If you've taken a recent trip past the candy isle of your local grocer or convenience store, you've surely taken notice of the bunny and egg's annual return, lining the shelves in all of their pastel glory. With Easter now just a couple of days away, these goodies will soon be released from the cellophane-covered baskets in which they've been securely placed, but come Sunday, they won't find a safety zone in sight. While the chocolate bunnies can't control their fate, you can surely control yours— and in this particular case, fate is closely associated with a little something called will power.
It's not always easy turning down one of those vibrantly packaged treats, but knowing the amount of calories, fat, and sugar included in the candies that are likely to present themselves may help prevent you from going overboard on the marshmallow eggs (measurements based on a single-serving size):
Whopper's Robin Eggs: (8 pieces) 180 calories, 5 grams fat, 28 grams sugar
Russell Stover Maple Creme Egg: 110 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 18 grams sugar
Reese's Peanut Butter Egg: (1.2 oz) 170 calories, 10 grams fat, 16 grams sugar
Cadbury Caramel Egg: (1.2 oz) 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 15 grams sugar
Lindt Gold Bunny: (1.7 oz) 220 calories, 13 grams fat, 22 grams sugar
Peeps Chicks: (5 chicks) 140 calories, 0 grams fat, 34 grams sugar
Peeps Bunnies: (4 bunnies) 110 calories, 0 grams fat, 26 grams sugar
Twix Egg: 150 calories, 7 grams fat, 16 grams sugar
Russell Stover Marshmallow Milk Chocolate Egg: 110 calories, 3 grams fat, 14 grams sugar
Bunny Mix M&M's: (approx. 1/4 cup) 210 calories, 9 grams fat, 26 grams sugar
Lindt Chocolate Carrots: (3 carrots) 220 calories, 15 grams fat, 19 grams sugar
Peeps Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg: (1/2 package) 180 calories, 10 grams fat, 23 grams sugar
Milky Way Bunny: 150 calories, 7 grams fat, 19 grams sugar
Russell Stover Truffle Egg: 140 calories, 8 grams fat, 13 grams sugar
If you're interested in a some healthier, homemade Easter-themed sweets, check out some of the links below:
Copycat Peanut Butter Eggs
Homemade Marshmallow Chicks
Cadbury Creme Ice Cream Eggs
Baby Chick Macaroons
Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls (can easily be shaped into eggs)
Homemade Chocolate Bunnies
Wishing a happy Easter to all who celebrate!
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Friday, April 18, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Valentine's Day: the sweet gift of crepes
*Given the holiday tomorrow, I've decided to put this week's post up a day in advance. This way, if you so choose to cook up the recipe below to celebrate with your loved one, necessary preparations can be made!*
Valentine's Day: you want to do something special for your significant other, but you're stumped on a romantic idea that's both charming and at least somewhat original. Roses, chocolate truffles, champagne— they're likely to be among one of the first ideas you think of gifting and what many will ultimately choose to purchase. Though all are symbolic of romance, they're 100% cliche. Nonetheless, the gesture is sure to be appreciated by the recipient, but these items aren't what I'd consider to be the most thoughtful out there. Sure, it's nice to think of someone else in the first place, but doesn't the 5-second thought process behind choosing one of said gifts make it more or less thoughtless? If you're looking to dazzle your partner, consider taking a step back and thinking outside the conventional, but still on the lines of romantic.
Lucky for you, I've already done the brainstorming. The answer I propose is Paris, a.k.a. the city from which romance erupts. No, I'm not unrealistically suggesting you grab your boyfriend/girlfriend/guy or gal you have a thing with/husband/wife and hop on a plane to the magical city (in which case, you win Valentine's Day). Rather, I recommend you bring some of the city's splendor into your own home! But, how?
The answer would be with crepes. Protein crepes, spread with a layer of naturally sweetened chocolate sauce and topped with fresh berries. Not only would you be giving your Valentine the gift of a delicious, homemade dessert, but the gift of health. Now, is there really anything more thoughtful than a gift you take the time to make with your own hands, in addition to being one that considers your partner's physical wellbeing?
It's a double whammy, two gifts in one— and it doesn't cost you anything extra!
This guiltless indulgence calls for two separate recipes, though both require few ingredients and are easy to make. I recommend washing and chopping the fruit and making the chocolate sauce before cooking the crepes, that way you can serve them while they're still warm!
To make Topped With Cinnamon's chocolate fudge sauce, you'll need:
- 1/3 cup dates (I only needed 3 whole dates for this, you might buy 4 to be safe)
- 1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla, but you could also use cashew or regular milk)
- 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
Cut up the dates, remove their pits (measure out the 1/3 cup only after you've done this), and add them into a blender with the almond milk. Blend until smooth. Pour the creamy liquid into a saucepan and let it come to a boil. From there, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer, stirring while it cooks for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Then, remove the pan from heat and stir in the cocoa powder until it's mixed in evenly throughout.
To make the protein crepes (adapted from Blogilates), you'll need: (makes 1-2 crepes)
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1-2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla here, too)
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- Stevia, to taste (optional- I personally omitted this)
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a bowl (I recommend using a blender to avoid having to work out the clumps of protein powder) and cook in a pan over low heat. For a thick, pancake-like crepe (like the one pictured), pour in all of the contents and cook until lightly browned. For thinner crepes, I'd split the batter in two and cook each separately. I haven't tried this myself, but I'd assume the only difference would be that the crepes cook faster.
Spread on the chocolate, top with fruit, and you're good to go!
To really top the presentation off, print out a blown up version of this Eiffel Tower photo I found on Google. Tape it to the window, light a few candles, and enjoy the view.
Valentine's Day: you want to do something special for your significant other, but you're stumped on a romantic idea that's both charming and at least somewhat original. Roses, chocolate truffles, champagne— they're likely to be among one of the first ideas you think of gifting and what many will ultimately choose to purchase. Though all are symbolic of romance, they're 100% cliche. Nonetheless, the gesture is sure to be appreciated by the recipient, but these items aren't what I'd consider to be the most thoughtful out there. Sure, it's nice to think of someone else in the first place, but doesn't the 5-second thought process behind choosing one of said gifts make it more or less thoughtless? If you're looking to dazzle your partner, consider taking a step back and thinking outside the conventional, but still on the lines of romantic.
Lucky for you, I've already done the brainstorming. The answer I propose is Paris, a.k.a. the city from which romance erupts. No, I'm not unrealistically suggesting you grab your boyfriend/girlfriend/guy or gal you have a thing with/husband/wife and hop on a plane to the magical city (in which case, you win Valentine's Day). Rather, I recommend you bring some of the city's splendor into your own home! But, how?
The answer would be with crepes. Protein crepes, spread with a layer of naturally sweetened chocolate sauce and topped with fresh berries. Not only would you be giving your Valentine the gift of a delicious, homemade dessert, but the gift of health. Now, is there really anything more thoughtful than a gift you take the time to make with your own hands, in addition to being one that considers your partner's physical wellbeing?It's a double whammy, two gifts in one— and it doesn't cost you anything extra!
This guiltless indulgence calls for two separate recipes, though both require few ingredients and are easy to make. I recommend washing and chopping the fruit and making the chocolate sauce before cooking the crepes, that way you can serve them while they're still warm!
To make Topped With Cinnamon's chocolate fudge sauce, you'll need:
- 1/3 cup dates (I only needed 3 whole dates for this, you might buy 4 to be safe)
- 1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla, but you could also use cashew or regular milk)
- 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
Cut up the dates, remove their pits (measure out the 1/3 cup only after you've done this), and add them into a blender with the almond milk. Blend until smooth. Pour the creamy liquid into a saucepan and let it come to a boil. From there, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer, stirring while it cooks for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Then, remove the pan from heat and stir in the cocoa powder until it's mixed in evenly throughout.
To make the protein crepes (adapted from Blogilates), you'll need: (makes 1-2 crepes)
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1-2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla here, too)
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- Stevia, to taste (optional- I personally omitted this)
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a bowl (I recommend using a blender to avoid having to work out the clumps of protein powder) and cook in a pan over low heat. For a thick, pancake-like crepe (like the one pictured), pour in all of the contents and cook until lightly browned. For thinner crepes, I'd split the batter in two and cook each separately. I haven't tried this myself, but I'd assume the only difference would be that the crepes cook faster.
Spread on the chocolate, top with fruit, and you're good to go!
To really top the presentation off, print out a blown up version of this Eiffel Tower photo I found on Google. Tape it to the window, light a few candles, and enjoy the view.
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