Raw Cacao versus Processed Cocoa
You say “COCOA”, I say “CACAO”. Same thing? Not exactly.
Cacao is chocolate in it’s purest form. Cacao beans are found in fleshy, oval shaped pods on cacao trees. Once harvested, the beans are fermented and dried. Cacao is raw, unprocessed and contains no sugar, additives, or preservatives. It has not been exposed to heat and is loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients like iron and magnesium.
Cocoa is the processed version of cacao. Cocoa powder has been roasted at high temperatures and usually contains sugar and preservatives. The roasting process, which reduces the natural bitterness, is thought to destroy the intense nutritional benefits in raw cacao.
While raw cacao and processed cocoa offer some of the same benefits, cacao is more nutritionally dense since it’s less processed. Same goes for most of the other fruits & veggies in your diet - the closer they are to their purest form, the more nutrients they contain!
What can raw cacao do for you:
- Boosts mood (thanks to anandamide)
- Improves brain function (thanks to magnesium)
- Promotes a healthy heart, reducing risk of cancer (thanks to antioxidants)
- Balances blood sugar levels (thanks to chromium)
- Improves metabolism (thanks to B vitamins)
Not Your Sugar Mamas chocolate is FULL of the good stuff: organic raw cacao, organic raw cacao butter, all non-GMO, and gluten and dairy free. So... what are you waiting for!?
Make Merry with Holiday MOCKTAILS!!!
Shelf stable treats now available!
We’ve got shelf stable treats for you guys! Pictured here are our seashell chocolates with different types of delicious nuts on the inside, we have “turtles” (a personal favorite) and ginger chia chocolate cups. We have different types of bark and of course our always delicious baked goods. We are very excited to offer you guys shelf stable treats so that you don’t have to worry about them melting on these hot summer days. When you come to our stores you have the option now of getting an assorted box of chocolates, a perfect gift! Come check them out and let us know what you think. We want to incorporate as many local ingredients as we can into our new truffles so if you have any suggestions be sure to let us know. See you soon!
Incredible offerings at our retail locations!
Okay so most of you have come to know us from our delicious chocolate bars. But since opening our second retail location this year, we’ve really expanded what we have to offer you all. Like, really expanded. We recently hired a baker named Julianna and we absolutely love her and all that she has created! She is an incredibly inspired and passionate baker who spent weeks researching delicious new recipes to provide for you all. Everyday we walk in the store she has created not just one but many new wonderful creations! Things like snickerdoodles, banana bread muffins, chocolate coconut scones, coffee cake, strawberry orange bread, chocolate dandy biscotti, chocolate avocado pie and cranberry walnut biscotti…just to name a few. We are so blessed to have Julianna, Elise, Blair, Evan and Elizabeth all helping us with production this year. Stop by Vineyard Haven to see one of their bright shining faces or stop by our Edgartown store and meet Sarah or Jenny who hold down the fort over there. We now have extended hours, 7:00am-7pm in Vineyard Haven and 7:30-10pm in Edgartown. Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone and we hope see you all soon!
Cacao as a mineral supplement?
Ahoy fellow humans! In pondering over today’s newsletter topic, I thought to myself, “Have I ever dedicated an entire blog to just cacao??” No I have not. And if I have please send me the link and remind me. Why not learn even more about the food and inspiration behind starting Not Your Sugar Mamas? In my eyes, cacao is the king of all superfoods. It is such a complex and beautiful food. I remember the first time I ate raw cacao, my whole world changed. I felt jazzed in a way that only raw cacao can make you feel. I couldn’t believe that I had been consuming chocolate that was processed my whole life. To process cacao is just plain offensive if you ask me. Taking away the beauty and the nutritious offerings that it has to offer is just blasphemy! My favorite cacao advocate is a man named David Wolfe. His enthusiasm and knowledge of cacao is contagious, so I thought I would share with you a video from David talking about cacao. The man really knows how to do the food justice in a way that no one else can. So please enjoy the following video and share your thoughts/experiences of eating raw cacao below! Have the best week ever.
Click here to watch the video and learn more about cacao and it's amazing-ness!
Bennett
{Dinner} & {Desert} inspired to save you from the flu & cheer up the winter blues.
For me, everything lately has been "anti-flu". My boyfriend got it, so I've been determined not to. After reading this article on Mind, Body, Green about how to avoid the Flu Shot naturally, I was inspired to make tonights creation, incorporating the main natural fighters of the flu - ginger (boost immunity), garlic (anti-bacterial), turmeric (anti-inflamatory), and lemon (vitamin C). I wanted to feel warm, satisfied, and nourished so I went with a nice hearty meal of organic chicken, roasted root vegetables, and a warm leafy green salad. For dessert, I was in the mood for something really really creamy, so I made some raw chocolate pudding. It was delicious and I feel wonderful today as I write this!
P.S. I've gotten the question a few times at Not Your Sugar Mamas, if I am raw or vegan because most of our products are - and the truth is I don't have a label for how I eat. When I did eat a strict diet, I would look at other peoples food and think it was gross or if I wanted something that was outside of my realm, I would feel bad about myself. In turn, I felt uncomfortable eating around other people and felt sad and confused because I love the experience of eating. Through time, and learning different approaches to nutrition, I found that eating a plant based diet, rich in whole foods works work best for me, and I do eat meat and dairy when I feel like it, and I enjoy it when I do. And I almost always have dessert :) Here is a cute article about a 93 year old couple who was asked after celebrating their 69th wedding anniversary, what the keys to happiness are, the husband recommended "You need to enjoy life, eat sweets." I think so too, hehe.
The Dinner
Roasted Organic Chicken with green apple, with curried sweet potato and parsnip fries, with a warm red swiss chard salad with fennel, cherry tomatoes and flax seeds. (no dairy or gluten)
Organic Chicken thighs with roasted green apple: Preheat oven to 375. Toss chicken thighs with oregano, a touch of safflower oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Flip sides. Take out apple, cut in half and place in oven. Cook for another 15 or until golden brown and cooked through and apple is mushy.
organic chicken thighs
1 or two green apples
oregano
Ingredients: sweet potatoes & parsnips - cut into fries
1 tablespoon curry
cinnamon
minced garlic
minced ginger
safflower oil
Warm Swiss Chard Salad: Cook on low to medium heat. Saute garlic with coconut oil, add fennel, swiss chard and tomatoes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt. Be sure to keep moving the chard around coating it with the oil. It is done when soft and still green. When close to done add squeeze of a lemon. Top with flax seeds.
red chard
fennel
coconut oil
garlic
lemon
Chicken Broth
If you want an idea for the leftover chicken - throw the bones in a pot with more than enough water to cover them. Throw in some salt, garlic, oregano. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 45 minutes to an hour. Drain the meat, bones and you've got some organic chicken broth!!
The Dessert, or "Postre" en mi casa
For dessert, I've was craving something really, really creamy. This chocolate pudding recipe is really something. I made enough to have the next day. I experimented with some "whipped cream" too. Pair them together and you've got yourself a delightfully rich and creamy dessert. Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, help ease digestion, reduce inflammation, and improve joint health and skin tone. They also help make this dish creamy without egg or dairy. I used our BE SMOOTH mix because it has raw cacao, plus spirulina (green superfood) and maca (adptogenic herb) to give me some extra antioxidants to keep me healthy.
While I was living in Spain - every lunchtime meal or "menu del dia" included a "postre", it was never a big portion or even heavy, (sometimes it was a baked apple or a fresh squeeze orange juice), so I became accustomed to liking something a little sweet after every meal. It also kept me at the table longer to relax and digest my meal. I hope you enjoy this treat!
Raw chocolate pudding: Soak chia seeds with 1.5 cups of coconut milk, coconut flakes, maple syrup and vanilla. Put to the side.
Mix arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
In a small pan, melt the coconut oil, cacao butter, add the BE SMOOTH or RAW CACAO on low. Add coconut palm sugar. Stir constantly. In a blender, blend the coconut milk mixture. Leave 1/4 cup to the side (for whipped cream). Slowly add the remaining coconut mixture to warm chocolate mixture on stove. Mix on low for a bit. When thoroughly mixed, add the arrowroot mixture. Stir on low for a few more minutes. Pour into jars. Put in fridge for a few hours. Serve chilled.
Whipped cream: Use remaining 1/4 coconut mixture and blend with drained, soaked cashews. Put in jar and to the side. Serve chocolate pudding with a dollip of whipped cream!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup BE SMOOTH
1/2 cup RAW COCONUT PALM SUGAR
1 tablespoon chia seed
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can coconut milk (not half fat, but full fat)
1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao butter
1/4 cup coconut flakes
2 tablespoons cashews - soaked 10 minutes
6 tablespoons arrowroot powder
Don't forget about YOU this holiday season
Let's face it, the holidays are commonly a time when we eat too much.
There is that uncomfortable time during the meal where we have to adjust our pants because we’ve gone overboard. And then the next few days we might resort to wearing our “fat” pants because we feel so much heavier...
Let’s first remember that the holidays are a time to be with our family and loved ones and that being amongst their company is the most important thing of all. We tend to seek fulfillment from the food that is in front of us, when really we can feed ourselves from the love that surrounds us all.Keeping this in mind, there is no reason to not let yourself enjoy healthy and delicious treats during this time of celebration without the uncomfortable switching of the pants. Our most important ingredient is love, so you will be getting plenty of that on and off your plate when youconsume our treats. When you take care of yourself first, when you ensure your own happiness, then your loved ones will benefit because you will have more love to give.
Our idea of a triple decker treat = ”The Gift that Keeps on Giving”. You will receive a tri-found package of (1) chocolate bars & hot chocolate mix for Xmas, followed by our (2) full line of Smoothie mixes for a healthy New Years and then (3) another package comes to you on Valentine’s Day. Fill yourself up with love and care with this ultimate package and you will have more to give away.
By Bennett Coffey
Holistic Health Counselor
