Cacao beans: Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario

There are two distinct main species of the cacao used in the manufacture of chocolate: Criollo (which means "native") and Forastero (which means "foreign"). There are many hybrids.. the most popular is the Trinitario.

The Criollo beans were the predominant cacao of Central and northern South America, but because of its low productivity and susceptibility to disease, it now constitutes, as a recognizable variety, on the order of 0.1% of the world's crop.

The beans of the Criollo require very little fermentation and the unique flavor and aroma are highly prized by chocolate manufacturers all over the world. Not surprisingly the beans are almost exclusively used in combination with other varieties.

Criollo Porcelana, the best known example of Criollo, retains the signature mild fruitiness attributed to the variety, although it is, of course, even more rare than Criollo as a whole.

Forastero cacao, by far the most common of the three varieties, is believed to be indigenous to the northern Amazon River basin in what is now Brazil. As a result of its disease resistance and high productivity, it represents close to 90% of the world crop. It tends to have earthy, relatively simple flavors with moderate acidity and is known as "bulk" cacao. Depending on the quality of the bean (pod ripeness at harvest and the degree of care taken in fermenting and drying the beans), Forastero can add extremely desirable elements to a blend or little more than color.

Many Forastero varieties are cultivated, in Venezuela excellent varieties are Carenero Superior, Caracas Natural and Rio Caribe. The Amenolado is the most widely spread and cultivated variety in the world, it produces delicate, aromatic beans. The amelonado variety called Arriba, grown in Ecuador, with its delicate qualities and fine aroma are considered equal to the world's best beans.

Cacao comes in a variety of types since the trees cross-pollinate freely and create a lot of hybrids. The most distinct and common one is the Trinitario. As the name suggests it comes from Trinidad where the Spaniards cultivated the Criollo in the 17th century. After a hurricane A.D. 1727 almost all of the cacao plantations were destroyed and when replanting the orchards they used the Forastero. Soon thereafter hybrids between the Forastero and the remaining few Criollo trees that survived the catastrophe occurred naturally. The Trinitario holds about 10-15% of the worlds cocoa production and has inherited the robustness of the Forastero and the delicate flavor of the Criollo, even though its characteristics are mainly from the Forastero, and is used mainly for blending.

Mmm.. I am drinking a Chocosol Hot Choc while I type this. I felt so good today.. so on the green juices, actually today it had Beet, and Jalapeno and Garlic and Ginger & green, green , green.. and I got to sample a LOT of Blue Phycocyanin - Thank you Johnny!! ! ) LOve PEA!!!!

~PEA (phenylethylamine) is an endogenous brain compound found naturally in only two foods: chocolate and AFA algae. When taken consistently, PEA , nicknamed "the molecule of love" enhances mood, brain function, the nervous system and creates a feeling of joy or well-being. ~

: )

Jalapeno Green.. Drinking it Spicy!!

My Lunch. I have just changed my standard green juice, which was: Celery, Parsley, Ginger, Garlic, Cucumber ...to my new fav, which is Celery, Ginger, Garlic, Jalapeno, Spinach, Cucumber.

Mmmm... Jalapeno!!

& Hot banana Peppers on my Salad.. with mixed baby greens, Sunflower Sprouts, a Nut loaf Patty broken up, Pine Nut Parmesan and a Caesar/Poppyseed dressing blend.. also my new fav.

I am making up big time for the biggest down-turn to my diet ever.. Not sure why I did it.. maybe my emotional personal life.. but a few nights ago I had a slice of pizza, followed by a few digestive enzymes.. cause it didn't feel so good.. and I have been drinking green juice voraciously ever since. The next day I thought I could feel my joints.. maybe my imagination.. but it was a real thought-provoker. I always feel great physically & maybe I had started taking it for granted. & I realized that most of the people I know don't feel great all the time. So, especially considering that the pizza slice (& it was a small one) was a little disappointing in itself.. I would much have preferred a raw pizza slice if it was here, I think I romanticised this cooked pizza that I havent had for years, and it failed me. Which works out to my benefit. So, that was that.. and sometimes those things happen and we have to move on.. & up!! : )
Cheers!

