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Triple Chocolate Fudge

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Triple Chocolate Freezer Fudge from Beyond Bacon by Paleo Parents

Triple Chocolate Freezer Fudge from Beyond Bacon–All Photos Are Reprinted with Permission from Victory Belt Publishing and Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry; Photo Credit: Aimee Buxton

Most of you have probably heard of Stacy and Matt’s (Paleo Parents) much-praised cookbook treatise on pork, Beyond Bacon: Paleo Recipes That Respect the Whole Hog. Admittedly, I’m an unabashed pork lover. Today, coincidentally, we had bacon as part of our breakfast, soup that included bacon (and a little bacon grease) for lunch, and pork sirloin for our dinner. Pork is one of our favorite meats so you’ll often find pork dishes on our table.

Spare ribs, country ribs, baby back ribs, ham, pork picnics, pork butts, pork shoulders, pork chops, pork sirloins, pork tenderloins, and pork belly (mostly in the form of bacon) have all graced my table with some frequency over the years. Interestingly enough, Baby Back Ribs are a meal that I can often eat safely free when dining out. Pork doesn’t need much to shine, so ribs in restaurants are typically either dressed in a dry rub or a simple sauce, both of which are usually gluten free. (Always check gluten-free status of all ingredients, of course!).

There’s even a photo of baby pigs in our home (plus a few more pig items). Mr. GFE was a member of Future Farmers of America in high school and raised pigs. He’s always said there’s nothing cuter than a baby pig. He enjoyed the process of raising pigs and was very proud when he’d sell them.

Still, all that said on our love of pork, Beyond Bacon really surprised and delighted me when I read it. I had no idea it would be so beautiful. Overall, it’s simply gorgeous—the photos of the pigs on the farms (and Matt and Stacy and their family visiting the farm) and the recipes made from the whole hog. I had no idea I would learn so much from this  book either.

Beyond Bacon by Stacy Toth and Mattthew McCarry

Here are just some of the things I love about—and learned from—Beyond Bacon …

~ The chalkboard style cover (and other photos in that style) and the quotes filling the flyleaves of this book. The quotes are from folks you “know.” Folks like Julia Child, Joel Salatin, Alton Brown, Michael Pollan, and many more. Such quotes are actually used throughout the book and show that the wisdom shared in this book comes from many more folks than Stacy and Matt.

Suite of Sweets for Sweethearts on Gluten Free Easily~ Joel Salatin’s Foreword—I was first “introduced” to Joel in Food, Inc. He is the Virginia farmer behind Polyface Farms in the Shenandoah Valley of our state. From their website:  “Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.” You’ll want to read much more there. Joel calls Beyond Bacon a DIY for food preparation, processing, and packaging for pork. I love that!

~ The preface from Stacy and Matt—I never get tired of reading their family’s personal story of their dietary and lifestyle changes and recovery from so many health issues for all of them (except for their youngest son because he’s never had health issues due to Stacy’s improved diet when she was pregnant with him and his diet since his birth).

~ That their “love letter to pork”—what they call this book—celebrates pastured pork (pastured is best for the farm animals and us) and using the whole hog as indicated by its title. Over the years, most of us have become disassociated from the food we eat. Working with the actual source, the farmer, behind the pig and not just buying packaged bacon, packaged pork tenderloin, etc. should be a goal of all of us who eat pork, for so many reasons.

~ Info on ordering a whole pig including the Hog Anatomy Chart and breakdown of how to choose what to order. You get to select most of the specifics of your hog. And, again, no, you don’t order all bacon. You will learn about a lot of other items you can get from the whole hog and you’ll happily forego just getting bacon!

~ The new guidance on cooking pork that is shared in this book. The old guidance on cooking all pork to well done—which also meant it would end up very dry and not so tasty—was based on what pigs ate at the time. Trichinosis is now almost non-existent and tied to undercooked game, not pork.

