Instantly Delicious

Some days chocolate cravings come on suddenly. The best thing to do in these situations is to give in and feed your cravings. Rather than grabbing a candy bar or cookie, make a quick, delicious and nutritious snack.

The other day I was having one of those days. My house does not have chocolate lining the shelves, despite my love of chocolate. I did see a beacon of light on my shelves; there was one box of instant pudding. There was no fighting my chocolate craving.

Instead of any old chocolate fix I decided to do something different.

The twist? Instead of chocolate pudding pie, or even chocolate pudding, you can make individual pudding pies.


(Photo credit to Elaina Criscione)

The only ingredients necessary are pudding filling, nilla wafers, milk, and cupcake baking cups. I learned instead of using baking cups, tin foil is a more realistic alternative to complement the pudding consistency.



I tried Jell-O and Kozy Shack pudding pie fillings. The Jell-O tasted fresh and much more chocolate-y than the Kozy Shack. While the Kozy Shack is not rich in flavor, it does not require milk and has no sugar. I personally think the Jell-O is worth the flavor. It's not terrible for you and it's instantly delicious!

The pudding takes about 5 minutes. Place the Nilla wafer on the aluminum foil. Next, pour the pudding on top. Let it set. Remember to use a fork.

*Tip*- Set up the Nilla wafers and aluminum foil before stiring the instant pudding, or the pudding will set.

Keep it chocolate!
-Mandy rose

(Sign of idea//blog idea credit Jen Alberts! Thanks!)

What are your favorite off-beat chocolate quick-fixes?

Have your cake and eat it too

I can't help having a soft spot in my heart for a good piece of chocolate cake even though it can get a really bad rep! I will admit cakes tend to be loaded with sugar, fat, and calories. The trash talk is warranted, but there's no need to give up your chocolate cake just yet.

A tasty, low-cal and low-fat chocolate cake alternative is tucked away on the bottom shelf at your local grocery store in the cake aisle.



Nutrition:
Calories: 150
Fat Content: 3.5 g (5% of your daily recommended serving)
Sugar: 17 g (6% of your daily recommended serving)

Prep and cook time:
30 seconds in the microwave, 2 minutes to cool

Necessary Ingredients:
Water

These are great because they take four different spins on chocolate cake; dark chocolate, chocolate, caramel, and raspberry. It's easy to switch it up! Plus, the cakes come prepackaged, so there's automatic portion control.

Betty Crocker Mini's make it possible to enjoy a guilt free, chocolate cake experience.

What tasty chocolate alternatives do you like to eat?

"Chocolate Consuming Machine"

I believe chocolate is more than a flavor of food. Chocolate is an experience. It's a way you perceive the world around you. Chocolate is a way to show your love, and receive love from the people in your life. Chocolate does not care who you are. Chocolate is not an escape from sadness, instead chocolate elevates your senses and helps you discover a new reality.

I'm no chocolate connoisseur, but I am mainstream chocolate consuming machine. I'm here to share with you my thoughts about chocolate recipes, great finds in restaurants, and everything about chocolate in between. I want to share this information with you as a friend. So come into my world and discover how chocolate can enrich your life.