The Mother of All Grains

The Mother of all Grains

There is so much talk about superfoods nowadays that it can be somewhat confusing to know which ones are really worth eating and which ones are just not worth the high price. 

Quinoa is one grain (actually a seed) that I've had in my cupboards for years, eat on a regular basis and in my opinion is definitely worth getting to know more about.

What I've decided to do here is transcribe a video by Truth Calkins that I was sent via an email that I am subscribed to called the Longevity Warehouse. There is so much to say about this true superfood that if I feel the transcription is running on too long, I will give you the somewhat abridged version ok? I could write this myself, but when I listened to it, I just thought it was fantastic and so I am taking the time to pass it on to you all from one of the experts in superfood.

The following 5 are what Truth Calkins calls the High Powered Grains.....

1.     Quinoa

2.      Buckwheat

3.      Millet

4.      Amaranth

5.      Spelt

Some people may get a little confused about which grains contain gluten, but I can confirm that all of the above are gluten free with the exception of Spelt, which is actually an ancient form of wheat.

In this piece we will be focusing on The Mother of All Grains called “Quinoa”, a.k.a. the mother of all grains.

For many years people in the west hadn’t heard of it. When they eventually did get to hear of it, via Donna Gates and The Ecology Diet, they certainly didn’t know how to pronounce it. Thanks to people like Donna, there is a lot of information in the world today about this grain, which is excellent news. One of the reasons this is the case, has to do with the grain's high alkalinity level and amount of protein.  

Quinoa comes from the plant family known as Chenopodium (in Latin means “goose foot”) The people of the Andes called it Mother, because they considered it the mother of all grains. It was used to increase stamina of their warriors and as it was then, is today still considered an Incan super-food. Quinoa is not really a grain as in the typical botanical family of grains. The Chenopodium family is actually from the same family that is similar to Swiss chard and lamb’s quarters. When you see the plant growing, the stalks can be anywhere from 3 to 9 feet. There are all different colours of quinoa, purple, blue, red, green, black etc. The Incan’s used the whole plant, the stalks, seed and plant. Quinoa is a wild plant and is quite like Ginseng in some respect because it’s a very hardy plant. It likes to grow at 10,000 feet. It can flourish under extreme conditions, with poor soil, hot sun, frost short growing days and still the plant will grow. This is a tell tale sign of a true adaptogenic plant and because of this it will give the body a lot of adaptogenic energy.  Wild ginseng has a similar effect on the the body also.  Herbalists believe that plants that look the gnarliest, will be amongst the strongest plant. If it had to adapt to the harshness of its environment, then it will be a hardy plant and therefore very good and strong for our bodies too.

The fact that you can now just buy quinoa in any wholefood shop is pretty amazing actually. Because 30 years ago you couldn’t do that. It is an ancient, Peruvian wild grain that grew only in high altitudes. There was a doctor in the late 70’s that found out about the amazing properties of this grain and he carried approximately fifty pounds of it back to the US for his own usage. However, when he had used it up, he realised that the only people that were harvesting it were wild Indians. This doctor had a friend who worked with planting some quinoa in the Luas Valley, and they succeeded in growing it. It is also now grown in Canada and other countries around the world.

Nutritional Profile

It has an amino acid profile like meat, eggs and fish, which is very unusual for a grain. It contains less carbs and more protein in this respect.  It is also a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids and is very high in lysine, which has exceptionally anti-viral qualities.  It has a PH of about 6.0, which although closer to acid, is more alkaline than any other grain out there in the world. It is very high in minerals too, in fact contains more calcium than milk. Recently it has been found that quinoa is stimulating to milk production for nursing mothers. A quarter cup serving of quinoa is about 220 calories, 60% of the RDA of manganese, 30% of the RDA of tryptophane which is essential for boosting serotonin levels, 30% of the RDA of magnesium, essential for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, great for blood flow, 30% phosphorus, 20% fibre, 20% folate, which is great for B vitamins and 20% copper. Studies have also shown that having 20% insoluble fibre from complex carbs in the diet can prevent gall stones from forming. This insoluble fibre is essential for having  soft, fluffy stools that break down easily. The fibre will help remove any toxins easily and effectively from the body and is nature’s mop, so to speak.  Quinoa is also rich in phyto-nutrients and is high in vitamin E, selenium and lingans which help remove bad oestrogen from the body,

Phytic Acid

All grains are high in phytic acid and must be soaked before use. Phytic acid, also referred to as phytate, is a naturally-occurring substance found in grains and beans. All grains will require different soaking times, but we are only looking at quinoa in this post and that must be soaked for at least 8 hours before use. This will remove some of this phytic acid and allow the essential nutrients be effectively absorbed into the body. Many of us in the Western world are not used to preparing our grains in this way, but it is a good habit to start adopting and has many long term health benefits.

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa cooks in about 15 minutes, and like rice, puffs up to 3 to 4 times it size upon cooking. It is very soft and fluffy and has a mild, light, nutty taste, almost like a cross between couscous and peanuts and is very pleasant. I turn off my gas and leave my quinoa rest with the lid on for approximately 5 minutes of cooking and this seems to work very well indeed. Here is a very nice recipe for millet and vegetables that I posted on my blog some time ago. You can exchange the millet for quinoa but I hope it helps you get started cooking these incredible grains http://bit.ly/otGkI6. (tip: you may need to open a new window to view the link)

A final few words on quinoa.... Many people are now being diagnosed as either celiac or gluten intolerant so it is good news indeed to hear that quinoa is surprisingly 100% gluten free and is very safe to eat. By eating quinoa you will also be ingesting a pre-biotic which helps feed the beneficial bacteria acidophilus in your gut. Pre-biotics are like fertilisers for the good bacteria in your gut and are an essential part of maintaining excellent health. In a world gone low or no carb mad, having a healthy amount of good carbs in the diet is going to help with the keeping your nervous system functioning well. The fibre in quinoa will also help wash out extra oestrogen from the body that you definitely don’t want hanging around in there.

Sadly, I’ve come to the end of writing about this great super-food, but do hope that you have found the above information helpful. If this is the case, then could I ask you to that you pay it forwardJ And help me get the good word out there about this inexpensive super-food so that everyone can reap its benefit.

Until next time.....

Best wishes,

Ruth.

How Your Mindset Affects You

How many times have you tried to make beneficial changes in your life? You may have planned on eating healthier, on releasing old relationships or on being a more positive person! Your attempts worked famously for a week and then you noticed old habits and attitudes creeping back bit by bit.

You are not alone in these repeated failed attempts. What most people don't realise is that for changes to last, we must change how we use our minds.

Just the other day I was chatting with my sister. She has had an ongoing battle with food (the love of it) for many years. Almost every diet she has tried has been successful for a short period of time. She slowly loses the weight she has been trying to lose and she starts feeling really good about herself. In fact she begins to feel so good about herself, that she begins to eat larger portions and more of what she loves again. Then, bam, the pounds find their way to steadily creep back on again as if out of nowhere. For her, or indeed anyone battling to lose weight and keep it off, it really can seem like a never ending one.

By comparison, for me, eating well has always come naturally. From an early age, I had a really good instinct for what foods I feel good after eating and what ones I am best avoiding. This is not a battle for me at all and after many years of study and self exploration, I understand why this is, but first let me share another story with you.

I once attended a workshop where the facilitator asked us to write down our top three goals in life. I won’t share all of mine with you, but health was one of my top three. Having this right up there as one of the most important areas for me to have control of in my life, meant that it made choosing the healthier option much easier for me than for say my sister. I can’t honestly say what her goals in life are, but I bet pleasure or having the freedom to chose whatever she likes whenever she likes is one of them. You see, what is important to you, really important to you, will have the biggest influence over how your day proceeds and what you chose to focus your energy on in general.  Most of the people attending the workshop were quite focused on making or having more money in their lives, yet, felt that this was eluding them. We were all split into smaller focus groups and we were working together in those groups to examine what we wanted to have more of in our lives and the possible reasons that we weren’t seeing them turn up. Most of us were very surprised to find out that after completing the exercise, money was right down at the bottom of what we had considered as important in our lives. This exercise helped us see what we really thought about money and showed us that most of us didn’t really think it was important enough to have it as one of our top three goals. We were then informed that until we shifted it up to become one of the areas we considered important, it would most likely elude us forever. One of the other women in the group, had lots of wonderful relationships in her life and couldn’t understand how some others in the group didn’t. The answer became very clear when we found out that she had family and relationships as one of the top three areas in life that were the most important to her. This meant, that she put a lot of effort and energy into making sure that nothing could come between her and keeping these relationships healthy and well. I hope this is making it a little easier to see how your mindset and how you view the world around you will have a large part on what is showing up in your own day to day world.

I said I’d share my thoughts on why eating healthy and not putting on weight is not a battle for me and believe me it is nothing to do with denying myself any foods I want, nor indeed do I possess anything low fat or calorie counted in my cupboards. You see, because one of my top three goals has been health it's not a big challenge for me to undertake a de-tox 3 times a year and make sure my diet is filled with lots of fresh fruit and veg and not stuff myself with tubs of Ben and Jerry’s on the sofa every night. Nor indeed do I find it difficult to maintain exercising 4 times a week and always choosing to engage in activities that I love like weight training, dancing and Pilates. I am by no way blowing my own trumpet here, what I am hoping to show you is that by shifing your goals and mindset, you can really bring something closer to you that you thought was farther away. You see you must change how you view it. In my experience, one tool that has proven to be very successful in helping this change of mindset to occur is NLP.

NLP

NLP is a powerful tool that can help with making real shifts in how we view things.

NLP gives us the tools to change our ‘mind states’ so we can become more content in our professional and personal lives. Using NLP techniques brings about lasting changes, a concept which may have seemed so elusive in the past.

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. It provides a set of psychological practical tools which teach us how to become more motivated and better communicators.

NLP is one of  'the most important synthesis of information available today about human communication'.

• NLP explores how we think and how we behave
• NLP allows us to become effective communicators
• NLP shows us that choosing different thoughts can lead to more win/win situations in our lives.

Reasons for YOU to use NLP in your life!

• As a tool to change something in your life that isn't working the way you would like it to be.
• To change your current thought patterns forever!
• To become a better communicator.

It seems that it is simple then! All you need to do is change how you see the food you are eating and it will make it a lot easier to chose the healthier option when it is presente to you. No big fuss, no denying yourself that last piece of chocolate, or the second pud but you feel totally deprived because you can't have it.  Change how you view it, and your body will do the rest.

I hope you round this post helpful and would love to know, so do get in touch if you find a free minute in your day.

Best wishes,

Ruth.

Leprechaun Leapin Leafy Greens

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

I love St. Patrick's Day in Ireland because there's lots and lots of good old fashioned craic to be had.  There will be parades and marching bands all over the country, with people getting out and about to join in the fun. 

There will be lots and lots of green to be seen. And if it's Guinness you like, then you will probably be served one that looks nothing like your usual favourite tipple...hopefully, it will taste like it though.

As you know, green is a colour very dear to my own heart and if you happen to be in Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland this Paddy's Day, then you are in for a real treat. 

Kitchen Greenie is going to dial up her Irish magic charm and bring some of her liquid green elixirs for all of Greytones to try. She is currently rounding up the Kitchen Greenie troops, dialling up some friends from the local nymphs, fairies and leprechaun's that haven't already been selected for most urgent Irish duties, such as four leaf clover hunting or sprinkling magic charm around the country for all our visitors from afar. If you happen to be charmed enough to run into us while we work, then be prepared to be bamboozled by green! Our elixirs will pack some Irish punch. If you don't feel ready to be opened up to the world of green, then look away now!

It's Free from me to you!

For those of you who are brave enough to try one and let their magic work through you, we have been one step ahead to help you get on to the green brick road and put together a Free 3 Day Green Smoothie Challenge. To get your hands on  copy all you have to so is simply have to email and ask! I'll send it to you with no strings attached. You will have immediate access to 3 fabulous, tried and tested, delicious, easy to prepare green smoothie recipes, plus a whole lot more juicy information about how green smoothies can work for you. We always use ingredients that are easy to source as we don't find it particularly helpful to receive recipes with ingredients that are difficult to get your hands on. We want you to get stuck in immediately and start feeling the positive effect quickly, so send us an email and your FREE 3 Day Green Smoothie Challenge will be winging its way to you within minutes.

Whether you celebrate St. Patricks Day or not, it is a wonderful opportunity to begin letting those greens find their way into your life. Today is a great day to begin.

Lá Fhéila Sona Duit! (Happy St. Paddy's day everyone).

Warmest wishes,

Ruth.

Fresh and Green Has Arrived for Spring!

In July 2010 I packed up shop, let my apartment in Greystones, County Wicklow  (just outside Dublin) and embarked on what I can only describe as a very adventurous trip of Canada and the West Coast of the United States. This trip saw me visit Toronto, Vancouver, LA and many town and cities in California all the way down to San Diego.

