what do raw cacao nibs taste like? | Yahoo Answers

I'm by no means a serious chocolate connoisseur, however I do enjoy a nice piece of the dark stuff and thought I'd buy a few bars and review them here; hopefully this will help narrow down some options for those of you who are looking to buy some craft chocolate.
Keep in mind that what I purchased was primarily based off of my desire for rich textures.
Goodnow Farms Esmeraldas 70%
I can see why this bar is well-liked, as it has a conspicuously approachable flavor as far as dark chocolate goes: it's definitely jammy/grapey as the tasting notes describe, with very strong buttecream/dairy notes as well. It reminds me of buttered toast topped with a deep, dark berry jam that is both sweet and tart; this one has an overall very familiar, "safe" taste that's very straightforwardly pleasing, but lacking some depth at the same time (me personally, I want a smooth/moderate bitterness with a bit more complexity and nuances).
Mouthfeel decent but a bit tacky due to not enough cacao/cocoa butter; there is also a slight grain to the texture if you outright chew through it, meaning the beans themselves aren't 100% finely ground.
Goodnow Farms Special Reserve 100% Cacao
Remarkably silky, decadent texture; arguably the smoothest and richest out of the bunch, which tells me that the nibs are meticulously ground to a very fine texture and are supplied with liberal quantities of cacao/cocoa butter (unlike Esmeraldas).
Very natural, vibrant cacao taste that has prominent lemongrass notes cut with a subtle, fresh, creamy milk-like taste and richness; some natural bitterness that is balanced by a bright acidity, making it appropriately self-limiting and never overwhelming.
Chocolat Madagascar Dark 70%
Velvety texture; very pleasing moderate sweetness and good flavor, with strong notes of hazelnut, caramelized sugar, rich chocolate, as well as subtle floral/fruity notes. Just like the 85%, it's $9 for 3 oz, which makes these 2 bars better value compared to the other 5.
This one has a forgiving/mild taste (not unlike Goodnow Farms' Esmeraldas 70%), making it good for those who usually don't like dark chocolate. This definitely blows away your average chocolate bar, milk or dark irrelevant (it does has sunflower lecithin unlike the 85% bar though, if that bothers you).
Chocolat Madagascar Dark 85%
Flavor is undeniably better than your average dark chocolate bar, but lacking some complexity and refinement: primarily, I find that it isn't particularly well-rounded or balanced; what I did taste was decent though, with a "woody" quality and hints of citrus, yet it's unfortunately let down somewhat by a rough around the edges, distractingly acrid/astringent/tannic bitterness that also lingers in the mouth. Just an overtly acidic and bitter bar in general.
Texture is fairly nice and smooth, although with slightly less cacao/cocoa butter than the 70% bar.
Qantu Morropon 70%
Best flavor: intense yet incredibly balanced, with a trailing "fruity" acidity that is offset by a mildly tannic/astringent background (like that you would find in sour berries) and hints of cream that accentuate the base chocolate taste; cherry is the most prominent fruit taste in my opinion, along with raspberry nuances and another "red" taste I couldn't quite put my finger on (no plums or anything, though). Yep, red tastes great.
Texture is thoroughly smooth and melty, too, and perfectly complemented/carried the wonderful flavor; this is all in all a very refined, very balanced bar.
Chocolate Tree Porcelana Venezuela 85%
Most unique flavor: strong notes of cinnamon, and a warm "coppery" quality similar to leather perhaps; this is contrasted with an equally warm, comforting, "pure" chocolate taste with malt undertones, yet an odd (and somehow fitting) contrasting subtle mint flavomenthol coolness popping up every once in a while.
Mouthfeel is very consistent, indicating that the cacao beans are completely and finely ground, and the cacao/cocoa butter content is decently generous too.
Better value compared to the Goodnow Farms, Amedei, and Qantu bars.
Amedei Toscano Black 90%
Worst texture: a fair amount of cacao/cocoa butter is present, yet the problem is the sheer lack of even consistency/smoothness (you can clearly feel uneven particles of powder that aren't quite emulsified with the butter even with no chewing, despite the mouthfeel not being outright gritty or anything).
Flavor is reminiscent of a fresh, floral chocolate cream and is surprisingly quite nice and balanced, though.
Personal Ranking:

1. Goodnow Farms Special Reserve 100% Cacao; 9.5/10 (best texture; fresh/natural cacao taste with well-rounded bitterness)
2. Qantu Morropon 70%; 9.5/10 (best flavor; very smooth/melty texture)
3. Chocolate Tree Porcelana Venezuela 85%; 8.5/10 (most interesting/unique flavor; consistent/fairly rich texture)
4. Chocolat Madagascar Dark 70%; 8.3/10 (mildest, sweetest)
5. Goodnow Farms Esmeraldas 70%; 6.5/10 (very approachable, familiar and straightforward flavor; so-so texture)
6. Chocolat Madagascar Dark 85%; 6.0/10 (least-developed flavor; texture sufficiently smooth)
7. Amedei Toscano Black 90%; 5.0/10 (worst texture due to its lack of consistency; flavor pleasantly mild and floral for a 90% bar)

Recommendations:
Best value and mildest flavor: Chocolat Madagascar Dark 70%
Best high-end pick: Qantu Morropon 70%
Best for texture-lovers: Goodnow Farms Special Reserve 100% Cacao
Best all-rounder with unique qualities: Chocolate Tree Porcelana Venezuela 85%
I wanted to try Chocolat Madagascar Dark 100% as it has been well-received with numerous awards; interested to see how that stacks up against Goodnow Farms Special Reserve 100% Cacao.
Update:
I changed some of my descriptions and made the comparison(s) fairer, as I had eaten these chocolates in different contexts rather than consecutively in the same setting.
Update 2:
I'm going to review eleven 100% bars within the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned if you want to read that (1 will be the 100% bar I already reviewed here, so 10 new ones).

I'm new to reddit but have enjoyed reading the posts in this community. My partner and I are doing a dry February so I decided to pick up the Alinea Zero book and up my N/A cocktail game... Here's what we've tried so far (apologies, no pictures so far!):
Back Bar:
American Whiskey - The book is pretty clear that they're not trying to create beverages that taste just like the spirit, but rather that are reminiscent of those spirits and tasty in their own right. I'd say that describes this one pretty well. I agree with another reviewer in here who said that it's a bit heavy on the cinnamon; in fact, all of the back bar recipes we've tried so far seem a bit heavy on the cinnamon... They're also all a bit sweeter than I'd like.
The most unique flavor in the "whiskey" to me is the malted barley, which imparts a bready, "cereal-y" flavor to the drink. It actually makes a decent Old Fashioned style drink, although it's nothing like the real thing. But still, it tastes pretty good.
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Gin - Like the whiskey, this was a little on the sweet and cinnamony side to my taste. It could also use a little more juniper. The recipe has you prepare a juniper tincture using vegetable glycerin, which you then mix into a stock you make from simmering spices and citrus. If I made it again, I'd try to remove some of the cinnamon and sweeter ingredients, and add more of the juniper tincture. The only issue is, the vegetable glycerin used to make the tincture is pretty sweet on its own. So it would require some playing around to get it closer to where I'd like it more. But overall it's a nice tasting beverage which works great with some tonic water.
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Sweet Vermouth - Of the three "N/A back bar" recipes we've tried so far, I think this is the best. It's, again, a little heavy on the cinnamon, but the use of verjus rouge and the mix of unusual herbs definitely gives this a taste reminiscent of sweet vermouth. We've been making a very tasty drink of this "Sweet vermouth," club soda and black walnut bitters over ice. We also tried mixing it with the American whiskey to make a "manhattan" which was an interesting drink but a little sweet. The book recommends making a "black manhattan" by combining the American whiskey with the book's take on Averna. Might try that if we end up making more of the whiskey.
Modern Cocktails:
When we bought the book, I was most excited about making the fake spirits from the back bar section, but upon receiving the book I've gotten more excited about the modern cocktails.
Cereal Killer - They bill this as "loosely inspired by a Manhattan" so we figured we'd give it a shot. (Manhattans are the preferred cocktail for both of us.) While no one would ever confuse this for a Manhattan, it's still an interesting drink on its own, although again a tad sweet. However: we did not have carob syrup available so I mixed up some molasses and honey and simmered with cacao nibs to try to replicate, so it's possible that threw the balance out of whack.
Overall this drink reminded me of the American whiskey, in that it also uses malted barley flavoring, and layers on some other complex and robust flavors. A decent drink but not sure I'd make it again.
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Down to Earth - This is our favorite thing we've made from the book so far. The recipe sounds out there--you have to juice mushrooms??--but the result is a sweet, savory and very unusual beverage. It's also one of the simpler recipes in the book as long as you have a decent juicer available. Just a mix of mushroom juice, celery root juice, jicama juice, ascorbic acid and sugar. Highly recommended. We served alongside a few meals that featured mushrooms and celery root and it was a great pairing. I made a mistake in the preparation and let the mixture boil instead of just simmer, so the texture got screwed up, but even with a less than ideal texture it's a delicious drink.
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That's all so far, but we've got a batch of the Banana Chai in the fridge right now that I'm going to attempt to clarify tomorrow...
Overall I'd say I'm having more fun making the recipes so far than actually drinking them. The only thing that's really wowed us was the Down to Earth. However, I'm really happy with the book even though not everything has been as delicious as I'd hoped. It's helped free my mind up in terms of what a cocktail can be, and has got me looking at my ingredients and prep in a different way. Plus, I'm learning interesting techniques that I'll definitely use again once we're back to drinking alcoholic beverages. And clearly I've only scratched the surface so far on such a big book.

