Happy Chocolate Day: Best Chocolate Cake in Boca Raton

HAPPY 1st DAY OF NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!

If you are wondering if I made a mistake in my title, you're wrong. National Chocolate Day is celebrated October 28, November 28

 and December 29. Like we need more reasons to indulge ourselves in some yummy chocolate!

Since chocolate is America's favorite flavor for ice cream, cakes and candy, it was only fair that it had three days in it's honor. I hope I don't need to tell you how to celebrate this day... you eat chocolate of course!  

May I offer some suggestions for your sweet chocolate day?

• Breakfast: First, you can start your day by eating you favorite chocolate cereal and finish it with some chocolate doughnuts. 
• Mid-morning snack: What better than a chocolate candy bar to give you a boost in the middle of your morning and hold your stomach until lunch time.
• Lunch: A glass of chocolate milk to accompany your meal and don't forget to eat a slice of chocolate pie or chocolate pudding for dessert.
• Mid-afternoon snack: Try some chocolate covered raisins. This way you will be combining fruits and vegetables. 
• Dinner: If you are an adult, you could drink some chocolate liqueur or chocolate flavored coffee at the end of dinner. And for dessert, none other than a slice of chocolate cake.
• Nighttime snack: If you don't know what's missing in this delicious menu, then we have  a problem. Chocolate ice cream with a cherry on top of course! 

Before I reveal to you the restaurant in Boca Raton that has the most amazing chocolate cake, I want to share with my fellow sweet lovers interesting facts about chocolate.

Did you know that chocolate is considered a vegetable? Yes, it derives from the Cacao trees found in the rain forest. So when mom and dad ask you if you ate your vegetables this week, you can honestly say: YES! 

And now... the moment you've all been waiting for: the time where I reveal the best chocolate cake in Boca Raton. The ones that hold the title are J. Alexander's with their "Very Best Chocolate Cake" -- a homemade chocolate cake made with Hershey's chocolate and served with vanilla ice cream. 

It is rich in flavor and spongy in the middle, while the outside is a little softer coat of chocolate. It is made with three different types of Hershey's chocolate and they bake the cakes every morning to maintain the freshness and uniqueness of this "Very Best Chocolate Cake" -- and they got the name right for sure!

If you have a chance to drive by any J. Alexander's, make sure you stop by and try their chocolate cake and share with us your experience!

Now go wild and eat all you can eat of chocolate while you can and have a Happy Chocolate Day!

Pirouette Rolled Wafers

Sometimes you are home and you get a craving but you don't know what you want, or maybe you don't have the right thing at home. Let me help you make up your mind by writing down what you need from the grocery store:

GROCERY LIST:

1. Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Rolled Wafers
2. Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Rolled Wafers
3. Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Rolled Wafers

Today we are going to talk about Pirouettes... no you don't have to be a ballerina to understand because we'll talk about Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Rolled Wafers. 

These slender, delicious and long sticks are perfect to share with friends and family. You can 

bring them to a party or eat them at home by yourself. They are crisp outside and filled with a creamy filling that comes in a variety of flavors to satisfy everybody.

There are four flavors: 

1. Chocolate Hazelnut
2. French Vanilla
3. Mint Chocolate
4. Chocolate Fudge

Although all of them are good and tasty, my favorite one is the original chocolate hazelnut. And my least favorite is the french vanilla, but that's because I don't like vanilla very much. However, some people might find the chocolate ones to be too much and prefer a vanilla filling. See why I say they satisfy everybody's palate? 

As long as price range goes, Pepperidge Farm products aren't the most inexpensive products in your local grocery store, but they range around $6. But I do think it's worth every penny, after all you have to satisfy those cravings! 

Skittles Vodka

Well, well, well... Surfing the web, I found a very interesting recipe: Skittles Vodka. 

Yeah, I know it sound weird, but for those who love Skittles and Vodka, this could be the ultimate drink!

According to Mix That Drink, a website that offers cocktail recipes, infusing vodka with Skittles is a very popular trend and they teach us how to do it.

Here is what you'll need:

• One 1.75 liter bottle of vodka
• Five 8.5 ounce flasks or bottles
• One 1 lb bag of Skittles
• Five empty plastic water bottles
• A funnel
• Bowls for separating the Skittles into flavors
• A measuring cup
• Coffee filters or paper towels

Follow these easy steps and you'll finally get your anxiously awaiting drink:

1. Separate Skittles into flavors: You need about 60 of each color.
2. Set up your infusion bottles: Fill your water bottles with six ounces of vodka. 
3. Add the Skittles: Pour the Skittles of one flavor into one infusion bottle, then pour the next flavor Skittles into the next infusion bottle, and so on until all five bottles have a pile of Skittles soaking in the vodka.
4. Start Shaking: Now your infusion bottles all have Skittles in the bottom. Give each bottle a good shake -- the more the better. After shaking them, set them aside for a few hours. It's a good idea to shake them again. NOTICE: You'll see a lot of white muck floating at the top, don't worry you'll take care of that in the next step.
5. Strain: Put a funnel inside a measuring cup and put about four or five coffee filters inside the funnel. Then, pour one of the infusions into this strainer setup. At the end you'll have about eight ounces of Skittle infused vodka. Take the liquid from the measuring cup and pour it into a flask (using a clean funnel). Repeat each step for every flavor.
6. Chill and Serve: Now you've got five flasks or bottles of Skittles infused vodka. All you have to do now is stick them in the freezer for several hours, and they are ready to be served.

CAUTION: These are very strong on their own -- nearly pure Vodka. 

For a Halloween party you could try different bottles. You can be creative and serve your neon-based colored concoctions in spooky lab flasks or potion bottles. 

Cheers!

Skittles: "Taste the Rainbow" with all flavors

Dear sweet lovers, as you may very well know I have an obsession with everything that has sugar in it, but when it comes to choosing my ultimate favorite candy, there is only one that has been, is and will always be my #1: SKITTLES! 

Oh yeah, since I was a little girl I developed a passion for Skittles, and 

they never fail me. They are always fresh, every store has them and they keep making new flavors to keep it cool. What else can a girl ask for?

The brand Skittles is produced by Mars, Inc. and it has been in the market since 1974 in England. However, they were first introduced in North America in 1979. 

In case you haven't tried them -- if so, get in your car and drive to your nearest grocery store and buy them -- they are a chewy flavored candy with sugar shells. The inside is mainly sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil along with fruit juice, citric acid and natural and artificial flavors. 

Over the years they have experimented with different fruits, flavors and colors. Some of these varieties are only released for a limited time; others are available only in some parts of the world. But the oldest skittles product is Original Flavor Skittles.

Earlier Skittles products tended to focus on fruit flavors, more recent products have branched out to include flavors such as chocolate, mint and sours. They also come in a variety of colors, although different Skittles products often use the same colors for candies with different flavors.

Next, you'll find a list with my favorite Skittles in order of preference:  

1. Original Flavor Skittles: Of course they are my favorite! Not only were they the first ones to come out in 1974, but they are a perfect balance of fruit flavors and colors that wakes up your senses of taste, smell and sight. The fruit flavors found in this kind are: Grape, Lemon, Lime, Orange and Strawberry. 
2. Crazy Cores: This are the newest addition to the family of Skittles. They came out in 2008 and the interesting fact about them is that they are one flavor in the outside, and another on the inside. The fruit flavors found in this kind are: Blue Raspberry and Lemon, Cherry and Lemonade, Mango and Peach, Melon and Berries, and Strawberry and Watermelon. These weird combinations will make your head go crazy for some crazy cores!
3. Tropical: This mix was launched in 1989, and it's my third option of Skittles. The fruit flavors in this tropical mix are: Banana Berry, Kiwi Lime, Mango Tangelo, Pineapple Passion Fruit and Strawberry Starfruit. 
4. Wild Berry: Just like the Tropical mix, the Wild Berry Skittles were launched in 1989. Although some of the flavors are good, I am not a huge fan of the whole Wild Berry Skittles, which is surprising because I am a fan of berries. However, I will buy it if it's the only bag available. The fruit flavors in this mix are: Berry Punch, Melon Berry, Raspberry, Strawberry and Wild Cherry.
   
5. Sour: The Sour Skittles were released in 2000 and they were the first ones to go outside the boundaries and try something completely different. The sour fruit flavors here are: Sour Blue Raspberry, Sour Green Apple, Sour Lemon, Sour Strawberry and Sour Watermelon. 
6. Chocolate: This mix of chocolate desserts was released in 2007 and although they tried to combine the goodness of chocolate with the chewiness of the skittles, to me they fail. They had flavors such as: Chocolate Caramel, Brownie Batter, Chocolate Pudding, S'mores and Vanilla.

Skittles has also made mints and bubble gum, and they are probably as well known as the actual chewy candy. But one thing we know for sure is that Skittles will live on for many generations to come.  

Models also have dessert: Jello

The life of a model is not easy, I tried to be one once but as soon as somebody told me I had to stop eating desserts, that's when I drew the line. Nobody had ever come between me and my sugar, besides my mom, and that instance was definitely not going to be the first time. 

I said to myself: "How can I ever stop eating sweets? They are so... sweet." But my mom told me there were other ways to satisfy that need for something sugary that didn't require 500 calories. And that's when I started looking into Jello or Gelatin. 

