Happy Holidays from The Chronicle

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Beds for Freezing Nights

Senior Meals Program

Willamalane giving list

Want a sweet treat without the baking hassle?

Choco-doodle-doos by Natural Grocers

These tasty no-bake cookies are especially fun to make with kids!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil
4 ounces 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups nut butter (such as almond butter)
1⁄4 cup flax meal or chia seeds
1⁄2 cup dried naturally sweetened cherries
4 cups mixer (coconut flakes, puffed rice cereal,
almond slices, sesame seeds or combination)

Instructions:

■ In a pan over low heat (or in a double boiler), melt coconut oil and chocolate. Add maple syrup and vanilla and mix well.

■ In a medium bowl, stir chocolate mixture into nut butter. Stir in cranberries or cherries and flax meal or chia seeds, then gently mix in “mixer” of choice until completely coated.

■ Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 40 minutes. It is best to store these in the refrigerator.

They may help boost your mood, too!

Mood-boosting chocolate by Yaakov Levine

As we enter winter, many folks are sharing with me in my work as a nutritional health coach that the shorter and darker days are impacting their mood. It’s not uncommon for folks living in the rainy northwest to experience SAD or “Seasonal Affect Disorder.” One of my favorite suggestions for supporting a healthy mood is chocolate!

Cacao is chocolate in its purest form, and it is actually an amazing superfood, rich in antioxidants, mood-boosting feel-good chemicals, and minerals. Cacao powder and dark chocolate have been shown to increase blood flow to the brain and reduce the levels of stress hormones. They also improve mood and contain magnesium which is a relaxing mineral.