Today is one of those days in my world!
It’s been a really big week.
Forty-seven choruses of OId Days… Good Times I Remember.
And a whole bunch of new learning!!!
A luncheon with some friends from my Columbia Theological Seminary days. And a flock of new friends.
Stories. Who? And What? And, best of all… Why?
Stories that somehow fed my painting-in-progress!
A phone chat with a dear friend about 1800 miles from here, pondering old thought-habits and new adventures. A chat which left us both ready to – you know – act!
And then, a dinner with even more new friends. A huge lesson in context! People walking, literally, the same sidewalks I walked in the late 1980’s on their way through – and to! – a very different world. And, yes… I did act!
Then, an adventure in Zoom-land with three new friends, also walking (inner) sidewalks which have become familiar to me over the last year. Sidewalks through the land of Rosa Mystica. And a chance to help answer a few questions and pass along a bit of hope.
Grandmother Moon has been working overtime on the processing bit.
This morning I woke up with a figurative stock pot full of questions bubbling in my head… which is about as good as it gets! (And, yes, I’ll keep you posted!)
I also woke up with Grandmother Moon suggesting, with a big grin, that all of this brave stuff going on just might call for a bit of celebration.
I didn’t even have to ponder!
And, just in case you’d like to join us…
Grammy’s Chocolate Almond Bark
Ingredients:
- 1 c. organic roasted almonds with sea salt, coarsely chopped if desired
- 1 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. coconut oil, measured while solid
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. finely chopped excellent dark chocolate, like Endangered Species’s 88% cacao (about 2/3 of a 3 oz. bar) or dark chocolate chips
- 1 scoop Cacao Bliss or a slightly rounded Tbsp. of organic raw cacao powder
- 1 good pinch Anthony’s espresso baking powder, if desired (or instant espresso granules)
- 1 tsp. Maldon flaked sea salt for garnish if using unsalted almonds
Recipe doubles easily!
Line a sheet tray with unbleached parchment paper.
In a heavy saucepan (or double boiler) combine chocolate, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Stir over low heat until completely melted. Add Cacao powder and espresso powder and stir thoroughly. Add almonds and mix until covered.
Pour chocolate mixture onto tray with parchment paper, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula to a thin layer.
If you used salted almonds, you’re done. If you used unsalted nuts, sprinkle evenly with sea salt flakes, or omit if you prefer.
Refrigerate for an hour, or until well set. Break into bite sized pieces and store, tightly covered, in fridge or freezer. Allow to warm a few minutes to cool room temp before serving, preferably with roses on the table!
*****
Technically, I suppose, you could call it candy. I call it sustenance. Body. Mind. Spirit. And, just maybe, courage food!
Or, in the eternal words of Charles M. Schulz…
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
ps… the new leggings are here! Two more designs!!! They’re comfy. They come in lots of sizes. They wash really well. And they might just be heart-on-the-outside choices for you, as they surely are for me. Check it out… and help send an artist to France! Just click here for cool leggings!
