It is THAT Time of Season

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As the weather gets warmer my thoughts turn to salads. I really dislike having to slice and dice all those veggies. I end up spending a lot more money purchasing already prepared ones in those plastic containers. Although I'll still have to end up peeling the cucumbers and carrots and the lettace--well I'll keep kinda tearing it up into smaller pieces by hand. This machine seems to do it all. Read ehat they say:

About the Fullstar Vegetable Chopper - Spiralizer Vegetable Slicer - Onion Chopper with Container - Pro Food Chopper - White Slicer Dicer Cutter - 4 Blades - Black

Best functionality on the market - Everything you need are all in our all-in-one multipurpose cooking gadgets. 7 easy to change inserts including two different sized chopper blades and two spiralizer inserts give you the option of broad ribbons or thin spirals. Our vegetable choppers make nifty cooking gifts for women and men.

Bonus handheld peeler, juicer, egg separator and slicer - juice your fresh lemons, separate your yolks from your egg whites and slice your hard-boiled eggs with ease with this all in one food choppers and dicers. Plus this set comes with a Bonus peeler that can both peel and julienne your veg. These are in demand kitchen gifts for women and men this season!

Quality materials and easy store - our multifunctional chopper dicer comes with a space-saving blade organizer, perfect for saving space in the kitchen. The abs plastic is nontoxic and bpa free guaranteeing healthy meals for your family.

No mess and slips - our catch tray makes cooking so much more convenient, no mess and no messing around! It makes cleaning effortless and our non-slip base also makes your chopping that much easier. Plus the entire chopper is dishwasher-safe (top rack) .

Read the manual carefully- please read the instruction manual provided with the Fullstar food chopper closely before use. If you have any questions or issues regarding the chopper please do not hesitate to send the seller a message through Amazon and we will respond within 24 hours

I know this would help me immensely. It comes with lots of attachments and other kitchen utencils that will make your life easier! It comes in both White and Black and is dishwasher safe.

To find out more just click into my link

As an Amazon Affiliate I will get a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking my link. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Koa Coffee-I LOVE Coffee!!

As an affiliate I will get a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on the link.

New Kona-Panama Geisha blend

My absolute favorite coffee is Kona--Even when I purchase it in stores it is slightky more expensive so I almost always wait for sales. I also only get ground coffee. One of these days I will get a coffee grinder. Koa's coffee's come in both ground and whole bean. They have many interesting varieties. Take a look at the website to see for yourself!! New Kona-Panama Geisha blend

Koa Coffee's New Panama Geisha Blend Coffee

They are offering a limited release blend of 51% Kona Coffee and 49% Panama Geisha from Canas Verdes, Boquete. Coffee Connoisseurs consider Geisha varietals to be among the best in the world, recognized for extraordinary taste and aroma. What better coffee to pair with world famous Kona Coffee! (due to the limited release-specials may not apply)

They are offering 15% off from March 23 - 28!!!!!!

Enjoy 10% Off Your First Order

Please Note: Coupons and offers may not be combined. Domestic orders $39+ (after any discounts are applied) will enjoy $7 flat-rate shipping.

As an affiliate I will get a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on the link. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Gift Sets at the Cocoa Exchange

As an affiliate of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my links.

With all the holidays coming--Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas you really want to have delicious items on hand to offer any guests or your family if they happen to drop in. The Desert Duo is your ticket to amazed guests! I will personally vouch for the Truffle Fudge Brownies (you may have seen my review here). Someone either is allergic to chocolate--this gift pack also has Blondies. If you make both at once you could also bring them to a church or school-they will sell out quickly and you will have made money for your charity! Of course you could also make a batch of the White Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Cookies and/or the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almond Cookies

The Peppermint Mini Bars have got to be mt favorite treat! I also love the Sea Salt dark chocolate caramels and the Maple Truffles!!

To see all the gifting combinations they have to send to your friends and family (shipping is only $5.50) Click here

I know you are going to love these products made with Dove Chocolate. So come on in and see what else is in store for you!

