another fabulous treat!

Just in time for Valentine's Day or any day you have a sweet tooth (in my house, that is everyday), these gluten-free,vegan Mounds Candy Bars sound absolutely scrumptious and look

very very easy to make and only 4 ingredients! I think I will give them a try!  In case you would like to make them too this is a recipe from the FABULOUS Elana's Pantry:

Mounds Candy Bar

¾ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

¼ cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar
 (if you want a sweeter filling, try 2 tablespoons)

Melt chocolate in a small pan over very low heat; you can use a double boiler if you wish and temper the chocolate

Using a small paint brush, coat the bottom and sides of a mounds candy mold

Place mold in freezer for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to harden

In a small bowl, combine shredded coconut, coconut oil and agave

Remove mold from freezer

Fill chocolate lined molds with coconut mixture

Paint chocolate over coconut mixture to cover bars

Place in freezer for 10 minutes to harden

Remove from freezer, turn mold upside down and pop mounds out of mold

Makes 9 mounds bars (depending on your candy mold)

Enjoy your day everyone!  Life is short, each dessert first!

 

xxoo

these will be mine!

This time of year, is the time that I really

enjoy baking. My two favorite things

are cappuccino and shortbread cookies.

When I saw this recipe, I just knew

it had to be mine. Tonight I will be

enjoying these with a nice cappuccino!

Espresso Shortbread
Prep time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Makes 26 cookies

8 tablespoons (1 stick)

unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground espresso

½ teaspoon instant espresso

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 300°.

With a mixer, cream together butter, sugars,

ground espresso, instant espresso

and salt until light and fluffy,

2 to 3 minutes.

Mix in vanilla.

Slowly add flour.

Mix until no flour pockets remain.

2. Shape dough into a disk,

and wrap in plastic.

Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Place dough between two pieces

of parchment or waxed paper.

Roll out into an even thickness

of a quarter inch.

Cut out cookies with a 2-inch

decorative cookie cutter.

Place on parchment-lined baking sheet,

and chill again until firm.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes,

until edges are set and

just turning golden.

Transfer to a rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Update: I made these and they were delicious!

(photo & recipe via more)

Snickerdoodles..

When my son Matt was a teenager, his friend

Paul lived with us - whenever I made a

batch of these cookies, they would have

most of them eaten by the time I finished

baking the last batch and I always doubled

the recipe. They must have liked them!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cup sifted flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup margarine or butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Sift together the first four ingredients and set aside.

Cream margarine or butter

and sugar; add eggs.

Gradually add dry ingredients.

Chill dough for one hour.

Roll into balls, then roll the balls into

the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place about 2 inches apart on

an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes

or until lightly browned.

Makes about 60 cookies.

(photo via here)

chocolate yum..

As I was reading the December issue of Oprah magazine this evening, I came across this lucious dessert - orange chocolate mousse...double yum! It brought back a long ago memory:

When I was pregnant with my daughter Stephanie 19 years ago, I worked in a very quaint Italian restaurant....and we served chocolate mousse. How I loved it - and everday during my pregnancy, I would eat a HUGE bowl of that decadent dessert - I KID YOU NOT!

It made my heart sing. My thighs and rear end were not too happy about it, but I didn't care...I was pregnant and was going to eat whatever the heck I wanted. So I did. After that little eating stint and my daughter was born, I was only able to eat a spoonful, no more huge bowls. I just wasn't craving it any longer.

But today when I saw this recipe - those old feelings came back...I have listed the recipe below just in case you would like to give it a taste yourself and while you're at it - Oprah Magazine has

some AWESOME articles - 12 stories of giving - which are so inspiring! It just goes to show that we have so many people that want to make a difference in the lives of others and I for one am

truly grateful to anyone that wants to make someone else's life just a little bit better!

ORANGE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients:Serves 6
5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp. coffee or water
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
4 large eggs , preferably organic
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
Candied orange peel , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
Edible gold flakes , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
Combine chocolate, coffee (or water), and Grand Marnier in the top of a double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Separate eggs. When chocolate has cooled, whisk in yolks.In a medium bowl, whip chilled heavy cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add sugar, and beat to soft peaks. Fold half of whites into chocolate until incorporated, then fold in rest of whites. Finally, fold in whipped cream.Spoon mousse into 6 glasses; chill at least 4 hours. To serve, top each glass with candied orange peel and gold flakes.

tag, i'm it....