~ There’s a “Sweet Thangs” section of Beyond Bacon, which makes it another great selection for our Suite of Sweets for Sweethearts event and leads me to …

Beyond-Bacon-Table-of-Contents-by-PaleoParents-1025

A Word About The Recipes in Beyond Bacon

After attending one of the Paleo Meat-ups held at Stacy and Matt’s home, and sampling their Salted Caramel Bacon Sauce—also known as Bacon Jam—I immediately said that recipe was worth the price of this book alone. And I haven’t changed my mind on that.

But tonight I made the Triple Chocolate Fudge. Holy! Mr. GFE, the man who usually resists sweets with no issue, had to keep sampling this fudge to be sure just how good it was. Oh my, it’s good … really, really good! “Death by chocolate” good. This recipe gives you the divine bittersweetness of dark chocolate and a mix of wonderful textures—all from just a few simple ingredients! Getting this recipe, too, is alos worth purchasing this book (if you don’t win it, of course)!

Because this fudge is so incredibly good, if you don’t have a lot of folks living at your house, I recommend making it when you have a small crowd around. One piece is just the right serving size, but you won’t be able to resist having more of this dessert. If it’s there, you will definitely eat more than one piece. You have been warned! Courtesy of Paleo Parents and Victory Belt Publishing, you can find the recipe at the bottom of this post.

And Now for the Fabulous Giveaway!

UPDATE:  This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who entered!

 

Three winners will win a copy of Beyond Bacon: Paleo Recipes That Respect the Whole Hog. But wait … two winners will also win a copy of Stacy and Matt’s first book, Eat Like A Dinosaur: Recipe and Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids. (It’s one of my faves; you can read my earlier review here. Don’t misled by the name either. It’s not just for kids and families; even single adults have loved this book!) And wait once more because two winners will also receive a copy of Paleo Parents’ newest work, 3-Phase Paleo:  Transition Your Family in Three Easy Steps, an ebook that does just that by teaching you how to “Swap, Remove, and Heal,” and also includes over 75 recipes! This giveaway ends Monday, February 24, at midnight Eastern.

Beyond Bacon by Stacy Toth and Mattthew McCarry

 ~ 3 winners ~

Eat Like A Dinosaur Paleo Parents

~ 2 winners ~

3 Phase Paleo by Paleo Parents

~ 2 winners ~

To enter the giveaway:

~ Leave a comment that relates to this giveaway. Are you fans of Paleo Parents? Are you interested in having a more active role in your food; e.g., DIY pork? Do you and your family wish to eat paleo and need help? Are your kiddos fans of all things dinosaur and you want to use Eat Like a Dinosaur to get them in the kitchen and/or enjoying simple healthy meals? Tell us all about your interest in these books. (required entry)

~ “Like” gfe on Facebook and use your mouse to hover over “Like” and click on “Get Notifications” so you won’t miss a post. (Leave a separate comment saying that you did; optional entry.)

~ “Like” Paleo Parents on Facebook and use your mouse to hover over “Like” and click on “Get Notifications” so you won’t miss a post. (Leave a separate comment saying that you did; optional entry.)

p.s. Be sure to also enter the other open SSS giveaways:   Gluten-Free Entertaining:  More than 100 Naturally Wheat-Free Recipes for Parties and Special Occasions (ends Thursday, February 20);  Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats:  Allergy-Free & Vegan Recipes from the Famous Los Angeles Bakery (ends Saturday, February 22) and Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle (ends Saturday, February 22).

Triple Chocolate Freezer Fudge from Beyond Bacon by Paleo Parents
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Triple Chocolate Fudge from Beyond Bacon + 3-Phase Paleo + Eat Like a Dinosaur by Paleo Parents

An excellent make-ahead dish, this fudge should be served still cold.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate, divided (we recommend mini chips or finely sliced pieces of your favorite bar)
  • 1 cup lard, softened (Shirley here: see notes for readers' and other bloggers’ suggestions on substitution ideas)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon palm or maple granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Over a double boiler, continually stirring, melt 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate chunks or chips.
  2. Whisk in the lard, cocoa powder and sugar until thoroughly combined and then remove the double boiler from the heat.
  3. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and line the bottom with the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
  4. Pour the fudge over the top of the chocolate chips and smooth with a spatula.
  5. Place the dish in the freezer and allow fudge to chill for 1 hour.
  6. Remove the fudge from the dish by the parchment paper and cut the fudge into 1 ½-inch cubes.

