Easy Valentine's Day Treats

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day - a day to tell those you love how much they mean to you. The holiday dates back centuries and though many think it's a Hallmark holiday, it's really something so much more. I shared a post on The Lake Country Mom about things you can do for the holiday with all of your loved ones. And this week, I experimented and made some simple chocolate treats with my mom.

There are a variety of Waukesha businesses that also have chocolate dipped items--cookies, pretzels, strawberries, and more. But if you are crunched for time, or you want to make something so it's more special, this could be your option.

These treats are so easy to whip together, it almost takes longer to preheat the oven or melt the chocolate in the microwave than make the actual treats. And the mess was very minimal and clean up was quick and easy.

We started with chocolate Rolo pretzels. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and while that is happening, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Start with a layer of square pretzels and then place a Rolo chocolate candy on top of each pretzel. Then place in the oven for just three minutes so the chocolate gets a little melty. Push an M&M into the top of each--and push down just enough to mush everything all together. (Aren't these seasonal M&Ms so cute?!?!)

In addition to the pretzel treats, we melted some chocolate in the microwave to dip cookies. If you don't want to purchase a lot of items, you can buy these grab cups and seasonal M&Ms. Usually those cookie cups are in the 10 for $10 bin at Pick 'n Save.

We tried to "fork" or "toothpick" the cookies to help with the dipping, but the cookies wouldn't stay together or fell off in the chocolate. We settled for dipping half the treats.

My mom and I also figured out the calorie content of each treat, and honestly, they aren't that bad. (If you don't eat too many.)

Each treat is under 40 calories, except the regular size Oreos. Those didn't work the best in the chocolate but I just had to dip one of the new Most Stuf Oreos (that have 110 calories each before the chocolate dip!!!)

My mom and I had a great time experimenting and making some treats. She took some home for my dad and I have some to share with Jake this week for a quick sweet treat for my sweetie. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day, no matter what you do.

Foodie Penpal: September

This month, Foodie Penpal's changed it up a bit and we received a box from the same person that we sent too! I like this as you get to have more of a two-way street conversation about likes and dislikes on things. I hope this version continues :)

My penpal for September was from Michiana -- 3 miles south of Michigan in South Bend, Indiana :)  She sent me a great box of goodies.

 Melissa participates in NatureBox - a program where you get a box of goodies sent to you each month. I received a small bag of granola last month from my penpal and loved it. So I was excited about these products. I haven't tried this granola yet, but I did try the cheesy pub pretzels (not pictured). They were decent and had good flavor. My favorite part of NatureBox products is that you can read all the ingredients on the labels.

She sent me some chocolate treats - Michigan chocolate covered cherries that I haven't indulged in yet and I'm saving the Peanut Butter Cups for after my 5k next weekend :)

This cute puppy jar is filled with Peanut Butter Chocolate topping. My mom had stopped at Culvers and brought home Caramel Cashew custard and so we just had to top it with this. It was heavenly. It has a bit of a texture, but I didn't heat it up at all. I might sneak a spoonful or two straight from the jar - it's that good.

I also failed at taking a picture of the Allegro Queen Bee Balance Tea she sent me. I took it to work and forgot to snap a pic beforehand.


If you want to join the program - click here to sign up.
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

Foodie PenPal for a Year!

I have been a part of the Foodie Penpal for one year as of this month. It has been a great experience for me with only two broken items and many new favorite treats!

This month, my box was from Pennsylvania and filled with a wonderful selection.

You can't go wrong with Lindt chocolates but I have never heard of these. They came a little soft so I threw them in the fridge to help them solidify. I just tried the crunch nougat one and it is heavenly. Lindt chocolate is soooooo smooth and creamy!

And pistachios - it's like she read my mind with this box so far - chocolates and my favorite nut - mmm, mmm, mmmm!

She shared in the letter she provided that things turned a little Asian when putting my box together. That is A-OK with this girl. Rice snack crackers are amazing, dried edamame, Jasmine rice, and Basil Curry sauce. I have never heard of the sauce, but it makes me curious and I can't wait to cook with it soon.

And finally she sent me granola and it's a bit different in that it's a soft granola with dried cherries, but wow was it spectacular with a little milk on it. I want to try to find this but it seems to be a part of NatureBox.com, a company that for a nominal fee you receive a box of goodies each month. I appreciate her sharing this goodie with me. Now I just have to find soft-baked granola somewhere before I run out!

