I thought I would lay off all the lecturing this week and send you a yummy dessert recipe instead! It is Valentine’s Day after all!
I actually made this yummy and EASY dark chocolate candy over the holidays. It was a huge hit among all my family and friends. I think it will make a perfect gift for that someone special in your life. And if you don’t want to share - I promise not to tell.
The great thing about this candy is that you really don’t have to feel guilty about eating it. Yes it's true -- this chocolate is actually good for you. Don't go crazy and eat a ton of it every day, but a moderate amount of dark chocolate actually improves your health.
I could bore you with all the details about why dark chocolate is so much better for you than milk chocolate, but all you need to know is that DARK chocolate is kind of loaded with antioxidants -- similar to green tea and blueberries. In addition, many studies show it promotes heart health.
I have one caveat - the dark chocolate must be 70% cocoa or greater. The darker, the better. You might notice a more bitter taste as the cocoa count gets higher. That’s because we are used to eating low-cocoa chocolate that is loaded with sugar, and dark chocolate has more natural cocoa and less sugar. (You can read more about how I feel about sugar here). And a word to the wise - your favorite “Hershey’s Special Dark” won’t make the cut… it only clocks in at 45% cocoa.
Real Skinny Chocolate LOVE Bark!
Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toast ¾ cup whole skin-on almonds until fragrant and light gold (about 8-10 minutes). Let cool completely and transfer to bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch water and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Set a large heatproof bowl atop saucepan, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl (I use a double broiler here). Place 10 oz. dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) in bowl. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove bowl from saucepan and add another 2 oz. dark chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, toasted almonds and 1/3 cup dried cherries (coarsely chopped). Pour onto baking sheet and spread into an even layer about ¼ inch thick. Refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour). Break into pieces and enjoy!
THE REAL SKINNY... ON HEALTH & NUTRITION IN AMERICA
Welcome to The Real Skinny... where I will dissect some of the myths surrounding the health, nutrition, food & fitness industries in the United States. I started this blog because I am exasperated by all of the misinformation and propaganda we are fed (pun intended) by the government and the mainstream media about our food supply and the fitness industry here in the U.S.
Like many of you, I have long considered myself to be a healthy person. I regularly followed the advice of so-called experts in the nutrition fitness industries about the latest diets and exercise regimens. I exercised almost every day - sometimes for several hours at a time – and I ate what most people consider to be a very healthy diet. I always ate whole grains, low fat dairy, veggies, fruit and lean meats. I counted “calories in” vs. “calories out” religiously. Despite all of my efforts, I was still plagued with a host of issues including excess body fat. My frustration with this predicament – some might call it my obsession – led me to dig a little deeper into the nutrition/health advice I was getting.
My research began with a few magazine articles and websites. Gradually, as I did more independent research, I started to believe strongly that much of what passes for mainstream thinking on nutrition and fitness is complete nonsense. I now spend a big chunk of my free time reading everything I can on this topic – and the more research I do, the more convinced I am.
I am not big on conspiracy theories. I don’t think the CIA introduced crack cocaine into the inner city, and I don’t think George Bush had a heads-up about 9-11. But I have come to believe that the federal government and the agribusiness community have so dominated the debate on this issue that the American people are not exposed to any other line of thinking. And where has this gotten us? Americans are unhealthier and more overweight than ever.
I would like to share some of these concerns with a wider audience outside of family and friends - the poor souls who have already been subjected to my rants these past few years. For their sake and yours, I decided to take my rants to the masses. I look forward to sharing some of what I learn along the way as I attempt to educate myself and anyone who will listen about what it truly means to be healthy in America.
Like many of you, I have long considered myself to be a healthy person. I regularly followed the advice of so-called experts in the nutrition fitness industries about the latest diets and exercise regimens. I exercised almost every day - sometimes for several hours at a time – and I ate what most people consider to be a very healthy diet. I always ate whole grains, low fat dairy, veggies, fruit and lean meats. I counted “calories in” vs. “calories out” religiously. Despite all of my efforts, I was still plagued with a host of issues including excess body fat. My frustration with this predicament – some might call it my obsession – led me to dig a little deeper into the nutrition/health advice I was getting.
My research began with a few magazine articles and websites. Gradually, as I did more independent research, I started to believe strongly that much of what passes for mainstream thinking on nutrition and fitness is complete nonsense. I now spend a big chunk of my free time reading everything I can on this topic – and the more research I do, the more convinced I am.
I am not big on conspiracy theories. I don’t think the CIA introduced crack cocaine into the inner city, and I don’t think George Bush had a heads-up about 9-11. But I have come to believe that the federal government and the agribusiness community have so dominated the debate on this issue that the American people are not exposed to any other line of thinking. And where has this gotten us? Americans are unhealthier and more overweight than ever.
I would like to share some of these concerns with a wider audience outside of family and friends - the poor souls who have already been subjected to my rants these past few years. For their sake and yours, I decided to take my rants to the masses. I look forward to sharing some of what I learn along the way as I attempt to educate myself and anyone who will listen about what it truly means to be healthy in America.
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