Know Your Chocolate's Soul & Valentine's/Single Awareness Day Suggestions

Make February 14th (and beyond) special by purchasing fair trade, slave free chocolate. Here's Food Empowerment Project's Official Chocolate List.

The vegan chocolate industry is another eye-opening horror to glare at. Very disappointed, very heartbroken in discovering that most of my favorites lay in the Not Recommended-- Enjoy Life Foods, Chocolove, Go Max Go, Clif Bar.....
Key points in F.E.P.'s listing:

To help people buy chocolate that does not involve the enslavement of human (children or adults) or non-human animals (such as cows and goats). 
To make sure consumers are informed about where companies stand on the issue. 
To encourage consumers to contact the companies and let them know how they feel!

 
I look forward to doing my part and stop eating/supporting bad companies. New chocolates it is.
However, I wish to be of bigger aide-- move to West Africa or attempt growing cacao beans in Philadelphia.  I will look further into seeing what more can be done-- campaigning and whatnot. I may love chocolate to death, but not at the cost of young lives. These beautiful children are likely deceived into believing farming is their only purpose. And most never get to eat the chocolate. *sighs* 
Other less saddened news, it is another year of Single Womanhood, another year of red and pink filling every store. My Sunday plans include watching Girlfriends, soaking medjool dates for truffles, making a fabulous dinner, mud mask facial treatment and deep conditioning my hair. It's going to be awesome-- or as my friends say "super lit."
I have included romantic ideas for two (or one) that are still memorably delicious.
But the best thing of all is knowing that my chocolate bar dessert saved for tomorrow hasn't been sourced from a child slavery area.

Top Entree & Top Dessert Ideas for Valentine's/Single Awareness Day

Roasted Tofu With Blueberry Fig Sauce And Butternut Squash

Be super duper fancy with roasted tofu topped with a sweet reduction blueberry-fig sauce. Best with candlelight and light jazz.

 Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Pizza Hearts

Nothing says cute like a heart shaped dish-- a pizza made from scratch that is! Roasted tomatoes and bubbly vegan cheese wins atop of a delicious, hearty crust.

Baked Cashew Cheese Penne, Spinach, & Almond Puree

A creative effort of using both cashews and almonds in a single pasta dish that impressed me. Plus, one of the rare occasions I used spinach over broccoli. *gasps*

Hot Chocolate Fudge Sauced Bananas

Chocolate is the ultimate sign of devotion, especially when involving dipped fruit. Strawberries and cherries may be other people's treat menus, but peeled and quartered bananas glistening in hot chocolate satisfaction would bring anyone's heart to a melting boil.

Lemon Raspberry Bread

This inviting sweet bread just screams romantic with its vanilla dripped icing and luscious red raspberries the color of rosy lips begging for a goodnight kiss.

Vanilla Banana Chai Tea Ice Cream

Blending a frozen banana with Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Soy Chai Tea Latte would be a great idea. But I went the other way around, steeping tea and freezing the tea before blending with a frozen banana. That's true love and dedication.