From the Kitchen of Jen Myers -Jones, LAC

Boost your immune system with this healing dessert. In Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) pears can be healing to the lungs. Have you been suffering from a chronic cough? Catching every cold your children do?  Start down your healing path. Warm up your digestive Qi with ginger and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Bosc pear halved and carved
2. 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
3. 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
4. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
5. 2 tsp brown sugar
6. 3 tbsp melted butter
7. 1 tincture Black elderberry (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl warm the butter, add spices, mix well with a spoon. Add oats, mix well. Wash and cut pear in half and spoon out the seed areas. On a tray place the pears and surround with tin foil to prop them level.
2. Spread mixture evenly across pear surface. Baked at 420 degrees for 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before eating.

*This recipe serves 2 but can easily be doubled to serve more. It can also be altered to be dairy free and vegan by replacing the butter with coconut oil, add a flair with coconut flakes.

Click here for a printable PDF

From the kitchen of Dr. Barrett
​
If you need to make a sweet treat for a birthday or special occasion but want to make it a little healthier, try avocado icing! I recently made this icing for a birthday party and it was a hit! This icing is so rich and creamy plus it is packed full of good fats, B vitamins, potassium and more!

Click here for printable PDF

For chocolate icing (makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• Sweetener- can use honey, powdered sugar, molasses, whatever you are comfortable using.
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
  
  
  

For vanilla icing (this will be green and also makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• Sweetener- again can use any sweetener but without cocoa powder I recommend using powdered sugar to get the right consistency.
• 1 TBS softened butter
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
  
  
  

For this icing you want to mash the avocado as best you can. Try to get rid of any little chunks of avocado. Then add the rest of the ingredients and use a mixer to blend. For sugar I recommend adding a little at a time and tasting as you go to get to the desired sweetness. If you want a nice thick fudge icing try adding very little sweetener. For the vanilla icing I recommend using powdered sugar because the powder helps turn the avocado into an icing consistency.

From the kitchen of Dr. Barrett
​
This is a simple and low-carb dessert.
Click here for a printable PDF

You will need:

• Coconut oil
• Cocoa powder
• Frozen blueberries
• Whipping cream or canned coconut milk (for dairy free)
  
  

​Directions:

1. If your coconut oil is solid at room temperature (in the fall and winter usually) use a metal bowl and melt the coconut oil over low heat. Once the coconut oil is liquid add some cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. How much cocoa powder you use depends on how strong you want the chocolate flavor
2. Pour in frozen blueberries while stirring quickly to coat the blueberries before the coconut oil hardens.
3. Let the coated blueberries sit while you either whip cream or make coconut whipped cream (below) for a creamy topping!

Coconut whipped cream
1. Let a can of coconut milk sit for at least 1 day in the refrigerator. This will separate the think coconut cream from the thin coconut liquid.
2. Open the can and scoop out a few TBS of the thick coconut cream
3. Add vanilla and whip just like you would whip whipping cream
4. Enjoy your coconut whipped cream!

From the kitchen of Dr. Barrett

In this summer heat I am desperate for some dairy free frozen treats. I made a large batch of these bites and they didn't last long!

Ingredients:
A few very ripe bananas
Coconut oil
Cocoa powder
Vanilla
Salt

Directions:

• Chop the bananas in to bite sized discs and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper
• Place bananas in freezer until frozen solid (note don't let the bananas defrost during the following steps- may need to place back in the freezer to keep them frozen. Letting them defrost and refreeze will cause the bananas to have more of an 'ice' texture)
• Heat coconut oil over low heat and add cocoa powder, vanilla and salt until desired flavor
• Let 'chocolate' mixture cool and start dunking in your bananas then placing the back on baking sheet. Remember to stick whole tray back in the freezer if the bananas start getting soft.
• It may take a few rounds of dunking and freezing to get to the desired chocolate thickness

Bonus:

• Thin a nut butter with some coconut oil over low heat and spread over frozen bananas. 
• Refreeze bananas and nut butter until solid
• Continue as outlined above to coat with 'chocolate'

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN with Love

Here's a decadent vegan chocolate pudding recipe packed with nutrients for your sweetheart's health. It contains:

• dark chocolate, a source of the powerful antioxidants flavonoids
• coconut milk and their medium-chain fatty acids that prevent atherosclerosis,
• and chia seeds with soluble fiber that helps eliminate excess cholesterol and also naturally thickens the pudding. 

Most importantly, this recipe simple and takes less than 10 minutes to pull together. 

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 oz dark chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5-6 Tbsp chia seeds

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut milk in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Do not bring to a boil.
2. Add chocolate chips and coca powder. Stir until mixed and melted.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla.
4. Slowly add chia seeds while stirring the pudding so as to prevent a chia clump.
5. Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl, cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. 

Happy Valentine's Day!