Romance: for most of us, the word conjures up images of couples walking arm in arm down the street, so completely oblivious to everything but each other that the rest of the world may not even exist. We think of sappy romantic comedies and roses and boxes of chocolates covered in little pink hearts. We think of candlelight dinners and diamond rings.
But how did a word that originally referred to heroic stories and ballads – great romantic adventures of people who grabbed life by the horns and experienced fantastic things – become associated with liaisons of the heart? Maybe it’s because love and adventure seem to awaken the same things in us.
After all, both can induce a feeling of well-being and euphoria, as if anything is possible. Both can awaken the senses and ground us in the present moment. Both can make us fall in love with our own lives. And isn’t that the zest for life that romance is really all about?
So it makes perfect sense that many of the herbs and foods we think of as aphrodisiacs—those great gateways to romantic urges and feelings—are the herbs and foods that make us feel more vital and fully alive. From chocolate to ginseng: they enhance the feel-good endorphins in our brains and protect our body against the negative effects of stress: perfect companions for heroic adventures or passionate love affairs. Such romantic aids are exactly what we need, for example in mid-February, when our zest for life and our sense of romance and adventure are probably at their lowest point.
Here is the perfect recipe to awaken the romantic in all of us; a creamy and chocolatey shake with luscious deep red cherries.
With a generous contribution from Macaa South American root that increases vitality, stamina and libido – and a pinch of stimulating cardamom – is just what you need for a cold February evening. By the time you reach the bottom of the glass, you’ll be ready for an adventure or a passionate encounter, or maybe both.
Chocolate, cherry and cardamom shake
Based on a recipe from The Green Kitchen Stories. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 20 sweet cherries, thawed if frozen
- 2 frozen bananas, cut into pieces
- 4 pitted dates
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons Maca powder
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup almond milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions:
Divide the cherries between two glasses. Use the end of a rolling pin or masher to lightly mash the cherries in the bottom of each glass. Add the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cherries and serve with a straw and spoon so that you can scoop the cherries out at the end.
Writer Danielle Charles Davies has a BSc in Herbal Sciences from Bastyr University and also completed two years of clinical training at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism. She has a master’s degree in writing and has written for the American Herbalists Guild and also served as a food columnist. Her musings and recipes can be found on her blog, Teacup Chronicles.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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