BLOG | martinazand

Mar 26

Easter Recipes

Re-reading last year's sad Easter post about canceled Easter plans and pulling out all the stops to still get Baby Zand as excited as possible about hunting for eggs by herself makes me realize how far we have come - and how things really haven't changed that much. We just somehow have more resilience now towards this kind of new normal. We have adapted, pivoted, and changed how we think about our life. And most importantly, I feel like I have moved away from external factors

Mar 16

The Anniversary Muffin: Chocolate Rose Raspberry Muffin

It's been a year since we locked ourselves into our homes and our lives dramatically changed. We've survived a year of trying to adjust our work life, our kids' school life, our social life, and our workouts. And because of that we are celebrating this weekend! Come and join the Live Community Class - Anniversary Edition this Saturday at 10AM PDT for free. Find all the details here. And if you feel like celebrating with a muffin after class, whip up some of these yummy chocol

Feb 3

Plant-Based Valentine's Day Recipes That Love You Back!

Love Bombs Valentine's Day is around the corner and whether you love it or hate it, I think it's always a great reminder to start with self-love first. If you love yourself and take care of yourself, the world can love you, too! I even made a video about this topic this week. Check it out here. So when it comes to food for Valentine's Day, naturally I want to encourage you to make it delicious AND nourishing for your body. Taking care of your body with foods that make you fee

Aug 8, 2020

Are you super sensitive to sound, light, and/or touch? It might be zinc....

Yesterday I shared zinc deficiency and a very distinct symptom of it in my Instagram stories and my DMs blew up over night. Apparently so many of us are suffering from sensitivities to sound, light, or touch. I talked about how I track my cycle and have realized that in the second half of it I tend to be super sensitive to these things. Ever since I started supplementing zinc in the second half of my cycle, this has become much better. ⁣ With my clients I always take the food

Nov 1, 2019

25 delicious recipes to get you out of bed in the morning - the free Warming Breakfasts ebook is her

It's back! The FREE Warming Breakfasts ebook is back for another winter season to warm you from the inside every single morning. There are endless recipes of oatmeal, variations with other whole grains (the buckwheat bowl with poached pears is killer!), there are overnight oats for a quick breakfast dashing out the door in the morning, there is a raw cashew buckwheat bowl that only takes a minute to whip up, and then there is the new Breakfast smoothie for those days you don'

Oct 23, 2019

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Halloween is just a week away, and my pumpkin recipes are going wild in the kitchen right now. We are eating some kind of pumpkin every single day: roasted with garlic, stirred into pumpkin spinach dahl, blended into a soup, spiralized into pumpkin noddles (Baby Zand's idea!), and made into my favorite pumpkin almond smoothie. I swear, we are soon turning into pumpkins. And for Arman that is literally true, since it was Baby Zand's wish for him and grandpa to be pumpkins for

Sep 3, 2019

Strawberry white chocolate cookies

Today is the day - summer break is over and Baby Zand started school. She was so good. Walked in, said hello, and started playing. She gave me a quick kiss, and that was it. I am so glad she didn't cry, but I was bawling on the inside. After spending the last two months with her every single day, this was a huge adjustment. I've been feeling naked all day - somehow like a part of me is missing. But I also got to have some time to think, which was epic. My brain was suddenly f

Aug 20, 2019

Chocolate mousse with aquafaba

A couple of weeks ago on Instagram I shared how we were making chocolate mousse with aquafaba. No one knew that aquafaba was, and how it turned into chocolate mousse. Get ready, because this will surprise you! It is the liquid you drain away from canned chickpeas. I know, super weird :-). Once you know about this, you will see it everywhere in health food stores and vegan cafes. It basically can be beaten like egg whites, so it is used in mayonnaise, meringues, or in mousse f

Feb 12, 2019

Gooey chocolate mug cake

Valentine's Day is getting closer, and today I've got the easiest recipe ever for you! You can literally stir everything inside the same mug that you also bake this gooey chocolate goodness in. It's super rich and satisfying in a perfect serving. Try this recipe right away, and serve it to all your loved ones for Valentine's Day. And you won't be sorry if you serve it with ice cream (this is my favorite non-dairy one) :-). Preparation time: 30 minutes Makes 1 serving: 1/2 cup

Dec 12, 2018

Chocolate crisps

My favorite chocolate from childhood is a German chocolate crossie. It is basically crunchy cornflakes and almonds coated in chocolate. To die for! Since I haven't lived in Germany in forever, I make them myself every year for Christmas, and ever since Arman tried them, he requests them as soon as December 1st rolls around. Make them, you won't regret it. They make the perfect gift that will satisfy everyone. Preparation time: 30 minutes Hardning time: 1 hour Makes 20 pieces:

Nov 27, 2018

Baby Zand's birthday cake

Clearly Baby Zand's birthdays have a chocolate theme :-). This is the third year running with a delicious raw chocolate cake. Check out the previous two: White chocolate berry cake Chocolate raspberry cake I want her to have everything she wants - which is usually chocolate - but I also want her to be healthy and strong and not throw sugar tantrums. I want her to know that we can indulge every day when we make foods that nourish us from the inside out. And birthdays to me are

Oct 25, 2018

Pumpkin energy balls

Here is the next Halloween recipe I promised you after the delicious pumpkin chocolate rice crispy treats. As you can tell, we take Halloween very seriously. Our fridge is stocked with healthy treats for the big day, and our costume has been in production for the last month. I can't yet share what it will be, because we need to make sure it actually works :-). But here is our costume from last year. Baby Zand's favorite song at the time was "The wheels on the Bus". Preparatio

Oct 23, 2018

Halloween pumpkin chocolate rice crispy treats

It's that time of the year again when I make my favorite treats into healthier versions! Have you checked out some of the previous year's yumminess? Spider chocolate mousse Chocolate coconut cups Crooked teeth Raspberry jam peanut butter cups This year it's all about the pumpkin. I've got two delicious recipes for you, one today, and one coming on Thursday, so make sure to check back in! This is a fall version of a rice crispy treat with pumpkin, pumpkin spices, and chocolate

May 15, 2018

Maca cacao green smoothie

If you have been following me on this blog or over on social media for a while, you know that I can't live without my green smoothies every morning. It's like my body is addicted to them. Even when I travel, I make sure that I can either find a cafe close by that can whip one up for me or that I can blend a simple one in my hotel room. The leafy greens give me so much energy for the day, the fiber keeps my digestion happy, and the vitamin and mineral bomb that hits me with ev

May 9, 2018

Chocolate peanut butter balls

I am sorry, this recipe is not for anyone who suffers from a peanut allergy. I know there is many of you, and I feel for you. There are many foods I avoid, but peanuts are not one of them. I absolutely love peanut butter, especially peanut butter chocolate cups. These balls are the perfect little snack with the flavor of a Reese's cup without all the nasty additives and refined sugar. Give them a try, I am sure you are going to be addicted soon! Make sure you use raw cacao po

Mar 16, 2018

Chocolate banana muffins

I am playing around with delicious chocolatey goodness for Easter at the moment - as you can tell by last week's coffee chocolate cakes. These muffins are so easy to whip up, and really hit the spot when you have a chocolate craving. Baby Zand goes crazy for them, and basically wants them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the moment. She adds a big glass of green juice, some sauerkraut, and olives to the meal, and we are all good :-). Give them a try, I am sure you will not

Mar 8, 2018

Coffee chocolate cakes

Who are the most important people in your life? Your partner? Your children? Your parents? Your best friends? For me, that list includes our baby sitter. She is a big part of our family. Baby Zand is in love with her, and often randomly asks if auntie can come over to play. As a parent, it is such a relief to have a babysitter you love and trust. But having a babysitter who just fits in and gets you and makes you feel better than being around family is unicorn status. Serious

Feb 15, 2018

Q&A Wednesday

This question comes up on most of my raw chocolate posts, so I thought today - the day of chocolate - would be the perfect day to answer this question. I have touched upon this subject before, and the difference between raw chocolate and regular chocolate, but I am happy to elaborate again. Chocolate is made from cacao beans. They grow in big pods and look a bit like a papaya. The beans then get broken into what you can buy as cacao nibs - really bitter chocolate bits. Ca

Feb 8, 2018

Love bombs for Valentine's Day

I have been spamming you with Valentine's Day recipes, I promise this is the last one! How cute are these little hearts? You can make them any shape you want, and you only need 5 ingredients to get this deliciousness in your home. I have written about a double broiler to melt chocolate a few times. It's messy, yes, but always worth it! Heating cacao butter over 43°C/ 110°F is deadly. It will make the chocolate lump together, and you will need to throw it away. What a waste! S

Feb 7, 2018

Chocolate mousse cake bites for Valentine's Day ... or any other day of the year!

I know that some of my raw chocolate recipes can be overwhelming and difficult. Using a double broiler to melt cacao butter is not everyone's favorite pastime (definitely is one of my top 10 ;-)). So this recipe is for those of you, who still want healthier chocolate alternatives, but also don't have time or patience to watch the cacao butter melt. This recipe is super simple, so easy to make, and a huge hit with your loved ones for Valentine's Day ... or really any other day

Dec 13, 2017

Holiday egg nog and peppermint hot chocolate

Sweet drinks during the holiday season are my downfall! I used to love everything holiday flavored at Starbucks. I hate coffee, but I would endure it for the sake of all the holiday cheer. Of course once you start to look into it, you are shocked at the synthetic ingredients of most holiday flavored products - not just drinks. High fructose corn syrup, refined oils, artificial flavors and colors are pretty much everywhere. That clearly does not make for a healthy or happy hol