AMAZING Paleo chocolate cake and raw vegan carmel sauce

I am sort of obsessed with this chocolate cake I made, I found a recipe on Pinterest and adapted it. It's seriously good. If you're craving chocolate this is the way to go!

For the cake:
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate (I used Sunspire 100% cacao bar)
3 large organic eggs (wisked)
1/2 cup palm shortening
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
3/4 cup raw local honey

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Start by melting the palm shortening and the chocolate bar together. You can use a double boiler or do what I did, stick in a microwave safe measuring cup and melt slowing stirring every 15-25 seconds so it doesn't burn. Let the mixture cool then slowing add the other ingredients, mixing until perfectly combined. Take a cake pan grease with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and even with a spatula. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Be sure to cool before eating. This cake is very rich I would recommend small pieces! Top with this raw carmel for a little more decadence.

For the Carmel Sauce: (this sauce is great on anything, especially this cake and on apples) :)
Keep in mind, this is raw, all the ingredients have health benefits; but it's NOT low calorie, so eat sparingly.

1 cup cashew butter or sun butter (unsweetened)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. raw local honey
pink Himalayan sea salt (or regular sea salt) to taste.
2 pitted dates (make sure they are softened, to do this place in a bowl with piping hot water until they are soft to the touch)

Put all ingredients into a high-powered blender and process until smooth. Keep in the fridge to store.

Paleo Pot Roast and Mashed potatoes

One of my favorite things in the world is pot roast and mashed potatoes on a cool rainy fall day. I was so excited when it was raining Saturday so I could make my favorite food! My favorite all-time pot roast recipe is Ina Garten's (barefoot contessa). Her recipe is to die for and I had to make very few changes! I subbed arrowroot powder for anywhere that called for all-purpose flour, I omitted the cognac (because I don't drink and I refused to spend the money to buy a bottle that I won't use), I subbed palm shortening and arrowroot powder for the butter and flour to make the gravy.

Now, for my mashed potato recipe.

Peel and cube about 5 large organic yukon gold potatoes. Place in pot with cold water and a pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil.  When they are fork tender put into a mixing bowl or stand mixer (I like fluffy, not lumpy mashed potatoes). To the potatoes add minced garlic (to taste), about 1 or 2 tbsp. of good organic extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and homemade cashew cream (about 1/2 cup, or until you reach a creamy consistency). If you don't know how to make cashew cream follow my post from July 5th, only don't add anything except the water, cashews and salt, no one wants sweetened vanilla cream in their potatoes. Using an electric mixer, mix until very fluffy and delicious. Now layer the potatoes, gravy and roast. I have a ton of veggies and juices left so I used about 1/3 for gravy and used my immersion blender to create a soup with the rest for Austin to take to work all week. Best way to stretch a dollar :) Enjoy!