Notes

This fudge should be served still cold. Keep this recipe in the freezer until about 10 minutes before serving. The “black bottom” chocolate chips give an excellent texture contrast to this smooth and incredibly rich fudge filling. Keep frozen until ready to serve; otherwise, the fudge will soften too much.If you don’t have a double boiler, you can create the same effect by placing a ceramic or metal bowl over a pan of simmering water; that’s simmering, not boiling and the bowl should not touch the water. The steam produced by the simmering water trapped under the bowl allows the chocolate to melt at the proper low temperature preventing it from burning or sticking to the pan.Shirley here: Not everyone has lard on hand and while the Stacy and Matt show you how to make your own lard in Beyond Bacon (and lard is also a key ingredient in many of their recipes in this cookbook), other possible substitutions in this recipe include butter, bacon fat, and coconut oil. (I made the recipe using grass-fed butter and Enjoy Life’s new Dark Chocolate Morsels, which are simply unsweetened chocolate and cane sugar, plus some of their Mega Chunks for the second “black bottom” layer.)

Courses Dessert

Full disclosure:  This giveaway is jointly sponsored by Paleo Parents, Victory Belt Publishing, and gfe, but opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

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Comments

  2. My interest in these books is to learn more about the Paleo way of living and to hopefully find enough recipes to sway my husband over to trying this.

    Reply

  3. Shirley – the fudge sounds divine! I too would use butter. We are huge pork lovers in this house as well. And bacon? Can’t live without it! I do have some days in the week where I try to be conscious of not eating any grains…I think it is a healthy choice for the body as well as eating vegetarian once or twice a week too.

    Reply

  4. I love Paleo Parents and would be interested in owning any of these books, but especially Eat Like A dinosaur – my kids would love it!

    Reply

  5. My teenage son has had health issues his whole life and we have modified diet all along the way to help him improve. 2 years ago he became much more severe and was going down hill, despite eating healthier than the standard american diet. Finally this fall he was diagnosed with celiac, which limited his diet even further. It is a work in progress trying to figure out which foods he can and cannot eat, because it goes beyond simply gluten-free. I am currently exploring various Paleo cookbooks and would love to add any of these to my collection.

    Reply

  8. I’ve been a huge fan of the Paleo Parents for quite some time now. I have a copy of their Beyond Bacon and 3 Phase Paleo books already. Last year for my birthday, I made their Holiday Bundt Cake (it was to die for). One of my other favorite recipes is their Spaghetti Squash alla Carbonara.

    Reply

  13. What a fantastic giveaway!! I would love to learn more about whole hog cooking. If it’s not bacon or a pork butt I’m kinda lost on how to make it exciting. Thanks for the chance to win:)

    Reply

  17. My family eats paleo-ish already – I have seen both Beyond Pork and Eat like a Dino and LOVE them! I would love to have either book to add to my recipe repertoire.

    Reply

  18. This giveaway sounds awesome! We are constantly raving about the benefits we have experienced from Paleo.

    This giveaway is the perfect way to share (food & literature!) with our family and friends!

    Reply

  24. I am a long time fan of the Paleo Patents but sadly do not own any of their books 🙁 my family has been 90%Paleo for a year and a half and this mama has never felt better. It can be challenging at times with a tween & a picky toddler, but sites like yours & theirs make it easier to make “normal” foods that they can eat. I am a FB fan of both sites, so I hope I get picked. I could really, really, really use Paleo cookbooks. Thanks!

    Reply

  28. I LOVE following the Paleo Parents! I really need to pick up their books because, although I have been following a paleo lifestyle for several months now, I need some help transitioning my family. My seven year old daughter has a history of digestive issues and is currently experiencing some challenges. I think that ELAD would be perfect for helping her understand how diet can help her feel better.

    Reply

  33. I am excited to actually fully dive into paleo. I feel like I have been working toward it over the past few years, but still held on to a few things (namely rice crackers and york peppermint patties, ha), never going all the way. I was diagnosed with celiac 12 years ago, and feel like this could be the last step I need o take in really healing my poor stressed-out gut.

    Reply

  34. I WOULD LOVE THIS COOKBOOK ON PORK. I EAT BACON EVERY MORNING AND ALOT OF PORK DISHES. I AM MOST INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE FROM PALEO PARENTS.

    Reply

  36. I would love to win this. I love to be in on the planning of our family meals and how they relate to our overall nutrition and well being.

    Reply

  39. Fan of you both!
    Lover of pork!
    Still transitioning to full Paleo.
    Would love the bacon book in particular but all will help as I keep eating Paleo which really really makes me feel so much better and I know improves my health!

    Reply

  41. I love Paleo Parents blog. While I don’t have kids, I bought my sister Eat Like a Dinosaur for her family. She really enjoys the tips on how to get the kids involved in cooking!

    Reply

  46. Love Paleo Parents and GFE! My son, who has autism, recently asked to start eating like a dinosaur after watching me go paleo. We’ve been gluten and dairy free for a while, but he still doesn’t feel “well” very often. Would love to have some more tools at my disposal!

    Reply

  49. I am getting married this summer and am interested in cooking paleo for my husband and I, and for our family in the future! Now I need to stock up on some good reading and recipes!

    Reply

  52. New to the Paleo lifestyle and can use all the help and recipes I can get!!! With recipes like these it doesn’t sound like I’m going to miss a thing!!

    Reply

  54. My husband and I have been eating paleo for a little over 4 months and I would love the eat like a dinosaur to get my kids involved and make it an easier transition for them. Any of the cookbooks would be great tho! =]
    And I’m a fan of paleoparents on facebook!

    Reply

  57. I “liked” the Paleo Parents a long time ago on FB 😉 I also follow them on IG. I live in Virginia as well – I’m too far away to come to their meetups, but I was at their book signing for Beyond Bacon in Northern Virginia!

    Reply

    • Casey–If you’re closer to Fredericksburg VA, you should come to my gluten-free support group meetings. We’re about 18 miles east of Fredericksburg in King George. 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

  58. I liked gfe on Facebook. While I’m not Celiac, I do have an autoimmune disease (ulcerative colitis), so I do so much better when avoiding gluten! And I’m always looking forward to new recipes – especially those that can help my 5 year old eat more like we do 😉

    Reply

  59. I’m passionate about pork. Beyond Bacon would be a huge hit at our house. I have rendered my own pork fat and need more ideas on how to use it. My husband always jokes about how I eat way more meat than all the other wives. I would totally win a contest! I have three girls who can pound down the meat as well. I will pin this and like it! Love Stacey’s podcast and pins.

    Reply

  60. Thank you so much for this giveaway contest. I follow Paleo parents and am inspired by them. Can’t wait to get some Lard and make this fudge . Yummy

    Reply

  63. I love pork, too! I could live without beef, but not pork. I’d love to have any of the Paleo Parents’ books. They are an inspiration to me.

    Reply

  66. My kids want the “Eat Like a Dinosaur” really bad! I want to get more pork into our diet. Been transitioning over the last month and my kids LOVE pork!! Fingers crossed!!!

    Reply

  71. I have Beyond Bacon on my wish list, but I’d love to win it! Pig is probably my favorite meat to cook with and I’d love to fully explore it!

    Reply

  73. Thanks for the giveaway! I don’t know much about the cuts of pork, so thought that was great they included it in their book!

    Reply

  75. I am a huge fan of the Paleo Parents. It’s because of Stacy that I found the Paleo/Primal lifestyle, and am doing so well on my healing journey. Giving up all grains, not just those containing gluten, has been tough, but so worth it!

    Reply

  76. We have been following the paleo lifestyle and could use any extra recipes possible! My two children would love to win the Eat Like a Dinosaur book 🙂 thanks!! And I follow both sites on Facebook!!

    Reply

  77. I would love either of the hard copy cookbooks. I’m just “getting back into” bacon after years of fat phobia. I’m really lovin’ real, quality bacon again! I’m a facebook fan of gfe and also Paleo Parents.

    Reply

  80. I have an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s disease), and am new to gluten-free and paleo dieting. Could really use all the help I can get, especially with recipes for my kids!! So far they now ask me “Does this have gluten?” because they don’t love the things I have tried so far.

    Reply

  81. My family of 5 made the switch to paleo recently after we had testing done on the kids and realized that they were allergic to everything. My youngest is allergic to all dairy, soy & whole wheat. My middle child has ADHD & is allergic to all whole wheat, wheat gliadin, wheat gluten & spelt. My oldest has a kidney disease & is allergic to dairy, eggs, soy, all the grains, peanuts, sesame seeds & sugar cane. So as you can see that basically is a Paleo diet. We’ve already noticed some results but I need a lot of help I’m desperate to figure out different recipes that we can eat but also on a lower budget. Not too mention I’m hoping to lose some weight & get healthier myself. I would love to win a book to help me on this new lifestyle.

    Reply

  87. I would love to learn more about pork cooking. We regularly use bacon and ground pork, but don’t venture much outside of those cuts.

    Reply

  89. Absolutely love them ! Their revipes are delicious and Stacy’s IG page is absolutely one of my favorites . Not only do I get to see all of the good food , but her trendy fashion as well 😉 . I love all of the bone broth pictures she posts and gas inspired me to incorporate bone broth on a regular basis to heal my guy and the one time I was glutened she gave me some pretty good advice on how to recover (: love the paleo parents and watching the little ones journeys with paleo as well and Stacy is just such an inspiring women when it comes down to everything she has achieved and all of the moves that she’s made to get to where she is today . And she always makes me want to go lift heavy things too lol

    Reply

  101. I am a huge fan of the Paleo Parents and would really like any of these books! Pork is my family’s favorite meat and Ihave 4 children I would like to know the best way to transition to Paleo – so any of the books would be awesome for me! Thanks so much!!

    Reply

  103. My son has recently been diagnosed with celiac and my best friends daughter with graves disease. Both have been desperately ill on and off for many years and we are now struggling to get them back on the path to wellness. Not an easy task for working mums with stubborn teenagers, troublesome toddlers and “I’m sure a little bit won’t hurt” fathers. The paleo community have been so helpful and supportive and your book giveaway would help us immensely

    Reply

  104. I was diagnosed last year with PCOS. My doctor told me in order to relief my symptoms to go low carb and gluten free. I took it one step farther and I’m trying to eat Paleo as much as possible! Its been a struggle trying to find GF and Paleo foods that both my husband and son would enjoy, but hopefully I’ll win a book and make recipes that they will love!!!!

    Reply

  106. I’m interested in finding more paleo recipes. I am relatively new to this type of eating. I would love for my family to start eating this way but it starts with me finding kid friendly recipes that the whole family enjoys. I’m excited to know that’s there are resources like this available!

    Reply

  107. I have psoriasis and of recent discovered by going gluten free it has been the best ‘cure’ thus far. There is no medical cure for this, but going natural is a amazing thing. My hands at one point were so clear you wouldn’t know I had this problem. But having fallen off the gluten free more than I realized for it is so easy to break new habits, my hands are once again worse than fish scales. So, I am all happy to find food that I can enjoy at the same time it’s helping my disease.

    Reply

  109. We are just starting on Paleo after years of determining the reason for my husbands health issues. 1 week after starting with Paleo my husband has lost 6 pounds (something he was never able to do before) and feels better all around. I would love some help with recipes and insight. I’m also super excited about the kids book coming out so I have some ideas on what to feed my kiddos.

    Reply

  115. I liked the Facebook pages and clicked on ‘get notifications’!

    I am a fan of real food, and buy half a hog at a time, and render my own lard. I would love to win ‘Beyond Bacon!’

