Saturday Dishes - Chocolate

This week's theme is:
Chocolate

It's about time, right?
I can't wait to see all of your decadent chocolate recipes!
Choosing features next week will probably be difficult... (;

If you're new to the party

welcome to Saturday Dishes
where every week is a new theme...

Your job is to post your recipes that coincide with that theme!

Easy peasy, right?

Don't have a recipe that goes with the theme?
No worries!
Just sit back, relax, enjoy the other posts,
& be sure to check out the index & upcoming themes
to see what you can post in future weeks!

Saturday Dishes is hosted by:

- Marissa @ Life is Fantasmic -
Facebook ♥ Twitter ♥ Google+ ♥ Pinterest ♥ Bloglovin' ♥ SoundCloud

Stay a while & check out my blog!
I love seeing new faces & new followers on social media,
& comments make me smile (:

Last week's theme was Chinese New Year!
Here were a few of my faves...

Sweet and Sour Chicken from Miz Helen's Country Cottage

5 Minute Beef and Broccoli from The Mad Mommy

Peanut Chicken with Sesame Asian Veggies from Strength & Sunshine

Oh yeah...
& if you were featured
feel free to grab a button!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://lifeisfantasmic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Life Is Fantasmic" src="http://imageshack.com/a/img834/3923/21jg0.jpg" />

Next week's theme is:
St. Patrick's Day
so come back next week to share your luckiest
St. Patrick's Day recipes, traditions, crafts, & more!

Now on to the linky...
Link up your Chocolate recipes,
visit other posts,
& make new friends!

Keep spreading the word so we can see new faces at the party!

If you'd like to be a guest host send me an email so that I can get you on the calendar,

& let me know what themes you would like to see in the future.
I'd love to use your ideas!

By linking up at Saturday Dishes, you are giving permission for Life is Fantasmic to feature your posts with one image on social media with links back to you.

An InLinkz Link-up

xoxo

Chocolate Chili

I'm not a chili person.
I've never really cared for it.
I'll eat it on Mormon Enchiladas but that's about it.
At chili cook-offs I don't taste test all the kinds.
Sometimes I'll try a couple
but for the most part
I just stick to my Dad's Chocolate Chili!
This stuff is amazing (:
He doesn't like to take measurements,
so Justin & I created this recipe using the essentials from my Dad's ingredient list.

Two things you must remember about this chili:
1. Don't try it expecting it to taste like regular chili. It won't.
2. Don't make chili dogs or Mormon Enchiladas with it. I haven't personally ventured into those uncharted waters, but it's not that kind of chili.

I haven't tried it with sour cream, cheese, or crackers either, but again...
It's not your typical chili.
I HAVE tried it with a tiny spoonful of peanut butter in my own bowl & it was delicious,
but I think that I prefer it just the way it is.

Really this recipe should be called
"Chunky Chocolate Chicken Mole Soup w/ Beans & Spices"
so people don't assume that it tastes like normal chili. (;

2 cans white beans (don't drain)
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (don't drain)
1 lb Hershey's chocolate bars
2 lbs cooked chicken, diced
1/2 lg sweet onion, chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
chili powder (to taste)
mole (to taste)

Pour cans of white beans & cans of tomatoes w/ green chiles into crockpot. Break up chocolate bars, add to crockpot & stir in. Place lid & heat on high until chocolate is melted (usually about 30-45 min, stirring halfway through). I like to cook & dice my chicken during this time. Add diced chicken, chopped onion, ketchup, & water. Stir. Add garlic powder, sage, paprika, white pepper, & cumin. Stir. Add chili powder & mole to taste. Stir. Switch to low heat approx 2 hours after turning crockpot on.

Total cook time 5-8 hrs: (2 hours on high, then 3-6 on low)

Note: Sometimes I use chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor

xoxo

Milk Chocolate Fondue

Milk Chocolate Fondue. New Years Eve deliciousness. 'Nuff said.

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

A dash of salt

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt until chocolate is melted. Stir/fold in the oil, milk, and vanilla until mixed well. Serve warm.

(Tastes great with strawberries, apples, marshmallows, pound cake, bananas, pretzels, cheesecake, etc...)

Happy 2013

Happy New Year!

Last night to ring in 2013 we ate way too much fondue & we played Candyland!

It's one of the many traditions I grew up with that we decided to carry on.

You see, we don't play Candyland the same way as most families...

We get to eat the candy as we pass it on the board as if we were actually in the game.