I cannot begin to tell you how many new items I have been able to try and of those items, how many new favorites I have in my life. I plan to continue being a part of this progra.

If you want to join the fun of the Foodie Penpal program, here are all the details.

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

Foodie PenPal: Month 11

This month, my Foodie PenPal was from Indiana.....well until now as she just got married and is moving to Richmond, VA. I wish her congratulations on the marriage, best of luck with the move and major props for still participating in the program in the month she is getting married. Talk about being organized!!!!

And here is the awesome loot she put together for me :)

 The Justin's chocolate bar I can only imagine will taste like a Snickers with all the yummy ingredients. I put it in the fridge as it was warm the day the package was delivered and felt a little soft. And apparently I forgot about it in the fridge -- which is totally unlike me and chocolate. She also sent some tea from Trader Joe's. I love that we finally got a Trader Joe's in the Waukesha area, but I never make it over there :( I love getting treats from there and then I have a better idea of what to buy when I finally get there.

 These were amazing. They tasted like a mini popcorn cake with a bit more crunch. They were higher in Vitamin C so I had to resist over eating them due to my allergy, but I'm making them last.

 

I love honey and recently started putting it on an English muffin instead of just toast or in oatmeal. The muffin has a bit more of a solid structure to hold the honey, unlike toast and orange blossom just sounds awesome. 

 

I cannot get over how adorable these are! What a fun little surprise in my already loaded box of treats. They are ceramic so I will have to be very careful but you will see them make appearances in future blog posts. 

If you want to join the fun of the Foodie Penpal program, here are all the details.

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

Foodie Penpal Month 7

Month 7 has rolled around of the Foodie Penpal program by Lean Green Bean blog and I couldn't be happier to be apart of this program.

This month I sent a package of goodies from Wisconsin to Delaware. I packaged up some of my favorites including popcorn from Poppin' on Broadway and some dip mixes. '

Her response: I just got your package, and wanted to say THANK YOU, it is all Amazing!!!! I cant wait to taste all the goodies!!!!

I received a package from Minnesota and was so anxious to try it that I didn't even get a picture of everything she sent. 

I enjoyed the yummy Nut Goodie peanut nougat cluster right away and missed the picture on that - whoops! It was heavenly!

Also in the package was a Nut Roll that brought back Easter memories as my grandma gave me and my brother one every year in our baskets. I let my dad enjoy this treat!

Some Emerald cocoa almonds were in the package and they are 100 calories. Coach Ken at Energize Zone talks highly about almonds and says these are a great snack option compared to some others I have chosen. 

I also received a Lunds & Byerly's milk chocolate salted caramel pretzel bar. This bar took a bit to grow on me as at first I thought it was too sweet. But upon second taste, I really liked the sweet/salt/fat combo. I moderated myself on this one and ate only one bit every few days as it was rich, but delicious. 

I sent popcorn and I received popcorn! I took the small package of chocolate drizzled caramel corn to work and ate it for an afternoon snack - indulgent but necessary on a stressful afternoon! :)  I still have the hot caramel corn to enjoy, but I'm not sure about the spice. I'll share that with my friends that love spice!

Finally, there was a bottle of Lotus Restaurant Spicy Stir Fry Sauce. I love Asian cuisine, especially stir fry and can't wait to saute up some veggies and try out this sauce!

Another exceptional package and I can't wait to see what next month brings. 

If you are interested in the program, here is how it works: 

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

    

Pin-It Tuesday: Mock Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

I cannot quite explain my obsession with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, especially the holiday shaped ones. Trees, hearts, eggs, pumpkins -I love them all! The sweet and salty combination is my kryptonite. I have an extremely hard time resisting, but I try with all my willpower.

But when I found this recipe on Pinterest to make them at home, I just had to give it a whirl.

The ingredients are simple enough that I had everything already at home!

I had to mash up some graham crackers and it ended up being a bit more than one of the three packages in the box.

All dry ingredients are mixed together.

Although I had a little issue measuring the powdered sugar - whoops! Mom loves when I make a mess in her kitchen :)

Then the wet and dry ingredients are combined into the heavenly peanut butter filling!

Then you have to spread it into a pan and let it set up in the freezer for a bit before putting the chocolate over the top.

Here is where my fail came in. Who would have known that 20 seconds too long in the microwave can destroy chocolate? (I do now!)

My mom came and saved the day, but Matt stopped by and distracted me so I didn't get the final picture. Yes he laughed at me and my chocolate debacle but couldn't wait to try the final product. I took some over to his place the night we had the pulled pork burritos.

They are a pretty good mock version of them and now I know just how bad they are for me. However making them myself means that I can cut them as small as I need for a PB/Chocolate fix. Matt loved them and ate a few after the burritos and had the rest that I left him in the next few days.

This will definitely go on my repertoire of amazing desserts that need to be rationed! :) Or sold at a bake sale!

Foodie Penpal: Month 6

Another month has come and gone and I was paired with another awesome Foodie Penpal! I am still so glad that I joined this program. Not only do I receive really awesome foodie treats each month, but I get to share my favorites with my penpal. Major props to Lindsey to keeping this going!

I sent my package to April from AZ and here is her response about it:
I absolutely LOVED the package!! It was exactly what I needed(:
And chocolate cherries are my very favorite!!
Thank you, thank you(:

Scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to find out more on what the program all is and how to get involved.

I got back from Salt Lake City at the Build Your Blog Conference late last Monday, so I used a vacation day on Tuesday to recoup. And while watching TV, our mail lady came marching up our snowy driveway with my Penpal box. Here's what it contained from snowy New Hampshire:

I have read a lot about different types of chocolate covered nuts and am sooooo excited to try these. I'm really limiting my chocolate lately and I know once I open the bag, they will be gone!

My penpal read my blog and saw that I was a runner and gave me something she likes to munch on during long runs. I have a run on March 16, so I'll bring it along for that!

 Chocolate and caramel are a deadly combo for my waistline and this has coconut too - super excited!

 My penpal is Polish and another resident Z last-namer (which makes her even more awesome than she already is) and sent me a polish traditional chocolate.

 These nuts are soooooo good. I am going to have to find them soon as the container is almost gone. It's that whole, once you pop, you just can't stop situation!

 I have never had a ginger chew but I'm always up for anything and I hear they curb your hunger cravings so I'm in.

My mom and I tried these peas and they definitely have a tomato and garlic taste to them. Something different and a very healthy snack.

And she even added some cute Valentine's hearts to the box. So fun!

 How the program works and click here to sign up

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

Foodie PenPal: Month 5

It's time to share my Foodie Penpal for January. I really enjoy this program and if you haven't joined yet, and are a foodie like me, you should really consider it. Here are the details from Lindsey at the Lean Green Bean Blog

 

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

This month I was paired with Janelle from Sturgis, MI. She is a mother of 3 grown children and a grandma for 2 with another on the way. She works at a camp and retreat center in the food service - how awesome is that job? She has been in the penpal program for three months and told me to just surprise her. 

I put together a box of some of my most favorite things I have come across in the last few months. I love the Sonoma Jack cheeses I found a my local grocer as well as the individual hummus packets a former Foodie Penpal got me addicted too! I then headed over to Penzey's Spices, one of my fave cooking stores in the area and grabbed some great spices for her. Penzey's also gave me a catalog and a postcard to include in the box. I snagged a few recipes to include in the box while I was there. Here is what Janelle had to say about her box. 

Hi Sarah - My husband and I finished off the parmesan peppercorn cheese wedges in 2 days and I loved the hummus! I mixed some of the Turkish spice in some plain greek yogurt and dipped pita chips in it! it was delicious! The fig bar was great with my coffee for breakfast this morning!

I plan to use the Fox Point seasoning and the maple BBQ sauce on Super Bowl Sunday when we're hosting a party!

Thanks again for such a great foodie package!!

I received a box from Kendra in Lake Tahoe. She didn't even know it but I collect postcards from all over and now I have another to add to my collection. I haven't had a chance to try everything in the box yet, but here is what I got.

The pistachio crackers are almost like cookies and super addicting. I'm glad they are individually wrapped snack portions in the box or I would have devoured it all by now. I will have to find these soon as my stock is running low. 

  

I haven't had the candy cane cocoa yet but, perfect for the cold days ahead.   

Love spiced ciders and with the cold Wisconsin weather we are having lately (except for 60 degrees on Tuesday), I think this will be lovely to have when it's -25 wind chill tomorrow!

 I have kept the candy bar in tact for now because I know once I open it, it will be gone! I love the sea salt chocolate combo and almonds have grown on me so much lately! Maybe I'll break it up and share it at my friend's Super Bowl party on Sunday. Then we can all get chubby together :) Sharing is caring right?

Speaking of Super Bowl, I plan to make a new dip from my aunt for the party - watch for that party recap and recipe coming soon. If you are looking for other treats to make for the Superbowl, here is an older post with lots of easy recipes. I plan to bring my Packers mug from another former Foodie Penpal and drink from it in honor of Driver's announced retirement from football this weekend. 

