When I began writing this blog I had no clear idea of its contents. It began as a result of encouragement from my daughter. Over these few months I have simply written whatever came to me. Thoughts and ideas, information and knowledge that I felt may be of interest to others.
As you may have gathered if you have read previous offerings I love making food…. It has taken me years of learning, reading and eating to reach where I am now. Healthful food is hugely important to me, so most of our meals are made from scratch using lots of organic vegetables. I am not a vegetarian and eat fish and small amounts of white meat.
We all need treats. In some parts of the world the delightful pleasure of eating fistfuls of berries or crunching into a piece of honeycomb is sufficient to delight and uplift. We seem to require more and more to satisfy our cravings.
Awalk in the park before lunch.
Bisi, the dog being camera-shy!
This morning we went off to have a lovely lunch with our daughter, Katie and Hamish. So, a great opportunity to concoct a sweetmeat full of wholesome ingredients! It proved to be a success and was a perfect ending to a super barbecue…..so read on and then get busy and do some mixing and tasting.
Let it be stated here that I have made this recipe up and so it is for you to alter, add and remove. The important part is to keep tasting and really enjoy creating.
SUPERFOOD CHOCCY BLOCKS.
4oz dates
1oz cocoa butter
2oz coconut butter
1tblsp maca powder
1oz ground almonds
2oz cacao powder
2tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea/Himalayan salt
Clutch of dried berries.
Desiccated coconut.
Agave syrup
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METHOD
1. Place cacao butter and coconut butter in pan, heat very gently.
2. Place dates in food processor and whizz until forms a paste.
3. Pop in a bowl; maca, ground almonds, cacao powder, salt and berries, mix well.
4. Date paste, melted butters and vanilla added to bowl. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. For those with more of a sweet tooth add a drizzle of agave syrup.
5. Place the mixture into a container…plastic box, dish, baking tin. Press down using a spatula.
6. Sprinkle coconut over mixture and leave to set in the fridge.
7. To serve cut into chunks. Ready to eat!
Below are pictures of The Shabby Chic Shed, which proved to be a lovely place to sit and share delicous food and enjoy family time. We loved it all, food, place and most importantly being with Katie and Hamish.
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THE SHABBY CHIC SHED.
Lots of work went into restoring this…
A little extra information about maca which may be unfamiliar to some of you but adds huge amounts of nutrition to any recipe into which it is incorporated.
MACA
I have been using maca for years after my lovely friend, Jayn told me about it.
Maca is a root vegetable that grows between 13,000-15,0000 feet above sea level in the high Andean plateaus of Peru. It resembles and is related to the radish and has been eaten since the days of the Incas. It comes in the form of a powder and tastes sweet and a little nutty.
It enhances health by increasing energy, endurance and stamina. It may ease menopausal symptoms and assist in regulating menstrual cycles.
As an adaptogen maca works with the body to repair anything that needs repairing, thereby ensuring that there is an overall level of energy at all times.
Maca contains four alkaloids that nourish the endocrine system and promote hormonal balance. It is useful to both male and female.
Maca also contains calcium, magnesium, iron and trace minerals as well as B vitamins.
Maca is regarded as a gift from The Earth.
On a very personal note, as I mentioned above I’ve been eating maca for probably 7 years. I sprinkle it on my fruit and kefir in the morning, I pop it into bread mixes and also add to sweet treats. I do not know how much is as a result of eating maca but I have had no real menopausal symptoms. My body seemed to simply change gently with no hot flushes, no pain and then a cessation of menstruation. Let me add that I once had painful, irregular periods accompanied by bloating, extreme breast tenderness and moods from hell!! So my expectation of the menopause was yet one more battle to be fought through… Please be aware that as well as maca there have been other things added and taken out of my diet. I have taken herbs and had treatments such as colonics, massage and for 17years practiced yoga. Throughout all these years there has also been meditation.
So which bit is doing what? I have no idea, but the best we can do is stay open and experiment and to be truly involved in the health of our bodies and minds.
To buy maca and several other superfoods visit Organic Burst.
Tree Harvest also sell a large variety of wonderful foods and it is where I get cacao, goji berry, cacao nibs,lucuma, carob and much more. They do not have a website so must be contacted by phone or email and they will send out a comprehensive brochure.