Raw brownies? Oh yes. So good even the Toddler wouldn’t leave me alone. Make sure they sit overnight in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld together, let come to room temperature before eating (although they taste great cold also, I found they get even more chocolate tasting when warmed up and soft….) Recipe is at the bottom, I get to bore you first with my kids & garden!

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Alistaire turns 3 months today. It is going by so fast! The outfit he has on today, Walker wore when he was 4½ months old and it is already snug on Alistaire. He could be my biggest boy!

Walker has helped me in the yards, working on spring cleaning and shopping for new plants to add as well! We went plant shopping on Sunday and came home with 7 new blueberry plants, strawberry plants and some herbs. I found that I lost 4 herb plants over the winter this year. A bummer but it was a cold one so not a big surprise.

Last year Walker and I added many more blueberry plants to an old raised bed on one side of the back yard, they are all doing well. We went through and spruced up things (there is much more added now, after this photo was taken):

He sees the blueberries as “his”!

I decided to finally add plants to flank the back porch:

We transplanted two rosemary bushes that were about 3 years old:

Then added 3 blueberry plants:

Ford and Walker cleaning up the far back, I got them to clean out the yard gear shack and get it organized:

Alistaire enjoying being out in the sun – the weather has been great the past few days:

Another view of the back porch – on the left I planted 4 Pink Lemonade blueberry plants:

What started it all? When we bought the house it came with this patch in the far back – a smattering of blueberries and rhubarb. Seeing how happy Walker was in the bushes led me to plant more. Many more. We were at 27 plants on Sunday. Heh! Yes, we love blueberries. Especially with alpine strawberries growing under said bushes…and rhubarb! (Which I hope to harvest this week)

Back at the shack Ford was locked inside and Walker was trying to break in

Then on Monday the Toddler and Baby went plant shopping again with Mommy. Walker picked out 6 more strawberry plants to bring home and I found red huckleberry plants (I had to suppress squealing lest strangers think “what an idiot”). I need to dig holes for the huckleberries today, hopefully after nap time! I came to the conclusion last year that unless it produces edible things, it doesn’t get planted. I want the backyard to be an oasis for the kids as they grow up. And also so they can garden with me. And more blueberries planted may mean I actually get to eat some…since Walker beats me to them!

More photos to come, as everything fills out.

Now onto those delicious raw brownies!

Raw Brownies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup raw walnut pieces
• ¼ cup raw almonds
• 2 cups pitted Medjool dates (about 20)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Add the nuts to a food processor bowl, process until finely chopped. Knock out into a small bowl, set aside.

Add the dates and process until a paste forms, add the nuts and remaining ingredients, process on high until a ball forms and the texture is as fine as you like.

Line an 8×8″ baking dish with plastic wrap, with enough extra to hang over the sides. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl into the lined dish. Pat out with a spatula, then cover with the over hanging plastic wrap and pat/press smooth till they fill the pan evenly. Chill overnight in the refrigerator, cut into bars and wrap each bar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For best taste, let warm up to room temperature before eating.

I cut ours into 8 bars.

~Sarah