Salted Chocolate Truffle + Dark Chocolate Blueberry Truffle

My sweet  co-worker/friend is getting married in less than one month! Of course, we through her a work shower, and I volunteered to provide the dessert. I spent some time thinking about what would be best to bring. I knew we would all be full after our meal from The Fish Market, so I wanted to do something not quite as big as a cake or cupcake. After perusing Pinterest and multiple blogs, I finally decided to make truffles. I found two great recipes that are incredibly easy and incredibly tasty.

Salted Chocolate Truffle
thank you! pioneer woman (slightly different but pretty much the same)

1 cup Semisweet Chocolate
1 cup Milk Chocolate
1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Milk Chocolate
Kosher or Sea Salt

Heat 1 cup semisweet chocolate and 1 cup milk chocolate + condensed milk in a double boiler over medium low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir. Once melted and combined, stir in vanilla.

Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate for two hours.

Once chilled, roll mixture into balls. Refrigerate while you melt 1 cup milk chocolate. Once melted roll chocolate balls into melted chocolate. Sprinkle with salt (make sure you do this before chocolate hardens).

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Truffle
thanks! Erica's Sweet Tooth!
1 cup dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa) (I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon heavy cream
3/4 cup dried blueberries
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
Unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling

Note: I added this step because I discovered my food processor would not puree dried blueberries.
Place dried blueberries in a small saucepan. Cover blueberries with water and bring to a boil until dried blueberries are soft. Drain water.

In a blender, blend together cream, dried blueberries, and honey to get the blueberries chopped as finely as possible. Transfer mixer to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and all the chocolate melted. Whisk in butter until well incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

When the chocolate mixture is set, scoop out about 1 tablespoon of mixture. Roll each portion in the palms of your hand to make a ball. Transfer balls to parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Fill a shallow pan or pie plate with cocoa powder and toss each truffle in powder so coated well.

Recipe: Blueberry Topping

One Sunday night when we got home from church, I realized we really did not have anything for dinner. It is always a fun challenge to go into the fridge and pantry and try to make something out of what we have. This particular night I decided breakfast for dinner would be our best bet. Pancakes are something I usually have the ingredients of on hand, and I had a huge bag of frozen blueberries I purchased at a deep discount. I always like having breakfast for dinner, and this particular dinner almost felt like we were having dessert for dinner!

I usually use a different pancake recipe each time I prepare them so I do not remember the exact recipe. I do know it was a whole wheat pancake recipe so they are a little more filling.

The thing I was most excited about- and what I believe is blog worthy- was the blueberry topping. Typically we use pure maple syrup as our pancake topper- my mom actually got JP a sampler pack of different types for Christmas- but I wanted to try something different + make myself feel like I was getting a fruit in... although we all know this isn't exactly healthy.

Blueberry Topping
thank you! my baking addiction!

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (note: I used frozen + halved the recipe)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (note: I did not use fresh)
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon (not: I did not use)

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup water, sugar and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
Slowly stir the cornstarch into the blueberries, taking care not to crush the blueberries. Simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla and lemon zest (if using).

PS. Let's be honest. This would be good on ice cream too.

A Warm Weather Girl

Gone are the day of me getting a Spring Break, but that does not stop my joy for the season of Spring. Spring is slowly making its way and I'm sure will quickly lead to summer. This past Friday, as I walked to my car from work, the weather was so warm and perfect that I literally wanted to hop and skip to my car. There have been several beautiful days lately that have conveniently fallen on the weekend. JP and I have taken advantage of these by relaxing in the hammock. To balance out the relaxing, we've made sure to be active as well. This past weekend we went to the local state park for some hiking with my sister.

Hammocks are one of my most favorite things!

Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, Ham & Peas

I first became interested in cooking towards the end of high school and early college. During these early days of my cooking interest, I watched a lot of the Food Network with Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals being one of my favorites. Since then I do not watch as many of the cooking shows but I continue to have an interest in new recipes. When I found a great deal on Rachael Ray's magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in which I could get each issue for 45 cents, I decided to make a three year commitment to receiving the magazine. I look forward to it coming every month.

This month there was a recipe for Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, Ham & Peas which intrigued me because I had never cooked prosciutto before. I gave it a shot and was very pleased with the results. Using the tomatoes instead of a tomato sauce created a light, refreshing meal. I also loved the prosciutto!

Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, Ham & Peas
from Every Day with Rachael Ray- April 2013- page 102

Ingredients:
Salt & Pepper
1 lb penne pasta (I used about 12oz instead of 16oz)
3 tablespoons EVOO (If you don't watch Rachael this = extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 lb pancetta, guanciale, bacon, or prosciutto cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I used prosciutto because it was the leaner of the three I could find. I had no idea what guanciale is and did not even see it at the store. In case you were wondering, a quick Wikipedia search indicates it is "unsmoked Italian bacon prepared with pig's jowl or cheeks" which does not sound good to me!)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white win or chicken stock (I used chicken stock)
2 pt. grape tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water (I did not reserve water).

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until the fat is rendered- 2-3 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.Stir in chicken stock to deglaze the pan.

Add the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes burst, 10-12 minutes. (I let it go for 12 minutes. My tomatoes did not burst so I ended up mashing them before they burst and it worked just fine). Mash up the tomatoes with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the peas and basil (I did not add basil), then lower the heat to keep warm.

Add the pasta; toss to combine. Top with cheese. 