That means that we get these goodies when we pass the following spaces/areas on the boards:
Plumpy & the Gingerbread plum trees (sad - our version doesn't have Plumpy): Gingerbread cookies & plums (we used to get a spoonful of plum babyfood sometimes, but we can't seem to find it)
Rainbow Trail: Skittles
Mr Mint & the Peppermint Forest: Candy canes

Jolly & the Gumdrop Mountains/Gumdrop Pass: Gumdrops
Lord Licorice & the Licorice Castle: Licorice
Gramma Nutt & her Peanut Brittle House: Peanut brittle or some kind of nutty treat (this year we used Butterfingers)

Princess Lolly & the Lollipop Woods: Lollipops or suckers
Queen Frostine & the Ice Cream Sea (She's Princess Frostine in our version, but she's still a Queen to me): Ice cream
Gloppy & his Swamp (He used to be a molasses monster, but I guess now he's into chocolate): We used to eat a molasses cookie or a spoonful of molasses, but now that he's a chocolate monster we have chocolate of sorts. (Last night it was chocolate lava cakes, but next year I think we'll do Lindt truffles. You know, the kind that turn to pure liquid in your mouth...)
King Kandy & the Candy Castle: We don't typically do anything when we get there, but I'm thinking next year that we might have one King size candybar that we can all share as we get to it.
I think you get the idea...
It's a lot of fun (:

Here's the yummy cheese fondue that we ate for dinner.

You can find the Cheddar Cheese Fondue recipe here.
& don't forget the Milk Chocolate Fondue...

Scrumdiddlyumtious!

We were going to slice some granny smith apples to eat with both the cheese & the chocolate fondues but I completely spaced it! Oh well, I get to enjoy them with all our leftovers today (;

Well, I guess it's time to take a look a last years resolutions to see what I've accomplished & what I need to continue to work on...

2012 Resolutions:
1. Read scriptures daily (I did really good until our little Princess was born)
2. Have personal prayer daily (I do this, but I want to get back into the habit of praying on my knees)
3. Be a better & more loving wife (Hubby thinks I was silly to have this as a goal since he likes me the way I am, but I feel there's always room for improvement)
4. Read, sing, & play with the kids more (Again, there's always room for improvement, but I've made progress since last year)
5. Have more park days (No excuses... I need to get out more)
6. Keep our home clutter-free (Work in progress, right?)
7. Complete daily chores (Yes, that includes maintaining the dishes...)
8. Be a better visiting teacher (I'm at least making it out there now)
9. Try making a new meal once a month (Did great at first, but I started slacking)
10. Be more patient (I feel as if I may have actually sort of achieved this goal!)

2013 Resolutions:
1. Read scriptures daily

2. Kneel for daily personal prayers
3. Create a better budget & stick to it
4. Keep our home clutter-free
5. Have family home evening every week
6. Exercise & play together as a family
7. Have more park days
8. Read at least two books
9. Invite people over
10. Be a better me (wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, leader, etc...)

We'll see how I do...
Wish me luck!

Banana Bread Brownies topped w/ Chocolate Peanut Butter

I saw these on Six Sisters' Stuff last month & knew EXACTLY what I was going to do with my leftover bananas next time I had them. With our banana loving little dudeman this doesn't happen often.

I followed the link at the bottom of their post to Cookies and Cups to see the original post where they found the recipe. They looked even more delicious and it just confirmed that I needed to try these out. Plus, I had just discovered another site with great recipes for sweet stuff. Definitely a win. I'm so glad I checked it out!

So I tried it out and of course it didn't look NEARLY as appetizing as either of the other two. I kind of expected that though since I am terrible at taking pictures of food and nothing I make ever looks like it does in the pictures. I must have mushed the bananas into too much of a paste and stirred it too much since I saw no banana chunks. It tasted wonderful but was incredibly dense.

I also felt like it was missing something...

I've been on a chocolate peanut butter kick lately, so I thought I'd try making a chocolate peanut butter sauce to pour on top of it.

It was exactly what was needed! They now looked more appetizing than the funky thing that came out of the oven AND my taste-buds were satisfied. My only complaint is that I wish they weren't so dense...

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup chocolate chips

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Topping:

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350. 

- Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray, set aside. 

- Combine butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Melt together over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When melted, set aside to cool.

- Combine the mashed bananas, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in beaten eggs until evenly incorporated.

- Stir in flour and salt until just combined.

- Pour all but 1/4 cup melted chocolate into the banana mixture and stir.

- Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup melted chocolate on top, and swirl it into the batter.

- Bake 25-30 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

- Once cooled, melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips & 1/4 cup peanut butter together, then spread on top of the brownies. 

- Cool completely and cut into squares.

Notes:

- Brownies will be very dense

- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I guessed the amounts for the topping since I had eyeballed the amount that I put on top. I had already had a few pieces before I spread it on, so I wouldn't have been able to give an accurate amount anyway. Hopefully my estimates will be right...