INGREDIENTS

Mix cream, chocolate and sweeteners in a sauce-pot. Simmer until hot and all is melted, stirring frequently with a whisk. Take off heat and transfer to a suitable vessel to enjoy.

Makes 2 servings.

La Strega will be have a show of the entire catalog November 21st in Burbank, CA…just in time for the holidays! Don’t forget to start thinking about gift sets!

Not to mention La Strega’s new JELLY JUICE POTION! Wonderful whipped aloe and oils make this jelly serum for face and under eyes..a great elixir remedy for those late night holiday cocktail parties!

La Strega’s Hover Fluff and Scrubbing Sprinkles will soon be here! It will definitely enhance and ease your regimen, making La Strega a much more complete package.

This week in Component Corner:

Cucumber Distillate

(Cucumis sativus) It has been said that Cleopatra may have used cucumber juice for skin preservation. It gives skin a cool feeling. It is a very mild astringent, and aids in removing dull skin while easing inflammation.

La Strega is proud to show it’s ingredients, so nothing is hidden. Along with La Strega’s compendium, you can truly learn about what you are getting. Don’t forget to click the “more information” button on each product and take a look!

You will probably end up seeing a pattern of me using erythritol sugar alternative in a lot of these recipes. That is because it is not an artificial sweetener, nor is it bitter like Stevia, nor is it a problem gastrointestinal-wise like xylitol or matlitol. I’ve let people taste a pinch and they are shocked. I found out about it three years ago and it is FINALLY more accessible in the U.S. This is one manufacturer that is easy to find. You can check them out here: http://www.zsweet.com/index.html

I have no affiliation with them in any way, so this is not an advertisement or endorsement. Just info.

It does take some getting used to, because it is not as sweet as sugar and does have a slight cooling effect and doesn’t blend quite the same. If you can handle it, 50/50 split is usually best. It depends on the type of baking or cooking. It takes experimenting, mixing, throwing away, concocting and succeeding. Talk about alchemy!

Trust me, if you can make it work, it’s worth it. It’s rare to find something naturally occurring, pretty much calorie-free that looks like sugar, tastes close to sugar, can cut into butter and whip like sugar, that’s not bitter or laxative inducing. Yay!

If you can handle pure sugar, go for it. Just substitute the recipe with raw cane sugar.

Here is my minty summer dessert drink, since I don’t like having to wait until winter to drink chocolate!

FRESH CHOCOLATE ICEd POTABLE

Mix cream, cocoa powder and erythritol in a sauce-pot. Simmer until hot and erythritol is melted, stirring frequently. Take off heat and allow to cool in sauce-pot or transfer to a suitable vessel to cool in refrigerator.

Pour potion into tall, ice-filled 8-ounce glasses and garnish with fresh mint.

Makes 2 servings.

Now that we will soon be in the real swing of summer, La Strega’s MIDSUMMER NOON Flickering Flame Candle is a warm welcome! It is the June arrival in The Order of Strega Month Club! The freshest scent of dandelion and creamcicle. The memory-inducing aroma to a wet tomato garden. And the faintest hint of a mesquite barbecue burning in someone’s far off yard. This candle is especially inviting for an apartment, where there is no patio or yard! Summer in a candle!

- Jennifer

How cute are these! I found these vegan peep toe dress slingbacks by Vegetarian Shoes. Sexy and cute for summer evening party. Just trying to keep up my obsession with shoes.

Please please look into this website.

G.M will probably try kill their Volt like the EV. Let’s hope people have woken up enough, with gas the way it is, that it may HAVE to stick this time. What do I mean? If you get a chance, take a look at  ”Who Killed the Electric Car?” documentary. It will clarify all that you suspected or already knew. Catch it on Encore if you can.