Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Cupcakes Gone Wild ~ Lemon Coriander Vanilla or German Chocolate

Oh how I love testing day!  New recipes get me all excited in a way nothing else can. 

Tasting different new treats makes my mouth water at times !




These Lemon Coriander Cupcakes will definately make ones mouth water with the sweet and sour flavors that tease a normally sane person into eating two!

Owning about 20 recipe books you could say I have a small passion.  But my weekly visits to the library bringing home the allotted 11 books at times is enough to break my arms they are so heavy!  Depending on my mood the cookbooks could be just about cakes, or just about candy, or only certain ethnic foods.

To me each and any cookbook is a treasure to behold.

Then taking a recipe and changing it up so that you are not infringing on someone prize is another whole task. 

In this day and age very few recipes are truly unique and original.  Just walk in any bookstore or library and view the Hundreds if not thousands of books using flour, eggs, and sugar.

We all like to pride ourselves that we came up with the newest & best theory but in baking and cooking there just are so many ingredients and certain ones are the basics to any recipe and then you can add to them.  Its like being a mad scientist.

Its totally fun and intoxicating.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Easy Cheesy Chili






 


















After two days of snow falling making my neighborhood look like a Norman Rockwell painting, plus shoveling & using the snow blower on the white fluffy stuff Plus its about a good 12-18 inches deep now I have decided its time for one of my winter favorites!

Chili!


Deciding on chili as a last minute thought for dinner requires my Easy Cheesy Chili recipe.


In this using can beans and canned stewed tomatoes eliminates a long cooking process.


It is totally the most delicious quickie chili's one can make plus serve proudly or I would not be sharing this  with all my readers.


Easy Cheesy Chili


2 cans Red Kidney Beans
1 can Cannelloni Beans (these are just white kidney beans)
1 can unsalted Stewed Tomatoes
1 can of V8 (11.5oz size) juice
1 pound ground beef or ground buffalo

1/2 yellow onion
4 garlic gloves
2 teaspoons dried Cilantro

1 teaspoon Zesty Seasoning (Mrs. Dash or any other brand)

1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon French Grey Salt
1/2 teaspoon Celery Salt

1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Coriander

1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers 


1 Package Mexican 4 Cheese Blend



Rinse tops of all cans and open. For the 3 bean cans pour contents into large cooking pot. On the stewed tomato can open and pour juice into pot.  Then take the drained tomatoes place on chopping board and diced into small pieces. Then add to pot.  Add the can of V8 juice.  

Next dice onion, and chop garlic.



In a large frying pan you will need to add 1 to 2 teaspoon of oil heat over medium heat, add diced onion saute until tender and translucent, and add chop garlic stir until mixed.  Add ground meat at this time by breaking into bite size pieces to pan, sprinkle all seasonings onto meat and onions at this time. Stir meat, onions and garlic together ~ try not to break up the bite size pieces of meat. 


Cook mixture until meat is throughly cooked thru and browned a bit.  Once cooked add to the pot of beans, tomatoes and juices.  


Simmer for 1 hour. 
Serves 4 to 6 






to Serve:

Fill bowl 3/4ths full with chili, sprinkle with a handful of the the cheese completely covering chili with the cheese,  then place bowls under broiler for 1 minute til cheese bubbles and starts to brown. Now is ready for serving!


Serve with your favorite beer or as we do a tall glass of Chocolate milk.


















Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Holidays past and present

Mom always made Christmas magical.  Even a life time later she still makes them fun and exciting for her great grandchildren!

Growing up within a large family any holiday was a major feat for my mother to get us ready, attend church service with 8 kids in tow, come home to prepare & serve a wonderful meal for us and my father and other family members who would visit, then she got to relax once we all went to bed that holiday night.

Anyone who grew up in the 50's and 60's can tell you our lives where simple and was not unusual for neighbors to have 3 to 15 kids.  In the seventies and eighties family size became 2 or 4 kids.

At Christmas the early years we always had a 'live tree' once grandchildren started appearing within the family my mothers tree became a "Fake Tree.

My tree's were live until we learned my one child had allergies.  Then I became a convert to the artificial trees.

In a way that turned into a problem.  I could put the Tree up the day after Thanksgiving and not take it down until mid January.  Then because I would fall in love each year with the tree and how it was decorated I would leave up to Mid February. Then it became a problem to take it down before the Easter holiday.  One year the tree was exceptional.  It was a dream ~ I put the tree in the library of my Victorian home.  That tree stayed up to Memorial Day.  I would have left it up all year but my family began teasing me as well as the neighbors.  I succumbed to pressure and took my favorite decorating job down.

