Have you ever really experience chocolate?  Do you know anyone who has?  That is why chocolate makes such a great gift come holidays, birthdays, etc.  Experience: Chocolate has come up with some great ways for you to give chocolate as a gift to other or even to yourself (I have to admit I like that last one).  They have something called Tasting Experiences.  What they do is you get a variety of gourmet chocolate tasting squares.  The collections consider the origin of the cocoa beans, cocoa content and manufacturing process and are designed to satisfy the desire of an experienced gourmet or pique the interest of a casual taster.  Here are a few you can try out:

Chocolate for the Vine™ – Our tasters’ pairing guide will help you marry these fine chocolates with your favorite wine.

Sweet Serenity™ – Milk chocolate from around the world with a focus on taste and smoothness.

Pure Rapture™ – Varietal, single-origin or estate-grown chocolate from the world’s foremost growing regions.

Euphoric Indulgence™ – Featuring some of the world’s best semi-sweet and bittersweet dark chocolate bars.

Now, if you live in the Boston MA area, you can even have your own Chocolate Tasting!  At these shows, you will learn how to taste the difference between three varieties of cocoa beans.

They even have gift baskets!  This is one gift basket any chocolate lover would like. These baskets include your choice of our Sweet Serenity™ milk chocolate Tasting Experience™ box, Euphoric Indulgence™ dark chocolate Tasting Experience™ box, or Chocolate for the Vine™ Tasting Experience™ box, plus chocolate covered cocoa nibs, Mexican drinking chocolate, and other goodies.

The prices for the chocolate collections start at $24.99 and vary according to the collection. The gift basket is on sale for $49.95.  I have been lucky enough to try out four of the flavors of chocolate that they have:  neuhaus, Valrhona Jivara, Michel Cluizel Chocolatier Paris, and Amedei Tuscany Toscano Brown.  This is some of the best chocolate you will have.  However, my favorite has to be the neuhaus.  It is milk chocolate that just melts in your mouth.  It has a smooth taste with my aftertaste.  Milk chocolate has and always will be my first love.

If you are needed a Christmas gift for a chocolate lover, definitely check out Experience: Chocolate.  Its is your one stop shop for some the of the chocolate in the world!

Take a look at the juice you have in your house. What is the first ingredient on most of it? Most of the time, even if your juice is 100% natural without fillers, the first ingredients include corn syrup, propylene glycol, and artificial sweeteners. If that sounds like something you don’t want to be drinking, you should check out Boost Juice.

Boost Juice is made with Superfruits. Superfruits are called that because they have higher amounts of nutrients per serving than other fruits and vegetables. They contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, Polysaccharides as well as other trace minerals. There also is scientific evidence to indicate that Superfruit Juices can offer benefits thought to be associated with health supplements.
Boost Juice is 100% natural, contains no artificial flavor, sweeteners, stimulants, or preservatives. They are the only superfruit juice that have 100% of the daily of Vitamin C, 72 plant based trace minerals, up to 4 grams of protein, and the highest ORAC rating! The Boost Juice is available in 12 ounce recyclable glass bottles and is found in the refrigerated juice section in the produce section in your local grocery store.

There are four different flavors of Boost Juice, and they all taste great (I had a couple of taste testers help me with this review, and they loved it too! I did have one taste tester tell me that the Beauty Boost did taste more like tea than juice, and the Inner Boost was more fruity but still had a small tea flavor.). The first flavor is the Beauty Boost. It contains 10,000 mcg of Acai per bottle. This juice supports healthy skin, hair, nails, anti-aging, cardiovascular health, and digestive health. It also provides 100% of the daily allowance you need of Vitamin C, 600 mg of plant based trace minerals, plus 21 essential and non-essential amino acids. This helps our bodies to repair, rejuvenate, rebuild, and stay strong. Next, there is Happy Boost. This supports positive moods, healthy aging, eye health, healthy energy levels, and liver and kidney heath. It provides vitamins A, B, E, plus 100% of your daily allowance of Vitamin C. It also has 2 grams of protein, 600 mg of plant based trace minerals plus Solavetivone, Betaine, and Lycium Barbarum Ploysaccharides (LBPs 1 – 5). Next, there is Inner Boost. The juice supports natural cleaning, healthy digestion, healthy immune function, and healthy energy levels. It also provides Acubin, Alazarain, Asperuloside, Anthraquinone and Scopoletin which is suppose to help support circulatory health. You also get 100% of your daily allowance of vitamin C, 600 mg of plant based trace minerals, and 4 grams of protein. Lastly, there is Youth Boost. This supports healthy aging, joint health, healthy immune function, and cardiovascular health. It also provides 100% of your daily allowance of vitamin C, 600 mg of plant based trace minerals, 2 grams of protein, plus Xanthones.

If you are looking for a refreshment without the artificial ingredients found in other drinks, Boost Juice is what you want. It tastes great and is good for you.

Store potatoes in a cool, well ventilated place away from moisture and light.  Never refrigerate them or the startch will change to sugar and affect the taste.

This easy to make recipe is take off of our well known french toasts. However, if you are looking for something a little different, definitely try out these french toast rounds.

I recommend using Wolferman’s English Muffins for this recipe for several reasons.  First, I love the size of them.  That is literally the first thing you will notice.  If you are like me, you are buying whatever is cheaper at the store.  However, cheap does not equal same quality.  Wolferman’s English Muffins are double the size of what I normally buy.  I also noticed right away that I didn’t have to slice these open.  With little ones, I try to use knives the least amount as possible.  These you just have to gently pull them apart.  These are super yummy too.  I cannot believe the taste difference.  When you open the bag, you immediately can smell the flavor.  The cinnamon and raison english muffins is one of the best scents.  Another favorite flavor for our house was the Apple Orchards (I liked the scent of this one too).  If you need english muffins, I highly recommend Wolferman’s.  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

4 Wolferman’s 1910 Original Signature English Muffins (you could also use the Honey & Oats, Cinnamon & Raisin, and Cranberry English Muffins)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended. Heat a lightly oiled griddle to medium/hot. Dip both sides of the muffin halves into the egg mixture. Place slices on heated griddle. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Both my kids and I liked this (hubby missed it due to being at the Chicago Bears game).  Let me know if you have a great french toast recipe I should try on our next bag of English muffins.

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Cream cheese is 33% milk fat.  Neufchatel cheese is about 23% fat.  With the same taste and cooking qualities, it can be substituted for cream cheese in cookies and cakes.