Life...

Sorry for the lack of posting the last couple days... I can't believe I didn't get my pretzel day post out in time!! Ugh.

Maybe I'll just back-date it... =P

Life has been pretty crazy the last few days.

Started potty training the Kiddo, found out some upsetting family news, then the hubs lost his new job after only two weeks (that's a rant I'll keep to myself), we both had speaking assignments at church, new position at church for me, and then finding a new job for the hubs... all on top of watching my niece several mornings, cooking, cleaning and trying to sleep.

Crazy!!!!

But I'm back!! Hopefully... I've got a lot of stuff going on for my new church position this week, and then traveling to my cousin's wedding. So maybe I'll really be back next week...

We'll see how things go and if I can crank out these daily holiday posts.

When your life gets crazy, what do you do to manage yourself and get it all done without losing your mind?

Let me know in the comments!

Gotta Velata Holidays, because it's not just Fondue: Zucchini Bread

It's National Zucchini Bread Day!!

Last summer, my parents' garden yielded a TON of zucchini. No really, if we had weighed it, I'm sure it was ton. They grew SO huge and I hated picking them because they were all prickly and as big as my arms.

We actually learned later from my cousin, who was working at a farm (or something like that), not to let them get so big. Yea, you'll have a lot more flesh to use in your recipes, but the flavor gets diluted the larger they get. I guess they only have so much flavor? So if you pick them when they are smaller the flavor is more concentrated.

Interesting thought.

Whether you like your zucchini flavor more concentrated or a little diluted, my mom has the MOST delicious zucchini bread recipe. If you don't believe me, I dare you to make it... trust me, you'll wish you had some of their bumper crop! She has graciously allowed me to share her recipe with you.

And this coming summer, you better believe I am buying my own gardening gloves and heading over to reap what they sow. =)

My Mom's Zucchini Bread

What you need:

3 eggs

½ cup oil

½ cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients together and mix well.

Pat into 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with Pam.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to complete the cooling process.

I think this would be so yummy with a drizzle of our Velata White Chocolate! Or you could chop up some of the Velata Milk Chocolate wafers and bake them right in the bread. YUM!


Order your Velata products here: http://chocelata.velata.us
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For more Gotta Velata Holiday posts, please click here.

Gotta Velata Holidays, because it's not just Fondue: Pigs in a Blanket

It's National Pigs in a Blanket Day!!

There are so many variations of "pigs in a blanket"...

Seriously, just Google it...

But I think my favorite are wrapped in pretzel blankets! What can I say? I like to be a little different.

I found a really easy from scratch recipe here.

These will taste simply AMAZING dipped in our creamy Cheddar Fondue!!

Order your Velata Cheese here: http://chocelata.velata.us

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For more Gotta Velata Holiday posts, please click here.

Gotta Velata Holidays, because it's not just Fondue: Cherry Cheesecake

It's National Cherry Cheesecake Day!

 

Celebrate by making this tasty treat...

Velata Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Serves: 8
Cooking Time: 35 min

Chilling Time: 1 hr

 

What You'll Need:

 

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, well drained, divided

1/2 bag Velata chocolate (your choice, but I prefer dark for this recipe)

1 (9-inch) graham cracker pie crust

1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/4 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

 

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 375.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until it's nice and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating until they are thoroughly combined.

Cut open the Velata chocolate bag and remove half of the wafers. Coarsely chop. Set aside 8 cherries to garnish each finished pie slice, then coarsely chop the rest. Add chopped cherries and Velata wafers to cream cheese mixture; mix well, then pour into pie crust.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is firm. Chill 1 hour, then spread on whipped topping and sprinkle with cocoa. Garnish with the remaining cherries. Cover loosely and chill until you are ready to serve.

**Feel free to substitute 2 cups fresh whipped cream in place of the whipped topping. I really hope you enjoy!

Order your Velata chocolate here: http://chocelata.velata.us
For a complete list of Gotta Velata Holiday posts please click here.
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Inspirational recipe here.

