It’s hard to believe that it is almost Easter and before we know it, our house will be filled with kids running wild on a sugar high.
This year, we are changing things up for Easter and the kids are going to be getting some homemade goodies in their baskets in addition to some traditional confections. To get the holiday festivities going, we are starting it off with this Easter Bunny Bark!
Making Easter Bunny Bark is so easy that my teenagers can do it!
To get started, you will need:
-Lots of Easter candy. M&M’s, Jelly Beans, and other pretty pastel candies.
-20 ounces of good white chocolate, like Ghirardelli squares.
Once your candy is procured, roughly chop the larger pieces of candy if you are using any.
After your candy is ready, line a 9×11 pan with parchment paper.
Next, it is time to melt your chocolate. When melting the chocolate its your choice which way you choose do it. You can either melt it in a microwave or in a double broiler style pot, we prefer to use the microwave in our house.
*If using a microwave start at 30 seconds stir and repeat until fully melted.
*If you’re using stove top keep temp. at medium range make sure you are stirring constantly
Pour melted chocolate onto parchment paper and spread.
After your chocolate is all poured out, start adding candy to it, however you like.
Let the Easter Bark sit for several hours until it hardens. We let ours sit in the fridge overnight.
Once your chocolate is fully hardened, transfer it to a cutting board and cut into pieces and enjoy.
Starting your morning with a cup of Joe is something unforgettable. Maybe you aren’t the one who break every dawn with a tasteful cup of coffee, but you should start it without thinking further. People with the daily routine of drinking coffee are healthier than those who don’t. So, for the sake of your health, start it already. Maybe you do not prefer to take coffee because you feel it a burden to make a cup of it, but what a 5-minute drill can take away from your life? Spare 5 minutes in your morning, grind some beans, extract the juice out of them, and you are done.
The question you may ask now, how to make a cup of coffee smoothly like my smooth talks. Well, believe me, it is even easier than that. You just need to start. I am here to simply teach you how to make a perfect cup of coffee every morning to spend a healthy day. Just follow these steps and you will see what you can do.
# 01 – Best Coffee Beans
The best pick for coffee beans are the fresh roasted Arabic beans packed in a vacuum sealed bag. Go to the nearest supermarket and ask for the fresh roasted coffee beans supply. You cannot trust on the salesman, though. So, if you can roast beans on your own, then it should be the first priority. The reason for the advice is that the taste of coffee gets less-tasteful with the time passing after you roast beans. Also, keep coffee beans in an airtight glass container because this way there are less chance that the taste will get affected.
# 02 – Time to Grind
Keep in mind that just after the grinding, coffee starts to lose taste. This is why you can get the best taste of coffee if you brew it right after the grinding. So, for your home, you should try a coffee bean grinder with a burr grinder and that will work perfectly. Even for espresso, you can grind coffee beans accordingly. Don’t store ground coffee, grind every time you need to make a cup of it for the sake of best taste.
# 03 – Water and Filters
A little off flavor or chlorine in water can ruin the taste of your coffee. Go for bottled spring water to make coffee and don’t even use distilled water because it will do the same to ruin the taste. In the case of filters, avoid cheap filters if you want the best taste. Go for dioxin free or oxygen bleached paper filters. On the other hand, gold plated filters are little expensive, but if you can afford one, buy it because they serve long.
# 04 – Perfect Heat
Coffee has some components which are bitter and should not be included in the cup you drink. So, take care of water heat otherwise, those bitter taste compounds will be the part of your coffee. The range of proper temperature is 195F to 205F. There are many automatic coffee makers which control this temperature automatically. There are even some Automatic Best Cappuccino Makers with this control panel for taking care of everything.
# 05 – Clean Equipment is good
Keeping everything clean also effects on the taste of coffee. Without proper cleaning, there remain some particles to destroy your taste. Clean your coffee maker, storage, filters, etc. every week so that you can enjoy the best of coffee.
I received a free product from Hormel in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
As most of my readers are aware, we are big football fans around here. Living in the shadows of Lambeau Field, we love to spend our Sundays watching the Green Bay Packers. In our home, when you have football on, there better be food to go with it.
Forget cutting the meat and slicing the cheese, just grab a Hormel Gatherings Party Tray, open it up and you are ready to start snacking.
Hormel Gatherings Party Trays are filled with pre-cut meats and cheeses and crackers and are the perfect game day snack as well as holidays, parties, picnics and more.
At our house, there are enough of us to create our own party during the big game and these party trays are the perfect snack to get us through the game!
Vacation is a time to kick back, let your hair down, and not worry about cooking a whole lot while away from home. You want to spend your precious time exploring the destination instead of making food. It’s understandable that you’d want to not put effort into thinking about food. However, if you don’t want to gain weight, you have to get proactive with your eating habits. You don’t have to put a halt to enjoying dining out as much as possible — just be more careful and don’t overdo everything.
