Life Lately

 Sometimes life seems a bit heavy, and this is one of those weeks where it feels weighted down. One can't ignore the dreadful news and what is playing out in the political scene in Minnesota right now, as well as the sub-zero cold weather. Up North, where we come from, predicted temperatures -28, -20, -21 are just brutal. So, today cooking was a welcome diversion. 

Discovering this Blender Chocolate Mousse was definitely a day brightener. Imagine making this dessert in just 15 minutes!! The recipe was adapted from cookingmom.com and serves three. You only need a blender for this treat. Always use high-quality chips such as Ghirardelli with a high cocoa count. It is so delicious one might think you spent a lot of time putting it together. 

Ingredients: 

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• 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon coffee liqueur or Amaretto and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Fresh whipped cream - optional
• 1/2 cup fresh berries - optional

Directions:

• Place chocolate chips, egg, and coffee liqueur or vanilla in a blender and chop.
• Heat the cream until very hot, with small bubbles forming at the edges.
• Carefully pour hot cream into the blender.
• Blend until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Pour into dessert dishes or pretty wine or martini glasses.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it firms (several hours).
• Serve with fresh berries and/or whipped cream on top.
• Makes enough for 2 to 3 servings.

BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC SALAD

Cook's Notes: The perfect light salad filled with nutritious ingredients for lunch or a light evening meal. The recipe was adapted from foodnetwork.com and serves 4.

Salad Ingredients:

• Mixed greens (combination of baby spinach leaves and chopped romaine)
• 1 pint of blueberries, rinsed and dried 
• 1 cup diced cucumbers
• 1 cup toasted walnuts
•  1/3 cup diced red onions 
• Boursin or Feta crumbles 
• Optional add-in 1 cup drained Mandarin oranges   

Directions: 

Mix ingredients and drizzle lightly with dressing.

Balsamic Dressing  

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dark good-quality balsamic (I splurged and used dark chocolate balsamic-so good)
• ½ cup good-quality olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette Dressing Directions:

• Mix balsamic dressing ingredients in a blender. Taste-test to balance the ingredients, transfer to a screw-top jar, and refrigerate until serving. Reshake the jar and refrigerate any leftovers.