HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! CACAO CHOCOLATE!

A Word about Chocolate –The month of February is in full swing. Many of us are feeling the effects of the long winter and we are looking forward to the arrival of spring. The welcome bonus we receive in this month is Valentine’s Day. To me, this day can be summed up in one word – CHOCOLATE!

Before I became a raw food advocate, I would always feel guilty about my love for chocolate and about my apparent over-indulgence of this beautiful product. Then, in learning more about it, I came to the wonderful realization that cacao is one of the “Superfoods” (cacao is the precursor for chocolate). Yep, that’s right, chocolate: that oh-so-indulgent treat that makes women around the world swoon. But it’s not the milk chocolate candy bar or the box of chocolate-covered cherries that I’m referring to. It’s the dark and cacao powder varieties that work best.

Cacao was given the name of Theobroma by Linnaeus. The word literally means food of the gods because of delicious tastes of its seeds that left anyone who ate it at a loss for words.

The preparation of Cacao is actually pretty simple. First, the beans must be ground into a form of a paste with the use of hot rollers. With the hot rollers, some sugar is mixed in and a little bit of starch, removing some of the Cacao’s fat. Preparing Chocolate is quite similar except that the fat is kept instead of removed.
What are its medicinal uses?

Cacao is famously used as an ingredient in cosmetic ointments and also in various pharmacies as coating for pills and suppositories. Aside from its coating purposes, Cacao also has emollient properties that make it effective in softening and protecting chapped extremities and lips.

Want your cough remedy to be safe and pleasant tasting? Then choose dark chocolate and get relief. Dark chocolate's theobromine has been proven to be more effective than over-the-counter remedies and codeine. But it has shown none of the unwanted side effects, making it a better, safer cough remedy. It sure tastes a lot better than the usual medicine too.

Research has shown that it is more effective than the common remedies dextromethorphan and codeine. Compared to codeine, theobromine was about 33% more effective. It acts to suppress the nerve responsible for coughing.

Without the unwanted side effects, it's safe to use while driving or operating heavy machinery. It has the potential to be the source of new, safer cough treatments.

Dark chocolate and cacao powders are rich in flavonoids, which have been shown to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and lower your blood pressure. So when you choose a chocolate bar with a higher cocoa percentage (higher than 70%), you are also getting more flavonoids and helping your heart stay healthy. In fact, a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who ate one serving of chocolate per week (about one ounce) were 60 percent less likely to die from heart disease. Also, their levels of carotid atherosclerotic plaques (the stuff that clogs the artery in your neck, which supplies your brain with oxygenated blood) were significantly lower.

However, many chocolate manufacturers process the treat over and over again, causing the chocolate to lose some of its antioxidant properties. And white chocolate has no flavonoids whatsoever; it’s made with no cocoa solids at all, only cocoa butter and sugar at its basic level. But don’t rush out, grabbing for all the dark chocolate you can get! Women who ate chocolate every day had comparable results to those that ate it once per week.

Remember: moderation is key and the darker the better. If chocolate is not your thing; there are other foods rich in flavonoids, too. Try some red wine, tea, cranberries, and apples.
As for me, I'm planning to test dark chocolate on my next cough. I'm ready. I've got some Chocolate Truffles right here on my desk. Wait a minute...my throat's feeling a little irritated, could be a cough developing. Don't want it to take hold. Better pop some chocolate in. A-h-h-h-h-h...that's better.

OK! Here’s a recipe for CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES – ENJOY!

Chocolate TrufflesRecipe modified from a Raw Rose recipe
• 1/2 cup of sesame seeds (or any other nuts you have on hand)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (or any other nuts you have on hand)
• 1/2 cup of medjool dates (or other dates)
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons raw carob powder

Process the nuts in the food processor. Keep processing them until you can’t see the nuts anymore, but stop processing before they get too soft looking.
Add the dates, seasalt and carob powder. Process again until everything is well mixed and clumped together.

Roll the balls in your hand and form balls. Some people like to roll completed truffles in goji berries, coconut, cocoa powder.

As Raw Rose suggests, these are also delicious if you crumble a truffle or two on top of sliced bananas or other chopped fresh fruit.

