From the category archives:

Chocolate!

Dan’s Chocolates has Back to School Deliciously Covered

by Joi on August 18, 2010

Good ol’ Dan’s Chocolates – they think of everything. Don’t get me wrong, like any self-respecting chocoholic, I’d love them even if they thought of nothing. Fortunately, though, they’re as clever as they are Heavenly.

Dan’s Chocolates has every occasion you can possibly imagine, as well as some you may not have thought of. Their outstanding chocolate candy will be delivered to you (or your lucky recipient) in a great-looking box – ready and willing to celebrate whatever occasion is at hand.

The box above is the Back to School Chocolates and can you imagine the look of sheer joy on a student’s face when you surprise them with this box of deliciousness – or even when you have it shipped to them?  The THANK YOU’s would never stop.

Back To School Chocolates

  • Chocolate truffles delivered directly to you.
  • We can make chocolate delivery anywhere in the USA.
  • A 1 pound box includes 36 truffles or 16 1 oz bars.

Back To School Chocolates – About this Gift Box

Dan’s Chocolates makes this great chocolate truffle gift box for students returning to school or college. 36 fresh cream truffles will not be forgotten easily. The school bus design is printed on the box cover.

Head over to Dan’s Chocolates and enter Back to School Chocolates in the search box.

While you’re there, check out the other amazing gift boxes and gifts. There’s a Back to School Teddy Bear with chocolates that I have both eyes on….If I can just convince the husband I don’t have to go back to school to get it…

Ingenious Brownie Pan from The Food Network Store

by Joi on July 29, 2010

My husband is a pretty great hinter. And apparently, said husband is craving brownies. He e-mailed me a link to the Edge Brownie Pan from Baker’s Edge, available from the Food Network’s OUTSTANDING store.

Product Description:
For corner brownie fans and chewy edge lovers, it’s a dream come true — a gourmet brownie pan that adds two chewy edges to every serving! It’s the Edge Brownie Pan from Baker’s Edge, and it’s the first (and only) brownie pan specifically designed for chewy edge lovers. The pan’s patented sidewalls also improve baking performance by circulating heat evenly to the pan’s middle, where food typically takes longer to bake. Its 9” x 12” x 2” size is a perfect fit for box mixes, as well as most recipes sized for 9” x 9” and 9” x 13” conventional pans. The pan also has a quality nonstick coating and smooth, round corners so it’s always easy to clean. Hefty cast aluminum construction ensures superior durability, and the unique recessed handles make the pan easy to grab when it’s turned upside down.

This food blog LOVES the Food Network and is obsessed with brownies, so this Baker’s Edge Brownie pan has sent us over the proverbial edge… get it, edge.  Sorry, I get kind of goofy when my thoughts are centered around kitchen gadgets or chocolate.

Seriously, the only drawback to making brownies is the tedious cutting – and trying like the devil to make sure they’re evenly cooked – from the innermost brownies to the outermost brownies.  This brilliant brownie pan seems to have that all taken care of.  And, according to the reviews left on the Food Network Store’s site, this pan is every bit as great as it appears to be.

Read more about the Edge Brownie Pan from Baker’s Edge by clicking the link.

Chocolate and Coconut Candy Roll

by Joi on April 10, 2010

Chocolate and Coconut Candy Roll Recipe

1/2 cup margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chopped nuts
1 (6-1/4 oz) pkg. small marshmallows
1 (3-1/2 oz) pkg. coconut

Melt chocolate and margarine over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.  Stir in powdered sugar and beaten egg.  Cool.  Fold in nuts and marshmallows.  Stir until well coated.

Shape soft candy into 2 rolls.  Coat rolls with coconut.  Wrap carefully.  Store in freezer until needed!  Cut into slices before serving.

Starbucks Frappuccino Drinks: Deliciousness Divine!

by Joi on March 31, 2010

STARBUCKS FRAPPUCCINO You know what a Starbucks fanatic I am. I expect, any day now, that one of my local Starbucks will provide me with my own parking space.

