Posts Tagged "Chocolate"

Chocolate Frosting with Angel Food Cake

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Mar 7, 2013 in Fashionably Organic | 15 comments

Yesterday, was my amazing husbands birthday!  I spent the day shopping for him and making him his favorite cake!  His mom lives out of the country and I knew if she was in town she would have made homemade chocolate frosting and angel food cake with strawberries for his special day!  The caked turned out beautiful and the chocolate frosting was so good!  The recipe is super easy and you can find it on the back of most cocoa canisters.  Hope you enjoy!

XO,

Rachel Ashley

Ingredients

Dipped

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Jan 16, 2013 in Dessert, Fashionably Organic | 11 comments

Happy Hump Day!  What better way to get through the rest of your day and/or week than pretzels dipped in chocolate!  Chocolate paired with anything is good enough to get me through the rest of my week.  I have a love for chocolate that goes way back!  Chocolate has a lushness and rich flavor that is so very addicting (at least it is for me)!  These sweet little sparkly blue treats are perfect for winter and for some reason reminds me of snowflakes (I think it’s the blue sprinkles!).  This recipe is super easy and only takes four ingredients!

Ingredients:
1 bag of Pretzels Sticks
8 oz of White chocolate and/or Milk Chocolate
1 or 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or a tablespoon of butter)
Blue Sprinkles (or any color you prefer)

Recipe:
Begin by putting a pot with about 2 inches of water on medium-high heat with a glass bowl on top.  Wait until the water has boiled and then turn the heat down.  Pour in an 8 oz of organic chocolate chips in the glass bowl with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (or a tablespoon of butter).  The oil (or butter) gives the chocolate a glossy finish, and also helps keep the chocolate smooth.  Begin stirring the chocolate right away; it should melt in less than two minutes.  With a mitten remove the glass bowl of melted chocolate and move to your working area.  Lay out a piece of was wax paper or a piece of foil sprayed with non-stick spray on a baking sheet.  Begin dipping each pretzel in chocolate, the chocolate should cover about half of the pretzel stick.  Lay the pretzel(s) down on the wax paper and sprinkle with your favorite colored sprinkles!  Be as creative as you would like!  Once you have used all the chocolate you can repeat the process like I did and start it all over again with white chocolate.  Place the pretzels in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to help the chocolate set.

Enjoy!
XO,
Rachel Ashley

Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Nov 20, 2012 in Fashionably Interior Design | 2 comments

I love the simplicity of this table!  Vegetables painted in bronze and silver are a fun way to accentuate the simplicity of the white tablescape.

I love lanterns!  I have several lanterns in my home and I love using them in different ways to decorate throughout the year!  I love the over dramatic feel the lanterns bring to the table.  Giant pine cones spray painted in silver or gold, depending on your silverware/dinnerware are a great addition to place between the lanterns!

This is a simple monochromatic tablescape.  As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of contrast of hues.  There is also something special about eating at a candlelit table.  Plus, if you want to have a budget friendly tablescape  a row of candles is a great and inexpensive way to decorate your Thanksgiving table.  Another great way to incorporate candles down your Thanksgiving table, would be to line different size mason jars down the center and place candles inside!

I hope you get a few ideas from these three pretty tablescapes for your Thanksgiving table!

XO,

Rachel Ashley

Skinny-Minnie No Bake Cookies

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Mar 27, 2012 in Dessert, Fashionably Organic | 0 comments

These little bite size treats are so easy and so good!  A healthy twist on a traditional no bake cookie, but yet they look so much cuter rolled in bite size balls and dusted with powdered sugar!  I had bright cupcake liners, which I think made a darling presentation!  These are a perfect dessert to take to a friends, great for a care package, or a fun way to get your kids involved in the kitchen!

Enjoy!
XO,
Rachel

Ingredients
1/2 cup Stevia
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp organic unsalted butter
1/2 cup fat free milk (or non-dairy product of your choice)
2 tbsp organic peanut butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
organic powdered sugar or cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Recipe
Begin, by combing the first four ingredients: Stevia, cocoa powder, unsalted butter and milk in a small saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and mix in oatmeal, organic peanut butter. Add the vanilla last, because vanilla will evaporate if added to high heat.

Drop by tablespoons onto a wax paper or roll into balls with slightly moist hands and refrigerate overnight. The next day you can roll them in powdered sugar or cocoa powder if desired. Keep refrigerated if storing for several day.

White Chocolate Birthday Sprinkle Popcorn

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Feb 28, 2012 in Dessert, Fashionably Organic | 0 comments

Another fun recipe to share with you today!  This is a perfect snack and its hard to stop eating.  Most of us enjoy that sweet and salty aspect to foods, which you totally get in salted chocolate covered popcorn.  I made this a few weekends back for a party and it was a hit!  Its not too over indulgent, but still a tasty dessert.  It would be fun next time to try it with milk chocolate too!  I hope you enjoy this recipe, have a fabulous day!

XO,

Rachel Ashley

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
Salt (optional)
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped or morsels
1 tsp of butter
1/4 cup birthday sprinkles
1/4 cup silver sprinkles (optional)

Recipe:
In a medium saucepan, pour in olive oil and heat over medium-heat. When oil is hot, add popcorn kernels, making sure all the kernels are touching the bottom of the pan. Cover with a lid and wait until you hear kernels start to pop. Once they commence, grab the pan; while simultaneously holding down the lid, give it a good shake. Return pan to the stove and repeat a few times. This will ensure that all of the kernels pop. When popcorn is done, turn off heat, transfer to a bowl, and add a few pinches of salt.  Add about 1-inch of water to a double boiler (or a saucepan with a glass bowl nestled on top and be sure your bowl is completely dry). Heat  white chocolate and a teaspoon of butter over medium-low, watching the chocolate the entire time. White chocolate has a lower melting point, so it can seize easily. When chocolate is melted, stir until smooth, the butter will make it glossy and smooth.  In a few batches, pour chocolate over popcorn, mixing gently to coat each kernel lightly.  Evenly spread popcorn onto a baking sheet and add confetti sprinkles. Let popcorn sit for 3-4 hours (or until dry) -  I put mine in the fridge to cool faster and then broke it up once ready to serve.

When I took the popcorn out of the refrigerator to break it apart a piece came out looking like a heart