~ Lavender ‘N Chocolate ~

Rich, creamy, and simple. Many thanks to Mamaste for the original recipe that inspired this.

4-6 cups chopped veggies, whichever ones you like (I like broccoli tops, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
Soy sauce
Maple syrup
1 lb of rice noodles (I like the ones that are fettucini-sized)
1 can of coconut milk
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Sea salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. When it boils, turn off the heat, and add the package of rice noodles. Let these soak in the hot water for about 6 minutes, and then drain in a strainer and set aside.

Return the pot to the burner and turn the heat to high. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the pot, and immediately add the chopped veggies, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry these for a minute or two, then sprinkle with a few tablespoons of soy sauce and a light drizzling of maple syrup. Cook for another minute over high heat, then transfer these to a large plate.

Return the pot to the hot burner and add another couple of tablespoons of oil. Immediately add the drained noodles and stir while they sizzle for a few seconds. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, maple syrup and seasonings and stir until the entire mixture is heated through. Remove from heat and either stir in the cooked veggies right away, or serve the noodles out onto plates and top with the cooked veggies instead. Mm-mm, creamy spicy goodness.

Serves 4-6 people… Enjoy!

Your smile is an important part of your appearance. People often comment on my smile. Aromatherapy can be a valuable addition to your daily oral hygiene, and essential oils may help you maintain good dental health. Here are some tips for keeping your mouth sweet, healthy, and beautiful…

Breath-fresh Mouth Rinse

* 2 drops Peppermint
* 2 drops Myrrh
* 2 drops Tea Tree
* 4 oz. distilled water

Mix all ingredients in a clean bottle. Swish a proper amount of the mix in your mouth after brushing your teeth or after meals.

When the gums or the tissues supporting the teeth become damaged or inflamed, gum disease may threaten oral health.

Gum Oil

* 5 drops Tea Tree
* 2 drops Myrrh
* 3 drops Lemon
* 2 Tbs. Mixing Oil

Place the carrier oils and essential oil in container. Massage the mixture into your gums once a day, after brushing your teeth.

Some general information

* 1 drop of Lemon oil on your toothbrush may help whiten your teeth.
* Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, and Tea Tree oils may help freshen your breath and keep bacteria away from your mouth.
* Myrrh oil may support healthy gums.

**Note – As always, be certain of your allergies. If you are not sure what may cause harm to you personally, contact your naturapath or health care provider before using anything, even if it falls into the natural realms.

Pills and potions are promoted and taken with too little thought of the end result. I firmly believe that regular exercise, a healthy lifestyle, and natural products are the best long-term strategy for staying healthy. High cholesterol and stress are two factors that can lead to heart and circulation problems.

Let’s take a look at a few natural strategies and options for creating a healthy atmosphere within our bodies, and giving us a priceless sense of well being.

Aromatic Foot Bath to Support Healthy Circulation

4 drops Wild Rosemary
2 drops Geranium
2 drops Eucalyptus
1 Tbs Mixing Oil

Bowl with cold water…

Add the mixture into the bowl, put feet in, and soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Colder water may increase circulation by causing local stimulation.

Feeling Pressure?

4 drops Lavender
2 drops Ylang Ylang
2 drops Clary Sage

Put the drops on the tissue and inhale a few times. You can also add the mixture to 2 Tbs of Massage Lotion and gently massage the chest and back.

Tonic to Support Healthy Veins

6 drops Cypress
1 drop Lemon
1 drop Bergamot
2 cups cold water

In a small bowl, add the oils to the water. Swish a soft fabric in the bowl. Gently apply fabric to legs.

For relaxation, you may wish to try a sedating massage using Neroli, Lavender, or Ylang Ylang.

Enjoy!

**Special Note – As always, use good sense and be very certain of your allergies. Always consult your health care provider or naturapathic before using any new herbal treatment.

Yummm! I woke up this morning with a delightful craving for home made chocolate mousse! Chocolate is what gives me immeasurable pleasure from the tip of my tongue all the way to my toes… and I am so going to pass along a lovely recipe to my fellow chocolate lovers!

Chocolate Mousse

4-6 servings)
4-6 ounces organic dark baking chocolate
3 organic egg yolks
3/4 cup organic heavy whipping cream (see **note below)
1/3 cup pure 100% pure cane sugar
1 healthy pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 cups organic heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons 100% pure cane sugar
*Extra Organic Whipped Cream (recipe below)
*Cacao Nib Pecan Cookies (recipe below)

In small glass bowl, microwave chocolate on high for one minute and stir. Continue to heat for 10 seconds at a time, stirring until chocolate is smooth. Do not heat above 120° F. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk egg yolks until light and frothy. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, bring cream, sugar and salt to a soft boil. Reduce heat. Pour 1/3 of hot cream into bowl of egg yolks and whisk generously. Slowly pour egg mixture into remaining hot cream. Over medium heat, stir egg and cream mixture until well blended.

When mixture nicely coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat and pour into large mixing bowl. Slowly add chocolate to bowl and blend well to make mousse base. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat cold heavy whipping cream with sugar until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mousse base a little bit at a time. When color is uniform, pour mousse into 4-6 parfait or custard dishes. Cool in refrigerator for 3 hours. Serve chilled with Extra Whipped Cream and garnish with a Cacao Nib Pecan Cookie.

Extra Whipped Cream

1 pint Organic Valley heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons 100% pure cane sugar

Beat ingredients until soft standing peaks appear.