Sandra Butler
Raw Food Chef
250-862-1158
http://raw-food-kelowna.blogspot.com/

Can Chemicals Be Washed Off Produce?

Can Chemicals Be Washed Off Your Produce?

posted by Maria Rodale Feb 10, 2011 6:01 am

I often get asked if you need to buy those produce washes to clean off your fruits and veggies, especially if they are not organic. My gut instinct has told me two things: One, a little bit of soap and water works just as well, and doesn’t cost much. And two, I have always suspected that you can’t really wash those chemicals off. It’s both good and bad to know, now, that I was right.

A recent study of soybeans reported in Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog, done by the University of Toledo, shows that the chemical triclosan—a pesticide used in antibacterial products; remember, I have said never to use them!—actually runs off into water and the waste materials that are used to treat the crops (if they’re not grown with organic methods). The triclosan is taken up in all parts of the plant, including the bean. So, the chemical is INSIDE the plant and can’t ever be washed off.

How organic farming can heal our planet, feed the world, and keep us safe

How many times do I have to tell y’all to eat organic?!

What’s actually most frightening, though, is that once the water is contaminated with our chemical waste, even organic farmers will have a hard time keeping their plants clean and pure. There is only one solution: to stop buying chemical food and stop using chemicals in your life.

In an ironic twist, a new update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that rich people apparently have the highest levels of triclosan in their blood, and adults have more than children. Why? Probably because rich people can afford all those antibacterial products that contain triclosan, and are often obsessed with hygiene. (At least, the adults are…you know how hard it is to get a kid to wash his or her hands!) Remember, those antibacterial products kill both the good and the bad bacteria, and we need bacteria to live. Killing the good guys make the bad guys even badder.

Growing evidence that chemical agriculture is killing us

So, here is my advice:
1. Don’t ever buy a product that says antibacterial on the label (unless it’s vinegar, or something natural and nontoxic like that).
2. Always buy organic food!
3. Always wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them—just plain water works best.
4. Always wash your hands and your kids’ hands with just plain soap and water.
See what harmful chemical the FDA is considering putting in your mouth


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/can-chemicals-be-washed-off-your-produce.html#ixzz1DgT8u22iR


Sandra Butler
Raw Food Chef
250-862-1158
http://raw-food-kelowna.blogspot.com/

Raw Food Recipe - Classic Winter Salad

Raw Food Recipe - Classic Winter Salad
Shaved Fennel with Blood Oranges,Pomegranate, and Pinenuts

Serves 4
A classic winter salad to begin with, this dish is made both texturally and visually intriguing by the sweet and sexy addition of pomegranate seeds. The optional addition of paper-thin red onion slices and an oil and lemon dressing makes a lot of sense; the sharpness of onion works well with the sweet combo of fennel and pomegranate and the creamy contrast of sharp cheese.

2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large blood oranges, peeled and segmented
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup ground pinenuts or macadamia nuts (optional)

Use a mandolin or sharp knife to slice the fennel as thin as possible. Place the fennel slices in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the blood orange segments and pomegranate seeds, season to taste with salt and pepper; and toss gently to mix.

Arrange the fennel salad on 4 individual plates. Sprinkle ground pinenuts over the top of each plate and serve.

Mario Batali Simple Italian Food:
Recipe adapted from "My Two Villages"
By Mario Batali

Sandra Butler
Raw Food Chef
250-862-1158
http://raw-food-kelowna.blogspot.com/

Upcoming Classes for February

"OUT OF MEXICO" RAW FOOD CLASS is back for FEBRUARY 8 and 22. 

You will learn how to make a healthy (virgin:>) margarita and some very simple to prepare, but extraordinary "wraps" that can be utilized in many, various ways; as well, a quick to prepare, healthy dessert that you can enjoy for breakfast, if you choose and not feel one moment of guilt; and much more! 

This is a new, fun class well worth the investment of $45.  (Obtain a 20% discount if you bring a friend - your friend gets 20% off also).

Time:  6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Location: 

1009  Lawrence Ave.

Phone (250 862-1158 or 250 470-1158) or email sandrabutler@uniserve.com for reservations

Space is limited.  Book now!

Pay in advance by Visa, M/C, Cheque or Cash 

Sandra Butler Raw Food Chef 250-862-1158 http://raw-food-kelowna.blogspot.com/