Chocolate Mint A Refreshing Taste

Origin Of The Mint

Mint, or Mentha as referred to, is a family of 25 species. Mint leaves are  strong-scented, and exist throughout the year. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue and also pale yellow. They can grow to almost 120 cm tall with a potentially wide spread. In the world of food and drink, mint leaves can be used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, chocolate candies, and my favorite use - ice creams. I also read it is good to war off mesquitos, pretty cool. It also important to note the wide use of the mint in the arena of fine foods. Mint leaves are used in gourmet entrees for decoration and eating by some of the greatests chefs in the world.

Mint In A Chocolate Bar

Before we talk about it further, here is a great chocolate mint bar recipe from about.com.

Mint is a powerful flavor. It has been used for decades as a soother to the stomach. Adding mint to chocolate, particularly dark chocolate can be even that much better. Chocolate mint bars possess a great flavor that is tolerable to the taste buds. Mint extract, morsels or flavorings are added to many recipes for cookies, candies and drinks. An example of a good mini mint chocolate candy bar is what we have after a meal at Olive Garden Restaurant. What do they give us after we scoff down our pasta meals and bread sticks and salad, chocolate mint Andies candies?

Chocolate mint bars are great for all occasions, holidays, birthdays, social gatherings, and more. Many will appreciate having this particular type of chocolate around because of the health benefits of the mint itself. Many will reach for chocolate mint candies just because it is mint and they are thinking about their bad breath or stomach.

What can you make with mint chocolate? Tons of stuff! You can make mint chocolate chip cookies, mint flavored hot chocolate, mint toppings, mint chocolate fondue, mint chocolate drops, and more. Many sites will also list the nutritional facts for these bars. I have seen some post their recipe at 210 calories or so. This all depends on the ingredients. So, if you are calorie cautious then read up before you buy. There are also many organic recipes that will offer great alternative ingredients that are lower in fat and provide better nutritional value.

Well, I am sure you have your favorite recipes for chocolate mint bars or any other form of it. We would love to have your recipe and post it to our blog. Or, perhaps you have a great place to find chocolate mint bars or other. Let us know. Log on and leave a comment at http://www.chocolatecandylovers.com/

Can You cook quinoa in a microwave

How to cook quinoa in a microwave

The standard way to cook quinoa is to cook in in boiling water.There is nothing difficult about preparing quinoa in a microwavbe as long as you follow these instructions. I used a 700 watt microwave oven on full power to prepare these instructions. Check the power of your microwave and increase or reduce the times accordingly.

Step one

Measure out one cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water. The size of cup doesn’t matter as long as the proprtions are 2 to 1.

Step two

Rinse the quinoa under cold water for half a minute to remove any impurities.

Step three

Put the water and the quinoa into a microwaveable dish and cover. Put the dish with the water and quinoa into your micro oven and cook for about 3 minutes. You will need to let the quinoa stand for about a minute after this first cook. Mix up the quinoa in the water with a spoon before putting it back into your microwave oven for a second time for three minutes. The quinoa needs to stand on the kitchen counter for 2 or 3 minutes to finish cooking.

The conditions in a microwave oven are different to cooking on the hob and ther may be some water not absorbed. Simply drain this off.

you can now tuck into the freshly cooked quinoa. The only difference I have observed in cooking quinoa in a microwave as opposed to cooking it the standard way is that is expands very slightly more and is a bit softer to the touch. The superb taste of quinoa is still there and it is easily used in all your best recipes.

By far the easiest way to put quinoa on your plate is to just serve it as is straight from cooking without any extras. Just serve it on the plate instead. But the best way to use the cooked quinoa is in salads and stir fry dishes. This is where it really comes into its own and prooves to be a versatile addition to your kithcen larder,

 

 

Cooking Made Easy For Kids

Kids are frequently fascinated with cooking, sometimes at a very young age. This attraction can be encouraged with all the realistic play cooking toys available, paired with a great imagination.

You can find a wide array of pint sized kitchens in the toy store, featuring replicas of common kitchen tools and ingredients. All the kitchen basics can be found, ranging from skillets and saucepans to butter, milk and eggs. Pretend cooking has made it very easy for inquisitive toddlers to begin experiencing fun in their own tiny kitchens.

Nothing makes cooking more fun and fascinating than an Easy Bake oven. For some time now kids have been preparing delicious goodies all by themselves, without having to ask Mom to turn on the oven. Giving mom a hand with dinner wasn't even a chore. In fact it actually made cooking easy with all those extra hands. There was always something to do, and baking usually meant getting to lick clean the bowl and spoon.

Most children love to play in the kitchen from time to time. But there are some who develop a true aptitude early on for the culinary arts. And this goes beyond merely dumping clumps of dough onto a cookie pan. In addition, this aptitude can be fostered with the introduction of Fun Easy Recipes For Kids.

You can make cooking simple and fun for these future chefs. You might find that dessert isn't their only focus, and that they're excited to prepare the entire meal. Taking up cooking could even be more enjoyable than playing computer games or watching TV.

