Recipe for Disaster. Or Dinner.

Good thing it’s bath night.

Good thing the housekeeper comes tomorrow.

Good thing the smell of chocolate sends me to my Happy Place.

I should’ve known by the deafening silence for a full 60 seconds that something was amiss.  But I didn’t.  I was off my A-Game.

Sammy actually discovered the scene first, and by the time I had uttered, “Sammy, grab the….” he already had the broom.  Except I was gonna say “Camera.”  So he dropped the broom and found the camera.  Because a scene like this is too good not to capture on film.   Forever.  And show at his wedding rehearsal.

After playing in an Extra Special Dark Cocoa wonderland for a few minutes longer, I quarantined the sneaky 4th child in the tub.  Which is where I began to wonder if having an entirely white bathroom- and only one at that- was really a good idea after all.

But then scent of dark chocolate melting into warm water mixed with Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap drew me away from my questioning and further into my Happy Place.  Judah, however, couldn’t resist the urge to cozy up to the spout, hoping that peppermint hot cocoa might come out, I’m sure.

*Post Bonus:  here’s the recipe I was making with the Dark Cocoa.  It was an experiment and it was a big hit with the carnivores in our family, which Sam may no longer be based on the following conversation:

-Where does this meat come from?

-A Cow.

-[Long, sad pause] Why did you kill that awesome cow???

Recipe For Disaster

Ingredients

• 4 lb Chuck roast
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 red hot chilli pepper, diced (at this point you’re gonna wanna NOT scratch your eyeball.)
• 3 limes, juiced
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 3 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (make sure you put it away on a high shelf)
• 1 Tbsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 6 Tbsp tomato paste

Directions

• mix salt, pepper and dry spices/cocoa powder together and rub over both sides of roast
• place roast in crock pot (i.e. personal chef) with garlic, onions and peppers
• combine tomato paste, beef stock and lime juice and pour over beef
• cook on low (8-10 hours) or high (4-6 hours)
• shred meat and use for tacos, burritos, or anything else you come up with.  We served them in lettuce wraps.