We were under house arrest yesterday because of the threat of Hurricane Ike, which, thankfully, didn’t make it’s presence felt in this side of Texas.  For lack of things to do, I gave in to Abby’s request that we make S’mores.  At 4 years old, she’s already had prior experience making this dessert in school.  This is a very simple, not to mention sinful, dessert or snack that kids can make on their own, with little assistance (mostly microwave operation) from mommy .  For the first S’mores, Abby and I simply followed the recipe found at the back of the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate 6-pack.  We altered the amounts/measurements in the recipe afterwards because it came out overly gooey.  The photos found here are of the altered measurements.

Chocolate Lover’s S’mores

2 graham crackers broken in half (Note:  4 rectangular pieces make up 1 whole piece of the Honey Maid brand of graham crackers.  This is the kind that you break in half.  Other brands are made up of only 2 rectangular pieces, making a square.  In this is the case, there’s no more need to break it in half.)

1 Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate bar broken in half (Note:  By all means, feel free to use your chocolate bar of choice!)

2 large marshmallows

Note:  We only used a quarter of the Hershey’s Bar and 1 large marshmallow.  But if you like a choco-mallow, sugar and calorie overload, follow the original recipe!

Procedure:

Place 1 graham cracker half on a microwave-safe plate.

Break chocolate bar into quarters (half in the original recipe) and place one section on cracker. Microwave at Medium (50%) for 10 seconds.

Top with marshmallow (2 in the original recipe).

Continue heating at MEDIUM in 10 second intervals until marshmallow puffs. (Total of 15 seconds should be good enough!)

Immediately top with remaining graham cracker half; gently press together.

Let stand 1 minute to soften chocolate.  Repeat for each serving.

Ooey gooey chocolatey and marshmallowy goodness!

Total calories: 295 if using original recipe; 217.5 if using only 1 marshmallow and 1/4 of the chocolate bar

Here are some more S’mores, my other WS entry.

Have a great new week ahead!

We are often guilty of judging a food by the way it looks.  In a buffet set-up, we are drawn to food that look good and are presented attractively.  Often, color has a lot to do with our choice.  We like shrimps that are bright orange, carved meat that have a hint of pink, and flan that is golden in its richness.  That’s why it is such a let-down when food doesn’t taste quite as “beautifully” as it looks.

Here are my colorful food pics for this week’s Lasang Pinoy Sundays:

My niece, Macy, had a Masquerade Ball themed 7th birthday party two years ago.  This is her vividly colorful cake…

*whistles*  It’s almost prettier than my wedding cake!  Hee hee.

This is the glazed ham from Abby’s 1st birthday party…

It’s almost a sin to slice it!

Aren’t they pretty?  I say pretty enough for picture frames!  Believe me when I say that they taste as good as they look.  Promise.

It was my sister-in-law who introduced me to Nutella some time in the late 90s.  It’s a hazelnut spread with skim milk and cocoa.  And mind you, it is by Ferrero, one of the finest names in the chocolate universe. My nieces and nephew as well as my daughter are all nuts over Nutella, and so are we parents!  It actually takes a lot of will power to not just sit on one corner with a jar of Nutella on one hand and a spoon on the other.

One way we enjoy Nutella, other than with a piece of toast and, uhm, straight out of the jar, is with bananas.  Oh you read it right!  I’m quite sure some of you will find this combo a tad crazy.  It does make me go bananas and nuts, too!  Crazy I tell you.

It’s a fool proof way to get Hubby to eat fruit.  Compromise is the key!  Hee hee.  It’s perfect for dessert or as a snack.

Alternatively, Hubby sometimes does a peanut butter and banana combo.  But not this blogger!  Chocolate trumps peanut butter anytime!

Do you have a favorite food combo which others might find weird?  Please do share.  I won’t judge you.  Promise!

Are you guilty of sending photos to family and friends as email attachments?  Do you have photos from months ago still trapped in your camera?  Have you got no idea whatsoever how to turn your photos into a slideshow?  If you answered yes, then you are most definitely a good candidate for a Roxio Extreme Digital Makeover.

Roxio Digital Makeover is a unique show which aims to help people, through its hosts Zoey and Chris, to get the most out of their digital lives.  They can help turn photos and videos into a fun multimedia show, which can be shared with family and friends or for a special occasion.  In the “Wedding Day Crunch” episode, they helped a couple put together a slide show to be shown at their wedding, with only 2 weeks to go before the big day.  That’s a lot of money saved!

Check out the show and join the contest.  You might just win for yourself some cool prizes like an HDTV, cameras, etc.  You get a chance to be the star of the show, too!  How’s that for a first step into superstardom?  Hee hee.