Tag Archives: chocolate

Pistachio and Chocolate Oreo Cookie Cheesecake

Mother’s Day is just a few weeks away, but for some moms the holiday doesn’t guarantee a day off from cooking. When I was growing up my dad did most of the cooking (he loves creating new recipes) so having him whip up a Mother’s Day feast was nothing special. However, there was one thing he wouldn’t attempt in the kitchen regardless of how special the occasion—-BAKE. That’s where I came in. Being the only daughter in a family of six I learned how to bake at an early age. I might not be the world’s best baker; however I … Continue reading →

Fun and Tasty Easter Projects for Kids: Candy Nests

I have a 3-year-old who loves to cook (sometimes more than she likes to eat) and I could not recommend an easier recipe than this one to make for Easter. It only requires two ingredients (the most child-friendly on the planet: chocolate and cereal) and doesn’t require any baking. And the best part: there’s no icky, sticky, gooey mess to clean up. Honestly, this project yields less mess than coloring Easter eggs. What’s more, the end product is so delicious your kids might have a hard time saving them to show off on Easter Sunday. As I mentioned earlier each … Continue reading →

Decadent Valentine’s Day Bar Cookies

Valentine’s Day is just a week away. Do you know what you’ll be cooking up for your sweethearts? This year I’ll be working overtime in the kitchen whipping up several Valentine’s Day desserts since this is the first time in more than a decade that my entire family (parents, siblings and their respective spouses and children, aunts, uncles, etc.) will be together on Love Day. Given that there will be a variety of people with varying tastes gathered for one meal I will be making two different bar cookies (they are really more cake-like squares). The first recipe features the … Continue reading →

Ice Cream Ball Fondue

This is the ultimate in special desserts for your family. You will have earned your accolades though. . .this is not an easy or quick recipe. Adapted from something I found from the food network, this display has three different sauce and then you dip the ice cream balls into the sauce of your choice. My suggestion for doing three sauces is to use a condiment dish that sets on a wire rack and use tealights or a small candle underneath. On the other hand, if your family is like mine, they will eat this so quickly that keeping the … Continue reading →

Fondue for Valentine’s Day

Who doesn’t love cooking dessert right at their table or fun of dipping stuff in chocolate? My kids think it’s just about the best thing in the world to not only get dessert but then to dip in chocolate to boot. Of course, you may well want to enjoy these treats without the kids! Here are a few recipes for dessert fondue for your Valentine’s Day dinner. While I’m quite partial to toasted angel food cake, you can really dip just about anything your heart desires: long stem strawberries, pound cake, cookies (short bread works particularly well). Chocolate Fondue (The … Continue reading →

A Chocoholic’s Dream Destination

You know you’re in a special place when your tour guide warns you not to lick the walls… That warning may be hard to heed when visiting the new Godiva Chocolate room located inside of Manhattan’s Bryant Park Hotel. The pre-Valentine’s Day creation will not be available for guests until May, but some lucky visitors got a sneak peek of the sweet suite last week. If you are watching your waistline don’t bother to tempt yourself with a stay—-this room is made for serious chocoholics who have no qualms about indulging in the tasty treat. How can you resist when … Continue reading →

Mint Chocolate Treats for Valentine’s Day

You can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day without chocolate, right? (Well, I suppose you could if diamonds were given as a substitute.) In my home nothing says love like minty treats fresh from the oven… or the freezer (my daughter loves mint chocolate Drumsticks). My 91-year-old grandmother is the reigning queen of mint in our family and the following recipe is one of her favorites. Unfortunately, my beloved grandma is very sick and this will likely be her last Valentine’s Day with us. Contrastingly, my 3-year-old just discovered the joys of mint at an ice cream social we attended last summer, so … Continue reading →

A New Twist on Hotel Chocolates

Gone are the days when you would be left a single piece of simple chocolate on your hotel room pillow… With the rising price of hotel rooms these days you wouldn’t think that properties would be looking to branch out in an effort to make more dough… but you’d be wrong. If you have ever been in a situation where you were left scurrying around at the last minute trying to find gifts to take home from vacation then you will be able to appreciate what one California hotel chain is offering its guests. Shutters on the Beach in Santa … Continue reading →

Chocolate Football Rice Krispie Treats and Playoff Pinwheels

With all due respect to the Green Bay Packers (who walked away with a victory tonight and are one step closer to the Super Bowl)–the best part of the playoff party I just attended was the food. In my previous blog I shared two hearty dip recipes that I took to the football viewing party I just came home from. My friends and I gathered together to cheer on the green and gold, but I must admit when the team was down 14 points I made a dash to the buffet table and stayed there for much of the night … Continue reading →

Have a Merry Choco-Christmas

How much is too much? Is it possible to have too much chocolate? My sister-in-law certainly doesn’t think so. With less than two days until Christmas she is in her kitchen whipping up her famous chocolate macadamia nut clusters. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that if I see one more Christmas cookie I may just run in the opposite direction. But, that’s just because I spent the last three weeks churning out more than 300 cookies to give to friends and neighbors. (Did I mention I sampled a few dozen along the way?) My sister-in-law is by … Continue reading →