Heart of Cooking

Lately it’s been feeling a lot like winter – wintry flurries the past few days, off and on.  Nothing is sticking yet for very long, but it makes me want to stay inside and nurse a cup of hot cocoa.

But forget Swiss Miss. Here is a recipe that is healthy for you and will bring you back to those childhood snow days when you had hot cocoa.

It’s main ingredient is raw milk. But if you can’t drink milk, even raw milk, just substitute with your favorite non-dairy milk.  Almond, rice, hemp would all work great.

Sorry, no picture.  Everytime I think to take a picture, the mug is already half gone.  Mmmmm.

Hot Raw Cacao Warmer
Servings:  1

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups raw milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk like almond, rice or hemp

1 Tbsp. raw cacao powder

1 Tbsp. maple syrup or agave nectar

Steps:

1. Put the milk, raw cacao, and maple syrup in a small saucepan and heat on low-med heat.  With a whisk, stir the milk until the raw cacao blends into the milk.  If using raw milk, take care not to let it reach over 110 degrees.  You can test it with your finger as you stir to see when it has reached a warm but not scalding temperature.
2. That’s it.  Pour into your mug and enjoy the warm cocoa that tastes just like hot cocoa without the side affects!

This recipe is based on The Raw Milk Warmer in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  Her’s is slightly different because she adds nutritional yeast, vanilla extract and chocolate syrup.  I like mine a bit simpler but you can play around with these ingredients as well.

enjoy!

I have created this website and the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner as resources for people who have allergies or sensitivities to dairy, gluten and soy products.  So it may seem a bit paradoxical at first that I am writing about and promoting the use of raw milk.  However, my hope is that by writing about this somewhat taboo and controversial topic that people who read it will learn the amazing qualities and attributes of this somewhat hidden and healthful food.

It took me a long time to wrap my brain around the possibilities that raw milk holds for people who are “lactose intolerant,” including myself.  The first time I remember hearing about it’s healthful properties was from my chiropractor in Solano Beach, CA.  He basically said that I might want to try it since he knew I couldn’t drink regular pasteurized milk.

Well, that was at least four years ago and I didn’t start drinking it until recently.  It obviously took some convincing on my part to be open to something which has been claimed to be wrought with bacteria and diseases.  Plus, I never liked milk growing up so why start now?

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