The Magic and Passion of Chocolate

When I'm feeling really ghoulish, which has been a major theme in my life lately, there's one thing that helps me get through the hell. A very magical ingredient called....Chocolate!

Everyone has their own preference for how they like chocolate; milk, white, dark, bittersweet..Me, personally, I'm a dark chocolate witch! I like it spicy, biting, and decadent as it can be. And we really know that the reason that adults buy chocolate candy on Halloween is NOT for the darling little trick or treaters. It's for us! I mean, come on...Didn't you always dig through your Halloween bag looking for the best chocolate candy? I did. Forget the lollipops, smarties, etc...I wanted the real stuff. I wanted to win the golden ticket that would gain me entrance in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. I never liked either of the movie versions, they just didn't capture the seductive quality chocolate has for me.

The Aztecs and the Mayans knew what they were doing. The Aztec ruler Montezuma reportedly drank up to 50 cups of chocolate each day so that he could keep his harem of 600 women happy. And I bet he succeeded! To spend the night in a Mayan brothel, one had to hand over a handful of cacao beans. And then there was one of my favorite characters in history who also had a passion for women and chocolate...Casanova. He preferred chocolate over champagne. Smart man!

Kitchen Witch's know that chocolate has certain magickal powers and use it with great care and love. I have two favorite movies that blend chocolate and magic together. The first is  "Like Water, for Chocolate." The book is also full of wonderful recipes (not all with chocolate though). There's love, jealousy, passion, and beauty. Perfect for indulging oneself in both chocolate and fantasy. The second chocolate movie (which also happens to me one on my top 5 movie list) is "Chocolat" with the delicious Johnny Depp and the ethereal Juliette Binoche. Chocolate in this movie represents all that is sensual, feminine and powerful. Naturally, there were those who repressed their hunger for this aphrodisiac and suffered for it. Aphrodite, who I believe is the Goddess of Chocolate wreaks havoc on those who forbid themselves of their chocolate fantasies.

The Seventeenth-Century church officials believed that those who "indulged" themselves with chocolate were the minions of the devil. If I lived back then, my soul would have been in perilous danger. If I ended up in hell, so be it, as long as I could burn with chocolate.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite chocolate recipes that I fell in love with after seeing the movie, "Chocolat."

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 3 oz. Mexican Chocolate (which most Latino markets carry or if you can't reach one, you can substitute bittersweet chocolate tempered with a few dashes of cinnamon and just a small touch of sugar. Not too much sweetness because that's the beauty of this drink).

3 cups of milk or water

A dusting of cinnamon on top

Chop the chocolate in a blender or grate by hand. Bring the milk to a boil in a small sauce pan. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate. Using a whisk, hand mixer or blender, whisk the milk with passion until the chocolate melts and the milk is frothy.

Sprinkle with the cinnamon and drink immediately.

If this doesn't warm up your heart and body, then I don't know what would. So, do you like chocolate? Do you have a favorite chocolate candy or recipe? I'd love to know them...from one sinner to another.

Everything I learned about being a "real" witch, I learned from fiction.

Hey ya'll and happy October. Fall is my favorite time of year. I think a lot of people love Fall the best. We at eWitch discussed writing something once a day in the blog & at first I thought, that I didn't have anything to say, at least not everyday or every few days, and CERTAINLY not anything very important, but now I do. I have had an epiphany.
I have realized that all the really important witch lessons I have learned have come from novels with witches as the main character. 
And not to put too fine a point on it, I have real A LOT of books about wicca, wiccan life, paganism & so on, both technical & historical. My ongoing theme this month is about that. I cannot spend anytime today about it other than to declare my intentions but I will be here all month prattling on.

Preview: How I became a witch. "Dies The Fire" by S.M. Stirling.

Psssst... What To Know A Secret

Just wanted to let all our readers know that currently a simply wonderful giveaway is taking place.  Mrs. B's 31 days of Halloween is currently underway.  Yes, I know that it is the 2nd but there are still 30 days (counting today) to get in on all the fun that will take place. There is a wonderful giveaway (sometimes more) every day and also Haunted Blog tours as well as a variety of guest bloggers.  A little bit for everyone.

Today's giveaways are a perfect example of the great things that one will have the chance to win through out the month of October.

First there is a lovely Samhain themed goddess doll made my none other than Nydia over at Bringing Up Salamanders.  I can say from experience that her work is wonderful and the patience and love she puts into it are well apparent.

Next a Book entitled "Weisers Field Guide to Witches" it looks to be a wonderful find.

And lastly a wonderful goodie basket by none other than October Farm.  Any of you who have been to her blog know that her gifts are full of wonderful treats and are a bounty unto itself. 

So take the time to slip over to Mrs. B's and join in on all the fun.  I can assure you that you will be glad you did.