Happy Halloween Friends!
This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is cooler after the hot summer, yet we aren’t dealing with mud like the Spring Season. I have fond memories of being a young person and getting a taste of freedom on this special night. We were allowed to dress up and wonder about getting candy from strangers. We would be out after dark. This was a big deal since I was always asked to be in by the time the street lights came on. I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada became a state on October 31st, 1864, so it was also a school holiday. What! I know. It was a blast growing up there in some ways.
A little history on Halloween:
This holiday has roots in the European tradition of Samhain. A grove of sacred trees is the symbol of this day. It is the most important day of the Celtic calendar. It can be a grove of cedar, oaks, or fir. Often ceremonies were held in groves or circles of oak. Samhain marks the end and the beginning of the new year. From October 31st to November 2nd order and routine were put aside. Chaos was encouraged as a festival. Men would dress as women, women would dress as men. Farmers’ gates could be left open, and people’s horses could be left in someone else’s field. Some regions would dress in costume to blend in with the spirits that could easily cross over during this 3 day event (trick) and then offer treats to the spirits or ancestors as recognition, respect, and hope for blessings in the new year. Each region in Old Germanic times had its way of celebration. These traditions were not canonized like the bible. There was not “one way” to celebrate or “one” story to be seen as Truth. The stories changed with time and circumstances. They were meant to offer guidance and connection.
I thought I would share something from two of my favorite foods, pumpkin and cocoa.
This pumpkin hot cocoa is a cozy and comforting seasonal drink and perfect to enjoy as the weather gets colder with its aromatic warming spices.
Pumpkin hot cocoa ingredients
Whipped cream — A decadent option to finish off the hot cocoa.
2 cups milk — Any milk can be used to make hot cocoa. I like coconut.
2 tablespoons cocoa powder — Choose a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
4th cup-pumpkin puree — Make sure to choose pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice — This spice blend makes adding seasonal fall flavor to baked goods and drinks easy.
1 tablespoon maple syrup — You can add more or less based on your taste preferences. Nettle infused molasses can be substituted. This is an earlier blog.
Salt — Salt helps the flavors pop. Just a pinch is needed.
How to make pumpkin hot cocoa
Whisk together the milk, cocoa powder, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, maple syrup and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Whisk and bring to a simmer.
- Pour into mugs once hot and top with whipped cream.
If I am making a large cauldron/ pot for a gathering I will add a vanilla bean. It adds a bit more flavor.
A little about the Cocoa bean
When you think of chocolate or cacao, you may immediately think of chocolate drops wrapped in silver foil or perhaps your favorite chocolate bar or ice cream. Very few people think of a tropical tree standing erect in the sunshine while growing succulent pods that harbor a creamy mucilaginous pulp that encases many small bitter seeds. Mucilage keeps our inside juicy and healthy.
Cacao for Mood and Energy Levels
Many people are drawn to cacao, not only for the taste but also because of how it makes them feel. Widely known to be an aphrodisiac, or simply a way to woo your partner or love interest, people in the United States buy around 60 million pounds of chocolate candies during the week of Valentine’s Day. Cacao contains very small amounts of caffeine and larger amounts of theobromine which acts as a stimulant similar to caffeine. Theobromine is a bitter alkaloid that can dilate blood vessels and act as a mild diuretic.
Cacao for Heart Health
Cacao may be best known for its ability to support heart health. In western civilization this realization came to researchers who were studying the Kuna people of coastal Panama, who have surprisingly healthy hearts. While there, researchers observed the Kuna drinking a cacao beverage multiple times throughout the day. When the researchers studied the samples back in the lab they realized that cacao was rich in flavonoids that are known to support heart health.
Cacao for Supple Skin
Cacao’s antioxidants also extend their gifts to supporting healthy skin. Cocoa butter is commonly used in herbal skin preparations, such as creams and body butters, to both protect and nourish the skin. I make my face cream with cocoa butter and love the consistency and benefits it provides. It moisturizes all day and looks good under my tinted sunscreen.
I’ll be heading to a gathering of friends this evening. We will surround the fire and talk of times behind us and what’s to come. I wish everyone here a moment to remember the ones that positively effected their lives. Anyone who extended the apple branch to help you move forward in life or brought presence to something best put down and not carried on. Walk into your dark places and embrace the learning, honor when it wasn’t. (Sometimes things just suck with no grander meaning.) Leave those ghosts behind.
All Hallows Blessings Friends
Love
Chrystal