Top 20 Healing Foods- Dark Chocolate

Not many people can say they don't love chocolate.  And isn't it wonderful that more and more studies are showing how wonderful it is for our body?  Dark chocolate (not milk, it is too high in fat/dairy/sugar to fall onto a healthy foods list) is loaded with antioxidants in the form of flavinoids, which are also found in red wine and many fruits and vegetables.  Dark chocolate actually has more flavonoids than any other food! For the most antioxidants look for dark chocolate that contains at least 60% cocoa.  The higher the percentage, the higher the antioxidant punch.  I encourage you to try many different percentages and find the one you like best.  It can take a while for your palate to transition from milk to dark, but your body and your waist line will thank you. 

photo source

I like to get my daily dose of chocolate by eating a small amount of dark chocolate chips or a square or two of a good quality dark chocolate.  Because the cocoa flavor is so strong it doesn't take much to sooth my chocolate cravings, and I feel good knowing I'm doing something for my body that feels so decadent!

DARK CHOCOLATE
Key Nutrients:
Potassium
Vitamins A, B1, C, D, E
Iron
Flavonoids

If you want to get a little fancier with your chocolate give this recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks a go.  It's an easy dessert that sounds, and looks, fancy.  Perfect for impressing dinner guests or your sweetheart on Valentine's Day!

POTS DE CREME

photo source

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

8 ounces (1 cup) very hot strong coffee

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

 

Place the chocolate chips in the blender. Crack in the eggs, then add the vanilla and the salt. Pulse 5 to 7 times, or until the chocolate chips are partially pulverized.

Turn on the blender, then pour in the very hot coffee through the hole in the top in a steady stream. The coffee will melt the chocolate and turn it into a smooth mixture.

Pour the mixture into small mason jars, pretty wine glasses or demitasse cups. Place the jars on a tray and refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Whip the cream with the sugar and plop it onto the top of each glass.

Pink Raspberry Cosmopolitans

I'm planning on having a little Pinterest Party at my house in the next few weeks.  Just a night to get the girls together to craft up some of the hundreds of things we pin and never make.  I'll have some tasty snacks and a pitcher of these yummo cosmos.  I like to rim the glass in sugar, like you would for a margarita, for a little extra flair.  This is just the tastiest, prettiest drink to have for girl's night!  It makes a nice big pitcher (serves 10) and I know you'll love it!

Also, how pretty would this be for a Valentine's dinner??

I borrowed this photo from another sight and the link didn't post and now I can't find it again!

  If this is your photo please let me know so I can give you credit!

1 cup raspberry vodka
1/2 cup triple sec

1/2 cup sweetened lime juice

3 cups cran-raspberry juice

1 lime, sliced

Fill a pitcher with ice, and pour in the vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and cran-raspberry juice. Stir to mix. Serve garnished with a lime slice that has been rubbed around the glass edge.  Dip edge in sugar if you like.

A Valentine's Dessert- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I've never really been one to get all gaga over Valentine's Day.  I don't really see the point in making a big deal out of it, or when I was single, feeling sorry for myself if I was alone.  Yes, it's nice to have an excuse to treat our loved ones, but do we need a special date on the calendar to remind us that we should be showing the ones we love how much we care for and appreciate them?  Maybe some folks do.  I guess I should consider myself lucky that I am married to a man that makes me feel loved and appreciated even when the calendar doesn't tell him to. :) 

So, Valentine's Day around here is pretty low key.  Usually we just have a nice dinner and maybe a fancy dessert like the one here.  Almost always we stay in for Valentine's.  Now that we have kids we do fun things as a family like making cards for each other and exchanging little homemade gifts. 

This cheesecake is a real crowd pleaser.  The kids love it, but it's also decadent enough and fancy enough to serve for a romantic candlelight dinner for two, or one!  Single guys and gals, treat yourself!

If you want to recreate the heart pattern on the top simply drag a toothpick or butter knife in a spiral through your raspberry drops to create the hearts.

source

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2  cup water

2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

3eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

St. Patrick's Goodies for the Kids

As a mom of two little ones I'm always looking for ways to make holidays fun and memorable. Here is a collection of fun St. Paddy's day recipes to put smiles on their faces.

Rainbow Cupcakes from Family Fun

A healthy and fun green smoothie from One Charming Party

The kids and I will be making these sugar cookies.  Making and decorating cookies is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen.

'
Don't feel like cutting and icing cookies?  Try these mint chocolate chip drop cookies!  I just used my award winning chocolate chip recipe, added a bit of green food coloring to the batter and used mint chocolate chips in place of semi-sweet.