Gotta Velata Holidays, because it's not just Fondue!

Did you know that today (April 23) is National Picnic Day? Neither did I. That is, until I looked up a list of Food Holidays... =)

So... we've all seen these tweets and posts all over the internet:
"Happy Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day! I ate a dozen, lol."
or "OMG, it's National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!"

Haven't we? ... Or is that just me?

Anywho, I kept seeing these and was getting super curious about who decides these "holidays" and went to my trusted source: Google. And I found a nifty list of "Food Holidays".

I heart the internet!

The site is linked below and goes into more detail about the various food holidays, weeks, and months throughout the year...

BUT, I got really excited reading through some of them and decided to create a series of posts dedicated to these delicious celebrations:

"Gotta Velata Holidays, because it's not just Fondue!"

The challange? Working Velata into each and every one of these holidays!!

This should be interesting... Here we go!

April 23: National Cherry Cheesecake Day
April 24: National Pigs in a Blanket Day
April 25: National Zucchini Bread Day
April 26: National Pretzel Day
April 27: National Prime Rib Day
April 28: National Blueberry Pie Day


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The above list includes links to my blog posts for each holiday. You will notice I've got future holidays listed as well. So if you have an idea about what I could/should do to incorporate Velata products OR have an experience of your own, please share in the comments. Thank you!
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For the complete list of Food Holidays, please go here.

Flavor your Velata Fondue the No-Fuss Way... with Mixables!

We're mixin' it up over here!

With our new Mixables you've got plenty of delicious options.

Mocha

Indulge in rich hot cocoa and bold, dark-roasted coffee with Mocha. Mix Mocha into Velata chocolate for a delightful café mocha treat.

Mix with our Premium White chocolate for a flavor reminiscent one of my favorite coffee house drinks.

 

Peppermint

Tingle your taste buds with invigorating Peppermint. Pair Peppermint with Velata chocolate for a blast of cool, crisp sweetness — it’s like stirring a cup of hot cocoa with a peppermint stick!

This pairs perfectly with our Premium Dark Chocolate. So yummy!

 

Orange

Dip into fresh-from-the-grove sweetness with sun-soaked Orange. Add a packet of yummy Orange to Velata chocolate for a citrusy burst of flavor!

Have you ever had a Chocolate Orange? Mix this with our Premium Milk Chocolate and you've got it!

 

Raspberry

Capture the essence of juicy, sun-ripened red raspberries. Fresh, bright, and fruity, Raspberry adds luscious berry flavor to complement any Velata chocolate.

I tried this in our Premium White Chocolate the other day and it was simply DIVINE!!


Our new Mixables come with 3 flavor packets, each pre-measured to flavor one bag of our Premium Chocolate.

But don't stop there! These work well mixed into cake and cookie frosting too!!

Order online anytime! http://chocelata.velata.us

Can you say Cheese? Introducing Velata Cheese Fondue!

It's been a busy week for me so far, so this is getting out a little later than I had wanted... so let's not waste any more time!!

Velata Consultants everywhere (myself included!) are VERY proud to present to you fondue fans our much anticipated...

CHEESE!!!

We have four delicious flavors available.  So far I've only tried two, but you better believe I'll have had all of them before long!

Let's dive in and get to know them a little better...

Bacon Cheddar

Mr. Billy Shakespeare once said, "Everything is better with bacon."

Ok, maybe he didn't, but it’s true — everything IS better with bacon. Luscious cheddar meets smoky bacon for a pairing of classic comfort foods. Extremely versatile and simply delicious, Velata Bacon Cheddar adds indulgence to any occasion.

Have you had your bacon today?

Smoked Gouda (goo-duh)

 

Gouda’s Old World heritage is revealed in Velata Smoked Gouda. Creamy, golden Gouda is infused with smooth, smoky undertones for an irresistible taste that will have you dipping for more.

 

Pair with sweet fuji apples for an unexpected treat.

 

 

 Fiesta Queso

 

Pep up the party with Fiesta Queso! Sharp cheddar is accented by a hint of garlic and a bold punch of jalapeño pepper for a savory south-of-the-border treat that will leave your palate saying “muchas gracias!”

 

You're going to need plenty of chips for this one!

Cheddar

 

Just like fine wine, cheddar gets better with age; that’s why our cheddar is aged to perfection. Bold, creamy, and wonderfully nuanced, Velata Cheddar boasts a robust flavor.

 

Trust me, this cheddar is anything but ordinary.

Chocolate has always been a passion of mine, but I've also always loved cheese. It's just... so... cheesy! And I've got a few recipes in mind that these lovely cheese fondue flavors will take over the top. Seriously, blog posts with details on those are coming soon!

Don't wait to order your cheese! This stuff is flying off the shelves... http://chocelata.velata.us

Chocolate Wasted - Five Pounds of Premium Belgian Chocolate!

Well, it has definitely been too long since I last posted on here! :(

A lot has happened. If you were reading the blog when I started it, you'll know that my last post happened in the middle of our move halfway across the country, and I was about 8 months pregnant.

Fun, fun, fun.

We have successfully moved (twice actually!) and our little boy was born happy and healthy. Since then, we have been busy adjusting to new places, new jobs, and our new little face.

BUT it's about time I start this blog up again. SO, who is ready for more chocolate?? ME!! But that should have been obvious... :)

Velata just launched a new catalog with a BUNCH of awesome new products, so I'll be featuring them over the next several posts (stay tuned!!).

We will start things off with a FIVE POUND BUCKET!!!

 

That's right FIVE WHOLE POUNDS! More than 13 bags worth of chocolate!! And it comes in all four flavors of Velata's premium Belgian chocolate.

 

If you're thinking that sounds too good to be true, you're wrong AND right. Lol.

 

This is definitely real, BUT you can only get it as a Velata Host/Hostess... SO let's get your party booked before it's too late! It is time to get chocolate wasted... :)

 

 

http://chocelata.velata.us



No-Fuss Chocolate Fondue is Finally Here!!!

Just FYI, I'm posting from my phone while staying in a hotel with really crappy wifi, so hopefully this works out... IT'S LAUNCH TIME!!! Velata Chocolate Fondue is finally available for purchase! :) I'm throwing my first party tonight and taking orders from any and all chocolate lovers. As soon as I have my official site up and running, you will be the first to know! In the mean time, you can all head over to my Facebook, like it and check out the link for the PDF of the catalog. Then message me your order or wait on pins and needles for he site to come up and place it there. Let's cover the world on chocolate, one Velata warmer at a time!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alright, I've decided to share with all of you some of my favorite chocolate infused recipes.  I have a lot of favorites, but I have to start with my mom's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They are seriously SO good!  It is impossible to eat just one, and they never last very long in our house.  All growing up my mom only made them around the holidays, so now when I make them (all year long!) I am reminded of family gatherings and wonderful childhood memories.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 C shortening
1 1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 C pumpkin
1/4 C milk
3 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 C chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375.  Combine the flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.  Cream the shortening, sugar, egg and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the milk.  Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.  This is a very thick cookie dough, so if you are using a little hand mixer like me, you will need to give your mixer a break every so often to prevent overheating.  If you're lucky enough to own a Kitchenaid or other stand mixer, I envy you...  :)  When the dough is all combined, mix in the chocolate chips (again, hand mixer people please use a rubber spatula and save that little motor).  Drop cookies onto foil-lined cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until done.  Let them cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet before moving them to wire racks (or your mouth!).  Mm-mm, I really do love these cookies!

Stay tuned for more recipes... if you have a chocolate recipe that you think I should add to my favorites, send me an email at Chocelata@gmail.com!

No-Fuss Fondue!

