Chocolate and other drugs

As promised, I've been experimenting with adding non-paleo foods back into our diet, slowly, the way one would while checking for allergies.  My first experiment was oats.  The half-batch of oatmeal cookies was delicious, but my intestines were quite unhappy with me for about three days.

Last Sunday, I made whole wheat bread.  I cannot describe the happy anticipation buzzing in the house as we waited for the loaves to finish baking.  Once done, we cut into a steaming loaf and slathered each thick slab with honey butter.  After devouring at least four enormous slices each, we sat around the table laughing.  Ballerina had the drunk giggles...at least, what I imagine would be the drunk giggles, since none of us has ever been drunk.  We were totally high on bread, our drug of choice for the evening.  I even joked that Ballerina would have a bread-hangover in the morning.  We laughed even more at that.

Unfortunately, I was all too correct.  Ballerina awoke the next morning with no appetite, nausea and general sluggishness.  She said she felt "like poo".  My intestines rebelled for a good 48 hours.  Obviously, gobbling down an entire loaf of bread between three of us was a bit too indulgent.

I am the administrative assistant at the ballet school.  This week, I've been cleaning out cupboards and file drawers, getting everything in order for the end of this term and ready for summer workshops.  Thrown in among the newspaper clippings and photos and old playbills were a couple boxes of candy canes, a small tub of hot cocoa mix, and a half-eaten heart-shaped box of chocolates.  I decided my boss needed a container for edibles among the files and books.  As I continued organizing, she walked in and said, "Oh, let's not keep this stuff," and starting tossing out the candy and the chocolate.  She offered me the candy canes, but I told her I don't really eat much sugar anymore and candy doesn't have a home at our house.  In a few minutes, Ballerina's class was over, and she met me in my office.  I grabbed my purse and chucked the last of my garbage in the waste basket...and stared at the chocolates.  There they were, right on top.  Milk chocolate drizzled over dark chocolate, in all those lovely enticing shapes.  I am ashamed to admit, I nearly nabbed them.  Guilt washed over me.  I had almost pulled someone else's thrown away chocolates from the garbage can!  I looked at Ballerina, and she looked back at me.  She knew what I was thinking.  "Tell me not to grab these," I told her.  "Mom, let's go home.  You can have some mango-coconut paleo ice cream."  We got out of there.

Once home, we made dinner, ate, cleaned up, and I went on to other household chores.  Ballerina came to me and said she was having a strong chocolate craving.  It was then that I remembered a recipe I'd been wanting to try.  We pulled out the food processor and went to work.


Totally worth it.

Nibblers
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. pecans
1/2 c. almonds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
6 dates
small handful raisins
2 T. coconut oil
2 squares unsweetened chocolate

Whir everything together in food processor until mixture will hold its shape when scooped into small bon-bons.  Form into small balls and roll in unsweetened shredded coconut.  Refrigerate.  EAT.

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