Nicolette of Simply Colette has tagged me with this honor of revealing more of myself to you all.....so i'll give it a try...:)

1. What books are on your favorite shelf?

Maeve Binchy - Night of Rain & Stars, Tara Road, Scarlet Feather, to name a few...Sharon Owens - Tea House on Mulberry Street, A Tavern of Maple Street, The Ballroom on Magnolia Street, are my faves. C.A.Belmond - A Rather Lovely Inheritance & A Rather Curious Engagement. My Nancy Drew collection (that I am starting to read again), and my prized Victoria Moran books - Creating a Charmed Life, Younger by the Day & Living a Charmed Life.

2. What DVD's are on your favorite shelf?

I am a definite romantic comedy girl! No apologizing for that one. I DO NOT watch any sort of scary movie at all, so don't try to get me to. haha... I have so many - but my go to movies to cheer me up are: You've Got Mail, Under the Tuscan Sun, Shall We Dance (reminds me of my dad), The Holiday, Amelie, Serendipity, The Philadelphia Story and White Christmas to name a few. I am also a big fan of old movies and musicals. After I finish this, I am going to watch Holiday with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn and You Can't Take It With You with Jimmy Stewart (this last one, my daughter just watched in her History of Cinema class and loved it...I haven't watched it in years, so am enjoying a Saturday Matinee with myself).

3. What are your two favorite cookbooks?

I'm not a big cookbook person. I have always clipped recipes out of magazines, or from my sister as she has some really great basic dishes and easy to make food. I have my handy Betty Crocker that I have had for nearly 30 years and a wonderful book called Food for Friends with alot of really cool recipes....(my son and his wife gave this to me a few years ago.) Now, I get alot of recipes online from the Food Network - Giada and The Barefoot Contessa are my faves!

4. Select 1-3 recipes you would cook for guests.

1. Salmon sauteed in a lemon garlic sauce, broccoli, or mushrooms and spinach sauteed and brown rice.

2. Baked Rosemary Chicken

3. Some sort of chocolate dessert - either pudding or souffle. This time of year - Pumpkin Pie, chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles!

5. What will we be drinking that's available.

I would have some white and red wines, San Pelligrino, Sparkling Cranberry Juice, Baileys & Coffee and Espresso Martini's or Cosmos....:)

Ok I'll give you 10 more facts about me:

1. I am my happiest when I am in a bookstore that has a coffee shop, my home away from home.

2. My favorite flowers are Daisy's

3. I am not a pack rat at all - but I live with one.

4. My two favorite jobs ever besides my nonprofit were at Barnes & Noble and a Landscaping Nursery.

5. Iused to rock climb, but am very afraid of heights, so I cried alot! haha

6. I have 52 first cousins on my dad's side. He was the youngest boy of 12 kids - 6 boys and 6 girls. On my mom's side, I have 6 cousins. They live all over the country.

7. I like to sing and dance, but no one really wants to hear me or see me, so it's usually when I'm alone.

8.I love to go places by myself....to the movies or out to breakfast, lunch, dinner or shopping...I just enjoy it so much!

9. I am the baby of the family and my sister says that I got away with everything.

10. I do my best thinking in a tub filled with bubbles and candles all around...

I am not going to tag anyone in particular, but I would really like to know more about blog friends that stop by here, so feel free to give it a shot and please let me know! Thanks Nicolette!

(photo via here)

Yum! for the Ho Hum Days....

Baileys & Coffee

& Chocolate Pots

= One Happy Woman

Serves 8

If you feel like sharing

Hands-on Time: 30m
Total Time: 2hr 30m
Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
1. Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add 1/3 cup of the milk, stirring to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining milk and the egg yolks.
2. Cook the pudding mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula until thickened, about 15 minutes. (Do not allow to boil.) Remove from heat.
3. Add the vanilla and chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour into eight 4-ounce ramekins, glasses, or teacups and refrigerate, covered, until well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours. Sprinkle with the cocoa powder before serving.

(Recipe from real simple )