My Happy V-Day to you ~ Very Potent Love Raw Chocolate Potion Mayan Style.

(Psst... Recipe is at the end ;-)

Enjoy!

The Inspiration

Since it's V-Day, I thought it would be appropriate to create something that inspires passion physical energy, since physical activity (of any kind;-) is one of the best ways to increase serotonin, the feel good chemical released by your brain. So I set out to create a delicious energy boosting drink packed with quick burning fuel. And as always, made with my Everyday Pantry Ingredients, because I LOVE convenience ;-)

Chocolate LOVES...Cinnamon and Cayenne...And I love the Mayans For Discovering Chocolate

To honour Central American cultures' discovery of cacao I chose to keep the flavour profile of chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne - a traditional spice combination used in Mexican cuisine. While it may seem counter intuitive to add cayenne to chocolate, they are very much in LOVE, and makes for hot deliciousness. It just so happens that cinnamon helps your body to balance blood sugar meaning it helps to provide sustained energy, and is also known to be a natural aphrodisiac. Cayenne increases blood circulation, and is very stimulating ;-)

Practical side note - I always have cinnamon and cayenne pepper in my pantry. These are two of five spices I recommend in my Everyday Pantry Shopping List, since they are some among the most common and versatile spices. Both cinnamon and cayenne are used in cuisines such as Mediterranean, North African, Indian and Mexican, so are sure to give your whole plant-based lifestyle variety (and passion!) with the convenience of only having a few spices on hand. Ta da!!

Fall in Love with Yourself with these Make-You-Feel-Good Ingredients

Since it's Valentine's Day, I figured I would add as many make-you-feel-good ingredients into the potion as possible, because after all, the most important person to love is yourself :-)  Instead consuming sugar-ey "treats" that cause free radical damage, and contribute to mood swings, and often make you feel bloated..yuck! I used Medjool dates as a healthy sweetener with a bit of alkalizing organic green Stevia from Suede Hills Farm. If you use Green Steiva  in small amounts with another healthy sweetener like dates, you are able to reduced the amount of healthy simple carbohydrate sources (while they are healthy for you, moderation is still important!) to give you a good dose of healthy alkalizing sweetness.

For a non-dairy milky taste, I used hemp seeds: an alkaline and easy to digest protein that also provides omega-3 fatty acids. Most people are deficient in O3s. These healthy fats you give the glow on the inside and out as they necessary for proper brain function in that they promote positive moods and vital to the health of your cell membranes and contribute to healthy looking skin and much more.

And a dash of Libido Enhancing, Stamina Increasing Maca

I included maca powder as optional ingredient because it doesn't add to the taste of the the love potion. It actually goes well in this drink because the cacao does a good jog at hiding the maca taste. And maca can be a difficult ingredient to find. Although you can easily get Maca in Vancouver at Organic Lives and Whole Foods. So why bother? Well, maca is a super superfood that I think is worth it. Maca is high in protein, has anti-stress properties, balances hormones, and as mentioned above increases libido and stamina: Click here to read more :-)

With lots of PEA aka the Love Molecule!

This is my favourite info-take-aways from Janice's class. PEA is a molecule that increases in your body when you are in love or sexually aroused and is also found in cacao. The other PEA containing food is blue green algae produced by E3 Live (also available at Organic Lives and Whole Foods) and contributes to balanced your emotions, makes you feel calm and positive because it contains an amino acid called L-phenylalanine. I use this all the time and have experienced first hand the benefits of this stuff. The best part? Chocolate LOVES...E3 Live. So the addition of E3 Live to the potion was a no-brainer. If this is not a recipe for a love potion then I don't know what is :-)

PEA is also an appetite suppressant. Perhaps this love molecule is the secret behind the French Paradox and their joie de vivre. I have noticed that incorporating a small amount of rich delicious tasting chocolate incredibly satiating - so I do not need to eat as much to feel satisfied. Another reason to incorporate raw cacao into the everyday (in moderation of course!)

So here is my recipe for the ultimate Potent Love Potion to make you feel good and inspire passionate energy. And if you want to make it extra extra potent, enjoy it with that special someone ;-)

A Very Potent Love Potion

1 cup filtered water
5 Medjool Dates (if they are hard pre-soak for 30 minutes)
1/2 cup hemp seeds, (you can also substitute with soaked cashews)
2 tsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp raw organic cacao powder (you can increase if you want your drink to be rich)
1 tbsp cinnamon
pinch of cayenne (you can adjust amount to suit your personal preferences, know that a little bit goes a long way!)
3/4 tsp Suede Hills Green Organic Stevia
pinch sun dried sea salt

Optional Highly Recommended Ingredients*

1 tbsp E3 Live - To increases PEA the love molecue :-)
1 tbsp mesquite powder - Makes drink more thick and rich you can try subbing with a protein powder.
1 tsp maca powder - To inhance libido, increase stamina and balance hormones. You can add more for increased potency ;-) But your drink may not taste as good.

*These are optional because they are hard to find, are more $ and do not add much to the taste of the potion. They are very important for the nutritional potency of the elixir ;-)

Optional Garnish: Cinnamon and Goji Berries

Method

(1) Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
(2) Serve in a wine glass and sprinkle with cinnamon and decorate goji berries.

Variations: You can add more or less water and raw organic cacao depending on the richness you desire ;-) If you add more cacao you may need to add more of a healthy sweetener to balance increased bitterness.

Bon Appetit!