Chocolate-Covered Katie

We’ll get to that in a minute.  But first:

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America’s Funniest Home Videos Google Searches

Ok, so nothing will ever top “Sarah Palin is a Pumpkin.”

But some of these come close.  Especially due to the fact that “chocolate-covered” is in the title, I get a ton of crazy searches every day.  And after yesterday’s post, with all the funny 80s references, I can only imagine that the searches will get even weirder!

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(My Handsome Naked Men post doesn’t help matters.)

.Below are some of my favorites:

1. Hot people making babies
2. noises coming out of microwave
3. how to tell if your a muggle
4. i wish chocolate had no calories
5. ugly chocolate sex photos
6. 57 year old naked men
7. fetch your own damn slippers
8. alicia silverstone thigh
9. porn in yoga pants
10. chocolate makes me get ulcers
11. beautiful knees
12. my banana is really big

Then there are about a bazillion for chocolate-covered bacon, chocolate-covered peppers, chocolate-covered hot girls, chocolate-covered bumblebees…

Makes ya worry about the mental health of the human race

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And now for something not-so-funny:

Remember the earthquake in Haiti?  Remember how it was all over the media, with celebrity telethons and commercials asking for help?  Well, a huge problem with the media is that it only covers things that are newsworthy.  Right after the earthquake, Haiti = newsworthy.  Now?  It’s old hat.  But guess what: Old hats need attention too!!  So please don’t forget about the people in Haiti who are trying desperately to rebuild their lives.

Last week, at the high school where my mom teaches, they held a bake sale to raise funds for the earthquake.  I’ve never met a bake sale I didn’t like, so of course I was happy to take a break from homework to whip up 24 vegan cupcakes for the cause.  Apparently, they were all gone in ten minutes flat.  I don’t know if that means I’m a good cook or just that high school kids (boys especially) will eat anything as long as it’s covered in sugar .

(The usual vegan cupcake recipe, frosted with the usual, surprisingly-vegan frosting)

Moving on…

When is a Fudge Baby not a Fudge Baby? 

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Answer:

When it’s a Fudge Baby Milkshake!

About a month ago, I tried to make such a milkshake.  Into my blender went raw cashews, cocoa powder, water, and dates.  I’d seen a similar recipe in VegNews magazine.  But silly me didn’t know to pre-soak my cashews.  Therefore, what I ended up with was chocolate water with floating cashew pieces swimming through the mix.  Sounds appealing, right?  Not so much.  So I put the idea on the back-burner for another day.

But a certain someone beat me to it.  (And, by the way, it’s her photo above, not mine.  My photography skills could only match hers in my wildest dreams.) 

Check out her amazingness! 

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Saturday= end of NuNaturals Stevia Giveaway

And Vegan Thursday is tomorrow .

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I was so excited that everyone liked yesterday’s Pancake Roll-Ups idea.

And I was even more excited to hear some of the delicious-sounding fillings you all were inventing.  From Cinnamon Rolls to Fudge Baby-filled cakes, to Savory Hummus, all of your ideas are seriously awesomelicious pancake-licious!

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It was a dreary Monday here in Texas.  Seems like we’ve had a lot of rain this winter.  I think rain is my least favorite weather condition (well, cold rain, anyways).

Ugly weather calls for comforting food; a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do:

Make more Pancake Roll Ups!

Yesterday’s roll ups had fresh strawberries and homemade Vegan Whipped Cream

Tasted like Strawberry Shortcake!

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But I didn’t stop with Roll Ups; no sir:

On another day, I made Strawberry Shortcake Pizza!  (Like this Carrot Cake Pizza)

Below, waiting to be sliced:

A whole dessert pizza, just for me!!!

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And then, one day there was:

Strawberries and Whipped Cream in a Bowl (or in this case, in a pancake pocket sandwich!)

 

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While eating these pancakes (24-Carrot Cake Pancakes again), I think back to those cutey-pie dolls I played with as a kid.

My favorite was Blueberry Muffin.  (Can you imagine going through life with such a name?)

Yes, like a true child of the 80s, I also played with Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Dolls and My Little Ponies.

What about you?  What were your favorite toys as a kid?

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Click to enter the NuNaturals Stevia Giveaway.

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Waffles are so last year.

French Toast?  Who’s that?

It’s time to make room for the new kid in town breakfast:

Pancake Roll Ups!

Above, Carrot Cake Pancake Roll Ups, filled with raisins and (vegan)Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting, covered with carrots and more raisins and Cream Cheese Frosting (a.k.a. cheesecake mousse)

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Step-by-Step to make Pancake Roll Ups:

Step One:

Cook up your pancakes, a bit thinner than usual. (In the photos, I used 24-Carrot Cake Pancakes.)

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Step Two:

Top each pancake with lots of yum-licious ingredients

 

(Such as raisins and Cheesecake Mousse… or even Whipped Cream in a Bowl)

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Step Three:

Roll up the pancakes

Side note: I *heart* the cute strawberry plate from Pier One.

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Step Four:

Put more deliciousness on top!

Step Five:

Devour your Pancake Roll Ups before other members in your house see them and beat you to it!

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Question of the Day:

What fillings would go in your perfect Pancake Roll Ups?

Apparently, February is National Pancake Month, so you have no excuse not to make your dream Pancake Roll Ups a reality!

Get to your kitchens!  

One I want to try soon: Coconut butter and chocolate chips stuffed into Brownie Batter Pancake Roll Ups = Mounds Bars for breakfast!!

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In the past, some pretty cool-cat guests have shown up at my Super Bowl parties. 

Like this sugar-cookie guy…

…and all his colorful animal cookie friends.

.But this year I have no idea where I’ll end up, because my friends seem to equate “planning ahead” with “the devil.” 

*Sigh* they’re my friends, and I love ‘em.  But sometimes they drive me crazy!

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What about you? 

Are you a planner?  Or do you like to live spontaneously? 

I know I promised cupcakes, but today I’m in a rush.  This week, though, I have some really exciting posts planned.  (They’re exciting to me, anyways.  Hopefully you’ll like them too!!)  Cupcakes, a raw dessert, and a really fun new breakfast recipe are all on the menu.

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Sneak Preview of tomorrow’s post:

Now what could this possibly be???

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Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  Let’s hope the commercials this year are better than last year’s!

Final note: NuNaturals Stevia Giveaway here.

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On to Part Four of Stevia-Sugar Week:

Time for a giveaway!

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Yesterday, I highlighted some of my favorite recipes with stevia.

But today, YOU get a chance (or, rather, four chances) to win some stevia so that you can make your own sweet recipes .

FOUR lucky winners (two bloggers and two readers) will each receive a 50-count box of NuNaturals stevia packets AND (the best part) a bottle of their amazing vanilla alcohol-free stevia drops!

(Not everything you see here… but all the google-image photos I could find were too small/too blurry/belonging to other bloggers.)

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To see how to enter the giveaway, click here.

Tomorrow: Cupcakes!!

Happy Saturday!

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In yesterday’s post, I wrote my love letter to sugar.

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But I’ve become a fan of stevia too.   

I don’t use much, but just a little now and then can really jazz up a dish. 

And it doesn’t seem to give me that awful crash-and-burn feeling I get from too much sugar.

(Above, using a bit of stevia makes for one amazing bowl of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Oatmeal )

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Other ways to enjoy stevia (in powdered form):

Cook up a dessert-for-breakfast feast fit for a chocolate-covered queen: Brownie Batter Pancakes

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Or…

Make a warm batch of cinnamon-y sweet Snickerdoodle cookies Snickerdoodle Oatmeal 

 

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And it works well in any of the following, too:

 

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From the top:

• S’more Muffins

 

• Oatmeal Cookie Crepe Cakes

 

• Better-n-Kozyshack Oatmeal Pudding

Unlike some of the other brands on the market, NuNaturals stevia powder isn’t cut down with erythritol.  (Truvia and PureVia contain more erythritol than actual stevia.)  Therefore, you end up needing quite a bit less powder to achieve the same amount of sweetness.  Also–and judging by the comments in my previous two posts, others seem to agree with me–I don’t think NuNaturals stevia  has a strange aftertaste. 

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Sometimes getting free samples from a company can be a very bad thing. 

My wallet would be much happier if I’d never been introduced to the likes of Artisana butters or Vivapura cacao nibs or Epic Roots Mache. 

And now Ron, of Nunaturals, introduced me to another fun find I never would’ve picked up on my own: their alcohol-free vanilla stevia drops.

Seriously, I never would have bought these because: They aren’t sold near me, they’re super-expensive, I wouldn’t have thought to buy them, and—oh yeah—did I mention they’re super-expensive?  But the price is deceptive, because with these drops, a little goes a looooooong way.  And the taste is divine; I go crazy for anything vanilla-flavored. .

These little drops work wonders in recipes such as… Five-Minute Chocolate Mousse 

 

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Or:

……Whipped Cream in a Bowl 

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……..Chocolate Mudslide Oatmeal 

..       Pumpkin Pie Soup/Salad Dressing

 

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And, for a bitter-sweet taste, add a few drops to otherwise-unsweetened Choco-licious Chocolate Pudding 

Admittedly I did not try all of the products that they sent.  I didn’t use the baking blend, the no-carbs blend, nor the erythritol.  And I wasn’t fond of the cacao bean extract.  But the NuNaturals stevia powder is, in my opinion, one of the best out there.  And as for those vanilla drops… well, if you can find them, I very much recommend buying a bottle. 

Yup, ladies and gentlemen, you heard this chocolate-covered girl correctly: Buy the vanilla!

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Oh, and many of you have been asking about the Vita-Mix giveaway: 

Yes, it is over.  Read the wrap-up post here.

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