As an affiliate of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my links. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

White Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Cookie Mix-The Cocoa Exchange

As a consultant of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my link.


These cookies are delicious--the ones I made the right way--As usual I made a couple of mistakes along the way! The directions are relatively simple if you have the right equipment--which I don't. I had to use 2 forks to combine the stick of butter with the mix. I managed to get the one egg incorporated somehow!! And I used a bowl that was slightly too small----leave it to me. Then instead of putting 1 inch balls on the cookie sheet--I varied the size. Some came out absolutely perfect--the others--well dunking them in coffee should work! I get another chance at this since there are 2 batches in each bag!!


This is the description on the Cocoa Exchange

With a flavor profile based on our
bestselling White Chocolate Cinnamon
Pecans, one bag makes 60 cookies and
features toffee chunks, diced pecans,
silky smooth DOVE® White Chocolate
and cinnamon.
• Crumble with butter for a great
topping on pies and desserts
• Makes amazing ice cream sandwiches
with you favorite flavor!
How to Sample:
• Make a batch of cookies and pass
around.

Hum, some of those suggestions sound worth trying!

All I know is that they are delicious and I think you will like them as well.

As a consultant of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission id a purchase is made after clicking into my link. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

White, Milk or Dark Chocolate?

As a consultant of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission id a purchase is made after clicking into my link.

What do you prefer, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate? I will always grab for white chocolate before any other-even though some say it is not really chocolate. I don't care what they say--to me it is the sweetest and best tasting!! After that I will grab Milk Chocolate--then Dark Chocolate. If the Dark Chocolate is a shell around some creamy caramel or other delectable filling (read Truffles) I will eat them up pretty quickly as well!!

Luckily for me The Cocoa Exchange has all three!! They even incorporate mostly white chocolate into their sauces which may be why I love them so much!! Spicy and sweet-you just can't go wrong!!

I had just received an order I placed and in it were a couple of items that I am finishing VERY quickly--they are mostly seasonal items so don't wait too long to order them, if you--like me, love White Chocolate and Peppermint!

First the White Chocolate

Peppermint Mini Bar

Now the Milk Chocolate

Maple Caramel Truffles

And some Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bites

and DO NOT FORGET
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels

To find out more about the products click in and there is a description of each--all I know is I want more of all the above!!

And remember shipping is to the US only--and no matter how many items you order--the cost is $5.50. You can't beat that!!

As a consultant of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission id a purchase is made after clicking into my link.
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Labor Day and Other Sales at the Cocoa Exchange!

As a consultant with the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after after clicking on my link.

If you have been wanting to try one or more of these products-ow is the time!! Think Truffle Brownie Mix, the brand new Truffles which would be great for gifting if you can bear to give them up and the Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels! There are so many amazing products to try and I will bet you will love them all!! There are even gift sets in the new catalogue!

As a consultant with the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after after clicking on my link.
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

New Items at The Cocoa Exchange

As a consultant of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site.

Think of THE COCOA EXCHANGE as your personal gourmet store where cocoa and chocolate come to life in delicious, innovative ways. We're like the friend who's always in the know about the latest and greatest in food and chocolate.

The above is a quote from the Coffee Exchange Site

It’s love at first bite

Cocoa is our X-factor ingredient. It is a unique and nutritious superfruit that we lovingly transform into products that create simple moments of joy in a day. Our curated gourmet collections include the silky smoothness of DOVE® Signature, the authentic adventure of PURE DARK™, the culinary creativity of POD & BEAN® and the total body wellness of VITALIZE™. One taste will bring a smile to your face!
Our chefs craft products that delight

Our award-winning, classically trained chefs create innovative flavor combinations using this secret ingredient of cocoa in trend-setting products that can’t be found anywhere else but The Cocoa Exchange™. (All in gorgeous, sustainable and giftable packaging of course!)

Our curated gourmet collections include the silky smoothness of DOVE® SIGNATURE, the authentic adventure of PURE DARK™ and the culinary creativity of POD & BEAN™. Products are offered singly, in value sets and in gift packaging.

Manufactured in the U.S.

We keep the quality bar high by controlling our products from cocoa bean to finished product and manufacturing in the USA. Many of our products are hand-crafted in small batches for that extra attention to detail you can taste.

And we back everything with our “Love It Guarantee” – if you don’t love it, we’ll replace it. (But you’re going to love it because…chocolate!)

The above is a quote from the Coffee Exchange Site

Shipping is only $5.50 no matter how many items you order at one time. They will only ship to the US at this time.

Now for just a few of the items you will want to try or to gift to others from the new Fall/Winter Catalogue!!



Eggnog Truffles, Peppermint Mini Bars, Espresso Truffles and Maple Caramel Truffles are just a few of the new items you will find when the new items come up--lots more as well as my two favorites--Truffle Fudge Brownies and Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels!!

Be sure to check in starting today ---and keep checking back to see the other delightful items that are being sold!! rel="nofollow"

Happy Eating and Happy Gifting!!

As a consultant of the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Oh Those Little Bites-from The Cocoa Exchange

As a consultant with the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on my link.


I know the packaging does not look like much--but what a taste sensation inside!! I purchased the Orange Bites and it was love at first bite! A tiny bit of orange surrounded by milk chocolate. Unfortunately these will be going away soon--but there are a lot of other bites you should try. I will certainly be trying them! Only a few seem to satisfy my craving for a sweet!

Right now they have Snickerdoodle Bites and Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bites

When the new catalogue comes out on 9/1 there will be even more of these little bites to choose from--as well as an array of new products that will be great for gift giving!

As a consultant with the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on my link.
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

An Unusual Lunch for Me

pic from The Jewish Kitchen

As a consultant for The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on one of the links

Salami and scrambled eggs--I haven't had that in ages but since I had 4 eggs left over from when I made those delectable brownies and I had picked up a small package of (not Kosher) salami when I was out shopping the other day--I decided why not. I sprayed my frying pam with spray--put in the small salami pieces and let them cook a bit--then added two eggs (which I had mixed in a bowl before adding to the pan). It cooked up perfectly!! And it did my heart good to eat something I remember from when I was very young!

Of course then I had two eggs left over--so I decided--hard boil them! Well one of them had to be thrown out-it was stuck to the carton and when I tried taking it out---oops---

I put the other egg in boiling water and for the first time in a very long time--it was hard boiled to perfection! Don't ask me how this happened--I have no idea--but it was perfect and I ate it right up!!

Now I won't need eggs again unless I decide to make those brownies again or maybe the white chocolate cupcakes!!

As a consultant for The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on one of the links All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Cookie Bars from The Cocoa Exchange

As a consultant with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is mase after clicking into my site.

These ultra delectable cookies which are covered in Dove Chocolate will satisfy your craving for something crunchy and sweet!

About this product (from my site)

Delicious and decadent, our mini craft chocolate bars contain cookie butter centers and silky smooth DOVE Milk Chocolate to create perfectly sized throw-back treats. Enjoy three varieties: Cookie & Cream, Biscotti Butter, and Cookie Butter.

9 individually wrapped bars ( 3 ea. flavor)

My apartment can get really warm and when I get these again I will keep The Cookie Bar Collection refrigerated. I loved all three varieties. One cookie was all I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth!!

I also bought and recommend the Honey Almond Butter Bars

These are coated in Dark Chocolate. I did have them refrigerated--Yummy Yummy Yummy! Again I only needed one to satisfy me!!

