Warning, Warning!

What I'm about to show you should probably be illegal...

......

(ready?)

Heh..

Aaaand.. again.

And againanagainandagain  :D  

Phew.. is it hot in here?

No matter how carefully I word it, there are some basic facts about this salted chocolate caramel pie that can't be overlooked:

1. It's a little package of fat, sugar and calories. Very big on the inside;

2. It's not health food, not paleo, not vegan;

3. Eating it recklessly is a fast track to a fat butt and sugar crash;
4. One bite and you will be happy for a whole day :D

The trick, as ever, is to work such a thing in to an otherwise healthy day, keep the portion decent and know where you are at.  You do not need to give up treats in order to get fit and healthy (sometimes, when talking to dieters, I want to both shout that and whack them on the head at the same time, just to make it stick). 

Just monitor your results and be aware of what you are doing and it's all good.  Naturally, there are exceptions.  If you are on a healing diet, you'll probably want to avoid such a refined carb bomb and, of course, some people genuinely can't eat sugar without it leading to a damaging binge.  I used to be like that; obviously I'm not now. I guess that's a whole post waiting to be written.. 

The recipe I used is this one, more or less. The changes I made were:

*Hello Nestle. 

Ain't nobody got time around here to make caramel when you can just buy it. It's not like the homemade version in this instance is any healthier..

*Using rice flour to make it gluten-free 

*Three eggs instead of two (they were small)  

* The ganache is only cream, butter and chocolate, nothing else.

I'm hoping it freezes well (will update and let you know later)
Edit: Yes, it freezes perfectly and can be easily eaten straight from the freezer.

I also sprinkled the salt on top of the ganache.

The chocolate was Whittakers dark.

Did you notice that I've put an 'easy add' button for Pinterest on these pics?  Kek linked me up with some easy code from the Media Maid, and it seems to work fine. Also, it was easy to do. Not a single naughty word was uttered, and that's unusual. Normally, when I'm trying to do something technical, the walls turn blue.  No lie. ;)

Foodie Friday - S'morsing

I've been pretty excited this last week to try making a S'mores (s'more?) for a Foodie Friday*, after spying them on The Fitnessista blog.  Previously my only experience with a s'more(s) was an ill-fated attempt to eat a s'mores flavoured Myoplex bar.

I didn't know that a s'mores was an actual, real life, thing. I just thought it was an especially naff flavour of protein bar with a cutesy name.

Apparently not:

Foodie Friday! Muffin Mania

Hello Readers, welcome to the weekend!  

How was my Saturday? Well, I was deep in a pile of nutraceutical research, thanks for asking, and you? Yes, I was working. Luckily, being up to my eyes in this type of work makes me as happy as a pig in mud. Oink.

The discoveries du jour centred on the not-very-novel idea that plants contain lots of ultra-healthy stuff.

Belated Foodie Friday

Firstly, thanks so much for all your nice comments on my last post. 

I think it's not unusual for people to feel overwhelmed with the pace of life these days. It's the competing demands that gets me most wound up. While I'm working, I'm losing study time; while I'm studying I'm losing work time; while I'm working out I'm not doing either of those things, and housework? What's that? Friends and family? Yes, I'm sure I have some, and hopefully they remember who I am!

This weekend saw an influx of family for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. There was a big party last night, but Saturday was a family dinner. I cleared the schedule for an hour and did something I've been dreaming about: making a pumpkin pie.

The Most Deserved Foodie Friday Ever

Today I am in full on exam study mode, which is strangely relaxing after the day I had yesterday. You'll never guess what happened? Only the worst nightmare of an online business! NO INTERNET.

The snow killed our connectivity!

When The Programmer phoned Telstra, they delivered the depressing news that we would probably be offline until Sunday because they were, ahem, snowed under with similar issues all over the South Island.  This news caused a slight attack of personal chaos. I was trying to avoid <<<<<<< this kind of behaviour:

Foodie.. Saturday?

The giveaway is still open until 5pm on Sunday the 13th May

To enter click the little piccy over there ------>

I can't wait to draw the prize!

For those new to the blog, Foodie Friday is a tradition around here.

It's my version of what some might call a 'cheat' day, but we don't use that word when talking about food :D

This week's indulgence was deferred to Saturday, which happened to be Cinco de Mayo*.

As there weren't any really fabulous pics (low light), I decided to spice them up with some Salsa.

