Recipe: Sticky Licky Rich buttery (!) Vegan Chocolate

Everyone makes chocolate at some time in their life. (or should)

Since I was making Vegan everything else, I thought why not Vegan Chocolate?

I've tried Vegan chocolates that other people make-and its not that they lack something- but I like chocolate that is very rich and buttery, preferably with a slightly bitter taste.
But butter's not allowed so I did the next best thing- or rather The Best Thing- Cocoa butter - Theobroma cacao.
I thought about an erstwhile Chocolate perfume I made (ah memories of perfumes- so tantalizing and out of reach)

So after the 2nd attempt, I was left with lickable Vegan chocolate-

Now everything's eyeballed- so these measurements can go a bit here and there

2 tbsp cocoa butter
4tbsp palm sugar - for an even more burnt, bittery, salty, liquory after taste
(if you are against palm products-  try molasses, maple syrup, I don't care for jaggery in my chocolate, but you could do that too, Brown sugar may also be ok. )
4 tbsp regular sugar
Cocoa powder - about 1/2 a 100g tin.
2 cardamoms

Palm sugar has a very complex range of flavors, but it is super-rich in iron and you must eat only a little of it per day.

Melt the sugars in a little water before putting in.
Melt everything in a double boiler till all the liquid goes away.
First the cocoa butter, then the melted sugars n cardamom.
If you put in the palm sugar unmelted, you will have a crunchy chocolate kind of like a sugar scrub consistency.

About 3/4 cup of chocolate, like nothing you've ever tasted.
Leaves a nice slightly bitter, full, rich taste
Real cocoa butter gives that buttery feel that is next to impossible to get- and all the flavors from the Palm sugar and cardamom are soooo ohmigosh.

There are no pics of the chocolate coz everything's licked clean between me n my kids and anyway everyone hid it away from everyone else.
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Right after I made the chocolate, I made a Chocolate Skin Polish because I couldn't get away from the flavors- but thats another day, another post.

Detox & Brush Winter Skin Away- Quick Fix for Dry, Scaly, Itchy Skin. Get Smooth, Nourished Skin Instantly.

Quick Fix for Ultra-Dry, Scaly, Itchy Winter Skin

For Skin that is Smooth to the touch, silky, the envy of everyone in winter

Many Spas / Salons offer Dry-Brushing these days- 
Dry Brushing is a superb way to exfoliate, increase circulation, assist the lymphatic system and make you feel energized. Read benefits of Dry Skin Brushing here.

DIY Method

When15 minutes before a warm bath/shower.

What you need.

1. Good quality COLD-pressed oil, about 50-100ml. Keep a bottle close by.
2. A Body brush with natural bristles, sea-sponge, or loofah (preferably not nylon poufs)
3. Essential oils of choice
4. A warm, closed room

Procedure 

1. Prepare the Oil by warming the bottle in a bowl of hot water
2. Add Essential Oils to the bowl of warm oil (Optional, but extra beneficial to the lymphatic system)
3. Apply it all over your body.
4. Brush all over, moistening the brush with oil periodically.  Below are lymph drainage directions.
5. Warm shower.

1. Preparing the Oil

Mildly warm the oil by putting a bottle of oil into hot water. Do not warm oil directly as oils lose their nourishing properties when heated.

Making a Rose-infused Coconut oil

I prefer the Cold-pressed Sesame (Til) as it is lighter, less expensive, and leaves a non-oily coating over skin. Look for an economical oil, as you will be using quite a bit.

Coconut oil is will not wash off completely, leaving a thicker coating. If your skin is extremely dry, you can use this.
Using Cold pressed (Kachi Gani) oils will be most beneficial to your skin
 I made a  rose-infused Coconut oil one Summer, and would use this in winter as soon as I stepped OUT of the bath. Smooth, fragranced skin! An out-of-the-bath- experience.
Try harnessing the sun -and feel warm and sunkist in winter.

2. Selecting Essential oils (Optional)
Add a few drops of almost any essential oil to enhance the process, provide healing and refreshment to the body, to make skin activate itself.
I rarely use any preparation unless I’ve added value to it in terms of an extra natural ingredient or two.

Select pure essential oils, not fragrances, not potpourri section, Not blossom kocchar, nyassa, jain, young living or terrafirma- umm - there is a huge list of nots.

Lavender is most common. You may also try Peppermint, Fennel. I’d suggest 1 drop of blue Eucalyptus (Nilgiri Tel), if you are sure of purity, use 1 drop and mix well. Check how it feels on skin in 5 minutes, before you apply all over.

Try something creative -get some Geranium at the Homeopathy store, or some Calendula, to add to this mix. Even if they are in tincture form, their essence will be incorporated into the mix..

For a Firming/ Toning Blend, I use a combination of 2-3 oils at one time of Basil, Fennel, Turmeric, Saffron, Rosewood, Frankincense and Lavender- all beneficial for lymphatic drainage, and as a result help with toning.

3. Mix well, preferably shake in a bottle when using essential oils. Apply the oil all over, leaving 4-5 tbsp of oil to apply as you go along.

4. Body Brush with natural bristles or sponge.

Excellent for exfoliation of all the dead cells. A large handle will help difficult-to-reach areas like the back. Your skin will need a bit of getting used to this- so try using it on one area of your feet/ legs by mildly brushing, feeling it, and seeing how smooth skin feels after..
If too abrasive, try a Sea-sponge brush like the round one in a picture, or a Face  Sponge, even.
Sit comfortably and take extra care to brush neglected areas like backs of arms, legs, toes.
The brush with knobby things (other side) is great for cellulite areas.  Lets do another post on that..

Directions to brush for optimum lymph circulation. The most important aspect of dry-brushing is the detox- this will keep your skin healthy.

5. After Brushing, take a short, warm shower. Use very mild soap, like Pears with higher glycerin content, or use one of the natural, handmade soaps from small businesses, (who can't remove the glycerineand sell it elsewhere)

6. Voila!

You have new energy, your skin looks fresh and clear, if you’ve used good essential oils, it is also firmer and you are slimmer, your lymph system has a kick, you have the luxurious feeling of fresh indulgence – all in all - 
You feel like a million bucks!
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Skin will be Repenished & Nourished by our Natural Skin Care Treatments, see Holistic Serums
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Hair Color- Home-made Hair Tints, DIY, Temporary Color Masks for Red Dark Blonde

I love Hair Color- it is an instant pick-me-up - This time I went with Red ends, wacky, huh!
Over-all color means lots of chemical and terrible maintenance, so just the ends..

The Stylist said 'you should use a brown-black, not DYE so black' and offered to make my hair look a more "natural" black

I was zapped- color to me means 'more stylish', more un-natural.. but more natural?? natural? that was natural!

Home-made Hair Tints, Temporary Color Hair Masks

This seems reasonably easy to do- a DIY hair tinting, with natural ingredients - sounds great to freshen up color ! http://thegreenbeautyguide.com/natural-hair-color-masks-to-make-at-home/

This is mostly a copy-paste- except pics are from our site and parentheses and bold are my adds  ..
Dark Tint:  Use Cocoa, Chocolate, or Strong Coffee

 

chocolate  

1. Melt (dark cooking) chocolate in a double-boiler and cool it down a bit, so that you don’t burn your scalp.
2. Or blend half-cup of cocoa powder with half-cup of organic plain yogurt, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or two tablespoons of lemon juice. You need some gentle acid to help pigments penetrate your hair shaft. Another bonus: an absolutely gorgeous shine.
3. Coffee is easier to work with: make a very strong cup of espresso, cool it down, and use as a conditioner.
Leave on your hair for a minute or two and rinse off.

Red Tint : Carrots
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene which provides them with that orange colour.
In concentrated form, beta-carotene is intense red, like blood.
To make carrots really work, you’d have to apply a pureed carrot mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice. If you have access to fresh cranberries, they also work wonders, and they have an in-built acidic penetration enhancer, but they tend to give your hair a brassier shade, while carrots give a true golden tint.

Blonde Tints : Lemons, potatoes, guava
Lemons is a classic recipe, even Holly Golightly used it to streak her hair.
 I also found that grated potatoes were used for ages to bleach skin and hair. They have a natural whitening enzyme ascomycete that destroys melanin in skin and hair. Guava and mangosteen juice also have natural whitening properties.

Naturally Coloring Grey : Our own product, Natural Hair & Scalp Serum, is good for giving a distinguished grey coverage. Video here. helps to temporarily regain original color in 1-3 uses. Color depends on maintenance.

Angela rocks purple. And she has a lovely, Natural Line, Lillian Skincare. Vegan & Eco-friendly and awesome natural colorants like Safflower petals, Indigo and more. Its enroute to becoming Lillian Organics..

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My Handcrafted Skin & Hair Serums www.HolisticSerums.com
Pictures, reviews and testimonials

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Benefits of Bath Salts -YouTube DIY Himalayan Pink & Peppermint

Ooh this is good- simply had to post.
Making your own Bath salts  with Himalayan Pink Salts, scented with triple distilled Peppermint.
Watch the video here
http://essentialu.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/kitchen-chemistry-.html


Bath Salts are excellent to refresh body and mind. 
Here are some reasons for you to indulge.

Bath salts offer a lot of benefits- its not just tossing some scented salt in your bath.
Warning - never put salt if skin has cuts or bruises on it, sting like nobody's business.

How to Use Bath Salts
Draw a hot bath, just at tolerance level. Add 2-3 scoops of bath salt, and take a 20-min soak.


Benefits For the BODY
Bath salts relieve sore, achy muscles and joints, and reduce pain from sports injuries, stimulate circulation, relax muscle spasms and excellent for relief to achy tired feet, for foot ailments such as corns and calluses.



Bath salts may help remove excess oil and Detoxify skin and body. With the added oils, they will help to not dry out skin.
For dry, cracked skin and for itching and irritation due to dryness, bath salts are said to be helpful. Many suffering from Eczema & Psoriasis find Epsom Salts & non-fragranced Salts helpful.
See Surestop to Eczema Synergy

Benefits For the MIND

Bath salts, with essential oils are stress-busting and elevate emotions, make you more able to face the challenges ahead.
And at night, washing away the day's turmoil helps in a restful state of mind.

Essential oils must be used in careful doses
My fave Picker-Ups: Choose a couple of
Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Grapefruit, Orange, RoseMary & Basil (very tiny amount)

To Destress for the Day,  I'd select
Lavender, Geranium, Chamomile, Patchouli.

For Achy Feet and legs
Peppermint, Juniper, Cypress, Rosemary, Fennel and my favorites Nutmeg, Black Pepper.

Make Your Own Safe, Natural and Healthy Toothpastes and Cleansers

Make Your Own Safe, Natural and Healthy Toothpastes and Cleansers

Virtually all commercial toothpastes contain one or both of two problematic ingredients: fluoride and glycerin. Fluoride, a mining by-product, is one of the bigger scams perpetrated on an unwitting public. Instead of being beneficial it actually damages teeth. Glycerin coats the enamel and prevents natural re-mineralization of teeth. The solution in avoiding those two items may be making your own tooth paste or tooth cleanser at home.

Here are some recipes you can make at home which contain neither fluoride or glycerin:

Old Fashioned Tooth Powder

Ingredients:

2 tbsp dried lemon or orange rind
1/4 cup baking soda
2 tsp salt

Directions:

Grind the rinds in a food processor until they become a fine powder. Add baking soda and salt then process for a few more seconds until you have a fine powder. Store in an airtight container. Dip moistened toothbrush into the mixture and brush as usual.

Mix ingredients to make a paste, dip toothbrush into the mix and then brush as usual.

Basic Toothpaste

Ingredients:

1 Tsp of the above Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
1/4 Tsp Hydrogen peroxide

Directions:

Mix into a paste and brush as usual.

Vanilla, Geranium and Honey Toothpaste

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce powdered chalk
3 ounces powdered orris root
4 teaspoons of tincture of vanilla
15 drops oil of rose geranium
Raw honey, enough to make a paste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix until you have the consistency you want. Scoop the paste onto brush. Store the paste in an airtight container.

Simple Mint Toothpaste

Ingredients:

Bicarbonate of soda
Salt
Water
Bentonite clay powder
Peppermint oil

Directions:

Mix 3 parts bicarbonate of soda with one part salt. Add 3 tsp of bentonite clay for every 1/4 cup of this mixture, and then add enough water to make a thick paste. Add a few drops of peppermint oil for better taste.

Herbal Mint Toothpaste Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp peppermint oil
1/4 tsp spearmint
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup powdered orrisroot
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ground sage

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add water until paste is desired thickness/consistency. Store at room temperature in a tightly covered jar.

Substitute 1/2 tsp each of oil of cinnamon and oil of cloves for peppermint/spearmint if desired.

Refreshing Super Mint Toothpaste

Ingredients:

6 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
4 teaspoons bentonite clay powder
15 drops peppermint

Directions:

Mix thoroughly until you get the toothpaste consistency you desire. If desired, add a few drops of peppermint or wintergreen.

Strawberry Tooth Cleanser

Ingredients:

1 tsp of the above Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
1 tbsp crushed ripe strawberries

Directions:

Mix strawberries and powder into a paste and brush as usual.

Basic Tooth Cleanser

Ingredients:

Hydrogen peroxide (a few drops)
Baking soda

Directions:

Make a paste by combining the two ingredients. You can also gently rub this paste along your gums twice a week for maximum benefit.

Lemon and Cloves Herbal Tooth Cleanser

Ingredients:

Small amount of finely powdered sage
1 ounce of finely powdered myrrh
1 pound powdered arrow root
3 ounces powdered orris root
15 drops oil of lemon
8 drops oil of cloves
10 drops oil of bergamot
10 drops of coconut oil (you may have to warm slightly to melt)

Directions:

Mix the powdered ingredients first and then add and mix the oils into the mixture.

Notes:

Supercharge any of the above recipes by adding tea tree oil or plant derived mineral powder (or both).

When you use items which contain lemon, rinse your mouth and teeth thoroughly afterward to prevent damage to teeth enamel.

Jasmine Tea for Mom n Me (and Rose Tea)

Jasmine Tea & Rose Tea !
These indulgent drinks arouse the senses of touch, taste and scent and are a pleasure to be enjoyed.

Ok, this isnt the conventional way to make Jasmine Tea  but its delicious n energizing besides smelling awesome!
and to top it all, the Jasmine are plucked fresh from the backyard.

 This Jasmine is a sambac, or Night Jasmine, a rare double-petalled variety at that. Its blooms open early in the morning and its heady fragrance is incredible.

This morning these beauties are headed into Tea.
Black Tea!
Green tea, which is normally used to make Jasmine Tea & served as such in Chinese restaurants, does not have a wide following in India.

So, 2 cups water, 2 tbsp Tea or about 1/2  the quantity to make regular black tea only so as to not overpower the Jasmine

Boil tea with 1 cup milk or more.

Drop in the Jasmine.
Turn the burner off, cover with a lid for 5 minutes.

If the Jasmine is boiled, much of its fragrance is lost

Garnish with a couple of blooms to heighten the fragrance. Serve immediately.

Sit back, Relax
Close your eyes , smell the fragrance and sip it slowly.

And is it really aphrodisiac?

Couldnt say for sure, but I find it relaxes me from yesterdays tensions and makes me warm & forgiving. Surely thats aphrodisiacal?

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Rose Tea
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 Every once in a while, a flower seller comes by on his (bi)cycle with bags of flowers attached to it. Since I'm trying my hand at infusing them, (another post), I have fragrant roses at hand.

These are Rosa centifolia, the lighter colored variety which are more fragrant than the deeper pink ones.

Taking a couple handfuls of the washed and draining petals, I put them in a pot of merrily boiling water with black tea already added.

Turn off burner, cover with lid, wait 5 minutes.
After 5-6 minutes, the petals are near the consistency of cream and I love eating a couple of them along with my tea.
Add a touch of milk or drink without.

Tea is ready.

Sit back, smell the aroma of fresh roses & sip slowly.

Rose Tea unlike sedative Jasmine, makes for a  happy, playful & carefree mood.


Treat your senses!
Try them sometime!

Eggnog Recipe w Bourbon & Rum

Recipes for the Holidays

Talk of the Nation, December 19, 2008 · It's a question that many people have on their minds this season: Does spiking the homemade eggnog safeguard it against salmonella? Eggnog expert and microbiologist Vince Fischetti of The Rockefeller University in New York runs some tests to find out.

Found this on the net-and seems really nice to share.

Eggnog Recipe

1 dozen eggs
1 quart heavy cream
1 quart light cream
1 pint bourbon
1 quart rum
nutmeg
sugar to taste (1/2 - 3/4 lb)

Beat eggs, add bourbon and rum slowly with stirring to prevent precipitation of egg proteins. Beat heavy cream separately until it peaks and add to the egg/bourbon/rum mix.

Add the light cream with stirring. Add the sugar to taste with mixing (1 pound/batch), then add nutmeg to taste.

Leave standing at least overnight with lid slightly ajar in refrigerator. Serve after 2-3 weeks in the cold.