Of course, I can’t always get to one of my Starbucks. Sometimes they have to come to me. (I just thought of something, how outrageously wonderful would it be if Starbucks delivered?! Just as well, I’d keep the driver so busy he or she would soon come to despise me and my caffeine addiction).

I’m hooked on the delicious little bottles of Starbucks Frappuccinos. I don’t go to the store without buying a little case of them – Heaven forbid I ever run out, things would get ugly fast.

I recently had the chance to try the “Light” varieties and I was completely impressed. They are as delicious as the others, they simply have fewer calories. Get this: Each bottle of the Light Fraps have only 100 calories – a perfect number for a snack.

STARBUCKS FRAPPUCCINO I strongly recommend these smooth, refreshing, and delicious drinks. If you’ve never tried them, head off to the store immediately and grab a case. Most stores also have beverage coolers near the checkout area and many of these have individual bottles of Starbucks Fraps, so you can try a few different varieties. You’ll absolutely love each one, I guarantee it.

My daughters love to grab bottles as they head out the door for school or work.  The caffeine and the sheer experience, alone, help them ease into the day.

I’ll be honest, I love them at any time of the day or night.  When I’m sitting, working at my computer, I love to have one nearby.  My favorite is the Mocha because as an addict of coffee AND chocolate, this allows me to feed two addictions with one spoon.  Or bottle, as it were.

However, I also love the other flavors, Vanilla and Coffee.  They’re all exceptional, fun, and delicious beyond reason.

For more information, and a fun experience, visit Starbucks Frappucino.com

Coca-Cola Cake: A Fun and Delicious Recipe!

by Joi on March 8, 2010

Coca-Cola Bathing Beauty Replica Metal Sign
Coca-Cola Bathing Beauty Replica Metal Sign

Cocoa-Cola Cake Recipe

STEP 1
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Coca-Cola
3 Tbs cocoa

Mix the sugar and flour in a large bowl. Combine the oil, butter, Coca-Cola and cocoa and add to the dry ingredients.

STEP 2
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

Add and mix well.

STEP 3
1-1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Fold the marshmallows into the delicious mixture and bake in a greased and dusted with cocoa 9×13 inch pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

STEP 4
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbs cocoa
5 Tbs Coca-Cola

Bring to a boil.

STEP 5
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add to the boiled cocoa and Coca-Cola. Combine and pour over the hot cake.  Delicious!

Chocolate, As Prescribed By the Doctor

by Joi on February 17, 2010

Nothing but love. I’ve got nothing but love for Dr. Al Sears right now.  He has the following to say about a close, dear friend of mine, Chocolate:

If you ate chocolate on Valentine’s Day, I have some news for you. You don’t have to feel guilty.

In fact, I have evidence that you may have cut your risk from dying of a stroke nearly in half.

Two studies give us great news about chocolate.

The first study found that people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22% less likely to have a stroke.

The second study found that people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 46% less likely to die following a stroke than those who didn’t eat chocolate.

About 80% of strokes occur when there isn’t enough blood getting to the brain.3 Your brain is starved of oxygen and nutrients and begins to die immediately.

Chocolate helps to counteract that in two ways. It’s rich in antioxidants and helps to increase circulation.

Flavonoids fight silent inflammation, which is the leading cause of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and many others.

You can find flavonoids in vegetables, tea, and red wine, but cocoa has more flavonoids. In fact, dark chocolate contains up to four times the antioxidants found in tea.

The good doctor… well, let’s just go ahead and call him the grand doctor… has this advice for finding the best sources of chocolate:

  • Look for chocolate that contains 70% or more cocoa. This is the ingredient that contains health benefits.
  • Check how much sugar is added to the chocolate you choose. Keep it as low as possible. But choose sugar over artificial sweeteners or chocolate labeled “sugar free.”
  • Beware of other chemicals in the chocolate. Choose a brand that has pure ingredients and no chemical additives.
  • Make chocolate your special treat of choice once a week.
  • You can find good quality chocolate at a health-food store. More and more it’s finding its way into grocery and drug stores. Read the label to be sure of the quality and content.

