Scream For National Ice Cream Day
July 13, 2012
Every year, we celebrate several different holidays. Some are simultaneously recognized all over the world while others are exclusive to their respective cities, states or countries. Often, these festivities are dedicated to popular personalities who have made an impact in the society.
However, the most delightful holidays of all celebrate in the name of food. Who would not want that. I know I would. It is something pretty sweet, enjoyed by people of all ages, in all walks of life and in all parts of the world... It is ice cream.
Sunday, July 15, 2012, is National Ice Cream Day. How awesome is that?
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Mocha Ice Cream Cake
July 12, 2012
If you crave ice cream cake, but you don't want to spend a lot of your precious time prepping in the kitchen, this recipe is for you!
Ice cream cake can either be ice cream shaped as a cake or cake and ice cream that are layered together in order to make a single form. The concept of ice cream cake allegedly came from desserts that are composed of cream and cookies or cake named as trifles, which initially surfaced in the Renaissance. Ice cream cake is often served at birthdays and weddings.
However, you can devour it anytime you want. Especially now that you have this recipe in hand!
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Chocolate as Poison?
July 10, 2012
Not being able to eat even a piece of chocolate for a short period of time is bad enough, how much more for a little girl who at the age of five is not allowed to taste even a little bit of this sweet heaven. For normal people, too much chocolate candy could cause maybe cavities, increased sugar levels, sore throats and inflamed tonsils. But to Lola Raine, this could cost her entire life.
Even before she was born, Lola's parents Natalie and Tim already found out that she had Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease or ARPKD. This is one very rare kidney and liver disease that is inherited by a child from her carrier parents. In this condition, kidneys do not function well. They do not dispose properly the waste materials of the body. Because of that, potassium and other toxic agents accumulate in the body, thus poisoning the blood and posing grave threat to the life of a person.
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Toffee Chocolate Cake
July 4, 2012
Toffee candy, whether it be as a traditional sweet treat or homemade goodies, has a lot of fans.
People who were little children in the 70’s and partly the 80’s known exactly how delectable toffee could be, especially its mouth-feel. Most of us have childhood memories that involve toffee as it’s always been a darling to many. We love it for all the good old memories, and also just because it’s downright yummy.
Just so you know, toffee is described as a confection that you can come up with after caramelizing sugar or molasses together with butter, and sometimes flour. Such a mixture must be heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 300 to 310° F.
It’s head-tilting good when it’s put on top of an already yummy chocolate cake!
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Irish As The Biggest Chocoholics
July 3, 2012
A recent report by Food from Britain shows that the the Irish people have the highest per capita consumption of chocolate globally. Around 24.7 pounds (11.2kg) of chocolate are devoured every year per capita in Ireland.
According to reports, the Irish chocolate market is valued at a staggering $677 million dollars, and places such as Lily O'Briens and Butlers Chocolate Café are reaping some major benefits. Chocolate manufacturers like Nestle, Cadbury, and Rowntree have to be thankful to the Irish chocoholics, as well. The latter should be particularly thankful as they are celebrating their 150th birthday.
Currently, Ireland is Britain’s largest export market for chocolate. Sweet treats that aid in the thriving of business include the British-made Kit-Kat bars.
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Say No To Chocolate-Filled Syringes
June 29, 2012
Dubai Municipality's Food Control Department was forced to issue a warning when rumors about chocolate-filled medical syringes started circulating in the United Arab Emirates.
Photos of these syringes filled with a chocolate spread by Nutella first started surfacing on social media sites, and some concerns were forwarded to the Dubai Municipality hotline.
Khalid Sherif, Director of Food Control Department, said: "The Ministry of Health confirmed that the medical needles are not clean or sanitized and might be used in hospitals to take blood or inject medicine," He also added: "We strongly advise the public to purchase food products from authorized establishments only as they get approval for all food items, apart from the periodical check up by the civic body."
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Chocolaty Bread
June 28, 2012
The Netherlands is probably one of the biggest fans of bread in Europe. A lot of tourists who get to swing by are enamoured with the assortment of their breads. Generally, their breakfast and lunch mainly consist of bread. That being said, you won't be surprised by the variety of bread and sandwich toppings you can find there. "Luxury" isn't the right term for it, you might want to lean toward "necessity".
Typically, breakfast consists of 2-4 slices of bread, and it depends on whether you'd like an open or closed-face sandwich. Margarine or butter is spread onto the bread in order for the toppings to stick. One sandwich will have a cover that is on the more savory side, and the other one will be on the sweeter side. Dutch children typically eat the savory sandwich first, followed by the sweet one which they usually crave.
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Chocolate Milk Shake
June 27, 2012
Basic doesn't necessarily equal plain. Nothing beats the taste and texture of a good chocolate milkshake. When it's good, it's good. When it's not, it's still good! Do I even make sense? It's perfect with a greasy cheeseburger, but it goes well with even a gourmet meal.
A milkshake is described as a sweet, cold drink made out of milk, iced milk or ice cream, and sweeteners or flavorings such as fruit syrup or our favorite, chocolate sauce.
Preparing this tasty and simple chocolate milkshake offers a good chance to get your kids involved. They will surely enjoy doing the drizzling of the sauce, making some mess, and observing the colors as they change. Why of course, they will enjoy having it after all the preparation! And, here's a reduced calorie version so you can have without guilt too!
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Chocolate Before Doomsday
June 26, 2012
I know all of us have managed to watch at least a couple of movies whose plot is focused on alien invasion, world destruction, or whatever a screenwriter could think of as long as it is related to ending all the life on this planet. This trend became more elevated with the infamous doomsday thing in the year 2012. I’m not sure if people are just plain masochists thinking about losing their souls or are really curious on whether this suspicion is true and if so, when is it exactly going to happen.
Of course dying is an unpleasant thing most especially if you are unprepared for it. So if it is my turn to go, I think it would be helpful if I knew about it ahead of time. That is not for me to stop it because I am no superhero or God, but the awareness of it will somehow make sense.
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From Diamonds To Chocolate
June 22, 2012
Designer Azature Pogosian, the jewelry designer who has black diamonds as a specialty, is all the rage in Hollywood. Hollywood A-listers such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Fergier, Scarlett Johansson, and Miley Cyrus, among others, have been seen sporting his designs down the red carpet.
In 2007, he was able to launch his upmarket jewelries and has added an up-to-date fashion jewelry line, AZ by Azature, which you can get for $50-$850. In Houston, for a showcase of his collection at the St. Regis Hotel through Saturday, "The Black Diamond King" has also ventured into the chocolaty world. The designer has recently launched a high-end line of black-diamond pralines hand-made out of the rare "Wild Treasure" cocoa bean.
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