February Update 25 for 2025

Photo by Moose Photos, Pexels.com

I've had such a good month, and I feel safe to say that I'm getting back on the accomplishment track.

My 25 for 2025 Plan is working. I think I've made realistic steps to get ahead when for the last few years, I've been way behind.

You'll find a recap below of the first 3 items on my 25 for 2025 List and a very brief summary of the tasks and the results so far.

Some of the items on my list pertain to my writing career, but the concept of what makes achievement possible is applicable to anyone who's trying to achieve something. With that thought in mind, I've also offered a little advice of how you can apply the core idea to any situation.

#4 for 2025

Find out whether you're using your time effectively.

This coincides with #2 for 2025. Most people roll their eyes when they hear this, or they protest that they really don't have any free time to monitor because they have such a busy life. The truth is we all waste time. We claim we're too busy, too tired, or too stressed which is why we can't get that Thing We Really Want. We say we need to relax so we watch a movie. We say we're too stressed so we avoid doing anything that requires physical or mental effort.

Photo by Anna Shvets, Pexels.com

There's an easy way to find out if you're using time effectively. Keep a time journal for a few days—a week is even better.

I did this from the time I awoke in the morning until I crawled in bed at night.

I found I spent way too much time in the morning  drinking coffee and watching YouTube videos about what's going on in the country, gardening videos, arts and crafts videos, world history, and other subjects that interest me.

I was spending the hours between waking and noon in pursuits that educated me about subjects not germane to my writing rather than taking action on my writing projects. I wasted valuable time that put me even further behind on things I said I wanted to achieve.

It was usually 2:00PM every day before I tackled writing. By then, I'd lost the motivation so I had to force myself to go to my office. That meant, I was NOT having fun or enjoying the journey—and that meant I was emotionally tired, overwhelmed, and angry at myself. After dinner, I was exhausted from the emotional battle so I looked for relaxation at places like Netflix or in a book.

The next day, the cycle repeated itself. After a few days, it was easy to see I had become  my own worst enemy by creating a habit that did not serve me and what I wanted out of my career or my life.

If, like me, you are your own boss, you need to be a demanding boss. I ended my vicious time-wasting cycle by using my cell phone. I set a Monday through Friday alarm for 9:00AM.

When the alarm goes, off, I get up and go to my office, close the door, put on music, and do what I wrote in my Day Planner as my number 1 priority for the day. I set alarms for lunch, for back to the office afterwards, and for end of day.

This helps one get into the habit of taking action when it's time to take action. Action is the missing link if you're not achieving what you say you want. There's magic in taking target action.

RECAP OF 25 FOR 2025

#1 for 2025 - January 1 Post

Be realistic in setting goals, planning work, or writing resolutions.

I can't believe how much more I look forward to going to my office because I've scaled down my daily expectations of what I can achieve. Seriously, if you find yourself constantly feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and look at your expectations. Are they realistic?

#2 for 2025 - January 2 Post

Use a day planner to be accountable and to stay on task.

Again, I'm amazed at how much going back to this daily habit has increased my productivity. This is a profound key to accomplishment.

#3 for 2025 - January 31 Post

Update the file format on all my previously published ebooks.

This item requires ongoing work because it's a big project. With big projects, consistency of action and persistence are required.

I'm hanging in there and working each day on this. If you have a huge project, the important thing is to take action every day to get it done.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

We all have the same 24 hours given to us each day. How you spend those hours determines how your life will turn out. If you want an amazing life, then that means you must master your time rather than fritter it away and make excuses.

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Review - The Love Letter - An Unforgettable Romance

Oh, my goodness. I found one of my favorite movies of all time streaming free on YouTube. It's also available free on several other streaming services.

THE LOVE LETTER starring Campbell Scott and Jennifer Jason Leigh, a 1998 movie from Hallmark, has everything a great romance should have: a fascinating premise, unexpected love, great characters, good secondary characters, a surprising plot, and a twist ending.

I dare you to watch it and not cry, but take heart. There's another twist in store for the viewer. You may not expect it which makes it even better.

I love this movie so much that I looked it up on Amazon to see if it was available for purchase, and it is. The DVD is only $9.99. 

In fact, if you're a romantic, you'll probably watch it and then go buy it. It's simply so awesomely romantic and is a portrayal of what we all want love to be.

Darling Hubby is out of town so I'm going to watch it again this evening.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The movie is everything a romance should be.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Review - Atomic Habits

I can't believe I hadn't heard of this book before! I'm talking about Atomic Habits by James Clear.

