10 Nov Raw Chocolate Truffle Cake- Guest Post by Yvonne Ardestani
My next guest blogger contributing to my Vegan Resources! Click here to see all of the contributors and read their stories!
Introduce yourself to all of us!
Name: Yvonne Ardestani
Origin: San Diego and Santa Cruz, California
Current City: Los Angeles, California
Occupation: Vegan, Gluten-free Chef. Founder of My Eclectic Kitchen Recipe App (available on iTunes and Google Play), eBook, and blog.
Interesting Facts:
1- Prior to attending culinary school, I was an accountant and sold real estate.
2- I am the youngest of six daughters.
3- I have an autoimmune disease. I was first hyperthyroid, and now I am hypothyroid.
4- I was once a size 13 and went down to a size 2 within 1.5 years, with the help of a cleaner diet and a lot of exercise.
5- I’m often asked what ingredient I miss most since going vegan. I have to say honey. It used to be so good in my granola and granola bars. Luckily, I discovered great alternatives for honey.
Can you describe your lifestyle and food philosophy?
It is important for me to maintain a balanced life. This includes daily meditation and prayer to thank God for my many blessings—my overall health, a wonderful marriage, my family and friends, and, of course, for the abundance of delicious, natural food that I am privileged to enjoy each day. As I live an active and healthy lifestyle, I work out at least 4 times a week and enjoy a plant-based, whole foods vegan diet. Taking yoga a few times a week and journaling daily help me achieve a sense of self-awareness. Maintaining healthy and peaceful relationships is a priority so spending time with my supportive and loving husband, family, and friends is a must. In my spare time, I enjoy watching the LA Clippers at the Staples Center, writing music with my husband, learning about nutrition, and keeping up with current events.
After you have made your beloved nut milks, what do you do with the pulp? Make brownies, of course!
Homemade raw nut milks have been my thang recently, all thanks to 
Mmmm, I've been going a little pumpkin crazy lately but I'm loving every moment of it. I've been making my fat-free 
YES, this happened.
The thought of chocolate being paired with kale kind of blew my mind. Initially, I just said why? But the pairing sparked my curiosity...I had to have it. If it involves kale, I'M IN!
If you aren't fond of kale, or if your kiddies who refuse to eat their greens, these are a great way to eat your kale! Sweet, crunchy, and rich deep dark chocolate flavor.
Nutritional Content of Kale:
As a Korean-American, I grew up eating meat (Korean BBQ for days) and all sorts of seafood, seasoning, and dairy. Back in 2008 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (inflammatory disease in my colon) where I lost over 20 lbs. I had excruciating burning pains in my stomach/intestine and food did not digest and went straight through my system. Although stress was the main trigger for this sickness, my diet affected it as well. Per doctor's orders, I had to cut most spicy foods, greasy fried foods, processed foods and eat more raw fruits and green vegetables. This was extremely difficult as my diet consisted of diet coke, fast foods, alcohol, eggs, cheese, pork, steak, etc.