Candy Cane Left-overs & the Throat Chakra

Well... Christmas is over and it's boxing day already.  I have been known to de-decorate as early as boxing day.  It's not that I'm a Scrooge at Christmas. I enjoy Christmas, but when it's done I want it to be over. I don't want to linger and reminisce and watch  pine needles fall on the floor. This year, we entered a New Moon phase on Christmas Eve. A New Moon phase signifies moving on, starting over, creating new and letting go of the past.  Ahh... more reason to clear out and move forward http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-moon-phase.html

In my world, one of the items that seems to linger after Christmas is candy-canes. I sometimes wonder if they don't multiple on their own somehow.  They come in all sizes from those tiny weeny ones to the gigantic- no one should ever eat this whole thing, variety.  You find them in the candy bowl at offices everywhere.  They are a common "give-away" item through the season.  Mall Santa's have pockets filled with the things. Some of those creative wrappers even incorporate them into gift packaging.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2011/12/wrapped-up-in-christmas-bach-flowers-to.html Teachers give them out on the last day of school.  The bus driver has a bucket full.  See what I mean, they multiple!  They also seem somewhat indestructible.  I've found seemingly perfectly good ones at the bottom of the Christmas decoration box years later.

Candy canes are a Christmas icon.  And after the fact, they can be a Christmas haunting in my opinion.  I have a solution...

In Chapter 5 of Sweet Shack & Bach Bar , http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-here-sweet-shack-bach-bar.html Wise Woman makes Peppermint Cheesecake using candy canes.  You can make it using any kind of mints, but it's a great way to use up some of those little candy cane leftovers.  You can find the recipe in my book,which you can order by clicking on the cover picture on the top right of my blog,  but here's the basic idea.

Make a chocolate graham crust using 1 cup chocolate crumbs and 3 tbsp. of melted butter.  Form the crust into a spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

While the crust is baking, gather up those candy canes, unwrap them, put them in a plastic bag and pound the heck out of them.  This is VERY cathartic!!  You need about 3/4 cup of crushed candies, so just keep pounding until you've got that much! They can be mixed in size, color, flavor, the works- this is a chance to be creative and thrifty at the same time.

When the 10 minutes is up take out the crust and turn the oven down to 325 degrees. 

Beat 3, 8 ounce packages of cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar and 1tsp. vanilla.  Beat 3 eggs into the mixture. Fold 1/2 cup of the crushed candies into this mixture and pour the mixture over the crust.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup candy over the top and bake for 45 minutes.

The peppermint in the cheesecake resonates with the throat chakra.  It can be very soothing if you have a sore throat. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2011/02/foods-for-throat-chakra.htmlThis can be an interesting recipe to take to gatherings between Christmas and New Year's.  When people's throat chakras are balanced they speak their mind and are able to express themselves with ease. You may find conversations switching to very real and positive communication if you feed guests this cheesecake.

Maybe once I've pounded enough candy canes, and made enough cheesecakes, I'll find my voice so that next year I'll pass up on those candy canes when they are offered to me!  All things are possible. There are Bach Flower essences that resonate with the throat chakra as well.  Rachael discovers them in Chapter 5 with Wise Woman and Merlin's help.

In the meantime- happy smashing, and Happy New Year's!