Flowers, Avatar courses and Thoughts on Fear and Honesty

Flowers! as promised.. They go well with the beautiful sunny day. We drove around with the top down, taking full advantage of the sunny weather.. beach walk, so nice!!
I am so thankful that summer is on it's way..

Last week something that preoccupied my mind for a few days was a course that is taking place in Austin Texas. My mom called and told me about it.. we planned and dreamed, and looked up flights and thought it out.. and then got realistic, we both have kids to take care of and it's not really financially wise right now.. But it was a fun thing to look into..

The course we almost took was an Avatar Course. It was developed by Harry Palmer, and after some researching we discovered that he has a background in scientology and this is an MLM course.. but on the positive side.. he has very lofty aims - to cntribute to an enlightened planetary civilization. 10's of thousands of people have taken this course and it is widely recognized as incredibly beneficial. It teaches people techniques to improve their lives, to look at and erase faulty belief systems and live lives according to their own self-generated blueprint.
Well, when Mom called and asked me to look at this I was interested.. as I have a huge interest in deprogramming. I have seen for a long time that we are limited usually most of all by the thoughts we believe about ourselves.. and the world, but mostly ourselves. & I think we can all do work on this no matter how clear we become.
If we didnt have work to do, we wouldn't be here, right?

So now, even though I have decided not to go, for now.. I have printed out a couple of the mini e-courses available free from the site. ..and they are interesting. They really provoke thought about the way we think about things, the way we act, our belief systems. Very interesting thoughts. You can check out the e-courses here.
There are also videos and audio podcasts etc on the Avatar epc homepage, here

Interesting thought from the #1 e-course on Personal Integrity about Honesty

"Fear is a belief in our inadequacy to deal with something. And that belief precedes any evidence of failure we have collected.

...Unawareness arising from fear is why people are dishonest. The belief responsible for the fear may be lost in confusion or hidden in the shame of humiliation. The inviation is to avoid, to forget, to go stupid, and the urge to be right further sanctions our ignorance.

What a breath of fresh air to face a dishonest act and say, "I did it because I was afraid. Period!"

..Here is a remarkable observation that has profound implications for the future of the world: As people handle their transparent and hidden beliefs, they become naturally more honest."

" What determines if our spark of divinity glows brightly, sharing its light and blessing with other divine sparks, or fades to black?

Honesty. Honesty is the measure of our willingness for others to know our actions, our thoughts, our feelings, and our intentions. Anything that reduces this willingness seperates us further from source."

The Bad Stuff: Conspiracy Theories, DES, Aspartame

ok, I am not one to dwell on conspiracy theories or the Bad Stuff in life. But I have been hearing a lot about it lately.

How I feel about the Bad Stuff:

Although it is not good not to dwell and spend excess time thinking about these things (Thought Creats Reality) ..it is good to be aware and to hear some of what os going on out there. Ti be Conscious of things and ideas is a good thing.. as long as you can let them go and stay focused in the Positive.
Tomorrow I will be posting pictures of Flowers and Butterflies and Heats and Raw Foods again, like usual.. but today briefly, here's whats in my awareness:

D.E.S. - a co-worker is working on a doc about this. It is a drug that was heavily prescribed in the 40's and 50's claimed to prevent miscarriage and create strong babies. Was the 1st 'baby' of the FDA, passed without proper testing & actually with testing failures - tested on dogs and killed them and was released and promoted to women anyway. Now many, many children and grandchildren have side effects from this drug.

Facts from DES Action Canada:
· DES (diethylstilbestrol) is a synthetic estrogen drug. DES, developed in England in 1938, was the first synthetic version of estrogen.
· DES was marketed as a miscarriage preventive and a “wonder drug” that would make “bigger and stronger babies”.
· DES was prescribed to approximately 200,000-400,000 pregnant women in Canada from 1941 to 1971.
· There are approximately 100,000 to 200,000 DES daughters and 100,000 to 200,000 DES sons.
· DES daughters face a 1-in-1,000 risk for clear cell adenocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the vagina or cervix. They need special screening tests to detect this cancer.
· Pregnancy problems affect the greatest number of DES daughters. These problems include malformations of the reproductive organs and may lead to :
· increased infertility
· 5 times the normal risk for ectopic pregnancy.
· 2-3 times the risk for miscarriage and premature labor.
· DES sons have an increased risk for genital malformations.
· DES mothers face a 30-40% increased risk for breast cancer.
· At its peak, DES was manufactured by over 200 different drug companies under as many names.
· Despite scientific evidence that DES caused cancer in laboratory animals, DES continued to be marketed for use by pregnant women for over 30 years.
· In 1953, a randomized, controlled, double-blind study at the University of Chicago showed DES to be completely ineffective for its intended purpose of preventing miscarriage.
· There is no test that can determine DES exposure. Those who suspect should ask their mothers or other family members, or see a doctor with experience in treating DES-exposed individuals.


Conspiracy Theories - Here are a few interesting ones to ponder (but just briefly!!)
Chemtrails, Global Warming is a Hoax, AIDS virus created in lab (prob by CIA or KGB to reduce world population) the US is to become a Police State, Flouridation - drug companies will profit from a population in ill-health.. or because it lowers mental abilities and 'dumbs down' the entire population, Pearl Harbour was allowed to happen, Paul McCartney died in '66 and he is now just a look-alike, Elvis faked his death, JFK assasination, Princess Diana was murdered, Union of North America - US, Mexico and Canada joining, with Amero currency - part of global copnspiracy to set up NWO (New World Order) , Illuminati & NWO plotting to have mankind in a single world government - they use political finance, social engineering, mind control and fear based propaganda to achieve their aims, Int'l orgs such as World Bank, the IMF, the European Union, the United Nations and NATO are listed as fopunding organizations of the NWO, NASA faked moon landing, Flying Saucer crashed at Roswell in '47, 9-11...

Wide Eye Cinema - is dedicated to showcasing the very best alternative truth-related documentaries & cinema uploaded onto the World-Wide Web..

Where Blue Pill meets Red Pill: Is there a conspiracy? Yes, claims the website..

Sooo many health related videos!!! here

Click the link to see the Aspartame video - Sweet Misery

After 7000 miles, and 25 hours of footage, “Sweet Misery” will reveal one of the most pervasive, insidious forms of corporate negligence in the history of the industrial revolution. The toxic long-term effects of aspartame are often dismissed as a “hoax” by the sweetener industry and at least five other internet websites.

“Methanol [one of the breakdown products of aspartame] has no therapeutic properties and is considered only as a toxicant. The ingestion of two teaspoons is considered lethal in humans” (Monte, Woodrow, “Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Health”, Journal of Applied Nutrition, Vol. 36, Number 1, 1984, p. 44). Though it can hardly be considered good fortune to have an immediate reaction to aspartame, at least you are spared the potential long-term ticking time-bomb of a large array of neurological illnesses. These include, but are not limited to Brain Cancer, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Graves Disease, Chronic Fatigue, MS and Epilepsy.

whew, ok, I'm done. seriously, tomorrow.. back to the flowers.

Let's do the positive thing!!!

: )

Gemmotherapy

Gemmotherapy is a little known aspect of Phytotherapy (basically the study of the use of plant extracts as medicine), that uses extracts of buds, young shoots, spouts, rootlets or inner bark instead of parts of the grown, mature plant. It is said to be a very potent effect on the body. It can help elimination by opening things up, allows tissues to function better and aids in regeneration. It has the power to restore vital energy and to regulate and balance the body.