Flaired it "discussion" because it's not really a beginner question, but still a question.
I've been making cannabutter for some time, with a slightly customised extraction method. Followed the steps mainly, with some slight differences:

• had about 25g ABV - good quality weed for the UK, medium-brown toasted levels, vaped it at 380-390F until the vapour flavour turned slightly charred (in my experience, vaping starts out with a flower taste, then a slightly nutty, toasted flavour, followed by the charred/harsher flavour I dislike)
• water cured for two days in cold water, until the water ran clear. Regular agitation, filtered with muslin/cheesecloth
• without much drying (I tried it in the oven but was way too smelly), I put about 200g clarified butter ghee in a pan, dumped in the ABV, added a few drops of flavouring (used the Flavodrops from MyProtein - sugar free, quite strong, and the cheesecake flavouring masked the smell of the weed almost perfectly), and simmered for about 40 minutes.
• strained the end result and let it solidify in a closed container, the end result being around 210g of nice green hued butter
• took half of the butter, 200g of cacao nibs, and 100g cocoa butter, blended it well - it still ended up a bit chunky, almost artisanal
• ended up adding about 50g sugar and a bit of milk, and tempered it with 80% dark chocolate
• end result was ~500g chocolate that I poured into ice cube trays, resulting in 16 pieces of chocolate, each around 30g

So I've got 30g pieces of chocolate, that are roughly 40% cannabutter (so, 12-13g butter).
The butter itself, I'd guess, is around 1-2% potency. The weed in question was mainly stardawg, which is a ~20% THC strain according to online sources. I'm not sure how much of that the vaping part would take out, so let's presume, say, 50% (my actual semi-scientific guess would be more like 75-85%, but again, it's a guess). So 20g of weed with ~10% of THC, that's around 2g of THC, for the whole vat of ~200g butter, not counting other cannabinoids that potentially ended up in there.
So in theory, each of these little pieces of chocolate are around 120-150mg THC, roughly equal to 1g of mid-range weed.
The thing is... Even half a piece puts me on my ass like a mule kick. It is much, much stronger than it should be in theory. It's a nice and clear head high, the numbing-dumbing kind, paired with a vibrant body high (read: it feels like I'm vibrating). I didn't expect it to be this strong, and I'm one of those guys who can smoke a gram of weed in one sitting and still be relatively clear minded. I haven't gotten red eyes from smoking in ages. But even from a quarter piece of this chocolate, my eyes glow red like I'm some Holiday Season Limited Edition Goa'uld.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I'm just looking for the mistake in my math here. Either I vastly underestimated the amount of THC remaining in the ABV, or something's amiss.
What do you guys think, where does this potency come from?

Hey, all! I'm fairly new to all this (also FYI fairly new to using Reddit, even though I've had an account for months, haha, so if I do something wrong, let me know :) ), and have some questions. (Please note that I did look through the wiki and assorted resources, and I don't think I missed anything...hopefully not, anyway, haha.)
Also note that my questions are all going to apply to tisanes only (we're talking completely caffeine-free, unless I put chocolate in or something (see the cocoa/cacao nibs question)), as I don't do actual tea for religious reasons.
So, questions, in no particular order (or not much of one; I've tried to go from more general to more specific, but that may be a matter of opinion, haha):

1. Loose-leaf--from everything I've read, it does actually make better tea, but is this true of tisanes, too? And what exactly is the difference in flavors? (I think I understand why there's a difference; it's just what exactly the difference is that I'm not following.) Specifically/especially, I want to confirm that I've understood right as far as the strength goes--does using loose-leaf and giving it room to expand make an herbal tea stronger? (Because if so, that's for sure something I need to try. I've only ever actually enjoyed strong and fruit-flavored tisanes, because otherwise I just taste hot water.)
2. Is there any kind of benefit/difference with using fresh herbs/spices/fruit/whatever vs. dry? I did see something somewhere (idek where at this point; I've been doing so much reading that it's all started to blur together, haha) that said using dry fruits was better--and do you guys think that's the case, too?--but what about the other types of ingredients?
3. (I'm still looking through the vendor resources here, so I apologize if there are some obvious answers to this question in those, but I figured I might as well toss it out there since I was posting anyway.) I'm really wanting to try creating my own blends, but one difficulty I'm running into is ingredients. I don't want to grow my own (besides the time it'd take, I have...idk if it's a black thumb, but it's certainly not green, haha), but I'm having a lot of trouble finding web sites where I can get ingredients in small amounts for testing. Like, I see a lot of places where you can buy in bulk, but at the moment I don't need, y'know, a pound of rose hips or whatever, haha. I'm not totally sure of the exact amounts I want, but I'd assume it would be maybe a couple of ounces or something, depending on the ingredient--just enough so I can experiment with it a little. (Also, the vendor list here does seem to be focused on actual tea, which makes total sense but makes it a bit more difficult to use for my purposes.) So if anyone is able to point me towards sites where I can get smaller amounts of this type of stuff (I did look at Adagio Teas' pantry section, and there are some things there, but I'd love to find others, since they don't have everything)--or tell me which ingredients would likely just be at a run-of-the-mill grocery store--that'd be great :) (I'll keep looking at the list of vendors in the meantime, but if someone is willing to speed up the process, it would be a big help, haha.)
4. Are there more resources like this for what things taste like? I'd especially love some kind of comparison chart; I've been sort of trying to form one in my head as I read the pages on that site--for example, I know a lot of the herbal teas I've liked seem to have hibiscus, so I looked at the page about hibiscus, noted the key words used to describe the flavor, and am trying to be on the watch for similar descriptors--but it'd be great to have more descriptions.
5. If I want to try creating a certain blend, would it be worth it to use Adagio Teas' "Create a Blend" feature as a starting point, and then add other flavors as necessary at home, or is it better to just start from scratch? (For example, I was wondering about using sage in a tea, but they don't seem to have that as an option with herbal teas. So, what might be pros and cons to either starting with a custom blend of the other teas I want, ordering it from Adagio, then mixing sage in at home, vs. just forgetting the Adagio "middle man" and getting the stuff I need to blend it all myself?)
6. Cocoa/cacao nibs (idek which is the correct way to say it, or if they're both correct? Haha)--I was looking into having them in a blend, but I know that normal chocolate--like in a candy bar or whatever--does have very minor amounts of caffeine. I'm not against the amounts in that, but--again for religious reasons--I don't want anything that's more caffeinated than that. I don't know if there's more in the nibs than in the finished chocolate or something, and if so, how much would end up in a tea made with them... So basically, would having cocoa/cacao nibs in a tisane introduce more caffeine into it than is in, say, chocolate candy or hot chocolate or whatever?
7. So when reading the wiki, I saw the part about not using ball infusers, and that surprised me, as I'd been planning to buy one of those. I guess at the moment I'm looking for a balance between price and quality, since I still don't know if I'm even going to like this whole loose-leaf tea thing enough to do it consistently. So, given that, would something like the larger size of this work (since if I understand correctly, the issue is a lot to do with the size)? Or maybe this or this type of thing? And if not, what do I want in the way of an infuser (and/or what should I make sure I don't end up buying), and where do I get it? Note: With tea bags, I've found I honestly prefer to steep for a fair while, so I guess that's the main concern I have with the infusers that fit over the top of the cup--like, the leaves barely have a second to touch the water, right? Or do those infusers extend mostly into the cup and so it's still steeping as it sits? Idk, I'm just confused... (And, to be fair, I was also looking forward to adding a little charm to the end of a hook-and-chain infuser ball, so I kinda hate to give that up, haha.)
8. So one of the reasons I haven't drunk tisanes that much in the past is that I'm so often doing something else, and like...I'll take a sip or two, set it down so I can use my hands, and then 20 minutes later I remember it exists and oh, look, it's cold. (XD I'm very distractable...) So I found a thing on Amazon that looks like it might help, but on considering further, it's occurred to me that there might be a cheaper solution. So--we're talking a single mug of tea, here, not a pot. Would a tea cozy still be any good with an open-topped mug, or would it not help? I could also look into those things you put on top of a cup, but tbh I feel like they might be a pain to use? Idk. Thoughts/suggestions?

...wow, that turned out hugely long; sorry about that! I've tried to bold the important bits, but I do stink majorly at summarizing, so I may have to see whether that ends up actually helping or not, haha.
Also, any other advice on any of this is welcome--including where else I might ask, if this isn't the right place or people might know bettein more detail elsewhere or something.
Thanks much for any help!

Note: I am still editing this post*

⚠ Contaminated products warning ⚠

China in known to import herbs & other products that are contaminated with chemical toxins or heavy metals. For this reason it is best to Avoid all herbal supplements grown Or packaged in china Even if they are certified organic.

⚠ Prescription Medication Warning: ⚠

Make sure that If you are taking any prescription medications to check with your docter to see if any of the herbs you take or are considering taking could interact with your prescription medications.

Buying certified organic products

It is best to buy all these herbs with organic certification to reduce your exposure to pesticides, fungicides & herbicides. Look for the certification ceal on products as well as the name of the group who has certified it as organic & confirm that the group that certified it is legitimate.

Plant Based Supplements:

This is a list of some plant based supplements made from fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds, barks & roots.
These supplements listed are anti-inflammatory.

Hormonal Support Supplements:

Ashwaganda Root Powder:

Ashwaganda is a root that contains withanaloids that may help :

• Heal stomach & intestinal ulcers
• Balance hormones
• Raise testosterone
  
• Build muscle
  
• Lose weight
  
• Increase stamina
  

It can be purchased online & in local stores.

Forms of use:

It can be purchased & consumed in the form of a capsules, powder, alcohol extract.

Usage tips:

Start small when starting to consume ashwaganda at about 1/2 or 1 of teaspoon of ashwaganda powder in water, milk, raw honey or a smoothie.

Maca Root Powder:

Maca root powder is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes. It has been claimed to help you gain muscle, increase strength, boost energy and improve exercise performance. Also, some animal studies indicate that it enhances endurance performance

.
.

Heart & Circulation supplements:

Hawthorne berry powder:

Hawthorne berry strengthens the heart!
Hawthorne berry may help people with heart failure
Good for the heart & circulation

Raw Cacao ( Raw Chocolate ) Powder:

⚠ Cacao is a natural stimulant, because it contains caffine & theobromine. So if you are trying to avoid all stimulants then avoid this supplement. ⚠
Cacao is the raw unroasted form of Cocoa. Raw chocolate or cacao grows as a fruit on a tree in a pod & that contains large seeds/ beans inside its hard outer shell.
The seeds are used to make cacao nibs & powder. Cacao is made into cocoa through a process of aklilization & roasting.

• Cacao is a food that is rich in the mineral magnesium.
  
• The human body uses magnesium to preform 300 different tasks.
  
• Supports heart health , blood circulation & Improves mood
  
• May help Stress, Anxiety & Depression
  

Thyroid Support Supplements:

Kelp powder or capsules:

• Contains iodine to support proper function of the thyroid gland. Foods that contain selenium also support the thyroid gland. Kelp contains both selenium & iodine.

Sea kelp is a natural source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, as well as minerals including zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper and calcium.

Brazil nuts:

Eating Brazil nuts may reduce inflammation, support brain function, and improve your thyroid function and heart health.
Summary Brazil nuts are energy dense and rich in healthy fats, selenium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, thiamine, and vitamin E.

Spirulina powder:

Spirulina contains significant amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and iron. It also has essential amino acids. Protein makes up about 60 to 70 percent of Spirulina's dry weight.
Spirulinas amino acid profile:
leucine, tryptophane, methionine, phenylalanine, lysine, thionine, isoleucine and valine
Spirulina is so concentrated in vital nutrients that the human body needs that it is being used in africa to restore the health of people who are experiencing malnourishment.