When my husband and I got married we got the usual myriad of wedding presents, one of which was a chocolate fondue pot.  This Monday (4/16) we will be celebrating 3 wonderful years together.  Do you know how many times in those 3 years that we've used that little pot to make the delicious chocolate fondue that we both love so much?  If you guessed more than once, you'd be wrong.  That's right, we've only used it once!!  It was a few months after we had settled in to our new apartment and we had invited our new friends and next door neighbors over for dinner and chocolate fondue.  We were so excited, but that quickly died as we scorched the first batch of chocolate.  We had to wait for it to cool enough to clean and start over.  It was very temperamental and such a hassle to get the chocolate just right!  Ergo, we've only used it the once...

BUT we are both really excited for the no-fuss fondue experience that Velata will bring to our home on May 1st!  What really makes the Velata warmers special is the silicone dish. It's a simple dish that has a patent-pending technology to keep the chocolate at exactly the right temperature. A metal plate wrapped in silicone absorbs the heat from the 25-watt bulb. The silicone keeps the heat from escaping, prevents the chocolate from scorching, and can go from the refrigerator to the microwave to the dishwasher with ease. You can't do that with a fondue tower, or a traditional fondue pot!

Picture a quick, delicious, family-fun night. Or a romantic date night with decadent treats. Or the "grab some chocolate and a warmer" addition to a potluck. Just imagine the possibilities!

I can't wait to start having parties with these little beauties!  If you want to add one of these to your kitchen arsenal or host a party (home or catalog) to get free and half-price items, please let me know.  May 1st is right around the corner, my calendar is gonna fill up fast, and these things will be flying off our virtual shelves!

A Chocolate by Any Other Name Won't Taste as Sweet!!

Velata is Italian for veiled or covered, and when you get your hands on some of our Velata chocolate, trust me, you are gonna want to cover just about anything edible with it!  Do you want to know why?

Simple, it's the best chocolate in the WORLD!  =)

Crafted from premium cocoa beans by one of the most prestigious Belgian chocolate companies in the world, Velata Premium Chocolate is designed to melt beautifully in our exclusive warmers and stay at the perfect temperature for dipping with no need to stir and no chance of scorching.  It's no-fuss fondue that is so quick and easy you could have it everyday.

And honestly, I just might!!

Here are a couple of other fun facts about our amazing chocolate:

• All Velata chocolate is gluten-free.  Friends with celiac, have no fear!!
• Our dark chocolate is dairy-free, but processed on the same line as products that contain dairy, so all you lactose intolerant chocoholics, eat the dark at your own risk...
• Velata does not contain any peanuts or tree nuts and is not produced in a facility that processes products that contain peanuts or tree nuts.  Nut allergy?  No problem!
• Velata chocolate will come in convenient 6-ounce pouches with pour spouts. Simply microwave, pour into the Velata dish, dip your favorite foods, and enjoy.

Have you circled May 1st on your calendar yet?

Which of our chocolates are you looking forward to the most?  Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or caramel milk chocolate??

Velata Premium Belgian Chocolate! Are you drooling too?

Chocolate has always been my favorite food group.  I mean, I had a chocolate fondue fountain, dessert bar, and candy buffet at my wedding.  'Nuff said.  So when Scentsy announced not too long ago that they would be launching a new brand of fondue warmers paired with premium Belgian chocolate, I literally started drooling.  But can you blame me?  They flew to Belgium for a "taste tour" and picked the world's BEST chocolate!  Not to mention, they have designed the Velata warmers so that they follow the Scentsy model: they are simple!  It's a light bulb, hello!  No flame, no scorching, and no messy clean up?  Where's my electrical outlet, plug me in!

Velata will launch on May 1st with 14 different warmers (three designs and eight vibrant colors) which you can pair with their four indulgent chocolate flavors: a silky caramel milk chocolate, a full-bodied dark chocolate, a creamy milk chocolate, and a smooth white chocolate.  If you're like me, you're already making your list of dipping items and (im)patiently waiting for May 1st... but I have some good news!  You don't really have to wait that long!  Contact me now for information on how you can get in on this amazing opportunity right from the start...

Email: chocelata@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chocelata
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Chocelata