Christmas & Coffee To-Go

BUY A TO-GO CUP FOR YOU AND OTHERS

Help the environment this Christmas!

I am a frequent visitor to Starbucks and I notice that at Christmas time it is very busy there - like everywhere. People stop and get a coffee (tea, etc) to-go before shopping or stop there after to check their Xmas list, and scratch off some items and take a breather after the busy shops and malls.

It is a festive place to go and when it is cold outside - so nice to have that warmth as you hold onto to your warm, frothy drink.

Because I go there so often, it began to bother me how many to-go cups I was going through in a week, a month, a year!! When I really thought about it, I was disappointed in myself. What is this doing to our landfills and environment! There is something we can do to help and that is:

BUY YOUR OWN TO-GO CUP

That can make a HUGE difference - 1 person can indeed make a difference to our environment. Buying do this yourself you will also encourage others to do it. Once you have one, your friends will see it and you can tell them how good you feel about helping the environment in this way. Make them feel guilty! But in a good way.

OR BETTER YET!!

Buy everyone a TO-GO CUP for Christmas!

Now you are making a difference and so is everyone you give it to.

There are so many cool ones out there now, literally one for everyone. You can also buy to-go cups everywhere.
An added bonus is - THEY KEEP YOUR COFFEE/TEA/WHATEVER WARMER FOR LONGER

I keep mine in my car always. Sure at the beginning I would forget it sometimes. When I did, I would scold myself and next time I would usually remember. Also, I feel SO BAD now when I don't use it. It is like remembering my keys now. It has become a habit. Seriously this DOES make a big difference.

Next time you are in your favourite coffee shop, take a look around and see how many people are getting their coffees/teas to go. Just picture ALL those cups gathering every day in a landfill. Imagine the planet being swallowed up by all these paper cups and plastic lids. Don't turn your back, this is something so easy that you ca do. Something so easy that will make a big difference.

There are many ways we can become more conscious about how we affect the environment. You don't have to start all at once. Just implement one thing a day, a week or even a month.

1 PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Also, you will influence those around you.

HELP OTHERS AT CHRISTMAS
There are so many "ECO" gifts to give for Christmas. Plant a tree in someone's name. There are also so many ways to help others in this world at Christmas. We all have so much stuff already, why not give to someone less fortunate. Buy a goat, pay for a child's education, sponsor a child, etc, etc. The options are numerous.

Again - 1 PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!!

So go out and BUY your OWN to-go cup. Buy one you just love. One that will make you feel good each time you use it.

Take time to enjoy the holiday season and give thanks!

CHOCOLATE & PERIMENOPAUSE

How many women do NOT like chocolate?

Probably not many.

I have always loved it and over the years, I have improved the quality of wine I drink and the quality of chocolate I eat. I really like fine chocolate!

My favourite is raw cacao. It is pure, raw chocolate from the cacao bean. It is not processed. It does not have sugar added or any additives or preservatives. You can buy the actualy cacao beans (chocolate beans) at the heatlh food store or you can buy the raw cacao powder (like cocoa powder). I tend to buy the powder because I use it in cooking and in drinks. Fantastic chocolate/nut milk!

Tis the season for Christmas parties and I have attended a couple functions. What I brought was some of my home-made chocolates.

Here is a super simple recipe to make some dairy free, wheat free & sugar free chocolate treats!

1/2 Cup Raw (not roasted or salted) Almonds
1/2 Cup Raw (not roasted or salted) Cashews
(You can use any of your favourite nuts)
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Natural Coconut
2 heaping Tbsp of Raw Cacao Powder
1 tsp Vanilla (Pure)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
4-5 Madjool Dates (depends on how sweet you like it)
Some coconut to add after if you want

• Put nuts in food processor. Grind up as fine as you would like them. Depending on how smooth you want this to be or if you want it crunchier.
• Add coconut, dates and vanilla
• Mix until mixture starts to stick together
• Add raw cacao powder and cinnamon
• Mix again until well mixed and sticky
• Test by seeing if you can squeeze this mixture together and it will stick

If mixture is warm and too sticky then place in freezer for about 10-20 minutes until it gets harder.

Next, all you have to do is either press mixture into pan to make brownies or roll into balls and roll in coconut after. You can also make them into a little round flatter cookies.

You can chose to top or roll in coconut, ground nuts or raw cacao powder.

Pop them in the freezer. They are ready to eat any time. You can store them in freezer or in the fridge.

These are so good and so perfect to take as gifts.

If you really want to do this right then soak the nuts in filtered water overnight or all day. Then dry the nuts a bit and then use them. When you soak the nuts like that you make them easier to digest and they are healthier for you.

Test the mixture as you are making it and adjust ingredients to your taste. I like chocolate but I don't like really sweet chocolate so I do not add a lot of dates. If you want to add fewer dates, soak the dates first in water and then will become softer and you can also use some of the soak water when you are mixing. Therefore you will still get the sticky mixture texture using less dates!

Have fun, experiment and most of all ENJOY this healthy chocolate.

Share these treats. People love when you bring them something that you made yourself.

Raw Cacao contains more antioxidants than blueberries and green tea. Eat Natural!!

Enjoy the season!