This is a fun little afternoon project that I remember doing as a kid but totally forgot about until I came across it again recently in a back issue of Family Fun magazine. These would be a great project to do a day or so before Thanksgiving and then use them to prop up some cute, handmade place cards for your guests. See the final product here. Chocolate Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats from Family Fun magazine 24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies 12-ounce package of chocolate chips 24 marshmallows tube of yellow decorators’ frosting ~ Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them apart. ~ Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler. ~ One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow,... [Read more]

One of my favorite things about autumn is getting to make hot chocolate again. Sure, I could make it any time of year, but when it’s 115 degrees for what seems like weeks on end, a hot drink is the last thing on my mind! Now that the leaves in my area are finally turning and the air has a wonderful chill to it, it’s time to pick up some hot chocolate supplies on my next grocery ship to stock up the pantry. I prefer a creamy hot chocolate, as opposed to a watery one or something from a packet, and the recipe below is one I just found that fits the bill perfectly. If you’re looking to relax a bit after the day is over and the kids are in bed, add some peppermint schnapps to the final product, or if you don’t want alcohol,... [Read more]

I tried a chocolate banana bread recipe last month, and since I had overripe bananas on my counter again this week I decided to see if I could dig up another recipe to try. This one is from Daydreamer Desserts, and while the recipes are somewhat similar, this new one included the addition of sour cream. I have to admit that I couldn’t really taste the sour cream when the bread was finished, but it did help make for a light and fluffy batter when I was mixing it up! Though this recipe was good, I did end up having to keep it in the oven for nearly fifteen minutes longer than it specified since the middle was still pretty gooey (I used the correct pan size, oven temp, etc), and the crust ended up being a bit crispier than what I like on... [Read more]

We know that research is being done on how chocolate can help in the recovery from a heart attack, how chocolate milk can help sore muscles heal, how it could prevent malaria, protect against dementia, keep your bones healthy, and help with headaches, and now we can add one more to this ever-growing list: wrinkles! Research published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology is showing that the same antioxidants that are good for your heart are also good for your skin, and that a daily dose of dark chocolate could very well keep you looking younger. Sounds like my kind of fountain of youth! The study, which included 30 healthy adults at an average age of 42, found that the volunteers who ate a daily portion of 20 grams of dark chocolate drops... [Read more]

I’m all for eating chocolate, of course, but it can also be fun to decorate with it (temporarily!) for the upcoming holidays! This gigantic chocolate turkey from Bissinger’s is touted as a “centerpiece” decoration for your Thanksgiving table. The semi-solid piece is made from milk chocolate with some nice darker chocolate accents, and stands at nine inches tall by 8.5 inches wide. It’s also gluten-free! Though the real turkey and sides are the stars of the meal, I have to admit I’d be eyeballing the chocolate version if it were on my table! Bissinger’s also has a lot of other Thanksgiving-related chocolate and candies, such as chocolate-covered Oreos with cute little Thanksgiving decorations piped on... [Read more]