It's my first attempt...

(there is music, remember to mute the sound if you are blog surfing in secret)

Hellooo.. Theobroma

As you may have perceived, it's goodbye to the Sanaworld blog. Well, not gone, just facelifted, and renamed to the Fit to Blog blog. The main reason is that I wanted to give the blog an identity that is more distinct from Sana Direct, which I'm a part owner of.  

I love Sana, but the blog is not advertising. I want people to read it and be able to trust what I say 

without thinking I'm trying to make a sale.  Hopefully, the new name will do that. What do you think?

Now... let's talk about chocolate Easter. 

I know that chocolate appreciation is not the reason for Easter, but there must be a link there somewhere. 

Mamasana is quite religious, and she turned up yesterday bearing precious things from Theobroma:

Wooooah....

Foodie Friday - Belated

The last of Frantic February has come and gone, with a bit of spill over into Mad March. :D

Thursday was my grandmother's 80th birthday, and it was an exhausting three day extravaganza: afternoon tea party for her siblings and siblings-in-law (she is one of 12), more family arriving on Friday and then, on Saturday, we took the old girl for a spin.

I think there was a smile on the Ansaldo's face to get out of the garage! This only happens when Uncle D comes to visit (that's Uncles D & L in the pic), therefore I think he is the favourite. See the adoring look in the car's.. headlight? I noted quite a bit of admiration from boys on the side of the road too. Directed at the car, I mean, not the Unc. I think.

Foodie Friday - Choc Caramel Biscuits

It was a very Foodie Friday yesterday. Check out these droolworthy specimens!
<<<<<<<

These are a variation on last weeks Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cookies, which were based on this recipe from the Love Veggies and Yoga blog.

Just in case you missed it, here are the ones I made last week.

Let's work it, work it (and eat it, eat it)

This week, I admit, has been less than supremely organised in the arena of working out. However, I've not been sitting around watching CSI. There has been a lot of box hefting (see previous post), an interval-type workout and some hill walking. 

Wednesday was one of those days when The Programmer got in from work feeling unmotivated to go for his usual run and I hadn't yet achieved anything sweaty, so we elected to wander up the lower part of the Rapaki track. In the pic, I'm probably scoping for sheep poo.

**Foodie Friday**.. (belated..)

It may be Wednesday, but I've been wracked with guilt over not having fulfilled my Foodie Friday obligations. I need to redeem myself.

Last night I extracted my brain from the study bubble long enough to have my mum and her hubby over for dinner. As usual, I was scrambling for a dessert that could be invented from the things I already had at home. Voilà!

<<<<<

They are pretty energy intensive for their size, so it's best to freeze the leftover ones and ration yourself (because that's what happens around here, would I lie to you?).

Foodie Friday - Apple Crumble

This week, along with every other student in NZ, I will be in 'head down, bum up' exam-prep mode. It's pretty intense. I'm not allowed to leave my office except to eat, sleep (what's that?) and .. use the facilities. It's full study lockdown over here. How is it at your place, fellow student(s)?

As promised, Foodie Friday went ahead, but I needed an uncomplicated recipe. No time to babysit melting chocolate chips this week!

Give me chocolate or give me DEATH (by chocolate)

I realise I have been AWOL for a few days, and today's post will be short and to the point. It's not that I don't love each and every reader with complete devotion, it's just that I've got a Food Safety Plan, AND a 10-article review due on Monday and well.. due to having a couple of days of flu-like blah-ness (which seems to have succumbed to my onslaught of Vit C and Maca), I'm not exactly on schedule.

However, Foodie Friday is a tradition which must be honored, no matter how crazy the 'to-do' looks.

Nuttiness..

Let's talk about my issues. 

You see this Nutino stuff? It is is basically a Nutella clone, and that means it holds the potential to exercise power over me.

Those of you who followed my adventures in England back in 2004 will know this story: I discovered Green and Blacks Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, the 500g jar. I managed to eat one jar a week, and gained 500g a week for three months. You'd think after a month, I would have quit, or at least cut back, but I found it strangely addicting.

Foodie Friday

Once again Friday rolled around and I found myself staking out the Love Veggies and Yoga blog (which, in spite of its name, seems to focus on desserts) for something decadent and calorie-rich. The nutella and peanut butter bars (recipe on the link) caught my eye and I gave it a go: