Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and there’s no easier way to say “I  LOVE YOU” than with a sweet chocolate surprise. Here is a decadent, guilt-free dessert for you and your sweetie to enjoy.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Description

Toasted sesame seeds add extra crunch and a tasty surprise to this delicious dessert. Look for large strawberries with stems for the nicest presentation.

Makes 10 (2-piece) servings Read the rest of this entry »

At this time of year it’s easy to feel sluggish, as if the energy is just draining from your body. The temptation is to reach for those stodgy comfort foods, to draw the couch closer to the TV and conserve as much energy as you can by doing as little as physically possible during the remaining  winter months.

If this is how you feel now, there’s a good chance that the person who emerges from hibernation at the end of the winter will be a bigger version than what now exists. Months of heavy food and inactivity will inevitably take its toll on your waist line.

However, during the winter months our bodies seem to crave stodgy food. There’s nothing more appealing than freshly baked muffins, filling the air with sweet cinnamon odors at this time of year…..yummm  

There are several reasons why our eating habits  can change when it’s cold and dark. Now, most people live in centrally heated houses but for our ancestors, the onset of the cold weather was a signal to start laying down an extra layer of fat. In this day and age it’s no longer applicable to take on extra calories to combat the cold. However, it is possible that we are still programmed in some way to do so. Read the rest of this entry »