• High in Chlorophyll which may help detoxification
• A whole food that is high in protein
• Contains high levels of vitamin A
• Vitamin A supports your eye sight & skin
• may also contain iodine

Avoid spirulina grown in China & Japan

Liver Support Supplements:

Whole beets, beetroot juice or whole beetroot powder:

• Beet root helps detoxify the body & support liver health

Note: avoid beets and beet powders that are a "product of China" instead buy beet products grown in the usa or other countries.

Wheatgrass powder:

Helps support Glutathione (GSH) which is the bodys master anti-oxidant that recycles other antioxidants including vitamin- c, vitamin-e, CoQ-10 & ( ALA )alpha lipoic acid

Milk thistle Seed:

• May help with liver obstruction
• May support liver detoxification

Dandilion root powder:

Liver detoxification

Burdock root:

lymph node detoxification

Turmeric:

Tumeric root that is orange in color. It has been used to make medicine & dyes for clothing in the past by certain cultures.

• contains vitmains & minerals
• natural pain reliever
• anti inflammatory.
• support Liver health

Note: Turmeric can be combined with black pepper to increase its absorption & potency.

Sleep & Anxiety Support Supplements:

Valerian root powder:

Valerian is beneficial for men & women and also has a strong oder due to the compounds it contains.
Valerian has couponds that can act as a anti spasm agent. It also has compounds that act as a sedative. Valerian works by acting on GABA pathways.
Due to this it helps women with menstrual pain because it stops or lowers the amount of painfull spasms that are coming from the uterus.

• Helps with general pains
• Helps menstrual "Cramps"
• Helps OCD
• Helps anxiety
• Supports sleep health

Supplements for physical pain:

Wild lettus powder:(Lactuca virosa)

Lactucarium is the milky fluid secreted by several species of lettuce, especially Lactuca virosa, usually from the base of the stems. It is known as lettuce opium because of its putative sedative and analgesic properties. It has also been reported to promote a mild sensation of euphoria.

Hemp seed hearts & cold pressed hemp seed oil (cannabis sativa)

These products are not illegal even though they come from the canabis sativa plant. It only has trace amounts of thc & cbd. You will not experience a high from these products but you will instead recive the benifits of consuming good fats ( omega 3 , omega 6 & GLA )
Overview:

• Hemp oil contains vitamin-e which is good for the heart & skin
  
• These products will not make you fail a drug test
  
• These hemp products are totally legal
  
• Hemp products are anti-inflammatory
  
• Hemp oil & seed contains omega 3, omega 6 & GLA
  
• Hemp hearts and oil help can people with chronic pain
  

Usage tips:

• USE IT RAW ( DO NOT HEAT HEMP OIL or seeds) The reason for that is when you cook any fat you oxidise it & reduce it beneficial properties. Same applys for extra virgin coconut & extra virgin oilve oil.
  
• Use it daily in your foods: atop salads & smoothies
  

White willow bark:

Willow bark comes from the willow tree of the Salix species. The bark contains salicin, a compound similar to aspirin. Salicin is metabolized in the body to create salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin. The herbal extract has long been used in native and folk medicine to relieve pain, inflammation, and fever.

• The natural form of asprin
  
• used for pain
  

Moringa Leaf Powder:

Moringa is a leaf that grows on the moringa oliferia tree. Moringa is being used in africa to restore the health of children who are malnourished.
Moringa is the healthiest plant on the earth in terms of the amount of vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants & protien it contains in a small amounts of leaf powder

• Moringa contains plant based protien
• Moringa may help with weight loss
• Moringa contains at least 42 anti-oxidants
• Moringa contains at least 92 nutrients
• Moringa contains anti inflammatory compounds

It can be purchased online or in local stores in the form of a powder, capsules, extract, teas.

Noni Fruit Powder: (Pain killer tree) (cheesefruit)

Noni is a fruit from a tree called Morinda citrifolia. Noni may be beneficial for heath in the following ways.

• Lowers exsessive inflammation
  
• Helps your body produce endorphins that help reduce pain
  
• Contains amino-acids that are the building blocks of protein.
  It can be purchased & consumed in the form of a whole fruit, juice, powder, capsules.
  

Mangosteen:

Contains xanthones they - May help lower pain - May help lower inflammation

Clove:

• support digestion
• loweres exsessive inflammation
• helps stop pain

Black seeds & black seed oil (Nigella sativa)

• One of the strongest supplements for pain
• helps to lower exsessive inflammation

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Contains vitamin e
• Lowers inflammation
• Protects the heart

Vitamin-c Supplements:

Amla berry: Least expensive

• High in vitamin c which is involved in collagen production & repair in the human body. ( Skin, hair & nails )

Rose hips powder:

Rose hips powder is high in vitamin c

Camu berries:

• High in Vitamin c: Supports skin, hair & nails

Acerola cherry: most expensive

• High in Viamin c: supports skin, hair & nails

Digestive Supplements:

Mint leafs or mint powder ( Pepper mint, Spearmint)

Beneficial for the digestive system & is cooling in taste due to its two main chemical (Menthol) & ( menthone ) which is used are manufacturing food products and in Menthol flavored cigarettes.

Ginger:

• Reduce mild or severe nausea
  
• act as a digestive aid (Before or after meals)
  
• pain reliever
  
• anti-inflammatory
  
• Beneficial for arthritis of the hands & knees.
  

Marshmellow Root Powder:

• Supports digestion

Licorice root powder:

• May help support sleep
• May Help anxiety & or stress
• May help heal intestinal ulcers

Ceylon cinnamon:

Cinnamon is the bark from the cinimon verum tree. It is lower in cumarin which can be liver toxic if used in high amoints. Cassia cinnamon also has benifits but i would only recomend using it in small amounts daily.

• Contains antioxidants
• Supports digestion
• acts as a anti-inflammatory
• supports blood flow in the liver

Food Grade Aloe Vera leaf or juice:

• Helps heartburn / Acid reflux
• soothing to the throat, skin & intestinal tract.
• soothing stomach & intestinal ulcers

Kidney support supplements:

chanca piedra:

Use this herb to help break apart kidney stones - drink it daily at about 1.5-3 grams per dose 3 times a day for stones in the kidneys & gallbladder.

Gallbladder support supplements:

Celery seed powder:

Hydranga root powder:

Raw apple cider vinagar:

Use this diluted in a glass of water or orange juice for gallbladder pain

Spleen support supplment:

Organic Nutmeg Powder:

• Nutneg is a potent pain reliever
• when used in small amounts - quarter teaspoon- half a teaspoon.

in water or food NUTMEG supports the spleen.

Bone support supplements:

Garlic

*Has the ability to kill intestinal paracites, bacteria, viruses & fungus.
Rich in sulfur compounds, Contains at least 33 different sulfur compounds.

Tart cherry juice or whole tart cherries:

Beneficial for people with arthritis & inflammation of joints.

Hair & skin support supplments:

Aloe vera (Topically)

-kills the bacteria that causes acne -Promotes new skin growth -Lowers skin inflammation -Heals skin discolorations - Anti bacterial & anti fungal

Rose water (Topically)

Lowers skin inflammation
Horsetail herb:

(Internally& Externally)

This herb is high in a natural silica. Horsetail is actually the most abundant source of silica in the plant world.

Brain support supplements:

Gotu Kola: (Centella asiatica)

. . .

This is definitely one many people might find gross, but if you get used to the texture, it's absolutely incredible how something with under 100 calories can taste like it contains 600 calories and fill you up like you've just eaten 600 calories. It's also a great vehicle to deliver lots of electrolytes which will also do a terrific job of satiating you; after all, many times sweet cravings are really your brain mistranslating a need for sodium.
There are a ton of variations of this, so I'll share two basic recipes - chocolate, and pumpkin spice. You can also use glucomannan powder in combination with, or even replacing the psyllium husk.
If you can afford the calories, you can also load it up with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, heavy cream, coconut cream, or whatever else you want. Add sweeteners of your choice. It's so quick to make this that you can make it many times and experiment with the ingredients to see what you like best. The base is formed with fiber, salt, and nut milk. Depending on the consistency you want and how much fiber you want, you can add more or less fiber and more or less liquid. The consistency can be anything from a thick liquid to something resembling a marshmallow you eat with a spoon depending on your type of fiber and fiber to liquid ratio.
Serve hot or let cool to room temperature or even cool in the fridge for an hour or two. All options are tasty in their own way - but the longer you let it sit and cool, the more it will solidify. I like the pumpkin spice one served hot out of a mug so I can drink it, but it turns into a marshmallow if you cool it in the fridge. Which can be interesting to eat too.
​
Chocolate:

• 10g psyllium husk powder (alternatively I've done 5g psyllium husk + 1/2 tsp glucomannan or even just 1 tsp glucomannan)
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 2 teaspoons Lakanto
• More sweeteners if you want. I also like to add some drops of chocolate liquid stevia. You could also add sugar free Torani syrup of your choice
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 tsp salt

​
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Heat the almond milk until it's steaming, but not boiling. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. An immersion blender works best but you can whisk them together too. You can let cool if you want, and it will solidify quite a bit. If you have a high enough ratio of fiber to liquid it might even form a sort of marshmallow like texture that I personally like. Once again, if you want more fat you can add heavy cream or even sub some of the almond milk with heavy cream, or even coconut cream or coconut milk. You can top with whipped cream, cacao nibs or chocolate chips if you want.
99 calories, 3 net carbs, 10g fiber, 4g fat (swapping types of nut milk or adding kinds of cream or toppings obviously add to this)
Pumpkin spice:

• 10g psyllium husk powder (alternatively I've done 5g psyllium husk + 1/2 tsp glucomannan or even just 1 tsp glucomannan)
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix. I also like to add extra cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Lakanto
• More sweeteners if you want. I also like to add some drops of english toffee stevia. You could also add sugar free Torani syrup of your choice. Obviously something like pumpkin spice flavor is good here. I've also been using Jordan's Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice flavor - it's amazing with this.
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 tsp salt

59 calories, 9g fiber, 1 net carbs, 3g fat
Same directions as the chocolate version, but this also goes very well with white chocolate chips (the ChocZero ones work well) or unsweetened shredded coconut, or even some whipped cream with extra pumpkin spice dashed on top. You can omit the canned pumpkin to make this zero carb, and it will still be great. You can even use water instead of almond milk to make it practically calorie free - definitely go heavy on the spices and sweetener if you do that though.

