I found this divine looking chocolate cheesecake recipe at http://www.taste.com.au/ and HAVE to try it. It has been printed and put on the fridge front and centre for next weeks groceries and for finding an excuse to make this incredible dessert. I've had to stop making them just to try them as my husband and I were ending up eating all the test recipes. Not good for the waistline, besides I like having a slightly more impartial audience to get comments from. Believe me, the first opportunity I get to make this, I will do and will post about it asap! Enjoy and if any of you try it before me PLEASE let me know how you go! Oh and the picture of this at Taste.com.au is gorgeous, I wish I could have posted it here for you but the joys of copyright!

Method

I know you probably think that the heading above is a marketing ploy or joke but trust me IT'S NOT! IF you are a Lindt milk chocolate fan be warned this may seriously impact on your chocolate buying habits and is a great reason to only buy Dark Chocolate, lol! The video is not good quality and it takes a minute to get the full understanding of what they are trying to show you but the wait is worth it!

Click the link and it will take you straight there.

Lindt Chocolate Warning

That is one of the grossest things I have ever seen!

Happy Easter!

I found this article at The Canberra Times by Jessica Wright and could relate to it so deeply! I have just included the first parapraph, you will need to click the link to read the rest (its not some kind of affiliate link, I just thought it more fair to the writer and the publisher of the piece to direct you to their site)!

"THERE are some events that affect one's life so profoundly they leave an indelible mark. The death of rock and roll legend Buddy Holly affected song writer Don McLean, prompting the epic American Pie. Sir Elton John was a little more frugal with his tributes, using the same song for the deaths Marilyn and Princess Diana. The day the music died for me, however, was the moment I found out the Easter bunny wasn't real…"

Click Here to read the rest of this article!

I remember finding out. I was standing next to mums old wringer washing machine watching her wring out the clothes, it was sunny and the tooth fairy had not made it to collect my tooth, 3 nights in a row! I was suspicious so I asked outright and got the answer I was dreading. What about the easter bunny? oh no! and Santa? I'm sure that was the day my childhood ended. I went to the garden and had a good cry. But now I know the truth, there are millions of easter bunnys, tooth fairys and santa clauses, they are what our parents become to bring magic and excitement and laughter into our world. Now its my turn to do the same for my little girl, I just hope that I can find a way to show her the spirit of these things before she loses them to a distant memory in her childhood!

Happy Easter EVERYONE! I hope the easter bunny is very generous to you all!

Today is my Dads Birthday, turning 21 of course! And yesterday I made some chocolates for him as part of his gift (I thought the novelty boxer shorts probably weren't quite enough, lol). Anyway I thought I would share my very simple treats with you!

So all I did was melt some 72% dark chocolate and poured it into deep round chocolate moulds I have till 1/2 deep then tapped the moulds onto the bench to get the airbubbles out. I then put 1 toasted hazelnut (toasted in a medium oven for about 20mins till golden brown) into each mould and poured in more chocolate to fill each mould, again tapping to remove airbubbles. Placed in the fridge to completely cool and set. Took them out of the moulds placed them in a circle of cellophane wrapped and tied with a ribbon, BEAUTIFUL! Very simple, very tasty. You do need to use good quality chocolate for this.

I also used some of the melted chocolate to paint in an egg mould, cooled, placed a small blob of lemon curd in the mould, filled with more melted chocolate, cooled, remove half the "eggs" from the mould and use some more melted choc to "glue" one of the removed "eggs" to one of the "eggs" in the mould, cool again, remove from mould and there you have lemon filled dark chocolate easter eggs! Delicious!

I loved this taste so much that I have started (this morning) dipping chunks of dark chocolate into the lemon curd jar! Terrible, terrible, terrible, but oh so good!lol!

wow these sound good! Donamato sounds particularly to my tastes, the combination of [tag]plum[/tag] with [tag]kahlua[/tag] mixed into the [tag]finest quality[/tag] [tag]dark chocolate[/tag] has got to be good!

Atlanta, GA (ContentDesk) May 4, 2006 — Dolcielo, an Atlanta-based company, announces gourmet brownies targeted for adults. “Brownies have grown up,” says Dolcielo’s owner, Nanette Littlestone. “We wanted to turn an ordinary treat into something designed for the adult palate.”      Traditional comfort food takes on a new twist. The brownies showcase a combination of dried fruit and liqueur surrounded by dark chocolate. Dolcielo carries this theme in four unique flavors: Amureo — apricots with Disaronno Amaretto; Bellasanti — cherries with Cherry Heering; Celesola — pineapple with Bacardi Gold; and Donamato — plums with Kahlúa Especial. The company also offers an original brownie without fruit and liqueur, Divina, for those who prefer an unadulterated sweet.     “Chocolate lovers beware,” says Sara Levy, food stylist for Metropolitan Magazine and Atlanta Magazine. “These are the most luscious and decadent brownies I have ever tasted. I am in the food industry which allows me the opportunity to try many food items, and I can honestly say you will not be disappointed.”     Dark chocolate continues to gain recognition for its health benefits, giving Dolcielo a natural boost. Only the finest natural ingredients and premium liqueurs are used. Because the brownies are made without preservatives, each batch is baked to order.      The keyword at Dolcielo is elegance. From the high-quality ingredients to the packaging with copper tissue and ribbon, everything combines for a luxurious experience.      Dolcielo was founded in 2005 from a love of baking and sharing good food. Owner Nanette Littlestone envisions Dolcielo as a way to make a difference.      “I want to help create a better place for everyone,” she says. “My goal is to heal the world with love and chocolate.”      With that idea in mind, the company donates two percent of each sale to Heifer International and the National Wildlife Federation. For further information about Dolcielo, visit www.dolcielo.com or call 1-888-DOLCIEL"O.

"So what flavours would you like in your brownies to make them "grown up".  Ideas and recipes are more then welcome here!  I'm thinking that  toasted [tag]hazelnuts[/tag] with a hazelnut [tag]liquor[/tag] would be divine!

Chocolate gives a high like [tag]marijuana[/tag]?  Having never tried marijuana I'll have to take their word for it but I do believe that you can get high on the cocoa!

Check out this article by Barry Hooper

Which would you rather take to help prevent heart attacks and strokes? Chocolate or aspirin? Amazingly, researchers in California have found that taking a flavonol rich cacao drink, equates almost exactly to taking a low dose aspirin, when it comes to blood thinning properties. It seems that the cacao drink acts in a similar way to low dose aspirin in ensuring your blood flows freely — and the platelets do not stick together, thus reducing the risk of stroke or heart disease. But as usual with these studies, the boffins urge caution, they stress they are not advocating a couple of candy bars in place of your daily physician prescribed aspirin. There are a substantial number of people who cannot tolerate aspirin, and possibly for those people, eating flavonol rich cacao may be useful to them. You may also be interested to know that there are bioactive compounds in chocolate that promote well being, lessen the pain response and increase alertness. But as a chocolate lover, you probably already knew that. Chocolate does more than that. An unexpected side effect is that chocolate acts rather like a cannabinoid on the brain. These are substances which mimic marijuana. The chemical in marijuana that makes people "high" — tetrahydrocannabinol — joins to specific receptors in the brain. One of the chemical constituents in chocolate can bind to the same receptors, thus producing a similar ‘high’. Who isn’t familiar with the popular press, doctors, and health organisations, encouraging us, even urging us, to eat more fruit and vegetables. One of the main reasons for this is their high content of antioxidant chemicals. These ‘mop up’ marauding bunches of free radicals intent on etching more evidence of your age on your face and body, than you would like. So loading up on the good guys (antioxidants) will help in the battle. But did you know that milk chocolate, dark chocolate and even cocoa powder has higher free radical absorption capabilities than many foods, such as blueberries? Another plus for us chocolate addicts; scientists have discovered that the flavonoids in chocolate are substantially more powerful than vitamins, such as ascorbic acid, in protecting lipids which are circulating in your blood from oxidization. Another huge plus for eating chocolate. And here is the clincher — Harvard School of Public Health discovered that those of us who eat chocolate up to three times each month, live almost a year more than those who steer clear of chocolate altogether. The raw cacao bean has an exceptionally high level of flavonol, but processing destroys some of the value. Cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers are beginning to take action to minimise the loss. Mars developed a proprietary method for processing cacao beans which they call “Cocoapro”. This method preserves the valuable active chemicals by changing the way the beans are selected, fermented and dried, as well as how they are processed. Some Mars candy bars feature the CocoaPro label. Look out for them, this is the way consumers can identify chocolate which retains much of the beans benefits. So for those of us who have been self-medicating ourselves with our chosen chocolate treats over the years were right — we were simply way ahead of our time.

Another twist on the recent spate of articles and information about the [tag]health benefits[/tag] of [tag]dark chocolate[/tag]

After yesterdays article about slavery in the worldwide chocolate market I did a little more research and found a couple of websites that sell "Humane Dark Chocolate"! 

"This is not processed chocolate with added ingredients! Unlike processed chocolate that contains milk, butter, sugar, vanilla and other ingredients, this is truly natural. Yachana Jungle Chocolate will not melt and has a long shelf-life. 

A chocolate bar might be eaten in one sitting, but a 2 oz. package of Jungle Chocolate contains lots of servings. Just a few morsels in the palm of your hand are enough to satisfy the cravings of most chocolate lovers. Use them as a trail mix when hiking or camping. Sprinkle them as an ice cream or frozen yogurt topping, add them to baked goods for a nutty and crunchy chocolate taste, and ….well, just let your chocolate imagination go wild! 

 We've had customers who are on the Atkins or South Beach diets tell us that Yachana Jungle Chocolates are quite a find, because this natural chocolate is low in sugar and carbohydrates. 

Not only will you and your chocolate-loving friends love this new Jungle Chocolate's great taste, but you'll be making a positive difference in Ecuador! 

Yachana Gourmet pays farmers 200% to 300% above the local market price for their cacao and adds value by producing this delicious chocolate product. Additionally, Yachana Jungle Chocolate carries the certification of the Fair Trade Federation and all aspects of its production adhere to fair trade principles helping people of the Ecuadorian rainforest live better lives. 

 The Ecuadorian Government says that this project is a truly viable alternative in Ecuador to industries involved in the growing and trafficking of cocaine." 

Well that is certainly food for thought! So what they are saying is we should eat as much Dark Chocolate (as long as it is Fair Trade Ecuadorian) as we can because it might help diminish the illegal drug industry (from the mind of a different sort of addict, chocoholic!). Sounds like a good enough excuse to me, where can I order 

Yachana Gourmet Chocolate

by: 

This is a great article about why certain chocolates are bad for us and others are good. I have read many articles now about the health benefits of [tag]Dark Chocolate[/tag] but very little as to why [tag]milk chocolate[/tag] and [tag]white chocolate[/tag] are actually bad for us so this was a refreshing read! 

Healthy Chocolate by: Gerald Meyer

It's great news that research found a food that lowers blood pressure and is healthy for the heart and maybe more. The problem is that the chocolate most Americans consume is not the same kind. The more popular kinds of chocolate have little or no positive effect on your health. Only certain chocolate may be healthy. Dark chocolate is the chocolate that was found to have positive effects on blood pressure. Participants given dark, milk, or white chocolate every day were evaluated in different studies. It turns out that dark chocolate contains important antioxidants called phenols. These natural compounds from the cocoa bean are known to increase nitric oxide, reduce platelet aggregation, and inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Cocoa can decrease blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, and increase your insulin sensitivity. Milk and white chocolate are low in these antioxidants and do not have the same effect.

The problem is how chocolate is processed in this country. White chocolate, regardless of where you get it, actually contains no cocoa at all and is made only from cocoa butter; just the fat from the cocoa beans. It also contains no phenols. Most of the other chocolate we eat is made with "dutched" cocoa. The cocoa beans are treated with an alkaline solution to make them dark in color and to reduce the natural bitterness from the plant. But, it also reduces almost 90% of the phenols and most of its healthy benefits. The other problem is that when made into milk chocolate, the milk seems to prevent the phenols from being absorbed and, thus, negating any possible benefit from the chocolate.

The best chocolate for your health appears to be dark chocolate. In the European studies done, they ate 100gm of chocolate a day (100 grams equals approx. 3.5 ounces). That's the equivalent to 2 1/2 regular size Hershey's bars. It also adds about 550 calories to the diet. They were instructed to substitute this amount of calories from other foods they normally ate each day. You would have to do the same or forego its healthy benefits by increasing your waistline. European chocolate in general is healthier than that found in America due to the fact that it is less processed than ours and contains more of the heart healthy antioxidants. Dark chocolate is an acquired taste for most Americans since it is much more bitter than its milky counterpart.

So why is this research being touted as the 'best medical news in ages'? It appears to be one more way we look to justify the unhealthy diets we follow. When people hear that chocolate is now healthy, they don't hear any of the other restrictions involved, and don't want to. In fact, most people wouldn't want to change to a more bitter tasting chocolate and also cut out over 500 calories from their diets. Our diets already have enough sweets and this type of news only fuels the diabetic and obesity epidemics. This kind of medical news will only make most people add extra calories to their diets and increase their health problems.

About The Author

Gerald Meyer RPh, provides advice on weight loss. Information on the benefits of green tea and its antioxidant powers can be found at www.natural-weight-loss-programs.com_

Hope you found this article about [tag]chocolates[/tag] effect on our [tag]health[/tag] as interesting as I did!

So, an hour and a half prior to dinner with friends I remembered that we had missed not one but TWO of their birthdays. I didn't have time to go shopping for gifts so decided to make a cake for them instead. I had found a recipe in "Chocolate Desserts By Pierre Herme" that I had been drooling over for weeks and it looked fairly simple so I grabbed the recipe and got stuck in. It turned out to be as simple as it sounded although his recipes look very long and complicated when you broke it down it was in fact quite basic. Another bonus is that this cake has only 5 ingredients! Well the cake turned out well and I did a very quick basic icing as I had no time to make ganache and was out of dark chocolate anyway (I know, what a crime!) and threw a white iceberg rose from the garden on the centre. It was very effective! The cake had the desired effect with a round of oh you shouldn't haves and oh I shouldn't and oh well I'll start the diet tomorrow! We could smell the cake all through dinner. I wasn't in the room when it was served but I could hear moans and groans followed by my friend Jo shouting out to me that I had created an orgasm on a plate! lol! We only got through about half the cake between 7 of us as it is so rich and decadent. We served it on its own but I think that it would be best served still warm with a good dollop of unsweetened yoghurt and perhaps a little raspberry coulis to cut through the richness. Although the recipe states that it can be refridgerated for up to 3 days I found that it dried out. If that happens to you I would, and did, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, just seems to soften it up a bit. This recipe is definately worth making for a special dinner party and it is quick and easy. The book has some fantastic recipes in it ranging from very easy to quite complex. My next experiment from this book will be Nayla's Tart which is a chocolate pastry tart with a ganache center, or the Chocolate Rice Pudding or maybe the Black on Black Truffles! Decisions, decisions! I have included an Amazon link below for the book. Just reading it was a delight for the senses!

Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme