{Our Liz & Telepathy + AMAZING Chocolate Recipe!}

When our Liz came to visit us in December, she had a PERFECT gift for me. Sheer Telepathy... she and I LOVE red beets. So naturally she picked out a perfect high end linen & silk table runner with red beets on it; made in Israel. She must have gotten to know me very well over the past 43 years... Just look at the photos as this will reveal some AMAZING Chocolate Recipe (listed below). HOW did Liz KNOW?! When scrolling down you will learn more about this silk table runner...

The pure linen & silk table runner with the beets. Well, I made the beets into a romantic Valentine's Day setting for both of us to indulge in. A French Point A La Ligne rose candle for setting the mood.

My favorite rose silver flatware from Germany, see Johanna Gehrlein's book about it named: Rosen-Bestecke.

AMAZING Chocolate hearts presented on an Italian heart shaped plate...

A better view of the gorgeous high end linen & silk table runner from Liz Vedder...

Beets and Chocolate? 

Read on to discover an AMAZING Chocolate recipe!

Heart healthy and great for diabetes type 2.

The lovely 1950 Rose Silver pattern is stamped AMD 800. It is from Adam Manns & Sohn from Dörnigheim near Hanau, Germany. Information can be found on page 88 in Johanna Gehrlein's informative Rose Silverware book. Link is shown already in text above.

Yummy chocolate heart, dusted with cocoa; moist and rich ̶ though LOW Calorie! 

AMAZING recipe follows below!

Our own concoction of a heart healthy chocolate/coffee, named CHOCOF. Made of Dutch processed cocoa, mixed with decaf instant coffee and milk powder.

Look at the rose detail on the spoon...

Pastry server in AMD 800 silver Rose Pattern from Adam Manns & Sohn, Germany.

Detail of the upscale linen and silk runner, with meticulous stitching...

It is hilarious but because Liz LOVES red beets so much (as I  do!) she got this runner and obviously the sales person had no clue about what she was selling to her. 

These are the 'SUPERFOOD' pomegranate fruits!

Got a comment from a dear bloggerfriend: Ger from Hoorn Des Overvloeds

THANKS GER!

Liz did present this lovely linen & silk table runner in a clever window-bag.

Hand made in Israel

Love the label with the appropriate markings for linen and silk as well as cleaning instructions etc.

This was published in the April 2011, Costco Connection

Photo by Kritsada Photography

Way below, I've typed the recipe as well, so you can use the translator for other languages.

It is heart healthy and excellent for diabetes type 2 patients; without any sugar.

Both, Pieter and I were impressed by its taste! 

Baked on Sunday afternoon, I had to let it cool down and only on Monday the photos got made by daylight.

Guess that I did even lower the 62 mg of sodium by using Trader Joe's 1 mg sodium French beets, instead of the canned varieties with10% sodium!

TIP: when blending the ingredients don't add the whole-wheat pastry flour (Whole Foods) right away but put it atop the red beans and beets so it will not stay behind in the bottom of the blender.

I used the French Demarle puffed heart shaped silicon form for a half size sheet pan. The full sheet size is available on line: Flexipan Puffed Heart. 

Red Velvet Chocolate Squares

Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

½ cup chopped canned beets, drained

7 ounces (about 1 cup) canned red beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup liquid egg substitute

3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour

¾ cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons natural red food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the beets, cocoa powder, egg substitute and flour in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.

Add he agave nectar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and food coloring. 

Process until all of the ingredients are combined, about 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. Turn down the temperature of the oven to 300 and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a little bit of soft batter clinging to it. It should not come out clean ̶ if it does, it's overcooked.

Let the cake cool completely in the baking dish on a wire rack. Then put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When it's cold, cut it into 12 squares and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 12 bars (106 calories each).

Tip: I've experimented with these squares many times in my kitchen. What I discovered is that, unlike most baked items, these squares taste best after being refrigerated for at least 3 hours. Chilling the bars coalesces the flavor and stabilizes the texture. Enjoy them cold, and you'll enjoy them more.

Per serving (each bar): 106 calories, 1.5 g fat (1 g sat/0 g mono/0 g poly), 2.5 mg cholesterol, 62 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.

♥♥

Wishing each of you a Happy Valentine's Day and may it spill over onto all 365 days...

Related links:

Costco Connection April 2011 with recipe for AMAZING Chocolate

{Point A La Ligne the Rolls Royce of Candles} | my earlier blogpost

{9 'Harmless' Habits That Age You}

On July 27, I did watch this interesting video about Aging Well and the 9 'Harmless' Habits That Age You.
See also below this video, the 9 points being explained.

A SUGAR-PACKED DIET CAN MAKE SKIN DULL AND WRINKLED
~~0~~  

Smoking cigarettes and frying in the sun make you older

1. You keep your college bedtime

2. You have a soft spot for sweets

3. You''re stressed more often than not

4. You only exercise when trying to lose weight

5. You blast your iPod

6. You never see your friends

7. You eat fruits and veggies—but not every day

8. You've shunned all fat

 9. You can't remember when the last time you had sex...

Related links:

Just a spoonful of sugar helps...

{Flat Belly Diet Foods - Meet the MUFAs!} | previous post by me

{Foods that Support the Skin} | previous post by me

{Natural Healing Chart for almost all Sickness} | previous post by me with a wealth of information!

{SUGAR is your #1 enemy!} | previous post by me

{Our Dinner with + Gift to our Medical Friends}

After quite a wait we finally managed to get together with all our medical Friends. Yes, Friends with a capital F! They went the extra mile for both of us. First in January of 2010 when I got almost completely paralyzed and ran for days a high fever that didn't want to go down, they all came together to see me at the hospital. Two Internal Medicine doctors and one Radiologist. The latter traveled after work the two hours to my bedside, with his wife. I was even given some delicious home cooked Indian food from the other friend, the Internal Medicine doctor's wife. We know each other for 28 years! It feels so good to leave your well being in the hands of caring, true Friends! They found a cure for my rare auto immune disease and I was quickly on the mend and therefore forever grateful to them.

In September when Pieter had his heart attack, without the usual symptoms, he was sent off per ambulance to the next big city for treatment by a good heart surgeon, who did his quadruple bypass surgery. Once again, I felt secure for leaving Pieter into the hands of dear medical Friends.

So naturally, we wanted to do something for them in return, something special and from the heart. Due to all sorts of family circumstances we could not sooner get all together than July 19. We made reservations at Ristorante da Maria with Lady Chef Maria and Heinz. This time we had her cook vegetarian Indian food, for all of us. We worked in India for over ten years for Pond's India and for another company in Poona, so we LOVE the spicy food.

Now to the special gifts that I found in Germany, in the north near Hamburg. Elvira from the blog Rosengärtchen (Rose Garden) not only creates fabulous Christening gowns and such but she also designed very unique handbags with Peacocks, which she called Secret Garden.

This one caught my attention in her blog: Tasche Secret Garden and in her online shop. Knowing that the Peacock is a very special symbol in our Friends' culture, I contacted Elvira after she made me a Rose Bag: Tasche Romantic Rose und eine Uberraschung and shown also here: {Introducing YOU to Romantic Rose Handbags from RosenRomanze Germany}. Asking her if she would be able to make three of those. She wrote back yes; all unique items and thus different, but she was more than happy to make them for me. That was in October of 2010...

Elvira used blue seed pearls, semi precious stones and metal rose bead buttons for a closure on this luxurious bag. She designed it such that one looks through a window of an old Palace into its secret garden, where peacocks proudly show their beautiful feathers, between the flower beds...

Also the inside of the bag shows this romantic floral paradise, with on its trails here and there a peacock feather... like on the inner-bag with multiple compartments for cell phone etc.

Elvira made this unique design by using different materials such as linen, cotton batting, wool, and decorated it with fancy embroidery and lace.

On a string, attached to the bag, is a pouch that closes with mother of pearl buttons, for securing money or keys.

Secret Garden Bag 2 with a tassel.

Secret Garden Bag 3.

With a lot of thanks towards Elvira for letting me use her photos!

Which bag would you like most?

{Flat Belly Diet Foods - Meet the MUFAs!}

Summer is almost starting and that also means getting into shorts and bathing suits, e.g. bikinis. I just came across some very help full foods that I want to share with you! First of all; what are MUFAs? That are monounsaturated fatty acids, plant-based fats found in some of the world's most delicious foods; avocado, nuts and seeds, oils, olives and dark chocolate! Good for heart health too.

Already previously in my 6th blog award post, I did reveal some facts about me:

1) Dark chocolate is my favorite.

2) Avocado is yummy for breakfast (we eat a half one each day!) and great for skin.

It seems to be even better than just for your skin!

Nuts we do eat with a cup of hot tea in the afternoon, so we're living pretty healthy according to the MUFAs info above.

Contrary to the avocado's nickname 'butter pear' it proves to be a weight loss food. Huh, did you all know that?! It does decrease belly fat.

Pick your MUFA: Florida Avocado, Hass avocado. Personally I prefer the Florida avocado. Click Recipes for Avocado 

AMEN to dark chocolate! One of my favorites. For sure I inherited that from my Dad; he loves it too. Most people like the milk chocolate but THIS is the healthy one...

Related link:
{SUGAR is your #1 enemy!} | previous post by me
{Foods that Support the Skin} | previous post by me
{Natural Healing Chart for almost all Sickness} | previous post by me with a wealth of information!
{9 'Harmless' Habits That Age You} | previous post by me with great tips

{Our ANTIOXIDANT SUPERFRUIT is blooming!}

• We know that we will be competing with the early birds for its fruits but it is so special to pick your own, home grown blue berries Vaccinium corymbosum in summer time! 
• They are the Antioxidant SuperFruit from nature. They have so many great qualities like: Healthy Aging; Anti-Inflammatory Benefits; Cancer Prevention; Urinary Tract Health; Protection Against Stroke; Heart Health; Vision Health and more. 
• Check out Wild Blueberries... Natures Antioxidant Superfruit.
• Let me show you now the blossoms of our blue berry bushes in our garden...

• Bumble bees feasting on the pollen...

STAY HEALTHY!

{Certificate for a BIG HEART ON THE MEND}

This week was rather special for Pieter, as he did kind of graduate from his Rehab for Life program. On my Christmas post: {MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010} I did show the special Rehab for Life, Christmas ball. On September 04, you could read about a {BIG HEART ON THE MEND}, one day after his open heart, bypass surgery. And on September 11, I wrote about {HOME SWEET HOME} already his 4th day home. Next month we will together join the Fitness center as he's been cleared for joining, his maximum stress test came out great. Truly looking forward to have a less stressful 2011 with lots of nice things ahead of us. We both are grateful for his full recovery! Valentine's Day has a different meaning... and that for 365 days a year.

♥♥