A couple of years later a divorce followed, the sell of my Victorian home deemed selling and tossing things away. Two years later I move to Alaska.

The move brought about the lost of interest in celebrating and decorating for the holidays.The magic of the tree was gone for various reasons. For a few years I didn't bother with a tree.  Then brought a 5' fake tree and brought out the ornaments and the house once again became a place of magic.

I was happy with the One of a Kind ornaments.  Each one has a different story and range in age from 35 years old to four years old.   I haven't brought new ornaments for a couple of years.

This year I decided to enjoy the 'Christmas fake trees of the past'.  I've brought a 2' silver foil tree.  Tis lovely.  I went with lime green as the major ornament color, with a slash of a few other bright colors.  The larger 5' fake tree hasn't been set up yet, it will follow getting decorated the next couple of days; pictures of the beauty will be up this weekend.




This will sit in the kitchen window, so that as folks drive by the will have a glance of a time when I was a child of 10 and we lived in California that year and my great aunt had two trees, one a silver 6' with the colored light, and my favorite the "pink flocked angel tree".  Both seemed so very magical and different than the 'green' tree's I had seen all my life.  One day I will own a fluffy Ostrich Pink Feather Tree.

Can't wait for the 'after Christmas sales'  because I have my eye on several online sites that had the tree of my dreams for a perfect magical holiday next year.


Covered in Chocolate Catering is available for Holiday Parties in the Anchorage Area.  Visit either of my online selling sites to contact me.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Team EEAT Holiday Bake Sale

Alright foodies 
~The Reason For Giving ~ !FOOD!
 No pushing no shoving of each other
The annual Holiday TEAM EEAT bake sale Announcement!

Mark your calendars now
DECEMBER 4, 2009
8pm EST
The place to be:

                                         ETSY VIRTUAL LAB

  Tis plenty of sweet treats for everyone.
Lots of sales, lots of prizes and most of all
Lots of beautiful treats to make selections from!

Yours Truly ME 
will be offering 20% off select items

AND many of my items NOW have FREE SHIPPING
I kid you not!  

Plus I'll do the shipping for you 
if you wish to give as a gift 
to a friend, love one or surprise yourself 

 (esp useful when hubby forgets to get you a present or
lol
is one of those who gives his wife
 appliances he thinks you want
NOT FOR CHRISMAS HONEY!!!)


Monday, November 16, 2009

Holiday Giveaway Package!

The Holidays are fast approaching!  Oh my ~ oh me!  Santa's everywhere are busy in their various shops making beautiful handmade gifts for all our loved ones!

A member of Team EEAT is having their first Giveaway for their shop located at Etsy.  Truly a very holiday special event for her.  May you have much success SugarPlums Bakery!

I thought it would be a fun idea to also do the same thing as SugarPlum's ~ Tell me and my readers about your favorite holiday!

Tell me about a holiday that was your favorite ~ it can be a happy, sad, funny, or just beautiful.  So post away contests ends Novermber 30th and I'll announce the winner on December 1st.  Then your gift package of my sweet treats will be mailed off on December 3nd.  It can be mailed as a gift to a loved one, or mailed directly to you! Arriving before christmas!  A value over $65.00!!!

A showstopper for anyone who loves receiving or giving a special gift!

The gift package includes:
kiwi jam, apple rosemary jelly, Nectarine/Plum chutney, Sweet Pepper Apple chutney, Red Caramelized Onion relish, white chocolate lollipop, chocolate bar, and a Toffee butter crunch candy.


Please note: There must be at least 6 different members to post for contest drawing! Other wise the contest drawing will be void.  So tell your friends and family about this blog and post your holiday favorite story!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Dinner for Chilly Nights in Alaska




Chicken Slouper

Serves 6
Cooking time 50 to 60 minutes
Prep time 20 minutes
2 whole chicken breasts with bone and skin
1 small bag of peeled baby carrots
1 red sweet pepper
1 orange sweet pepper
1 yellow sweet pepper
2 russet potatoes
1 large onion
1 bunch Purple Kale
1 pound aspargus
5 large gloves of garlic
5 cups water
seasoning: 1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt


Clean/rise all veggies. Peel and then chop onion into large chunks. Top the peppers and take out seeds, slice in half, then quarters (each 1/2 should have 4 slices then). Leave peel on potatoes, dice into large chunks. Clean kale take off stem and chop roughly. Slice asparagus into 1/2 inch slices. Peel garlic leave whole. Cut breasts into halves.