Only one problem, when he says to make chocolate your “special treat of choice once a week…” don’t you imagine that he meant once an hour? :)

Source: Dr. Al Sears

FoodChannel.com Encourages You to BE the Chocolate This Valentine’s Day!

by Joi on February 12, 2010

As a self help diva, cooking diva, and chocolate addict all rolled into one – I am in love with this! FoodChannel.com has put together a wonderful and fun article about the benefits of “thinking chocolate.” Read on, you’re going to love this!

FOODCHANNEL.COM ENCOURAGES YOU TO “BE THE CHOCOLATE” THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

CHICAGO (Feb. 11, 2010)¾ In honor of Valentine’s Day, The Food Channel® (foodchannel.com ) editorial staff is encouraging visitors to the site to “be chocolate” and embrace the lessons one of America’s favorite indulgences can provide. “We have been watching chocolate ever since it was named one of the top food trends of the decade,” said Kay Logsdon, managing editor of The Food Channel . “This week, in particular, it seemed appropriate to commemorate how chocolate can enrich our lives—in ten fun ways.”

It’s Important to Hold Your Temper

It’s not easy to melt chocolate perfectly, just as it’s not easy to find your own boiling point and keep it under control. The fact is, for chocolate to form properly into all those fun shapes that go into the candy box, it has to be tempered. That means it has to be fed the right amount from the chocolate block, at the right time during the melting process, all the while being constantly stirred. In life, it means we have to guard what we take in, and be willing to move and change as necessary in order to get better.

Soft Centers Usually Have a Hard Shell

The best liquors, the softest centers, all need some protection around them. So remember that when your co-worker has a tough façade or your friend appears sort of brittle. Could be they are protecting their soft insides.

Meltdowns Can Be Avoided

Real chocolate starts to get soft at 72 degrees. Great candy stores keep the temperature cool rather than add vegetable oils to the mix. You can keep your cool if you remember to turn down the heat.

A Little Nuttiness Doesn’t Hurt

Unless you have an allergy, nuts add a new dimension to chocolate. A little crunch, a different flavor, a higher antioxidant level—it all just adds to the variety. So accept a little nuttiness in your life.

You Can Find an Excuse for Almost Anything

If society can pile sugar and cream into dark chocolate and call it a good-for-you antioxidant, then surely your teacher will believe someone ate your homework. Just tell her you wrapped it in chocolate.

Variety Matters

When it comes to chocolates, there is great variety. You have your soft creams, your liquors, your ganache, and your buttery caramels. You have your chews and your nuts. You’ll have your favorite, but at some point all of the varieties have to go in the box together. Learn to get along with variety.

Sometimes You Have to Feed the Need

Chocolate reportedly stimulates the release of hormones in the brain, and feel-good endorphins in the body. And, face it. Sometimes that is a craving that needs to be met. When hormone meets hormone, everyone feels better.

Some Things Are Just Worth It

We know the bad, the calories, the fat, the pound-for-pound guilt. We also know that there are lots of entrepreneurs who have quit the daily grind in favor of dipping chocolate. It’s a satisfying career, especially when you can lick the bowl.

Addictive Behavior Can Be Controlled

We all have our addictions. We are work addicts, Facebook addicts, Jersey Shore addicts and even nicotine addicts. Chocolate tells you when you’ve had enough—when you tip the scales at a new weight, when you have a stomach ache from eating too much, when you have spent your food money on candy and have nothing left for lunch. You can learn control from chocolate. Small doses go a long way.

