cacao versus cocoa
http://seventypercent.com/pod/glossary.asp?Letter=C

GUYS!

What up?!  

I have had quite the chocolate adventure since last we interfaced!  Been meaning to post about it, but work has been "insane in the membrane", as us hipsters say (  ...or, said, anyway, about ten years ago when that phrase was actually hip *lol*), and this is my first chance to really get to the board for anything more than a split nanosecond.

Okay, where to start?

So, I'm in Wal-Mart, right?  That in itself is a news flash, as I eschew ever entering the "big boxes".  I'm a fan of fresh air, I'm a fan of human-free zones, I'm a fan of ...well, basically all things that are the opposite of Wal-Mart, EXCEPT for Wal-Mart's prices, which occasionally do pull me in like a magnet, maybe 3 or 4 times per YEAR.  So, there I was to get a few things for my mom's 84th b-day, which was yesterday (we celebrated it on Sunday, though ...which isn't relevant to our story here, so I thought I'd throw it in), and I thought, Edna, get ye to the paper towel aisle whilst here and LOAD UP, baby.  Well!  In the same aisle, they had certain things for baking, like chocolate chips, and baker's chocolate.  And then I saw several types of the Ghirardelli, including the 100% cocoa content, unsweetened chocolate.  $2.84!  Bought me a bar, yes indeedy-do!  I thought smugly:  most people need sugar in their chocolate, but I'm sure that I will like this just fine, even BETTER without the sugar.  Diamond superfood, here I come!

Well, people, I tried me a square of this stuff, straight, the next day, and I must say:

Not the momma!         

It was, how do you say, "not good".  Not good at ALL.  Bad, in point of fact.

Unthwarted, I took it to work with me yesterday, and I made the following gross-sounding breakfast, and I hope Brig is reading this because if you REALLY want to gross out your co-workers, make this, as it looks truly disgusting.  It is actually good, though.  I did use one avoid, but you could use agave nectar instead, which I would have used, had I had any.  Anyway:

I took some oatmeal, and mixed in a ton of cinnamon and also (here comes the avoid) some good, old-fashioned, completely unhealthy SUGAR, baby.  Not the worst kind of sugar in the world, mind you, as it was "organic evaporated cane juice", but still, let's face it, SUGAR.  However, after my experiment the day before with eating a tiny bite of that chocolate straight, I knew that you need a massive infusion of some kind of sweetener with it *lol*!  Anyway, moving on, so I had the oatmeal in there, the cinnamon, and the organic evaporated cane juice, right?  Those were my dry ingredients and I mixed them all up nicely.  Then I put a small square of the Ghirardelli 100% cocoa unsweetened chocolate on top, and commenced adding boiling water.  I stirred it all up, melting and mixing in the chocolate.  As I said, what I ended up with looked truly unappealing, I'm sure, to the typical American eye, but whatareyagonnado, I'm not the typical American when it comes to diet.

It actually tasted:  pretty dang good!  If you use agave or another compliant sweetener, you might want to try this, as truly it was nice.

Do NOT, however, try the straight, unsweetened, 100% cocoa Ghirardelli chocolate.  Dude, it's not good.

Straight chocolate (*any* brand) is just plain bitter.  If you want any sweetness at all, you have to add it, which is sometimes easier said than done.  Your method sounds like a valuable addition to Toxin-free Chocolate lore!

Quoted from Carol the Dabbler

Straight chocolate (*any* brand) is just plain bitter.  If you want any sweetness at all, you have to add it, which is sometimes easier said than done.  Your method sounds like a valuable addition to Toxin-free Chocolate lore!

Like I said, it isn't a "looker", but if you just close your eyes and open your mind, it tastes pretty darn good!  

And since us guys (us GTD/BTD type guys) are usually very open-minded about all things diet, I don't see why chocolate oatmeal should elicit the "eeeeeeeew!" that I fully expect would have ensued had any of my co-workers gotten a load of what I was consuming.  They think nothing of eating faux whipped cream out of a can, but I'm sure they would have thought that my weirdie oatmeal was beyond the pale.

*shrug*

P.S.  What I really want to try is gcg's chili with the little bit of pure chocolate thrown in.  I'm more of a savory person than a sweet person...although us G2's are supposedly "sweet" in nature, but I think something or a multitude of somethings happened to me along the way to embitter me *lol*!

