Give her Chocolate!

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, and if you hesitate to shell out for a diamond this Valentines Day - Give Her Chocolate!

Chocolate is a substance "very temperate, very nourishing, and of easy digestion; very proper to repair the exhausted spirits and decayed strength; and very suitable to preserve the health and prolong lives"

You can buy months-old chocolates at any discount chain - or really impress your lover with some chocolates you pour a piece of yourself into.

Here is an easy recipe for chocolate creams:

Beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth.

Gradually beat into this two cupfuls of confectioners' sugar. If the eggs are large, it may take a little more sugar.

Flavor with half a teaspoonful of vanilla, and work well.

Now roll into little balls, and drop on a slightly buttered platter.

Let the balls stand for an hour or more.

Shave five ounces of Baker's Chocolate and put into a small bowl.

Place on the fire in a saucepan containing boiling water.

( Use a double boiler if you have one to melt the chocolate. )

When the chocolate is melted, take the saucepan to the table, and drop the creams
into the chocolate one at a time, taking them out with a fork and dropping them gently on the buttered dish.

It will take half an hour or more to harden the chocolate.

Enjoy some homemade chocolates this Valentines Day with your special loved one. Or share some with some of your favorite loved ones! Chocolate truly is a superfood - a gift from the Heavens!

The Christmas Chocolates

Christmas is such a special time of year! All the good food and wonderful Holiday treats make December a treasure to remember. Growing up we had an uncle who loved sharing a big box of Russell Stover chocolates with our family each Christmas. I'd never seen so many different chocolate delights to choose from!

I've never quite mastered the fine art of making candy with chocolate as well as the fine folks in Abilene Kansas where Russell Stovers has made their chocolates for decades! They have a real talent. And we mustn't forget the good folks in Hershey, PA who have been making chocolate since - probably shortly after the pilgrims enjoyed their first Thanksgiving!

People all over this wonderful world love chocolate! And health pundits seem to think a little chocolate is really good for you! So have some of your favorite Holiday treats this Christmas and enjoy the sweet and rich taste of chocolate that people everywhere have enjoyed for centuries!

If you want to impress your family, friends, or coworkers this week try your hand at making some of this delicious - Double Fudge:

2 cups of granulated sugar,
2 squares of Baker's Chocolate,
1/2 a cup of cream,
1 tablespoonful of butter.

Boil seven minutes; then beat and spread in buttered tin to cool.

2 cups of brown sugar,
1/2 a cup of cream,
1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract,
1 cup of chopped walnuts, chopped fine,
1/3 of a stick of butter.

Boil ten minutes; then beat and pour on top of fudge already in pan.
When cool, cut in squares.

Wrap in a colorful plastic or foil package and add a red or green bow! Your family and loved ones are sure to enjoy this rich and tasty double fudge!

Merry Christmas!

We can go back to eating healthy next week!