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Although chocolate may seem like a basic ingredient, in reality, it's somewhat complex. From milk content to sweetness to cacao percentage, there's a lot that can vary. The first thing to understand is the ratio of cacao to sugar. A chocolate that's 60 percent cacao contains 40 percent sugar. The more cacao a chocolate contains, the less sugar it has and the darker it is. To get a breakdown of Read more
Cacao is a deep liquid that is extracted from the nut of the cacao tree. It is grown in tropical jungles and contains higher concentrations of antioxidants than Vitamin C and about 20 times the amount in green tea. It is also known for its natural anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and cell regeneration qualities. Cacao is really starting to catch on in the beauty world, so here are three products Read more
Cacao nibs are showing up all over the place these days. My Fare Foodie puts them to good use in a simple microwave version of caramel corn. Cacao nibs are all-natural bits of ground cocoa beans that have a nice crunch factor, a major amount of antioxidants, and a subtle chocolate flavor. How about we nibble on these little nibs in a batch of homemade caramel corn? Caramel corn can be kind of Read more
FitSugar reader For the Love of Fiber offers vegan, gluten-free, and kid-friendly energy bars inspired by the Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream flavor. She shared it with us in our Healthy Recipe group in the Fit Community. Chunky Monkey Super Omega-3 Energy Bars Makes 12 bars Ingredients: 1 ripe banana 12 medjool dates, pitted 1 cup raw walnuts 1 cup quinoa flakes ½ cup chia Read more
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help! We're all familiar with the things that signal spring’s arrival: extra hours of daylight, budding flowers, and Cadbury Crème Eggs on display at every supermarket and drugstore in America. It’s easy to justify grabbing one (or two) of Read more
A milky mix of brandy, cream, and creme de cacao, the brandy alexander is often referenced but rarely ordered. Rumored to be a favorite drink of John Lennon's, this classic cocktail has had a song written about it (Feist's "Brandy Alexander"), and in an episode of Mad Men, Peggy orders one to get her through an unsuccessful date. After hearing so much about brandy alexanders, I finally made one Read more
It's quite rare to find a beauty product so deliciously rich and luxurious smelling that it actually makes you want to slather it all over a piece of toast and eat it. Such is the case with Shea Terra Organics' Dark Chocolate Sugar-Stone Exfoliating Cream ($22). It's almost like brownie batter in a jar, but alas, is not meant to be digested. Made with the antioxidant power of cacao mass Read more
We had a blast at the 2012 Winter Fancy Food show that took place this past Sunday through Tuesday. We spotted so many exciting new trends and taste-tested a lot of new things. Some were really great, some (like a raw cacao bean) were really not. But either way, we appreciate any chance to be surrounded by food and people who love food. Check out some of our behind-the-scenes snaps! Read more
The holidays are over, but on these short days and cold nights, the need for warm, boozy comfort remains high. Elevate your coffee routine and your after-dinner ritual in one very potent punch, with a classic cup of keoke coffee. This dessert stand-in combines piping hot coffee with Kahlua, brandy, and crème de cacao, topped off with whipped cream. If that sounds extremely alcoholic, that's Read more
You know you're getting into the holiday spirit when the movie Elf is on repeat in your DVD player. If this is the case, let's just hope you aren't influenced by Will Ferrell's bad dietary habits, which include copious amounts of candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup! We may not be guzzling down bottles of syrup, but when confronted with tables full of cookies, candies, chocolates, and Read more
