zimt artisan chocolates

maybe a month ago, i was able to meet up with a friend who has started a glorious business: raw chocolate! i bought 4* kinds to try and i look forward to trying more!

dark chocolate ganache dark chocolate with a rich chocolate ganache centre

*meine minze rich dark chocolate peppermint ganache enrobed in dark chocolate

naranja rica dark chocolate with a sweet orange chocolate ganache centre

coconut crisp rich dark chocolate and crispy flaked coconut

*vanilla caramel smooth dark chocolate with a rich vanilla-caramel centre

nib'd rich dark chocolate studded with crunchy cacao bean nibs


*pfeffernib'd nib'd with a hint of peppermint 

süß orange nib nib'd with accents of sweet orange

*chocolate coconut fudge rich dark chocolate with a fudgy coconut chocolate centre

kaffee dark chocolate with roasted fair trade espresso

my favourite of the 4 i tried were the meine minze and the pfeffernib'd - they were smooth and perfectly sweet. the chocolate coconut fudge and vanilla caramel had chewy, lingering coconut inside but not in a melty, mahalo way. i need to get used to it.

anyways, mighty excited about raw vegan chocolate being available in vancouver! so far, you can get it at greens market and nice shoes.

i just heard for the first time from someone last week that cacao may not be the superfood everyone (especially david wolfe) claims. i have some carob in my cupboard now to mix so i don't overdo the cacao - i suppose it's just a reminder of 'everything in moderation'. i tend to go a bit crazy for cacao.

cacao! pow! i appreciate portlandia recognizing its hipster-status as a buzz word (or safe word, ahem) and not just a buzz-inducer!

maca.

ok. one more post. another book i have to return to the library is david wolfe's superfoods.
since having the "super ex" smoothie at organic lives, i have become convinced that maca is one of my favourite things. when i am feeling BLEH or hungry or not in the mood for ANYTHING, i have maca in my smoothie (often with cacao and frozen banana) and i'm SET. i am happy and ready to go! i'm not the only one this happens to either, i swear!
so perhaps it's best that i list some things that david wolfe shares about maca, also known as peruvian ginseng...

this root is known to improve the following conditions:

• anemia
• chronic fatigue
• depression
• infertility and sterility in humans and livestock
• lack of libido
• malnutrition
• menopausal symptoms
• menstrual discomfort and disorders
• poor memory
• stomach cancer
• stress tension
• tuberculosis

pretty good, huh?

maca is great with cacao and it's also great in salad dressings and broths... it has a slightly malted flavour, kind of coffee-ish to me sometimes (though i don't drink coffee, i only know the smell). this root's powder is a great emulsifier: it can draw fats/oils together with starches/sugars in a beverage or dessert. 

the recommended amount to have daily is two heaping tablespoons and it's recommended you take one week off per month of consistent use to keep it working nicely for you! 

i generally seem to have a smoothie (with maca!) thursday mornings - seems to be the day i enjoy the boost the most!