In large cooking pot (at least a 5 qt) add water and chicken,seasoning, onion, peppers, carrots and kale. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Take breasts out at this point, remove bone and skin. Chop two of the halves into large pieces, leave the other two whole. Place back into pot, add rest of ingredients, simmer on medium heat for another 20 minutes until potatoes are cook through.

Serve in bowls over cooked yolk-less noodles, along with warm slices of herb cheese bread.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hats a plenty and dreams of Magic on a Website

Secrets passions of mine: Two shops that fill these passions!



Besides my passion for cooking and crafts I have a couple that make me all girly girl. 



One is  heels~~ LOVE THEM ~~ but one learns all too soon Alaska is not High Heel friendly because snow, ice and freezing air is not so nice as toasty warm boots in winter.  So I only have a several pairs of heels that thrill me when I do wear on those rare times that I'm dressed to the 9's.  It's super my life partner is very very tall!


But the one thing about being a midwestern Gal in a state where winter is most of the year...I get to wear Hats.  I have hats for summer, hats for spring, hats for fall, hats for winter, and hats just because their cute.  From baseball caps, to a drop dead black creation by Liz Clairborne, to knit skull hats to silly fleece hats.  Its if it fits and I like - I buy.




At Victorian Crossroads a very dear member is delightworthyn ART/wares.   She creates one of my passions.  And its not for my feet!


I had a hat that I craved of hers.  Then I twittered about that beauty and dang if someone didn't steal it right under my eyes, plus a couple other of Delights' hats. Once you visit her shop you will see why -  they are delightful!


So this picture is another hat but not the one I am saving to purchase!  I don't want anyone stealing that beauty from me.  This little red number is sweet but that black one I have my eye on will be mine some day!





I greatly admire anyone who has talent of creating items that one can use for different websites that require GRAPHICS.  As a beginner with my Publisher and Photoshop Elements I've so far behind the eightball it's not even funny! I wish I could say I am a graphic designer, but the sad truth I'm not.  Beginner just does not cut it!


I'm in total awe of  the talents of this graphic designer artist: Bearcengic.  Her shop at Etsy has a great following.  With over 1,000 sells You can trust she knows how to please the pickest of graphic buyers!


As a person who sews, I found this banner speaking to me.  If I own a shop that still marketed sewn items I would buy this in 2 seconds flat! Visitors comments I know would be total praise!


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28385504






I invite you to take a stroll through Bear's shop and discover her wonderful artwork that she has turned into various creations for websites.  From Banners, to avators, to postcards she does it all! She will build/design items just for you.  Don't wait any longer to get a fanatastic design for your website!



Monday, October 26, 2009

Reflections and Shops To Be Visited

In life I often do many things on my own.  Visit art shows, shopping, traveling, and just running around town doing different things.

I have a life partner who is as I am  ~ free  ~ we are two birds following where ever the wind blows us.  We share some common interests and but for the most part we are very different people in regards to interests.  He is heavily into ancient history BC and mine begins more in the 1700's to modern.  He world revolves around his daily bike riding and mine is the center of all things handcrafted.

One area we both enjoy is of course my cooking And we both enjoy the internet.


He is the one who started us on the internet way back in 1994.  Thinking back ~ OMG those computers where so slow lol it's a wonder that the internet survived...most likely it did only because technology was constantly changing and gets better, faster, and is the "new world" for exploring for mankind until we leave planet earth.

I love finding what others do for fun and creativity online. Belonging to a couple of selling venues, groups, and markets I am developing new friendships and finding fellow folks with same interests as myself, or their creative outlets are so much better than my own.

This week I'm going to be show casing several folks I think you need to meet!



Baubles Buttons & Beads at 1000markets  This shop has the greatest jewelry ~ old and new are mixed together in awesome pieces for your wrists, or necks and even your ears!  The shop owner has so much joy and enthusiasm it's so nice to be in the same market that Deb is!  We both belong to Victorian Crossroads at 1000markets.
http://www.1000markets.com/users/baublesbuttonsbeads


 
Cakes by Sugar Plums over at Etsy, a classy lady whose baked goods are a pure delight to ones eyes!  Her real life shop just moved into newer and bigger quarters and even though moving is a headace, Patty remained cool and classy.  Both of us are members of Etsy's Team EEAT plus Patty and I also shared a life time thrill - SugarPlums also went to the Emmy Awards Gifting Suite!
http://cakesbysugarplums.etsy.com

I invite you to visit these two shops and treat yourself to something beautiful to wear on date night or something edible & unique for your tastebuds.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Posters I love..wow a sale, a newsletter, and just fun


A little bird told me that AS2Designs is having a 50% off sale from October 23rd til October 30th.  The sale is for any and all of her products!  WOW a super holiday deal for sure!
 

A reminder to all to either sign up here for Covered in Chocolates Newsletter, visit either of her shops, leave a message by either email or convo that you want to receive the monthly newsletter; there is a signup over at http://covereinchocolatebakery.com also.  IT Will be full of recipes, tips, photos, and surprises LIKE: coupons, advance notices of Sales and when new products will be presented to the public!
 

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup by Chef on Wheelss

This week I thought I do just recipes feel free to copy
them...they soon will be in a Cookbook and then only
available by purchasing!
ChefonWheelss recipes:
Tis my very own name over at Twitter! Follow me and you could win a free dessert!  Sign up for my newsletter over at http://coveredinchocolate.1000markets.com
 
Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup
1 cup dry red lentils
1 large onion
1 leek
1 Chicken breast with Bone
1 cup Chicken stock
2 garlic cloves
5 cups water
1 cup cooked rice
Seasoning: ½  teaspoon of each: allspice, smoky paprika, black pepper, cumin, coriander,   

SERVES 4 
cooking time 1hour 15 minutes to 2hours

Chopped onion into large bit size pieces, slice leek about ¼ thick (wash and clean in cold water after slicing) dice garlic cloves.

Caramelize onions in 5qt cooking pot with ½ teaspoon grey salt, and ¼ teaspoon white pepper.

 Add All the following:  lentils, leeks, garlic, spices, stock, & water in large 5 qt pot. Bring to boil and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn heat down to medium add chicken breast and simmer for 30 minutes.  Take breast out and slice/dice off bone, discard bone and add diced/slice meat back into pot.  Add rice and cook all until mixture is thicken. About another 30 minutes.

Serve with pita bread, and olive/tomato salad with goat cheese chunks.




Coveredinchocolatebakery, baked goods, recipes, Gourmet, Alaska, cooking, ChefonWheelss, etsy, TeamEEAT, 1000markets, AS2Designs, Victorian Crossroads, contests, free drawing

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Hallow Weenies

A play on words for baked beans and hot dogs.  It was one of my childhood favorites.  I still like it! 

I like to take dry beans; pinto and kidney - soak them overnight, then cook to use as the base for my baked beans.

Recipe for Hallow Weenies:

2/3 cup cooked pinto beans
2/3 cup cooked kidney beans
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 white onion chopped
Seasoning: 1/2 tsp each - pepper, salt, cumin, ginger and Mrs. Dash tomato basil seasoning
6 or  8 hot dogs sliced into bite size pieces

Mix all together and place in 8 x 8 inch baking dish.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 30 minutes

Serve with hot rolls, a spinach salad with orange slices dressed with a spoonfuls of Balsamic Vinegar drizzled over the salad

I serve my Hallow Weenies with chopped green onion on top and with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Drawing for Fine Art Print

AS2 Designs and Covered in Chocolate are busy getting ready for the Fall Bazaars! 

To celebrate AS2 Designs is having a drawing for one fine art photography print.  All you have to do is visit their shop at: 

http://www.1000markets.com/users/as2designs

VOTE for which photo is your favorite (just add a post on their Wall) then on October 30th they will draw the winning name out of a pumpkin!  WINNER receives their favorite print!!!!!

Covered in Chocolate has develope new products for the Fall, plus has new designer Labels for her Jams, Jellies and Chutneys.  The bake goods are getting new labels also! 




New business cards for all and we are set for the newest season to begin!

Its been a year of fun and a lot of changes.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Spiders, Ghosts, Frankenstein and plain Cookies and Cupcakes

Fall is here.  October happens to be a favorite month for many.

It ends in one of the most scariest days ~
Halloween!

I admit I am a huge fan of Halloween.  Dressing up as someone/thing else, getting a bag full of candy from going door to door, going to parties and just being wild and crazy.  But the best part is all the wonderful creations one can bake up and I don't just mean food!


My sister who lives in Chesterfield, Missouri goes all out decorating her home for Halloween.  She has 3 grandchildren under age 11 ~ Kath is a hit throughout the neighborhood.  Spiders, eerie music, elaborate craved pumpkins (both from grandkids and 'Chef Michael' - my #1nephew), witches hung from the garage overhang, scarecrows lining the front yard, plus a ton more I don't have time to list ~ Well your getting the picture!  It's scary!  And kids love it!


I happen to live in an older neighborhood here in Anchorage, Alaska - we also usually have SNOW for Halloween so it's even more exciting to see how the costumes go over the parka's and snow boots!

Thus living in an older section of town most of the kids are now in the final years of high school or most have gone on to college where I'm sure the Halloween parties have more than just pumpkins glowing on the tables.  We seldom get Trick or Treaters.  But I always have a bowl of mixed candy bars for the handful that decide to visit.

My mind goes more to what I could bake for Halloween and other holidays that soon will be following.

I have been thinking about purchasing a certain cookbook with all sorts of recipes for little cupcakes that are decorated into spiders, pumpkins, Frankenstein and so forth. I still may go back and get that book...right now I did up some simple favorites of mine.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 
filled 
with 
orange cream frosting.


Monday, September 28, 2009

Surf and Turf Love Affair

We are a divided house of who likes any seafood and who like redmeat.

Even as a child not even in school I had a love affair with seafood.  I adore any fish, shellfish, and just about anything that moves in salt or fresh water.  I ate red meat although it seemed a chore. 

As I grew into an adult my red meat always had to be well cooked and I was very picky about what parts got cooked or eaten.

Seafood still remained a favorite with shrimp, crab, scallops, lobster and any type fish being the choices.  Now living in a state that 3/4th's of its border is ocean I'm in heaven.  Plus fresh water fish such as Salmon is a just about an everyday affair.  I believe I have about 50 different recipes for cooking salmon.  Then there is halibut Oh My another favorite.  These two fish will have to wait for another post I'm sorry to say.

Moving on ~

I've gotten to that stage in life where I've learned the finer arts of cooking to excite my taste buds and how to entertain those who I serve.  Plus I can pick or choose what, when and how I eat.

Sharing my life with a man who prefers red meat over seafood I have to find balance for both of us.

So the other night I cooked favorites for both of us.

SURF & TURF

I selected for me a  1/2 pound of Large Sea Scallops.

For him a  nice thick Sirloin Steak.

Sea Scallops correctly cooked are heavenly.  Wrapped in foil with a pinch of salt, pepper, and butter place on the grill are wonderful.  Pan seared in butter are heavenly.

Sirloin Steak on the grill is heavenly with fresh herbs, seasoning and a marinate.  When weather does not permit one to grill (a rainy day that we experience the night I wanted to grill his steak) a quick broil will work nicely also.

                                                                                  Pan Seared Scallops YUMOooooo!




                         Sirloin Steak with Teriyaki Marinate -medium rare

Friday, September 25, 2009

Slide Show CoveredinChocolate and AS2Designs


Slide Show CoveredinChocolate and AS2Designs
Originally uploaded by AS2 Designs

It was much easier to make this slideshow than it was to find out how to get it to my blog LOL.

But now that I've done it once I shall not forget!

I hope you enjoy this little bright spot of joy that I create in only a few minutes.

Learning Curves - Photography 101

When I brought my laptop computer I also purchased Photoshop Elements7.

The photographer in me cried out that it was a Must Have.  I'm still learning and exploring this wonderful program.  I hope to master it all someday.  I go slow like an old turtle understanding how certain portions of the program work and then move on to a new element.

I love this program for all it does and discovered I can do a whole host of fun - cool - unusual things to delight the even the sternest art critic.  Many of AS2Designs photos have been enhanced, altered, or still waiting in their folders for a day of play with Photoshop.

Last night I played with the slide shows one can create.



Wow it's a awesome easy to use format with just about anything you need for a presentation.  I was totally afraid to even try but after playing with the program for about 5 minutes I got it.  Now can't wait to create even more fun!

I am going to load up my 'masterpiece' hope you enjoy my test run!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Anchorage, Alaska Saturday Farmers Market




My farmers market only has a few short weeks left before the season of outdoor selling by the farmers ends.  I will sorely miss the fresh grown items.  The first few weeks of  June we eagerly await the few veggies that the early days of summer bring. 

As the summer months begin to become longer days each Saturday at Farmers Market new and larger veggies appear. 

I have not met a veggie that I really don't like...well except for Peas and Lima Beans.  Both are the only two that I do not like and will avoid as must as possible. 








I did come home with Green Cauliflower, as well as Purple Cauliflower, a fresh stalk of Brussels sprouts, and radishes.  Several delightful meals for the week ahead!

We already had a bag of potatoes, fresh spinach, onions, and a friend just brought us a bag over of his home grown carrots that are "rainbow colored"  Red, Yellow, Pink and Orange Carrots ~ so cool I'm going to make a Carrot soup with them all!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Celebrate!! Two Winners!!!!



NOT ONE 


BUT


Two Winners!!


For Septembers 'Follow My Blog'

I put the names of all who are following my blog into a big dark jar. The unexpected happen!

I Had  folded each piece of paper and threw them into a big ole black jar.  Then I had my sweet man who rides his bike every day pull a name out so I could say who won.

Well he stirred the names up, pulled up a folded piece of paper Except two had tangled. 

Since we could not decide which one was the single winner I decided to go ahead and send the two names pulled out a winner's treat!

Names will be posted shortly!!!

The winners are:

 Debbie~
and
SilkPurse

You both have WON 




Kiwi Rumba Jam 
Each of you will be receiving a 4oz jar


If the two of you would please email your mailing addresses!  
My email is:
CIC-AK@hotmail.com

Looking forward to sending off your Jam and hearing how you like it!

Congrats to Both 

Debbie~
&
SilkPurse 



Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Life's Funny Moments & Scammers & Pet Peeves

In life you can only laugh at things that are so bazaar that occur day to day at times. 

I am pretty easy going for the most part.  I believe every human being has the right to do what ever they want in life as long as it does not involve harming another person, is not illegal, or one of the internet spams that one runs into all to often.

Having a "Gourmet Edible Shop" on Etsy I receive so many wacky requests for "FREE" products it has turned into my NUMBER ONE pet peeves of the internet world.

I always answer in a very polite manner and thank each one for their request for also say my products are Not given away for Free and try to steer them to a product that is not expensive and has low shipping if they wish to purchase for their supposely Blog Review.

Actually its a pretty good internet scam...They get a free product wheter it's food, clothing, soap, home product, garden product, items for kids or adults totally Free ~ They just send a note to the person running a business and say:

"I have a blog and want to do a review on your shop and products.  Just mail me YOUR product to write about AT YOUR cost, plus all YOUR expenses and I'll write up a sentence or two of my thoughts on YOUR product that I got for FREE".  Okay they don't exactly say it that way LOL but you get the picture.

I think I'm in the wrong business I actually work and pay for items in life!

Well here is my true thoughts on that whole thing: Ya right Eat my product that I shipped to you totally free and get a review ~ Ya buddy don't wait for a certain hot place to freeze over!

Today I receive like my 1000th request for " I have a Blog and want to review your Products"  wrote back very nicely again saying No freebies...got this answer back saying "Well we don't do our reviews for free"  yadda yadda yadda, so I wrote back saying Well my products cost me money to make and ship plus I have my own blog and I have several folks who do reviews on my products already.

THEN I said I didn't care for their scam and not to write me back or I would report them the Etsy abuse for running a scam.   So I got a nasty reply back stating I was "CATTY and They would never recommend my products"  Well how can they recommend my products since I declined their scam?   


There are lots of really nice folks in the internet world of Handmade Products and people trying very hard to make a living.

THESE two women are Not part of that world!  Beware!  

Since these Two Women don't even bother to have a business on Etsy but just make a living scamming real working folks for free products who work very hard to just make ends meet selling on Etsy.  The sad part is some folks selling on Etsy fall for these scams; send out products expecting sales to follow, then are dissappointed when the blog review does nothing, except scam them.

Okay off my high horse!

I am adding a new product that received wonderful reviews!

'Elvis Has Returned'
cookies 
that are nutty peanut butter and banana
if I could only find a way to fry them
&
keep them fresh
I could have my own scam going in seconds
Friday is also the day I do my drawing for the Blog for September and to celebrate my products going to the Emmy Awards Gifting Suite! 

Friday, September 11, 2009

My Favorite Mushroom

As in several posts I have mentioned a beautiful mushroom called 'Lobster Mushroom'.  Its a mushroom that is available from late May to end of September growing in the Pacific Northwest states.





To me it is a mushroom that the cost $18.00 a pound is not going to stop me from purchasing.  I will miss these tasty morsels when the season ends. Its a heavy thick mushroom, so a pound is only a few pieces but once sliced is a lot of yummy bite fulls for the two folks here!  We get two meals out of a pound.

I cook them in a simple manner: sliced, cooked in just butter, pepper, & with a dash of Grey Sea Salt.



We have eaten them stacked high on a spinach salad, as a side dish to a lemon chicken and rice and as a "taco" on a pepper flour shell warmed & with a handful of lettuce with a Ranch dressing. I also have added them to a soup for additional color and flavor.

If you have the opportunities to eat different foods DO IT!  I love to try different tasty morsels!  But it also needs to have color to excite me when trying new food items.  I've tried several different cultural foods and they taste oooooh so good but sometimes lack color so they seem a tad boring.  So mix it up when cooking.  Add lots of colorful veggies, fruit sliced thin served chilled along side the dinner add so much appeal.

Lobster mushrooms are a bright cheerful color which for the most part when cooked retains its beauty.
Plus the flavor is so like its name: Lobster! 

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A long Week of Change

This past week over at 1000markets a new & improve site was released to many of the merchants dismay. So I spent the week learning new formats and voicing my opinions on the good and the horrible aspects that followed with the change. I'm not one to hold back when I'm not in the majority of those who think change to a website is helpful. But I'll give it a honest review in a couple of months again. Right now I'm trying to maintain and live with the change. Because actually there is nothing one can do now. I also been busy preparing my products to go to the 2009 Emmy Awards Gifting Suite that is being sponsored by Emerging Magazine! I'm happy to say they were mailed today by USPS large flat rate priority mail. As you can tell from the photo each Gift Bag will be receiving 6 products plus a Media Packet that includes, business card, menu of products, and a gift certificate. I really had a lot of fun deciding which products to send plus preparing the different products. I will be setting up a "2009 Emmy Awards Gift Package" to sell at my CoveredinChocolate shop. After wrapping everything up nicely and packing into mailing box it was a mad dash to post office to mail my precious items. If you haven't been to the Post Office in awhile to mail a package let me tell you - Flat Rate Priority is the Only Way To Mail! And the Prices again have risen :-( Tis a bit costly to mail. We have been spoiled for a very long time by reasonable shipping costs. Not anymore; tis cheaper to raise a child!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Giveaways and Specials

What a better way to celebrate September than to have a few specials and giveaways going on for everyone who visits! Run over to my online bakery shoppe and find a delight that you could even share with a friend or two or even three!:
http://coveredinchocolate.etsy.com
"Going to the Emmy Awards Special" Buy any Cookie Package and get one free (order is doubled) Good only til September 5th!
Since you are here you might want to start following me and then you are eligible to be in the drawing ~
Giveaway Special drawing!
Sign up to follow me and get your name in the drawing - Drawing will be on the September 18th! You will win a product that went to Hollywood's Emmy Awards!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Fine Art or Weird Art or is it Not Art?

Sometimes I surprise myself! A creation of mine, is it good, is it bad? Does it matter when I'm the one to decide? Is the process worth the effect? Is the work worth the mention? I like the colors. I like the design. Where in the scheme of art does it fit?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Offical Invite for the Emmy Awards Gifting Suite

I want to say Please visit Emgering Magazine's website. It is full of wonderful news, great articles, and a very friendly staff. I also now have my own website which of is being worked on but if you wish to view: http://www.CoveredinChocolateBakery.com

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

How does one Prepare for the Emmy's

Now that I've settled down from the news that Covered in Chocolate was a shop selected to provide products for the 2009 Emmy Awards Gifting Suites I need to choose what sweet little treats will be going. http://www.emergingmagazine.com/#/gift-suite-sponsors/4534879543 Check them out! Unfortunately my Truffles have a short shelf life because they have dairy products in them requiring being kept chilled, so are out of the running...well maybe not... the Double Mocha Hold the Latte is non dairy so it could go - lots of different ways to dress it up also, change the flavors Oh my I think I just hit on something! Several of the cookies are delightful and unusual. A big surprise for those with a palette desiring something different. Two of my cupcakes are edge breaking with a taste on the wild side. I also do dipped apples with all kinds of wonderful sweet treats covering them to enhance the mild taste of the apples. Let me tell you - it's very hard to decide what shall be in the gift packages I'm sending. I have my own favorites for when I crave sweets; should I send those or what I think others will like?
Don't forget starting September 1, I be doing a drawing for a sweet treat to go out to the lucky winner! Sign up now to be included in that drawing! All you have to do is become one of my followers!!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Birthdays, Trees, and neighbors

Today is my honey's fathers birthday. Turning 84 must be exciting in this day and age. He is healthy, active, lives alone, dates every now and then, plus he loves my sweet treats that I sent him. He tells me every time we talk he is going to live to he is 104. Lately he has changed that to he is going to live til he is 120 years old since he is enjoying it so much. He has lived in the same community, same house for last 50 years, if not longer. Just outside San Francisco. Across the Golden Gate Bridge. His hillside home is full of beautiful redwood trees. Ancient and powerful trees. There is one tree that is so old it takes 3 adults with arms stretched to the limit to circle it. Last week we were discussing paper products - he sends us magazines and newspapers articles that he feels we might enjoy reading. I had to tell him "Dad don't do that, we read everything online these days so Tree's are NOT cut down. Which then lead to the conversion about the redwood trees in his yard. A neighbor had suggested to him that a few of these should be cut down to improve the "View" from their hillside. Needless to say Dad was outraged. I could not believe someone would even consider cutting redwood trees down. I wish these trees were 'protected trees' in regard that it is against the law to cut these down. All I can say is "His neighbor must be a self-centered nitwit." So today I need to cook up a few of his favorites to send off. He loves the marshmallows, and several of the cookies. I'm thinking some of my zucchini bread since it's a bit more healthy. Then he could also share at the local gathering place of his friends.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

2009 Emmy Awards

I have had the most exciting last two days. Has even been better than when I was a kid waiting for Santa Claus to bring a zagillion presents. Just a side note: I still believe!
Covered In Chocolate is GOING TO THE
EMMY'S
For those folks at Etsy if you been visiting the forums you might have notice a posting by one of the folks doing a Emmy Gifting Suite. They also selected a handful of Etsy sellers to have the opportunity of being sponsored by Emgering Magazine.
I was One whose shop was selected In that Handful!
Don't laugh yes I know my items are not fancy nor elegant but my Truffles are to die for and I know my pictures do not do my Gourmets Sweets justice~ They are the best you could ever taste! Now that I'm going to be in the Lime Light (oh god I looked icky in green LOL) I will be updating pics and making things look more professional. But you know you can take the girl out of the county but you can't take the county out of the girl! Anyhow I'm just so excited! This truly is a once in a lifetime chance for a moment of frame! My sweetie has been teasing me "well What are you Going to Do when Miss Oprah calls" and Says "oh my dear could you sent off 200 dozens of your key lime truffles so that we can hand out to our guests next week at the studio." Okay I'm being silly but Honestly I'm so dazzled by this. I called my Mother yesterday to share the joy with her and we cried. We are silly women I admit it. But she was just thrilled to hear that in my small world here in Alaska far away from family that I have been blessed with creations that are going to the EMMYS!!!! I wish to Thank Cher and Stef the owners of Emerging Magazine, Inc along with their Board members who are the sponsors for my creations to go to the 2009 Emmy Awards Gift Suites. If you would like to read all about this excitement, please visit the website: http://www.emergingmagazine.com/#/gift-suite-sponsors/4534879543 Thrill ~ thrilled ~ thrilling!!! Just to show you I'm going all Grown Up to the Emmy's a preview of my new Banner, which also will be a few other things:

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Monthly Drawings for a Tasty Gourmet Treat!

Now that the hottest part of summer is over in the northern half of the United States I'm restocking Covered in Chocolate Shoppe at Etsy. I also am happy to announce I have a monthly newsletter for those wishing to sign up and receive. It will be crock full of useful tips, recipes, coupons to my shop and announcements of the monthly free drawing for one of my tasty treats! Sign up now! Just send me a message that you wish to be added to my list of followers. Today's tip: use less salt. Add other spices that you haven't used to add a great flavor to your cooking creation! Cardamom is wonderful in soups!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Veggie Soup Stock Part Dux

The soup stock turned out really good. Safely put into ice cube trays and is now frozen. Whenever I need stock I'll be able to take out a couple of veggie stock ice cubes and make up something tasty in different recipes for a couple of weeks. For this basic veggie stock: three carrots along with the green tops one large potato 3 celery stalks 1 large tomato 3 yellow turnips 6 red tipped lettuce leaves 1 large onion - I used yellow 10 red grapes 6 cups of water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp dried dill 1 tsp Mrs Dash tomato basil 1 tsp herb de Provence Chop all the veggies into large chunks, toss into water that is in a large pot I use my 5 qt pot, add seasoning and start cooking! Bring to boil and cook for 30 minutes on full boil, then simmer about 4 hours. This reduces the stock to about 3 to 4 cups of usable veggie stock. Remember to Stir a few times while cooking just to make sure nothing has stuck to bottom of 5 qt pot. Let sit for a few minutes after turning off heat. Then stain stock into a bowl. Reserve the cooked veggies and 1 cup of the stock. I let it cool down for about 10 to 20 minutes then I pull into ice cube trays for freezing. This did two trays for me with a few tablespoon left over which I just added back to the reserve veggies. I put the reserve cooked veggie into blender and blend into a fine thick stock with the 1 cup of the veggie stock. To do this portion I suggest you do 1/2 of the veggies at a time with about 1/4 cup stock. Once the veggies are blended totally add remaining stock and blend until smooth. This is great just heated as its own soup for the next day. Looks very much like a thick split pea soup

Folks who like Edibles