Hello, friends! This post is a very bittersweet one for me, and I’ll explain why. The bitterness comes from the fact that today marks the end of ‘A Bloggers Dozen’ series. It began as an idea to reach out to other bloggers that I either admired, hardly knew, or that liked my own site, coupled with the desire to introduce more recipes into HSB, and grew into something much more than that. The sweetness is the fact that I successfully featured a new guest blogger each month, beginning with myself and now ending with my brother and sister-in-law!

When I first introduced this food series last January, I neither had direction as to where I wanted to take it, nor did I know how to approach any potential writers. Now, nearly twelve months later, I finally feel as if I have a good handle on how to present these posts to you, and I love the opportunities that have stemmed as a result from this series. I have formed friendships with a few of you from all over the world, and have learned the value in working together with someone, merely for the sake of our creativity and passion. We don’t get paid for this after all, at least not in the monetary sense. However, the benefits that I have reaped from this series have far outweighed any superficial profits.

Come January 2015, I hope to introduce a new series. One that is similar in that it features a new guest blogger each month, but different because it will not centre on food. More to come on that later.

The saying is that all good things must come to an end. I also believe in making an exit while still on top, and for each door that closes, another opens. That’s a shitload of platitudes. Yet, that opening that I speak of is in the incredibly delicious form of liv a lil chocolate. This is a company that not only do I have familial ties to, but one that is so new that it was just launched this weekend in Kelowna, British Columbia! I can honestly say with 100% guarantee, that everything that comes from liv a lil chocolate is absolutely amazing. Don’t only take my word for it. Try this recipe, and when your tastebuds feel so alive that you feel as if they may just jump out of your mouths, then go to this website and order some of their other forms of chocolate. Do it now. With Christmas being but days away, your family and friends will thank you for it.

I couldn’t think of a better way to bid farewell to ‘A Blogger’s Dozen’ than to feature a recipe from liv a lil chocolate, and the people behind it. Thank you for reading these posts over the last twelve months! Enjoy this one, and in the meantime, patiently await my new series that’ll begin again next month!

<3

Emory

Drinking Chocolate:

Ingredients:

40 g (1/4 cup) of dark chocolate shavings

250 mL (1 cup) of whole milk

Steps:

1. Select your chocolate. The type and quality of the chocolate you select will directly determine the outcome of the resulting drink. We prefer a 70% dark chocolate (this number represents the % of cocoa solids), which we find produces a rich, full-bodied drink. However, some prefer a drinking chocolate with a sweeter finish in which chocolate around 55%-60% cocoa solids may be more ideal.

2. For optimal dispersion of the chocolate into the milk it is best to grate the chocolate. Alternatively, the chocolate may be finely chopped using a knife.

3. Warm the milk in a saucepan. Once at a simmer (careful not to boil or scald) add the chocolate shavings. Using an immersion blender or whisk, mix the chocolate into the milk until completely emulsified and smooth.

4. Pour into a mug and enjoy.

For centuries, from the Mayans to the Aztecs, chocolate was revered as a magical elixir and was consumed as a drink to nourish and stimulate both the body and mind. In fact, the history of chocolate is as rich as the substance itself as cocoa beans were once a common currency while the botanical name of the tree from which they grow (Theobroma cacao) literally translates from Greek to mean “food of the gods.”

While the chocolaty drink consumed by these ancient cultures would have been quite bitter and harsh, modern varieties of hot chocolate have been tarnished with “artificial flavouring” and the practice of mixing powder into water. Fortunately, it is incredibly easy to whip up your own batch of this velvety tonic and restore this drink into the hall of liquid legends.

This basic recipe will produce a true drinking chocolate that is incredibly more complex and decadent than anything delivered from a tin. For those that enjoy experimentation, this drink can be topped with whipping cream (as seen in the photo), enhanced with a pinch of cinnamon, or for those long, cold winter nights, complimented with a shot of Baileys. The possibilities of personalization using this base recipe are endless.

Chocolate is incredibly complex and naturally contains over 300 chemical compounds, many of which have proven, positive effects on mood, concentration and sex-drive. Additionally, the anti-oxidants and flavanols found in chocolate have been demonstrated to have many health-boosting effects. However, science aside there is one aspect of chocolate that is indisputable: in moderation its effect on the soul is immeasurable. After all, our time here on this little blue dot is limited and whether you prefer chocolate in a solid or liquid medium (or both), we encourage you to live a little and enjoy fine chocolate!

Jordan and Julia