Quoted Text

since us guys (us GTD/BTD type guys) are usually very open-minded about all things diet,

plus 'post-modernists' to boot!!!

Quoted from Peppermint Twist

I don't see why chocolate oatmeal should elicit the "eeeeeeeew!" that I fully expect would have ensued had any of my co-workers gotten a load of what I was consuming.

You mean there isn't already some classic grocery-store cereal that's essentially chocolate oatmeal?    Oh, wait a minute, what you were eating was actually chocolate muesli.  I bet it'd be even better as cooked porridge!  

Yes, I think chocolate has been added to anything that would stand still at one point or another.

I take a cube of the unsweetened Cooking Chocolate and melt it and add agave syrup and walnuts!  

Delicious for a chocolate craving and sooths the brain so nicely...

Quoted from Peppermint Twist

Like I said, it isn't a "looker", but if you just close your eyes and open your mind, it tastes pretty darn good!  

Don't you mean, close your eyes and open your mouth?  !!  

It seems to me that you may have better luck using chocolate as a seasoning in savory dishes, considering your taste preferences.  

Lately I've been using a combo someone else suggested on another thread and i'm majorly addicted to it:

1 or 2 tbl's unsweetened choc powder
1 or 2 tbl's agave syrup
1/4 -1/2  tsp ghee

stir together until blended and eat!  or add chopped almonds or walnuts or dates... or spread on some compliant type of food!  

Quoted from Mayflowers

There's a bar at the health food store that's sugar free and I can't figure out how they sweeten it but it's to die for. I think it's called Coco Via?? I'm not sure. I'll buy another one and let you know.

Ok, first of all this is weird, because I'm quoting myself, but I had to report that:

I FOUND IT! Today it was nice and I walked to my health food store where I work and there it was! It's called
Choco perfection! Sugar free, gluten free, 55% cocoa, low glycemic Net, 2 grams of carb per barIt was rough, but someone had to find it   Hopefully I can still have chocolate next week...

Mayflowers, that sounded so good I did a google search and came up with the following review:

http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/reviews-candy.html

I'd like to get a look at the ingredients, but otherwise it sounds pretty good! I might order some just to try. Thanks for the headsup

it says made with "ogliofructose (a natural high fiber sweetener – not the same as fructose), and erythritol"

Anybody hear of these new sweetners?

Well, an update:  I ran out of the Ghirardelli 100% cocoa content chocolate bar, finally.  A little goes a looooooooooong way.  I really got into adding it to my oatmeal.  Only thing is, while I normally don't add sweetener to anything, I find that when it comes to oatmeal, I need a lot of sweetener, and when it comes to oatmeal with unsweetened chocolate, I need even MORE.  So, I am going to try Brig's Scotch (savory) way of preparing oatmeal and I can't wait.  Me thinks it was made for me, savory-loving baby that I am.  Meanwhile, next time I buy some unsweetened chocolate, I am going to try it in chili.  I really can do the taste equivalent of visualizing how that would taste and what I'm "taste-ualizing" is very GOOD!

Another thing I did try was to make hot chocolate with the chocolate (obviously *lol*) and some sweetener and it was good.  But again, I'm not into adding sweetener to things, so I am going to try the chili next and I'll report back to base camp with my results once I do.

Enter Choco Perfection... Simple, elegant, rich chocolate in both Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate varieties. They are sweetened with a combination of ogliofructose (a natural high fiber sweetener – not the same as fructose), and erythritol. No artificial sweeteners; lots of fiber; and little risk of gastric distress.

Sugar Alcohols. The same sweetners used in South Beach diet bars.
They do have calories.  I have to be careful because I couldn't lose weight eating the South Beach diet bars back when I was trying South Beach diet. Unless it's the other avoids in them...?  

  Mayflowers,
have you had the choc unibar from NAP yet?
ingredients are all healthy!

