Midweek Reflections: Giving up Chocolate

‘Idál (Justice), 13 Bahá (Splendor), 171 BE - Wednesday, April 2, 2014 about 6:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time

I have to give up chocolate! I purchase a milk chocolate Easter bunny on Monday, March 31, when I went to the store to pick up a prescription. I read the nutritional facts on the back of the box, since it did not give the potassium content I figured I did not have to worry about that issue. Today, I did an Internet search for the potassium content of chocolate.

I discovered that milk chocolate has 625 mg of potassium for one cup of chips. The chocolate bunny contains about 16 oz. of chocolate, which means the potassium in the bunny exceeds my low potassium diet. Dark chocolate has 158 mg and white chocolate 243.1 mg of potassium, this means I cannot eat chocolate Easter bunnies or any other type of chocolate candy. I have not checked the potassium content of hot coco mix, but I suspect the potassium content in that product excludes me from drinking hot chocolate or cafe mocha.

I think I will miss the cafe mocha the most, but I could be wrong. I might miss chocolate ice cream or chocolate candy more the cafe mocha. I will just have to see and write about what I miss most. I know one thing for certain, I will have to do an Internet search for potassium content in food and make a grocery list accordingly.

It's Friday and I'm still catching up from Wednesday

Istiqlál (Independence), 18 Sharaf, 170 BE - Friday, January 17, 2014 about 11:08 am Pacific Standard Time

It's Friday,
I'm still catching up from Wednesday
inactivity and nothing accomplished day.

It's Friday, I'm having difficulties focusing on what I have to do. I have sheets in the dryer to fold. I have trash to carry out to the garage. I have boxes to go through and empty.  I have to decide what furniture I can fit into my studio apartment. I have writing projects to work on. I have to get a few of these things accomplished today because tomorrow I have to get my car tag renewed.

It's Friday,
the only thing I want to do
is stand outside in the sun.

It's Friday, I posted to this blog yesterday so I don't have to post to it today. However, the only things I can concentrate on are prayers and writing. I've almost finished the fresh coffee I made today, so I have to decide if I want to brew another carafe, warm up the apple juice, or fix myself a cup of hot chocolate. Since I've drink one cup of cafe mocha this morning, I should warm up the apple juice.

It's Friday,
I'm distracted
I can't concentrate
on the things I have to do.

It's Friday, I think the best thing for me is to force myself to do what I have to do. I need to decide on something for lunch and I don't  know what I want  to eat. I think I'm just procrastinating because I can't concentrate on what I need to do. Therefore, I'll fix myself another cup of cafe mocha  and force myself to do go through a box, take out the trash, or something.

A Hazel Nut Café Mocha Day

Jalál (Glory), 10 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 169 BE – Saturday, May 26, 2012 about 9:50 AM Pacific Time

It’s a hazel nut café mocha day, at least until I finish the carafe of coffee I made this morning. Once I’ve finished that carafe, I’m making another because I’m sure the day isn’t going to get much better. I’m not sure it will get worse, but it isn’t going to get any better.

It’s Saturday. Mom doesn’t go to the daycare center on Saturday or Sunday. Since Monday is the observation of Memorial Day, she will remain home that day as well. Due to straining or bruising my right knee some time in the last week, I can’t standup, sit down, or walk for more then five or six minutes at a time without excruciating pain. This isn’t a problem until I have to take Mom to the bathroom. It takes longer then six minutes to get Mom into the bathroom and back to the living room.

At this point, I haven’t considered the process of walking her up and down the hall. She needs the exercise, but I’m not sure I’m up to it today. I think a knee brace would help, but going to the medical supply story until Tuesday is out of the question. Even then I’m not sure I can afford a knee brace until my Social Security check comes in and I can’t get a prescription from my doctor until June 6 and I don’t think I can wait that long for a knee brace. At least not when my knee hurts the way it does when I’m on it for an extended amount of time.

I just finished my second cup of café mocha. I also just realized that I left Mom’s walker where she can pull herself up with it. Since Mom isn’t walking very well today, it isn’t a good idea to leave the walker close to her. If she gets up, she may fall down even with the walker.  Therefore, I think I need to close this, post it, move Mom’s walker, and then get me another cup of café mocha, but this time with two tablespoons of hot chocolate mix.

Recipe of the week: Café Mint Mocha

Jamál (Beauty), 16 Sharaf (Honor), 168 BE – Sunday, January 15, 2012 about 10:15 AM Pacific Time

You like café mocha, but your budget does not allow you to buy it at your favorite coffee shop. The solution to this problem is to make your café mocha at home using an instant hot chocolate mix. This week, I am drinking Café Mint Mocha made from a gourmet hot cocoa mix.

Ingredients:

3 rounded tablespoons of mint flavored gourmet hot cocoa mix (I am using Chocolate Mint Truffle)

¾ cup of hot coffee, freshly brewed

Directions:

Step 1: Spoon the hot cocoa mix into a coffee cup (I know the direction on the can of hot chocolate  say to put the hot liquid in the cup first, but I have found that it mixes better when you put the cocoa mix in the cup first.)

Step 2: Pour in the hot coffee and stir until the cocoa powder dissolves in the hot coffee.

Step 3: Enjoy your café mocha.

Note: You can use any type of hot chocolate mix. If you have use the mix that come in individual packages then use 1 pkg. of mix for one cup of café mocha.

Café Mocha in Las Vegas

Jalál (Glory), 18 Qawl (Speech), 168 BE – Saturday, December 10, 2011 about 2:35 PM Pacific Time

It’s that time of year again, when I buy instant hot chocolate mix. It’s been a few months since I had hot chocolate mix in the house, but I had a coupon for Swiss Miss mix so when I went to the store on Monday I bought a couple of boxes. I made Mom some hot chocolate this afternoon and I made myself a cup of café mocha. In the morning, I’ll make Mom and I both a cup of café mocha.

The way I make café mocha is to open a package of instant hot coco mix, in this case the Swiss Miss, and empty it into a coffee cup or mug. After the mix is in the cup, I pour the coffee in and stir it with a spoon. It makes great café mocha and I do not have to go out of the house to have a cup.