Happy New Year! I’m so excited… my awesome hubby gave me a new camera for Christmas to replace the one I’d been using that’s 10 years (or more??) old and starting to be a bit dated in functionality. My new camera has a neat food …
‘Twas the night before Christmas a long time ago, when I was a child and to church I would go. After church was complete, we’d perform the great feat. A holiday meal which would take hours to complete. I, a young girl, with my eyes in pure …
May I just take a moment to tempt your taste buds with these AMAZING dark chocolate lava cakes? Okay good! These perfect little confections have been given a slight makeover in the nutrition department. I’ve made them gluten free (you can still use regular flour if you prefer) and also have a dairy-free option. Plus, there’s no refined sugar. Just a splash of good ol’ maple syrup or some coconut palm sugar sweetens them up a touch from their deep dark decadent ways.
The toppings aren’t necessary but if you’re going to make a dark chocolate lava cake, why not go all out and make up a batch of this caramel sauce and a raspberry coulis to top it with? Both the caramel and coulis take a mere ten minutes and add so much flavor and pizzazz to this special dessert. Whether you’re making these cakes for this weekend’s valentine or for another occasion (or maybe just because it’s Tuesday…), they are a surefire way to capture anyone’s heart!
My oldest daughter is turning eight tomorrow. I know it’s cliché to say that they grow up so fast but it’s true. Time seems to move exponentially faster once you have kids and some days I wish I could just play freeze tag with time …
These little confections…Chambord dark chocolate truffles… I. CAN’T. GET. ENOUGH. Nevermind that one of my absolute favoritest things in the whole world is dark chocolate. Put that into a silky smooth centered truffle and my life is complete. Everyone thinks that making a great truffle …
Inspiration comes in very odd forms sometimes. For example, I mixed up the main ingredients of this orange pomegranate holiday salad and was debating what sort of dressing would pair well with it. It happens that my daughters were making up some hot chocolate right next to me and the scent of the cocoa along with the scent of the oranges and pomegranate smelled divine together. So I got to thinking… what if I made a dressing that had cocoa in it? I love the taste of chocolate and oranges and so I began the dressing based on a traditional vinaigrette combining red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange zest and unsweetened cocoa powder. Cocoa is considered a health food these days so with that kind of rap, why not indulge! It makes this healthy salad seem a little bit naughty, but I promise you’ll still stay on Santa’s nice list.
I was never one to devour the bread basket at a restaurant as bread just isn’t really my thing. Except for at breakfast. Then, gimme some bready, moist, warm, fresh from the oven muffins and I’m one happy girl! It used to be a weekend tradition with …
Dark Chocolate. Oatmeal. Coooookieeees!!!!! (said in the slightly creepy voice of Cookie Monster from days of old). Nom, nom, nom, nom… I made a purposeful pause in my day to go ahead and make a mess. I needed dessert. Seriously NEEDED some dessert. It’s the perfect opportunity …
Not long ago, maybe a couple of winters ago, I discovered this truly amazing coffee blend called wild mountain blueberry. It tastes a little like a blueberry muffin and your breakfast coffee all in one delicious steaming cup of joe. Boy, do I wish I had a cup of that in my hands while I was watching my daughter’s soccer practice last night! My hands would have at least been warm. As I sat there shivering, I realized that I hadn’t posted any desserts for all of you yet. Shame on me. You deserve better. You deserve a decadent dessert recipe in the form of these blueberry espresso brownies!
These took a few tries to get it right. The first attempt ended up really flat but I served them to our former neighbor friends anyway. I’d hate to let anything go to waste. Mostly it was because I brilliantly decided to attempt a new recipe the afternoon we were going to their house and I was supposed to bring dessert. They ate them with a smile anyway and noted the intense blueberry flavor. That’s a sign of great friends… they eat my “fails” with a smile. Thanks guys! The second attempt was much better and just needed a few minor adjustments. This third attempt, I’d like to say that I nailed it!
This is the flavor reminiscent of the very wild mountain blueberry coffee I was imagining. Plus, these blueberry espresso brownies are kind of good for you. Well, they’re about as healthy of a brownie that you’ll get. It is still a treat after all…. but just look at this goodness!
Your coffee break tomorrow could be so much happier with a couple of these blueberry espresso brownies to savor don’t you think? I think so. Plus you can feel good about these as they are made with nutritious whole food ingredients!
