Chocolate Sandwiches and A Few Other Things...

Chocolate Sandwiches, Afternoon Tea, Chard is lovely, and Two More Chocolate Ratings!

 Chocolate Sandwiches

Ingredients: 

One loaf Brioche or Challah Bread, cut into 1/2in thick slices

6 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 3.5oz bars of dark or milk chocolate ( depending on your taste, but I have used both and they both work well)

Directions:

Spray a non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. In a wide bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off -you are just making French toast. Cook bread slices in skillet until they are nicely browned on each side. Remove bread slices and place onto a plate lined with foil to keep the bread warm. Continue cooking all the slices. Pair the finished bread slices with the slice that most matches it. Break the chocolate bar into pieces that will fit each pair of bread slices. You will want an empty boarder of bread around the chocolate so that it doesn't ooze out too much. Place broken chocolate pieces in between hot bread slices and place back on foil topped plate. Place chocolate on remaining slices and let sit under foil tented plate until the chocolate is melted, but not too runny. Serve with Raspberry Lavender Cream Dipping Sauce (Recipe follows).

Raspberry Lavender Cream Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1 10ox package frozen raspberries 

3 TBSP heavy cream

1 TBSP dried lavender (edible grade) crushed and ground by hand or with a mortar and pestle (optional ingredient, but it does add an exotic flavor)

1 tsp honey

pinch salt

Directions:

Put raspberries in a pot and heat over medium heat. Drop lavender into pot and let heat for about 20 seconds to release oils. Using a potato masher, mash into pulpy liquid. Continue to stir to keep from burning. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Heat to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Pour mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve and serve warm with chocolate sandwiches, with yogurt, or on pancakes.    

 Getting into the Valentine Groove...

 

For those who live on the east coast, you may be familiar with Wegman's -the only grocery store I know of that serves as much for a tourist attraction as a place to shop. They deck their stores in holiday decor for every holiday and season. It makes shopping there that much better. Today they had this beautiful ice sculpture out in their massive 'garden' of roses in every type of arrangement, color, and size imaginable. I saw and friend while there an we discussed how we should have brought a blanket and sat under the arch of roses for lunch. SO beautiful.

A friend came over for Valentine's Afternoon Tea. We had the chocolate sandwiches and raspberry lavender dipping sauce  in the previous recipes, in addition to brie, pink lemonade, Ruby Red Rooibos tea, and good conversation. We meant to work on Valentine's and crafts while eating, but our babies had other plans -like not napping. It was still a welcome break from the daily grind.

Not Valentine related and not really in season, but SO gorgeous that I could not abstain from taking and posting a picture. Try adding chard to your favorite soup or roasting it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. It pairs well with goat cheese, roasts, and atop pizza or garlic bread. Here is a link containing information on the health benefits of chard: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/8-health-benefits-of-swiss-chard.html

Another type of chocolate to add to my ratings. This one was intense, unique, full of flavor and spice, and one of the yummiest things I have ever tasted. I rate it a 3.

I have been so excited to try this one since I saw it. It sounds strange, but OH MY -it is divine. The bread inside is very crispy and tastes like a slightly salty crouton. It is quite similar to the whole potato-chips and chocolate in ice cream craze right now (of which I am a huge fan). I rate this amazing bar a 3 as well. Also, the type and brand of chocolate REALLY does matter and affects many other people. If you missed my previous post on Fair Trade and Slave-Free chocolate, please take a look and become aware of something real and current in our world.

I wish you all a very Happy St. Valentine's day tomorrow! Good luck with your prepping and may you slip in a sip or bite of something delightful amidst your activities!