A great dye-free option, green mac n' cheese!


Isn't this the cutest lunch you've ever seen?  From Modern Parents Messy Kids.



Shamrock Rice Crispy Treats with green m&ms



Super easy Leprechaun Oreo Pie with a prize hidden inside!



A sweet idea to tuck in a lunchbox from Beth Proudfoot



 This could be another lunchbox treat, or even a breakfast.  This one's from Craftin' on my Door

I hope you found something fun and tasty on here to share with your family.  I'd love to hear about your traditions for the holiday!  What do you do to make it special for you and yours?

St. Paddy's Day Recipes

I've been scouring Pinterest for yummy Irish recipes to add to my typical corned beef and cabbage with soda bread.  Here I share with you some amazing recipes from around the blogosphere to cook up one hell of an Irish feast for you and yours!  Erin Go Bragh!

Start off with Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Creme

With some Colcannon on the side.

Irish Soda Bread is another must!

As an alternative to soda bread you could make Irish Brown Bread



Which is delicious dipped in Irish Stew.

Why not make your own Irish Cream?

And use it to make this delicious Caramel Irish Cream Cake



Or these delicious Irish Cream Brownies?


Of course you'll want to wash it down with some Irish Coffee.



The next morning you can make Corned Beef Hash with your leftovers!

Check back later this week when I'll have a bunch of recipes for the little ones in your life. :)

Challah for your Breadmaker

My sis-in-law gave me a breadmaker for my birthday recently (thanks again, T!) and I have been having soooo much fun trying out different recipes!  If you know me at all you know that I am the definition of a carb junkie.  I eat bread in one form or another EVERY SINGLE DAY.  PERIOD.  You'll never catch me on one of those low-carb diets.  :)  This recipe for Challah, a traditional Jewish holiday and Sabbath bread, is one of my new favorites.  It has a wonderful texture and flavor and makes excellent toast.  If you wanted to make a more traditional braid you could throw the ingredients in your breadmaker on the dough cycle and then form the loaf to your liking and bake in the oven at 350 for about 45 min.  Traditionally Challah is topped with sesame or poppy seeds, signifying the manna that fell from heaven.  I think it would be a nice touch, and easy enough to throw on at the last minute before your breadmaker starts the bake cycle. 

For a 1.5 pound loaf you will need:

3/4 c. warm water

1/3 c. butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 c. flour

1 3/4 tsp. yeast

poppy seeds or sesame seeds, optional

Layer them in in that order except seeds and bake on the sweet bread cycle.  I chose a medium crust color for mine.  If you want to add the seeds to the top, sprinkle them on when your bread is doing it's final rise, before the baking cycle begins.

Noels

These are one of my favorite holiday cookies.  They are simple, made with stuff I always have on hand and a nice change of pace from the typical Christmas cookie.  The butter and sugar combine to make an ooey gooey caramely bar.  These are fabulous with a cup of tea.

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts
5 T. flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
2 T. butter
powdered sugar to sift on top

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a 9x9 baking pan.  Beat eggs and vanilla extract together in a medium sized bowl.  In another bowl mix together the dry ingredients except for the powdered sugar.  Then add to egg mixture.  Mix well.  Pour into pan over the butter.  The butter will pool up around the edges a bit.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack, then turn upside down onto waxed paper.  Be sure to run a knife around the edge.  I also very carefully run a spatula under the cookies to separate them from the bottom of the pan becaus the middle tends to stick a bit.  Just be careful not to break the cookies apart.  Once you've flipped them upside down, cut into 16 pieces and dust with powdered sugar.  Joyeux Noel!

Candy Cane Blossoms

This recipe comes from Hershey's.  It's a new one for me, and what I'll be bringing to our annual cookie exchange this year.  The kids discovered that they are delicious warm, especially since the kisses melt if you touch them and form a sort of gooey icing. 

48 Hershey's Kisses Candy Cane Candies, wrappers removed.
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. milk
Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet w/ parchment paper.

Remove wrappers from candies.  Be sure to do this ahead of time because you will need to work quickly when adding the candies later on.

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add egg and vanilla.  In another bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add to sugar mixture, alternating with the milk.  Beat until well blended. 

Shape dough into 1 in. balls and roll in desired sugar.  Place on cookie sheet. 

Bake 8-9 min. till cookies are set.  Let cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes.  Then, press one kiss into the center of each cookie.  Remove from sheet to a wire rack to cool.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.