You'll see numerous cookbooks and cooking videos that are kid oriented, full of fast, fun and easy recipes to try out. It might come as a surprise, but not all of these tasty recipes are loaded with sugary and fattening ingredients.

Why not have your child decide what's for dinner that night, and help him along in the preparation. You'll be relieved when you discover that the majority of these recipes are actually good for you.

It's so important that you monitor your children carefully in the kitchen as they help out. A sturdy step stool may be better than a chair when they want to be able to see over the counter. When something goes in or out of the oven, a grownup needs to be the one handling it, along with anything being tended on the stovetop.

Teach your kids about the possible dangers of the kitchen. Teach them safety precautions to keep them from being injured, but they also need to know what to do when an accident does happen. It's always better to be safe when it comes to the kitchen. ***

Make Your Own Milk Chocolate Fondue

Shop for Milk Chocolate Fondue

Talk about a child's dream dessert, milk chocolate fondue is just a kid's bliss. Minus the alcohol that might go into some recipes of course. I feel like I am in Charlie's Chocolate Factory looking at that stream of chocolate. Milk chocolate fondue can be made with any type of chocolate really, Belgian chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate. There are inexpensive ways of making it. You can buy it from a well known vendor or make it yourself with homemade ingredients. And, what's a chocolate fondue without some fondue dippers, like strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake, and pecan, almonds, and anything else I suppose you could spear with a fondue fork.

They rank number one in the search engine and make one mean milk chocolate fondue, that is, Betty Crocker. When you think of baking and dessert making you think, Betty Crocker right? Their products are top quality and also very affordable. You can take the quick route to getting milk chocolate fondue, by purchasing from Betty Crocker. They have a great recipe for Chocolate Sour Cream Fondue as well.

Another great option for fondue is Nestle. They have such recipes as chocolate peanut butter smores fondue, a spiced chocolate fondue. Many of these brands offer advice on how to prepare such chocolate fondues, especially if you do not have a recipe book for them. Milk chocolate fondue is always delicious and a great treat to serve to guests at a special occasion.

Also keep in mind that by going with dark chocolate fondue over the milk chocolate versions, you will be receiving many health benefits. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which are able to fight off free radicals in the body. There is also the absence of milk in pure dark chocolate, which is beneficial to many lactose free individuals.

Remember, if you are making your own milk chocolate fondue, there needs to be a liquid mixed with the morsels or else they will stick to the pan and scortch. Some use half and half, others evaporated milk with other substances, spices, etc. This is key to creating a rich, creamy, chocolate fondue for all your family and guests to enjoy. Make a few weekend tryouts before serving for a special event in order to get the process right and perfected.

Many places have incredible recipes for making chocolate fondue, such as local stores, online stores, and personal websites posting some old-fashioned recipes. If you are in the market for something specific, then do some searching, if elogance is your goal. Remember, chocolate is chocolate, it is all about how it is prepared that elevates it above the norm. Presentation is also another factor. This is as important as preparation. Which you can use a good melting pot, or 2-quart household pot to prepare, add all the right ingredients. Then presentation takes it from there. But, when you are done, it is still chocolate, whatever type you chose. I worked in salad and desserts in an Italian restaurant some years ago, and I remember how big presentation was.

I will prove to you that is a big part of making chocolate fondue. How do you feel everytime you look at a website displaying it? It catches the eye, it has appeal, I want to make that, you say, right? Focus on preparation first, then presentation last. If it is made right, it will taste right, then it can be made to look right. Enjoy!

How to cook quinoa the easy way

quinoa recipes

Many quinoa recipes use quinoa that has already been been cooked and prepared before including in a recipe. Cooking quinoa twice is very common and most recipes will require you to do this preparation stage. The finished result is used with mexican, african and asian dishes instead of the usual rice and cous cous. You can also cool the quinoa for half an hour and put it in salads. By adding chopped vegetables such as cucumber, leaf salad and rocket you have a lovely meal.

Step 1

Rinse the quinoa in a fine seive with cold water. Do this a second time to make sure the saponin coating is completely removed. If you have bought unprocessed quinoa it is very important to follow this soaking procedure.

Step 2

Measure out one cup of quinoa to two cups of water into a saucepan.

Step 3

Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring gently to ensure it does not stick to the pan. the boiling water can be turned down to a simmer and the quinoa will grow in size in the saucepan. The time you cook it for makes a difference to the final texture and feel of the grain at the end of cooking. When all the water is absorbed you know that the quinoa is cooked and readt to serve. It will expand to two to three times its original size. Stop the cooking after it is cooked.

Step 4

Your quinoa is now ready to serve as a substitute for rice with curry and other dishes. As well as this you can put it into your regular meals and salad dishes. The taste of quinoa doesn't dominate the recipes, its tends to blend in with other ingredients. The crunchiness and frimness of this grain makes a meal satisfying and filling.

It is also ready to include in the recipes that are in the quinoa recipes book.