Cook with Cocoa Exchange Spices

THE COCOA EXCHANGE™ has created delicious five ingredient recipes layered with sweet, bitter, nutty, peppery, creamy, crunchy, and always tasty cocoa. Your guests will love the layered and versatile flavors, bringing a new level of richness to the table and the moments you share together.

Baked Sugar Snap Peas

• 1 lb. sugar snap peas
• 2 Tbsp. shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Pod & Bean™ Caribbean Seasoning Blend 

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Chop shallots and mince garlic cloves.
3. Combine all ingredients and layer on a baking sheet.  
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and tender.

Cranberry Sauce

• 1 lb. cranberries, fresh or frozen
• ¾ cup apple cider 
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup Pure Dark® Cinnamon Chocolate Nibs
• ½ pt. fresh raspberries 

1. To a medium size saucepan over medium heat, add cranberries, apple cider, sugar and Pure Dark® Cinnamon Chocolate Nibs. Stir gently and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer over low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until cranberries begin to burst and sauce starts to thicken.
3. Add raspberries and stir gently.  
4. Allow to cool on stove before transferring to dish to refrigerate.

Pickled Peppers

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bag mini sweet peppers, rinsed
• 1 cup apple cider or champagne vinegar
• ½ cup Pod & Bean™ White Chocolate Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette

1. In a large saucepan, add olive oil and heat to medium-high.  
2. Add onions and gently sauté for five minutes.  
3. Add peppers and cook for an additional five minutes.  
4. Add vinegar and Pod & Bean™ White Chocolate Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette and bring to a slow boil.  
5. Simmer and stir occasionally.
6. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until peppers are tender.
7. Transfer peppers and liquid to an airtight container, cover and store overnight.

Gift Round Up for Our Favorite Lady: MOM!!

This Sunday, we celebrate Mom. Mom is your birth mom, friend, family member, anyone that you consider someone to look up to, value her opinion, and love.  

My mom Kathy is stupendous. We just put the last year into planning my wedding and it was amazing, thanks to my mom (and dad, and a host of other people!)

Flowers and candy are pretty great, but this year, get mom a fabulous gift!!
Pamper mom! 

Hand in Hand is an eco-friendly bath & lifestyle social business. All products are made in the USA and materials are sourced using the most environmentally and ethically responsible methods. For every product purchased, Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap and a month of clean water to a child in need in Haiti. In celebration of their favorite holiday, Mother's Day, they are offering a special Mother's Day Gift Basket for only $49.95 (plus free shipping). Baskets are available in three pretty and feminine scents: Lavender, Rose Water and White Tea. 

Each gift basket is valued at $75 and comes with:

• A white tin bucket
• Moisturizing Lotion
• Sugar Scrub
• Bar Soap
• Lip Balm
• Customized watercolored gift tag
• Free shipping

These products are made with the highest quality natural ingredients and for every basket purchased, Hand in Hand will donate 4 bars of soap and 4 months of clean water to a child in the developing world. 

Mom into wellness? Juicing or smoothies is the way to go! Mom would love a Hurom juicer or a Cuisinart blender and smoothie maker. These products are sleek, chic, and so much fun to use! These products make kitchen time fun and lend their expertise to following a healthier diet. 

Coffee or tea? Which does Mom prefer? For the expert tea drinker, an electric kettle is key.  Cuisinart makes a great lineup of kettles for home or office. For coffee, does Mom prefer a drip-coffee maker or an automatic single serve? Home brewing is at it's best when served with love, family, pastries, and good coffee!

And what mom doesn't love to be comfortable and fashionable? Check out Macy's, Kohl's, and Sak's for great spring accessories and clothes for mom! This Kate Spade scarf features the island of Manhattan- wear the world's greatest city around your neck!

Finally, jewelry always makes the cut: Alex and Ani, Pandora, Cartier, so many others to get mom something gorgeous and great. How did you pamper your mom?

PA Ballet Presents Delightful Performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

This has got to be one of the most magical and busy Christmases I have ever experienced! And the very first thing I do after putting up my Christmas tree is attend a performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ at the Academy of Music by the ever-talented Pennsylvania Ballet company. Every year this magical performance wows me with its fanciful sets and whimsy, delightful dancing and holiday treats.

 

This year I took my fiancé Stephen, who has never seen any ballet before, much less The Nutcracker, for the Sunday afternoon December 14 performance. I was so excited to show him the wonder and merriment of this time-honored Christmas tradition. 

The amazingly talented orchestra, conducted by Beatrice Jona Affron, drew us into the world of Marie and Fritz on Christmas Eve while they and their parents, Frau and Dr. Stahlbaum, welcome family and friends for a delightful party. Herr Drosselmeier, all the children’s favorite family member arrives with presents for them all, and he gifts Marie with a unique nutcracker. Tensions build when Fritz steals the dolls from Marie and smashes it’s head. Fritz was a delight to watch, even though he is very naughty!

 

Drosselmeier tends to the doll, and soon the guests must go. After all are gone, Marie sneaks to the ballroom and falls asleep with her doll to comfort it. Her mother finds her out of bed, and searches for her, finding her asleep, covers her up and hurries back to bed. And then Marie dreams the most wonderful dream- of brave toy soldiers fighting mischievous mice with a scary Mouse King, where she fearlessly assists The Nutcracker as he heroically defeats the Mouse King! Marie and her Nutcracker watch as it snows and the charming snowflakes dance their intricate steps, and wonder off to the Land of Sweets.

 

Act Two draws us in to the whimsical world of candy as The Sugarplum Fairy and her angels dance and the brave Nutcracker tells his heroic story. More sweets come to visit, including popping candy canes, hot chocolate, and tea, and my favorite- coffee- dance their delights. Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles make the audience giggle as they jump around, and the Dewdrop whirls among her flowers. The Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier are most impressive as they tell their romantic and beautiful story among the sweets, and dance a final pas de deux. Soon Marie and her Nutcracker must go, for it is time to awaken, and sail away with glorious memories and sweets and happiness in a Christmas dream.

 

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ always evokes a warm and fierce holiday spirit and I was so happy to show that to Stephen, which he loved! The Nutcracker is a children’s ballet, but it appeals to all ages and never fails to fill me with delight and wonder.

 

The Pennsylvania Ballet was founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger. The Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the nation’s leading ballet companies. The Company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, and always the Philadelphia holiday tradition, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. For more information, visit paballet.org or call215.551.7000.

 

We continued our adventure to the Nutcracker Market in the Kimmel Center, where we found many glorious local vendors and bought up a good many things – spiced Chai Honey from Taste, seahorse pottery, ornaments, and more. After watching the entertainment – dancers and carolers, we greeted Santa Claus and Mrs Claus then headed out into the afternoon- on our next adventure!

 

Don’t miss this time-honored family tradition. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ performances run until Wednesday, December 31.

 

Special thanks to the Academy of Music.

PA Ballet George Balanchine's The Nutcracker company artist photos courtesy of PA Ballet and by Alexander Iziliaev.