Old Chest + New Knobs

Many years ago, before I was born, my grandmother bought a chest. She kept it through the years and eventually my parents ended up with it. There were legs on the chest, and they decided to remove them. For most of what I remember of the chest's life, it resided in my parent's front hall... until recently when my mom decided to replace it when she rearranged furniture around the house.

When I heard it was up for grabs, I immediately claimed it. I had been looking for something to put in our guest bedroom. Nothing could be more perfect than a piece of furniture that has a history. Plus, it was free.

I do not have pictures of the knobs that were on it when I got it, but the best way I can describe them is- gold hang down knobs- if that makes any since. Anyway, they did not really produce the look I was going for. So, my mom and I found some replacement knobs at Hobby Lobby that I think give it an updated look.

I'm quite pleased with the new (to me) piece of furniture. Now, to replace the old school television that sits on it.....

2013 Goals- February

Create/obtain coffee table books for each place JP and/or I have lived.
One must have a coffee table before they have a coffee table book... right? I've been looking for coffee tables and of course the ones I like the most are double the price I want to spend. A coffee table is just not an area I want to spend a lot of money. I'm contemplating making this coffee table with this stain. What did we do before the internet?

Laundry
Oh laundry. Goal not met.

Cleaning Schedule
No cleaning schedule developed. No reason. Just have failed to do it.

Read the Bible in a Year
I continue to be behind but to quote our pastor: " It doesn't really matter if you finish the Bible in a year or not -  it's not a race.  This is about knowing God and hearing Him speak through His word."

Read 12 Books
Biggest accomplishment of February... finishing Atlas Shrugged. I read all 1168 pages, including the infamous 70 page speech. I really think this should count as... oh at least... three books, but I will only count it as one.

One Craft/month
Zero crafts- I was too busy reading.

Go Somewhere I Haven't Been
No new places visited.

Prepare New Things in the Kitchen
No things technically checked off, although I made progress toward the legit cake goal.

5K & more Exercise
I continued to exercise 5x/week. Youtube workouts continued to be my friend on the cold February nights.

Stay within my Discretionary Money Budget
Check.

Blog
One blogpost per week... check.


Send Notes
Send three notes... check. Comment on 2 blogposts per week... no check (not sure why this one is hard for me).

My First Experience with the Pioneer Woman

I've heard all about The Pioneer Woman. However, until this winter, I had never experienced Ree. That all changed one Saturday afternoon when I decided to make chicken and rice soup. A quick search on google, and I discovered the Pioneer Woman had a recipe for chicken and rice soup that looked pretty good. So a quick trip to Publix later, I started my first Pioneer Woman recipe. Of course, I made a few tweaks and the result was quite a tasty meal for a dreary winter day... and for lunches throughout the week.

Chicken & Rice Soup
Inspired by The Pioneer Woman's recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup (before cooking) White Rice
2 chicken breasts
2 quarts chicken broth (I try to choose the kind that is MSG Free)
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup green bell pepper
3 carrots
6 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour

Preparation:
Cook rice.

Dice onion and bell pepper. Slice carrots into rounds.

Place chicken breasts in pot. Cover with 2 quarts of chicken broth. Bring to boil and then reduce to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook until chicken is done, about twenty minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred.

In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted add 4 tablespoons flour. Stir until thickened.  Add to pot of chicken broth and vegetables. Stir well.

Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.

Add shredded chicken.

Add cooked rice.

 Cook low-med, 5-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Chili Cook-Off

Can healthy chili win a chili cook-off? My co-workers and I thought we would give it a try at the annual chili cook-off at our company.

I was not on the planning committee but I did help test our potential recipes. Our goal was to have a both a tasty and healthy chili. So three people volunteered to make recipes and the bring them to test. I was glad to help with the decision process since it meant I got three free lunches! The chili we decided to use had ingredients that included ground turkey and tons of veggies such as zucchini & squash.

Not only does having the best chili in the competition result in a win, but so does having the best spirit. So, we worked hard coming up with idea to make ourselves stand out. Our name was quite unique and emphasized that our chili was a healthy chili- Chili Today, Hot Body Tamale.

 Our chili cook-off committee

We had music and shakers,but what I think took us a notch above the others was our photo booth which included several props such as mustaches. Plus, on the day of the cook-off, we were by far the loudest group in our area.

We also were the only table serving margaritas- ok Crystal Light margaritas- so no alcohol of course!

We ended up placing second in the chili category AND second in the spirit category. We were pleased with the results!

Don't Let Anyone Tell You Dietitians Don't Eat Ice Cream

I came to work on Valentine's day with a small bowl full of a chocolate chip and Valentine colored M&Ms. I got a few questions as to why I was carrying this. My response was, "Our department is having an ice cream party to celebrate Valentine's day!" The usual reaction was something to do with the fact that dietitians were eating ice cream.

Why yes, we do eat ice cream! Valentine's day was made extra fun with everyone bringing in either ice cream or an ice cream topping. We had all kinds of toppings including my favorites- homemade strawberry sauce and homemade cookie dough.

Now to give people the answer they want, today we had a Salad Bar Party in which everyone brought an ingredient for a salad. This party was in honor of one of our employees that is retiring, so of course that was a retirement cake as well!

Oh, and don't worry, we know that the frozen yogurt place near our hospital has their yogurt 50% off for our organization's employees on Thursdays.