural ingredients instead of all the harsh chemicals found in most products on the market today. Vanessa Megan's motto is: "You should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat." LOVE THAT! Her products are 100% natural and organic, free from mineral oils, SLS's, parabens, PEG's, artificial preservatives and fragrances. Not to mention, they smell and feel divine! The night was lots of fun and very informative. I think it served as a good catalyst for the girls to go home and read the labels on all those (probably expensive!) products in their bathroom cupboards. Also known as the Bathroom Challenge! I did this challenge a few months ago and was completely astounded by how many toxic chemicals and synthetic ingredients were in my beloved beauty regime. When we spray and lather these chemicals on ourselves every day, they undoubtedly seep through our skin (our largest organ) and directly into our bloodstream. I know many of us take such care with what we put in our mouths but few of us think twice about what we are putting on our skin. It's all going to the same place - into the bloodsteam! The first step to a beauty detox is self-education so I would definitely recommend reading labels and checking for the Big 9, as per the Bathroom Challenge. For those other ones you don't know (and probably can barely pronounce!), this cosmetic database is brilliant for searching a product or ingredient and learning about safety ratings and other health information.
It wasn't all doom and gloom at the party! We had lots of fun, laughs, and raw treats!
I'm no raw food chef, by any means, nor do I worry too much about the aesthetic aspect when making desserts, but these are simple and delicious. Quite a hit!
Raw Cashew and Cacao Cookies
Ingredients:
Cookie:
- 1 and 1/2 cups of raw cashews, soaked in water and lemon juice for 4 hours
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup raw extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Frosting:
- 2/3 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup raw extra virgin coconut oil
What to do:
In a Vitamix or food processor, add all the ingredients for the cookie part. Blend on high for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scoop out the mixture, pat into cookie-sized pieces and place on a piece of non-stick baking paper. Put in the freezer to set for a couple hours. For the frosting, place all the ingredients in the blender and mix until it's smooth and thick. Once the cookies have set (about 3 hours), place a dollop of icing on top of each. Put back in freezer to set and pull out a little before you're ready to eat / serve!
They will keep for ages in the freezer so they are a great dessert to make in bulk and then pull one out every time you need a little sweet fix.
Hope you enjoy!
Steph x