Back in the day I was hot chocolate junkie!! But most hot chocolate out there is just a ball of artificialness.

I really missed it so I found this great recipe helps to hit the spot. It’s somewhere between hot chocolate and chocolate pudding and meant to be sipped on.

This recipe is RICH. You won’t need a lot of it to get your fill! I’ve used mint in this recipe, but you could get a little crazy and use different extracts for different flavors.

Ingredients

· 2 1/4 cups milk (almond OR coconut milk)

· 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

· 1/4 cup sugar

· 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch (be as exact as possible or the texture will be weird)

· 6 fresh mint leaves

· 1/2 tsp mint extract

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk often.

2. Cook until it begins to boil. Whisking constantly.

3. Once the mixture boils, remove it from heat to serve.

4. (Optional) Remove the mint leaves before serving and either throw them out or put them on the top so you don’t end up finding them unexpectedly in the cup.

The post OMG! The Best Hot Chocolate Ever! appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Dr Lukas Van Oudenhove works at the University of Leuven, in Belgium. He led a team of scientists in a research project to see what the emotional reactions that humans have to food. 12 healthy volunteers had their brain waves monitored as they were shown both sad and neutral images, and as they listened to neutral and sad music.

Those test subjects then were given either fatty acids or saline. The volunteers were not told which of these 2 chemicals they were receiving. When showed sad images or played emotionally dreary music, those who consumed fatty acids were shown to be 50% happier and upbeat than those who received saline.

And those findings mirror the evidence found in countless studies of the relationship between food and mood. There is a definite link. Eating is usually accompanied by some type of aroma. 

The smell of green apples can actually help alleviate headaches, because it works on your brain’s…
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Coconut actually calms down your “fight or flight” response, and lowers your heart rate.
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 This soothing feeling is also delivered by peppermint, which can be added to your foods to help limit your feelings of hunger as well.

Candy bars and other sweets are good for you,

naturally unprocessed dark chocolate reduces your levels of cortisol.
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That is the hormone most directly linked with causing stress, so you feel less anxious and more at ease with just a small bite of chocolate.

Unfortunately the way your brain responds to fatty foods, which we mentioned earlier, is also triggered when you eat an abundance of carbohydrates or starches. Your system slows down, you feel relaxed and content, and you may even want to take a nap.

There are foods which make you feel calm and peaceful without any negative consequences, like green…
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Just be careful to limit the amount of fats, starches and carbohydrates you get in your diet, because these “feel good” foods can lead to obesity, heart problems and other health risks.

Wanna learn how to listen to your body and beat emotional eating” Click here for your Emotional Eating Action Guide.

The post Why Does Eating Feel Soothing’ appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Cocoa powder is a great way to help with that chocolate craving without adding a lot of calories. Of course you need a bit of sweetness to go with it which is why this recipe also includes bananas and a bit of coconut! These are a favorite at parties and with kids as well. They take minutes to make so you’ll want to keep the ingredients on hand after the first time you make them.

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp. toasted coconut
• (Optional) Chocolate syrup for drizzle

Instructions

1. Put the cocoa powder on one small plate and the coconut on another.
2. Cut the banana in several thick slices. Cut at a 45 degree angle to create longer slices.
3. Roll the outside edges in the cocoa powder. Shake the excess off carefully.
4. Dip the top and bottom in the toasted coconut.
5. If there is any remaining coconut, sprinkle it on the top of the slices.
6. (Optional) Drizzle a little bit of chocolate syrup over the top.

Here are 2 other tips

I love me some Isadelights. Just 2 give you just the sweet treat you need.

I also use this cocoa powder

The post Chocolate Coconut Banana Snacks appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.