UPDATE: Brew Day - Sep 01 2019. See comments for details, but some shit happened and we made a beer anyway! ———— I’m not the first - not even the second or probably 5th - to brew a beer with this exact name (tho at least the 2nd chocolate orange stout). Inspired by the now-well known shirt that my wife bought me a few years ago, a love for Star Wars, and a conversation at work, a chocolate orange with this specific name is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
There weren’t a lot of examples out there that I was able to find (lots of people asking how to do one; few providing good recipes), so I based my version on a few milk (or sweet) stout recipes, specifically super gooey chocolatey ones, as well as the way a few people described getting good orange flavor into some wheat type beers.
Definitely more a dessert beer than a chugger, the idea is a combination of intense chocolate flavor + very forward orange flavor, hopefully tasting much like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange.
I used BrewFather to finalize the recipe. I was surprised that my original grain bill calculated as a few pounds excessive for the style and ABV I was aiming for, but the revised “lighter” version is still pitch black and clocks in at respectable 6.3%, so that’s a nice surprise for my budget.
That’s No Moon will be this year’s big Christmas beer, and I’ll be double-brewing this Sunday along with a light American pale ale that should tide us over while we wait for the stout.
Wanted to go ahead and post here for everyone’s enjoyment and/or input.
That's No Moon Chocolate Orange Stout Milk Stout 6.3%
All Grain
Default 72% efficiency Batch Volume: 5.25 gal Boil Time: 45 min
Mash Water: 5.6 gal Sparge Water: 2.23 gal Total Water: 7.83 gal Boil Volume: 6.34 gal Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.059
Vitals Original Gravity: 1.071 Final Gravity: 1.023 IBU (Tinseth): 44 Color: 39.5 SRM
Mash Temperature — 149 °F — 60 min
Malts (13 lb) 10 lb (71.4%) — Pale Ale Malt 2-Row — Grain — 3.5 SRM 1 lb (7.1%) — Chocolate Malt — Grain — 500 SRM 1 lb (7.1%) — Crystal Extra Dark — Grain — 120 SRM 1 lb (7.1%) — Oats, Flaked — Grain — 1 SRM
Other (1 lb) 1 lb (7.1%) — Milk Sugar (Lactose) — Sugar — 0 SRM
Hops (2 oz) 0.5 oz (15 IBU) — Amarillo 9.2% — Boil — 60 min 0.5 oz (21 IBU) — Admiral 14.75% — Boil — 45 min 0.5 oz (5 IBU) — Admiral 14.75% — Boil — 5 min 0.5 oz (3 IBU) — Amarillo 9.2% — Boil — 5 min
Miscs 8 oz — Chocolate (cocoa powder) — Boil — 10 min 1 oz — Orange Peel, Bitter — Boil — 5 min 1 oz — Orange Peel, Sweet — Boil — 5 min
Yeast 1 pkg — Fermentis S-04 SafAle English Ale
Notes: * Not actually using dried orange peel. Using flash-frozen orange zest from mandarin oranges in my fridge, but that’s not an ingredient option in the app. Not confident 2oz is enough, but others seem to be. * Amarillo & Admiral chosen for a more front forward orange-like flavor (based on research. Never actually used them). I’ve heard of Mandarina Bavaria, and if LHBS has that, I’ll use it, but not holding my breath. * Depending on taste, may need to add a dry hop and/or additional orange zest or cacao nibs during or shortly after fermentation. * I’ve heard you boil cocoa powder, or add cacao nibs post-fermentation, or both. Any pointers for those with experience?
Timeline: Brew Day is this Sunday (Sep 1). Planning to age for at least 4-6 weeks in the fermenter, then bottle condition for another 4-6 weeks. That should give enough time to really bring out the chocolate and orange, allow any harshness to mellow, and still leave some wiggle room for a late November or early December release if it’s not quite ready.

Hello everyone, I am very new to keto and I have gotten a lot of great information from reading through the threads. Thank you so much for helping me get rid of my headaches! Electrolytes FTW!
Anyway, I'm on Day 4 of an OMAD protocol and I've had quite a few bad experiences in the past few days: I've had hives, pain while urinating, insomnia, diarrhea and all that. The hives only happened once and I think I'm sensitive to avocado (?). I find that if I just eat half, then my face only gets hot and doesn't break out in hives. I never had this issue with avocados pre-keto. Everything else I mentioned, I think is part of the keto induction process from what I've learned.
The main positive thing I've experienced is a major reduction in bloating which is a big deal for me! I was always walking around feeling bloated and heavy. I am doing keto to lose weight (around 20 pounds), alleviate my IBD symptoms, curb my insane sweet tooth and reduce my addiction to carbs in general.
However, my salty foods are tasting SO BLAND!! I used to be very good at recognizing different flavors, but in the past 4 days, food tastes a bit like cardboard???
For example, I made a 'meal prep' salmon dish. I created a lemon, EVOO, chives, green onion dressing to top it with. I seasoned the fish a LOT, and on the first day of my keto journey, I felt like the seasoned fish itself was already very flavorful. I added a bit of my dressing and it felt too sour!!
Flash forward to yesterday and today, I had to add tahini, green hot sauce and DOUSED it in my lemon dressing and cut up fresh parsley. I barely taste anything!!!!!!! I kept looking for salt in my drawers at work.
I will say that macadamia nuts taste very sweet, and so do cacao nibs! In the past, I thought cacao nibs were sweet but not 'sweet enough'. Now, my dessert of macadamia nuts+cacao nibs is very nice, and I can taste the complexity of the macadamia nut.
So why can't I taste salty/umami/sour flavors anymore?! It looks like my sweet detection is a little more sensitive, which seems normal. I really love food, and this is making me very sad. :(

Note: I am still editing this post*

⚠ Contaminated products warning ⚠

The country of China in known to import herbs & other products into the United States Of America & other countries that are contaminated with chemical toxins & or heavy metals with absolute disregard of human health & safety. For this reason it is best to avoid all herbal supplements grown or packaged in china even if they are certified organic. Even some products(toys) sold for children that are sourced from China have been found to be highly toxic. These products should not be accepted into your home or into your body.
Short documentary on food safety in china: https://youtu.be/5oQbCOz9nlU

⚠ Prescription Medication Warning: ⚠

Make sure that If you are taking any prescription medications to check with your docter to see if any of the herbs you take or are considering taking could interact with your prescription medications.

Buying certified organic products

It is best to buy all these herbs with organic certification to reduce your exposure to pesticides, fungicides & herbicides. Look for the certification seal on products as well as the name of the group who has certified it as organic & confirm that the group that certified it is legitimate.

Plant Based Supplements:

This is a list of some plant based supplements made from fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds, barks & roots.
These supplements listed are anti-inflammatory.
Г---------------------------------------------------ฯ

Hormonal Support Supplements:

________________________________

Ashwaganda Root:

Ashwaganda is a root that contains withanaloids that:

• Act as a analgesic (pain reliever)
• Lower Inflammation
• Lower cortisol levels
• Reduce anxiety
• Reduce depression
• Heal stomach & intestinal ulcers
• Balance hormones
• Raise testosterone
• Increase muscle strength & size
• Decrease stored fat
• Increase stamina
• Encourage sleep

Where to purchase:

It can be purchased online & in local stores. It is easier to find & to purchase from online retailers.

Forms of use:

It can be purchased in the form of capsules, a powder or a alcohol / glycerin tincher extract.

Recommend dosage:

Take it daily for 2 to 4 weeks at 1/3 teaspoon 3 times per day. Then take a break for 1 -2 weeks. Then repeat. Best used 3 times a day, 1/3 TsP once in the morning, 1/3 TsP afternoon, 1/3 TsP one dose at night.
Start small when starting to consume ashwaganda at about 1/3 of a teaspoon of ashwaganda powder in glass of water or mixed into raw honey or in a smoothie.

Maca Root:

Maca root powder is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes. It has been claimed to help you gain muscle, increase strength, boost energy and improve exercise performance. Also, some animal studies indicate that it enhances endurance performance

.
.
Г-------------------------------------------------------ฯ

Heart & Circulation supplements:

___________________________________

Hawthorne berry:

Hawthorne berry strengthens the heart!
Hawthorne berry may help people with heart failure
Good for the heart & circulation

Raw Cacao: ( Raw Chocolate )

⚠ Cacao is a natural stimulant, because it contains caffine & theobromine. So if you are trying to avoid all stimulants then avoid this supplement. ⚠
Cacao is the raw unroasted form of Cocoa. Raw chocolate or cacao grows as a fruit on a tree in a pod & that contains large seeds/ beans inside its hard outer shell.
The seeds are used to make cacao nibs & powder. Cacao is made into cocoa through a process of aklilization & roasting.

• Cacao is a food that is rich in the mineral magnesium.
  
• The human body uses magnesium to preform 300 different tasks.
  
• Supports heart health , blood circulation & Improves mood
  
• May help Stress, Anxiety & Depression
  

Г----------------------------------------------------ฯ

Thyroid Support Supplements:

_________________________________

Kelp powder or capsules:

Iodine is a trace element required for the synthesis and function of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) thyroid hormones.
Kelp Contains iodine to support proper function of the thyroid gland. Foods that contain selenium also support the thyroid gland. Kelp contains both selenium & iodine.
Sea kelp is a natural source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, as well as minerals including zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper and calcium.

Recommend dosage:

the FDA-recommended dosage for daily intake of iodine is 225 μg. One gram of powdered kelp contains approximately 200 μg of iodine.

Brazil nuts:

Eating Brazil nuts may reduce inflammation, support brain function, and improve your thyroid function and heart health.
Brazil nuts are and rich in healthy fats, selenium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, thiamine, and vitamin E.

Recommend dosage:

1 or 2 whole brazil nuts is equal to almost %100 of your daily value of selenium. Don't over consume selenium rich foods.
Г--------------------------------------------------------ฯ

Whole Body Nutritional Support

___________________________________

Spirulina powder:

Spirulina contains significant amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and iron. It also has essential amino acids. Protein makes up about 60 to 70 percent of Spirulina's dry weight.
Spirulina is so concentrated in vital nutrients that the human body needs that it is being used in africa to restore the health of people who are experiencing malnourishment.
Spirulinas amino acid profile:
leucine, tryptophane, methionine, phenylalanine, lysine, thionine, isoleucine and valine

• High in Chlorophyll which may help detoxification
• A whole food that is high in protein
• Contains high levels of vitamin A
• Vitamin A supports your eye sight & skin

Avoid spirulina grown in China & Japan

Moringa Leaf Powder:

Moringa is a leaf that grows on the moringa oliferia tree. Moringa is being used in africa to restore the health of children who are malnourished.
Moringa is the healthiest plant on the earth in terms of the amount of vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants & protien it contains in a small amounts of leaf powder

• Moringa contains plant based protien
• Moringa may help with weight loss
• Moringa contains at least 42 anti-oxidants
• Moringa contains at least 92 nutrients
• Moringa contains anti inflammatory compounds

It can be purchased online or in local stores in the form of a powder, capsules, extract, teas.