    Reply

  116. I love eating whole foods but have always craved breads. Just went GF 10 wks ago and am finding it hard to find good gf recipes. I see great delectables but few healthy options. Would love to win this cookbook 🙂

    Reply

  117. In early January, my new doctor (who eats Paleo with her family) recommended that I make some dietary changes to control my cholesterol levels. Since then I have slowly been incorporating gluten-free choices into my diet along with Paleo/Primal. I’ve noticed that whenever I eat wheat or other foods with gluten that I don’t feel very well within a short time. Also, we really like to eat pork in our house, especially after a long hiatus from it. So much so that we purchased a pig at the fair last fall that hadn’t made weight. Would love to have a cookbook with Paleo recipes. (So many GF recipes/sites online seem to be lacking in the vegetable/fruit departments.)

    Reply

  118. I have to eat gf and have a hard time mixing it up and finding recipes for my whole family to enjoy. Would love these books to help me!!

    Reply

  120. I really love the recipes and ideas from the Paleo way of life. I truly believe we should all be so much ,more aware of what we are eating and the practices of our food producers. As someone who is gluten intolerant life has already changed for the better, I’ve lost 44kg by just getting away from wheat and all those unpronounceable names on the labels, I am trying the Paleo for the first time and look forward to even better health, these books would help greatly. Good luck everyone =)

    Reply

  122. I have just begun to hear of the paleo diet and want to know more. I was eating such junk and now since Herbalife I have lost over 20 lbs and 4 pant sizes and I am still losing! I still need to find better ways to find my children and we are all learning together. My son has asthma and 1of my daughters has tummy issues and another 1 of my daughters has eczema. We need to learn foods that can heal!

    Reply

  123. I’m trying to convert my families diet to paleo and gluten free to see if it’ll help with the fibromyalgia pain for my fiancé and my migraines. We’d love any and all of these books to use in our kitchen and our lives. Hoping to live a happier & healthier life!
    I liked both pages and will be getting all their notifications.

    Reply

  126. Hi, I am married with 4 children and have recently been trying to switch to gluten free. I don’t know if we have an intolerance or not, I really just want my family to be healthier! It’s been a little challenging trying to find quick and easy recipes that my whole family will enjoy! I would love to win one of your books 🙂

    Reply

  127. I’ve been GF for 3 or 4 months at my primary MD’s urging and have been so amazed at how well it has healed me when pharmaceuticals couldn’t! I’m now planning to go paleo/primal and could use all the information and help possible. 🙂

    Reply

  128. All three of these books seem very interesting. I’ve been gluten sensative for 7 years, but as of late, even a smidge seems to set me off. Although I don’t have kids, I have a fiance, and it would make our lives simpler to convert completely!
    And I LOVE (even more than chocolate) bacon!

    Reply

  129. Need all the help I can get. My 4 year old was just diagnosed with celiac disease and gastroparesis. Our entire family is going gluten free becasue she is so severe. We will all get healthy with her, including our 3 year old. Hopefully paleo/gluten free will prevent her from getting a feeding tube. Please please pick me!!

    Reply

  130. I could really use this book . 1.becaus I’ve just learned after 5 wks of relentless research and trial and error I’m allergic to gluten … Wow how I’ve been shocked at everything I gotta cut out of my diet, but also happily surprised to learn it’s not the end of the world . 2. I love bacon ! Who doesn’t ? So all these books will benefit me, help me and give me piece of mind knowing there’s plenty of better options out there going gluten free . And my nephew would love the book ..

    Reply

  132. I am delving into paleo and am not yet allergic to bacon. I love bacon! Who doesn’t? Am needing some new recipes and new meals for my family. Love your reviews of these books and look forward to trying the recipes out.

    Reply

  133. I am a fan of Paleo Parents and have dabbled in Paleo but really need to be more strict with it along with trying to feed it to my family.

    Reply

  136. I was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease and I want to heal my body and take a more active role in my health. .and I think these books will be a great start 🙂 So thankful for guidance!

    Reply

  137. I am really beyond thrilled that I WON “BEYOND BACON”!!! Thank you so much to everyone involved. *HAPPY DANCE HAPPY DANCE*

    Reply

  142. Woooo!!! I won ELAD!! I’m so excited! Thank you so much GFE!
    I got my stepson to eat spinach this weekend an now I can get more veggies into his diet. He even said he would “try eating like a dinosaur if it’s yummy”!!

    Reply

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