Chocolate Milk Shake

Basic doesn't necessarily equal plain. Nothing beats the taste and texture of a good chocolate milkshake. When it's good, it's good. When it's not, it's still good! Do I even make sense? It's perfect with a greasy cheeseburger, but it goes well with even a gourmet meal.

A milkshake is described as a sweet, cold drink made out of milk, iced milk or ice cream, and sweeteners or flavorings such as fruit syrup or our favorite, chocolate sauce.

Preparing this tasty and simple chocolate milkshake offers a good chance to get your kids involved.  They will surely enjoy doing the drizzling of the sauce, making some mess, and observing the colors as they change. Why of course, they will enjoy having it after all the preparation!  And, here's a reduced calorie version so you can have without guilt too!
Read more

Chocolate Before Doomsday

I know all of us have managed to watch at least a couple of movies whose plot is focused on alien invasion, world destruction, or whatever a screenwriter could think of as long as it is related to ending all the life on this planet. This trend became more elevated with the infamous doomsday thing in the year 2012. I’m not sure if people are just plain masochists thinking about losing their souls or are really curious on whether this suspicion is true and if so, when is it exactly going to happen.

Of course dying is an unpleasant thing most especially if you are unprepared for it. So if it is my turn to go, I think it would be helpful if I knew about it ahead of time. That is not for me to stop it because I am no superhero or God, but the awareness of it will somehow make sense.
Read more

From Diamonds To Chocolate

Designer Azature Pogosian, the jewelry designer who has black diamonds as a specialty, is all the rage in Hollywood. Hollywood A-listers such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Fergier, Scarlett Johansson, and Miley Cyrus, among others, have been seen sporting his designs down the red carpet.

In 2007, he was able to launch his upmarket jewelries and has added an up-to-date fashion jewelry line, AZ by Azature, which you can get for $50-$850. In Houston, for a showcase of his collection at the St. Regis Hotel through Saturday,  "The Black Diamond King" has also ventured into the chocolaty world. The designer has recently launched a high-end line of black-diamond pralines hand-made out of the rare "Wild Treasure" cocoa bean.
Read more

The Reggie! Bar

I bet there's at least one reader of this blog that enjoys an Oh, Henry! or Baby Ruth candy bar as a guilty pleasure. It has been said in baseball circles that such treats were named after home run hitters Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth.  (Whether baseball has it right is another story.)

Then there's the story of the Reggie! bar...

Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson was born May 18, 1946. He was dubbed "Mr. October" due to his clutch hitting in the postseason. Jackson is an ex- American Major League Baseball right fielder, and he played for four different teams from the year 1967 to 1987. Currently, he's serving as a special advisor to the New York Yankees.
Read more

Cocoa Chiffon Cake

Chiffon cakes have been around for decades already, capturing many hearts. If you want to bake some for yourself or for family and friends, look no further.

A chiffon cake is described as a very light cake made out of vegetable oil, baking powder, flour, sugar, eggs, and flavorings. It’s a mix of both foam and batter type cakes. In distinction with butter, the conventional fat used in cake making, it’s actually a little hard to beat air into oil. Thus, chiffon cakes, like angel cakes and other foam cakes, get its fluffy texture through beating egg whites until they become stiff, and then folding them into the cake batter before baking.
Read more

Bring Home the Chocolate-Covered Bacon!

Ed Gotwalt, the owner of Mister Ed's Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium based in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, recently introduced the phenomenon of meat and chocolate in his store. He started serving chocolate covered bacon about a month ago.  Since then he's been keeping his supply up, ordering 25 to 50 pounds nearly every week.

According to Gotwalt, it has been so much of a rage that their supply is having a hard time keeping up with the demand. Their store’s sign says "Bring home the bacon to Dad. It's covered in chocolate." That seems to be pulling people into the store. "Dad always bring home the bacon. Now you can bring home the bacon for Dad, and it's chocolate covered," he said.
Read more

Dark Chocolate for Kids?

If it's sweet, kids will eat it.  Make that sweetness chocolate, and it's gone without even thinking about it.  For most kids that's true even if it's dark chocolate (except, strangely for our son, who loves milk chocolate and won't touch dark chocolate).

Dark chocolate often in the news for its heart healthy consequences, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke in adults.  Now someone has finally asked the question, "is dark chocolate healthy for children?"
Read more

Fano Carnival – Wild Chocolate Dreams

As a famous ancient Roman saying goes, 'Semel in anno licet insanire', which means 'madness is permissible once a year', has been really applicable for the Fano Carnival. This is arguably considered the most famous of all carnivals in Italy.

This is the time of the year when people go berserk and are taken by the frenzy of festival, which makes them abandon their daily routine and join the festivities. The Fano Carnival seems to rob people of their inhibitions, and people indulge in it with reckless abandon.
Read more

White Chocolate Brownies

Contrary to popular belief, these delectable white chocolate brownies are not so hard to prepare. If you've been craving it but too scared to give it a shot, well, you can now.

It's high time you whipped up these amazing treats, and celebrate your "expertise" with your loved one.  You can even prepare with your children or significant other. Quality time at its best! You never know, you might just start a family tradition!
Read more

Part-time Rower, Part-time Chocolate Maker

Many of us have dreams. For some, those dreams include the Olympics.

Will Newell is a world class rower who trains much of his time at the Oklahoma City High Performance Center in the Devon Boathouse and Olympic Qualifier.  He pointed out that  many countries around the world provide their athletes with provisions that are much higher compared to United States athletes.  That means the U.S. athletes have to find a way to make a living.

The Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation sponsors athletes and helps them find jobs and housing while training as Olympic athletes.  Newell and his fellow athlete Robin Prendes are currently members of a four lightweight crew.  They have earned their way to the 2012 Olympics and are currently working part-time for Devon Energy.
Read more