Г-----------------------------------------ฯ

Liver Support Supplements:

__________________________

Whole beets, beetroot juice or whole beetroot powder:

• Beet root helps detoxify the body & support liver health

Note: avoid beets and beet powders that are a "product of China" instead buy beet products grown in the usa or other countries.

Wheatgrass powder:

Helps support Glutathione (GSH) which is the bodys master anti-oxidant that recycles other antioxidants including vitamin- c, vitamin-e, CoQ-10 & ( ALA )alpha lipoic acid

Milk thistle Seed:

• May help with liver obstruction
• May support liver detoxification

Dandilion root powder:

Liver detoxification

Burdock root:

lymph node detoxification

Turmeric:

Tumeric root that is orange in color. It has been used to make medicine & dyes for clothing in the past by certain cultures.

• contains vitmains & minerals
• natural pain reliever
• anti inflammatory.
• support Liver health

Note: Turmeric can be combined with black pepper to increase its absorption & potency.
Г----------------------------------------------------------ฯ

Sleep & Anxiety Support Supplements:

_____________________________________

Kava root:

Kava is a root that is commonly ground to a powder or paste & then kneeded or blended with water before it is filtered & consumed. The plants botanical name is piper methisticum & It is related to spice black peppercorns.
Kava root contains compounds called kavalactones. These kavalactones have strong anti-anxiety effects when consumed by human beings. The anti anxiety effects are comparable in strength to prescription anti-anxiety medications. This is why some news reports about Kava have called it "Natures Xanax".
Note: do not take kava if you have liver disorders.
Warning: Do not combine kava with alcohol or prescription medications. Combining kava with these things can make kava more likely to cause liver problems.

Valerian root:

Valerian is beneficial for men & women and also has a strong oder due to the compounds it contains.
Valerian has couponds that can act as a anti spasm agent. It also has compounds that act as a sedative. Valerian works by acting on GABA pathways.
Due to this it helps women with menstrual pain because it stops or lowers the amount of painfull spasms that are coming from the uterus.

• Helps with general pains
• Helps menstrual "Cramps"
• Helps OCD
• Helps anxiety
• Encouraging sleep
• Helps insomnia

Г-----------------------------------------------ฯ

Supplements for physical pain:

_____________________________

Kratom leaf powder:

( Mitragyna speciosa )
Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. It is indigenous to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea, where it has been used in herbal medicine since at least the nineteenth century. Kratom has opioid properties and some stimulant-like effects.
Kratom is a leaf from a tree that acts as an opioid when consumed by human beings. It does this because it contains the (Alkaloids) Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine that bind to opioid receptors located in the brain & spinal cord. This herb can be used short term or long term to help manage serious physical pain. Due to the fact that this herb acts as an opioid there is a possibility of dependence or addiction but it can be useful & safe for severe physical pain if used properly.

Consuming kratom can lead to:

• Reduced physical pain
• Reduced depression
• Reduced anxiety
• Reduced symptoms of opioid withdrawals
• Reduced cravings for opioid medications

Kratom Legality Worldwide:

. . .

Kratom is illegal to buy, sell, possess or use in these states listed below.

Alabama
Arkansas
Indiana
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wisconsin

Kratom is legal, but may be regulated in the states listed below:

*KCPA = Kratom Consumers protection act
Alaska
Arizona – KCPA passed
California – Outside San Diego, which banned it, kratom is legal in California
Colorado – Outside Denver, where it’s considered illegal for human consumption, kratom is legal in Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida – Aside from being banned in Sarasota Country, kratom is legal in Florida
Georgia – KCPA passed
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois – Outside the city of Jerseyville, kratom is legal in Illinois for those over the age of 18
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi – Outside Union County, which has banned the substance, kratom is legal to use in Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada – KCPA passed
New Hampshire – Kratom is legal for those over the age of 18
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee – Kratom is legal for those over the age of 21
Texas
Utah – KCPA passed
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming

Outside of the United States, kratom laws also vary. In the following countries, kratom is illegal:

Australia
Denmark
Finland
Israel
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Myanmar
Malaysia
New Zealand (unless the person has a prescription from a doctor)
Poland
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Korea
Sweden
Thailand
Vietnam

⚠Herbal Drug Warning:

Do not take kratom leaf if you have a history of seizures because this herbal drug may cause seizures in people who are sensitive to opioids or other drugs.
Do not take kratom while you are consuming perscription medications (Drugs) or combine Kratom with prescription drugs. There are potentially drug interactions with this herb.

Wild lettus powder:(Lactuca virosa)

Lactucarium is the milky fluid secreted by several species of lettuce, especially Lactuca virosa, usually from the base of the stems. It is known as lettuce opium because of its putative sedative and analgesic properties. It has also been reported to promote a mild sensation of euphoria.

Hemp seed hearts & cold pressed hemp seed oil (cannabis sativa)

These products are not illegal even though they come from the canabis sativa plant. It only has trace amounts of thc & cbd. You will not experience a high from these products but you will instead recive the benifits of consuming good fats ( omega 3 , omega 6 & GLA )
Overview:

• Hemp oil contains vitamin-e which is good for the heart & skin
  
• These products will not make you fail a drug test
  
• These hemp products are totally legal
  
• Hemp products are anti-inflammatory
  
• Hemp oil & seed contains omega 3, omega 6 & GLA
  
• Hemp hearts and oil help can people with chronic pain
  

Usage tips:

• USE IT RAW ( DO NOT HEAT HEMP OIL or seeds) The reason for that is when you cook any fat you oxidise it & reduce it beneficial properties. Same applys for extra virgin coconut & extra virgin oilve oil.
  
• Use it daily in your foods: atop salads & smoothies
  

White willow bark:

Willow bark comes from the willow tree of the Salix species. The bark contains salicin, a compound similar to aspirin. Salicin is metabolized in the body to create salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin. The herbal extract has long been used in native and folk medicine to relieve pain, inflammation, and fever.

• The natural form of asprin
  
• used for pain
  

Noni Fruit Powder: (Pain killer tree) (cheesefruit)

Noni is a fruit from a tree called Morinda citrifolia. Noni may be beneficial for heath in the following ways.

• Lowers exsessive inflammation
  
• Helps your body produce endorphins that help reduce pain
  
• Contains amino-acids that are the building blocks of protein.
  It can be purchased & consumed in the form of a whole fruit, juice, powder, capsules.
  

Mangosteen:

Contains xanthones they - May help lower pain - May help lower inflammation

Clove:

• support digestion
• loweres exsessive inflammation
• helps stop pain

Black seeds & black seed oil (Nigella sativa)

• One of the strongest supplements for pain
• helps to lower exsessive inflammation

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Contains vitamin e
• Lowers inflammation
• Protects the heart

Г-----------------------------------ฯ

Vitamin-c Supplements:

______________________

Amla berry: Least expensive

• High in vitamin c which is involved in collagen production & repair in the human body. ( Skin, hair & nails )

Rose hips powder:

Rose hips powder is high in vitamin c

Camu berries:

• High in Vitamin c: Supports skin, hair & nails

Acerola cherry: most expensive

• High in Viamin c: supports skin, hair & nails

Digestive Supplements:

Neem Leaf Powder

Mint leafs or mint powder ( Pepper mint, Spearmint)

Beneficial for the digestive system & is cooling in taste due to its two main chemical (Menthol) & ( menthone ) which is used are manufacturing food products and in Menthol flavored cigarettes.

Ginger:

• Reduce mild or severe nausea
  
• act as a digestive aid (Before or after meals)
  
• pain reliever
  
• anti-inflammatory
  
• Beneficial for arthritis of the hands & knees.
  

Marshmellow Root Powder:

• Supports digestion

Licorice root powder:

• May help support sleep
• May Help anxiety & or stress
• May help heal intestinal ulcers

Ceylon cinnamon:

Cinnamon is the bark from the cinimon verum tree. It is lower in cumarin which can be liver toxic if used in high amoints. Cassia cinnamon also has benifits but i would only recomend using it in small amounts daily.

• Contains antioxidants
• Supports digestion
• acts as a anti-inflammatory
• supports blood flow in the liver

Food Grade Aloe Vera leaf or juice:

• Helps heartburn / Acid reflux
• soothing to the throat, skin & intestinal tract.
• soothing stomach & intestinal ulcers

Kidney support supplements:

chanca piedra:

Use this herb to help break apart kidney stones - drink it daily at about 1.0 -1.5 grams per dose 3 times a day for stones in the kidneys & gallbladder.

Gallbladder support supplements:

Celery seed powder:

Hydranga root powder:

Raw apple cider vinagar:

Use this diluted in a glass of water or orange juice for gallbladder pain

Spleen support supplment:

Organic Nutmeg Powder:

• Nutneg is a potent pain reliever
• when used in small amounts - quarter teaspoon- half a teaspoon.

in water or food NUTMEG supports the spleen.

Bone support supplements:

Red Tart cherry juice or whole red tart cherries:

Beneficial for people with arthritis & inflammation of joints.

Hair & skin support supplments:

Aloe vera (Topically)

-kills the bacteria that causes acne -Promotes new skin growth -Lowers skin inflammation -Heals skin discolorations - Anti bacterial & anti fungal

Rose water (Topically)

Lowers skin inflammation
Horsetail herb:

(Internally& Externally)

This herb is high in a natural silica. Horsetail is actually the most abundant source of silica in the plant world.

Brain support supplements:

Gotu Kola: (Centella asiatica)

. . .

