Happy Valentines Day - It's Not Too Late!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! If you have left it too late to get a present for your loved one or you just want to treat yourself why not try one of these great Valentine's Day inspired recipes?!

1) Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes - http://belleofthekitchen.com/2014/02/06/cherry-coke-float-cupcakes/

2) Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies - http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/23/strawberry-chocolate-chip-cookies/

3) Chocolate Strawberry Crisps - http://www.caramelpotatoes.com/2014/02/06/chocolate-strawberry-crisps/

4) Chocolate Strawberry Hearts - http://loramore.com/chocolate-strawberry-hearts.html 

Some of these recipes are American so the ingredients list is slightly different to ours in the UK. Click here for a guide on how to convert US recipes for the UK.

Love Sophie...xxx

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - No Eggs!

So there are only a few more days left of the school holidays and if you're looking for something to do with the kids why not try baking these really easy and delicious Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies made with only five ingredients!

I found this recipe when looking for a way to use up some left over condensed milk at the Carnation website.  You can bake the entire mix in one go or you can freeze the dough in small balls and bake the cookies on demand it's completely up to you!

Ingredients: 

 350g Self Raising Flour
100g Chocolate Chips
170g Condensed Milk
225g Softened Unsalted Butter
225g Caster Sugar

 

 

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C and cream butter sugar and milk until light and fluffy.

2) Mix in flour to create a soft dough then add the chocolate chips.

3) Roll the dough into walnut size balls and pace on tray flattening them slightly.  Make sure you leave enough room between the balls as they will spread.  Bake for around 20mins and cool on a wire rack.

Are You Addicted To Chocolate Too?

Is it just me or does everyone have some sort of vice? For me it is definitely chocolate! 

Before I started trying to get fit I can honestly say that I ate a 200g bar of chocolate every night...it was my way of relaxing once the girls had gone to bed.  The funny thing is that the more chocolate I ate the more I would crave.

Once I decided to lose some of my baby weight I had to cut out this naughty habit and restricted myself to only eating chocolate at the weekend.  At first this was really hard as I thought about chocolate all the time but after a few weeks the cravings subsided! I would not say I have an addictive nature to anything else but chocolate now that's another story!

Ok generally researchers believe that it is not possible to be 'addicted' to chocolate but there is no denying the feel good factor of eating any your favourite chocolate.  It melts in your mouth and and tastes really good and it does contain chemicals which trigger feelings of giddiness, attraction, euphoria and excitement! Wow this stuff is good, no wonder I like it so much! 

Did you know? Chocolate is also know as Theobroma Cacao meaning chocolate from the tree in it's purest form. Theobroma is Greek for food of the gods!

Hopefully I've got all of you Chocoholics in the mood for some food of the Gods, let me know what you think! 

Love Sophie..x