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Candy

A Site and Blog to Go NUTS Over

by Joi on July 8, 2009

Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles Gift Box

You pretty much know my culinary passions by now – coffee, chocolate, nuts, cheese, buttermilk, cream cheese, coconut, tea, onion rings, salads, paninis, and dessert (all desserts, thank you very much). Sure there are plenty of others I adore, but the group I just named? I live for them.

Something I’ve always noticed about this group, however, is this: Quality matters. Whether it’s coffee beans, chocolate, cheese, or cashews – know this, you almost always get what you pay for. If you’re serious about what you cook and feed your family, then you HAVE to be serious about where you get your ingredients and staples from.

To that end, I want to tell you about a fantastic site for those of you who love nuts as much as I do: Superior Nut Store.com. I’m the sort of nut fanatic who stands at the counter eating walnuts out of the bag as she crumbles them into her cookies, bread, fudge, or whatever. This sort of passion for all things nutty pretty much identifies me and I love Superior Nut Store’s dedication to making a nut lover’s world go round.

On Superior Nut.com you can find tins, gift baskets, boxes, peanut butter topping (Yum!), dried fruit, towers, and countless other beautiful gifts. You should keep this website in mind not only for Christmas gifts but also for cooking during Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are also some spectacular goodies that would make Back to School less brutal and Halloween more funtastic.

In an effort to totally destroy what’s left of my willpower, Superior Nut Store has combined two of my greatest loves: chocolate and nuts – and they’ve done it in ways that makes me weak in the knees. At the top of the post is the Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles Gift Box (Rich, smooth caramel is combined with hand picked premium Pecans and is topped with Milk Chocolate. - Superior Nut Store.com). Yeah, I knew you’d like to see that staring you in the face. I figure if I’m going down, I’m taking y’all with me.

You’ll noticed I’ve included another picture for you below. It’s the Almond Butter Crunch (Fresh Butter is simmered with Roasted Almonds to Create a Mouth Watering Toffee, we then dip it into a rich Milk Chocolate and Top it With More Roasted & Chopped Almonds. Our Old Fashioned Almond Butter Crunch is truly unique and absolutely Irresistible! – Superior Nut Store.com). And you’re welcome.

You’ll also want to check out Superior Nut Store’s blog for some killer recipes. I’ve printed out quite a few that I intend to cook asap. But first things first, I’m taking a candy break. Must have something chocolaty and nutty….

Almond Butter Crunch

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate is Ridiculously Delicious

by Joi on April 30, 2009

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate Candy

I’d love to introduce you to a wonderful new friend of mine… well, actually, several new friends of mine. They’re pictured above. Gorgeous, right? They’re the delicious, chocolat-astic Seeds of Change Chocolate bars and you’ll love them as much as I do. If you could smell my breath right now, you’d know JUST how much I love them.

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate Candy

From the Seeds of Change Web Site:

Seeds of Change® was founded in 1989 with a revolutionary mission: To make organically grown seeds available to gardeners and farmers, while preserving countless heirloom seed varieties in danger of being lost to the “advances” of modern industrial agriculture.

As we recognized the need to preserve and promote organic seeds, we also saw the opportunity to create organic foods that were inspired by the notion that great taste and sustainability can go hand in hand. And…the Seeds of Change Organic Brand was born.

But we knew we had to do more than just create delicious organic products to preserve the very soil beneath our feet. So we began donating 1% of our net sales to promote sustainable organic farming initiatives worldwide.

At Seeds of Change, we believe that making responsible choices today makes a better world tomorrow. That’s why everything we do and make has the future of our world in mind. For 20 years, Seeds of Change has been inspiring change for a better world. Learn more about our Research Farm and our sustainable organic farming initiatives, as well as what you can do to make the world a better place.

Seeds of Change Organic Dark Chocolate with Coconut

From my chocolate-coated taste buds:

Mmmmmm! You know me, there are several areas in which my knowledge is legendary and passionate: Cooking with Buttermilk, animal welfare, coffee, tea, chocolate, old movies, the Food Network, coconut, cookbooks, gladiola flowers, cats, polar bears, UK basketball, St. Louis Cardinals baseball, and raising perfect daughters. Chocolate has been on my list of expertise since I was about as tall as a dachshund.

Seeds of Change chocolate bars are as passionate about being chocolate as I am about being a chocoholic. Not only can you can taste their passion in every single bite, you can smell it the second you open one of their candy bars. When I opened the Dark Chocolate with Coconut bar (it was first since it combines two passions in one!), I let out a happy, happy sigh. The smell was so exotic and intoxicating – it smelled like chocolate on vacation. Can you even imagine how Heavenly that is?!?! Get this – it tasted even better. I- I love it when chocolate vacations in Hawaii and takes me along.

Seeds of Change Organic Milk Chocolate with Puffed Grains

The Chocolate with Puffed Grains is another favorite. It tastes a lot like Krackle bars – just a lot fatter and even more chocolaty. I couldn’t try the Dark Chocolate with Mango and Cashews because of a fierce allergy to mango, but my daughters tell me that it’s beyond sensational. They put it away like crazy, so I’m guessing it’s fantastic.

The Milk Chocolate bars are SO creamy you just get lost in the experience. They’re absolutely amazing. And the Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Vanilla bars are much, much, much better than you’d expect. They’re what Chocolate covered cherries would be if they turned themselves into candy bars and threw on a little vanilla for good measure. Delish!

I’m saving the Dark Chocolate for last because dark chocolate has become something of an obsession with me. Once you get hooked on Dark Chocolate, there’s no going back. Seeds of Change Dark Chocolate has a glorious 61 percent cocoa and I’ll tell you why that turns me on so: Eating Dark Chocolate is very good for you. It contains potent antioxidants that destroy free radicals in your body. These free radicals are associated with cancer and heart disease. In the fantastic book, The Denim Diet by Kami Gray, she points out that not all dark chocolate is equal. The higher the cocoa content, the better for you. Each of the Seeds of Change Dark Chocolate bars (Dark Chocolate with Coconut, dark Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Vanilla, and Dark Chocolate with Mango and Cashews) have a staggering 61 percent of cocoa.

Personally (and remember, I’m nothing if not an expert in the field of chocolate), I think this is a great percentage. Higher percentages often take a little “getting used to.” This is absolutely perfect.

What does the symbol printed on the chocolate mean?

This symbol is The Seeds of Change mandala and is an ancient symbol of abundance and vitality known as The Seed of Life. Beautiful and delicious.

Where can you buy Seeds of Change Chocolate candy?

According to their web site, Seeds of Change Organic Chocolates are available at Whole Foods and other fine stores. Keep an eye out for them in your favorite grocery stores, as they are adding retailers to their list. I’ll let you know as soon as I find them in my own haunts. Of course, you can always just buy them online. It’s hard to beat that for convenient.

By the way, remember Mother’s Day is just around the corner, followed closely by Father’s Day – so load up and add some of the best chocolate in the world to their gift bags. They’ll thank you from the bottom of their hearts (which you’ll help protect if you include the dark chocolate varieties). Mom and Dad will be so thankful, they may never bring up that dented bumper or broken heirloom vase again. Or the broken curfews, or the crayon on the walls, or the time you embarrassed them in front of the preacher….

Well, they’ll thank you from the bottom of their hearts….

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate Candy

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Candy Gives Us Even More to Celebrate

by Joi on April 22, 2009

Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate Candy

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year – everything just comes to life and there seems to be absolute, unspoiled beauty everywhere you look. What a PERFECT time of the year to celebrate Earth Day (today!) and Mother’s Day.

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate – the chocolate that makes no compromises – is offering some great ideas to observe both holidays.

Green & Black’s chocolates allow you to make eco-friendly choices while not compromising on life’s everyday indulgences. This is seriously, seriously delicious chocolate.

This year, in honor of Earth Day, Green & Black’s is offering a downloadable widget with daily tips on how to live green and black –respecting the earth while indulging in the best things it has to offer.

Some tips include:

While cooking for friends at your next dinner party, shop at your closest farmers’ market. Buying from local farms puts money back into your community, plus the produce will be fresher than items transported across the country.
On your next vacation, book a hotel that’s LEED-certified. The certification stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a national standard for builders looking to make a smaller impact on the environment.
Go to DineGreen.com to determine how eco-conscious your favorite restaurant is. The Green Restaurant Association offers various certification levels, based on criteria like whether a restaurant buys locally or composts its waste.

Be inspired by these eco-friendly ideas when celebrating Mother’s Day on May 10.

Treat Mom to an indulgent gift that also treats the environment.

If Mom can’t live without her morning cup of coffee or tea (guilty!), buy her a travel mug from her favorite coffee shop. She can travel to work in style while reducing the number of paper cups she uses.
Get Mom a chic metallic or cloth-covered case in which to carry her lunch; pack it with healthy snacks, like homemade granola, or a square or two of Green & Black’s organic chocolate.
Set-up a window box herb garden for Mom in the kitchen. Sprigs of fresh rosemary, parsley, and mint help make dishes more vibrant.

And you can never go wrong with treating Mom to a gift of delicious chocolate. Give Mom a variety of her favorite chocolate flavors – wrap up three to four bars of Green & Black’s organic chocolate in a bow for an affordable and delectable gift Mom can indulge in.

Green & Black’s offers 12 chocolate flavors ranging from light to dark chocolate. Traditional varieties include White, Milk, and Dark, while the more unique flavors are Maya Gold, Ginger, Espresso and new Toffee.

If you would like more information about Green & Black’s or to download the widget please visit www.GreenandBlacks.com.

Chocolate Coconut Cups

by Joi on November 22, 2008

This candy is one of my favorite things on earth – it combines two of my favorite flavors, chocolate and coconut, so how can it be anything by Heavenly?!

