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27 December 2008

Recipe: Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies



Those of us who LOVE chocolate know one thing: keeping sugar around is a must to combine with chocolate in a recipe. What to do when you go to your pantry only to find there is too little of white granulated sugar? Well, you can switch over to light or dark brown sugar which actually gives cookies a great flavor. (Might be too heavy a sugar for some cakes.)

Then your hopes are dashed when you realize there isn't even any brown sugar available. You pull down the box or large bag of powdered (confectioner's) sugar. What can you do with this sugar? Most times it's used for icing but in this case you can use it to make pinwheel cookies! Yay!

So, here you find your pantry a bit depleted from the holiday cooking and baking. You really don't feel like yet another trip to the grocery store. Make these lovely cookies from Betty Crocker.

After spending for the holidays these inexpensive cookies are easy on the wallet AND you get a chocolate fix. Doesn't get any better than that! Bake up a few to enjoy right now and freeze the cookie dough for later when someone shows up at your house hungry for a little sweet.

Chocolate Pinwheels

Prep time: 50 minutes
Total time: overnight in the refrigerator, about 10 hours
Makes: about 4 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cups butter

1 egg

3 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened Hershey's baking cocoa

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chocolate sprinkles, if desired


In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter and egg. Stir in flour and salt.

Divide dough in half. Stir the cocoa into one half. Stir chocolate sprinkles into the other half, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll half of plain dough into 9 x 8-inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Repeat with half of chocolate dough; place on top of plain dough. Roll doughs up together tightly, beginning at long side. repeat with remaining plain and chocolate doughs. Wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours. (The butter can make the dough like a little brick if it chills too long.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Nutrition: 1 cookie is 90 calories of which 45 calories are from fat. Nothing like a little reality check! :) Guilt advisor: Remember your New Year's resolution about losing a few pounds. That's why this cookie is so great. Temptation can be relegated to the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 6 months! Enjoy!


Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana


Photo from BettyCrocker.com

25 December 2008

Funny Christmas Conversations: Parents to Their Children












Funny Christmas Conversations: Parents to Their Children - What did your parents tell you about Santa?
Do you remember the funny and downright lame excuses your parents used to give you when talking about Santa coming on Christmas Eve?

This little girl sure enjoyed her bowl of chocolate - all over the place! Now that's a true foodie! :) Thanks to the grandmother for sharing this cute photo with the world.

Photo by RIPizzo @ flickr

20 December 2008

Slap That Cold Silly with Food as Medicine












Slap That Cold Silly with Food as Medicine - Utilize spices in your food to give healing support to that cold or flu. Here’s an easy exotic and delicious soup recipe when you are feeling miserable. Soup recipe included.

Let's face it. Though chocolate is definitely one of the major food groups on my priority list, sometimes it can't really heal a cold. Try adding the forgotten food to your diet today: spices! Learn to cook with more spices than the obvious like garlic and onion. Try the more exotic spices.

And remember: after you are through doctoring yourself for that cold or flu make sure you dine on some fresh strawberries. You know which ones I'm talking about! The ones over there! The strawberries with a side of chocolate ganache for dipping sauce. Getting well never felt so good...

Photo by irational_cat @ flickr

13 December 2008

Pet Storytelling Relieves Stress (like chocolate!)













Pet Storytelling Relieves Stress: "Storytelling is a great stress reliever. People love to tell pet stories. We all have one. What’s yours?"

Photo by Denny Lyon - Leonardo the Love Bandit, he's as wonderful as chocolate! Featured cat celebrity in the article. Get your paw print now! Limited edition of 6 million available, going fast! grin

Quote




"What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway."

- Mother Theresa


Photo of chocolate souffle by epicurious.com

11 December 2008

Quote




"Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway." - Mother Theresa

Photo of chocolate collie by foxypar4 @ flickr

09 December 2008

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"The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway." - Mother Theresa

Photo by zoyachubby @ flickr

08 December 2008

We Believe In Santa



Santa left me a dress made all from delicious white chocolate and a beautiful handbag for Christmas! Santa is so clever!

We Believe In Santa:

1,000 views of the many photos in this article and counting!

Over 50 photos of Santa's believers and Santa sightings! Do you believe in Santa? Do you believe in spreading goodwill? Join us this season to gift others with more than mall presents.

07 December 2008

Quote




"If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway." - Mother Theresa


Photo by imageshack

06 December 2008

Poem by CJ Beige



Photo by RIPizzo @ flickr








Since it's the Christmas season and I absolutely LOVE the holiday season - here's a lovely poem by a friend of mine. He is a trucker who travels America.