One of the most common mistakes people on vacation make is underestimating calories. Restaurants are under no obligation to print out the caloric weight of their food, which leaves it up to the diner to figure it out. You’re far more likely to underestimate calories than overestimate. You wind up taking in more calories than you think. If you find yourself in a situation where you want to enjoy your food but not gain weight, use a calorie counting app on your smartphone by entering in the ingredients. It gives you a better idea of how much you’re taking in and lets you enjoy your food without the guilt. You want to return from your vacation the same weight you left, not more.
Take the quiz below from health IQ to learn more about how taking a vacation has the potential to help you gain weight. You might be surprised at how the change of pace and consumption of food and drink adds to your caloric intake.
About Health IQ
HealthIQ’s mission is to improve the health of the world. In pursuit of this mission, they’ve created over 2,000 quizzes and worked with innovative insurance companies to create financial rewards for health conscious people. To date, Health IQ has helped thousand triathletes, vegans, runners, and other health conscious people get an accurate life insurance quote that takes into account their level of health consciousness. They hope to expand to other financial rewards in the near future.
One of the best things about travel is trying all the new and delicious food. When you’re on a trip, it’s sometimes OK to throw the diet and healthy eating out of the window for a day or two. And LA is no exception. You can find some of best food in the United States in this city and it’s a great place for foodies around the world. There are lots of beautiful hotels and amazing luxurious homes in Los Angeles to make your trip perfect. This article describes some of the must-try foods in LA.
Cheese Pastries:
You can try cheese pastries in pretty much every city around the world, but the ones in Los Angeles are probably some of the most delicious. The puffy pastry has a cheesy inside that almost melts as you take the first bite. This is quite popular with the locals and you can find them in most bakeries around the city.
The French Dip Sandwich:
The French Dip Sandwich is one of the must-try foods in all of LA. Meat, onions, and cheese are placed between two bread rolls and toasted to perfection. The first bite is always the best as the cheese melts and mixes with the onions and meat. Locals often line up for quite a while to get one of these sandwiches for lunch. You can find them on some of the food trucks.
Popcorn Bacon:
This dish is pretty much exactly how it sounds. Small chunks of bacon are fried inside a popcorn shell, which makes for a delicious snack. You can find some of the best in the world in Los Angeles and it’s quite often served as a snack or as a side.
Specialty Donuts:
Everyone loves donuts, especially the residents in the City of Angels. You can find shops on almost every street selling anything from those with custard fillings all the way up to gourmet donuts. The prices are affordable and you should pick up at least a few to try whilst you’re on your trip. Most tourists find that these are some of the most delicious they have ever tried.
The Spanish Godfather Sandwich:
If you like sandwiches, this is the perfect snack for you to try in Los Angeles. The Spanish Godfather is a reasonably sized meal with ham, tomatoes and cheese that you can find in a few smaller restaurants around downtown. The locals love this, especially when it comes slightly toasted.
Steamed Buns:
Steamed buns are similar to dumplings with a meat or vegetable filling. There are so many different types and varieties based on the way that they’re cooked and the insides. One of the best places to try the steamed buns is from the food trucks. Search online for where the find where to get them.
The Dodger Dog:
The Dodger Dog is a huge hot dog that you can buy at the Dodger’s Stadium when the team plays. This is delicious and a favorite of many spectators. If you want to get an insight into the local culture, there’s nothing better than heading down to see a game and sampling this dog.
Macarons:
If you want to try some of the tastiest macarons, then Los Angeles is a great place to find them. A few bakeries offer gourmet macarons that have a deliciously smooth and soft center with some having pretty patterns in the icing on top. This is a must-try snack or dessert when you’re in Los Angeles.
The Chili Dog:
This is another iconic dish that you can find in Los Angeles, which is a long hot dog with a generous portion of chili spread over the top. Food trucks are a great place to find this meal and it makes for a perfect lunch. Just be aware that the portion usually isn’t very big and it may not completely fill you up.
Tacos:
A trip to Los Angeles wouldn’t be complete without trying the tacos from the food trucks. You can find any type you want from shrimp to sweet potato at an affordable price with a reasonable portion. The locals love to snack on tacos and you can find it at pretty much all times of the day. Ask someone at your hotel to recommend the best place to buy tacos in Los Angeles as it may not be easy to find the answer online.
Burgers:
It’s a well-known fact that Americans like to eat burgers. Some are gigantic and have several layers of patties, cheese, and bacon. Others are smaller and prepared for their exquisite taste over quantity. You can find a mixture of each of these in Los Angeles that are sold in restaurants or from one of the food trucks. Again, it may be better to seek the advice of a local to get the location of the best burgers in the city.
The Ten Pound Pancake:
The Ten Pound Pancake is a huge pancake that you can find in downtown LA. Expect a big portion and to struggle to finish this delicious treat. But, it’s worth trying it just for the experience.
The Takeaway Message:
You can find some of the best food when you’re in Los Angeles ranging from tasty sandwiches to delicious desserts. Be sure to try the French Dip Sandwich and a few of the specialty donuts when you’re here. Don’t worry about the extra carbs and calories, you’re on vacation and you’re allowed to have a few days of indulgence! Love to taste these delectible treats and want to learn how to make them? Check out Culinary Lab and their programs for aspiring pastry chefs and bakers who want to learn modern techniques and pursue a career in a professional kitchen or bakery.