I guess I don't haunt the self-help subject as much as I did years ago when I had so many things about myself that I wanted to improve. Not that I'm perfect now, but I know what it takes to be "happy" and productive and successful.

I still read self-help books to reinforce what I know and to see if they're books I'd recommend to others especially to the readers of SlingWords. 

That's where this book comes in. It's about the ideas I've been sharing in my 25 for 2025 Updates.

One of the first axioms I learned as a child was something Benjamin Franklin said: "In the beginning man makes the habits, and in the end, the habits make the man."

That is so utterly true. We are all the product of our habits. If we're unhealthy it's probably because we have unhealthy habits like failure to move our bodies and a diet of unhealthy food.

I venture to say you could look at any part of your life that you feel is out of balance and come up with reasons why it's that way. Chances are those reasons are the habitual way of doing things either by acting or not acting. 

In his book, Clear asserts that the reason one can't change a bad habit into a good one is that a system for doing that hasn't been learned. The book is a daily "take action" process that teaches the reader how to make time for a new habit despite what's going on in your life, how to overcome a lack of motivation and/or willpower, how to set up your environment to make success easier, and how to get back on track if you fall off the wagon.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Atomic Habits can be a game changer for you. Check it out at the library, find it at a used bookstore, or order it from Amazon which offers it in Kindle or in new and used print editions. In fact, as I write this, the hardcover edition is on sale for $14.85.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Monday Magic - Free PDF App

I'm late with today's Monday Magic post. I slept fitfully and was late getting up today.

Enough with excuses, let's get on with my review of a free app you'll want to add to your toolkit. No need to download the app.

You can use it in your browser, and you'll find it easy to use. In fact, all the instructions you need to get started along with an FAQ right on the home page.

PDF Escape Online PDF Editor

This is the original online Free PDF editor and form filler. Yes, it's free to use online, but if you subscribe, of course, you get more options.

This app is pretty sweet and offers these abilities on the free side:

Edit PDF Files

Annotate PDF Documents

Fill Out PDF Forms

Create Basic PDF Forms

Password Protect PDF Files

Share Documents Online

View PDF Files

You may have seen PDF Escape Online PDF Editor, a product of Avanquest Software, on Mashable, c|net, lifehacker, or PCWorld.

The paid version can also be found on the landing page so check out the paid benefits and pricing in case you need a more robust version.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm always amazed at the massive amount of free apps offered. Let me know if this app works well for you.

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Sunday Thoughts About Music

How often do you listen to music? What kind of music do you like?

Me? I listen every day, but what I listen to depends on what I'm doing. Yes, different kinds of music for different activities.

When I'm in the office, I listen to classical music, preferably string music with the exception of guitar. Give me violins, cello, viola, and piano.

To name a few, I love DeBussy, Mozart, Chopin, Bach, and some Beethoven—but not the bombastic symphonic stuff. Occasionally, I like pop music from nearly any decade if it's not in English. If I can understand the words, I find my brain distracted by the lyrics.

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE

If I'm enjoying conversation with friends or just with Darling Hubby, I have music playing in the background—usually my Pandora station with 60s, 70s, and 80s or Easy Listening with Josh Groban, Michael Buble, and great crooners of the last 40 years. 

If I'm cooking, I have French or Italian dinner music playing. If I'm cleaning house or working out, I have loud rock music from 60s to 2000s playing.

Or country music that begs one to sing along like Jerry Jeff Walker's Redneck Mother or Wicked Rain by Los Lobos.

If I'm feeling sad, I listen to crying-in-your-beer country like Willy Nelson's Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.

If I'm blogging, I listen to whatever suits my fancy. I guess words with music doesn't bother me when I'm writing something casual like a blog post.

TRUE CONFESSION

I'll freely confess that I don't find much of the music in the Spotify Top 10 interesting. So much of it sounds derivative from the vocals—even the singers' voices—to the music. It's not that I think today's music sucks, but it's missing something. 

Maybe it's the fact that so many singers don't have actual musicians backing them up. Auto drums. Autotune. Digital background music. Derivative voices. Derivative music. Or maybe I just don't have the time to devote to hearing the latest music like I did when I was young.

My daughter adds songs to my Spotify list that she thinks I'd like, but I haven't found much from her recs either.

I do watch Rick Beato on YouTube when he goes through the Spotify Top 10 to see if there's something I've missed that I might truly love.

