Make Your Own Weight Loss Chocolate

Weight loss chocolate?  No, this is not some late night infomercial attempting to scam you.  If you are a certified chocoholic this could be the best blog you have ever read.  This recipe is healthful, takes no time at all to whip up and contains 2 superfoods that have been shown to raise metabolism (plus a whole host of other goodness), raw cacao and coconut oil.  The marriage of the two is beyond words.



My converted microwave:  Smoothie and Chocolate Making Warehouse



The Recipe:

(Thank you Ingrid Arna for introducing me to this daily indulgence)

Ingredients

4 heaping tablespoons of raw cacao

Sweetener to taste.  I use around 1/8 teaspoon of stevia.

1/2 cup of unrefined coconut oil

Melt the coconut oil. Place jar of oil under a warm tap, use a double boiler or create one.  I use my pyrex cup and place it in a saucepan 1/4 full of water and heat on medium.  Once the coconut oil is melted, add the cacao and sweetener and mix well.
Pour melted chocolate into a shallow pan.  You want a thin layer.  I use an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.  After you have poured your mixture, see below for additions.  Put and keep in the refrigerator. You don't want it to melt.  Break into pieces once cooled and consume responsibly.

Now it's your turn to put a creative spin on it.  Add shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, almond slivers, gogi berries, certified therapeutic grade essential oils (I have tried peppermint, wild orange, and lavender) and spices.  Spice really adds a kick to the flavor.  To date my favorite creations include:  

gogi berries, coconut flakes and pumpkin seeds

curry powder, sesame seeds and coconut 

orange peel, currants and wild orange essential oil

cayenne pepper, almond slivers, and chopped dates

Easy peasy.  May the wind rise at your back and may you always have a pan of this delectable homemade goodness in your fridge.

Mother Nature, A Love Note

My secret camping spot

Third through fifth grade, my family rented a farm house on 27 acres.  It was the first great thing to happen to me, an 8 year old girl trapped in an emotionally and physically abusive existence.  FREEDOM.  There was a barn, a hayloft, kittens, multiple ponds, tadpoles, crawdads, horse hair snakes and two horses owned by our landlord.  I have since forgiven my mother for not knowing how to love me.  How can I fault her for as a girl for she never received very much love or acceptance either.  Those 27 acres took me in and soon became my adoptive mother.  I explored every square inch of this personal paradise. My biological mom had to buy a high powered whistle to call me in for dinner and then again for bedtime.  To this day I believe this was the strongest influence in the making of who I am today.

We moved.

I was almost 12. A big yard but not a refuge. The solution: my bio mom would drive me 3.5 miles to a park with the most phenomenal creek bed that meandered what seemed like forever.  We would synchronize our watches and she would pick me up at a designated time usually 2-3 hours.  Just me, the creek, salamanders, newts, and trees...pure nature.  I was home.  A lone 11.5 year old girl in the urban wilderness.  So thankful those were the days before the internet, cell phones, and parental hyper awareness to safety and predators.  A 12 year old girl these days does not have the same freedom. I am sad for her.

Fast forward 18 years, my mother love stronger than ever and in my longing for her I moved to Montana (and not wanting to turn 30 west of the continental divide).  Found a job selling ads for a weekly newspaper.  Every day after work I hiked the same 4 miles in the same wilderness area.  Was I stuck in a rut?  Not even close.  It is meditative to connect to the same patch of land.  I distinctly remember missing a few days from my jaunt du jour.  It seemed as if whole forest had changed!  New flowers were in bloom whereas some had withered, not noticeable unless you were truly connected.  I have a different job now and those days were long ago but I still feel happiest and most loved when I am amongst the trees, kayaking on a mountain lake, in my garden or on a trail.

Through the pain and misunderstanding of one mother I learned the importance of forgiveness and of unconditional love. Through the generosity of her bounty and absence of judgment I was able to embrace the other.  She got me through the tough times and helped me feel as if I belonged.  I am of a certain age now and am grateful to see the big picture.  I am especially lucky.  I have two moms.

Dandelion: Suburban Lawn Enemy #1 OR Superfood for the Masses?

No, I don't really want the world to end but is it wrong that I was hoping for a little more shake rattle and roll on December 21, 2012?  Perhaps a few days of darkness, maybe the grid going down for a week or so...anything to wake people up!  Instead we awoke to things appearing normal.  Things ARE shaking behind the scenes unaware to those who are too busy watching Survivor than to actually know how to survive but to the untrained eye things seem status quo.  Many are still in the dark about Obama signing the "Monsanto can do Whatever they Flippin Please Act" recently.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?  Is anyone awake?

Spring has finally landed in Montana and more people are spending time in their yards and gardens.  I look in my yard and get excited at seeing those zig zaggedy leaves and know that wild food is on its way to me.  A gift from the universe.  I am one of  THOSE neighbors.  You know, the one without the perfectly manicured lawn. The kind that displays little tiny flags with bragging rights saying, "Look at how pretty I am. Don't let your dogs walk on me. I am toxic, but aren't I so pretty??"  Nope, I am the one with copious dandelions. 

I have a wish for my manicured community.  My dandelion wish for people is that they would wake up and see the nutrition, get in their yard with their kids, pick them, make wine and salads from them, see them for the bright bold yellow flower that they are and the whimsical seed pod that they become.

The word dandelion comes from the French word, dents de lion, meaning the teeth of the lion.  This most likely refers to the jagged leaves.  A lesser known French name for dendelion is pis-en-lit, meaning wet the bed.  Dandelion is a duiretic, not meant as a bed time snack. 

Dandelion leaves and roots are super nutritious and even the yellow flowers are edible. Historically the roots and leaves were used for digestive issues, breast health, fever, skin diseases, liver support and joint pain.  I was surprised to open up today's paper to find dandelion featured in the weekly food section.   I have long made fritters out of the flowers and use the leaves for salads but have never made dandelion leaf pesto.  I love recipes, but when it comes to pesto I never measure.  Here are the amounts according to The Missoulian.

1-2 cloves of garlic (or more!)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 TBS pine nuts

1/2 bunch (12 ounces) dandelion greens trimmed and chopped

2 TBS finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 TBS finely grated pecorino Romano cheese

2-4 TBS fruity olive oil

Lemon juice if desired to taste

Blend or food process.  Add ingredients as needed to taste.

Old habits die hard.  I understand.  Before you call the weed man or god forbid get out your Monsanto Round Up, shake thing up.  Pick a few leaves, dig up some root, throw some flowers in a salad and try dandelion for yourself.