First of all, it is very easy to make, I remember making it when I was 5 years old. It is also in every supermarket and it comes in all colors and flavors. You can either buy it already made in little containers or you can make it yourself and share with friends and family. 

That wobbly and colorful dessert we were given as kids in our friend's birthday parties, is actually really good for our health and it could, some times, satisfy your hunger for something sweet. 

Here are some of the health benefits of gelatin:

• It is beneficial to athletes for muscle growth and metabolism
• It promotes a feeling of fullness
• Helps maintain regularity
• It's high collagen protein content helps keep your skin smooth and firm
• It strengthens the hair and makes it shinier and healthier
• It makes nails stronger
• It's excellent for your bones because of its concentration of glycoprotein and proline amino acids.

So it's not only delicious but it also helps improve your body and we can honestly say that Jello makes both your body and mind happy, healthier, and sweeter.

There are many different desserts that can be done using Jello, check out this video and learn how to make a Classic Jello Pie. Enjoy!

Chocolate dipped apples at Kilwin's

"Everything tastes better dipped in Chocolate" is what the t-shirts of the workers of Kilwin's say. And I couldn't agree more -- including the green apples dipped in caramel and bathed in thin lines of chocolate that make them so popular in Delray Beach.

Just thinking about them makes me want to go back and buy about six to go, but nothing like eating them fresh at Kilwin's. It's not 

only going there and buying chocolate, it's a whole experience. Through the window you are able to see the employees make chocolate treats of all kinds. Which makes me wonder: Do they even like chocolate? I could never work there, I will die of a heart attack the first week. 

Anyways, going back to dipped apples, I went in one night to try them after hearing from all my dessert lover friends that they were awesome. Now let me tell you, when I say they were great it's because they were. However, the apple wasn't that fresh, maybe because I went in late at night, but regardless the freshness of the apple, the caramel and chocolate used by Kilwin's it's amazing.

Dipped apples are kind of simple to make and if you have no problem with trying something new at home for you and your friends, you could try making them. Here is how:

Ingredients:

• 6 Apples -- or as many as you wish.
• Popsicle sticks
• 1 lb. of semisweet chocolate in chunks 
• Optional: chopped pistachios, M&M's, shredded coconut, crushed Oreos.

Directions:

Twist off the stems from the apples and push a Popsicle stick down into the core. Put the apples in the fridge while preparing the chocolate; they'll coat better if they are cold.

Slowly melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water or in  microwave set on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through the heating time to smooth it out. Remove from the heat and stir until completely melted and warm, not hot. Dunk each apple into the chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Roll the apples around in the chocolate, turning with the stick, so it's coated all the way up to the top. Use a spoon to baste any hard to get spots.

Put the desired coating in a separate bowl and roll the dipped apple around so it is completely covered. Set the chocolate dipped apples on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.  

Recipe by The Food Network

I hope you will try to make them and share with us your experience and if you have a tip or a better recipe, your comments are always appreciated.

New Italian gelato for you and your pooch

Over the time ice cream has always been a favorite dessert for many people, but what about for dogs? I know it must be terrible to eat ice cream in front of your dog and have them look at you with their big puppy eyes. What do you do? What can you give them? And where can you get it? 

Those questions weren't answered for a long time, but finally somebody thought of those special little people that we love and cherish. About a month ago Cream opened to satisfy the palate of gelato fanatics in South Florida -- and I'm also referring to your Chihuahua, Maltese and Poodle. That's right, Cream doesn't discriminate against man's best friend.

I had to take the doggy ice cream taster with me, also known as Oreo, my 

Italian greyhound mix puppy, and sniff for ourselves. I must say, if Oreo could speak she would have said: "Thanks mom, you rock." But her face said it all.

She was a little intimidated at first, I mean it was her first time in front of such a good treat, but once she got the hang of it, she was one happy puppy. 

Her tail was wagging right and left, her tongue was going at 100 mph and her eyes were lit, as if she had reached heaven, only she was still alive and mommy was by her side. 

But she wasn't the only happy person between the two of us, I had 

to try their human gelato as well, after all I'm of Italian descent

and in my trips to Italy I have tried the best gelato. I was also 

intimidated because there has been many attempts to open an Italian gelateria that end up failing because they are not real Italian gelato. But no not this one, Cream nailed it. 

They have about 40 different flavors of ice cream, so you will find the one 

that fits your mood that day. They are rich in flavor and creamy, just like the real Italian gelatos. After trying about all of them, literally, I decided to go with the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. It has chunks of white chocolate and it has pieces of raspberry, but none of it is ever overwhelming. 

So if you want to treat yourself, your family and your pooch, I suggest going to Cream and enjoy not only their amazing ice cream, but their wines, pastries and appetizers. As soon as I try their pastries, I will let you know how they are.