CHOCOLATE POWER BARS

I will not deny it, I am a lover of chocolate.  In the past year I have resorted to satisfying the chocolate urge with eating a Dove dark chocolate but these bars are even better and there is no sugar!  You do need a food processor to make them.
Here’s the ingredients:  Almonds, Cocoa  Powder, Whole Dates, Vanilla, Stevia, Agave, Craisins and Coconut.


Start by putting 2 1/4 cups of almonds into the food processor.  I use the raw almonds, not the salted and roasted ones.  You can roast them in the oven for 5 minutes if you want, just make sure you let them cool completely before processing. 

Add 1/2 cup of coconut flakes or unsweetened coconut.

And 1/4 cup cocoa  powder.

Blend until combined and coarsely ground.  It should look like this.  Not fine ground but with some chunks.

Next we add the dates.  The recipe calls for 15 but I usually throw in a couple extras because I love dates!    Use the whole dates that are pitted of course.  I tried the chopped ones one time and it was a big mistake!

Process again until the dates are chopped up.

Add one Tablespoon of vanilla and 10 drops of stevia.

Now put in 2-3 Tablespoons of Agave.  You could also use honey if you don’t have any agave.  I use the 3 Tablespoons because it makes them a little gooier, chewier, which is how I like them.

Blend again until it all starts sticking together.

Dump in 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and just pulse a few times to combine them into the mixture.

Grease an 8 x 8 glass pan.  I like to use coconut oil because I love the taste of it.  Otherwise use some butter.  Either way make sure you grease it generously.

Press the mixture into the dish and freeze for one hour, just until firm. 


Cut into small squares.  Store them in the refrigerator and eat them when you need that chocolate fix. 



CHOCOLATE POWER BARS
2 1/4 cups Almonds, (or pecans)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup cocoa  powder
15 whole pitted dates
1 Tablespoon vanilla
10 drops Stevia
2-3 Tablespoons Agave
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Blend almonds, coconut and cocoa powder in a food processor until combined and coarsely ground.  Add dates and process again.  Process in vanilla, stevia and agave until well combined.  Pulse in cranberries.  Press mixture into a well greased  8x8 glass dish.  Freeze for one hour until firm.  Cut into squares.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.  Philippians 2:14-15

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

When it comes to Biscuits and Gravy, you are either a lover of it or a hater.  I love them but would never order them at a restaurant because you never know what they are really made of.  So when I make them at home they are consumed in large quantities.  A single batch is never enough to go around. 

Start out with a good quality sausage.  I use the country mild or regular but if you like it to have some extra kick they make the hot kind.

Brown the sausage in a large pan.  Break the pieces up so there are no large chunks.

Add 1/4 cup chopped onions.  I had an onion hater in the group so I didn’t really dump these in.

Instead I fried them in a  separate pan and added them at the end after taking some out and setting it aside for him.

Add 6 Tablespoons of flour to the meat.

Stir and let this cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.

It should look like this, the flour is cooked into the meat.

Pour in 4 cups of milk.  Please use whole milk, its the right thing to do.

Add 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Now a couple dashes or worcestershire sauce.

And last a few dashes of hot sauce.  Put in as much as your taste desires, or none at all if you don’t desire it.

Stir together and cook over low to medium heat until it thickens.  Try to keep the heat on the lower side or it will start to stick on the bottom of the pan. 
While the sausage & gravy is cooking you have time to mix up the biscuits. 

Start with 2 cups of flour in the food processor.

Add 4 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour.

Now 3 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Cube 1/2 cup of cold butter (1 stick) and put in processor.

Blend until butter  chunks are gone.  If you do not have a processor you can just cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.

In a mixing bowl, pour 2/3 cup of buttermilk.

Add one egg and whisk until combined.

Dump the flour mixture into the bowl and mix with a spoon just until moistened.

The dough will be very sticky.
 
Generously flour your counter and dump the dough from the bowl onto the counter.  Now put a generous amount of flour on top of the dough.  Knead the dough about 20 times.

You should end up with a nice ball of dough. 

Roll out to 3/4 inch thick.

Cut with a round biscuit cutter.

And place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

To serve, place biscuits on plate and pour gravy mixture over top.  This isn’t a very good picture but my company had arrived and they were all hungry so I had to hurry to finish it up. 

BISCUITS AND GRAVY
1 pkg Jimmy Dean sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
6 Tablespoons flour
4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash Worchestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
Brown sausage and onion.  Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in milk.  Add seasonings and cook over low heat, stirring until thickened.

Biscuits
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in food processor.  In separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.  Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened.  Turn onto a well floured surface and knead 20 times.  Roll to 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 12 biscuits
This recipe makes enough to serve six people.  I usually have to double it.
The Law of Perseverance
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7

MOCHA PUNCH

This punch is a tradition for our Christmas celebration.  It is cold and creamy and bursting with chocolate!  I doubled it because a single batch isn’t enough for our group. 

Start out with 1 1/2 quarts of water in a kettle.  Add 1/2 cup instant chocolate drink mix.

Add 1/2 cup of sugar

And finally add 1/4 cup of instant coffee granules.  Don’t make a mistake and use coffee grounds!  You need instant coffee granules.

Stir this all together and put on a medium / low burner.  Do not bring to a boil.  We just need to heat the water and dissolve the ingredients.

Remove from the heat and let it cool down.

Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the punch.  I made this three days ahead of time.  This looks like a big jar but remember I was doubling the recipe so I have twice as much here as you would have. 

About half an hour before you want to serve the punch, scoop 1/2 gallon of vanilla and 1/2 gallon of chocolate ice cream into a large container.

Pour the drink mixture over the ice cream.  I asked this tall dark assistant to help me since I couldn’t pour and snap pictures at the same time.

And begin stirring.

And stirring every few minutes, breaking up the chunks of ice cream.

Until it looks like a chocolate shake.  You can serve it right from this container or dump it into a pretty punch bowl.

Dump in the whipped cream and stir.  You can use it to garnish too but I just dump it all in. It just makes the punch that much more creamy.

Ladle into cups and serve. 

For the adults, add a Tablespoon of Kahlua and it makes quite the yummy drink. 

MOCHA PUNCH
1 1/2 quarts water
1/2 cup instant chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Put water into a large saucepan.  Add drink mix, sugar and coffee.  Heat until ingredients are dissolved.  Do not boil.  Let cool and then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  About 30 minutes before serving, spoon ice creams into punch bowl.  Add drink mixture and stir until ice cream chunks are gone.  Garnish with whipped cream.
Makes about 5 quarts of punch. 

The Law of Use
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  Matthew 25:29