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His & Hers Hot Chocolate

How about this super cold winter weather, amirite? 😉 It’s been in the 60’s and 70’s here for the past couple weeks, and that’s fine by me. I’m sure we’ll get our share of the cold weather soon enough, but for now I’m enjoying being able to go running in the mornings without freezing to death.

Even though the weather’s been warm Jim and I are getting our hot chocolate recipes into shape for when we need them. Everyone loves hot chocolate, right?? It’s the perfect indulgent way to warm up on cold winter days. We both love hot chocolate but we have very different ideas of what good hot chocolate is. Jim likes his super chocolatey and thick, while I like mine to be chocolatey and healthier. Needless to say we can’t settle on a single recipe, so we’re bringing you two!

First up is Jim’s super-dense and over-the-top chocolatey version. He uses regular milk and a little cream to make it creamier and richer. 

Rich Hot Chocolate

Jim's Indulgent Hot Chocolate
Serves 1
The rich, thick, and chocolatey hot chocolate recipe that you've been waiting for.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 3/4 C milk
  2. 1/4 C cream
  3. 1/8 C sugar
  4. 2/3 C chopped dark chocolate, plus additional for shavings
Instructions
  1. Heat milk, cream, and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Do not let boil.
  2. Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl and pour hot mixture over. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
  3. Pour into a cup and top with chocolate shavings.
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Thick Hot Chocolate

My recipe is for coconut hot chocolate. The coconut milk is definitely a healthier alternative that is still chocolatey without too much coconut flavor. Over the recent months I have been using coconut milk in any recipe that calls for milk. Sometimes I use unsweetened coconut milk other times like in this hot chocolate I use vanilla coconut milk. It’s delicious and I urge you to give it a try. If you have a little bit of extra time you could also whip up some coconut whip cream. I decided to sprinkle mine with unsweetened coconut flakes for a festive touch! 

Coconut Hot Chocolate

Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate
Serves 1
A lighter take on hot chocolate made with coconut milk.
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Prep Time
1 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
6 min
Prep Time
1 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
6 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 C vanilla coconut milk
  2. 1.5 Tbsp sugar
  3. 1/3 C cocoa powder
  4. 1 tsp shredded coconut for topping
Instructions
  1. Heat coconut milk, sugar, and cocoa powder over medium heat, whisking constantly, until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not let boil.
  2. Pour into cup and top with shredded coconut.
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Coconut Hot Chocolate

One of the keys to making great hot chocolate is having good chocolate. Jim uses chopped dark chocolate (usually in the 60-70% range). It ends up being a little creamier. I like to use unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s pure chocolate taste without adding extra sugar. You should experiment with different types of chocolate to find your own favorites. 

Chopped Chocolate

Who else loves some hot chocolate? What’s your favorite recipe? Tell us about it in the comments. Stay warm out there!

Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pan Pizza

Pizza party! There are some days when you just need pizza…. it’s science. I absolutely love pizza but don’t eat it as much as I want to because it’s so bad for you. Jim and I have been talking for a while about using our trusty cast iron pan to make a pizza. We finally got around to it, and I’m so glad we did.

Buffalo Chicken Pan Pizza

Don’t be disappointed when you get to the recipe below. It’s not a healthy recipe, but it’s definitely healthier than anything you’d get from one of the fast food pizza chains. There aren’t 2 cups of artificial butter flavored spray sogging up the crust here. We’ve come up with a basic pizza crust that works really well for a pan pizza. It’s dense enough to hold up to the toppings and doesn’t dry out too much from being cooked in the cast iron pan.

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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I know, I know it’s not November anymore and everyone has probably moved on to Gingerbread and Peppermint…..but if you still have a can of pumpkin hanging out in your pantry then you are going to want to make this bread! First off let me say that I have made many different versions of pumpkin bread and I have several favorites…. but this has moved up to the #1 position! Actually it is my entire family’s favorite! I have made it a ridiculously embarrassing number of times over the last few weeks. In fact, after I finish writing this I’m going to see if there’s any left…. need my choco-pumpkin fix. Please don’t judge me 🙂

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Recipe

The thing about this pumpkin bread is that it really doesn’t taste anything like pumpkin. If pumpkin wasn’t in the name you wouldn’t know it had any in it. It is basically an amazing Chocolately Bread and the pumpkin just gives the right amount of moistness to this bread. Seriously guys, trust me and go make this right now! 