They’re also ridiculously easy and fast to make. This recipe will become one of your favorites with just one delicious bite.

Chocolate Coconut Cups

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1-1/3 cups flaked coconut

Place 25 foil candy cups on a cookie sheet.

In the top of a double broiler (or in a crockpot on low), melt the chocolate over barely simmering water – stirring constanty.

Remove and add the coconut. Mix lightly until the coconut is completely coated with the coconut – (this is where I have to execute great will power, or I’ll eat it all on the spot).

Drop a teaspoonful of the mixture into each foil cup and chill in the refrigerator until firm.

I’m going to the store first thing tomorrow for coconut and chocolate. I’m officially craving these things like a banshee right about now. A screaming banshee. A screaming banshee with a chocolate and coconut addiction that won’t even be able to sleep until she gets a fix….

White Sweetheart Fudge

by Joi on July 9, 2008

3 cups sugar
3/4 cups margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 package White Vanilla Chips
1 (7 oz) jar Marshmallow Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla

Combine the sugar, margarine, and milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Boil for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid sticking and scorching.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla chips. Stir until melted. Add the marshmallow cream, nuts, and vanilla (And just try to keep your fingers out of it!) – beat until well blended.

Pour into a greased 13×9x2 inch pan. Cool to room temperature and cut into squares.

Yield: 5 pounds

Oh! Nuts and Oh! Candy and Oh! My!

by Joi on May 6, 2008

Ohhh man! Have I got a website to tell you about? Well, actually it’s not so much the website that has me purring Ohhhh man as much as it is what the website can hook you up with.

How do Pecan Caramel Chocolate Clusters sound to you? How about Roasted Cashews? Or Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns. I hate to brag, but I have a Pecan Caramel Chocolate Cluster in my mouth right now and I’m not even lying. Mmmmm, if this candy were any better I’d….. Never mind, it couldn’t be any better.

You’d think that the rich, delicious caramel or the always perfect pecans would steal the show with this candy, wouldn’t you. That’s what I thought, too, until I took the first (of many!) bite. The chocolate is some of the most amazing chocolate I’ve ever tasted in my life. I have no unearthly idea why it’s so spectacular, but I’ve never tasted any better. It is just unbelievably delicious – it tastes exactly like chocolate was meant to taste.

I just went back to scour the website for more chocolate goodness and it didn’t take me long to find EXACTLY what I’m ordering next: Chocolate Covered Pretzels! Click the link to see all of the glorious varieties. I also was amazed to see that my newfound heroes have Gourmet Coffee Beans as well. Into the shopping cart, caffeine!

If I can get my mind off of Chocolate for one minute (notice I said mind and not mouth), I want to also tell you about their roasted cashews. They’re amazingly delicious fat little bits of Heaven. They’re perfect right out of the bag, but if you need a chocolate fix…stat!…. they’re danged amazing dunked in melted milk chocolate. Just melt the choclate in a crock pot on low, then carefully dip each fat little cashew in the chocolate bath (I’m so jealous..). Place them on waxed paper and allow them to “set.”

So good you won’t believe it.

Last but not least, I’ve also tried the Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns candy. These little devils are unlike anything you’ve ever had, this I promise you. Personally, I love mine alongside a great cup of coffee – the flavors just go together in such a way that my head gets all swimmy. The cinnamon flavor on the candy compliments the coffee and the coffee returns the favor…or should I say, flavor. Halfway into the experience, you’d swear you were enjoying a Toffee Pecan Candy with a cup of gourmet cinnamon-flavored coffee.

You HAVE to check this website all the way out and jump in with both hands and mouth open. Do like I’m doing, trying a few things out at a time. I WILL make my way through everything connected to chocolate, nuts, and coffee. Sure, it’ll take me a while because they have so many varieties, but I don’t mind – really, I don’t.

Did I tell you how unbelievably amazing this chocolate is? I did? Oh, okay, then I’ll just take my candy and head to the deck….

*** If you want the best chocolate imaginable, or roasted cashews that’ll take your breath away, and/or candy that that’ll make you happy to be alive, check out Oh! Nuts.com - talk about delicious Mother’s Day gifts! You might want to go ahead and get “Dad’s” too while you’re there, Father’s Day isn’t that far off.

Also, be sure to keep this website in mind when other holidays and special days roll around: Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Graduation, Weddings, Showers, Fourth of July picnics, my birthday… I’m just sayin’…first day of school, last day of school, big games, small games – oh! nuts, you get the idea.

Coconut Candy

by Joi on December 6, 2005

Half a Coconut Photographic Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

COCONUT CANDY RECIPE

3 egg whites
2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
2 tsp vinegar (white)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flaked coconut

Beat egg whites till frothy. Gradually add sugar and vinegar. Beat until fluffy (about 10 minutes). Stir in vanilla and coconut.

Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes. Call Joi so she can grieve that you’re about to eat a piece of coconut candy and she (possibly) isn’t.

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