I really like Beato's analysis of music—old and new. If you haven't watched his videos before, give them a try. If you're really into music, you'll like what he has to say.

As you can tell, I have very eclectic taste in music. I guess that's because I grew up with a Mom who liked everything from Big Band to Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, and Cajun music and a Dad who played guitar and loved country music from Depression-era country to Hank Williams to Dolly Parton.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

As I finish this post, I'm listening to one of the greatest songs of the 70s—Eli's Coming by Three Dog Night, the group with 3 lead singers who were all amazing. If you're listening to music today, leave a comment and tell me the song and artist.

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Saturday Share Recipe - Miss Nell's Taco Soup

Miss Nell was one of my Mom's friends. She gave me home perms when I was young. When she and Mom got together, they would laugh like teenagers and talk for hours.

Miss Nell was a good home cook just like my Mom. She and my Mom exchanged recipes frequently. They were always interested in trending recipes.

Today's recipe is one of Miss Nell's, but I tweaked it to make it a little healthier in today's world.

Still, it's quite easy to prepare, serves a bunch, and is delicious and warm on a cold day. I hope you like this soup and will make it often.

Ingredients

2 pounds of ground beef

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can Ranch style beans

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can Rotel tomatoes (Mild or original)

1 can (from the Rotel can) of water

1 can of beef broth

1 package taco seasoning (mild or spicy) or 2 - 3 tablespoons if measuring from the large jar of taco seasoning

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat and drain the fat off. Return to pot and add the corn, beans, Rotel, and the can of water.

2. Stir the mixture then sprinkle in the seasoning packet and stir to combine.

3. Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes on low.

Serve with Fritos, Mexican Cornbread, or Saltine Crackers.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Writing this post brought back some fond memories. I'll be making this soup tonight. Maybe you will too.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Truth About Natural Flavors in Food

Last week, I discussed Instant Hot Cocoa Mixes and gave my recipe for an "almost instant" cup of hot cocoa.

I learned so much about the ingredients in those  mixes that I wanted to go into more detail about Natural Flavors.

Yes, I'm sure you've seen that listed on many food products. You probably have the same reaction I do when I see that on a label: "Oh, so it should be okay."

Wrong. So wrong. {Hitting my head against the wall.} I should know better when it comes to the food industry, but I never really questioned it.

WHAT ARE NATURAL FLAVORS

As I wrote in last week's post, "natural flavors" in food are derived from plant or animal sources, but the process of extracting and manipulating those flavor compounds to create a specific desired taste usually happens in a laboratory. So let's dive in a little deeper.

The Food and Drug Administration aka FDA defines Natural Flavors this way:

"a substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, etc.) or animals (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.) via a method of heating, with its primary function in food being flavoring not nutritional.”

Well, my first question is this: What does etc. cover? Molds are natural as are a few other things I won't mention that I wouldn't knowingly consume.

Did you know that those Natural Flavors are mixtures that can contain more than 100 chemicals? These chemicals can be solvents, preservatives, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers. Some of these so-called natural flavors that are classified as generally safe may be composed of more than 90% of other substances used to enhance the flavor that's created. 

Make no mistake, these Natural Flavors are lab-created because they don't come only from the food they’re replicating. They're mixed with those other chemicals to enhance a specific taste. 

How do they differ from artificial flavors? Well artifical flavors never existed in a food product. They're made solely from chemicals that are combined to mimic a particular flavor.

Do you remember a few years ago when a big coffee chain franchise and a big fast food franchise offered a delicious pink beverage?

Some whistleblower revealed that one of the Natural Flavors in the drink came from a mold! Seriously?

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I think when Natural Flavors is listed as an ingredient in food, it should be defined as to its source, but I'll wager the food industry would figure out a way to make that confusing too.

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Thank Benjamin Russell Jr. for Sweatshirts

I freely admit that when the temperature drops into the 30's outside, I wear a sweatshirt and sweatpants inside. Yes, I'm cold-natured since I've lived most of my life in a hot climate.

Even though I have central heating, I keep the thermostat at 69 or below so my wardrobe of sweatclothes gets trotted out. I have colorful shirts but mostly navy, gray, and black sweatpants.

You may laugh that I follow fashion "rules" when it comes to sweats, but why not be stylish if one can be stylish in sweats.

This morning when it was below freezing, I said to Darling Hubby, "I don't know who invented sweatshirts and pants, but I'd like to thank them.

