"LIKE A COW" - say it like that,

 and stand up!

CACAO that's its real name - not the bastardised Cocoa version - that's for the Englishmen of old who couldn't speak properly while retaining their upper lips stiffened then kindly left us with a confused legacy of cocoa/coco.  It's cuckoo - and it still gets me too.  Coco is for coconut, Cacao is for chocolate (Cocoa is cooked and refined and yes it still has antioxidants and health benefits, providing you select quality) - but!

CACAO IS ALWAYS BETTER - so if I say chocolate - this is what I mean.

 Check out those  fruits growing straight off the trunk!

Cut them in half to reveal the cacao bean inside.  David Wolfe recommends growing Cacao as an indoor plant in Perth - does anyone have any viable seed?

And it's raw - heated under 43* Celsius to retain the nutrients.

There's bucket-loads of info on raw cacao online - I'm about MAKING STUFF - so go googling for info.

All right - I admit, I'm also known to be pedantic with a penchant for pronunciation,  spelling and punctuation but that's completely irrelevant here,

although tangents are fun.

SO

I have a chocolate/raw cacao workshop coming up on April 3rd

and I've been playing a lot in preparation for it

and making silly, impractical things like 

white chocolate zombie skulls with mango jam and walnut brains

and easy and delicious things like cacao mousse, berry pie, brownies, superfood balls and smoothies.

So if you're coming to the Cacao class and have novelty silicone ice trays - bring them!

we'll fill them with things like:

*goji/coconut (better than cherry ripe)

*mango jam

*activated nuts

*crunchy minted buckwheat

*any other delights that pop in between now and then - any requests?

Remember these are all gluten, dairy, cane-sugar and additive free

so you can indulge virtuously,

Naturally!

Tizzy Cucumbers

TIZZY CUCUMBERS AND OTHER FANCY BITS

This is a catchup post of snacks, meals and sweets from 2010 - I've been renovating the kitchen to get ready to run workshops in 2011 so I've been a bit too caught up to post regularly - So here's what I've been hanging on to:

Tizzy Cucumbers - filled with a macadamia/capsicum dip, coriander and black olives for the annual Egg Nog Post Xmas party A.K.A  Noggfest.

The same combo filled zucchini slices as rollups at the houseconcert / pool party the next night (no pic)

I just really like this watercress, banana and mango smoothie going crazy in the vitamix.  Yeah watercress! I'd wondered what to do with it overtaking the exfish pond.

Another garden produce smoothie - pomegranate, apple and banana in front of Gerry's Pomegranate painting in the background.

 Raw Curry - I liked it - I'll work on it until I love it.

Minted Carrot Mountain

 This one's too easy - grated carrot, soaked sultanas (use ginger juice and water, or just water, or vinegar, or lemon juice) and shredded mint with a little salt.  It's easy, delicious and filling and lasts a few days in the fridge.  Raw nuts give it some good crunch too - cashews, almonds or peanuts if you eat them.

 The next two "pastas" are variations on the same theme - it keeps things interesting rather than eating the same thing over and over - give it a new costume.

 Zucchini 'ravioli'  black olive nut cheese filling, marinated mushroom sauce and tomato/basil side.

 The above veges, and thinly sliced pumpkin were layered in a container here, and a red velvet sauce was made in the vitamix from jicama, red caps, sundried toms, a few dates, a carrot and some herbs to make

Lasagne

Weight the container down for a few hours, then slice with a sharp knife, decorate with sliced mushrooms.

These cakes are all variations on Raw Cacao and Berry combinations.

Wishing a wonderful 2011 to everyone,
Martine