Lola, the chocolate cherry Unibar is delicious, but to me it tastes more like a Tootsie Roll than chocolate. Not a bad thing, just not quite the same as eating a yummy decadent chocolate bar I keep Unibars in my locker at work, though. They are good as a snack or an emergency meal replacement. My coworkers think they taste terrible, which means no one steals them! It's a win/win situation

I have recently had success making my own barely-sweet blend by tempering and mixing 100% chocolate with 60% chocolate. The result is very dark, a little bitter, lovely chocolate taste, a little goes a long way! If you want a REALLY evil way to eat it, toast some almonds and dip them in the chocolate mix. (If you don't mind a slightly messy treat, let them sit until the chocolate sets, then roll them in cocoa powder.) When you're jonesing for a non-sugary chocolatey treat, pop a couple of the almonds. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven, but with much less chocolate and a lot less calories!

http://www.dadamo.com/bloggers/h/archives/00000605.htm

Quoted Text

Anybody hear of these new sweetners?

erythritol

an acquired taste indeed!

your goodies sound excellent!

also Kate s chocolate treat is worth trying!

Quoted from Lola

  Mayflowers,
have you had the choc unibar from NAP yet?
ingredients are all healthy!

Hi Lola,

I checked it out. I can't tolerate rice..

Hey All You Chocolate Lovers,

Check out this web address for Organic Raw Chocolate Powder and other products made with ROCP. The website has some interesting articles about the Cacao and how it is processed and it's ORAC value, etc.

http://www.sunfood.com

Go to Products, then Raw/organic food, then cacao/chocolate and page through all the items and ingredients. Very interesting !!!  Click on more information about the ROCP.....The price for the powder has gone up like everything else, however the 16 oz jar goes a long way at least for me, and is very good.  Look at your local HFS for the big brown jar of Raw Organic Chocolate Powder. Last year, I paid 29.95 and now it is 32.95.....Vegans use it !!!  David Wolfe wrote a book "Eating For Beauty".  It is his website....!!!  But again, I found mine at the local HFS.....!!!  

I have made a tasty treat by freezing banana, adding your appropriate beverage rice milk, milk, etc. and 1-2 Tbs. of Raw Organic Cocoa Powder.  Whip it up in a blender or magic bullet.....it's like a frozen confection or pudding.  You could also add Papaya or whatever are your superfoods...!!!

Also, you could add it to a bowl of chili, or make hot chocolate and spice it up with cayenne......!!!

Food Of The Gods

    

Ooo I could do frozen strawberries or cherries and use the cocoa..

Yes, frozen cherries, cocoa powder, agave and a tad of vanilla make a really, really nice treat.

You know, PT, back when I'd still eat semi-sweet chocolate because I liked it (and put up with the sugar; after all, it was the only sugar in my entire diet), I couldn't stand my husband's 100% cocoa bar.  He'd sit there and eat a square of it and I'd be like "that's disgusting" because I was comparing it to what I was eating.  Then I got re-serious again about giving up all sugar for the sake of the death of my Candida, but I wasn't willing to completely give up chocolate because, you know, it's...well, chocolate.  So I snitched a square of my DH's bar and sucked on it (because it's a sin to chew chocolate), making faces all the while.  I did this off and on for a few weeks, more off than on, and after a while I started looking forward to it.  Because my tastebuds were reset, eating unsweet chocolate actually became pleasant.  Now obviously I still prefer to eat it melted with agave and ghee and chopped  nuts, smeared on a rice cake, but I can now eat a square of pure chocolate and enjoy it.  I appreciate it for its purity.  Except now I've given up chocolate entirely because my nursing baby's stomach seems to be upset by it.  Carob powder, here I come!

Quoted from Ribbit

You know, PT ...Then I got re-serious again about giving up all sugar for the sake of the death of my Candida, but I wasn't willing to completely give up chocolate because, you know, it's...well, chocolate.

See, this is what I find fascinating about what we crave.  I could go my entire life without chocolate, yet potato chips are my "thing".  Ten years into the BTD/GTD lifestyle and I STILL go through "chip phases".  I just went through about a two-week one in which I kept buying this ...well, frankly, AMAZING *lol* variety by Kettle brand called "Spicy Thai" potato chips.  o.  m.  g.  And of course I have to have the the dip-type item to have them with (especially with these because they weren't kidding when they named them spicy!), be it the superfood-laden tuna salad or something more sinful like the health food store's smoked salmon and cream cheese spread (Who said that?  Certainly not that model of compliance, Twist...).  I can be as good as gold on other things but I always come back to chips periodically.  For most of my fellow women, it seems like it's chocolate.  But it seems for all of us, it's SOMETHING!

Why couldn't the something be celery?

Dang.