Solve the world's (or your own) problems

How do I find inner peace? What do I do when I am worried, sidetracked, uneasy or distraught? I pull out my organic baking chocolate and get to work!

Mind you, one doesn't have to be in a troubled state of mind to reap the benefits of chocolate-making. It is an activity you can do while happily enjoying life as well.

What makes this fun job more pleasurable is good music. I purchased a voice-activated speaker so my hands can be free to get chocolatey brown, and I don't have to touch any dials or knobs. My favorite pasttime is messy enough as it is.

Once your favorite playlist is cued up, you should lay out what materials you have.

Most important is baking chocolate. I use 100% organic, because I care about the planet, the environment, orangutans, the rainforests, the purity of all my ingredients, and what I put into my body, as well as what I offer to my friends and customers.

To make chocolates, one must have the proper set of tools: bowls for melting, dipping utensils, molds, parchment paper, spatulas, and paper towels. (I learned from a cafe owner friend in Germany that paper towels are more sanitary and also a requirement by the German health department!) You should also have flat storage boxes to put the chocolates into when they are finished. Depending on where you live and local temperatures, your chocolates may need to stay in the refrigerator.

Incredibly, your microwave oven is an ally when it comes to making chocolates. You can melt dark chocolate in a round aluminum bowl, as long as you watch it. This I learned from my chocolate school instructors. White chocolate requires a more tender touch: you should melt that slowly on the stovetop at a very low temperature. Milk chocolate also requires a watchful eye. Go ahead and use a double boiler if you're feeling old-fashioned.

Once you've melted your chocolate, stir it repeatedly, then dab a spot of it from the bowl onto the skin above your upper lip. If it's slightly warmer, then it is at a good temperature for pouring into molds.

Hey! When a good song comes on, be sure to tell your speaker to turn up the volume.

If you'd like to have chocolate coatings on your bon-bons, there are two ways to achieve this. First, you can "paint" melted chocolate into the molds, let that cool, and then put in your filling. After you've dropped filling two-thirds into the "shells" (keep them in the molds!), pour melted chocolate over the top of each candy space. A paint scraper you keep just for your kitchen will help you smooth off the excess chocolate.

Don't throw it away! Chocolate is "recyclable" inasmuch as you can use the extra for some other incredible recipe!

You may ask, what should I fill my chocolate molds with? The varieties are endless. What do you have in your pantry or refrigerator? I use organic raspberry jam, mixed with melted white chocolate. I also melt butter with richer chocolates and add a splash of rum or whiskey to make a filling that is a bit more sinful. I have so many good ideas, and rarely do those chocolates turn out not tasting delicious. If you like, Google a recipe and see what you find.

The second way to coat your chocolates is by forming a chocolate filling into balls, approximately 3/4-inch round. This takes some practice, especially when it comes to consistency. Your filling must have something in it that will harden enough to be malleable at the start yet firm later when you are ready to coat. Using a dipper, drop your cooled centers into melted chocolate, and tap off the excess. Then place your chocolates on a pan topped with parchment paper, and slide them into the fridge.

The final step to making homemade organic chocolates is to taste them. Depending on the ingredients, they are enjoyable for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bedtime as a snack. Of course, while in the process, you will be licking your fingers from time to time as you taste your wares. Don't forget to lick the spoon(s) when you are finished creating!

Dark chocolate is a healthy superfood, and so are many things you can mix with it. There is also very little else in this world that is as satisfying as a good piece of chocolate, especially when you have made it yourself and you know exactly what is inside.

If you followed the steps above, you should have a set of chocolates to keep all to yourself, or to share with others.

Eating chocolate makes you feel very good inside. If you can't solve world problems, you can momentarily quiet your own with a bite of delicious brown goodness!