October 28, 2017

Homemade Chocolate Candy Bars

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Homemade Chocolate Candy Bars

chocolatecandybars

October 28: National Chocolate Day

Giving out free candy on Halloween isn’t exactly cheap. So it is quite understandable that some people opt to buy the generic brands or bulk variety packages of assorted candies to distribute to trick-or-treaters on Fright Night. Yet somehow the neighborhood children still seem to know which homes hand out their favorite candies! We were thought to be the one of the houses that gives out the good stuff! But there is an ulterior motive—if we still have candies left over, we eat them ourselves! So we buy what we like and they are usually the miniature chocolate candy bars (Hershey’s Special Dark, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel*).

With special candy molds, chocolate bars can be made at home very easily. Just melt the chocolate in a bowl, stir in rice cereal or nuts, place in the molds and let set. We replicated the recipes for Nestle Crunch and Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar for a homemade treat that is terrific on National Chocolate Day, on Halloween and whenever one wants to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Recipe

For the Crunch chocolate bar

  • Chocolate chips or wafers (we used Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers)
  • Rice cereal

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a bowl (in a microwave or over a double boiler), according to the directions on the package. Stir in the rice cereal and coat with chocolate.

crunchbarstep1

Spoon the mixture into the wells of a chocolate bar mold. Tap the mold on the counter to even out the surface. Place in the refrigerator until firm. Unmold onto a paper towel. Serve the rice cereal chocolate bar at a cool temperature.

crunchbarsteps2

For the Mr. Goodbar chocolate candy

  • Chocolate chips or wafers (we used Nestle Toll House milk chocolate chip morsels)
  • Roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a bowl (in a microwave or over a double boiler), according to the directions on the package. Stir in the chopped peanuts and coat with chocolate.

mrgoodbarsteps1

Spoon the mixture into the wells of a chocolate bar mold. Tap the mold on the counter to even out the surface. Place in the refrigerator until firm. Unmold onto a paper towel. Serve the peanut-covered chocolate bar at a cool temperature.

mrgoodbarsteps2

Notes

  • The equivalent of Hershey’s Krackel is Nestle’s Crunch chocolate bar.
  • We also like M&Ms, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, KitKat bars and other candies that do not stick to our teeth (sorry, caramel, gummies and chewy nougat).
  • We make homemade chocolate candy bars for ourselves and do not give open/unwrapped candies out on Halloween to trick-or-treaters for safety and sanitary reasons.
  • Purchase candy bar molds from a local hobby and craft shop or cake decorating supply store.
  • Substitute real chocolate for chocolate-flavored confectioner’s wafers, like Wilton’s Candy Melts.
  • There are several “chocolate holidays” throughout the year. Search our blog for other chocolate recipes.

 

 

October 3, 2017

Brisket Soft Tacos

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Brisket Soft Tacos

October 3: National Soft Taco Day

Just one day before National Taco Day, National SOFT Taco Day is observed as a food holiday. Highlander prefers the latter but Islander likes her tacos crispy. Tacos are a versatile dish. The filling could be beef, pork, chicken or seafood and the shells could be soft (flour or corn tortilla) or crispy. Toppings could include cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, avocados, jalapenos, sour cream and salsa.

For this particular post, we used soft low-carb flour tortilla shells in which to wrap the meat filling and toppings. We used leftover shredded beef brisket made from our slow cooker (it yielded a lot of meat for just the two of us). And we filled it with toppings as colorful as the Mexican blanket in the final food photo above.

Switch up the tortillas for tacos today and go specifically for the soft shells on National Soft Taco Day.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • SOFT tortillas (flour, corn or a combination of both)
  • Shredded beef brisket (or other meat or seafood of your choice)
  • Shredded cheese (we used a Mexican blend of cheeses)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Chopped onions
  • Chopped cilantro leaves
  • Salsa or taco sauce
  • Lime wedges or slices (optional)

Directions

Warm the soft tortillas in a skillet or microwave according to the package directions to make them warm and more pliable. Lay a soft tortilla on a plate. Place hot shredded beef brisket on top. Layer with cheese on the hot brisket (it will melt slightly to bind the meat together).

Sprinkle with shredded lettuce. Top with tomatoes, onions, cilantro leaves and salsa or taco sauce. Roll and secure with toothpicks. Serve with lime wedges or slice to squeeze the juice to flavor the filling in the soft tacos (optional).

Notes

  • National Soft Taco Day on October 2 falls near the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month.  This month is a great opportunity to try some of the Latin American recipes posted under the Theme Menus on our blog.
  • Cook crispy tacos tomorrow for National Taco Day on October 3.

 

 

October 2, 2017

Sinigang Na Baboy

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Sinigang na Baboy

(Filipino Tamarind Pork Ribs Soup)

October 2: World Farm Animals Day

Islander’s grandma had a farm. E I E I O! And on that farm, she had some poultry and pigs. E I E I O!

When Islander’s family visited the Philippines occasionally during her youth, her late maternal grandmother lived on a farm (now inhabited by her relatives). When her parents went to market, to market (not to buy a fat big or hog, because there were at least two already on grandma’s farm), Islander and her brother would help her with the chores. City slickers/suburbanites that they are, feeding the chickens and pigs did not seem to be such an unpleasant task. They once ventured beyond the boundaries of the farm and into the rice paddy and were frightened by a huge carabao (water buffalo)—and the “chicken” siblings quickly ran back to the chickens!

Islander’s late paternal apong (grandmother) also lived on a property with chickens and goats. Islander was always annoyed when the rooster crowed at the crack of dawn, interrupting her beauty sleep—definitely not a morning person!

Both grandmas would serve us chicken and pork dishes with the staple rice and we often wondered if one of their farm animals sacrificed their lives so that the family could be fed. We only knew of the chicken’s fate from its crazy-then-silent clucks. Chop, chop! But pork pieces were purchased by the parents when they went to market, to market after all!

In observation of World Farm Animals Day, we made a classic Filipino tamarind soup with pork ribs. Sinigang na Baboy is one of the many dishes that reminds us of our time spent in the Philippines with our beloved grandmothers.

Recipe

(Adapted from Filipino Village)

Ingredients

  • 1 – 1 ½ pound pork ribs, individually sliced
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 packet sinigang mix
  • 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1-2 tomatoes, diced
  • bunch of spinach leaves, baby bok choy or other green vegetables

Directions

In a large pot, boil the ribs in water then simmer for about 1-2 hours to tenderize the meat. Skim off the scum. Mix in the sinigang packet. Chop the onion and dice the tomatoes.

Stir in the onions and tomatoes and cook for 15 more minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the green vegetables. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

  • We usually add only half the packet of the sinigang mix as tamarind tastes too sour for us.
  • Search our blog for other Filipino food recipes.

 

 

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