When you need a fix: Healthy homemade chocolate

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If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I tend to get on what I call "kicks" in the kitchen. They are the things that I can't stop making, over and over until I can pump out the recipe in my sleep. 

There was the summer of tomato/basil/mozzarella salads, the winter of shortbread, the fall of meringues, and of course, the best snack ever--roasted garbanzo beans. 

Just before the holidays, I decided it was time to start getting serious about my health. I started working out with a personal trainer (which has the best thing I've done for ME, in a very long time) and I've been making a lot of changes in the kitchen. 

The over-arching principle is clean eating. I'm trying to be much more careful about the ingredients I'm using in meals--keeping them simple and whole, really re-vamping what I'm eating for breakfast (oatmeal and I are best friends.) and finding ways to tweak things I already love to make them a better version of themselves. 

The results are self-motivating. I've been losing weight, but more importantly I'm feeling so much better. Like life-changing better. Like pulled out of the funk, welcome to the light better. And stronger. Like woah, it's the end of the day and my back isn't killing me stronger. Like I just ran up the stairs and I'm not out of breath stronger. 

I'm convinced it's all about the baby steps and each little bit of progress helps to keep me on the path to a healthier version of me. 

But, come on. I'm not a superhero. And no matter how healthy, we still need chocolate. (My children, who just finished a "study of chocolate" in their homeschool co-op like to wax eloquent about the benefits of chocolate. Good girls.) 

So, I've found a way to make my own, with ingredients that are all healthy-me approved. And people, this chocolate is crazy-easy, crazy-good and perfect to have on-hand when you need a fix. 

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HEALTHY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup almond butter (My kids prefer peanut butter. I prefer almond butter--but it does make the chocolate a little more grainy. But I think the flavor is less overwhelmingly-sweet with almond butter.)
  • 1/4 cup honey 
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Line a cupcake tin with cupcake papers. On the stovetop, combine all the ingredients and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Pour into cupcake papers and fill a little less than half full. (I find that anything over a half is a little too much for one serving.) Chill in the refrigerator until firm and set, or if you're really desperate, freeze for a quick fix. This recipe will make about 12 chocolates. I should really try doubling it, huh? Once they've chilled, I toss all of mine into a baggie and keep them in the refrigerator. 

They'll keep for about...I have no idea. Mine are eaten, shared, and devoured by small children in a matter of days. 

Gracious words to begin your new year

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I've been thinking a lot lately about the power of words. Not only things that are said out loud, but times when I hold my tongue and don't offer my thoughts. Or the words that are swirling around inside my head that I'm saying to myself. Or the words that come out of my mouth to my children....

At my last Bible study of the year, we passed around a basket full of rocks. On each rock one of my friends had painted a word. Each rock in the basket had a different word and we closed our eyes and drew one out of the pile. 

The word painted across my rock was

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Rubber boots and other things to be thankful for

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I finally broke down and took my annoying, non-stop cough to the doctor this week. Turns out I was sick--walking pneumonia to be exact. I may have even said something like, "Are you sure?!" to the nice walk-in clinic doctor. 

But I guess that would explain the cough, not to mention the general lack of "get up and go" these past two weeks. So now, I'm just over 48 hours into my antibiotics and the haze is starting to lift and I'm remembering that yes, at some point, I did lead a mildly productive life after all. 

In the midst of the piled up laundry and forsaken school work and the mess, oh the mess!, I'm finding that the lifting of the veil of sickness makes for

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A "what's been happening" list, the honest version

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I think the beginning of every homeschooling year feels a bit like coming home with a newborn. It takes me a few weeks to get my feet under me again, to readjust to our new normal, to figure out how I'm going to do laundry, put dinner on the table and take care of the baby (or in this case, get our school work done each day.)

This year, more than ever it's taking me awhile to catch my breath. But this year, more than ever I'm also trying to do more than I ever have, I'm pretty sure. And, I'll be honest, it's really wearing on me. Lately, I'm longing for those moments of lingering and of not feeling like every moment is scheduled or being attacked by the things that need to be done after it. So I'm doing my best to find those still moments in the midst of the 'needs to be done'.

We're getting there. Little by little. 

I was at a Bible Study last week--a very small group of women, mothers. Most were people I'd just met that evening, one was a good friend who had invited me along. But the group felt instantly warm and comfortable, diverse but connected.

At the very end of the evening,...

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