not native fruit

home-made low-sugar dark chocolate treat for New Year's

I have to avoid high sugar and high fat, and even though dark chocolate candy seems to feed my sweet tooth with minimum damage to my sugar issues, I wanted to see if I could improve on what I was buying at the store.  Almost everything - if I eat enough of it - seems to get too sweet, and I also hoped I might improve on the fat content.  What I've come up with is definitely better in the sugar department - xylitol is supposed to be the best sweetener for people concerned with diabetes - and I'm going to keep working on the fat issue, and will keep you updated on that.  Here's the extremely simple recipe, something you can whip up in your own kitchen in five to ten minutes:

DARK CHOCOLATE PANES

Melt a 3.5 ounce package of Ghirardelli's (or brand of your choice) unsweetened baking chocolate in a double boiler, add 2-3 Tablespoons of Xylitol crystals and when it cools slightly, add 1 tsp vanilla extract - this will cause the chocolate to thicken slightly.  Spread the mixture with a large spoon on a sheet of wax paper on a cool surface in your kitchen.  I usually shape it into a square, to your desired thickness - I like it to be as thin as possible, and before it cools, score it or slice it with a butter knife into squares or whatever shapes you desire. I usually dot mine with walnut bits, but you can decorate or adorn the panes as you like.  Allow it to cool thoroughly - the more thoroughly cooled the harder and more brittle the candy will be.

Enjoy!  And Happy New Year!

crimson christmas

We've had an unusually colorful Christmas season this year due to the combination of drought and a couple of cold snaps.  Normally rain and wind would have denuded all the trees on our streets that aren't evergreen, but this year almost every neighborhood was decked out in crimson.

 

 

 

 

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW (Ionian, arranged by km)

(chord notation is: base string/middle string/ treble string; strum pattern is of your own choosing; unless otherwise noted the base and middle string remain the same)

[0/0/0] Oh, [0] the [7] weath – [7] er [6] out – [5] side [4] is [2/0/3] fright- [0] ful,

[0] but [0] the [4] fire [3] is [4] so [3] de – [1/0/2] light – [0] ful.

[1/0/1] and [0/6/8] since [8] we’ve [7] no [6] place [5] to [3/0/4] go,

[8/0/9] let [8/0/8] it [8/0/7] snow, [5/0/7] let [5/0/6] it [5/0/5] snow, [4/0/5] let [4/0/4] it [4/0/3] snow.

(Chorus:)
[1/0/2] When [3] we [4] fi- [5-4] nally [2] say [4/0/7] good-[4] night,

[4/0/2] how [4] I’ll [3] hate [3] to [2] go [1] out [1/0/0] in [1] the [2] storm

[1/0/2]but [3] if [4] you [5-4] really [2] hold [4/0/7] me [4] tight,

[7] all [6+] the [5] way [5] home [6+]I’ll [7] be [8/6+/8]warm.

(Verses:)
It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I brought some corn for popping;
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,
But as long as you love me so.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

local animal tiles

  I found these tiles at the Royal Cafe on San Pablo Avenue in Albany, right next door to Berkeley.  Breakfast or lunch at the Royal Cafe are gr-r-reat! 

They have more tiles of animals, not all members of the Chinese 12, and I hope to post their Rooster tile soon.  Pictured to the left is their PIG, and below, a HORSE.  These tiles are hand-painted.

If you have any photos of any of the 12 Chinese Animals - Mouse (Rat), Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig - please send them to the email address in the side-bar, and I will publish them with an acknowledgement of you on my new blog:Birthday Safari Twelve Animals.

sound familiar?

the great way is easy,
yet people prefer the side paths.
be aware when things are out of balance.
stay centered within the dao.

when rich speculators prosper
while farmers lose their land;
when governement officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn -
all this is robbery and chaos.
it is not in keeping with the dao.