So that was my Month 5 box. I'm already signed up for February's and if you want to join, sign up here before Feb. 4.      

Make & Take Chocolate Class

Last week I came across a retweet regarding a Make & Take Chocolate Class from Allo! Chocolat in downtown Waukesha. My mom and I found out about these classes at a Freeman Friday Night Live earlier in the season, and she mentioned that she really would love to get a group together for a class for her birthday. In the short notice that the retweet offered the class as a Buy One, Get One Admission free, we decided that just the two of us should try it out. I called the next day and booked us for the September 5 Make & Take Chocolate class in the Allo! Studio for $25.

The holiday weekend threw both me and my mom off on dates and days and we showed up on Tuesday night. The studio was closed up and locked up and I was puzzled. That's when I used my iPhone and realized that Tuesday was the 4th and not the 5th. So we did what anyone would do, laughed and went and got wine!

We walked down to Generations at 5 Points and grabbed a table in the bar area. We were greeted politely and informed they had half price bottles of wine, so of course we ordered that and some baked brie and laughed at ourselves for showing up the wrong night. Both hit the spot!

Generations at 5 Points wine & baked brie

Baked brie close up

Ok, so onto Wednesday and the actual class. This time when we showed up, the studio lights were on and our teacher was inside ready to welcome us in. Our class was to have five students in it but the room could easily seat up to 20. We waited for the others to arrive and only two more showed up. I'm not sure how they found out about the class, but we are all fans of Allo! Chocolat so I assume that is our common bond.

The class teaches you about the different types of chocolates that the store uses to make all of its delicious treats as well as the history of chocolate. While you learn about the chocolates, you are tasting too! NOTE: come hungry because you eat a lot of chocolate in this class!

From left to right - bitter sweet, dark, milk chocolates

We were given a worksheet and a recipe sheet for all the things that were made in the class. The worksheet was more of a guide for us while trying the four different types of chocolate we were using: 72% Bitter Sweet Cambra, 52% Semi Sweet Dark, Milk and White. We noted the appearance, aroma, texture/mouth-feel and flavor/finish. So already in the class we had four pieces of chocolate in us :)

worksheet from Allo! Chocolat

The class then turns into the making part where we learned proper techniques to melt chocolate and how to dip. The first food that we dipped was a biscotti into white chocolate. With fall on its way, we even could put on some orange sprinkles. The teacher then shared some tiramisu truffles that she dipped in white choolate earlier that day with us.

Dipped biscotti

Next, we melted some dark chocolate (the teacher's favorite) and dipped oreo "cookie pops" into it while using the remaining white chocolate to drizzle over the pop. We even learned that instead of buying the fancy $10+ utensil to dip chocolate truffles, we could use a plastic fork with the middle two prongs broken off.

dipping tongs

Dipping in action

Finished dips

While the teacher made the five minute chocolate cake in the microwave, we learned how to pipe chocolate into those fancy cake topper shapes. Using just a ziploc bag and left over melted chocolate, we piped onto some patterns and then made some free-form options. Once the cake was done and cooled, whip cream was added to the top of our pieces and we inserted a chocolate decoration.

Chocolate piping

We also got to try some of the truffles that Allo! Chocolat sells and they were so delicious. This was about the time that I hit sugar overload and could have used a cracker. But it was all so wonderful.

Allo! Chocolat truffle

Allo! Chocolat buttercream truffle

I won't give away all the secrets of this class because I really think that the class is worth attending. And every class will be different based on the attendees. But we got to take all of our goodies home in a bag to be enjoyed over the next few days!

Goodie bag!

Allo! Chocolat offers many different classes for all ages: A Discovery Chocolate class is for the youth,  a cooking with chocolate class, make & take and later this year a warm your heart class with marshmallows and cocoa are for the more mature cookers and bakers.

My chocolate pipings!

I will definitely keep these in mind and I know that my mom is very interested in the cooking class and getting some of her "lady-friends" together for the class.

Allo! Chocolat is a gourmet chocolate shop on Main Street in downtown Waukesha. They make all of the chocolate treats in the shop and also offer nuts, caramels and nostalgic candies. It is a go-to for me when friends come in from out of town and they always love the shop. I also stop in for gifts, treats for me and definitely when I have had a rough week at work. My foodie penpal this month is most likely going to get a treat from here.