Chocolate Looooove

Chocolate Loooove

Obviously my love for chocolate goes without saying, but since it is “National Chocolate Day” I decided to do a little research on the benefits of consuming this fabulous piece of melted heaven. By the way I did acknowledge this holiday by indulging on: Reese Peanut butter cups, M&Ms (plain and peanut), Twix bar, whoppers, a Hershey’s bar, and a good old cup of hot chocolate. Ok, so I eat that much chocolate every day…but whatever, as I was saying, the benefits are:

1.) It tastes good, so it makes people happy.
2.) It lowers blood pressure (probably because it tastes good, therefore relaxing the mind)
3.) It lowers cholesterol (by 10%)
4.) It stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure. Chocolate body paints anyone?
5.) It contains serotonin, which can be an anti-depressant (probably because it tastes good, so it makes you happy)
6.) It contains caffeine for that extra “lift” during the day.
7.) Chocolate could melt a girls heart and say “I love you” without speaking a word (well, for me anyway)
8.) It tastes really good when you’re pissed off because eating it makes you feel better.
9.) It tastes really good if you’re happy, it can at times be euphoric.
10.) It makes life worth living on the days when you just want to say f*#k it.

Ok, so never mind the fact that they say to only have dark chocolate and to skip the nougat and avoid the milk, because, well, that’s just taking the fun out of it. I would live in a candy house with chocolate walls and a whipped cream roof if I could. I am whole heartedly, without a doubt, a chocolate lover. Oop- my fudge is ready for my ice cream now, gotta run…

For the love of pumpkins....

Every time the colors begin to change on the trees I start to crave pumpkin! Since I love to bake, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite recipes for you fellow pumpkin lovers. Every year, certain things MUST be made and here are a few:

Chocolate Lover’s Pumpkin Bread

½ c. butter ½ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar ½ tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs ½ tsp. ginger
¾ c. canned pumpkin ½ tsp. cloves
1 ¾ c. flour ¾ c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. soda ¾ c. walnuts, chopped (if you feel like a nut, cuz sometimes I don’t)
1 tsp. cinnamon
Set oven to 350.

Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs. Add the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients, chocolate chips, and nuts (if you desire). Put it into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
** Put some butter on it while it’s warm and your mouth will have an orgasmic explosion of chocolicous pumpkin that is fan-frickin-tastic.

Gingered Pumpkin Soup
(Yes, pumpkin soup is delicious….and so easy to make)

1 tbsp. butter
2 15- ounce cans pumpkin
2 14- ounce cans chicken broth
1 cup half and half
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or ¼ tsp. ground ginger if you’re lazy)
Salt
Ground black pepper
Brown sugar (optional, but I love)

In a large Saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in pumpkin, broth, half-and-half, syrup, and ginger. Bring to a boil for a second or two. Season and garnish as you wish. This tastes really good if you’re under a furry blanket and watching Sex and the City re-runs FYI.

Pumpkin Cheesecake to-die-for

2 pkg. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
½ cup canned pumpkin
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of cloves
Dash of nutmeg
2 eggs
1 HONEY MAID Pie Crust (6 oz)
Real whipped cream (or use cool whip if you’re lazy)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, and spices in lrg. bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add eggs and beat until blended.
POUR into crust.

Bake 40 min. or until the center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hrs. or so. Top with whipped cream—lots of it of course. I like to whip my cream and add a 1/3 or more cup of confectioners’ sugar, or sprinkle in some brown sugar and a dab of vanilla. OMG it’s so good I must make this soon!

I can't believe summer's over!!

“I can’t believe summer’s already over!” It’s the same thing I say every year and every year I vow to do all the things next summer that I didn’t get a chance to do this summer. It’s like the second it gets to 60 degrees, high hopes arise of all desires I crave to satisfy in the summer heat. Then, like the blink of an eye, the cold air hits again and I feel like my dreams of sunshine have somehow slipped through my fingers like a fist full of sand. What in the hell did I do all summer anyway? I can’t never even remember! I sure as hell can make a fine list of all things I swore I was “going” to do, but never seemed to find the time to.

Here they are:

1.) Eat corn on the cob. This summer, I NEVER rubbed hot corn in butter and dug my teeth in to it. This makes me want to cry like a little baby.
2.) Go to the pool. I’m talking about the one a few blocks from our house at the park. It’s a simple little kiddy pool that I pictured taking Landon to every weekend. NEVER HAPPENED. The last time I saw the pool it was warm outside and I was waiting for it to open. Now it’s closed already.
3.) Go to The Water Park. Again, this is a block from our house. It has big water slides, huge fake trees that shoot out water, and nice cozy lounge chairs. It’s closed and I’m kicking myself.
4.) Go on a boat. I NEVER got on a boat this SUMMER! I know. Can you believe it?! Well, I did take a pontoon ride to a luau, but that was a couple weekends ago and I was wearing mittens and a blanket, so that doesn’t count if there is not a bikini top and sunglasses involved.
5.) Go to The Zoo. ARGHHH!! How could I have not made it to the frickin’ zoo?! Boo hoo hoo is all I can say. Until next year monkeys….
6.) Go to ValleyFair. I really wanted to take Landon here for the kiddy rides. He would have loved it! Hey…it’s not still open is it? Wait, I refuse to wear boots to Valleyfair anyways…
7.) Go to Champs Alleyway. I just thought I’d for sure make it to the alley way bar downtown. Sipping on a cold one with my girlfriends while the sunset kissed our spaghetti strapped shoulders…Nope. Didn’t happen (tear slides down cheek)
8.) Swim. I never swam this summer and I never even put on a bikini unless I was in my backyard with a book. Shit, I never even got in the damn kiddy pool. I suck.
9.) Go to Stillwater. I planned on taking Landon over to Teddy Bear Park and maybe taking a trolley ride. I figured I had all summer to do that one. But-oopsy! Summer’s Ohhh-Verrrr now…
10.) The biggest regret I have is NOT MAKING IT TO THE FARMER’S MARKET. So mad about this I want to literally kick my own ass. I love the fruit, the veggies; the flowers…Oh Summer...please come back to meeeee!

Ok, so I’m done whining until next year, BUT I still had an awesome June-August spent with some of the finest people on the planet. We did use the grill a couple times, travel a tad, and of course I did manage to get a teeny tiny sun-kissed glow for like a millisecond and eat entirely too much ice cream- oh wait, I still indulge in that year round. But, now it’s a new season and a new leaf shall turn (a crimson red perhaps, or succulent peach). My house smells like pumpkins and my trees look beautiful. I guess there’s always something new to look forward to, after all, I do get to take my kid trick-or-treating and steal his candy while he sleeps! Just keeping it positive…