Try them all--You will not be sorry you did! See these and all the other delicious products from the Cocoa Exchange by visiting my site here

As a consultant with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is mase after clicking into my site. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Truffle Fudge Brownie Mix-The Cocoa Exchange

As a consultant for The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on one of the links

About this Product (from my site)

These ultra-rich brownies are even better than homemade with almost 1/2 lb. of real DOVE Dark Chocolate in the mix. (Makes 20 brownies)

Would you believe me if I told you these Truffle Fudge brownies are to die for? Well believe it!! Rich decadent and filled with chocolatey goodness. Even a little piece will satisfy you--but I defy you to eat just one small taste!!

All you need to make these are 2 large eggs (not separated YEAH) and a stick of melted sweet butter. You will need an 8x8 pan and a large mixing bowl. I used a wooden spoon to mix it all up. I actually followed the recipe on the back of the package for a change.

The batter is very thick and you will still see chocolate morsels-it is not a smooth batter. Grease the pan you will be baking it in either using parchment paper or grease the pan with some kind of spray or butter. I unfortunately used an aluminum pan--it works--BUT it gets stuck to the bottom and I will be throwing out that pan. Stick it in the oven at 350 for approx 30-35 minutes -check with a toothpick to see if it is done. (I didn't have toothpicks-uh oh).

Take it out of the oven when done and let it cool. This may take a long time. When I first took them out it was like a lava cake with the lava at the bottom instead of inside--I tasted it anyway--DELICIOUS! I kept taste testing it during the day------can you tell I loved it.

Well I told one of my neighbors to come down and take some of it--this was about 4 or 5 hours later. By then all the liquid on the bottom had been absorbed---We both agreed--as did her husband--to die for!!

They also make a White Chocolate Blondie Mix which I will bet is just as tasty and delicious!!

These brownies would be great served with ice cream and maybe drizzled with the Raspberry Balsamic Glaze (yes, I drizzled some on some Chocolate ice cream the other night-oh my gosh-what a treat!). Of course you can eat them just as they are. These would be a hit at any social gathering--or definitely a bake sale. It says it makes 20 Brownies--but I bet if you cut it into 40 brownies it would satisfy anyone!!

As a consultant for The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on one of the links
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Chocolate Coffee from the Cocoa Exchange

As a consultant of The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on one of the links

What The Cocoa Exchange says about this product:

Our cocoa roasted coffee blends natural cocoa extract with the finest Arabica coffee beans to deliver a premium coffee experience.

The Chocolate Coffee which I purchased as ground also comes in Pods for those of you that need them. It can be found in the Pod & Bean section.

I can smell the chocolate in this coffee and the taste is there--not too strong--just right! I added some sweet and low and Almond milk and am drinking it as I write this! It is really good!! I am thinking that next time I will try adding whipped cream instead of milk for a really decadent treat.

This would make a great gift for one of your chocolate loving friends maybe with a bag of the Dark Chocolate Rounds or the Dark Chocolate Rounds with a sprinkling of Raspberry on top! These little rounds will certainly kill your craving for chocolate. One or two of these melt in your mouth rounds should do it! The Rounds can be found in the Dove specialty section.

So, whether you are purchasing for yourself or for others I am sure one or more of the Cocoa Exchange products will be exactly right!

As a consultant of The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on one of the links
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

A Kind of Stir Fry-Really Quite Good!

Pic from Saveur.com

As a curator with The Cocoa Exchange and an affiliate of Amazon I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on the links

Again I'd like to warn you that the pic above is not exactly how I made this kind of stir-fry! It was not hard to put together-but more then I usually do!

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Success Rice--I happened to have Brown rice so I used that (you don't really think I would attempt to make rice from scratch do you?)

Part of a red pepper-diced (I saved the rest for a salad)

A hand full of sliced mushrooms--I kind of cut them into smaller pieces also)

A handful of pre cut red onions

Pam Butter Spray

Soy Sauce (the light variety)

White Chocolate Raspberry Honey Mustard from The Cocoa Exchange

Roasted-Pineapple-and-Pepper-Chutney

Aluminum Fry Pan


How I Made it:

I sprayed quite a bit of the Pam into the fry pan

I added the red pepper-stirred for a while to soften a bit

I then added the mushrooms and the onion--I kept stirring until all looked like it was kind of softened.

I added a big spoonful of the mustard--made sure it was thoroughly mixed in

Added the pineapple chutney--stirred thoroughly--

Added some Soy Sauce --I kept stirring!!

When it looked done I let it sit while I boiled up the bag of rice.

Put the rice into a bowl and added the stir fry to it,

It was a WIN--it almost tastes like it came from a Chinese Restaurant!!

I may add some chicken to this--or you could add whatever else you like!

As a curator with The Cocoa Exchange and an affiliate of Amazon I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on the links All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Green, Red, Yellow, Orange Peppers-Which Do You Prefer?

pic from UnSplash.com

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site

After the power went out for a day and a half in my building due to the hurricane--I had to throw out all the food from my freezer. It had all defrosted so I didn't really have much of a choice!

I did manage to save one small package of center loin pork chops which I attempted to cook on one of the black out nights on top of my stove in an aluminum pan. I used the Raspberry Balsamic Glaze. I ended up having to slice up the pork in the pan in order to get it to cook thoroughly. The Raspberry Glaze tasted really good on it-(Baby, my cat even ate a few bites of it!)-BUT it was a fail! I need to try that again in my oven!!

The day after the lights came back on I went food shopping---what I managed to get was some hamburger (90%), some bottled iced tea (diet), eggs, ice cream (Chocolate Chocolate chip by Häagen-Dazs. I happened across a package of peppers-4 for $5.00. I picked them up also thinking that a Stuffed Pepper would be good for dinner that night! I also picked up some deli turkey for Baby and Swiss and Munster cheese for me!


I used the Everyday Blend spice on the hamburger. This spice comes in a grinder bottle so I just ground some and then mixed it with my hands. I choose the Green pepper-stuffed the hamburger into it (after cutting off the top of the pepper and removing the seeds!) Put some spaghetti sauce on top--wrapped it in aluminum foil--in the oven 350% until done. I think I left it in there for about 3/4 of an hour. One mistake I made-I forgot to mix some sauce into the hamburger so it was a bit dry.

Tonight was salad night once again, This time in addition to lettuce, tomato and mushrooms--I cut a yellow pepper up then drowned it all (not really) in the White Chocolate Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette.

Now--which pepper do you prefer--I can honestly say I prefer the Yellow---but I love them all!

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

How Do You Use Leftovers?

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site


I made those delicious Chicken Breasts the other day (see that post here) but only ate 1 of the 2. It really is hard cooking for just me--well me and my cat that is! Turns out that she loved that chicken so much she would not touch her Boars Head Maple Turkey Breast which I buy only for her! Spoiled ya think?

I was glaring at that 2nd breast wondering how I could use it. I decided to slice it diagonally and use it to add to a salad and for sandwiches.

For the sandwich (lunch) I took a couple of slices of American cheese and a couple of slices of the chicken breast and 1 pita round. Put a small amount of the White Chocolate Raspberry Honey Mustard from The Cocoa Exchange. I then ripped up a slice of the turkey breast for Baby-and proceeded back to my bedroom where my computer resides.

Baby IGNORED the turkey breast which she normally gobbles up--and stood there glaring at me and threatening my computer keyboard with her paw!! OK I relented--I went back in the kitchen and ripped up a slice of the chicken for her (without the cheese or mustard nether of which she likes.

Then at around 12:30 the wind started blowing--by 1:00 the hurricane was upon us. I normally have a very brave cat--this time--she took one look out the window-her eyes got very wide-then there was a power outage-and she did a sprint to another room! She did eventually calm down--but she and I had NO POWER from then until Wednesday night at around 7 pm!! No a/c--no computer.

Thank heavens for matches (they were old so I could not get it to light by striking the cover) and lighters and a partially gas stove. I lit the match with the lighter then turned on the gas to one burner so that I could make a cup of coffee!!

For dinner--I used the open bag of Butter Lettuce, some cherry tomatoes and pre sliced mushrooms-I added some of the chicken. I added the White Chocolate Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette. And yes, In addition to her cat food--Baby insisted on a slice or two of the chicken!

Both the sandwich and the salad were delicious! Next up--a Full Day of NO Power--I will hopefully get that up tomorrow!

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Baked Chicken Breast--My Way!

pic from Amazon fresh foods

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site

As I have stated before I rarely follow a recipe--this one is no different! But it turned out absolutely delicious! I would like to note that the above picture is of Kosher Chicken Breasts--I used 2 from a regular grocery store but they looked amazingly similar!

What I used:

2 large and thick skinless boneless Chicken Breasts

White Chocolate Raspberry Honey Mustard from The Cocoa Exchange (might be out of stock now!) It Is HOT and Spicy!

Roasted Pineapple and Pepper Chutney from the Cocoa Exchange. Looks funny in the jar-but is SWEET and delicious!

Aluminum Pan


How I made it:

1 I cleaned off the Chicken Breasts and patted them dry with paper towel

2 I spread a bit of the mustard on the bottom of the pan (it has a thick consistency) -but not all the way to the sides

3 Put a small amount of the mustard on the top of the Chicken Breasts (remember this stuff is HOT)

4 Placed the Chicken Breasts in the pan over the mustard in the bottom (they will overlap the mustard but that is fine!)

5 Bake at 350 in oven until done. I usually cut into the center to make sure all white-no pink)

6 Remove from oven and plate

7 Add a dollop or two of the Chutney on top

8 EAT and Enjoy!!

I would like to note that the chicken was moist and tasty but did not pick up the heat from the mustard-just a slight taste of it came through and the honey seemed to glaze the top.

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

Introducing More About The Cocoa Experience!!

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site

Granted we all love chocolate and The Cocoa Exchange certainly has that!

Before you read all about the company I would like to add a few thoughts of my own.

The shipping is extraordinarily fast! The products arrived at my door within 2 days of ordering!

Each bottle or jar is wrapped individually in bubble wrap and there are cold packs to keep that chocolate from melting!

The cost of shipping is a standard $5.50 no matter how many items you order! At least that has been my experience and I have ordered up to 4 products at one time. Unfortunately sales and shipping are US ONLY!

So far I have tried the Dark Chocolate Caramels and the Honey Almond Butter Bars--Absolutely delicious! For lunch today I will be trying the White Chocolate Raspberry Honey Mustard or the White Chocolate Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette. I'll also be trying the Raspberry Balsamic Glaze. I will put up separate posts to let you know how I felt about them and how I used them.

ALL the pictures and the recipes created by their chefs can be seen on my website

It is also so much more! Here's a bit direct from the website:

Sustainable and Responsibly-Sourced Cocoa

As part of Mars, Incorporated, THE COCOA EXCHANGE enjoys being a family-owned business with a century-long history of chocolate-making. We're proud of our rich heritage and of our business principles that guide how we source ingredients and manufacture products:

Quality in everything we do.

Mars, Inc. remains the only company of our size to still oversee every step in creating our signature chocolate: from carefully-chosen cocoa beans to our unique chocolate-making processes that deliver America's favorite chocolate. Mars has made a simple but bold pledge to use only certified, sustainable cocoa in all of our products by 2020. DOVE® Dark Chocolate is already Rainforest Alliance Certified.

It’s love at first bite

Cocoa is our X-factor ingredient. It is a unique and nutritious superfruit that we lovingly transform into products that create simple moments of joy in a day. Our curated gourmet collections include the silky smoothness of DOVE® Signature, the authentic adventure of PURE DARK™, the culinary creativity of POD & BEAN® and the total body wellness of VITALIZE™. One taste will bring a smile to your face!

