On the little side table in my office, the one next to the cozy recliner I’m currently writing in, there’s a pile of gardening books, seed catalogs, half-full journals and creative writing books. I’ve spent all morning thinking of the edible gardens and sparkling flower beds I’m planting this year. Imagining the roses I’ll train in arches in the back yard by the shed. The sunflowers I’ll plant along the fence line. The lilacs to set around the property edges.

One of my (many) desires for 2017 is to deepen my relationship with the natural world, starting with plants — both cultivated and foraged. I’m going to start small, and work my way up to big projects. But right now is the dreaming phase, and it’s a good place to be.

One of the biggest lessons of 2016, for me, was the power of accomplishing small things. I am very easily overwhelmed by my hundreds of dreams and plans. So, in lieu of allowing my active imagination and never-ending task-list to paralyze me, I focus on the smallest actionable thing I can do to move forwards towards my dream.

Today, that’s reading some gardening books and catalogs. Tomorrow, writing down a list of all the plants I’m interested in putting in the ground this year. Just turning my green dreams into green realities, one seed at a time.

These Vegan Superfood Truffles are just one example of my imagination just teeming with ideas! I like to think of my imagination as a silver pool full of glimmering rainbow fish,  all jumping and splashing and swirling to catch my attention. Although I may have overshot my mark with this post. Too many bright fish, my friends. I tried, but we can't all be perfect, eh?

I started with four recipes: reishi truffles, tahini turmeric honey truffles, chocolate hemp seed apricots and coconut sugar sweetened cocoa. Yes, all of that landed in my brain at the same time. I had some gorgeous overcast light on the afternoon I whipped these up, so I just went for it!

Everything turned out fabulously, but I only had time to extensively re-test my reishi raspberry cashew butter truffles. It's a luscious, creamy cashew butter truffle made with dark chocolate, coconut oil, raspberry jam, cinnamon, cardamom and reishi mushroom powder -- for the chillest vibes possible. They should be called chill out bliss out truffles, really.

I'm only slightly bummed I don't have the turmeric tahini honey recipe totally down pat. But I've included the recipe that I jotted down in my notes. The resulting truffle is super creamy, complex and sweet. I poured the ganache for that into a silicon truffle / ice mould, but an ice tray would probably work just as well.

I've also included my coconut sugar sweetened cocoa mix recipe, which you blend with your favorite steamed milk (I like coconut milk and almond milk best).

The apricots are as simple as can be, I melted 1/2 cup chocolate down and added a teaspoon of coconut oil. Then I dipped the apricots and rolled them in hemp hearts and cooled them in the fridge until firm.

It's easy to let myself get overwhelmed by the sheer number of ideas that drop into my brain. Did I mention I have a running list of 100 recipes I've yet to even begin testing?

That's why for 2017 one of my many mantras is -- as I said earlier -- one seed at a time. Making life more intentional and easeful by practicing a mindful lifestyle. And it all starts with slowing down and holding space for each dream, idea and quirky recipe.

What's your mantra for 2017?

Oh and before I sign off, here are some resources if you'd like to learn more about any of these superfoods:

All About the Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms

10 Benefits of Turmeric

Why Pepper Boosts Turmeric Blood Levels

Om Organic Mushroom Nutrition (specializes in organic medicinal mushroom powders and blends. I buy my mushroom powders from these guys)

Mountain Rose Herbs (buy whole reishi mushroom slices by the ounce)

Reishi Raspberry Cashew Butter Truffles

Created by Renee on December 28, 2016

This 9 ingredients truffle recipe is the stuff dreams are made of! Healthy, plant-powered and made with coconut oil and cashew butter. Reishi mushroom powder gives these truffles calming, immune-boosting super powers! These treats take around an hour including cooling time, but prep time takes only 15 minutes.

• Prep Time: 10m
•  
• Cook Time: 5m

• Yield: 12-25 truffles

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped 70% dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup creamy unsalted roasted cashew butter
• 3 tablespoons raspberry jam (blackberry jam or cherry preserves would also work well
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons reishi mushroom powder (I used a blend of powdered turkey tail, reishi, cordyceps mushrooms from Om Nutrition)
• pinch fine pink sea salt
• *optional: 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder + more as needed

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil over a double boiler (or in a bowl fitter over a pan of simmering water). Take care not to get any water into the bowl or the chocolate will seize.
2. Once melted, stir in the cashew butter, jam, cinnamon, mushroom powder, sea salt and cardamom. Set in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes until the ganache is firm.
3. Add the cocoa powder to a shallow bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is just for ease of clean up).
4. Use a teaspoon or tablespoon to scoop out rounds of ganache, rolling the ganache between your hands to form marble or golf-ball sized rounds (up to your preference). Roll the truffles in cocoa powder until well coated. Set the cocoa dusted truffles on the parchment sheet. Continue until your rolled all of the ganache into truffles and dusted them all in cocoa. Set the tray in the fridge to chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Truffles can be chilled overnight if you’re making them ahead. Store in the fridge in a lidded glass container. Truffles can also be stored at room temperature in a lidded jar. Best eaten within 7 days of being made.

Turmeric Tahini Honey Truffles

Created by Renee on December 29, 2016

These truffles are creamy and soft, made with nut butter and coconut oil. Black pepper helps to improve the bioavailability of turmeric curcumin, which is why I’ve included a pinch in these truffles. With cooling time, these truffles take a little over an our but prep time is only 10 minutes max.

• Prep Time: 5m
•  
• Cook Time: 5m
•  
• Total Time: 10m

• Yield: 12-18 truffles

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped 70% dark chocolate (100 grams)
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 cup creamy tahini
• 1/4 cup creamy unsalted almond butter or creamy unsalted cashew butter
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons raw honey (use maple syrup or agave if vegan)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• optional: bee pollen / chia seeds / hemp hearts for decorating the truffles

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil over a double boiler (or in a bowl fitter over a pan of simmering water). Take care not to get any water into the bowl or the chocolate will seize.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the chocolate: tahini, nut butter, turmeric, ground black pepper, honey and vanilla.
3. Set your flexible silicone mould on a sheet pan (this is just for easy of working with melted chocolate in a flexible mould).
4. Use a tablespoon to pour the ganache into the flexible silicone moulds. Optional: sprinkle each truffle with bee pollen / chia seeds / hemp hearts. Chill the truffles in the fridge until firm, minimum of 1 hour or until the truffles have hardened.
5. To serve, pop the truffles out of the moulds. Store in the fridge in a lidded glass container. Truffles can also be stored at room temperature in a lidded jar. Best eaten within 7 days of being made.

Coconut Sugar Sweetened Reishi Cocoa

Created by Renee on December 29, 2016

This recipe is based on my favorite reishi cocoa from Four Sigmatic. I get my reishi mushroom powder / superfood mushroom powder mixes from Om Organic Mushroom Nutrition. I keep this cocoa on hand for chocolate emergencies. It makes a great gift as well!

• Prep Time: 1m

• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 5 teaspoons reishi mushroom powder
• pinch cayenne + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + more to taste
• optional: vegan marshmallows

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar and shake to combine.
2. I brought these to a holiday event in a big jar with the cocoa mix on the bottom, and then I packed the top of the jar with 12 square vegan marshmallows from Sweet and Sara’s.
3. Serve with 1 cup hot plant milk per 2 tablespoons cocoa mix. For a darker, sweeter cocoa add more cocoa mix per 1 cup hot plant milk as you like. Top with marshmallows or coconut whipped cream and enjoy! Keeps well in a lidded jar at room temperature.