Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

WINNER! LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHOCOLATES - WE HAVE A WINNER!

 

Congratulations!
We have a winner for the The Grand Valentine Chocolate Heart from Lake Champlain Chocolates! Mr. Random Generator was used to pick the winner. I put in all the numbers, and he spit out #35.

Melanie from Mel, A Dramatic Mommy is the lucky winner! Congratulations Melanie, your number was 35! I'll be emailing you privately for your mailing address. Here's Melanie's comment and the time stamp. And she's right! All I have to do is hear someone talk about chocolate and I want a truffle! How about you?

"Chocolate is an instant mood lift. It can be combined with so many other flavors. I hear someone talk about chocolate and I have to have some!"
Posted by: Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy | February 03, 2009 at 11:34 PM

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
35
Timestamp: 2009-02-08 04:19:15 UTC
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Let's all congratulate Melanie! I know you're thinking, "Darn, I wish I won those chocolates!"  Well, there's a solution for that! Get online and check out Lake Champlain Chocolates' catalog and order some for yourselves! You won't be sorry!

CHECK BACK AGAIN TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT GIVE AWAY!

GIVE AWAY #1- LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHOCOLATES

             

Lake Champlain Chocolates
My good buddy and chocoholic friend, Leann from Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington Vermont, is the #1 sponsor of my first giveaway this month! Lake Champlain Chocolates has always been my favorite. Not just because we lived in Vermont for 10 years, but because I truly believe they make the best gourmet chocolate in the world. I really should have bought stock in this company way back when, because I would be rich by now! I know, I eat enough of it!

Who Is Lake Champlain Chocolates?
You can read all about them in an article I did for Suite101, surprisingly called Lake Champlain Chocolates! Another one titled Corporate Gift Baskets, and finally a blog post about a giveaway LCC was doing themselves at Christmas. This will give you some background on who they are, and why I have a love affair going on with Lake Champlain Chocolates! Yes, John knows all about my addiction and he's forgiving!

                                                               

The Grand Valentine Chocolate Heart
Because February is the "Love Month", Leann and I decided that The Grand Valentine Chocolate Heart would be the best giveaway ever, and just in time for Valentine's Day! The 22 piece keepsake Heart Shaped Box of Chocolates is the romantic spirit of Valentine's Day filled with sumptuous chocolates. This is no skimpy box of chocolates, and at a retail price of $39.50, it is sure to get you somewhere *wink, wink* on Valentine's Day! Take a look at the rest of their line. You'll be sure to drool over all that they have to offer. While you're there, take a peek at Leann's Chocolate Blog. She has lots of cool stuff going on at her place too!

Leann says the Grand Valentine Chocolate Heart includes an assortment of:

• Luscious Chocolate Truffles
• Caramel Hearts
• Raspberry Creams
• Maple Crunch (maple syrup toffee and buttercrunch)
• Evergreen Mint
• Chocolate Hearts
• Dark Mint Crunch Squares

How To Enter the Give Away
This is what to do to enter the giveaway. Leave a comment on this post only (I'll be having lots more giveaways this month, so it's important to keep them all separate). Tell me why you love chocolate so much! Then, tell all your friends. Tweet about it on Twitter. Better yet, Follow me on Twitter! Add a link on your Facebook page. Whatever it takes! I want the world to know Lake Champlain Chocolates is the best! Tell your guy friends about this giveaway too. It's not just a chic thing! The lucky guy that wins this prize for his sweety, could be the lucky guy...if you know what I mean???

                                

RULES:
The rules are simple. US & Canada entries only. I'll use Mr. Random Generator to pick the winner this Friday, February 6th, 2009, midnight EST. I'll email the winner and post it here too. I'll get your mailing address and Lake Champlain Chocolates will drop ship the Grand Valentine Chocolate Heart directly to your door! You'll have it in time for Valentines Day! Simple, right?

Stay Tuned For More Giveaways
Keep your eyes glued to this blog. Bookmark it in your favorites. I have a LOT of things to give away this month, and things will go quickly. I've never done something on this scale before. But Hey, it's my 1st Birthday, I'm allowed some fun!

                                                                       

 

Photos, courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates

VALENTINE'S DAY CHOCOLATE DESSERTS

                          

Nothing says "I LOVE YOU" Like Chocolate!
I don't know about you, but when I have a craving for chocolate, I want a sexy dessert! The only reason I can come up with, is that chocolate makes me happy. It makes me feel better. To be quite honest, my idea of the ultimate Valentine's dessert would be an ooey, gooey chocolate dessert!

So, why does chocolate make us feel good? The Yale-New Haven Hospital says, ".....phenylethylamine is found in chocolate and seems to trigger feelings similar to “falling in love.” Chocolate cravings may also be triggered when the taste buds tingle with the taste of chocolate. When the taste buds are excited, endorphins are released from the brain. These endorphins are the body's “feel good” chemical."

Wiki Answers says, "A study reported by the BBC indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity had ended."

So, that's why chocolate makes me so happy. It's all those crazy endorphins! I now have the perfect excuse. I can't help myself! It's a natural chemical reaction that I'll just have to live with! I had no idea that chocolate did that!  I knew that dark chocolate was good for your heart...but your libido? OK, I'm convinced!

VALENTINE'S DAY CHOCOLATE DESSERT RECIPES

Valentines Day is right around the corner, and I'm pulling out all the stops! These are my best-of-the-best chocolate recipes that I have in my recipe box! Take your pick, and make someone you love happy this Valentine's Day! The Beatles said it best, "And in the end, The love you take Is equal to The love you make."

 

 

Heart Shaped Conversation Cakes

 

 

Red Velvet Cakes and Cupcakes Recipe

Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe: Cheesecake Factory

 

 

 

German Chocolate Cake Recipe with Coconut Filling

 

Devil's Food Cake Recipe

 

 

Texas Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

 

 

Nutella Hot Fudge Pudding Cake Recipe

 

 

Chocolate Truffle Cake Recipe   

 

 

Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe

Chocolate French Silk Pie

 

Cherry Hershey Kisses Cookies Recipe  

 

Bacon & Chocolate Brownies - Ya Gotta try Them!

 

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding Recipe
 

 

 

Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe 

                                                    

Chocolate Chip Cookies


  

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies


  

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies


   

Chocolate Pecan Pie


   

Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Cookie Crust

Kahlua Oreo Cheesecake with Oreo Cookie Crust


  

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Pie


   

Junior's Brownie Swirl Cheesecake




Gourmet Chocolate Fudge Brownies Recipe


Gourmet Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe


  

Gooey Chocolate Cakes aka Chocolate Lava Cakes


 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte


  

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies



  

Cherry Chocolate Brownies



  

Chocolate Cream Pie



  

Chocolate Snickery Squares



  

Whoppers Chocolate Malted Milk Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes


  

Lake Champlain Chocolates Rice Pudding


   

Chocolate Pudding Cake


  

Nutella Chocolate Brownies

Buying Chocolates Online

• Lake Champlain Chocolates
• Amy's Chocolate Covered Apples
• Valentine's Chocolates & Shari's Berries Online

  

Here's some more great recipes from the Blogosphere!

• World Nutella Day 2010
• Red Velvet Cake by Pinch My Salt 
• Black Bottom Cupcakes from Slow Like Honey
• Red Velvet Cake by Serious Eats
• Heart Shaped Valentine's Day Desserts 
• The Simplest ADULT Dessert...Ever! by The Noble Pig

Lake Champlain Chocolates Giveaway!!

                                                      

Win Free Chocolate!
Free chocolate? Who on earth would give away free chocolates? I'd have a real hard time parting with MY chocolate, wouldn't you? Well, you're in luck then! My good blogging buddy and self-professed chocophile Leann - aka the Marketing Director at Lake Champlain Chocolates - is giving away my favorite chocolates in the whole wide world this month! I'm not in the running, so at least you stand a chance of winning this time!

                                             

Lake Champlain Chocolates Blog
I was thrilled to pieces to finally meet Leann over the Thanksgiving weekend and talk about -- what else?? -- chocolate! In addition to her day job of marketing, she also spends what her co-workers think is an unusual amount of time dreaming of, and writing about chocolates in the Lake Champlain Chocolates Blog. You see, Leann has what most people would think is the best dream job this side of heaven, or at least compared to a Ben & Jerry's taste tester! After about 10 minutes, she finally admitted something like, It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!

                                                     

Leann likes me sooooo much, she sent me home with a Lake Champlain Chocolate bag full of gourmet truffles, assorted chocolates and other goodies. Needless to say, I was happy as a pig in...well, melted chocolate! Being the thoughtful chocoholic addict that I am, I brought some in to my buddies at work and we sampled a few, OK, a lot! More about that review in a future post!

                                         

So, What About the Free Chocolates?
Leann and Lake Champlain Chocolates are giving away...wait for it, wait for it...a  Winter Tin of Hot Chocolate (it's to-die-for!), a six-pack of chocolate snowmen and a Lake Champlain Chocolates T-shirt!! I've used (eaten) Chocolate Turkeys for place settings at my own Thanksgiving dinner a number of times. Trust me, your guests will love the special chocolate touch these snowmen will give to the holiday table! Forget the centerpieces and use them as stocking stuffers, or bite their heads off when no one is looking. I would!

                          

To be eligible to win, leave a comment on Leann's Lake Champlain Chocolates Blog. That's it! You have until December 16th, 2008, that's next Wednesday on my chocolate calendar. If you really want to impress Leann, mention my name (Donna from Spatulas & Corkscrews). She'll get a kick out of it, and I'll love you forever!

       

Look at these truffles! Can't you just imagine them melting on your tongue? Seriously, you NEED to order some today. There's still time for Christmas delivery, that's if you choose to give them away. Heck, keep them for yourself and order your mother another box!

Last three photos courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates. YAY LCC!

ARBORIO RICE PUDDING, Vanilla & Chocolate - TWD

                                                   

Tuesdays With Dorie's Aborio Rice Pudding
Thanks to Isabelle of Les gourmandises d’Isa for picking Arborio Rice Pudding for this weeks Tuesdays With Dorie dessert. You can find the recipe for ARBORIO RICE PUDDING on pages 412-413 in Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking: From My Home To Yours, or by clicking on Isabelle's blog. She has the complete recipe there. Isabelle comes from Québec, Canada, and at first glance, you would think the recipe is given only in French. You need to scroll down the page to bring you to the English version of the recipe.

                                                                         

     

Chocolate & Vanilla Rice Pudding!
The recipe for Arborio Rice Pudding is really easy to make. Just a few ingredients - rice, sugar, milk and vanilla or chocolate - makes a creamy and luscious pudding. We both loved the rice pudding very much. I made both varieties, chocolate and vanilla. I had a bar of Green & Black's Espresso Chocolate and figured that would make an ultra rich pudding. I was right, it was extremely rich!

                                                                       

Lake Champlain Chocolates
I also had some Lake Champlain Chocolates that I used in the pudding. I received these awesome chocolates from Leann at LCC last month to review. After I did my "chocolate tasting", I saved a few pieces for something special. (I'll be sharing the photos and results of the LCC tasting very soon!) The milk chocolate made an even better and more delicious rice pudding. Just a quick note on Lake Champlain Chocolates - In my opinion, I truly believe Lake Champlain Chocolates to be the very best chocolates I've ever tasted. I know, I know, just because I lived in Vermont for 10 years doesn't make them the best chocolates in the world. You might have a different opinion. But, I know they are, and that's all that matters!

                                                           

Dorie's Recipes
There was a lot of confusion and ruined recipes this time around. Bakers were feeding their hard-earned pudding to the trash compactors and compost heaps! Horror stories were being told of rice soup and liquid goop. It seems that Dorie's recipe had a MAJOR typo in it! If you do have your own Baking: From My Home To Yours cookbook, PLEASE read this before you set out to make Arborio Rice Pudding!

                                                                             

Recipe Changes
Dorie's original recipe states that the amount of rice is 1/4 cup. That is wrong. Change that to 1/2 cup. And, the cooking time is also wrong. It is 50-60 minutes, not 30. I am soooo glad I checked into the forums BEFORE I started the recipe. In the end, it was everything she said it was - delicious, creamy and ultra-rich. I'll make it again and again...with the new revisions!

                                                                                

                                                                         

Valentine's Desserts ~ Lake Champlain Chocolates & Amy's Apples

"Hello, my name is Donna Diegel, and I'm a chocoholic!" Anyone that knows me, knows I love chocolate and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm addicted to the stuff. I really should go to support group meetings, but then I'd be the one volunteering to bring chocolate refreshments afterwards. I'd also be dragging one of my daughters along with me. Actually, she's worse than I am. I wonder where she gets it from?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I knew it was coming up, but it didn't register that it was next week! I should have been a little quicker to pick up on this since the stores are full of red and pink candy, flowers and balloons. I've also been getting a lot of junk email from FTD and other candy sites. So, I really had to get my butt in gear and try to play catch up with my Valentine's articles for Suite101. I'm a little late getting started, but here I am!

There are a few on-line dessert companies worthy of my time and that I've really been impressed with lately. I thought I should share them with everyone here so I wouldn't be the only naughty chocoholic! It's not too late to order. Just do it!

Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington Vermont, is my absolute favorite chocolate. I should have bought stock in this company because I've kept them in business all these years! Their gourmet chocolate truffles are to die for. The outside of the truffle is a thin milk or dark chocolate shell that conceals insides made of ganache that are so silky smooth they melt in your mouth. With flavors like Cappuccino, Grande Valencia, French Roast, Vanilla Malt, Raspberry and Champagne, who could resist? Then they're meticulously hand-decorated and beautifully presented in unique and colorful seasonal boxes with matching hand-tied ribbons. I also adore their Almond Butter Crunch and Signature Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds. Heck, I'll eat them all! They even have a Chocolate Bar Sampler with 21 bars of gourmet chocolate. WOW! I'm in love!

Another company that I've had a love affair with lately is Amy's Apples from Providence, Rhode Island. I can't say enough good things about this company. I found them completely by accident one day when I went to a wine tasting at Newport Vineyards. They were set up as vendors giving away samples and they had to be the most popular booth there. I believe they sold out that day. Their apples are simply outrageous! They are so enormous that one apple will feed a party of five! You might think that $14.00 per apple is an insane price to pay for an apple, but once you see the size of this thing and taste the sinfully rich caramel and chocolate covered masterpiece, you'll fall in love too! We had a Cashew Lover's Delight and a Heath Bar Heaven. I could use every adjective there is to describe how awesome these apples are, but until you try them for yourself, you'll never know true happiness!

Enjoy!  I know I will!