Of course, that started me on the research trail of whom to thank. As it turns out, it was Benjamin Russell Jr., a 1926 football player who was tired of itchy wool jerseys and had an idea for an all-cotton practice football jersey.

He went to his father who turned Junior's idea into reality. Thus Russell Athletic was born with the production in 1930 of the crew neck sweatshirt. 

Of course, the label sweat was attached to the cotton jersey shirt because men who wore it played football—one could justifiably call it iron man football back in those days—and they sweated.

TODAY'S SWEAT CLOTHING

If you have a sweatshirt with a triangular piece set in at the neckline, then you have a traditionally styled sweatshirt. 

In today's world, that triangle of cloth, originally meant to collect perspiration and to keep the neckline from stretching out, is often missing. 

Most sweatshirts are loose-fitting garments with long sleeves and a crew neck,and they're still designed for warmth, and the best, in my opinion, are 100% cotton. 

Russell Athletics still makes and sells a quality sweatshirt and pants. Darling Hubby has some Russell Athletic wear that is about 10 years old, and the garments still fit well, retain their shape, and are soft and comfortable.

WOMEN AND SWEATS

Ironically, the first pair of sweatpants for women was introduced in the 1920s by Émile Camuset, the founder of Le Coq Sportif, who saw them as pants a woman could wear for comfort and ease.

Yet, it seemed to take a man "inventing" them for men for them to become commonplace. Was it that the idea didn't cross the Atlantic, or perhaps the French design was different from the American design?

Now the Fashion Police deride any woman who appears in public in sweats. Personally, if I'm wearing sweats and need to go to the store, post office, etc. 

I do not hesitate to appear in public. In fact, if I lived in a cold climate, I probably wouldn't wear anything but sweats 24/7.

In the 1960s, sweatshirts began sporting more than a university's name. Slogans, mottos, and graphics began appearing on them.

I found this "Booktrovert" sweatshirt on sale today at Amazon for $15.99 and couldn't resist ordering it.

In the late 1970s, bright colors began to be offered in sweats, and women adopted them immediately.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I love my sweats in the winter, and I love that they are offered in every size range because I wear a petite, and it's so hard to find pants short enough for my petite size, and long enough for my model-height daughters. Sweatclothes manufacturers do a good job of this.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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February 2025 - 99¢ Sale Book

Good Winter Morning to you!

Here on the Texas Gulf Coast, it's 32° F. But wait, it's going to get even colder with mid-twenties forecast for tonight. 

That means it's great for staying inside, under a warm blanket, and reading.

You might want to stock up on ebooks because this winter storm hitting the country is going to hang around a few days.

I know there are a lot of 99¢ sale books so take advantage of that.

The ebook edition of SCENTS AND SENSUALITY, one of my most popular romantic comedy novels is on sale this month.

I've been reading the AI-generated summary of what reviewers say. I guess this was done to aid readers who don't have the time to read individual reviews. For this book, here is the Amazon AI summary of reviews:

Customers enjoyed the book. They found the story clever and enjoyable, with a background story about creating perfumes. The book included humor and action, making it a great romance read for those who enjoy humor. Readers appreciated the well-researched storyline and felt the characters' reactions.

ABOUT SCENTS AND SENSUALITY

Perfumer Amanda Whitfield no longer sees the science geek when she looks in her mirror—thanks to the makeover her best friend gave her.

But inside she still feels like that geeky girl. 

She knows all about the Science of Sex Appeal, in a purely intellectual way, but when it comes to a practical application of the knowledge, as in Romance and Sex, Amanda draws a blank.

Desperate for a date to her cousin's wedding, Amanda, follows her best friend's advice to portray an empty-headed hottie whose bra size is a bigger number than her IQ. She'll do whatever it takes to get a date for her cousin's wedding because there's no way she'll go without a man on her arm.

Enter a matchmaking mom with a son to marry off. Computer genius Harrison Kincaid is fed up with his mother's crazy schemes. He's determined to teach her a lesson, but, first, he must deal with her latest prospect, Amanda Whitfield. He hatches a plan to ensure that Amanda will kick him to the curb.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

For only 99¢, heat up your stormy winter evening with this comedy of errors romance. Happy reading!

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Review - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Netflix

I watched the most delightful movie last night. When I say delightful, I mean that it had interesting, compelling characters, an emotionally moving plot, and a setting that, if you're a book lover, you'll adore.

