Today the 7th Annual Authors in Bloom Blog Hop begins! Oh, how I LOVE spring. Not only do April showers bring out the best in my flowers, my vegetable garden is brimming with beautiful bounty!! Woohoo! But I digress. You’re here for wonderful gardening tips and fabulous recipes and you’ve come to the right place. I’m about to share you THE most decadent healthy dessert you’ve ever unleashed on your taste buds. I’m not kidding. Have you heard of the “raw” eating health craze? It’s basically where you consume all your food in its purest, raw form. Nothing cooked that could kill the nutritional value. Nothing artificial or unhealthy. This recipe is the bomb.

An adaptation of a recipe created by Debbie Waddell, Vegan Brownie Bites, I’ve added a twist. A non-vegan twist, (unless you use non-dairy whipped cream), this dish will fool even the most discriminating chocolate lovers. 

HEALTHY BROWNIE PARFAIT

1/2 Cup Walnuts (or Pecans)

2 TBSP Unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 Cup Medjool Dates pitted

2 TBSP Raw Cacao Powder

1/4 tsp Pure Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Honey

1 TBSP Crushed raspberries

Dollop of whip cream

PREPARATION

Place the nuts in a food processor and blend until almost a flour consistency.  Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture forms a dough like consistency. Using your hands, take a small amount and roll into a ball. Wedge into the bottom of a small glass. Spoon raspberries over brownie and top with whipped dream. Delicious!

The recipe will make approximately 8-1 inch balls of dough. I actually used 2 balls of dough for this dessert glass (size of a shot glass).

Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days–though it won’t last!!

Prefer to remain vegan and eliminate the cream? No worries! It’s just as decadent without it.

Now for my giveaway. For my stop on the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop, you have a chance to win a Bloem Box rose and lavender scented organic sachet, petit butterfly note pad, and a box of floral-themed note cards and envelopes.

Enter for your chance to win via the Rafflecopter below. Thanks for taking part in our blog hop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You are also eligible to win the grand prize eReader (value $200). To win the grand prize, you MUST visit each and every author/blogger on the hop. Each site will post the links of participating authors but please feel free to reference my site to find the author link list at any point in time. Some authors might offer more than one entry to win, ie. a “follow” on Twitter or a “tweet,” maybe even a visit to their Facebook or Pinterest page, however only one entry is required to enter.

Don’t want to enter a particular giveaway on the hop? No worries. Simply enter grand prize giveaway here, then leave a comment in the author’s comment section of their Authors in Bloom post and you’ll remain eligible to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“Giveaway ends April 27th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to Legal Residents (18 years of age or older) of the US only. Prizes cannot be shipped to PO Boxes. Winner will be selected by Rafflecotper.com and be notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Please note that Dianne Venetta, host of the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop, is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. I will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you in obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 30 days for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you. The product provided for the review was free of charge from the company. The product offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone. I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.” VOID where prohibited by law.

Now get hopping, you have a bunch more chances to win!

 

With Valentine’s Day upon us, it’s obviously time to talk romance! As an author and a reader, to me that includes some “me-time” with a romance novel. And to celebrate, I’m offering your choice of my novels, BOTH print and ebook versions!

So take a chance, and enjoy the indulgent nature of the holiday. It’s super easy to enter! Then, be sure to continue hopping. There are a TON of wonderful authors to discover!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Illegally Wedded by Jennifer Griffith

He needs a promotion. She needs to stay in the country.

Piper Quinn has a great thing going. She’s young, talented, and the sole chef at Du Jour, San Antonio’s hottest lunch bistro. She and her business partner just have to stay open one year to be eligible for the coveted Texas Star.

Days before eligibility though, Piper gets terrible news: she’s getting deported. To New Zealand. Where her parents have joined a hobbit cult.

Attorney Zach Travis can’t seem to break into the partnership bracket at his big, respected firm—despite his stellar record. Then, Zach hears a rumor his bachelor status may be holding him back, and he needs a wife to advance his career. The girl at the bistro is an intriguing candidate.

As Piper shares her desperate plea for legal help, Zach realizes he can fix both their dilemmas—with a marriage certificate. However, their plan puts them in the cross-hairs of more than one vindictive enemy. Worse, neatly ending their marriage may be tricky due to a sparking chemistry neither Zach nor Piper can ignore.

 

 

“I have to really love a book to give the perfect 5 stars but this one deserved it! …Well written characters and plot. Would DEFINITELY recommend this book.” –Melanie Pontius

“If I could I would give this 10 stars – or one BIG Texas Star (read the book you’ll see why that’s important). Such a compelling situation and full as life characters. I even found myself dreaming about Piper and Zack one night. And the ending – so full of all the right feels I had tears in my eyes.” – NMW

“This book had me mad at my phone for not holding a charge just a little longer!” –LC

“Everything about this book is brilliant … the characters, the story, the food, the twists and the romance. Add the exceptional, funny and original support characters and stories .. biker granny, Hobbits, tiny dog, Neil Diamond … and you have a beautifully written, clever, clean romance that you won’t want to put down. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a definite must read for everyone.” – lcr

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt #1

“That leaves you with the one glaring choice remaining, marriage.” The word made Zach’s mouth go unexpectedly dry, and his heart started pounding, neither of which effects he’d anticipated. After countless court appearances and arguments in front of judges and the wealthiest property owners of the largest state in the continental U.S., he’d never gotten wobbly like this.

But he re-collected his chutzpah, pressing back the nerves that he refused to let dominate.

“And if you’ll have me,” he cleared his throat, Piper’s pure green eyes suddenly glued to him and making his heart thunder, “that marriage could be to me.”

The words bounced across the water like a dragonfly, zipping away, never to return.

 

 

Author Jennifer Griffith

Jennifer Griffith writes light, sweet romances she calls Cotton Candy for the Soul. Her Legally in Love Collection stems from the fact she fell in love with a handsome law school student who now serves as a judge—as well as her muse. She also writes the Billionaire Makeover Romances, billionaires and makeovers being some things with which she has less experience.

Jennifer loves old cars, landscape paintings, fresh bread with raspberry jam, and reading. She lived in Japan during college, where she once ate a cricket on a dare. She also traveled through Europe, where she slept a night in a castle on the Rhine. Jennifer worked summers in a cookie factory, and she spent a few years working for the U.S. Congress before becoming a wife, a mom and an author.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Details
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/4/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway