Eternal Cheesecake

I love sweet!

But after a short conversation with some friends at a vegan dine-out, it became apparent that my palate has been desensitized.

We were eating a yummy bean pudding desert when I happily remarked that it wasn’t so sweet. They laughed as they had just said to each other that it was too sweet, though I didn’t hear them in the moment. They have been vegan for many years, and Sean began to speak about how much pleasure he’d get from the natural sweetness of eating an apple. I don’t think I’m there yet, but it gave me pause.

In any case, sweeteners fascinate me. I used to only know about white sugar, brown sugar and honey. Now, my world has exploded. Madhava agave nectar is a favorite. Dates are divine. Carob molasses was a treasure to find.

I just ran across this article called “Essential Sugars” which lucidly educated me on the chemical nature of sugars, what they do to the body, and how some are actually essential and highly beneficial.

Have you ever thought to make your own chocolate? A friend, Kelly, recently posted something about her appreciation for chocolate, and that lead to me to say:

Chocolate definitely deserves more general praise! I just learned how to make my own variety from the basic ingredients and am delighted

She wanted to know if it was difficult. I said:

Well, I don’t start with the cacao nibs, but I do start with a big block of callebaut unsweetened dark chocolate, which is inedible, then I scrape off what I want, add some honey and cinnamon, and voila!, semi-home-made chocolate to my tastes

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