I posted last week about some of my favorite makeup from withSimplicity.  Well, now they've just launched a nail polish line FREE of 15 chemicals found in most store bought nail polishes!  And just look at the colors!!!!  They're beautiful! They even have a PLANT-BASED nail polish remover!  I'm in heaven!  Check them out at ​​bit.ly/2BVZ5g8 and enter Shelley10 at checkout.  Preorder by Sept 14 for free shipping!  I can't wait to get mine!  

 Let me start out by saying that I've never been a HUGE caramel fan because it's just so sweet, or so I thought!  When you make it yourself, you have control over the amount of sweetness or even saltiness that it contains!  That's one of the huge benefits of cooking; you can cook to your palate!

My girls are huge fans of caramel and anything sweet, really.  My challenge as a mom, just like all of you out there, is to control the sugar intake.  I encourage my girls to find, or invent, a healthier alternative to recipes that are full of sugar.  They do a really good job of it!  This recipe is one that even I indulge in a bit because it's just THAT GOOD!  The ingredients make my jaw drop - who would have known that dates and cashews mixed together with pure maple syrup could create such a luscious sauce!  Incredible!

I love to create my own recipes, but I am inspired constantly by other amazing people online.  Pinterest has been my cookbook for years, but sometimes I will find someone whose recipes just keep popping up as favorites.  When that happens, I buy their cookbooks!  My latest purchase is The Blender Girl by Tess Masters (theblendergirl.com).  If you don't follow her on Facebook at The Blendaholic, I beg of you to do so!  Tess must be a long lost sister of mine because she speaks to me with every recipe she has!  Considering her cookbook title, she is a huge proponent of a good quality high speed blender!  You all know that I love my BlendTec, and I know that VitaMix is also a great option.  These blenders are life changing and worth every cent!  Put it on your Christmas list this year!

Now, here's what you've been waiting for, the recipe.  These ingredients are staples in my pantry because they are very versatile and can be used in many healthier sweet treat recipes.  Here are a few hints to make this sauce perfection every time:  soak your dates in warm water for 5 minutes to soften them up, use good quality ingredients (organic preferred), and using a high speed blender is required for this to come out smooth and creamy.  If you have a regular blender, I cannot guarantee it will produce the same lusciousness.

Follow the recipe exactly the way it's listed first time, then you can tweak it to your taste later.  You can add more or less of the maple syrup and more or less of the salt.  I think it's pretty fantastic the way it is!  Think of all of the ways you can use this sauce:  as a dip with apples, over greek yogurt, on chia pudding, over ice cream, as a dip for pretzels or shortbread cookies, and so much more!  Let your mind run wild!  I personally just want to eat it off of a spoon.  Shhhh, don't tell!

RAW CARAMEL SAUCE
 
5-MIN CARAMEL SAUCE you can make in your blender. This is one of the most popular recipes from The Blender Girl cookbook. 

RECIPE:

1/4 cup (60ml) unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup (120ml) plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 cup (80g) firmly packed chopped pitted dates, soaked 
1/3 cup (47g) raw unsalted cashews
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon natural salt, plus more to taste

Throw everything into your high-speed blender, and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds until smooth and creamy. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!  
​Shelley

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