Tag Archives: chocolate

#NationalChocolateDay

Chocolate

Is it any coincidence that #NationalChocolateDay falls during Halloween week? Probably not, and I am certainly not upset about it. In fact, I think my family and I will be celebrating aaaaall week long.

Delish.com was kind enough to let us in on all of the chocolate deals going on in honor of this national holiday. THANK YOU! Check out some of my favorites below:

Godiva has a chocolate rewards club that gets you a FREE piece of chocolate every month – in addition to a FREE reward every time you spend $20. In addition to this, in honor of Halloween and #NationalChocolateDay, they are offering 15% off of all dark chocolate purchases $65 or more. Not too shabby!

Ghirardelli allows you to take advantage of a FREE hot chocolate any time you order ANYTHING online. Additionally, all Halloween treats are 20% off.

Lindt has a rewards program much like Godiva – you should certainly sign up for it. You get 25 points just for enrolling, and then 1 point for every dollar you spend. After you reach 100 points, you get a chocolate reward! Additionally, now through tomorrow, everything is 25% off – so get to it while you can!

Lastly, Russell Stover also has a rewards program. You’ll get a FREE gift after spending $10, and anybody can get a 20% off coupon just by signing up for emails. Join!

Anyways – lots of opportunities here, people! Get your chocolate on!

#NationalSmoresDay

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Another week, another opportunity to share some fun, inexpensive recipes, deals, giveaways, and more.

It just so happens to be #NationalSmoresDay today. S’mores scream summer to me – brings me back to my own summer camp days as a child! There’s nothing more fun than finding the perfect stick and toasting (or burning) a marshmallow to gooey perfection. Result = a messy, delicious, delicious treat that will have you asking for ‘s’more!’

Unfortunately, we don’t always have a crackling fire in front of us – lucky for you, we have so many mainstay s’more substitutes that are JUST AS GOOD as the real deal, and just as fun to cook indoors!

S’mores Bites

smores_bites

S’mores Bites [http://thefirstyearblog.com/smores-bites/]

The First Year Blog has an awesome recipe for these mini bites – they’re perfect for a quick dessert or even to bring to a party! Here’s the lowdown: all you need to do is crush up graham crackers, and incorporate powdered sugar + butter as a base. Divide them up into a 24 cup mini muffin pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Then pop in a rectangle of chocolate, and place a marshmallow half inside as well. Pop in the oven and bake until softened. Personally, I like a little brown on my marshmallows – solution: throw on the broiler for about a minute! Cool and serve. They’re so cute + so easy. Enjoy!

S’mores-Dipped Strawberries

smores_dipped_strawberries

S’mores-Dipped Strawberries [http://www.bombshellbling.com/smores-saturdays-smores-dipped-strawberries/]

Bombshell Bling has such a crowd pleaser with this one! I don’t know about you, but my entire family looooves chocolate covered strawberries. This recipe takes things even a step further, and couldn’t be easier. Melt some marshmallow fluff and get dipping! Lay on wax paper to try. Then, same story with chocolate. While still hot and melty, dip into some graham cracker crumbs and lay to dry. Voila!

S’more Stuffed French Toast

smore_stuffed_french_toast

S’more Stuffed French Toast [http://www.heathersfrenchpress.com/2014/07/smore-stuffed-french-toast.html#_a5y_p=2342038]

Oh boy, here we go! S’mores for breakfast! Heather’s French Press has a killer recipe that we won’t even pretend is remotely healthy. It’s pretty easy – grab some honey wheat bread, and spread one slice with chocolate spread (whether this is Nutella or melted Hershey’s is totally your call!) and the other slice with melted marshmallows. Sandwich them together and dip the sandwich into egg, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla (just like normal french toast!) and griddle until golden brown on each side.

So there you have it – these are all cheap, easy, and sure to please the family. Enjoy #NationalSmoresDay!

#NationalChocolateChipDay

I’m really not sure that there is much more of a crowd pleaser of a holiday than #nationalchocolatechipday! I can’t seem to find any deals out there for this sweet treat today, but PRO TIP: you can always get a free chocolate chip cookie at DoubleTree Hotels and at your local Public grocery store – never forget that!

Instead, I figured I’d dole out some of my favorite, inexpensive recipes involving chocolate chips.

1) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

PassionForSavings has an AWESOME recipe for chocolate chip zucchini muffins. Not only are these DELICIOUS but they are also very budget-friendly, guilt-free, and freezable! Win-win-win!

chocolate_chip_zucchini_muffins

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins [http://www.passionforsavings.com/chocolate-chip-zucchini-muffins-recipe/]

All the usual suspects here (eggs, oil, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder) + chocolate chips and shredded zucchini! Mix it all up, and bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes, and you’ve got an awesome snack or breakfast – kids won’t even notice the zucchini’s there!

2) Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

You’d be hard pressed to find a sweet treat I like more than banana bread, let alone chocolate chip banana bread!

chocolate_chip_banana_bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread [http://tinaschic.com/2015/04/chocolate-chip-banana-bread/]

Tina’s Chic Corner makes an awesome version. All you need is some overripe bananas (I think we all seem to find ourselves with these from time to time), sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, Greek yogurt, and chocolate chips to add to it! Mix it all up, pop in a loaf pan, bake for almost an hour, and cool before cutting. This is another recipe that you can absolutely freeze. It’s a great treat to bake for a breakfast, brunch, or even as a gift to a neighbor or friend!

3) Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie

Everyone needs a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’d always prefer to not use the slice and bake kind! It’s always worth it to upgrade, and Pinch of Yum has a great version of this classic recipe – think soft and chewy (personally, my favorite kind!) These are pretty easy! I think the key here is the 8 TABLESPOONS of butter. Let’s not even pretend this one’s healthy 🙂

chocolate_chip_cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies [http://pinchofyum.com/the-best-soft-chocolate-chip-cookies]

This recipe URGES you to not overbake these, as timing is essential for keeping these cookies soft and delicious. They cool for about 30 minutes or so. and then sink down into “dense, buttery, soft cookies” – drooling yet?

These are also freezable – make a bunch and save for occasions and desserts!

Well, I’m inspired. Let’s get baking and enjoy #nationalchocolatechipday!

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