Our chefs craft products that delight

Our award-winning, classically trained chefs create innovative flavor combinations using this secret ingredient of cocoa in trend-setting products that can’t be found anywhere else but The Cocoa Exchange™. (All in gorgeous, sustainable and giftable packaging of course!)

Our curated gourmet collections include the silky smoothness of DOVE® SIGNATURE, the authentic adventure of PURE DARK™ and the culinary creativity of POD & BEAN™. Products are offered singly, in value sets and in gift packaging.

Manufactured in the U.S.

We keep the quality bar high by controlling our products from cocoa bean to finished product and manufacturing in the USA. Many of our products are hand-crafted in small batches for that extra attention to detail you can taste.

And we back everything with our “Love It Guarantee” – if you don’t love it, we’ll replace it. (But you’re going to love it because…chocolate!)

At Mars, we believe in sustainability through productivity. By improving our farmers' yield and product, we improve their livelihood while also reducing land use and the impact on the environment. The key to success starts with our farmers.

Fast Facts

DOVE® Dark Chocolate is Rainforest Alliance Certified. Mars has pledged to use only certified cocoa by 2020.

The Mesquite Creek wind farm in Lamesa, Texas, generates energy equivalent to 100% of Mars’ electricity needs in the U.S.

All U.S. Mars manufacturing sites are 0 waste-to-landfill - achieved in December 2015.

Our Human Rights Policy is our commitment to identifying, mitigating and preventing adverse impacts on human rights, and taking appropriate remedial action. Our Supplier Code of Conduct lays out our human rights expectations of our first-tier suppliers. In our extended agricultural supply chains, we take steps to advance respect for human rights.

Please come visit and see all the delicious items for sale!!

As a Curator with The Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my site All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

The Cocoa Experience--Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

As a Curator of The Cocoa Experience I will get a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on the link.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce imagined by MikiHope!


Francesco Rinaldi Sauce Original

Hamburger

Everyday Blend from The Cocoa Exchange You can find product and nutritional information here

This was really simple to make and ended up tasting delicious.

What I did

In a small pot I put some of the Francesco Rinaldi--I added a small amount of the Everyday Blend and stirred a bit--I broke the Hamburger into small pieces and added to the pot. I covered the pot with aluminum foil (I long ago lost the lid to this pot!) I put the flame very low and occasionally would stir it around. Meanwhile I made some spaghetti. When the pasta was done I drained it--rinsed the pot and put the pasta back in. I added the sauce and mixed it all up. I did clean that small pot after adding the sauce to the pasta!

I made enough for just me as I live alone! It was delicious with just a touch of a "bite".

This is not a recipe you will find at The Cocoa Exchange--theirs are definitely to die for and one day I might even try one with this Everyday Blend! You can find recipes on my website here

There are so many delectable items on my site--please come visit!

As a Curator of The Cocoa Experience I will get a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking on the link. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.

For Dinner-A Simple Salad!

Pic from Food52

In the hotter weather I tend to revert to my childhood when my Mom made a LOT of salads. She, however, added many more veggies then I did tonight. She also cut and sliced and diced--not me!! As a single I take the easy way out.

My absolute favorite lettuce is Butter Lettuce-it is so smooth and silky! I generally buy it pre packaged already cut up. I cut open the bag and pour the entire contents into a big bowl. I then add a bunch of cherry tomatoes-whole. OH--I do rinse everything off first just in case!! Tonight I happened to have some toasted garlic bread slices that I bought in the store--broke it into pieces and in they went! I used a Catalina salad dressing -tossed and ate every bit of it!! Sometimes I use a Balsamic Vinegar dressing.

As a curator for the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my website

What I'm really waiting for is an order that is being shipped to me from my new website The Cocoa Exchange I was browsing in there and noticed some salad dressings I know I would love!!

Here is one of them

White Chocolate Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette

And there are so many recipes I know I would love to try. You can view them at The Cocoa Exchange

As a curator for the Cocoa Exchange I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made after clicking into my website All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook or Google.