Rushing Through the Day

Sometimes, I get one of those days when suddenly...

it becomes quite busy

so this post comes at a rush late in the day

that's when chocolate is one of my best friends...

as far as food is concerned...

like this cocoa/coconut/cinnamon candy

it isn't hard to make nor does it take very long

the recipe for the candy gives about 12 pieces...

so if you want to make more, just double the recipe

and you can adjust the sweetness and cinnamon to your own taste

the ingredients are:

3 oz dark chocolate

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

3 tsp of raw honey

2 tsp of cinnamon

start by oiling an ice cube tray with a little coconut oil or...

you can use a candy mold tray

break up and melt the chocolate in a double boiler or...

I just put a small saucepan into a larger one with some water

this keeps the chocolate from burning

once the chocolate is melted and smooth...

turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients...

stirring till they are all well combined

spoon into the oiled ice cube tray and put into the freezer for at least 30 minutes

with a knife inserted into the sides of the candy...

they should come out nicely and refrigerated to keep firm 

I whipped up some coconut oil to use as a butter on crackers or bread

to get the coconut oil to whip up nicely...

chill in the refrigerator until firm but not hard...

maybe about 30 to 45 minutes

if it gets too hard, just let it soften a bit for easier whipping

I just break it up into smaller chunks with a knife...

and use my electric beater on high

it's been a pretty warm day, today...

and the coconut oil didn't whip as high as it should of...

but, it still worked well enough for me...

and it will stay refrigerated in a glass jar to keep it's whipped consistency

I like the whipped oil for spreading rather than the liquid...

just nicer and while it is being whipped...

other things such as honey and cinnamon can be added...

for a tasty spread on bread and crackers

May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.

Harvesting Cinnamon on Pilgrim's Farm

It all starts out with this cinnamon tree

it went into bloom not long ago and is now fruiting

the leaves, which smell and taste like cinnamon, we use for making tea...

and flavoring stews and soups

a few selected branches are cut down...

and the rest of the tree is left to keep on growing

this is a sit down job where the harvesters get to socialize during work...

and you don't have to wear suit and tie...

or sit in an cold, air-conditioned room with no windows...

pushing pens or constantly typing the letters on a computer...

or being bored shuffling through papers piled up on the desk

here, we listen to the birds and talk whatever seems interesting...

while the warm sun glows and the breeze blows cool

well...this is how it is at Pilgrim's Farm

the outer skin of the bark is scraped off with a knife

and the pretty cinnamon color of the bark is revealed

the fragrance of the cinnamon bark is starting to make for a headiness in the senses...

as the scent rises to the windows and floats along with the breezes...

throughout the rooms of the cottage

once the thin outer skin is removed...

the bark is scored around the circumference top to bottom of the tree boughs

and the bark is now removed using a knife to separate it from the wood

 sometimes, it helps to loosen the bark from the wood by tapping it gently with a hammer

 which will make the job of removing the bark from the wood a little easier

really, that is all there is to it

the cinnamon is now ready to dry in the sun for a few days...

and then ready to store

if I need it in powder form...

I just use my mortar pestal to grind it down or let my coffee grinder do the job

fresh as can be

next week, Lord willing, I'll give a recipe, or two, for using cinnamon

you can look up more info on cinnamon at treepicturesonline.com for pictures

and, for history, cultivation, and uses... 

en.wikipedia.org

Did you know that the songs of Solomon in the Bible are about Jesus Christ and His church?

The beautiful versus in this book describe the wonderful relationship between the Lord...

and His bride.

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates,

with pleasant fruits;

camphire, with spikenard,

Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon,

with all the trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes,

with all the chief spices:

A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters,

and streams from Lebanon.

Awake, O north wind;

and come, thou south;

blow upon my garden, 

that the spices thereof may flow out.

Let my Beloved come into His garden,

and eat His pleasant fruits.

Solomon's Song 4:16

May your day or night be fragrantly spiced in the grace of the Lord.