Some Things Make Everything Taste Better

It’s the reason why people put chocolate in cookies, breads, drinks and candy. Chocolate is a flavor that goes with everything. Be chocolate.

Logsdon counsels, “Apply these lessons to life and see how far they get you. Hold your temper, recognize when people are softies at heart, reduce the heat and pressure in your life and the lives of those around you, and be a little crazy. Accept change, avoid addictions, and know what you need, physically and emotionally. Most of all live your life so that you can go with anything. Be chocolate. There are lots of lessons that are harder to swallow.”

About The Food Channel®

The Food Channel ( www.foodchannel.com ) immerses visitors in a vibrant online community—comprised of food enthusiasts, culinary students and professionals—joined together by a passion for all things food. The site includes original features, chef-tested recipes for all occasions, chef profiles, 4-star food photography, book reviews and food-event coverage. Visitors will also find a variety of videos on cooking techniques, recipe preparation and interviews on topics of current interest. Weekly and monthly trend and recipe newsletters are available by signing up on the site. For additional food news, trends, recipes, professional tips and reviews, visit www.foodchannel.com. Follow The Food Channel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/foodchannel or Facebook at www.facebook.com/FoodChannel.

Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes with Beet Frosting – You Read That Right!

by Joi on February 4, 2010

Check out this recipe from Dave Lieberman and Del Monte for Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Everyone knows that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, but did you know that beets are too?? (Yes, beets!)

Did you know?: Not only are beets nature’s multivitamin but beets are also rich in boron, a mineral thought to get the love juices flowing.

Dave recommends using canned sliced beets (he suggests Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets)—with canned beets you get all the flavor and nutrition for a lot less money, plus they are easier to mash!

Check out www.Delmonte.com/Solutions for a $1.00 off coupon on any 4 Del Monte® Brand Products to use in your recipe. I heart coupons, so I’ll see you there.

Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes (or Cake) with Beet Frosting

Recipe courtesy of: Dave Lieberman, campaign spokesperson for the Del Monte “Value without Sacrifice,” Chef and Author of The 10 Things You Need To Eat

FOR THE CUPCAKES:


One 14.5 oz. can Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets, drained
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE ICING:

2 sticks unsalted butter
Approx. 1/2 can of Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets, drained
1 pound confectioners sugar

For Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

For Cake: Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

In a small bowl, mash the drained can of beets finely with a potato masher and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and water. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the mashed beets and mix well.

For Cupcakes: Pour the batter into greased cupcake tins. Bake about 15-20 minutes, until set but moist. (Or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)

For Cake: Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake about 70 minutes, until set but moist. Let cool, and turn out onto a large serving plate.

Make the Icing: Mash the ½ can of beets finely with a potato masher. Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add mashed beets. Simmer on very low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cream the second stick of butter with a mixer in a bowl. Mix in the melted butter and beet mixture until fully incorporated. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar.

Ice the cupcakes with a thick layer of icing.

The cupcakes and cake serve 12-15.

The wonderful thing about edible gifts for Valentine’s Day is that you can impress the socks off of your sweetheart without spending a fortune. Gifts you make, yourself, are somehow more meaningful.

Italian Recipes and a Fresh,Wasteful Approach in the Kitchen

by Joi on January 27, 2010

I happen to be in the middle of jury service, which means that for this week I’m nearly out of commission. I was sent the following Guest Post and recipes yesterday and, ironically, they came at a time when a little extra help was especially appreciated!  Italian food is so amazing that it doesn’t need an introduction… simply an opportunity to impress.

So, with that said, enjoy the article and enjoy the recipes.

“Waste Not, Want Not” and Make it Delicious!
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

There is no more appropriate time than now to think about how and why we cook. Food is a way of connecting with the people who surround us. Through it, we communicate emotions like love, compassion and understanding, and there is no better opportunity to communicate with our children than at the table. It’s where we can discuss our values of life that are important to us as individuals, as a family and as a part of the world we live in.

