a taste for chocolate

So, my hubby, Sky, still needs plenty of calories. He has a very physical job plus he works hard physically at home (maintaining the house, outbuildings & acreage, getting wood cut for the winter while working in a plant with five floors and only two freight elevators, he burns serious calories). I baked brownies to pack in his lunch. The fragrance got me going on chocolate. I've been taught to tell myself, "It smells better than it tastes." I've discovered this is true...MOST of the time...but then there are times when you just need to get over the hump.

I used a boxed brownie mix with regular white flour, regular sugar, regular cocoa, 2/3 cup of oil & 2 eggs...all things that would set me back. My pain level has finally been going down over the past 10 days (more on that a bit later), I don't want to do anything to mess that up so, what to do? I don't want to say no to chocolate. The LORD helped me:

1 frozen banana (I froze a very ripe peeled banana in 1 inch chunks wrapped tightly in plastic wrap)
2 chopped dates (have to chop them up BEFORE you put them in the processor)
2 TBS organic cocoa (picked mine up at Nature's Best in Sheboygan at a decent price, they have it at Festival Foods also)
I might add a couple drops of vanilla extract or vanilla powder the next time I do this but, maybe not.

Put all these in my small processor and let it go till it was smooth...and had a chilly sweet very chocolaty treat with the consistency of a Culver's custard treat that hit the spot and was too rich to finish! Um mm good! No fat, plenty of micro nutrients, a bit of fiber, devoid of artificial anything that supplies pain encouraging toxins to my joints AND very VERY tasty!

Thank You Jesus!

Pain: I was told that as my body starts to clear out enough of the toxins that have built up in the fat, my pain level will start to decrease. (I'm expecting about four years until this process will be mostly complete.) Well, I've been eating 'clean' since mid-May and about 10 days ago the pain in my joints (shoulders, elbows, wrists especially) has finally begun to diminish. My knees still hurt when I'm on them but when I'm not on them the pain has dramatically decreased. I cannot tell you what a relief it is. I've actually been able to sleep much better at night because of it.

Thank You Jesus! You created our bodies; the psalmist says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" and I continue to be amazed by You and Your wonderful works!