Well, it happened! I turned 15 last Sunday. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel much different than being 14….just a little more mature. ;) There are advantages: like: 1. I can’t wait to start driving! (Although my Mom did remind me that just because I CAN start driving definitely doesn’t mean that I WILL start driving.) 2. It flat out sounds awesome! ...that’s all I can think of. Have any you can add? And the disadvantages: 1. I’m becoming the “oldie” now. 2... actually I can’t think of a “2”. You can suggest disadvantages as well if you’d like. ;) Since I’m not in a creative mindset at the moment; I’ll just keep moving on.


   For my birthday my sisters took me out to Panera Bread for breakfast. It was so good!! Since my birthday was on Sunday, I stayed and ate lunch at church with my friends. After that I picked up some friends (some met us there) and we went rollerblading! It was really fun (I found out the faster you go the easier it is). I hope to keep improving (since I can’t get any worse!) and I can’t wait to go again!

~Ryle

    Hello everyone, we are so sorry we have not posted in a long time. We will try to post more often so please, keep checking. Here is our next post!

Chocolate Quote for the Week

“Everything exists in limited quantity-especially chocolate, so eat it while you can.” -Picasso (Quote was edited.)

The History of Chocolate

    For some of you history is just an annoying thing you have to do for school, for some of you it is fascinating facts. Either way you are sure to enjoy this story about chocolate, where it came from, how it was used, and other interesting facts.
   
  The tasty secret of the cacao tree was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. The pods of this tree contain seeds that can be processed into chocolate. The story of how chocolate grew from a local Mesoamerican drink into a global sweet encompasses many cultures and continents.

   The first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink.

    Later, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds back home to Spain, where new recipes were created. Eventually, and the drink’s popularity spread throughout Europe. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

Chocolate’s Roots in Ancient Mesoamerica

We tend to think of chocolate as a sweet candy created during modern times. But actually, chocolate dates back to the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica who drank chocolate as a bitter drink.

  The first people clearly known to have discovered the secret of cacao were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 C.E. [A.D.]). The Maya and their ancestors in Mesoamerica took the tree from the rainforest and grew it in their own backyards, where they harvested, fermented, roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste.

When mixed with water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients, this paste made a frothy, spicy chocolate drink.

One-bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake

    For a coffee break that’s over the moon, pair your next cup with this beauty. Brewed coffee and chocolate morsels make our One-bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake a taste sensation!



Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups All-purpose flour

1 cup Granulated sugar

1 cup Packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup Unsweetened cocoa

1½ teaspoons Baking soda

1½ teaspoons Baking powder

½ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Reduced fat mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Canola oil

1 cup Hot strong brewed coffee

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

⅓ cup Semisweet chocolate morsels

Cooking Spray



Mocha Cream:

¼ cup Boiling water

1 tablespoon Instant coffee granules

1 (7-ounce) Jar marshmallows

1 (8-ounce) Container frozen light whipped topping, thawed

⅓ cup Light chocolate syrup (such and Hershey's light syrup)



1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredient in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and oil; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Slowly add brewed coffee and vanilla; beat at low speed one minute or until well blended. Stir in chocolate; pour batter into a 13x9-inch baking pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
3. To prepare Mocha Cream, combine water and coffee granules in a large bowl; stir until granules dissolve. Add marshmallow cream; beat with a mixer at low speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread Mocha Cream over top of cake; drizzle with chocolate syrup. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 16 servings.

    In our church we have a book of the month; this month’s book is called The Faithful Parent by Martha Peace and Stuart W. Scott. In one of the chapters (the one titled The Teenager) it listed a bunch of versus about what a fool is. In my mind, whenever I pictured a fool, he was sort of like a court jester. Weird I know, but it’s true. A fool isn’t someone who amuses the king and his guests, but a real person being a real fool. So what is a fool? :



A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
(Proverbs 18:2)



The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
(Proverbs 12:15)



Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
(Proverbs 19:1)



It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
(Proverbs 20:3)



Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
(Proverbs 26:12)



Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
(Proverbs 28:26)



A fool gives full vent to his spirit [anger], but a wise man quietly holds it back.
(Proverbs 29:11 explanation added)

Happy, Happy birthday from all of us to you!

We wish it was our birthday so we could party too!

