Love is in the Air
Well, Valentine’s Day just passed and you either love it or hate it. I often think about how I can spend Valentine’s Day in a not-so-conventional way. I started making homemade cards years ago to bypass the cheesy Hallmark greetings, not to mention that they are costly (for what they are). And in recent years I have also been known to cook a yummy meal and indulge in plenty of dark chocolate.

This year, I gave my hubby a homemade card and a heart-shaped rock – which he received very enthusiastically. Oddly, he returned the sentiment with a similar heart-shaped rock (we were walking on the beach yesterday with our little one, Oskar).

Which brings me to the point of this post. What says ‘I love you’? In particular, what foods say “I love you”.

They say endorphin-promoting foods are ones that are ‘sweet’ and often ‘fatty’. These need not be unhealthy though like so many options we are faced with at the supermarket.
And by the way, if you do not have a special someone in your life you should feed these to yourself to tell yourself “I love me”. There’s no better way to attract love to you than treating yourself with love. OK advice column over…now the food stuff begins…

Consider these:
Dark Chocolate (the old stand-by) – a much better option that milk or white chocolate that usually contains all sorts of yucky ingredients including milk powders and loads more sugar. Having said that a small portion of milk chocolate once a month or so won’t kill you… if you insist!

I have a pretty ‘deadly’ recipe that a colleague of mine gave me recently. I’ve modified it slightly, they’re called chocolate chlorella balls and they’re dynamite! Not only healthy but deee-licious!

I’m posting it for your delight!
________________________________________________
Chocolate Spirulina Balls:
1 cup hempseeds
2 cups cacao powder
½ cup spirulina
½ cup virgin coconut oil
¾ cup raw honey
3 pinches celtic (unrefined) sea salt
3 vanilla pods (scrape inside) – if cannot find can use vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon and/or cardamom and/or cayenne - to spice it up a bit ;)

-Mix all ingredients in a bowl until everything is mixed in together, roll into little balls and put in the freezer for 15 minutes. You can then store them in the fridge until eaten

Makes 80 (you can half recipe if needed)
________________________________________________
Creamy foods: For example, creamy mashed potatoes (don’t peel the skins and use organic non-homogenized milk, hint: Avalon brand!), homemade hot chocolate (made with dark chocolate, add maple syrup or stevia to sweeten. Craving ice cream? Before you reach for the (gasp) Ben & Jerry’s, check out Saltspring Island Ice Cream company for some of the healthiest ice cream around. Or perhaps full-fat non-homogenized yogourt (ie: Saugeen and Jerseyland Organics brands) with a splash of maple syrup and real vanilla – mmm…

*If you’re dairy intolerant try using coconut milk in recipes that called for cream ie: puddings, creamy sauces (ie: curry’s) as long as the coconut flavour works for you. I make a pretty mean thai-style rice pudding with overcooked brown rice, coconut milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and cardamom.

**Also, there’s rice, soy, hemp and almond milks to use as alternatives – they’re not a creamy but they still can satiate you. I make a very satisfying chocolate pudding with Ryza rice milk.

Homemade Candy – try making caramel at home with unrefined cane sugar instead of white sugar. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate on pecans and be in total bliss! Or try maple sunflower candy as per Rebecca Wood’s website http://www.rwood.com/Recipes/Maple_Sunflower_Candy.htm

I also came across this recipe Omega Rich Sweets recipe a couple of years ago and find it pretty yummy and hits the ‘sweet spot’ (I wish I knew who created this recipe so I could give credit).
_____________________________________________
OMEGA RICH SWEETS
1 cup dried organic apricots, diced
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp raw cocoa powder
2 tbsp cocoa nibs
1 tsp orange zest
3 tbsp hemp nuts
2 tbsp chia seeds

1. In a food processor, blend apricots and coconut oil for about 30 seconds.
2. Add orange zest and cocoa powder, pulse for a few seconds.
3. Add cocoa nibs and hemp nuts, process until a ball starts to form.
4. Scoop mixture into the middle of a wax or parchment paper sheet. Fold paper over mixture and begin to roll slowly back and forth to form a cylinder about 6 or 7 inches long, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
5. Open paper and sprinkle part of the chia seeds on top, roll a bit further. Sprinkle the remainder of chia seeds on top and roll until all seeds have coated the outside of the roll.
6. Refrigerate, slice and serve.

Note: If you prefer, refrigerate the cylinder before coating with seeds then slice into 1/4 inch slices and roll into individual balls. Coat each individual ball with chia seeds or your favourite crushed nuts.
_______________________________________________
Enjoy your sweets responsibly but don’t try and go without them completely if you crave them. Just make yourself some quality ones and allow yourself to enjoy them without over-indulging. You’re less likely to binge on stuff that’s healthier because it actually satiates the craving whereas the refined/processed versions do not, so they leave you wanting more and more and more and the vicious addiction cycle activates.

Enjoy the sweetness of life!
(stay tuned for more discussion about healthy sweets and managing blood sugar and weight issues)