The story is about love and loss and new love and new loss and the heartbreaks, challenges, and triumphs along the way. In other words, it's about life—in this case, a life lived well.

Oh, and there's a bit of mystery too which I knew the answer of immediately, but you may not. However, when you find out what took place and why, you'll see that it's true.

I laughed, I cried, and I immediately texted my daughter to tell her to watch it. Now I'm telling you.

The film was a 2022 American comedy drama with the screenplay written by Gabrielle Zevin who also wrote the book on which the movie is based.

Directed by Hans Canosa, it stars Kunal Nayyar, Lucy Hale, Christina Hendricks, David Arquette, and Scott Foley. Actually, I watched the movie to see if Nayyar had managed to get  a role where he wasn't the comic relief—usually the rather crude comic relief.

I'm happy to report that the movie and his performance were wonderful. 

I'm always a sucker for any movie about booksellers, bookstores, writers, readers, and books. I really enjoyed this one. If you have the same love for anything to do with books, watch this. If you're not a Netflix subscriber, you can rent it on Amazon or some of the other streaming services.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It's rare to find a movie like this. In fact, I'd say this is family viewing except for a couple of scenes. Let's call it PG13. Watch and enjoy.

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Monday Magic - Free Computer Virus Check App

When you receive a URL in an email or message, do you dither about it and wonder if you should delete it, open it, or just leave it alone?

That happens when I get jokes from a friend. It seems to be legit, but people can get their computers hacked, and the email that goes out is a lure to get someone to click it. Then your computer is also hacked.

If you're tempted for whatever reason to click a link or go to a website you don't know, the best practice is to check out the link, the file, or the website with VirusTotal, this week's app you should consider using.

Their mission statement is: "Analyse suspicious files, domains, IPs and URLs to detect malware and other breaches, automatically share them with the security community."

This free—for non-commercial use—app is easy to use. When the home page opens, you'll see the search bar at the top where you can enter a URL or IP address. In the middle of the page, you'll see the selections: File, URL, Search, and a box below to Choose File.

VirusTotal is like a second opinion to your antivirus software.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Anything that helps you deal with the scams and tricksters out there is a good thing. Sign up for a free account today.

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Sunday Thoughts - Weather Lore

Yesterday, my brother Vernon and I were talking about how weird the weather has been this year. Eighty one day and forty the next. Rain, snow, tornadoes, and all the other anomalies.

That led us to memories of our grandfather who had an old saying about weather to fit every occasion.

You see, our grandfather was 100 years old when he passed. My mother was his only child, and she was born when her parents were in their forties.

They were from the 19th century, and she was from the Roaring Twenties. It's mind-boggling to think how my grandparents were born a decade after the Civil War ended. They saw 2 world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and from horse and buggy to astronauts.

My mother wrote about it all in her memoir, Memory Lane, which I helped her put together and publish in 2008. I included a chapter on Weather Lore in the book. Today, I thought I'd share a little from the book which is still available in print on Amazon.

EXCERPT, Memory Lane: My Sentimental Journey

"I greatly admired my father. I remember how he had pithy little sayings to fit every occasion, and they always sounded wise and wonderful. What really amazed me though was his wealth of weather lore. Remarkably, he seemed able to accurately predict what Mother Nature would do.

"This was back in the days before CNN and The Weather Channel so everyone was more in touch with the elements and the earth. People had to depend on their ability to predict weather so there were many imaginative ways to do so. Here are a few of my father’s sayings about weather."

(1) Thunder in February means there will be a cold spell or a frost the same number day in April.

(2) If the weather fairs off at night it won’t stay that way very long.

(3) Thunder before seven; rain before eleven.

(4) A ring around the moon means it will rain within twenty-four hours.

(5) Early Easter, late spring. Late Easter, early spring.

(6) Rain the first three days of the beginning of the month means there will be more rainy days than clear days in that month.

(7) If you see lightning in the north, look for rain within forty-eight hours.

(8) Dandelions blooming in April means a wet July.

(9) Rain on June 1 means pecan trees won’t bear.

(10) Big wooly caterpillars appearing in late summer means a hard winter ahead.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

By the way, that's a photograph of my mother, age 3, on the cover of the book. Her right foot is blurry because she was tapping it impatiently, hating that she had to sit still instead of being allowed to go play.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Love to read? Sign up for my free Newsletter, I LOVE READING. Once a month, you'll receive exclusive content and news about giveaways, bargains, and new releases.