This is my first post to this sub, and the question may have already been asked (if it has been, could someone please send me a link to it?).
I am working on perfecting some chocolate recipes, and I am searching for the best unsweetened, baking chocolate bar (or nibs / coins / whatever form they come in).
While I enjoy Bakers Chocolate, and it will always be a good standby, I want something higher in quality. I don't care if its bitter (I realize that unsweetened chocolate is very bitter, lol). I do care about quality (overall taste, texture, and degree to which the cacao bean has been modified, cooked, or transformed in any way).
What I am looking for: something very rich in flavor, smooth in texture, and high quality.
Thank you all in advance!
(Also, I live in the USA, so that may limit my choices, although I do not mind buying online)

Byeeee September, Hello October! Can you smell the crisp cool fall air? Yeah, we can’t either… but good thing we have large air-conditioned taproom for you to come enjoy and we have lots of events going on to keep your mind off of the fact that we may never have cool weather.
October is jam-packed with tons of beer events including an Angry Chair Tap Takeover, Dark Side of the Swell Imperial Stout & Variants Draft Release, and a Triple Can Release. Dates and details are below, cheers!
THIS MONTH'S BEER RELEASES:
Karate in the Garage (Cans on 10/19)
Experimental Dry Hopped Karate (Cans & Draft on 10/19)
Socks with Sandals (Cans & Draft on 10/19)
Das Leichteste Was Wir Haben - German Pilsner (Draft - Date TBD)
Slice: Raspberry Cheesecake - Sour (Bottles & Draft - Date TBD)
Dark Side of the Swell - Imperial Stout & Variants (Draft on 10/26):

• Bavarian Creme & Chocolate (Boston Creme) - Collab with The MiniBar
• Cacao Nibs & Coconut
• Ghost Pepper, Vanilla & Cinnamon
• Toasted Walnut & Vanilla

BEHIND THE SCENES:
The patio upgrades are finally complete! With the help of our good friend Ryan we created a much more private space with a wraparound wood bar, sun sails to provide some necessary shade, soft lighting, and capped it all off with some awesome greenery provided by Bluebird Growers. Dog-friendly and smoke-free, we hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
3rd The Board Grazer Workshop • Ticketed event, visit link for more details
4th Lobster Night w/ Cousins Maine Lobster • beer & lobster rolls, need we say more
6th Yoga & Brews • Join us for a free yoga class starting at 10:45am
6th Jaguars vs. Panthers Watch Party • Come cheer on the Jags on our 100” HD Projector, premium sound and $4 Karate during the game. Food available to purchase from BrewBox.
7th Mosaic Night • Ticketed event, click link for more details.
7th Run Club • Join Jax Beach Runners every Monday night at 7pm. Enjoy $1 off all Southern Swells Beers for runners.
8th Bingo Night • Free to play starts at 7pm
12th Angry Chair Tap Takeover • more info to come, be sure to follow us on social for more information
13th Yoga & Brews • Join us for a free yoga class starting at 10:45am
13th Jaguars vs. Saints Watch Party • Come cheer on the Jags on our 100” HD Projector, premium sound and $4 Karate during the game. Food available to purchase from BrewBox.
14th Cactus Popup Shop • Varnish + Vine will be here starting at 5pm
14th Run Club • Join Jax Beach Runners every Monday night at 7pm. Enjoy $1 off all Southern Swells Beers for runners.
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Hey everyone. I started doing an all meat diet a little over a month ago, and all of the sudden I don't seem to be responding as well as I initially did with some annoying side effects. For the first week, I had the shits intermittently which I found to be caused by pork or bacon and subsequently cut to resolution, but I felt pretty good overall during the whole adaption phase. I came from doing a mostly restricted keto diet (Chicken, salmon, beef, turkey, eggs - green veggies - nuts - cacao nibs - coffee - olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil), so I didn't expect there to be much of a transition. The only symptoms I had were some random bouts of the shits, muscle fatigue, and frequent urination. Benefits were increased energy overall, good sleep, no pain or workout soreness, and general mental improvements in all areas. I currently eat only beef, with the occasional salmon or tilapia on workout days. No dairy, chicken, or pork.
As for this past week, I seem to not be responding as well with some side effects almost pushing me to hop off the diet or change up some plans. I've had some strong irritability, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting (4 separate days/nights), and some general fatigue after meals mostly and in the morning. Yesterday I ate my last meal at around 5pm, went to bed at 11:30, then woke up at 4 am to throw up a bunch of brown, meaty, burning vomit. My 5pm meal wasn't too fatty, it was my standard 1lb of chuck steak and 1lb of 75% ground beef with a bunch of salt. This make me think that I'm not digesting my food, or I'm drinking too much water diluting my stomach acid. Cuts have been the same throughout, being a mix of grass fed and grain fed. I fast 16-18 hours a day and eat 2 big meals, and I've never had issues digesting fat being keto/fat adapted for the past 2 years off/on - past 7 months strictly.
Here are my guesses at the cause.

• Too much salt. I don't measure and I feel like I've been adding too much lately to stomach the meat.
• Supplements...(I know I shouldn't be, but I was past my 30 days and wanted to experiment) 1 day before all this started, I tried taking 1g of citruline d-malate before a workout to see if it'd help my endurance, and I think it did? So I tried it again the day after along with a small amount of electrolytes, and then 3 hours later I vomited for the first time on this diet and shit my brains out in the middle of the night. Ever since this event, I've had an aversion to meat that I'm slowly getting over again, but I still feel a linger of "I no longer want to eat this" feeling.
• Bad meat. I got this grass fed beef pack from my local butcher, and i'm pretty sure it was sitting in the freezer for a while because it was darker brown and had an off taste. I ate it some of it and ended up tossing a couple of the ground beef packs that were unpalatable and eating most of the steaks as they tasted okay, but not pleasurably like with the grain-finished cuts of chuck, ribeye, and ground beef I was getting. Weirdly enough, I think I ate the last of the grass fed pack like 2 days before all this stuff started, so I'm wondering if my microbiome is getting pissy because it's missing something in the beef I was eating.
• Overly charred food? I've noticed I dont feel as good after eating something that is a little too charred.

If anyone else had similar symptoms like the onset of diarrhea and middle of the night vomiting 30+ days after starting, help would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to quit after feeling the benefits in the early weeks, and I'm concerned some of my skin problems and fatigue will come back as soon as I start adding green veggies or other fiber foods again. Ive read raw meat might be able to help due to the increase in enzymes, so I've been cooking my steaks a little more rare than usual - not sure if i could eat it completely raw though... As for today, I've gone to the shitter 4 times with all poops being pure liquid, and all I've eaten was USWellnessMeats Chuck Roast and ground beef, which has never given me problems before. I've limited my salt to a measured 1.5g grams with each meal, and I didn't drink any water 1 hour before/after eating, and haven't taken any supplements either.

I wound up brewing a modified version of the recipe I posted about last week, with interesting results. Pictures of the finished beer here. I decided to name the beer Yax K'uk' Mo' after the king of the ancient city of Copán, the recipe is as follows
2 lbs flaked corn 1 tsp Alpha amylase enzyme 3 tablespoon cocoa powder .5 tsp chipotle pepper 2 jalapeños halved and seeded
BIAB mashed for an hour, 15 minute boil with cocoa and chili powder added at the beginning of the boil. Jalapeños were added at the very end of the boil and removed once the wort had cooled. At this point things went a little awry. I had forgotten that I had lent out my one gallon carboy so I ended up having to ferment it in the jug my brewing water came from. Then I couldn't find my graduated cylinder and could not take a gravity reading. Next batch will hopefully go a little more smoothly. I brewed it last Thursday and cold crashed/bottled Sunday evening. After a couple of days of fermentation the cocoa powder dropped out of solution leaving behind a surprisingly clear beer. I chose to "dry hop" each bottle with a little extra cocoa powder, although I left one plain to do a comparison.
Plain chicha: Crisp vegetable flavor, jalapeño taste without the spice. Subtle sourness, leans towards the dryer side. Thin watery body. A tiny tingle of spice lingers in the back of the mouth. The subtlest hints of cocoa Cocoa: very similar but with more chocolate notes, especially on the nose. It wasn't as bitter as I would have expected. More astringent than the plain one
Overall this was a good start to my ancient beer experiments. I think for future batches I will try using whole corn instead of flaked as I think that will provide more body and flavor. If I can find the time and space I will try malted corn as well. The pepper flavor was dominant and threw off the balance so I would use 1 or even just half of a jalapeño. I think using actual cacao nibs in the boil and/or fermentation will impart a more lasting cocoa flavor that won't drop out like the powder did. I will continue provide updates for future experiments.
I also think that corn based beer could help fill the recent trend I've seen on here for low abv beers. I think that fermenting on pineapple or another fruit instead of the peppers/cocoa would produce a light, crisp, refreshing session beer. Since the flaked corn does not provide much flavor itself it might provide a good backdrop for experimentation with various spices and adjuncts.
I tried using the spent corn to make cornbread similar to how I've used spent barley in bread recipes but it didn't quite work out.

So I figured I'd make another post as I have a few messages and comments from people asking for more detailed info on my diet and exercise so here it goes. I'll go over my typical week that includes work,meal prep,gym,raid. Please note I'm no expert but am following what I know. Also I tend to eat only one large meal a day and am on the "omad" diet with keto. Also I try to eat early in the day as I don't like food in my stomach when going to bed.
I schedule my weeks from Saturday - Saturday
I am a nurse in a family practice clinic currently my work week is Monday-friday 0800-1700
Saturday - First day off from work I wake up generally around 0900 and get my ass to the gym where I do "back and bi's" I power lift focusing on heavy weights 3 sets with the last set going to failure. I don't take breaks while lifting as much as possible and always preform two exercises at the same time due to limited time(ex lateral raises to hammer curls back to lateral raises rinse and repeat). A good example of a typical back and bi work out
Warm up - Jump rope ( I suck at jumping rope but can nearly jump rope for a minute before I screw up and have to restart)
Bar bell shrugs 3 sets Sitting bicep curls 3 sets Lat Pull downs 3 sets Military press 3 sets Hammer Curl Seated cable row Seated lateral raise Standing bicep curl alternating arms 21's as a burn out
30-50 mins of cardio on a elliptical trainer. I measure my progress by calories burned. I am aware it is not actual calories burned but I figure if I burn 500 in a 30 min session and then next week burn 550 in the same amount of time that's progress.
Food: Saturdays tend to be a "hearty" different meal for me compared to what I eat during the week. A good example is what I ate today I eat these supplements with every meal as per my doctor's orders.
Psyllium husk caplets x3 - 6 cals Mct oil - 1tbsp 100 cals Sunflower lecithin 1200mg caps x 3 38 cals Fish oil 1200mg x 2 gels 25 cals
Homemade burgers:
organic gress fed ground beef 93/7 lean 20.3 oz 913 cals 2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese 160 cals 81g of keto bread ( check out keto connect) 292 cals hidden valley organic ranch 2 tbsp 140 cals Twilight delight chocolate 72% 60 cals
Total macros - Fat 119 g net carbs 7g Protein 142 g total cals 1684
Sunday - Getting up around 08:30 and going straight to the gym. Sundays are my "chest and tris" day
Jump rope to warm up
Bench press Triceps press down Dumbbell bench press Flares Triceps kick back Cross cables Seated machine press Drop set of flares for burn out
45-60 mins of cardio
Food: Sunday is typical a "gut rest day" I do about a 40 hr fast
Monday: First day of work(0800-1700). Wake up time is 0600. Gym work days tend to be less intense due to work. I shower at the gym and go straight to work
a few sets of curls a few sets of tris a few shoulder sets
45-60 mins of cardio.
Food:
I cook all my work food the night before as I find it tastes best that way. I used to meal prep for a whole week but by the end food was not as good tasting.
work food is pretty much the same everyday of the week with the exception of Friday.
16 oz chicken thighs seasoned with cajun spice OR 14 oz of steak 6 cups of spinach 1/2 cup mozz cheese 3 chicken sausages ( this is if im feeling hungry)
Macros for typical meal fat -68 g Carbs 6g net Protein 129 1140 cals ( minus 180 if I don't pack sausages"
Raid night baby (1900-2200) ! No snacks just water I'm fasting!
Tuesday: second day of work: Rest day
Food: typical 900-1100 meal
Wednesday - same as Monday: third day of work(0800-1700). Wake up time is 0600. Gym work days tend to be less intense due to work. I shower at the gym and go straight to work
a few sets of curls a few sets of tris a few shoulder sets
45-60 mins of cardio.
Raid night 1900-2200
Thursday- fourth work day Rest day/cardio day
I use this day to either get a 5th cardio session in or just rest depending on how my work week has been.
Friday- last work day Rest day
Food: This is my relax day tends to be movies/anime and an awesome "cheat meal" My idea of a cheat meal is buffalo wings with ranch, turkey crust pizza, ribeye steak with eggs.
So that's a typical week of workouts, work, food, and raiding. Here is a list of other foods I typical eat to help give some variety
Eggs over easy eggs with spinach, chicken sausage cheese bacon 100% bakers unsweetened chocolate ( so damn good) cacao nibs sharp cheddar cheese home made burgers ( no binder no eggs nothing)
Any questions please feel free to ask and I will get back to you.
If you want to play wow with me add me on btag Ash#1597 I am an alliance holy paladin.

