A little fun in the kitchen!

I looked around my kitchen a few days ago and smiled...
The items that sit on my counters and fill my cabinets nowadays are such a far cry from what took up counter space just two years ago! 

 I thought it would be fun to share some of the things I now incorporate into my healthier life that were quite unfamiliar to me just a few years ago. 

Here's a chocolate bark recipe that I made recently!
It's very simple, don't let the directions fool you.... This is an example of my having a kitchen that is stocked so differently these days. I saw a recipe similar to this and thought it looked great to take to a gathering I was attending. I was happy to find that I had all the ingredients already, even though I don't make many dessert recipes. I've learned over the past couple years how important it is to me to have a wide variety of dried ingredients on hand as well as all the fruits and veggies that fell my fridge. This way when the mood strikes or I want to prepare something yummy for friends, I can easily whip something up!

Amazing Chocolate Bark!

If you don't have all the dry ingredients ~ be creative!!

chocolate ingredients

 2 cups cacao paste

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup good quality maple syrup

Dry Ingredients

 1 tbsp maca powder

 1 tbsp mesquite powder

  dash cinnamon

  2 droppers full vanilla creme sweet leaf stevia

 1 tsp vanilla bean powder

 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt  (optional)   I did not care for it.......

Additions

a handful of each  (more to taste!)

goji berries

raisins

walnut pieces

dried coconut flakes

cut up pieces of dried mango

whatever else sounds good!

Directions

Fill a large pot 1/4 of the way up with water  

place the 3 chocolate ingredients in glass measuring cup

heat water on low and sit measuring cup in the water to melt ingredients

layer bottom of any glass dish with a little of the "additions"

pour 1/2 the chocolate over it and repeat

top with dried coconut 

 freeze for 15 minutes or longer

Enjoy!!