As overconsumption and greed have come to haunt us, now is a time for reflection. We should be looking back at the generations before us to understand their approach to the table. Growing food, shepherding animals, foraging for the gifts of nature is all part of respecting food. Nothing needs to be wasted. Bread can be recycled and used in soups, casseroles, lasagnas and desserts. Water is carefully conserved as in the pasta recipe I share below where the same water in which vegetables are cooked is used to cook the pasta that follows, and then that is saved for soups or for making risotto.

When one respects the food we prepare, it also leads to a more sensible and balanced intake of proteins, legumes and vegetables.

So “waste not, want not” and make it delicious!

Excerpt from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009)

FRESH CAVATELLI WITH CAULIFLOWER RECIPE

Maccarun ch’I Hiucc
Serves 6

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, and I regret that many people don’t sufficiently appreciate its unique flavor and nutritional value. This is not the case in Molise, where it is cooked often and creatively, as exemplified by the following two simple vegetarian pasta dishes. The first recipe, maccarun ch’i hiucc, is zesty with garlic and peperoncino.

1/2teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1/2teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large head cauliflower, cut in small florets
1 batch (1½ pounds) Fresh Cavatelli (preceding recipe), or 1 pound dried pasta

1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or half pecorino and half Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for a milder flavor)

Recommended equipment: A large pasta pot; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12 inch diameter or larger

Fill the large pot with salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt), and heat to a boil.

Pour the olive oil into the skillet, set over medium-high heat, and scatter in the sliced garlic. Let the garlic start to sizzle, then toss in the peperoncino and parsley; stir and cook for a minute. Ladle in a cup of the pasta cooking water, stir well, and adjust the heat to keep the liquid in the skillet simmering and reducing gradually while you cook the cauliflower and pasta.

With the pasta water at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower florets, and cook them for about 3 minutes, until barely tender. Drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water quickly to a boil. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is fully tender and the pasta is al dente (if you are using dried pasta, it will, of course, take longer).

Lift out the florets and cavatelli with a spider or strainer, drain briefly, and spill them into the skillet. Toss well, to coat all the pasta and vegetable pieces with the garlicky dressing, then turn off the heat, sprinkle over the skillet the grated cheese, and toss again. Heap the cauliflower and cavatelli in warm bowls, and serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PARFAIT RECIPE

Pane di Cioccolato al Cucchiaio
Serves 6

This recalls for me the chocolate-and-bread sandwiches that sometimes were my lunch, and always a special treat. And it is another inventive way surplus is used in Umbrian cuisine, with leftover country bread serving as the foundation of an elegant layered dessert. Though it is soaked with chocolate and espresso sauce and buried in whipped cream, the bread doesn’t disintegrate, and provides a pleasing textural contrast in every heavenly spoonful.

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces country-style white bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Recommended equipment: A large rimmed tray or baking sheet, such as a half-sheet pan (12 by 18 inches); a spouted measuring cup, 1 pint or larger; 6 parfait glasses or wineglasses, preferably balloon-shaped

Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl set in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir until completely smooth. Keep it warm, over the water, off the heat.

Slice the bread into 1/2 inch-thick slices, and lay them flat in one layer, close together, on the tray or baking sheet.

Pour the warm espresso into a spouted measuring cup, stir in the rum and sugar until sugar dissolves, then stir in half the melted chocolate. Pour the sauce all over the bread slices, then flip them over and turn them on the tray, to make sure all the surfaces are coated. Let the bread absorb the sauce for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks form, by hand or with an electric mixer.

To assemble the parfaits: Break the bread into 1-inch pieces. Use half the pieces to make the bottom parfait layer in the six serving glasses, dropping an equal amount of chocolatey bread into each. Scrape up some of the unabsorbed chocolate sauce that remains on the baking sheet, and drizzle a bit over the bread layers. Next, drop a layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using up half the cream. Top the cream layer with toasted almonds, using half the nuts.