Three tea-loving friends and I just sat down and tried four of the five teas from DC's inaugural tea release and I figured I'd share our thoughts. For reference, we tasted from roughly lightest to heaviest and I'll review them in the same order. I'll do a rough summary of ingredients for each tea. I bought samples, and each sample brewed up a small pot of tea, enough for four small teacups worth of tea.
Rubythroated: Bai MuDan (white) tea base with hibiscus, rose hips and petals, lavender, chamomile, jasmine, basil, and spearmint
This smelled delicate, herbal, and a little floral in the tin. Per the DC listing, we steeped this one for five minutes. The basil came through pretty clearly for one of my friends. I mostly got an astringent opening and a mellow, slightly fruity and floral body. This tasted more like an herbal blend than a full-on tea, which I believe is pretty standard for white teas (but I mostly drink blacks and greens, so let me know if I'm off base!). The internet tells me Bai MuDan generally steeps 3-5 minutes, but we all agreed this tasted a little oversteeped after the 5 minute brew time. This got a solid "meh" from everyone and was, I'm sorry to report, the best of the bunch.
Verdisgris Radio: Mix of China Green and Bai MuDan (green and white) teas for the base, Thai kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, green cardamom, chamomile, Greek oregano, sage, green peppercorn, frankincense, ginger, basil
This one smelled beautifully green and herbal in the tin. The DC listing also recommended a 5 minute steep time for this, and we all looked skeptically at it because greens are generally done by 3. However, we followed instructions and... wound up with bitter, oversteeped tea. Boo. Aside from the bitter parts, I got almost exclusively oregano from this. A couple of my friends agreed this smelled great and would make a good room scent, but wasn't a very tasty tea. This was a miss for all four of us.
La Malinche: Assam (black) tea base, hibiscus, frankincense, ancho chile peppers, chicory root, corn, pumpkin, plantain, cacao powder, cacao beans, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, sea salt, coffee
At this point we decided to ignore the recommended steeping time and went with 3 minutes, which is pretty standard for black teas. In the tin, this smelled strongly of coffee so I went in with some expectations for the flavor. Turns out, it was just incredibly astringent, with only a bit of the round coffee/chocolate flavor coming in at the end of the "taste". A friend described it as tasting like lemon mixed into coffee. Another miss for all four of us. I don't think any of us finished our cups.
Meraxes: Lapsang Souchong and China Black (smoky and black) tea base, rooibos, habanero and ancho chiles, persimmon, pomegranate seeds, black and red peppercorns, saffron, hibiscus, sea salt
After a bit of googling for standard Lapsang Souchong (LS) times, we steeped this one for 2.5 minutes. In the tin it had that classic LS scent, which my friend described as like a well oiled and worn in leather boot. But I was so annoyed that the exact same astringency from La Malinche and Rubythroated popped out when I tasted it, followed by the LS flavor ("It's like licking a belt!" my LS-disliking friend expressed), and ending with a soft burn in the back of my throat from the chiles. One of my friends absolutely loves LS teas but he was totally put off by the chile burn, which he described as feeling identical to his experiences with acid reflux (I've seen him eat spicy food, so he wasn't just being wimpy). Yet another miss for all of us. As with La Malinche, we each took a sip or two and then tossed the rest.
Summary: As much as I love Darling Clandestine's perfumes, I have to report that the teas were deeply disappointing. Three of the four we tried were markedly astringent, with La Malinche being the worst offender; our tongues felt a little shriveled by the end of our tasting session. I'm not familiar with hibiscus as an individual flavor, but since it was present in all three of the astringent teas and since Wikipedia describes it as having "a tart, cranberry-like flavour", I think that was the culprit. If I could give feedback to Darling Clandestine, I would strongly suggest leaving the hibiscus out of all the blends and lowering the suggested steeping times. Do not recommend. If someone is forcing you on pain of death to buy one, I'd suggest going with Rubythroated or Verdisgris Radio and steeping them no more than 2 or 3 minutes.

Hi;
Here’s links to all the Tasting Notes on Bean-to-Bar chocolates i have done in this subreddit.
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/4kc3s7/first_flight_tasting_notes_beacon_hill/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/4wray9/tasting_notes_highlight_equal_exchange_55_cacao/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/511h1l/the_taza_aztec_drink_tasting_bar_commons_market/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/51bmih/tasting_notes_theo_congo_coffee_and_cream_eastern/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/4irz8tasting_notes_from_flight_of_chocolate_bars_from/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/4gyiip/tasting_flight_chocolate_cache_beacon_hill/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/7ggk0y/tasting_notes_beacon_hill_chocolatier_and/
http://www.reddit.com/darkchocolate/comments/8afpu5/tasting_notes_fastachi_haul_spring_2018/
Below, i have also pulled all the 90-100% Cacao reviews
Michel Cluizel 201 rue St-Honoré 75001 Paris FRANCE HTTP://www.cluizel.com Michel Cluizel Noir Infini 99%
When I last tasted this with Curt at Peets the mind-blowing long note of the vegative legume stretched for like 2.5 miles outside my mouth.
The first tasting i had of Michel Cluizel Noir Infini 99% the flavor just went on for three miles outside of my mouth. Mind Bending.
Was pairing with Peet’s coffee at the time.
Parisian Chocolatiering at it's finest.
They use some cinnamon to get the 99% to set as a chocolate. Has a rich chocolate smell, yet aspects of baking chocolate in the nose. On tongue there is a slight sour then the cacao just opens up and melts, fudge brownie, succulence, decadent volcano, everything you expect from high percent dark chocolate combined into superb craft flavors.
i could see using a 30 g bar as broken bits to enhance a baked good or wowzer brownies.
Antidote ups the ante with their 100%; the smell says not bitter but bio-alive nibs. You are not going to get a sweet, but then it surprises with the dates and you do!
The bitter plays discreetly on the tongue on nib sense, yet it melts so nice. There is also not a waxy but a nibbonic depth that you pass through to get to the dates. Xochipilli, Aztec God of love and beauty, protects the product and lifts blues with erotic goodness.
You ever have too sweet Meringue that is a bit too sugar high so to carmelize? This 100% bar is the exact opposite; nibby full, depth flavor, the treat that the date sweet gives to reward the worship of Xochipilli! Bring on more Aztecs!
Antidote has other bars in their product line. check the web site for more info.
Antidote makes Vegan, Gluten Free, Kosher bars from Single Estate Arriba cacao beans Camino Verde farm in Ecuador and is a fair and direct wage bar.
They are out of Brooklyn from Austrian chocolate empress Red R. Thalhammer.
http://www.AntidoteChoco.com
The L’Amourette Chocolatier 91% Cacao handmade in San Francisco shouted at me to pick it. Am also a huge fan of high cacao dark chocolates so they made the cut.
The bar uses Trinitario beans roasted then conched for 36 hours. The bar has a sharp bitter to open but then fulls out after the first notes. I think the open flavors are due to the Bourbon Vanilla beans used in the bar. http://www.lamourettechocolat.com
Oh! I forgot the Ritual 100% cacao batch #2 Aug 2019
Ritual Chocolate 1105 IRON HORSE DRIVE PARK CITY, UT 84060 http://www.ritualchocolate.com/
If you follow along on my tasting life notes, I’ve hit upon a few 99/100% bars.
Ritual’s flavor starts with the same complex and legume/vegetive flavor, but the bitter note climbs to an espresso-like sour flavor. It is a dense wall, blasting cacao then that sour finish.
100 percenters are an acquired taste, and each one really speaks differently to the tongue. It does remind me of a foolish time when I bit a baker’s chocolate bar when i was a child. They are so much more complex and dense.