While he's driving he composes wonderful poetry in his head, most of it is love poetry to his beautiful wife. What woman would not love to be immortalized in poetry?

After reading my article We Believe In Santa he was inspired to write his answer in poetry form. My fellow poets are such fun!

***

Santa's Love



Santa's like the wise men,
He's dad and mother too,
He's your friend and neighbor,
And someone that's there for you.

He's your pal and buddy,
And your confidante you see,
He's on every corner,
Every home is where he'll be.

He wants to see you happy,
‘Cause he gives the gift of love,
He gives it from his heart of gold,
And from the Lord above.

Three wise men honored Jesus,
The night that was His birth,
They honored Him with gifts because
The wise men knew His worth.

Santa's truly in our heart,
With every gift we give,
Santa's love just like the Lord’s,
Forever they will live.

C.J.Beige (John)
Copyright 26 November 2008
All Rights Reserved

05 December 2008

Quote




"If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway." - Mother Theresa

Photo by Manassas Cakery @ flickr

03 December 2008

Quote




"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway." - Mother Theresa


Photo from chocolate group @ StumbleUpon

30 November 2008

Quote




"Live as if you were to die tomorrow." - Mahatma Gandhi

Photo by imageshack

29 November 2008

Recipe: Dennys MINI Louisiana Lyon Oven Pancake




Dennys MINI Louisiana Lyon Oven Pancake - Easy, yummy, quick meal for two! Try drizzling chocolate sauce in place of the lemon on this one! Easy to make as a small dessert rather than a meal when you add chocolate. 200 calories BC (before chocolate).

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana

22 November 2008

Resource - Harbor Candy Shop





Harbor Candy Shop is a wonderful artisan candy online resource. They are from Ogunquit, Maine. This is a raspberry and chocolate cream basket that is vegan. They create wonderful fruit jellies in apricot, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry-rhubarb, plum, lime and pomegranate. Their truffles are beautiful beyond description! Reasonably priced and prompt delivery. My relatives were grinning from ear to ear after receiving these chocolate gifts of perfection!

21 November 2008

Foods We Love to Hate: Knowing Why





Foods We Love to Hate: Knowing Why - Why do we hate certain foods? Have you ever considered what foods you hate and why you hate them? There may be more to it than finicky tastebuds. This is part one in a series of articles about food dislikes.
Researching this article and in conversations over the years I've found out there actually exists something never before known to man: a small minority group of people who don't like chocolate! Imagine that! Can there be such food heresy in this beautiful chocolate world? Is is possible to de-program them from what must be food brainwashing?? Seriously, allergies aside, there really are people who dislike our beloved chocolate. The nagging question is "why"?

15 November 2008

Quote




"My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I've finished two bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already." – Dave Barry

Photo by starmist1 @ flickr

Recipe - Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies


Note from Denny: Found this fun little healthy recipe using lots of chocolate over at the photography site of flickr! Enjoy!
- vegan recipe
Yields about 12 large cookies
Photo and recipe by freakapotimus @ flickr
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup unrefined sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon fine-grained sea salt
1/2 cup soy margarine
1/2 cup silken tofu OR 2 eggs (3 eggs for a cakey texture)
1 teaspoon almond OR vanilla extract
Optional: try adding 1 cup nuts to the dry ingredients!
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Blend margarine, tofu (or egg), almond (or vanilla) extract.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.
Drop cookie dough onto sheet using a tablespoon.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until cookie bottoms begin to brown.
Briefly cool on a cooling rack--they are tasty warm!
Note from freakapotimus @ flickr: For the batch I made yesterday, I used the equivalant of two eggs instead of the three called for, and they came out a bit less cakey but still chewey and moist. Although I feel bad I cheated on the vegan-ness by using Swiss-made dairy chocolate chips.

This was my first fime making this recipe, and the cookies turned out so yummy delicious! It's an easy-to-follow recipe that can, without any trouble, be vegan--I find it's tastier with the tofu!


Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana

10 November 2008

Recipe - Chocolate Bread Pudding



Dennys Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding and Sauces

This recipe is not so rich, full of calories or excess sugar so you can savor the chocolate! Easy to mix up by hand. Great for holiday menus or the novice cook. Serves about 8 - 10.

This is my own version developed 9 November 2008.

Less rich version with a lot less sugar and exploding with enough chocolate flavor to drown in it!

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana
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