One of the main reasons I made this trip, besides scratching the Bear Grylls side of my nature, was to see what was going on in the world of nutrition, whole and living foods in the US.  I feel very fortunate to have been able to make this journey and extremely grateful for both the experience I had and the wonderful people I met, some of whom I felt I had known for many years. I am also delighted to have made some amazing contacts, both on line and in person with those leaders in the areas of holistic health and wellness. Thank you my friends. I continue to be inspired by your dedication and foresight. You continue to light my way...and you know who you are!

I have personally being drinking a green drink either in the form of a juice, smoothie or wheatgrass shot almost daily for many years. On my trip, I ran into a common denominator, that I found on both the east and west coast....It was the colour green.

People are already aware of the healing benefits of eating or drinking more fruit and vegetables however, our markets have  become increasingly saturated with many sugared drinks . One of the most heavily marketed products over the last few years has been the fruit smoothie. What I can say is, fruit is good, but greens are waaayyy better. Many of the manufactures promote the health benefits of these fruit smoothies, however, they offer you frozen yogurt (which is much closer to ice cream than yoghurt) in place of live yoghurt. These claims fool the non-discerning public into thinking that these are fruit smoothies are health enhancing drinks, which of course is dependant on many variables including who makes them, what's in them and how long they are on the shelf.  No wonder people like these smoothies though...mostly, they are laden with sugar and really are dynamite in a glass, but not in a good way.

So, what I decided to do was to put a small book together to show people how easy it is to add in those leafy greens into your daily routine. How to make delicious, tasty smoothies, without the need for dairy products or too much fruit to make it enjoyable.  Only this morning,  I made a smoothie from rocket blended up, with one mango and one orange. Don't knock it till you try it though, as it really was delicious! In the book I have a similar recipe using rocket using two mangoes, but as I only had one, I improvised. You see, you really can do anything with leafy greens, fruit and a blender and what this is what this book is all about. I also explain why green is so life enhancing and why you would be hard pushed to find a better healthy habit to include into your day then having a green drink.

It is easier than you think to eat (or drink, as I am suggesting ) your greens. The recipes are easy to follow and I have mostly used ingredients that are easy to find in your local supermarket or farmer's market. What I wanted to do was to make it easy for you to get started and I hope I have achieved this with Fresh and Green http://kitchengreenie.blogspot.com/p/products.html.

I wish you many healthy, happy and creative moments in your kitchen

Ruth

3 Things that Age you Faster than Anything Else

Sun

Smoking

Alcohol

Did you think I’d hold back and try and lead you in to some big sell on a great new product?? Wrong! I’ve been in this business for over 25 years and it is just not my style. What I have noticed over the years how things have gone from selling hope in a bottle to well, pushing hope in a bottle by any means possible, down people’s necks...And, I still say, it’s not my style. You can also decide, as most people do, how you decide to perceive this information, but the facts are facts so, here’s is the honest to goodness low down on the three things that will age you quicker than anything else.

Sunshine

Yes, I know, that you enjoy sipping a margarita by the pool with friend is great fun, but it will age you after 20 minutes, unless you have pretty sallow or dark skin (these guys get all the luck when it comes to sun bathing without damaging skin). I don’t want to be a party pooper and I know lying on the lylo is the most important part of a holiday for most Brits and Irish, but seriously……think of the skin damage people! Thing is, after your skin has turned a slightly pink shade and you’ve absorbed all the Vitamin D that you need and it is more beneficial start covering up that face, hair and body if you want to glow well into your twilight years. Now, please do not think that I am any different to anyone else on the planet. When I go on holiday, I am certainly not getting out of the sun after 20 minutes. It's just a reminder to keep the sun cream on. So, it's too much that is not good for your ok?

Protect Your Eyes

This is as easy as popping a pair of sunglasses on. There’s no doubt you will look a lot more sophisticated and you definitely do not want those eyes to become swollen and puffy from too much sun.  It’s not a good look people!

 

Protect Your Kissable Lips

You definitely want to put some some sort of chap stick on. When purchasing one, look for a natural brand that also offers some sunscreen protection. For the record, you are better off putting olive oil on (even though it has no sunscreen) than using Vaseline, which is a petroleum based product and not one you want on your lips. Even though it feels good, there's a downside to using these products laden with chemicals that you definitely don't want near your mouth.

Protect your Hair

The hair is another area that you most definitely want to keep under wraps when in the sun. Particularly for those with bleached hair colours. If possible, keep your tresses firmly fixed under a stylish beach hat. If the idea of a hat on the beach drives your mad then definitely consider a leave in conditioner. Paying attention to the small things will definitely save your lots of time and costly trips to the salon afterwards to  put right the damage that the sun can do.


Protect that Beauty Face and God Given Bod

Protect Your Face and Body by applying a natural, good quality, high factor sun screen every few hours. If you’ve decided to go for dip in the pool or sea, then pop on another layer. You’d be amazed how a quickly those rays burn it off.

Smoking

This one seems obvious doesn't it! Many smokers couldn't give a hoot about the ageing aspects of this bad habit. Like most things, when you are in the firm grip of an addiction, how you look is really the last thing you are thinking about. However, when it does matter, as you are getting older and you are keen to grasp at anything to wipe away the years, then it is too late.  The damaging effects of the myriad of chemicals will most definitely have done the damage at this stage. If you are interested in looking your best well into your 40's, 50's and 60's then look to giving this non nourishing habit the boot. There are so may helpful sites on the Internet, including many reputable programmes run  by government agencies that are there to help you kick the habit. If you are serious about letting go of the need to light up, then look around for those people who want to help you. They're not cool, it's not pretty and they definitely do not serve you in any way that is health enhancing. Let go and grow!

Alcohol

Ah, this is a tricky one. Being Irish and currently living in Ireland, it is definitely a toughie. When everything is based around alcohol, from christenings to funerals, it is definitely completely accepted as normal nowadays. This may seem like a harmless way to celebrate, but I can tell you one thing, there is nothing beautifying about it. I can hear all the arguments now and yes, the French do drink wine, but not normally in the volumes that some other societies do and they don't usually save up their weekly quota and get blitzed all in one go. It takes the liver about 1 to 2 hours to deal with and detoxify one standard drink measure. So, 3, 4 and even more on a regular basis, is a pretty tall ask. Alcohol will seriously dehydrate the body and while I am not becoming a total party pooper and saying "Don't Enjoy a Drink", I am saying to hydrate in between rounds. The French drink one glass of wine with many glasses of water, to rehydrate. This is one of the secrets to minimising it's effect.  The best way to view alcohol is as a sponge that mops up all the moisture from your body so, if you can get to view it this way, when you are next ordering your favourite tipple, order a larger glass of water to go with what you're having yourself!

Well, that's it from this podium. If you know anyone who would benefit from reading this post, the share the love!

Enjoy taking care of yourself.

Ruth.

Healthy Pancakes

Pancakes are great, aren't they? I like both the savoury and sweet varieties. I remember my mum making the pancakes on Pancake Tuesday. My heart would literally skip a beat when she would toss the pan up towards the ceiling (keeping a hold of it of course) while the now solid pancake batter rose up out of it and did a flip in the air, only to land, seconds later on the reverse side back where it had started...Phew! I seem to have some other vague recollection of one in particularly rising up just a little too far and ending up sticking to the ceiling....Or, is that a scene from some movie I've seen?? Hmmn, that one certainly is food for thought. Even today when I make pancakes, which is quite regularly, my heart still skips a beat right before I toss them in the air in order to turn them onto the other side. Even though I could quite easily use any of a number of kitchen utensils to simply turn it, that just far to boring for me. Being the dramatic type, I love the thrill I get from the flip and manage to get it right almost every time. It really is great fun though altogether, you really should try it..oh, but make sure to have some friends around to add to the thrill....Fabulous!

With Pancake Tuesday just around the corner,  there will be lots of pancakes for sale in supermarkets and available on restaurant menus. If I could give you one piece of advice, particularly if you are shopping for them, it is to take moment to turn the pretty packaging over to have a look at the ingredients they've been made from before you go ahead and wolf down a few. I don't want to be a party pooper, but honestly, if you can't pronounce what's in there, put them back, but if you do recognise what's in there as real food, go right ahead and enjoy them. However, for the more adventurous of you would rather try making their own, healthier version, then here is a gluten and dairy free version that I rather like.

What you'll need...

Basic Pancake Recipe

100g buckwheat flour 

1/4tsp salt

12 Tbps water/milk (preferably non-dairy such as almond, rice, hazelnut, soya)

2 Tbps oil (I use coconut oil for frying, but you can use olive, sunflower or rapeseed)

How to Make

1. Mix flour, salt and milk together and leave to stand for approximately 10 minutes.

2. Then give the batter a stir, add 3 large spoonfuls or more (on thickness of the pancake that you like) of batter  onto a hot oiled pan.

