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9 Extremely Chocolatey Ways to Treat Yoself on Valentine’s Day

Thanks, Foodie, for sponsoring this post.

Mike’s absolute favorite kind of dessert is CHOCOLATE. I’m not a huge chocoholic, though, so we just have it every now and then. I mean, I have to get my 85 bajillion coconut recipes per year in, right? But on Valentine’s Day, I have to cave and create a chocolate masterpiece to show my love. Is your partner the same way? Or are you the chocolate-lover in your family? Either way, I’ve got you covered. Here are 9 Extremely Chocolatey Ways to Treat Yoself on Valentine’s Day! Below each photo, I’ve included the recipe difficulty level. This way you can choose what best fits your time and skill level. I also included 14 chocolatey recipes from some of my favorite bloggers in the slideshow above as an added bonus. Enjoy!

1. SUPER FANCY CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE.

9 Extremely Chocolatey Ways to Treat Yoself on Valentine's Day: SUPER FANCY CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE
cooking difficulty: intermediate

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February 6, 2015 by Julie Ruble | 7 Comments

other

Honey-Drizzled Cranberry Brie Pastry Braid

Honey-Drizzled Cranberry Brie Pastry Braid

I was an accidental jerk in fourth grade. I’m still totally embarrassed by it. It turns out even nice, otherwise well-intentioned kids can get caught up in accidental jerkiness.

See, fourth grade was the pinnacle of my popularity. I hadn’t grown into my shyness yet, so I was silly and outgoing. My friend group was comprised of all the blonde-haired girls in class. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was part of a clique.

Most of the time we were nice and inclusive. But sometimes we’d block kids out without even realizing what we were doing or why. For instance, one day I got the brilliant idea of creating a language. We’d talk in made-up words and no one would know what we were saying except other girls from our friend group. I pitched the idea to my friends: Wouldn’t it be so funny when the boys couldn’t tell what we were saying (not that they’d bother to stand around and listen)? Wouldn’t it be so funny when the teacher couldn’t understand our secrets? Wouldn’t it be so funny when Amanda couldn’t understand us?

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December 29, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 17 Comments

cakes

Super Fancy Chocolate Cheesecake Cake (and Other Perfect Christmas Desserts)

Thanks, Foodie, for sponsoring this post.

If you’re sad because you keep scrolling through photos of homes decorated for Christmas and beautiful cookies and homemade gifts and holiday parties and hot chocolate breaks and meticulous Christmas lights and PERFECT FAMILIES, come here and let me give you a dysfunctional hug. You are so not alone.

Super Fancy Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

Just remember that everyone picks out the bright spots to share. Almost no one posts their struggles, especially not the ugly struggles. And if they do, their friends give them the side-eye and they become That Messy Girl Who Shares Too Much. So no one does. Instead we all sit in our messy houses staring at stacks of unaddressed Christmas cards and and feel like we belong on the island of misfit toys.

I’m going to be That Messy Girl today, because I’m not willing to let you feel that way. Or I’m not willing to let you hang out on the island alone, anyway.

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December 15, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 39 Comments

other

Gingerbread Quick Bread with Lemon Glaze

Gingerbread Quick Bread with Lemon Glaze

The conversation was about the difficulty of eating healthy while poor. I had just shared my favorite article on the topic and a few friends were chiming in with their own experiences. Then one of my friends said: “People should eat healthy even if they’re poor. They could always just plant a vegetable garden. Seeds are cheap.” It amazes me how often this suggestion gets thrown around willy-nilly, but somehow I hear it every time I discuss food insecurity.

Gentle explanations of why this would be a difficult solution for plenty of people were met with more and more fervent assertions of why if they really TRIED . . . and if they CARED . . . and if they were willing to WORK . . .

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December 8, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 22 Comments

cakes

Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream Sundae

I wrote this post as part of the Plugrá Butter Brigade. Thanks, Plugrá, for sponsoring the development of this Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream Sundae recipe and for making my favorite butter!

My current working hypothesis is that every family has a stellar-gift-giver and a terrible-gift-giver. My brother- and sister-in-law are my family’s stellar-gift-givers. Plenty of people give great gifts, but their gifts are stellar: the perfect blend of thoughtful, fun, useful, slightly poignant. Mike’s dad was a Marine, and after picking up on a couple of nostalgia stories, they paid his way to the shooting range so he could fire an M4 again. They bought Mike’s grandmother a real tumbleweed. I know that doesn’t sound like a good present (actually, it sounds like it could rival coal for the new naughty-list gift) but she loves the southwest and it fit perfectly with her eclectic home decor. Who thinks of this stuff?

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November 30, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 29 Comments