Baker's chocolate and coconut flour cookies.

I am obsessed with Baker's 100% chocolate bar (no, I am not affiliated in any way with this company nor have I been paid to promote or comment on this product). Who knew it was so easy to whip up a delectable chocolate treat, without any 'bad' sugar, by just melting a square in the microwave for 50 seconds and then mixing the smooth chocolate cream with raw honey, before slathering it on a homemade coconut flour cookie? It's seriously my favorite chocolate of all time, with the raw honey added for sweetness. It hits the spot and satisfies the need for chocolate without any additives. My new love! Where have you been?

Chocolate

Oh how I love thee. You encompass my mind in the week before my period. Hence, why I’m craving you so intensely as of late. I wonder if it’s the fact that my body is in need of magnesium, or some other mineral or vitamin or whatever. I read an article today that stated that the body needs fat, hence the chocolate craving. I didn’t realize that chocolate equates to fat. I am pretty thin however, so the author of that article may be on to something. Perhaps it’s the melee I feel after satiating myself with dozens upon dozens of chocolate chips; the emotional high it yields in the aftermath. Quite possibly it’s the sugar itself contained within the delectable chocolate pieces that trigger the craving. It seems when I eat a little bit of sugar one day, I’ll inevitably crave it the next day, and the cycle continues. However, I don’t like depriving myself of life’s luxuries and sugar is a luxury of which I have access, so why avoid it?

Carob vs. Chocolate

So I tried carob the other night, for the very first time. The first time, that I know of anyway. I don't really recall seeing it listed as an ingredient in any of the foods I have consumed in the past, so I'm assuming I never ate it. I know "never assume, it makes an..." yadda yadda. However, I really don't believe I have ever eaten this stuff before.

Not too long ago, this item caught my aisle as I was walking down the baking preparation foods aisle. I saw carob chips and carob powder and I suddenly was intrigued. It seemed like a possible alternative to chocolate chips and cocoa powder, given the semblance between the two. This piqued my interest because I am always attempting to curtail my chocolate addiction; never successfully, but I try. I really do. I'm determined!

The next step was to go on the hunt for some information on the web. There were some rave reviews and others not so positive, which is to be expected. Overall, I felt confident that carob was the way to go, so I grabbed some while shopping yesterday and excitedly poured some in my milk before heating. I took a sip, and UGH, BLAH. No, no, no. Definitely, an unexpected flavor, for sure. I mixed in some honey to minimize the strong aftertaste; it was not exactly effective.

I thought it might be the powder form only that I disliked, so I grabbed some of the carob chips. If only you saw my expression upon chewing those! Afterward, I made some carob wafer-like frozen treats in a last ditch effort to develop an affininty for this foreign food; okay, so it's only foreign to me. I told you I was determined! I really wanted to make this work. Overall conclusion: I am not a fan of carob; chips, wafers, carob-milk and all did not satiate my palate in the least bit. The flavor was not a measurable substitute for chocolate in my opinion, dark chocolate, or otherwise. Even on its own merits, it failed to impress. I just didn't appreciate the taste.

Carry on as I may, with my head hung low (okay, not really), I remain intent upon overcoming my addiction to the forbidden food. If anyone knows of a suitable -- and equally delicious -- replacement that exists, please fill me in, or hook me up or whatever. This alternative, if it is out there somewhere, is elusive as can be.

Postponement of the chocolate-free challenge

I'm not sure how long it will be until this resumes. The truth is, only a few hours after I had initiated the challenge, I gave in to my addiction. After witnessing someone sitting in close proximity savoring every delectable morsel of their dark chocolate brownie, I headed straight for the container of dark almonds waiting ever so patiently on the bottom shelf of my pantry. The rest, as they say, is history.

The following day, I vowed to start my challenge anew. However, to my dismay, I simply could not resist the dark chocolate non-pareils and chocolate cat cookies which covertly called out my name while I was perusing the dessert aisle at Trader Joe's.

Given my rather intense chocolate cravings at present, coupled with the abundant options of chocolate food items at my fingertips, I think it is safe to say that I have no choice but to postpone this challenge.

30 day chocolate-free challenge

I consider myself a chocoholic for sure. Chocolate is one of my absolute favorite foods and I consume it daily. I don't deny that dark chocolate, my chocolate of choice, has many health benefits, including the fact that it contains antioxidants and it serves as a mood-booster. However, the major downside in my case is the fact that it makes my face flush the day after eating it.

I have been tested for a chocolate allergy previously and fortunately, the results were negative. However, I told the doctor that chocolate seemed to induce flushing and inflammation and he advised me that while I may not have an allergy, I may have an intolerance, which is the reason for the skin reaction.

Clearly I haven't considered the flushing grave enough to avoid chocolate up to this point. However, the flushing is a bit of a nuisance and does make me self-conscious. That is part of the reason why I'm motivated to initiate this challenge. I also am excited to see if there is any other noticeable impact on my overall complexion and health once the challenge is complete.

The question remains, can I do it? I tried this challenge before an lasted about a week before I caved. I think if I just keep in mind the positive impact it will have on my skin, I may make it. We shall find out. Today is day #1...............

Food intolerances can be frustrating.

A few days ago, I had this intense craving for chocolate chip cookies. Not just any chocolate chip cookies, but rather the soft, delectable, chewy ones. Being the capricious person that I can be, especially when it comes to particular food cravings (ahem chocolate), I ran out to one of my favorite health food stores and bought a box of gluten-laden chocolate chip cookies. Okay, maybe they weren't gluten-laden, but what I'm trying to say is that they did contain some unbleached enriched flour, which is, of course, a form of gluten. I knew that the ingredients would negatively impact my skin because it tends to react adversely when I consume chocolate or gluten.

While the cookies satisfied my craving -- although I found them to be a bit too doughy, I will admit -- my skin was less than pleased with my consumption. I knew immediately upon awakening the following day with blotchy skin, that that those pesky cookies were the culprit. Does it mean I will never eat chocolate chip cookies ever again? Heck no.

I try to limit certain ingredients in my diet if I know they will cause my skin to react badly. For me, limiting my gluten intake is not that difficult. For instance, whereas I used to regularly eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch (on sourdough bread), I now generally eat salad mixed with chicken and raw sunflower seeds. Kicking my dark chocolate/cocoa habit is the hard part.

What are your food intolerances and how do you manage to deal with them?