jungle mama's photostream  

At the factory, the cacao beans are first sifted for foreign objects- you know, rocks, machetes, whatever got left in the bag. The cacao is weighed and sorted by type so that the manufacturer knows exactly what type of cacao is going into the chocolate. Some manufacturers use up to twelve types of cacao in their recipes, and they must carefully measure so that the flavor is consistent time after time.

Next, the cacao beans are roasted in large, rotating ovens, at temperatures of about 210-290F. Roasting lasts from half an hour up to two hours. The heat brings out more flavor and aroma, and it dries and darkens the beans.

Then the cacao beans are cracked and winnowed, that is, their outer shells are cracked and blown away, leaving the crushed and broken pieces of cacao beans, called “nibs.” At this point, we have something edible and really chocolatey, but they’re also really bitter. You might try some cacao nibs on a salad. Mmm.

See my set, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden for images of the chocolate-making process.

I love the brilliant reds and oranges of this elegant Koi, its ephermeral, wing-like fins, and the icy, shiny water forms it's visually interacting with!

For more, see my set, My Koi Pond.
www.flickr.com/photos/jungle_mama/sets/72157613453891094/...

The cold has burnt the Mahoe leaves and they are in various stages of browning and curling. Their glorious patterns are glistening in the morning sunlight and my lens and I are fascinated by what we're seeing and able to share with you! The vein patterns and colors. The browning areas and their black outlines. Their drying and curling surfaces! Beauty even in degeneration!

Seaside Mahoe or Thespesia populnea is a delightful coastal tree. It has tissuey, Hibiscus-like flowers which open as yellow and turn to pink and ruby red as they mature. Next the petals fall and the center of the sepal cup transforms into a burgeoning apple-shaped fruit. Its heart-shaped leaves are a delightful bright green.

One of its common names,Thespesia, means "divinely decreed" and was given by Daniel Solander who saw it in Tahiti as a member of Captain Cook's ship. Indian tulip tree is an evergreen bushy tree. It grows to 40 ft or more with a spread of 10–20 ft. It has heart-shaped leaves and cup-shaped yellow flowers that are produced intermittently throughout the year in warm climates. Each flower has a maroon eye that ages to purple. The flowers are followed by apple-shaped fruit.

Medicinal uses: Ground up bark is used to treat skin diseases (India), dysentery and hemorrhoids (Mauritius) Leaves are applied to inflamed and swollen joints (South India), When cut, the young fruit secretes a yellow sticky sap used to treat ringworm and other skin diseases, (South India) Roots are used as a tonic. There is some modern investigation of the plant's effects on high blood pressure.

Indian tulip tree, Aden apple, Portia tree • Hindi: Paras pipal पारस पीपल • Malayalam: Puvarasu • Bengali: Palaspipal • Tamil: பூவரசு Puvarasu
Botanical name: Thespesia populnea, Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve, North Miami, FL.
See my sets, Woods, weeds and streams.

Click image to see on BLACK.

Such a wonderful and dynamic shape. Love the contrast between this toothlike structure and the soft feathery grass the wind has blown around, like hairs caught in a comb.

Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve, North Miami, FL

This is magnificent on BLACK! CLICK this image to see it that way. A whole deep inner world!

Every year I take shots of Shooting Star flowers and finally I have one I love! They are hard to photograph and capture a true feel, clusters shooting in all directions. Where to focus? What to catch to tell this effervescent shrub's most intimate story? I was in tears when I saw this image on black... the real depth!

This morning as I was walking with Honey I saw the light was just right and, to her confusion, instead of heading off as we had begun, I headed home to grab my camera so I could show you exactly what I saw! I love the ruby red stems, the hanging-dog-ear petals and perky glowing stamens. And the dappled green and white sunlight in the background.

Striking, to say the least, Clerodendrum (Clerodendron) Quadriloculare is an easy to grow evergreen shrub. A member of the family Verbenaceae, it is commonly known as Starburst, Shooting Star or Glorybower. It requires no special care except for training and restraining. Starburst is a sub-tropical plant which is native to Africa and Asia (Pacific Islands).

Shooting Star, Starburst, Glorybower,
Clerodendrum, Clerodendron, Verbenaceae