Saturday Share - Easy Hot Cocoa vs. Instant Mix

 On dreary cold, rainy days I like to indulge with a cup of hot cocoa. In the past, I would buy the large canister of (name removed since I don't want to get sued). In reading labels on several of these mixes, I learned that the ingredients are about the same on all of them.

This started as a short post to give you my healthy, delicious recipe for a cup of hot cocoa that's an alternative to the mixes you buy at the store.

That recipe is at the end of this post if you want to skip the research I did on these instant hot chocolate mixes.

Since I'm all about staying healthy, I think it's important to share with you what I discovered about the questionable ingredients in instant cocoa mixes so you can make an informed decision before consuming them.

Questionable? OMG. This led me down a rabbit hole, and I learned far more about the ingredients that convinced me I didn't want them in anything I consumed. Those ingredients begin with sugar and corn syrup (2 forms of sugar!!)

This is what I learned about the ingredients that are listed after the sugars and what can be surprising side effects from them. Here's what I learned about those ingredients in order of prominence.

Modified whey—a form of whey protein that has been altered through chemical, physical, or enzymatic processes.

Potential side effects: digestive issues like bloating, gas, nausea, and diarrhea. Those with kidney problems should consult a doctor before consuming modified whey as it may put additional strain on the kidneys.

Cocoa processed with alkali—this is what is called "Dutch-processed" cocoa which means the cocoa beans are treated with an alkaline solution like potassium carbonate. 

This neutralizes their natural acidity and results in a milder taste, darker color, and improved solubility. Unfortunately, it also reduces the beneficial antioxidant content (the flavanols) which is the main health benefit of cocoa.

Hydrogenated coconut oil—coconut oil that has had hydrogen added to it to make it more solid and extend its shelf life. This hydrogenation process creates trans fats, which can increase one's risk of heart disease.

Nonfat milk—milk that has had all of its fat removed. This is a good source of the benefits from milk, but the problem is that the fat was removed and replaced by the hydrogenated cocnut oil.

Salt—1 serving gives 170mg sodium which is 7% of the daily value. To give you an idea of what amount that might be, 1/4 teaspoon is 575 milligrams so I guess 170mg isn't too much.

Dipotassium phosphate—can cause side effects like muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat, and gastrointestinal issues as well as allergic reactions like itching, swelling, rash, and difficulty breathing. 

Mono-and dyglycerides—a type of food additive classified as emulsifiers. They help mix oil and water together and are typically derived from vegetable oils. They are considered generally safe if consumed in normal amounts. 

Problems arise when someone consuming them are also eating a diet high in saturated fats. (I imagine since these ingredients are in many food products people can consume too much without realizing it.) Potential side effects can include increased risk of heart disease if consumed in large quantities. 

Natural flavor—Wow. This one is really problematic because food manufacturers are not required to tell consumers the source of the natural flavor. 

Sources considered natural are fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and even animal products. It's used to enhance the taste of the product in question without adding any nutritional value.

You should know that "natural flavors" may come from plant or animal sources, but the process of extracting and manipulating the flavor compounds happens in a lab.

Be sure and read my follow up on Natural Flavors that publishes Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

I think the "generally considered safe" label probably doesn't mean anything because the potential for allergic reaction is real since the consumer doesn't know the source of the flavor. Where's the transparency regarding souce, processing, etc.?

Then there's the moral issue of people who are vegetarian who may be consuming a product from an animal source. 

MY RECIPE FOR EASY HOT COCOA

This may take a couple of minutes longer than the "instant" hot chocolate mixes, but it's healthy.

Here is the basic recipe. Adjust amounts according to the size of your cup and your taste.

Ingredients

1 microwave safe mug (I use a tall one as shown at right)

whole milk

1 tablespoon Hershey's Cocoa Powder

boiling water

1 tablespoon sugar (I use organic sugar)

small pinch of salt

Directions

(1) Pour milk into the mug, filling it to the halfway mark.

(2) Heat the milk in the microwave to very hot

(3) Remove from microwave and add cocoa powder. Mix well. I have a tiny whisk I use.

(4) Pour boiling water to fill the mug.

(5) Add sugar and salt and whisk well.

That's it. You get natural ingredients, the health benefits of real dairy and real dark chocolate. You control the amount of sugar and salt, and you get nothing weird with potential side effects.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The more I learn about what's in our food supply, the more determined I become to eliminate as many as possible from my kitchen and the food I prepare.

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