Azuñia Black Special Edition 2 year Añejo first thoughts: This bottle comes packaged pretty nicely. The tissue makes me feel all gifted and shit. Transcribed are the notes I wrote down:
Color: Reddish Amber. Kinda reminds me of Honey Brown Lager. Sorry for the lack of a proper tasting flute. I just fucking grab a glass to enjoy it. Nose: Honey, Vanilla Bean. Honey, Vanilla Bean. Some oak and a baby pinch of char. Palate: Agave, Bourbon vanilla beans, smoke, Rye whiskey. Kinda rolls from the lips to the throat as opposed to the pop of a rye, though. Finish: Medium long, dry, some hints of cacao nibs and dry cherries. Reminding me again of Rye whiskey.
I don't do the points thing. You get a thumbs up or thumbs down. Verdict: thumbs up with a wink and a smile.
Moving on.
So, I know I've posted this recipe before, but since I decided to try a new Tequila today I thought I'd drag up the recipe as some fluff for the post.
Here's you go: Two large juicy limes, cut into eight sections* One half of one orange, freshly juiced One quarter ounce Grand Marnier (or triple sec, if you have to) One and one half ounce Clase Azul Plata or Hornitos black barrel (Hornitos Reposado or Plata are also tequilas with a decent balance of cheap/not José Crappo, but maybe spend a little more to keep from killing yourself with swill) One small basil leaf or half of a large one (trust me, I'm a brown person) Coarse Kosher salt Smoked habanero powder Turbinado sugar Boston or other style cocktail shaker Muddler
*Roll limes around before slicing to get those juices flowing
Gently muddle basil leaf for three seconds (one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three) over a couple pinches sugar, a couple pinches salt, a pinch of hab powder (if you dare), and a wedge worth of lime juice. Remove leaf, add lime sections, and smash the fuck out of them with the muddler until you get a bunch of good juice. Remove a couple fucked up lime sections and save. Add orange juice, tequila and Grand Marnier. Top off shaker with ice chunks. Shake ten-fifteen times.
Dip one of your fucked up, smashed up lime sections in sugar, rub around rim of frosty ass chilled glass. Dip rim of glass into a plate that has a couple tablespoons salt and a pinch or four of hab powder (again, if you dare)
Strain into chilled glass with one very large cube ice.
IMPORTANT STEP: hand that fuckin' margarita to your wife/girlfriend. Now pour yourself a glass of Don Julio 1942 or Clase Azul Reposado and sip straight. Add: Azuñia Black Añejo is now MrTNG approved for sipping.

There isn’t a lot out there about tobacco flavors, so I spent some time exploring a few, and I wanted to share my notes.
My testing process: I test with a derringer, minimal cotton, single coil and the single coil hole, full open. 0.4% parallel 28g at 25 watts (3.1v) All mixes listed here were done 70/30 PG/VG and 3% nicotine from Nude Nic.
I change out cotton and dry hit every major flavor change, but not in between variants of the same flavor. I keep my hands clean with alcohol wipes before working the wicks and wash everything if something goes wrong, or if I stray into menthol or coffee territory. Where you see additions below (+ Bitter wizard for instance), I place one drop directly on the coil and apply the liquid being tested, then wait 20 seconds while it mingles a bit.
I include notes on a french inhale (just aroma without taste) and a dry hit (the last bit of flavor before the cotton is unvapeable.)
Every flavor listed here should spend some time aging (steeping) after mix. These are all shake n vape impressions. If people are interested, I’ll follow up with 1 and 2 week updates.
Ecig Express / Flavors Express Black Mile 3%
Very Bold, a hint of chocolate. A vegetal undertone that rapidly develops into ... hey, Cigar! Wow. Once your brain locks onto "cigar," the flavor falls into place. I even had a concern about not inhaling it, like a real cigar. There is a strong sweetness that almost overpowers, and then cuts out perfectly. Mild Throat Hit, not strong. Not ADV material, but would be great with company drinking scotch. Leaves sweetness on my lips like a Swisher Sweet, that’s nice.

• French Inhale: Ashyness, oakey, dry
• Dry Hit: pure tobacco.

Ecig Express / Flavors Express Captain 3%
Not light , moderate mouthfeel. Woodsy, this is really like a pipe tobacco. A good one. Slight toffee develops, with something … fruity? Prunes or cherries preserves in rum. Toasted marshmallow smell. Light vanilla, maybe? Hard note to place. This is very well balanced. Not an ADV, but possibly an all night vape. No real TH to speak of.

• French Inhale: Captain Back Royal - spot on aroma. I want this smell on my clothes.
• Dry hit: Strong fruit, gets very harsh very fast,

Ecig Express / Flavors Express Captain 3% + Flavors Express Black Mile 3%
Deep, Bold. Low throat hit. Less sweet but you can still detect the Black Mile in there. Heavier than either. Lingers with vanilla. Deep, dark fruit … dates, or expensive cacao nibs. Less vegetal note, the pipe s winning here, not the cigar.

• French Inhale: Wonderful, just great aroma. Grandpa’s pipe. Woody, but not oak. Well seasoned pipe wood.
• Dry hit: Dark Caramel / burnt sugar. Not bad, not sweet.

Ecig Express / Flavors Express Golden Virginia 5%
Light, sweet. A little bit of … rubbing alcohol? I think this is too light a %. Very light molasses or blonde/raw sugar. No TH at all. A bit of chemical in there, but not bad, just very slightly off. This wants to be less sweet. French Inhale: Mild, real tobacco - my mind said “Unfiltered Camel” although that might not be right. Super mild, but not a “filtered” smell.

• Dry Hit: Very much like an analog, like a real cigarette. I admit I went back for more, I like this dry hit.
• + bitter wizard: Improved,more astringent, less sweet but still molasses.

Ecig Express / Flavors Express Golden Virginia 8%
Molasses masked. Chemicals masked. A little bit of TH. This is probably the right % for single use, nothing new from 5%, but just more and better balanced. I like this, it has ADV potential.

• + Bitter Wizard + Menthol: Like smoking a Kool, but without stinking like an ashtray. Great french inhale, very good analog analogue. Great ADV potential if you like menthols.

BCV / FlavourArt 7 Leaves Ultimate (7leaves) 5%
No sweetness. Astringent. No TH. Mighty vegetal backend, turning into … celery seed? Very green, not bad, but extremely present. I like this, and while it reminds me of tobacco, in my mind it isn’t. Might try an ADV, but probably not. Would be good for a bar though, outside with smoking buddies.

• French Inhale: Pool chemicals. Don’t do that. So bad. So bad.
• Dry hit: Rough, yuck, pure burned cotton.

BCV / FlavourArt 7 Leaves Ultimate (7leaves) 10%
Celery turned to light lemongrass, quite an improvement. I can sense tobacco now. Sweeter than 5%. Light TH - very very light. My nose started running immediately.

• French Inhale: Pool chemicals reduced, replaced with .. cinnamon? Yeah, I tried it three times. Cinnamon.
• + menthol: All 7leaves flavor lost, pure menthol.

Ecig Express / Signature (TFA) Black Honey 3%
This is a nice surprise. Honey, spice, cloves. Hits me like a clove analog, I like this. There are deep, dark depths hidden in here. No tobacco, but tobacco is implied. It’s not very sweet, but the sweetness is implied. This one’s got complexity. ADV potential.

• French inhale: Tobacco, baby powder (wtf?) No honey.
• Dry Hit: Yam or pumpkin. This flavor’s got it going on.

Ecig Express / Signature (TFA) Black Honey 2% + TFA Ry4 Double 3%
Coughing, big TH. Not bad, but fast and hard. Sweeter than before. Nutty, BH is really holding it’s own, but the RY4 has changed the mix. The tobacco is here. Clove moved into the background, became a real supporting note. You can feel the clove, it tingles your mouth, but it’s not tasted directly. Yamminess moves to front stage. This is confusing, but good. It obviously needs to age.

• French inhale: Not great. “Artificial” aroma. Not the worst, though.
• Dry hit: Woody, smokey, pleasant.

I hope these notes are useful, I had a lot of fun with these, and I hope to explore more tobaccos.

• Q2

Banana bread, tastes way better than the standard wheat + sugar laden one.
Ingredients
5 ripe mashed bananas
1/2 cup + 1tbsp sifted coconut flour
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
4 eggs, whisked
1tsp each of baking powder and baking soda
4tbsp butter or coconut oil
Pinch salt
All you do is mix up all the ingredients in a bowl, you could use a blender instead, works both ways. Pour the batter into whatever, I use a large loaf tin (lined with baking paper!!), but you could just pour into a cake pan or muffin pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes in a loaf pan, less time if you're making muffins.
Simple! And seriously good. I make a loaf every week and when it cools down, I portion it out and wrap each piece and put them in the fridge so when i'm on the go I have something to take with me.
I've added macademia nuts, berries, dessicated coconut, walnuts, cacao nibs, orange zest..anything (not all in the same loaf obviously).
This is the last recipe for banana bread you'll ever use.

Hi guys,
Today I had a real bad chocolate craving, so I had the idea to almost "praline" some cacao nibs. I used the following ingredients:
4 Tbsp Coconut Butter (8 Carbs) 1 Tbsp Ghee (0 Carbs) 6 Tbsp Cacao Nibs (3 Carbs) 1 Tbsp Cacao Powder (2 Carbs)
Everything was fine until I thought that I might need something like sugar to keep it all sticky and candy-like. I wasn't sure if beet sugar or stevia would do the trick so I used a little of both.
3 Tbsp Beet Sugar, 1 Tbsp Stevia ( I didn't want them being too sweet, maybe I should have split this up evenly. My half-awake brain didn't think of that all the way through.)
I whisked up all the ingredients in a hot saucepan until it started bubbling, then I spread it out onto parchment paper and put it in the freezer. Once they hardened I broke them up into their own pieces. They turned out really good! They taste like little fudgy crunchy brownies. But I'm having a problem. Even after it cools, the only thing keeping the ingredients together, it seems, is the coconut butter. It has a solid, but soft texture at room temperature. The warmth of your hands will make the chocolate start melting a little. So I guess I need some other kind of stickier bonding agent? Xanthan gum maybe? Would it have worked better if I'd used just stevia instead of the beet sugar?

I made a beer with tap water, before reading a water report and realizing my city uses chloramine in the water, which has been giving all my beers a sort of muddy, plastic-y taste. I put that batch into secondary on some cacao nibs for about a month and just bottled it today. I went out and got some campden tabs to treat my water; I put some campden tabs in the water that I used to make my star-san solution, just as a precaution, and soaked/sanitized all my equipment in that water, but when it was time to bottle, I did what I always do -- rinse the suds off my bottles even though star-san is no-rinse.
I wondered if I was negating the fact that I used campden at all by doing this, but I figured the chlorophenol flavor was already present in my beer so I might as well go ahead. But for future reference, would that be an issue?
Chlorophenols are made when yeast reacts with the chloramine/chlorine in the water, and I am thinking that the secondary/bottling fermentation might not be active enough to be affected by just a rinse with water with chloramine. But I know chlorophenols are detectable as like, the most pronounced off-flavor in beer, detectable at like 1 part-per-million or something, so I want to avoid it, because I've tasted my wort hydrometer samples, and they taste pretty good but my fermented beer has this muddy, dull, strange taste to it.

Just started homebrewing and simply followed the recipes for the first couple of beers. Decided to try something a little different this time, so made a Russian Imperial Stout by the book, before racking over cherries and then cacao nibs to make my "Soviet Kirsch" Russian imperial stout with cherry.
Following the recipes was enjoyable enough as a beginning, but deciding to add something myself made it even more so.
Shame I decided to do it with a beer that is going to take a couple of months conditioning, but tasted good at bottling, so hopefully the wait will be worth it!