Mug of Chocolate Cake
June 20, 2011
A couple nights ago my teenage daughter had a craving for chocolate cake. Although this sounded good to me too, we had one big obstacle in our way--no working oven. Our oven called it quits one week earlier and we had not replaced it yet.
The next day, with chocolate cake still on my mind, I looked up dessert recipes for the crock pot, microwave, grill, Nesco Roaster, anything that did not require baking it in an oven. To my surprise, I found A LOT of recipes out there using alternate cooking devices.
Eventually, I found a recipe for a one-minute microwaveable chocolate cake in a mug.
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Chocolate as Favorite Food
June 17, 2011
Is chocolate your favorite food? Recently a study was completed that asked an open-ended question of people from 17 different countries to name their favorite food. Chocolate made the published list of top 15 favorites in only 5 of those countries.
Today we can celebrate with the Australians. Australia was the only country on the list that named chocolate as its number 1 favorite food! A total of 8.9% of the surveyed population gave that answer. I'm going to have to visit Australia and hang out with the abundance of chocolate lovers.
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Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
June 15, 2011
Here's a delicious sour cream chocolate cake recipe. The sour cream not only helps make this a moist cake, but the added fat also enhances the chocolate flavor in your mouth.
I'm also including a chocolate sour cream frosting recipe that you might want to use on top and between layers.
| Sour Cream Chocolate Cake • 2 cups self-rising flour • 2 cups sugar • 1 cup water • 1/4 cup shortening • 4 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 2 eggs • 3/4 cup sour cream • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Read more |
Chocolate Raspberry Drink with Stevia
June 13, 2011
I recently attended an outdoor BBQ and at the “drink station” was a pitcher of ice water with an assortment of small bottles sitting next to it. Each bottle had a dropper style lid and inside was flavored liquid sweetened with stevia. The host encouraged me to create my own sugar-free beverage.
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Crio Bru
June 10, 2011
If you've known me for a while you might know that I enjoy a good cup of coffee. While it's not chocolate, it's still a flavor I look forward to.
And, according to a press release I read, "Crio Bru delivers the same intense, complex flavors of the finest cocoa beans found in artisan dark chocolate."
Chocolate Margarita
June 8, 2011
Over the years I've seen several recipes for chocolate margaritas. I've made one version in the past. It was OK, though certainly not fantastic.
Here's a new chocolate margarita recipe that I just found on the Food Network website. Since Summer has finally shown up in Wisconsin I'm thinking this will be a special treat this evening. But I prefer blended Margaritas so I might try a variation on this.
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Cocoacara Orange and Chili
June 6, 2011
The Terravita line of dark chocolate uses 77% cocoa as a bold, chocolate base. The added, exotic flavor combinations include orange peels and chili, as well as coffee and cardamom.
What I like most about the orange and chili combination is the intense chocolate and orange up front when you first bite into it, and then just when you think you have finished, the heat from the chili kicks in. It is a pleasant finish albeit a surprise!
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White Chocolate Almond Pecan Pie
June 1, 2011
Pies are one of the most loved American desserts. You can choose from an array of pie recipes. If you want a recipe that can guarantee an exquisite taste, you can opt for pecan pies.
Pecan pie has long been a staple of many holiday meals, but there's no reason to limit your enjoyment to the holidays.
If you are an avid fans of pecan pie, you will definitely love it with white chocolate and almonds. All the wonderful flavors mixed together will provide you with a taste of rich, soft, and creamy filling with an addition of a sweet white chocolate flavor along with the crunchiness of pecans and almonds at every bite.
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Chocolate Covered Cicadas?
May 31, 2011
A popular candy and peanut shop has been around Nashville for more than 80 years. But just recently, the well-known store created a buzz all over town. They started to offer chocolate covered cicadas for their consumers. From then on, customers went in, and out, of their shop.
Insects have long been enjoyed as a culinary delicacy all over the world. The owner thought of giving cicadas a shot in her own kitchen.
According to the owner, Olivia Swallows, the popularity of her very own chocolate covered cicadas started when the people behind their peanut shop posted a message about it on the store’s Facebook page. The word of mouth and social media really made a lot of people get curious enough to have a taste of this confection.
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Equal Exchange Chocolates
May 30, 2011
The Equal Exchange Co-op sells organic, fair-trade, premium chocolate bars. The chocolate is purchased from small-scale farmers and their families. The chocolate is made in the Swiss tradition from co-operatives in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, and Ecuador.
You can go online to buy their products but chances are you will see them being sold as fundraisers for faith-based organizations, at community events, holiday bazaars and fairs, and even in farmers’ markets.
I was given a mini-sized 55% dark chocolate bar for a tasting sample at a volunteer fair last week. It was delicious! (I bought a full-size 71% dark for later!)
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