Have you used maca powder yet? Its nickname is “Peruvian ginseng” and was even used as currency during the Incan empire due to its energy and libido enhancing properties. It’s loaded with vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Buying it in powder form makes it easy to incorporate in many dishes: add it to smoothies, baked goods, sprinkle on salads, and add it to your morning oatmeal.

I was so excited to find the Nature’s Path granola on sale this week. Apparently I didn’t have enough chocolate over the holidays so I grabbed a bag of chocolate too- which was also $1 off. Score! I’ll take any extra $$$ in my pocket to pay off the December credit card bill.

These clusters can be made with almost anything you have on hand. Throw in some nuts and seeds into melted chocolate, chill in the fridge- and you have clusters. Get creative with cranberries, oranges, coconut chips, slivered almonds, etc. What I used was simply what I had in my kitchen at the time.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tsp of maca powder
1/2 cup of granola
a handful of raisins

Instructions:
1) Melt chocolate (roughly 60 seconds in the microwave, or in a bowl over boiling water)
2) Blend in the remaining ingredients
3) Pour into parchment paper covered cookie sheet. With a fork or a knife separate the “batter” into small clusters. Chill in refrigerator for 15 mins.