How to Eat Chocolate – Savor Every Bite!
Eat Chocolate This Holiday Season – Savor Every Bite!
The holiday season has begun. It’s a great time for finding the perfect gift for the ones we love, for enjoying time with family and friends and for over-indulging. The medical world, though, has finally come to my side. They have found that chocolate is actually good for us! I don’t know about you but if I had the choice between chocolate and broccoli, chocolate would win every time.
Before you toss out all the veggies in your crisper, there’s a couple of things you should know to fully savor that chocolate goodness.
- Eat it One Bite at a Time – Instead of eating the entire candy bar in one sitting, break off a bite-sized piece and save the rest for another time.
- Chocolate is Like Fine Wine – Before you take that first bite, let the chocolate breathe. Yep…I actually said that.
- Chew Your Chocolate – Savor every bite by chewing it thoroughly before swallowing.
- Concentrate on the Flavor – Close your eyes and let the flavor envelope you.
Before picking up that candy bar or diving into a box of chocolates, try the 4 tips above and you’ll see why some people (not just science) feel eating chocolate can be a healthy and indulgent way to enjoy the whole experience.
Try some of these fabulous recipes in all their chocolately goodness:
Savor every chocolately bite!
What to do With Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
It’s hard to believe that with all that tasty Thanksgiving food, there would actually be leftovers.
Here’s what you can do with your Thanksgiving leftovers:
- Soup is always a good choice. You can create your own recipe using up any leftover turkey and veggies.
- Sandwiches – Use up that leftover turkey by creating a new version of the Chicken Salad sandwich. Use any leftover rolls instead of bread for a tasty alternative.
- Mashed Potatoes – These can be tricky to reheat “as is” so try create a potato pancake. Did you know you can also use mashed potatoes for thickener in your soups and sauces?
- Vegetables - Whether your leftover veggies are already cooked or raw, you can still use them in your soups and casseroles. Try putting together a Turkey Pot Pie!
- Mexican Food – Filling a tortilla with leftover turkey and adding some fresh veggies and salsa is always a hit.
- Freeze Leftovers – Don’t keep your leftovers in the refrigerator too long. To avoid wasting your leftovers, try freezing them. Even gravy loves the cold! Separate your leftovers into portion-sized meals and serve them TV dinner-style on those extra busy days.
With a little planning, you can make that Thanksgiving meal stretch into several mouth-watering meals.
How to Plan aTraditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, some people start feeling stressed about what their holiday menu will look like. After all, your dinner guests will have a variety of tastes and favorites. Your guest list could include a vegetarian, a diabetic or a plain old picky eater.
Here’s a little help, though, for anyone who’s wanting their guests to feast on the traditional Thanksgiving fare.
- The Bird – No Thanksgiving meal is complete without the star of the holiday table – Mr. Tom himself. Turkeys come fresh, frozen and thawed. Whichever one you choose will work out fine in the end. If you’re fixing a table for two, consider purchasing Cornish Game Hens instead of the big bird.
- Eat Your Veggies – Fresh, baked, mashed or steamed, well seasoned and thoughtfully prepared veggies are always a hit. You can always go with the classic Green Bean Casserole, prepare an eye-popping fresh veggie platter or go with the lighter steamed fresh carrots, broccoli or other favorites. There are also tons of salad favorites.
- Stuffing or Dressing – Ever wonder what the difference is between stuffing and dressing? Stuffing is what’s placed inside the turkey cavity and dressing is simply baked in a casserole dish. Stuffing and dressing can be made with breads or cornbread. Using a vegetable, chicken or turkey broth instead of water will add a richer flavor to your dressing.
- Cranberry Sauce – Omitting cranberry sauce from your menu is like forgetting to bake a pumpkin pie! You can, of course, purchase a can of the burgundy stuff or you purchase fresh cranberries and flavor it with orange peel or other flavors. Cranberry sauce and turkey – what a great combination!
- Let the Eat Pie! – Traditionally pumpkin pie is the star dessert. In place of pumpkin, many bakers choose to make sweet potato pie instead. Add a little fresh whipped cream and it will definitely make the last bite one of the best bites.
Whether you choose to make the traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings or an intimate setting for two, the most important part of any Thanksgiving meal is the company.
Enjoy every minute of your Thanksgiving day with the people you love and you’ll always have an abundance of things to be grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving!