My beautiful sister, Emily is turning 17 today! This morning mom brought her to get her driver's license and tonight we party! :) I am so blessed to have her as my sister; God knows what He is doing when He puts families together! And no matter how many ups and downs we have together she is a friend I will never lose. Like the card I got her says: I'm smiling because she's my sister and laughing because there's nothing she can do about it! I love you, M&M, and the example you have been to me, as your younger sister. God has given you a pair of diligent hands and a sweet attitude for whatever you are facing. And I pray that whatever happens in the future God's grace will be sufficient for you. And come what may, you will always have a friend in me, too!

Your sister,

   Ryle

        

  

Chocolate Quote For The Week

No-one is ever betrayed by love or chocolate! -Jaufre Rudel

(quote edited)

Healthy Chocolate

Did you know that chocolate is actually healthy!

Well, dark chocolate anyway. I was doing research on chocolate and found that it is actually healthy!

Chocolate is made from plants which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which acts as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging. Flavonoids also help lower blood pressure, and balances certain hormones in the body.

Other benefits of Dark Chocolate:

• 
  
  It tastes good!
• 
  
  It stimulates endorphin production, which gives you a feeling of pleasure.
• 
  
  It contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.
• 
  
  It contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants.

Doesn’t Chocolate Have a lot of Fat?

Good news!!! Some of the fats in dark chocolate does not impact your cholesterol. Only ⅓ of the fat in dark chocolate is actually bad for you!

 Grandma’s Famous Texas Sheet Cake

 Absolutely wonderful! It’s sure to be a new family favorite!

                                              2 cups Sugar                           ½ Buttermilk
                                              2 cups Flour                            2 Eggs

                                              2 sticks Butter                         1 tsp. Baking Soda

                                              4 Tbsp. Cocoa                        1 tsp. Cinnamon

                                              1 cup Water                            1 tsp. Vanilla

 Combine Butter, Cocoa , and Water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Then add to flour and sugar, which have been mixed together. Beat again, until smooth. Pour into large greased pan. I use an 11X16 inch pan. Bake at 400 , for about 20 minutes. Five minutes before cake is done, prepare the following frosting.

                                             1 stick Butter                            1 lb. Powdered Sugar

                                             4 Tbsp. Cocoa                         1 tsp. Vanilla

                                             6 Tbsp. Buttermilk                    1 cup Chopped Pecans (optional)

 In a small pan, bring to boil, Butter, Cocoa and Buttermilk. Pour over Powdered Sugar. Beat. Then add Vanilla and Nuts. Pour on cake while hot. Let cool. Taste great served with homemade vanilla ice cream!

 ENJOY!!!

Fun Pictures

Chocolate Quote For The Week
"It is chocolate, not reason, that is stronger than death."  -Thomas Mann

(quotes was edited)

Hidden Kisses

Chocolate can be used as a love token even when you are not around, like in this story!

My mom and sister were in the U.K. and before they left they secretly hid chocolate Kisses all around the house for us to find while they were gone for two weeks. It was a pleasant surprise! We would find a chocolate Kiss almost every day. They were hidden in our dressers, on top of the dishwasher soap, in the coffee filters, in random drawers that we would open often, and other places they knew we would look. It was so fun to find one and it always reaminded us of them when we did. Now if we ever get chocolate Kisses we think of that great experience!

Chocolate Covered Spinach

We thought, since chocolate makes every thing better how about we try it with spinach!

                                                   1/2 cup  chocolate (your favorite kind)

                                                   2 cups  fresh spinach

Melt chocolate in microwavable bowl.

Place spinach on your favorite tray or plate.

Drizzle chocolate on spinach,

and enjoy! 

Eating Chocolate by the Pool!

Friends Forever!

Yuuum...

Is there more Chocolate over there?

Chocolate shoe!

My mom and sister where in the U.K. and saw this and thought it was the perfect mix for a girl, shoes and chocolate in one!

Musings of the Chocoholics

                       "Desserts is stressed spelled backwards."  -Author unknown

   We will be sharing fun stories, interesting recipies, weekly chocolate quotes, fun pictures, and other interesting things about chocolate and sweets. We plan on tasting every single chocolate known to man! As well as sharing all our experiences with you. We hope you enjoy!

  "Did you ever notice how Hershey's is all about girls?"  (HER-SHE-y's)  -Tammy Boriack