This bread is basically a chocolate lovers dream come true. It’s breakfast, a snack, dessert all rolled in to one lovely package! And honestly the ingredient list is not too bad…so you can actually feel good about eating it!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
The moistest, chocolaty-est, and most delicious pumpkin bread that I've ever made. This Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is my family's new favorite.
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
55 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
55 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  2. 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  3. 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  4. 1/4 cup plain unsweetened coconut milk
  5. 2 large eggs
  6. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  7. 1/2 coconut palm sugar
  8. 3/4 cup spelt flour
  9. 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  10. 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  11. 1 tsp baking soda
  12. 1/2 tsp salt
  13. 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x4 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together yogurt, pumpkin, coconut oil and coconut milk until combined.
  3. Add eggs, and whisk until incorporated.
  4. Stir in sugars until well combined.
  5. Add flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined.
  6. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
  7. Pour batter into pan.
  8. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over batter.
  9. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It's okay if it has some melted chocolate on it, but it shouldn't have any crumbs.
  10. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
  11. Enjoy!
Adapted from www.ihearteating.com
Adapted from www.ihearteating.com
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Tagliatelle with Artichokes and Roasted Tomatoes

This post is sponsored by Melissa’s Produce. Their steamed veggies are one of my staple grocery items. We used Melissa’s Steamed Artichoke Hearts to make this delicious pasta. Enjoy!

I’ve always been a bit intimidated by artichokes. I’ve had them in restaurant dishes several times, so I know I like them. But that green, spiky looking vegetable in the grocery section is another matter entirely. I’ve never cooked with them, and didn’t really know how to. So I was excited to get my hands on some of Melissa’s Steamed Artichoke Hearts. They took all of the intimidation (and the hard work) right out of the equation. The artichokes are ready to just throw into a recipe… so fast and simple! The artichokes come vacuumed sealed to preserve their just picked flavor. You can pick them up in the refrigerated section of your grocery store and have them on hand for when ever you need them. I love how convenient this is and how I don’t have to worry about them going bad before I get the chance to use them! Another great thing about Melissa’s artichokes is that they are Non-GMO and contain no allergens.

Melissa's Steamed Artichoke Hearts

Artichoke Pasta

This recipe is super-simple and very healthy. I like to roast tomatoes for a few minutes before adding them into a sauce because I think it makes them a tad sweeter. Adding a healthy splash of a sweeter white wine (we used a Vintner’s White from San Sebastien Winery in St. Augustine in this recipe) certainly helps as well. The artichoke hearts and onions worked well with the roasted tomatoes and resulted in a nice, chunky sauce. We like our pasta sauces very rustic, so feel free to chop your veggies a little finer if you prefer it that way.

Tagliatelle with Artichoke Hearts and Roasted Tomatoes
Tagliatelle goes great with this rustic sauce comprised of roasted tomatoes, artichokes, and onions.
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Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 5 ripe tomatoes (the kind on a vine work great)
  2. 1/2 large onion, chopped
  3. 1/2 C basil, roughly chopped
  4. Juice from 1/2 lemon
  5. 4 cloves garlic, diced
  6. 1/2 C white wine
  7. Tagliatelle pasta, cooked according to directions
  8. 1 box Melissa's Steamed Artichoke Hearts
  9. 2 Tbsp olive oil
  10. Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Peel, quarter, and remove the cores from tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes (and any liquid) to a large pan over med-high heat. Add onions, garlic, artichoke hearts. Sautee for 10 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
  4. Add lemon juice and white wine. Sautee for 10 minutes more, stirring often. Check for seasoning and serve over tagliatelle.
Notes
  1. You can substitute vegetable stock or water for the white wine.
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Pasta Ingredients

How to cook artichokes

The sauce for this pasta is so light but so flavorful. The wine and lemon juice, as well as the copious amount of garlic, really make it stand out. 

Tagliatelle with Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes

Thanks again to Melissa’s for sponsoring our post. Check out Melissa’s full selection of steamed veggies… I love them all!