Chocolate Bliss

I discovered an awesome little spice shop in Evanston a few weeks ago called Spice House. Walking into the place is a safari for the spices. They have the most wonderful rubs for meats, herbs de Provence that smells as if the herbs were just picked from the French countryside, and a “Dutched” chocolate that can invoke Nirvana with one sniff.

They also have multiple varieties of vanilla and for a girl who grew up in the country believing that vanilla was what you had when chocolate wasn’t available, discovering true vanilla was a life changing experience. Spice House sells multiple variations of vanilla including extracts from Mexico, Tahiti, and Madagascar. Opening the bottles is like a trip to a far off place that’s full of all the goodness on earth. If the vanilla extract is eye opening, the vanilla sugar is pure bliss. Imagine pure cane sugar mixed with pure vanilla extract and vanilla beans. Opening the jar is an ecstatic experience and this bliss can be eaten right out of the jar. I bought a jar and poured a little into my hand to sample it and was hooked. The sugar has a course texture and rolling it around on my tongue, I knew what decadence really was as I let the sugar dissolve on my tongue and the vanilla flavor explode into my mouth. I bought one jar of this heaven and have yet to cook with it as the flavor is addictive right out of the jar.

Chocolate and vanilla is as a potent combination. The sultry silkiness of the dutched chocolate combined with the sweetness of the vanilla creates heaven on earth. After a little experimenting, I discovered the absolute perfect recipe for hot chocolate. I take about six ounces of milk, two ounces of heavy cream, 3/4 tbs of dutched chocolate, a tbs of sugar, and a drizzle of vanilla paste. I heat it all up until it is the perfect drinking temperature and pour it into a coffee mug. Before I sip it down, I take some time to savor the sweet and tantalizing fragrance and then I sip the ambrosia. This incredible hot chocolate puts me in a very mellow and relaxed mood and helps me to sleep very deeply.
This morning I made the mistake of making my special brew before work thinking it help me chill out and go into work relaxed. And it did put me in a mellow mood, so mellow that it was really difficult to concentrate on the work that needed to be done. From now on, I promise to only enjoy chocolate bliss after work.

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Raine Shakti

Raine Shakti believes in living her life cairn by cairn and in helping others learn to do the same. Her day job is in the training and communications field and her best professional experiences are when she is able to empower people. She has spent the last few years reclaiming her life and her inner warrior. Part of this journey was becoming an ordained priestess with the Fellowship of Isis. Her Matron deities are Nephthys who has helped her become a true virgin woman, the Morrigan who has taught her what it means to be sovereign, and Yemaya who has taught her the strength in having a loving heart.

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