3. Cook until light brown underneath, then turn and cook the other side.

If you would like a richer pancake you can add in 2 or more eggs. I prefer not to, but this is a choice you can make yourself. You can also use plain flour (which will contain gluten) or spelt (which is actually an older and easier to digest form of wheat) flour if you cannot get your hands on buckwheat flour. However, I really recommend that you do buy buckwheat flour in the you health food store and start using it. It is a brilliant substitute for ordinary plain or self raising flour in most recipes. Actually, come to think of it, I think I may have even bought mine in Tescos last time I needed it, so it's really easy to source nowadays. With over 3% of the Irish population being diagnosed as gluten intolerant, get rid of the Odlums from the kitchen and start looking at the alternatives for your and your family.

For my own pancakes (above), I've used the exact recipe provided here. No frills, no fuss.  For my filling I used lemon juice and a produce called  Xyitol, which is a great tasting, excellent and safe sugar alternative, which once again can be found easily in most health food stores. I may have gone a bit over board on the lemon juice, but you don't have to, I just love the taste. Yes, that is icing sugar you are seeing too. I sprinkled some on top, which although not something I usually use, it does make pancakes and sweet delights look ever so pretty and as far as I'm concerned, is perfectly fine to use now and again. If you are sensitive to sugar, diabetic or have been advised to avoid it for any reason, then I suggest you leave it out and decorate with perhaps some desiccated coconut or perhaps some of the other superfoods like mesquite.

I hope you enjoy this basic recipe. They are really simple to prepare and great to eat so get back into the kitchen!

Please also feel free to share with friends who many not know where to begin when it comes to pancake making.

Thanks for reading and happy Pancake Tuesday everyone!

Best wishes,

Ruth.

Valentine's Raw Chocolate Recipe

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt" Lucy Van Pelt.

This quote speaks loudly to my heart. Perhaps some may consider it indulgent, but I choose to have a small piece of chocolate every day. In fact, I absolutely adore chocolate. It's luxurious, rich taste, and the velvety way it melts in your mouth most definitely leaves me wanting more. In fact, just this very day, I was lucky enough to be asked to judge a chocolate competition taking place in The Happy Pear, Greystones Main Street,  County Wicklow and they couldn't have asked a more willing participant.  If you would like to be in with a chance to win, then get your chocolate entries in, in any way shape of form, on Sunday, 19th Feb before noon. I can't be sure on the prize but I'd hazard a guess, it's something chocolaty!

With Valentine's Day only around the corner, I thought it might be a nice treat to make your own piece of deliciousness at home. I've made sure to give out a simple recipe so that your work in the kitchen will produce a great result in no time. Who wants to spend hours in there with little to show for it! Not me anyway. Even though, I have tried making many different varieties of chocolate, using a range of different sweetners and fillings, and while there are healthier alternatives, I do believe this is one of the nicest and easiest recipes I've come across. If you are going to make it for that someone special for Valentine's or even for yourself to have in the fridge when the nibbles hit, then I suggest you use the best ingredients possible and don't scrimp on luxury. Enough writing for now though, let's get started..... 

Raw Chocolate Recipe 

125g of cacao powder (health food store)

125g of cacao butter (health food store)

1/2 cup of agave (health food store or some supermarkets)

1 pinch of salt

1/2 tsp of powdered vanilla (make this by grinding 1/4 cup of buckwheat groats with 1 whole vanilla bean to a fine powder You can also buy it in most health food stores if you'd prefer.)

The best way to melt your cacao butter is to pop it into a bowl and then put the bowl into a pot with warm water. The cacao butter will eventually melt from the heat of the water, reducing it to a liquid form. Then mix the salt, powdered vanilla and the sifted cacao powder together in a separate bowl. Slowly add this mix to the cacao butter and gently stir together until fully incorporated. Add agave to the cacao butter mix. If you like nuts or goji berries in your chocolate, you would add them in at this stage. I really love adding almonds (with the skin removed), walnuts, hazelnuts, macademia and goji berries to my chocolate..Not all together mind you!

When your mixture is all ready, pour it into moulds of your choice. Don't be put off if you don't have any individual moulds, you can always pop it into any size grease proof lined dish and let it set in the fridge for over one hour. When you are ready to indulge your taste buds, take it out and break it into uneven, broken pieces and serve.

Because this chocolate is really pure, you won't be able to leave it for too long at room temperature before it melts, so leave it in the fridge until you are ready to indulge.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Ruth.xx.

(If you want a truly raw recipe that will retain all nutrients of the cacao, then make sure to keep the chocolate under 42 degrees centigrade. You can do this by using a thermometer)