The Five Best Things That Go With Chocolate

I will start this by saying that I am a huge fan of chocolate.  That is actually an understatement.  I live and breathe my love for chocolate.  I have been on a diet for the past year and a half and I still can’t stop myself from eating chocolate every day.  Mmmmmmmm….chocolate 🙂  Just thinking about it makes me want to go get a girl scout cookie from the kitchen.

I love chocolate all by itself, but really, it is much better when eaten in combination with other wonderful flavors.  I think this post is really the result of many conversations I have had with my sister (actually they are more like arguments) because she does not like peanut butter and chocolate together.  I cannot fathom why anyone would disagree with such a combination because I think it is the greatest invention known to man.

So, for all of you chocoholics out there, here are my five favorite chocolate/flavor combinations.  It was very tricky to narrow this list down to just five, but here it goes.

1.) Chocolate and Peanut Butter~~Of course this has to be first on the list.  I literally can’t think of anything yummier than peanut butter and chocolate together.  Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Panic Ice Cream, Oreos dipped in peanut butter (my freshman roommate and I had a special peanut butter jar just for the Oreos) and Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Shakes…..the list goes on and on.  Just tonight I had a slice of toast with peanut butter and chocolate chips warmed up in the microwave so it was all melty and delicious.  It was heavenly!!

2.) Chocolate and Mint~~This is the only flavor that comes even close to matching peanut butter, but it is still a distant second.  But there seem to be a lot more ways to enjoy chocolate minty goodness.  Thin Mints, Mint Chip Ice Cream, York Peppermint Patties, and Andes Mints (*drools*).  Does anyone else remember the Hershey’s Mint bars they used to have?  They had the consistency of Nestle’s Crunch bars, but it was just a Hershey bar with mint.  Those were the best things ever!!!  If I would have known they weren’t gonna be around forever, I would have bought 3 warehouses full of them.

3.) Chocolate and Strawberry~~Chocolate covered strawberries…need I say more?  Also, chocolate-strawberry side by side milkshakes at Steak and Shake are becoming my downfall.

4.) Chocolate and Caramel~~I love going home to my parent’s house because they always have chocolate AND caramel syrup for ice cream sundaes.  And they also always have ice cream.  Caramellos are another fine example of how well these flavors mesh.  They are also really fun to eat because the caramel always dribbles down my chin.

5.)  Chocolate and Potato Chips~~This last one may seem really weird, but trust me, if you’ve never had a chocolate covered potato chip, you are missing out on life.  The first ones I had were purchased at an old fashioned chocolate shop in Long Grove, Illinois and they were so wonderful!!  There is just something so perfect about the sweetness of the chocolate and the saltiness of the potato chip.  But I would advise always buying these in a real chocolate shop.  I bought some in Borders a few months ago and they were very good, but not nearly as good as the ones you find in small shops.

This was a hard list to make….several flavors almost made the cut.  I love chocolate and raspberry, but most of those flavor combos end up being dark chocolate, and I am not a fan of that (probably because it is healthy for me).  I also enjoy chocolate covered cherries, but I don’t usually like other cherry flavorings with chocolate.

So, what are your favorite chocolate flavor combinations?  Are any of you crazy like my sister and hate chocolate and peanut butter??

Jen

Jen’s Recipe Corner~~Perfect Scrambled Eggs

I don’t usually do a lot of cooking/baking.  Dinner for me usually involves making a sandwich or grabbing a pizza from the freezer, so even making scrambled eggs is a pretty big deal to me.  Most everybody already knows how to make scrambled eggs and they usually have a special way of making the dish their own.

Here is my (not so) secret recipe for making amazing scrambled eggs.  I ate all of this recipe by myself, so if you are cooking for more people, you might want to make a bigger batch.

Ingredients–

3 medium eggs (I can never tell how to “size” eggs, so I will just say medium)

1 wedge of Light Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese

A splash of milk

Various shredded cheeses

Butter

First, combine eggs and cheeses in a bowl.  Always remember to crack your eggs in a different bowl before adding them to the mixture (I say this because ALL cookbooks and cooking shows mention it, even though I never do it myself).

I threw in probably 1/4 cup shredded cheese.  I used a pre-shredded cheddar combo and some hand shredded mild cheddar.  The type of cheese doesn’t really matter, just pick your favorite.  Try to break up the Laughing Cow wedge so that it mixes well.  I didn’t do a great job of mixing mine in, which resulted in bites filled with large chunks of Laughing Cow goodness.  I happen to think this is awesome, but you might not be a fan.

Then add a splash of milk (probably around 1 1/2 tablespoons) and stir together.

Put butter in a pan and melt it down.  I never bother with silly cooking spray….it’s always real butter for me (and lots of it!).

Pour the mixture in while on medium heat.

Scramble it up nice until……well, until it looks like scrambled eggs.

Add some salt and pepper and serve with some toast with blackberry jam for a delicious breakfast/lunch/dinner!!

Jen

Is It Just Me, Or Do Those Look Like…

So, I used to eat Hot Pockets all the time.  In my pre-vegetarian days, I was known to have two ham and cheese ones for an after school snack.  I haven’t had one in a very long time, but they seem to have drastically changed in the last few years.

Is it just me, or do these new Hot Pockets look like boobs?  Or maybe a butt?  Am I cursed with the mind of a 12 year-old boy, or does anyone else think so too?

Jen

Wonderful Surprises!!

I wasn’t too psyched to go into work today because it was my 2nd night shift of the week and I am so tired. But then I got to my desk and saw the most amazing thing in the whole world!!! Here is a slightly exagerated recreation in my apartment:

Yes, there are 11 boxes of Girl Scout cookies there………I only meant to buy 8 but then I found out that one of my co-workers daughters was selling them as well, so I had to buy some more from her…………and they are all mine! Waaahaaahaahaa………contrary to what the picture shows, I will not be sharing them with Addie or Hermione.

Jen