Well, wouldn’t you know that all good things must come to an end. I have reason to believe that things will be changing over here at Fork and Beans. Some of you will be happy because that means less sugar but some will be sad (I mean, less sugar!) But since my doctor said that my blood work came back saying that I’m not absorbing any nutrition from my food (I promise, I eat tons of veggies) and that I’m dangerously malnourished due to some infections in my intestines (among other things but I will save that story for the future), my diet and daily regime is changing somewhat drastically. So I say goodbye to sugar for at least 2-3 months.
I just want to sit in silence as I eat this Monster Halloween Candy Bark, is that okay? Can you turn the lights out too when you go? I prefer my last days of sugar intake to be done in the darkness. I want to say my goodbyes properly.
Monster Halloween Candy Bark
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
Ingredients
- 1 c. nondairy white chocolate, melted + 1 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated shortening
- 10 vegan No-No’s candies, cut in half (I chose to use just the purple and green ones)
- 4 homemade Halloween Oreos, chopped up
- 4 mini vegan peanut butter cups, chopped up
- handful of homemade vegan googly eyes
- 1 Tbsp. vegan chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Place a little less than half of the chopped Oreos, No-No’s, nut butter cups, and googly eyes down on a baking sheet covered by a piece of wax paper, covering an approximate 9×5″ rectangle.
- Coat with the melted white chocolate.
- Gently press in the remainder of the candy, cookies, eyes, and coat with sprinkles.
- Freeze for 15-20 minutes or until set.
- Roughly chop up.
So what does that mean for what’s to come? I’m actually really excited about that part. I don’t know what it will look like but I do know that something awesome will come of it (and I’m ready for it). It will be the same Fork & Beans, just with a healthy twist but in a deceivingly sort of way because you will look at the stuff and think, “Dude this food looks like it’s laden with sugar !”but then I will be like, “HA! Gotcha! It ain’t, fools! It’s sugar, gluten, egg, and dairy-free but NOT taste-free–Shazaam!” and then you will be like, “Whaaat? This is too much to process!” and you will be saying that while doing the robot and I will interrupt your robot and be all, “I told you so” and okay I’m going now…
Eat more Monster Halloween Candy Bark. In my honor. Please.
Fantastic idea and recipe! I didn’t have some of your ingredients so I improvised. I made it with dark chocolate, coconut oil, vegan peanut butter cereal balls, slivered almonds, oreos, googled eyes, and halloween sprinkles. Will be making this every year cuz it’s so simple! I’ll try it with homemade vegan white chocolate next time though. Love the contrast of colours in youd pictures.
Can you eat eggs on your new diet? Or do you prefer not to? I just found an awesome flatbread recipe w/ tapioca starch, coconut flour, coconut oil, and coconut milk and 1 egg. It made me think of you and it was really easy to make. Even on a Monday when I’m all wacky in the kitchen :-S
Hi Megan! I have never been against eggs really, it’s just when I bake because I HATE that smell it leaves in the bowl and/or sink. Gross. But seeing that I am having a hard time digesting beans/legumes/grains (strange! I never thought I had a problem but being so restrictive I am able to really pay attention to my body) I am now very limited on what I can eat. I’m playing it out but so far it’s drastically changing. Thank you for the recipe. I might have to try it (if I can get over the smell, ha!) xoxo
Ladies,
Sorry to butt in 🙁 but….might you both be willing to share this information?
I have intestinal issues and inflammation. The hardest part is how to make healthy though limited foods into something inspiring enough (read flavorful) to eat.
I’m mostly on steamed veggies and cooked protein, some sweet potato, bone broth, homemade veggie soups from soup greens.
My tastiest meal so far is Chicken en papilotte(steamed in parchment paper). Chicken, lots of squeezes of fresh lemon, chopped garlic, chopped scallions, topped with lemon slices, and sealed in the parchment paper. Sometimes I also add veggies to steam along w/the chicken, so I put raw broccoli and carrots as a base and then put the chicken and the spices and lemon on top and seal it all up. Delsh!
If you are low FODMAP, the garlic is probably out.
I also do canned Sardines mixed with assorted steamed greens and raw garlic. Tasty! I got into garlic bc of its anti fungal antimicrobial properties, but I’m pretty new to it.
Ginger Turmeric tea is a daily staple as well.
I could sure use more ideas if you care to include me please??
Thank you,
Trish
Hi Trish! I sent you an email 🙂 xo
You are too funny!
And awesome for creating this wild stuff 🙂
Looking forward to the new rollout as well!
Good luck on the belly bugs clean up, too.
You rock 🙂
Thank you a million for the encouragement Trish! xoxo
While I am sorry about your troubles, I am right there with you! I don’t think I have the same problem, but I experience hives if I have too much sugar, so I am really enjoying baking with maple syrup, honey, and agave syrup. So I am REALLY looking forward to the upcoming changes along with you! 🙂 You are an inspiration for all of us food allergy plagued people to never give up making yummy things. Cheers!
I’m excited too Megan. I am going to have to greatly reduce my baking which will be a bit tricky because I LOVE TO BAKE! But I am confident it will be bigger and better when it’s sugar-free. Thank you so much for the encouraging words, wow. Just THANK YOU!! xo
Oh man, that’s tough! I’ll do my part to enjoy all those things doubly for you while you can’t. I hope your innards start cooperating with you again very soon! I’m also excited to read what you have in store. Knowing you, it’s gotta be good 😀
You are just the greatest cheerleader, thank you! Your comments and love mean a ton. Thank you!!
Hey Cara, where do you get your vegan white chocolate?
Thanks!
I highly suggest getting the Milkless Polar Dream Bars. You can find them on http://www.premiumchocolatiers.com 🙂 Enjoy!
OMG could this be any more adorable?!!! So fun & creative! Looking forward to seeing the new creative sugar-less take on Fork & Beans! 🙂
It’s coming! Thanks friend. Love ya tons!
I just found your blog Cara and I love it! I can only aspired for my small blog to be this good someday.
I’m sorry that you can’t have sugar for a while, but it might be good for me. 😉 Anyway, I’m ready to be surprised by your vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free awesomeness!
cookingwithkara5.blogspot.com
Hi Kara (great name by the way)! Thank you for such a kind comment and for the support. I am a little nervous about this new journey but I know that if I learned how to do all this here, then I can do anything 😉 Much love to you, xo.
Oh shoot! That sounds like candida…
I was pretty sick at the end of last year with candida and had to cut out all sugar, fruit, gluten, and limit grains and starches for 3 months. Do you know Ricki Heller? She follows a variation on that diet on a fairly permanent basis and has loads of great recipes and advice on her site which were so helpful to me. http://www.rickiheller.com/
Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
It IS candida, yup Emma! I’m the winner behind door #2…among 3 other issues. Thank you for the Ricki Heller reference, she is definitely someone who’s brain I have been picking 🙂 xo
Less sugar is always a good thing, anyway. I’m excited to see what kind of fancy-schmancy recipes you come up with next! 😀
Very true Cassie, less sugar is always better…but just so hard when I can’t even have fruit! Boooooo.
I have been going through the same thing for the past six months (malnourished due to not absorbing food due to long undiagnosed celiac disease), intestinal infections, low FODMAPs and a lot of other issues that sound similar to you, including the sugar issue. Feel free to email me — I’ve been trying lots of things with my awesome doc and dietitian.
Okay Beth, you have an email date! It really does sound almost identical to your diagnoses. I will definitely get in touch with you soon to hear what tips you recommend. I’m having the hardest time with breakfast :/
I did too, but I have some good ideas. : )
omg i need to make this for halloween! thx for sharing 🙂
Thank you Cathy! Hope you have as much fun as I did creating this beast 🙂
It’s a big change but I’m sure you’ve got this! I’m looking forward to what you’ll make next for sugar-free recipes because I’m trying to cut down on sugar as well!
What can you not have, in terms of sugar? Just refined stuff, or is maple syrup/agave nectar not allowed either? What about fruit?
I can’t have anything. No fruit. No alcohol. No refined, maple, agave, etc. No vinegar. Thank you for the support, Clem!
Oh man, that’s harsh. Stevia? Xylitol?
I’m sad to hear about your health troubles! Sugar or no sugar, I love your recipes. Do whatever you need to do to be healthy. xo
Okay, you can stop being so adorable! Thank you for the love, Amanda. Means a lot…
you got this, girl. i can’t wait to see what you come up with. i know it may seem really challenging to completely remove all sugar from your diet, it gets really easy once you found your groove. and before you know it, you won’t crave it at all.
I’m hustling this week to create all recipes for November, haha. From there, it’s going to be a bit different but I’m excited to see what happens. I think you are right, the cravings will dissipate. Now to just get through the rough patch…
This looks amazing but where can I buy vegan white chocolate?! I haven’t had white chocolate in years and I miss it so much.
Great question, Tiffany. Here are 2 options:
http://www.amazon.com/King-David-Kosher-Lactose-Chocolate/dp/B006QXXWGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412784266&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+white+chocolate
and
http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Dream-White-Chocolate-Bars/dp/B00A98ZVM0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412784266&sr=8-2&keywords=vegan+white+chocolate
For flavor, I REALLY like the second link. It tastes the best in terms of comparing to the real deal. It’s a little thinner when you melt it though, as the first link tends to be thicker and needs shortening or coconut oil added to it to thin it out. Hope this helps!
I really want to make this!
Dooooo it! It’s a super fun project 🙂
As if you could top this one in a hurry. It probably takes two or three months for your digestive tract to get over all those eyes you’ve consumed watching it do its thing. Will you be posting at all? Weekly “this time in the year 2025” kind of thing? Well, you’ve been my “eye candy” for a while now and I’ll miss all the industriousness and the light you bring into my home.
Get well, get really, really well and bring us more stupendousness with ingeniously less or no sugar, you marvelous creature you.
Eye candy, hilarious! I am actually hustling all week to create all the content I had planned for November (busy girl!) so posting will be the usual Tue/Thurs/Sat. Huzzah. If anything, it’s going to be a fun challenge figuring out how to make all of this “healthy” and sugar-free. Looks like new horizons are approaching. As always, thank you for the marvelous love and support! xo
I think #baked–Potatos are healthy, haha. Well I bought raw cacao butter and was thinking of making vegan white chocolate. But you have beat me to the “post”. I guess I actually have to post recipes. Well, I have knowledge In Mexican Halloween Day, Since I was Born In Mexicali, And were sharing this Idea, OK , I haven’t looked at all your recipes but How come no Dead Bread, you know Pan De Muerto. I Might make some will see. Just thought Id Ask, Im might post tonight or tom…Please absorb some nutrition into your glorious body and I think I might have some of the same “problems” with my G.I Trac. Well did You over do it with your candy? I do the same thing! Have a fork and beans kind of day, Beans are healthy!
I didn’t beat you to nothing! I bought my white chocolate so I cannot wait to see your homemade version. And no Dead Bread because gluten-free vegan bread can be annoying and I needed a break from it, ha. Sounds like YOU should be making ME some…xo