**Note- You can use Soyatoo Organic Topping Cream (Heavy Cream Substitute) if you are not into dairy and wish to go totally natural with this recipe.

Cacao Nib Pecan Cookies

1/2 cup whole pecans
1/3 cup organic graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons pure cane brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons organic dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons nut butter or cultured unsalted butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover cookie sheet with foil.

Chop pecans, graham cracker crumbs, and brown sugar in food processor to a medium texture. Place mixture in medium bowl and add cacao nibs and butter. Toss until all dry ingredients are damp with butter.

Pour mixture onto cookie sheet and use fingers to press, spread and form one thin 8” x 11” rectangle. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Score lengthwise and then diagonally to create diamond shaped cookies. Let cookies cool in place completely.

Enjoy!

Lavender is a versatile and much underused herb for cooking. In today’s up market restaurants and bistros, fresh edible flowers are making a comeback as enhancements to both the flavour and appearance of food.

Try adding a few to your Herbes de Provence mixture – you’ll be amazed at the subtle yet extraordinary difference Lavender will make.

As a member of the same family as many of our most popular herbs, it is not surprising that lavender is edible and that its use in food preparation is also returning. Flowers and leaves can be used fresh or dried, and both buds and stems can be used dried. Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory.

English Lavender (L. angustifolia in general and Munstead/Hidcote varieties, in particular when freshly picked) have the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is the one most commonly used in cooking. The uses of lavender are limited only by your imagination. Lavender has a sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. The potency of the lavender flowers increases with drying. In cooking, use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers to fresh. The key to cooking with lavender is to experiment; start out with a small amount of flowers, and add more as you go.

NOTE: Adding too much lavender to your recipe can be like eating perfume and will make your dish bitter. Because of the strong flavour of lavender, the secret is that a little goes a long way.

The lavender flowers add a beautiful colour to salads. Lavender can also be substituted for rosemary in many bread recipes. The flowers can be put in sugar and sealed tightly for a couple of weeks then the sugar can be substituted for ordinary sugar for a cake, buns or custards. Grind the lavender in a herb or coffee grinder or mash it with mortar and pestle.

The spikes and leaves of lavender can be used in most dishes in place of rosemary in most recipes. Use the spikes or stems for making fruit or shrimp kebabs.

Flowers look beautiful and taste good too in a glass of champagne, with chocolate cake, or as a garnish for sorbets or ice creams. Lavender lends itself to savoury dishes also, from hearty stews to wine-reduced sauces. Diminutive blooms add a mysterious scent to custards, flans or sorbets.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ: Do NOT eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centers or do so at your own risk. In many cases these flowers have been treated with pesticides, not labeled for food crops. Edible Lavender has been tested for microbial activity and is almost always greyish blue, not the bright blue of the dried Lavender bunches you see in florists which have usually had their colour augmented (dyed in other words) Such dyed Lavender is not suitable for ingestion.

Note – Information and statements regarding Aromatherapy have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition or disease. Contact your Health Care provider or Naturapathic immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem, or may be prone to an allergic reaction.

Yummm… I am making this for a special treat at our next Family gathering. I just love chocolate in it’s many delectable and delightful forms, and this recipe sounds absolutely mouth watering delicious! I can just see the look on my daughters face when she takes a bite out of one of these sweet and spicy little babies! Caution!! Consumption of these chocolate delights may cause an epidemic of satisfied women and a curious sense of wellbeing…

For the Brownies:

1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Melted
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Dagoba Xocolatl Drinking Chocolate
1 Tbs Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 325° with rack in centre of oven.
Line a 9″x9″ pan with tinfoil.
Combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs in a bowl. Stir until
thoroughly blended.
In a separate container, combine flour, Xocolatl, cocoa, baking
powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and incorporate completely.
Do not over-mix!
Reserve 1/2 cup of this batter and pour the rest in the prepared pan.
Sprinkle pecans on top of the batter.

For the Cream Cheese Topping:

8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Egg

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar.
Add the vanilla and the egg.
Blend thoroughly.
Pour this over the brownie batter (and nuts)
Place the reserved batter in small dollops on the top.
Use a knife or an spoon handle to swirl the two batters without
mixing them.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 mins or until the brownies start to
pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are
just beginning to brown.

Chill for at least two hours before cutting into squares.

**Credit for this delicious recipe goes to…

Huw Richardson
Buffalo, NY

Can you imagine the wonderful and subtle taste lavender can bring to your favourite desert? Lavender is an edible flower that adds a great flavour to ice cream and chocolates. If you are making truffles, you can flavour them by adding the lavender to the cream as it scalds. Strain the flowers out of the cream before adding the cream to the chocolate. Making home made ice cream is a breeze, and if you are like me, you love to experiment with new flavours.

In order to make lavender ice cream, you will need:

1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of cream
Half of a vanilla bean split length wise
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of lavender flowers chopped

~ Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add the seeds and pod to a saucepan with the milk, cream, and lavender flowers. Bring to a scald.

~ Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

~ Using a Bain Marie, whisk the eggs and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.

~ Very slowly, add the milk to the eggs.

~ Cook the mixture until it begins to thicken.

~ Remove from the heat and let cool.

~ Strain the liquid.

~ Chill the mixture for one hour.

~ Add the mixture to your ice cream maker.

Simple and delicious! What a delightful way to enjoy my favourite herb. You can even add some dark chocolate to the recipe to make a great chocolate chip ice cream. I will be sure to share some more simple recipes soon. Meanwhile, enjoy!