v 5 issue 29: Make Mine Chocolate

This weeks issue is packed with yummy rich brown fashion, accessories and gifts. Be sure to check out our delicious chocolate recipes.



Cover by Kelly Smith







1 A dimpled minky fabric of white is partnered with brown plush on the reverse side to create the Fuzzy Wuzzy- a blanket of outstanding softness. Fuzzy is the king size version of luxury, but the Cuddlebug- with pint-sized proportions & all the softness of Fuzzy- intends to help out with burping duties until it is time to take on a more important challenge...becoming a tag-along version of it's cohort. Available at bouncingfrogs.com. Enter code: MMB210 for 15% off all purchases.

2 On the outside, you get a rich mocha fabric spruced up with pink polka-dots, ribbons, and a personalization of your choice. On the inside, you'll find 100 acid-free magnetic pages for arranging pictures anyway you like. The album pages are clipped to a 3 ring binder, so extra pages can be added as needed. Available at thetrendybebe.com in both a small & large sized photo album. Enter code: Gift for 20% off your entire purchase.

3 Antique gold tulle and gold glimmer tulle are fashioned into a fabulous double layered tutu with chocolate and caramel pom-poms surprisingly placed between the layers. Topped off with a large satin bow, the Christina tutu is ready for any special occasion. Available at Cutie Pa Tutus for $39.99. Enter code: tottrends for $5 off all tutus and capes.

4 Woobie Wear offers a wide assortment of hats and headbands in toasty tans and cocoa browns... Dabbled throughout the collections, shoppers will find tasty treats to satisfy any craving for fashionable headgear. All headbands & hats receive their flirty flair through added flowers and bows which can be ordered in any color combination.

5 Plan on adding a little sweetness to a tot's wardrobe with silky soft pull-on pants made of a bamboo/organic cotton blend in chocolate brown. The boy's pants are accented with a contrasting blue stitch and the girls get a ruffled hem with a contrasting band of rose. Adorable! Green Sproutlets. Free 3-pack bamboo washcloths with purchases of $50 and more.

6 Indulge baby with a gift from Bubele. Slip off the sage ribbon and chocolate tissue wrap to unveil an adorable set decorated in browns, stripes, and blue dots. The set comes with striped lounge pants, a polka-dotted long sleeve shirt, and a double knotted stocking hat. All items are made of quality combed cotton and coordinate nicely. Enter code: TTWLOVE for 15% off your entire purchase.

7 Orazio is a versatile and useful orangutan found @ Cupcakes & Caterpillars. Besides being a soft squishy friend, Orazio has a secret pillow hidden on the inside and a detachable blanket stored in his tummy. Perfect for traveling! Enter code: sweet for 20% off all purchases.

8 Jakes are a pair of deep chocolate Nubuck leather uppers securely fastened to Flex-the unique fit system of Pedipeds. These Flex shoes come with an extra 2mm insole which slips into the shoe creating a custom fit for your child's foot. When the shoes get snug, simply take out the extra insole for extended wear. Not only are these shoes smart and fashionable, they cradle feet in flexibility, cushion heels, and slide on quick...but certainly don't look like ordinary velcro sneakers!


Chocolate Recipes
Peanut Chocolate Buckeyes

Ingredients:
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 cup of softened, real butter
1 full pound of confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 cups rice cereal finely crushed
3/4 cup finely ground, unsalted peanuts

Dipping sauce:
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon butter

Directions:
Blend peanut butter, butter and sugar together until a paste forms. Add cereal and nuts. Roll into small balls; set on wax paper or a cookie sheet. When dough balls are made, melt butter and chocolate chips in a double boiler. Blend until smooth. Carefully dip each cookie into the chocolate mix, leaving a part of the cookie uncovered. Cool on a plate or cookie sheet.


Simple Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed
2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cake:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 large eggs
Fresh whipped cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients for crust; spread onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly crispy.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. While crust cools, mix cream cheese, sugar and the extracts until well blended. Add eggs; blend until well mixed. Slowly pour chocolate into batter and mix until color is smooth. Pour batter into springform pan and make sure to smooth out top. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes longer. When done, remove edge from rim of springform pan and cool. Serve with fresh whipped cream and chocolate garnishes.


America loves chocolate!
Humanity's love affair with chocolate dates back to ancient times. From chips and bars to hot, frothy drinks and ice cream, there is no denying America's long-lasting love affair with chocolate. The International Cocoa Organization reports that Americans and Europeans are the world's biggest chocolate consumers. The industry itself is so big that chocolate is often referred to in measures of tons rather than ounces or pounds.

What Goes Into Making Chocolate
Chocoholics might not take the time to pause and wonder exactly how it is this miraculous creation is made. If they did, they'd probably be surprised at how much work actually goes into creating their favorite confection. The fact of the matter is there is a great deal more to making fine chocolate than picking a cacao bean and cooking it. From the actual bean selection right down to the creation of different varieties, expert touches are required to ensure the highest quality, most flavorful chocolate creation. Going from Point A to Point B takes a very special touch if perfection is desired.

The first and perhaps the most important step in making chocolate is the actual bean selection itself. If the bean chosen isn't of high quality, the end result will be a less than desirable chocolate. For this reason, many fine chocolate makers take great pains to select their beans personally.

Once a master chocolate chef, or chocolatier, selects the beans, they are then fermented and roasted. The roasting can have a big impact on the finished flavor, but the next steps are even more important. After the roasting, the chocolate creation process involves actually grinding the beans. During the grinding, the liquid from the beans is mostly removed. Known as cacao liquor, this fluid is turned into the actual chocolate.

To create the end product from chocolate liquor, sugar must go into the mix. Once this is done, a grinding process takes place again. This helps ensure that a gritty, grainy taste doesn't result. Following the grinding, chocolate makers move on to a step that is known as conching. This involves a combination of heating and further grinding. This step can take place over a few hours or for more than a day. It is at this point that chocolate begins to take on the form that most chocoholics love.

After chocolate has been properly conched, the chocolate maker then works the last few steps of the process. This can involve adding the ingredients for milk chocolate, dark or more. Depending on the type of chocolate desired, the final touches might include decorative shaping, filling or even frosting.

There is a great deal more to creating chocolate than many lovers even realize. From the bean to the finished confection, an expert touch is necessary at every step in the process.