Kali-Ma Chocolates

I have a host of unhealthy, shall we say... habits - a much less provocative word than addictions.  my must haves include black coffee, red wine, chocolate & don't even get me started on shopping!  all of which i try very hard to justify to myself and so far, i'm managing to stay guilt free (don't you just love self delusion!). 

anyway, today i wandered down to The Organic Shop (intent on filling my store cupboards with wholesome organic goodness) and discovered something which means i never have to appease my conscience again about eating chocolate (my waistline and i may still have a few words but at least my conscience can now keep out of it!)

raw, organic, chocolate. "what is raw chocolate?" i hear you ask - it's comprised of unheated cacao butter, cacao paste & cacao powder.

in its unheated form cacao contains over 300 nutritional compounds, antioxidants, essential minerals and (and i'm quoting here) "the love molecule PEA which is known to create a feeling of euphoria resulting in insatiable desire!" (look out husband!!!)

now each one of these melt in the mouth chocolatey morsels are jam packed full of antioxidants (making them extremely good for you) AND they are dairy free (a very important factor in my guilt free status, as studies have indicated that milk/dairy products specifically block the absorption of all the great antioxidants in chocolate).  they taste divine (no hint of the bitterness that usually accompanies dark chocolate) and i can now eat to my hearts (& every other bit of my body's) content!

Kali-Ma Raw & Organic Chocolates

Kali-Ma raw & organic chocolates are available in Jersey from The Organic Shop, 68 stopford road, st helier and online - email maria@earth-beauty.com.  for a full list of stockists and further details about raw chocolate visit www.earth-beauty.com

Banana's

so... i've managed to come down with some bug (i don't do bugs. and actually it's pretty rare that they do me, so i'm beyond unimpressed) i've lost my voice - husband is delighted as i can only manage to squeak (furiously) and it's become very easy for him to ignore me completely and come out with an innocent "oh sorry darling, i didn't hear you" comment.

in an effort to distract myself i decided to do some baking - actually it was the blackening bananas that got me, another day and they were going to end up in the bin & i HATE wasting food, so banana bread was begging to be made.  (for a slightly more bizarre, if not downright disturbing cake recipe - have a look at what my friend Gen found while trawling the food blogs!)

Banana bread:

4/5 extremely ripe banna's - mashed

225g self raising flour & a pinch of salt

150g sugar

125g unsalted butter - melted

50g pecan - roughly chopped

a good handful of dates - diced

2 eggs (if you want a moister version use 3 eggs)

1tspn vanilla essence

Preheat your oven to 170 C (if you're using a fan oven it's about 150C).  In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and then beat in the eggs - 1 at a time.  Add the mushed up banana's and stir in the pecan's, dates & vanilla essence. Next add the flour (a little at a time) until it is all well mixed.

Scrape the mixture into a lined loaf tin

and bake in the oven for between an hour & 1 hour 15min (mine took just under an hour so it depends on the fierceness of your oven!)  it's ready when you can stick a knife in & it comes out cleanish.

leave it on a rack to cool

then enjoy!