FOOD LA LA

Easter treats with FOOD LA LA and NBC’s California Live!

Valentine’s treats with FOOD LA LA and NBC’s California Live!

With store-bought pie dough, and a quick, easy filling, they come together in a snap. Instead, spend your time cutting out star shapes (or use an overturned water glass for a cute circle!) and decorating with drizzled white chocolate, and firework-worthy sprinkles!

The sweetest dessert, guaranteed to get the Easter bunny hopping over to your yard!

They’re colorful, satisfying, oozing with texture, and can be made with anything you have in your pantry—dried fruit, seeds, nuts, coconut, flax, goji, fruit peels and zest. The only two requirements are high quality chocolate and flaky sea salt.

These little meringue stacked ice cream sandwiches don’t call for the laborious sifting efforts macarons do. The legwork is minimal, but you still get a chewy, ever-so-slightly crunchy base. And, you don’t need a candy thermometer or corn syrup to initiate the magic.

Make a batch of these homemade cashew butter cups and store them in your freezer for when that Halloween sweet-tooth strikes.  Or wrap them in foil and give them to trick-or-treaters who will never be the wiser!

A s’more, like anything you eat, is only as good as the ingredients you use.  I transformed four of my favorite flavor combinations—mint chocolate, salted caramel, lemon meringue pie, and dark chocolate BACON— into s’mores so you could excite those little taste buds of yours.

Stay cool with these dairy-free (and refined sugar-free) popsicles!  They’re easy to make and can be amended to include your favorite fruit(s).  Try layering in some blueberries to add a festive pop to your Fourth of July celebration!

If you haven’t a clue for mother’s day, these chocolate-dipped spoons would be a fun surprise.  They can be stirred into afternoon coffee, or paired with hot milk (and a splash of Kahlua?) for adult-only hot chocolate. 

A week before V-day, I present:  a DIY Valentine treat made with four ingredients I almost guarantee are already in your kitchen.

I LOVE watermelon.  And when it’s so hot outside, it’s the most refreshing treat.  Whole watermelons are typically crispier than their pre-cut counterparts, but I’m not often able to eat the whole thing before it goes bad. Cue:  frozen watermelon.

I won’t describe this little dessert as “GF, DF, and no refined sugar” (even though it’s true) because this creamy mint coffee popsicle certainly doesn't taste like it.  And with just two whirls of a blender, the recipe couldn’t be simpler.

I recently found these at the grocery store and was intrigued.  I tried one when I got in my car, another once my seatbelt was on, another at the first red light, another once I made it up my stairs, and about five more after they had chilled in the freezer.  Verdict?

Wrap this toffee up in cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon and a piece of holly (or snip a branch off your Christmas tree!).  I love the festivity and crunch of the crushed candy cane, but you can substitute crushed pistachios, almonds or even toasted coconut if you prefer.

These little peanut butter cup coconut bites remind me of a Snickers ice cream bar, minus all the corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil (gross).  They come together in a snap, and they’ll be waiting for you the moment your sweet tooth strikes.

Because refined sugar has such severe health consequences, I’m always looking for ways to satisfy that sweet craving with something healthier.  Cue: healthy sweet potato brownies (can I get an amen?!).  You would never know the base of this sweet treat is nutrient-rich sweet potato.

Dessert doesn’t have to be bad for you.  Instead, get creative and find a new way to incorporate something healthy.  If I need something sweet to satisfy me after dinner, I reach for one of these superfood chocolates.

Dessert menus at many great restaurants feature chocolate molten cake.  It looks fancy, feels fancy, and one spoon dive into the center leaves you in a delightful chocolate-induced coma. 

Homemade fortune cookies let you be the fortuneteller for the night.  If you’re up for a little experiment, try making them from scratch.  They’re a bit finicky and much easier if you have a friend or sous chef to help.  But if you just want to add some zazzle, buy your fortune cookies, then dip them in melted chocolate and pretty sprinkles.  I won’t tell.