The Garden Apothecary Review + Maca-Macadamia Chocolate Bark Recipe

We all know the importance of eating clean, sweating it out at the gym and fuelling our bodies with products that promote wellness, but, this is usually where healthcare ends. While this is helpful, there's a lot more to looking after our health than green smoothies, boxing classes and chia seed puddings. 

Just for a moment, consider all of the chemically-filled beauty products that we use on our skin daily, or the pills that we take when we feel we could be coming down with a little sniffle?  Unfortunately for many of us, ancient herbal remedies have been replaced by runs to the pharmacy, pill bottles and cure-alls.

For people looking for that quick health fix, we’ve forgotten the very nature of food as medicine and the concept of using our own kitchens and gardens as a natural pharmacy.

Everyone's favourite Herb Nerd, Reece Carter, is on a mission to show us how easy it is to take health into our own hands by inspiring us to create our very own homemade herbal remedies. 

The Garden Apothecary his debut book, empowers the reader to turn to garden herbs and plants and the food already sitting in our pantries and concoct them into powerful medicinal aids.  He also give us the chance to personally fall in love with simple herbal remedies and tasty recipes.

At just ten years old, Reece could be found trying to re-create his grandfather’s fabulous veggie garden and making an absolute mess in the kitchen. I can tell you now that nothing for this herb nerd has changed. Reece went on to study Naturopathy and his goal was, and still is, to make herbal medicine a part of our everyday lives.

In The Garden Apothecary, Reece teaches us the art of herbal medicine, so we too can become our very own herb nerds. Reece helps us every step of the way – from growing our own plants to making our own ointments and tinctures.

With over forty recipes to choose from, Reece reveals how to relieve a range of ailments the natural way. This includes fixes for the everyday cold, boosting our immunity, relieving stress, curing sleep issues, improving digestion, increasing vitality and even resolving skin issues.

These herbal remedies have been backed-up by both traditional users and modern-day scientists to provide you with the best of both worlds.

The Garden Apothecary will inspire you to become your very own herb nerd. Take hold of your health with these natural remedies and fixes! 

We're very lucky that Reece has shared one of his tasty recipes with us today.  His Maca-Macadamia Chocolate Bark which will lift anyone's mood with it's delicious flavours and happy hormone-boosting ingredients. 

Maca-Macadamia Chocolate Bark

Serves: 12 

Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 155 g (1 cup) macadamia nuts
• 1⁄2 cup coconut oil
• 125 g (1⁄2 cup) coconut cream
• 1⁄4 cup raw cacao powder
  
• 9 teaspoons dried maca root powder
• 9 teaspoons (45 millilitres) rice malt syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried chilli powder or flakes
• 1⁄4 cup shredded coconut

Method: 

1. Slice the vanilla pod lengthways, then scrape out the seeds using the back of a knife. Discard the pod and keep the seeds.
2. Roughly chop the macadamias in half, and place to one side for later.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a large mixing bowl over a water bath.
4. Remove bowl from heat and stir through the coconut cream, cacao, vanilla seeds, maca, rice malt syrup, sea salt and chilli powder. Whisk until smooth.
5. Add half the macadamias and half the coconut. Stir through with a wooden spoon or spatula.
6. Line a baking tray with baking paper, then spread the mixture over evenly.
7. Top with the remaining macadamias and coconut.
8. Refrigerate until set, then break into twelve pieces roughly the same size. To store, layer the pieces in an airtight container, separated by baking paper. Keep refrigerated or—if like me you prefer it with a little more snap to it—in the freezer.

Good luck with your book Reece! I know it will go far.

If you want to find out more about Reece, you can find him on Instagram here, check out his website here or click this link for his Facebook.