You've grown out of Coco-Pops (and quite frankly they taste like over-sweetened cardboard), you're trying to be healthy so are really trying SO HARD not to pop out to the shop to buy a Snickers (which, given the nuts, is healthier than a Mars, right? haha, how we love to kid ourselves), but you don't just want chocolate this morning, you NEED it!

Yep, this was how I woke up today. Period on its way, body going through totally unpredictable changes, and today it was the turn of the dark brown sweet temptation we pretty much all love. But, like you, I'm trying to keep it healthy, avoid sugar, animal fats, processed foods, and so I took inspiration from Nature, from my garden to be precise.

My guava tree is being super-generous already this year and this morning I decided to play around with the idea of the classic pear and chocolate dessert, 'Pear Belle Helene'. I've got raw organic cocoa powder, organic cacao nibs and other good stuff in my cupboard for such emergencies and here is what I came up with:

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons of pre-cooked, cold quinoa (you can substitute with brown rice, millet or other grains)

1 tablespoon of raw cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of cacao nibs

handful of soaked, chopped almonds

one ripe guava finely cut into pieces

a handful of raisins

homemade almond milk

Optional honey, stevia or maple syrup if you need it sweeter

HOW TO MAKE IT

It couldn't be easier - put all the ingredients into a saucepan with a little water to cover the bottom of the pan and allow it to steam over a very low heat - the slower and longer it cooks, the softer, mushier and better it gets! To serve you can add some almond milk, or other kinds of dairy or non-dairy milk, or just enjoy as it is!

POWER SHAKE

To really get into the chocolate theme this morning, and to use up my almond milk before it turns, I made a chocolate Super Milkshake. It couldn't be easier - almond (or other) milk, raw cocoa powder - blend or whizz! To turn this from a regular Milkshake into a Super Milkshake I also added one teaspoon of macca powder and one teaspoon of chlorella (sister to spirulina). Milky, creamy, chocolatey and I know I won't have to even think about food again until well into the afternoon! Oh, and I feel sooooo happy! :-) Have a great day everybody!