Repeat the layering sequence: drop more soaked bread into each glass, drizzle over it the chocolate sauce from the tray and the remaining melted chocolate. Dollop another layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using it all up, and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of each parfait. This dessert is best when served immediately while the melted chocolate is still warm and runny.

©2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali, authors of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

Author Bio:
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, is the author of five previous books, four of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, and can be reached at her Web site, www.LidiasItaly.com

Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia’s daughter and coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, received her Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance art history from Oxford University. Since 1996 she has led food/wine/art tours of Italy. She lives with her husband and children on Long Island.

Outstandingly Delicious and Healthy Snacks for Game Day

by Joi on January 15, 2010

One of our biggest pitfalls as a family trying to eat healthy foods is snack time.  I make healthy meals and, even when we eat out, we make healthy choices.  But when we’re watching football games, basketball games, baseball, Survivor, The Biggest Loser, or anything else on TV – we love our snacks.

Also – aside from my youngest daughter and our cats – the members of my family come and go all day and night.  It can be exhausting for us homebodies watching them come and go.  I’ve noticed that they all love to snack along their journeys… fuel for the road, I suppose.   I try to keep healthier options in the kitchen and dining room for them to grab.  Sure, we’ll have various forms of chocolate at any given time – I won’t even try to deny that.  Besides, you’d smell the chocolate on my breath and call me out.

I always remind people that chocolate…

  • Is actually good for you – nutritionists sing the praises of dark chocolate almost as much as I do
  • Chocolate makes the world go round
  • Chocolate is sexy

So, you can count on this  kitchen always, always, always boasting plenty of chocolate goodness just as surely as there will always be a coffee pot ready to play .  The coffee will warm your body as the chocolate warms your mood.  But potato chips, soft drinks, and fried, greasy crap has been exiled from our home.

Nuts are also remarkably good for you, so I keep several candy dishes filled with different kinds of nuts and nut blends.  The largest candy dish is currently holding chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered nuts.  Another has almonds, which are a huge hit in my family.

Recently, I happened upon a combination that blew me completely away: Mariani Vanilla Yogurt Raisins and walnut pieces. I keep these yogurt covered raisins on hand because I’m totally addicted to them. They are ridiculously delicious. They had commandeered a large candy dish and I couldn’t find a spot for a bag of walnut pieces I’d just brought home from the store. So, I tossed the walnuts in with the yogurt covered raisins. When I passed by, I’d either pick out the raisins or the walnuts until I saw my husband grab a mixture and put them in his mouth. In an unsettling display of monkey-see/monkey-do, I jumped over and tried it for myself.

Holy deliciousness, Batman!!!

The combination reminds me of one of my favorite cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies. For whatever reasons, the vanilla-flavored yogurt, the raisins, and the walnuts make a powerhouse combination that convinces your mind that you’re eating the best Iced Oatmeal Cookie ever made. With less calories.

Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruit with your snackers… but, whatever you do, try the Vanilla-Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins paired with Walnuts first. It’ll blow you smack away.  These yogurt-covered raisins are also outstanding when eaten with fruit such as pineapple wedges, grapes, strawberries, raspberries (!!!), blueberries, blackberries, and so on.

Below is a great recipe for Trail Mix Bars from Mariani – makers, not only of the yogurt covered raisins I eat like a cat with salmon, but also makers of many outstanding dried fruits and other snacks. Look for them on the shelves at your grocery store. In my favorite store, they’re located in the health food section.

Mariani Trail Mix Bars Recipe

2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups mixture of Mariani Premium Banana Chips – crushed, raisins, mixed nuts, and chopped, Mariani Premium Mixed Fruit.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups granola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to butter and egg mixture. Stir in trail mix, oats, and granola. When mixed, drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For more healthy recipes from Mariani, see their website.

Did you know that walnuts are very good for your brain? Click the link to learn how!

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