Chocolate

Holiday Gifts: Food Edition!

Posted on by Amy

As I watch all of my blogger friends share fun holiday gift ideas, I figured it was only fair that I shared some gift ideas for the foodies like me on your list! Check out my suggestions and sound off with yours in the comment section below!

2015HolidayFoodieGuide

  1. Blue Apron – A perfect gift for anyone who loves to cook but juggles a busy schedule. You get the flexibility of picking your own menu from their selections, and are provided pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step menu cards to make dinner assembly easy without the stress.
  2. Calphalon Grill Pan – As the temperature drops for the season, and winter really gets under way, it is getting harder and harder to convince yourself to go out to the grill; this pan is the perfect gift for the creative cook who loves a good sear all year round! The pan easily transitions into the oven to finish steaks and other yummy items, and best of all you can pop it into the dishwasher when you are done!
  3. Gearharts Fine Chocolates – Gearharts is a Virginia based specialty chocolate producer who offers a wide range of products and gift ideas for the sweet tooth on your list! They have dozens of creative specialty options to suit anyone who enjoys dessert and  their VA Whiskey Truffles or VA Wine infused chocolates make an awesome holiday gift!
  4. Whole Spice – Napa Valley – I discovered this delightful spice producer purely by chance a few years ago and keep going back to order their items and have them shipped across the country. They are high quality spices, and rubs which make an excellent gift for any chef. They have quite the selection for a range of different flavor palates!
  5. Savannah Bee Company – Pictured above, I have my all time favorite raw honeycomb from Savannah Bee Company. This item makes a great gift for the “hostess with the mostess” on your list, or pairs nicely with dessert or cheese spreads for the holidays if you choose to keep it for yourself!

Skinnytaste Raspberry Cheesecakes

Posted on by Amy

If you follow me on twitter you know that I am in love with  Skinnytaste.com . Her recipes are always on point and I very rarely have any edits to the posted recipes. I had some friends over on Monday night, and made these as a sweet treat to top off the night. They were a hit!

Skinny Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Servings: 9 • Size: 1 square • Old Pts: 4 pts • Weight Watchers Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 150 • Fat: 7.5 g • Protein: 5 g • Carb: 15 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 57.5 mg

Ingredients:

  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup (50g) crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 tbsp light butter, softened
  • 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 oz Baker’s semi-sweet dipping chocolate
  • 18 raspberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter with a fork until mixed through. Pressevenly into bottom of prepared pan.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites and flour., do not over beat. Pour over graham cracker crust.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature then chill a few hours in the refrigerator.

Cut the cake into 9 slices. Melt the chocolate in the mircowave, 30 seconds at a time until melted, careful not to burn. Use a spatula to drizzle the chocolate all over the top of the cheesecake. Top each piece with 2 raspberries and enjoy!

 

This is her recipe pasted in exactly, as you can see from the picture mine turned out pretty close to the original picture! I think these would also be great with regular graham crackers if you aren’t a huge chocolate lover.