There has been scientific research since the 1950's demonstrating the effect of the gemmotherapy remedies. It had been studied mainly in Italy and France. Until recently it has been virtually unknown outside these two countries, with the partial exception of the UK, the USA, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Producing: As soon as possible after being picked (and with a delay of not more than a few hours), the buds, young shoots or other parts to be used are cleaned and weighed. A sample is set aside so that the dry weight of the plant material can be determined. This is done by heating it at 105°C in an oven until its weight does not reduce any further.
The rest of the fresh plant material is macerated in an equal quantity of alcohol and vegetable glycerin, to a combined total weight of twenty times the equivalent amount of the dried sample. The proportion of fresh buds to excipient is about 1:9, and of young shoots, about 1:4.
The mixture is left to stand for one month in a cool, shaded environment, and is agitated at intervals. It is then decanted and filtered under constant pressure. After standing for a further forty-eight hours, it is filtered once more. The resulting liquid is known as the souche, or stock. It consists of equal parts of glycerin and alcohol, and 10-25% plant material, depending on the water content of the plant used.
To prepare the remedies in their final bottled form, one part of the souche is diluted with nine parts of a mixture of 50% glycerin, 30% alcohol and 20% water, and this is lightly succussed (shaken rather than struck) thirty times to bring it to the 1DH (1X or 1:10) homeopathic potency.
If properly stored in light-proof bottles and a cool, preferably dark, environment, the therapeutic qualities of gemmotherapy remedies do not diminish significantly over time. However, European regulations stipulate that they should be used within five years of the date on which the plant material from which they were made was picked.

The Secret of this Plant Medicine
Gemmotherapy is a super-active type of plant medicine, the powerful effect coming from the growth hormone of the fresh germinating parts of plants, called Gibberlin. It has the power of cleansing the cells by draining away toxic metabolic waste products such as mucus, broken down metabolites, dead cells from the defense system, auto-immune complexes and antibodies that are choking cells to a near death stranglehold.
Beyond that, Gemmotherapy remedies build up the function of organs. Since different plants have affinity for particular organs or tissues of the body, the type of Gemmotherapy plant selected will support that organ or tissue it has affinity for in regeneration through the plant hormones.
The use of the buds, young leaf and rootlets makes it possible to obtain a more active medication, with no need whatsoever to prescribe large doses. Starting with a fresh embryonic plant distinguishes this branch from traditional plant medicine where extracts and powders are prepared from adult plants, sometimes dried.

Earth

Black Things - Tape Art, Nori, Olives

I cut my finger today.. it's still throbbing, ouch! I was cutting up some nori to put in my salad.. It was a Seasar Salad !! : ) & it was really good.. despite the hurting finger. ..reminds me of tape art. Aris made a herb salad with sliced nori and black olives at the workshop. I think I will have that tomorrow. It was really good too. I had a huge green juice - Huge! and a slice of Pizza with it.. think I'll do the same tomorrow. Mmm..
off to bed, need to rest my finger. 'Night!

'The Universe exists for the sake of the Self'

"The Universe exists for the sake of the Self." Not for what the outer world can give, not for control over objects of desire, not for the sake even of beauty or pleasure, does the Great Architect plan and build his worlds. He has filled them with objects, beautiful and pleasure-giving. the great arch of the sky above, the mountains with snow-clad peaks, the valleys soft with verdure nd fragrant with blossoms, the oceans with their vast depths, their surface now calm as a lake, now tossing in fury they all exist, not for the objects themselves, but for their value for the Self. Not for themselves because they are anything in themselves but that the purpose of the Self may be served, and His manifestatiuons made possible.


The world with all its beauty, its happiness nd suffering, its joys and pains" is planned with the uttmost ingenuity, in order that the powers of the Self may be shown forth in manifestation. From the fire-mist to the LOGOS, all exist for the sake of the Self. The lowest grain of dust, the mightiest deva in his heavenly regions, the plant that grows out of sight in the nook of a mountain, the star that shines aloft over us - all these exist in order that the fragments of the one Self, embodied in countless forms, may realize their own identity and manifest the powers of the Self through the matter that envelops them.

There is but one Self in the lowliest dust and the loftiest deva. "Mamamsaha" My portion, "a portion of My Self," says Sri Krishna, are all these Jivatmas, all these living spirits. For them the universe exists; for them the sun shines, and the waves roll, and the winds blow, and the rain falls, that the Self may know Himself as manifested in matter, as embodied in the universe."


from Yoga: The Process of Self-Unfoldment by Annie Besant

These private lectures were delivered at the 32nd Anniversary of the Theological Society held at Benares, in 1907, and were intended to give a thorough understanding of Yoga.