My Own Candy Land

Resistance is futile! It is indeed hard to resist the sweet smell of chocolate cake, especially when the aroma is linked with nice memories. I love all things chocolate in case you can’t notice, especially chocolate candy.
My mom is person that is always willing to share. Not only is she generous with her advice, but she can share with you anything that she knows. she is always willing to explain sewing, cooking, or advanced mathematics. But there is one thing that she guards jealously. It is her biggest secret, and one that she has sworn she will carry to the grave. And that is her chocolate cake recipe. We have been trying to get it from her for years, and have so far been unsuccessful.

This isn’t some normal chocolate mix cake recipe. This is sincerely gourmet. It is not an uncomplicated chocolate cake recipe, either. Chocolate cake is normally very easy to cook, but hers requires all day and all night. She is plainly in there for 12 hours at a time, creating the perfect chocolate cake. But it is excellent. It is priceless. It is the most delicious thing that I have ever ate. I could do anything to get that chocolate cake recipe.

The thing is, in general my mom isn’t all that into chocolate. She rarely makes chocolate brownies. She won’t even order a chocolate brownie when she goes out. But that chocolate cake recipe is her favourite thing in the world. Every holiday she cooks it, and each time we request for more. Nobody ever gets sick of it. Even my cousins, strict vegetarians who can only consume vegan chocolate cake recipes usually, will make an exception for her yummy chocolate cake. It really is that great.

The really sad part is that, since I first tasted that chocolate cake, I will not eat any other sort of chocolate desert. Even the greatest German chocolate cake recipe leaves me flat. Part of it is that my mom made it. It is hard to resist because she spends so much time on it, and clearly wants us to like it so much. I don’t know if I would love it quite as much if it were someone else who made it, but even so I would like it still.

She has, after all, won several cooking competitions with her chocolate cake recipe. She has only entered a few times, but every time she has entered the same recipe, and every time she has won. I have tried sneaking into the kitchen, but it was no use. She simply refused to go on cooking until I left. I hope one day she will reveal her recipe. So, in the meantime I enjoy her delicious recipe and certainly not complaining.

Food and drinks have been a world of its own that has provided us with several reasons to celebrate. They offer the perfect answer to pamper the taste buds and make every occasion truly memorable. There are a range of food trends that have been observed over the years and 2008 is no exception.

The food trends have been broadly dictated by factors like the changing tastes of people around the world. The new and improved products that make a tempting offer for experimenting and adopting new lifestyle changes have also come to play a major role. The year 2008 is a year that is going to be dominated by health consciousness. The top 10 food trends that are going to rule the food world are:

1- Eat Healthy! Health is going to be a major consideration that is going to influence our food habits. It would dictate the pattern of the foods patronized and also in turn what would be available in the market. The manufacturers are ready and eagerly waiting to take a cue from the consumption patterns so as to cash in on this multi-million dollar food market. There will, for sure, be an increase in health foods so as to cater to the demand of the potential customer. That doesn’t mean you need to give up snacks like dark chocolate smidgens or smidgens. You just need to not eat alot of them.

2- Packaging Matters! With growing consciousness, it is important that the foods have a good and eco-friendly packaging and have all details specified on the label. These are definitely going to be the ones that would be preferred.

3- Go Local! An increase in importance to local produce is another significant trend that would be witnessed in the year 2008. Customers would prefer to patronize healthy food items that are grown locally. The growing environmental consciousness and an increase in importance to personal health are going are the reasons for this choice.

4- I want Ready-To-Eat! Convenience foods would however, continue to reign supreme. With people getting busier by the day and having very little time on hand, it is important to have more options for ready to eat meals. Complete meals of one or two dishes would be preferred. The studies conducted recently have gone to show that people prefer to eat at home for most part of the week due to health considerations and thus, convenient foods provide the perfect answer to a busy family that is also health conscious.

5- No McDonald’s for kids! With health of the family gaining priority, the healthy kids snack is another area that is going to increase in importance. With several entrants in the market this trend is only going to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming months.

6- Weight loss meals get trendy! Obesity has come to be another major consideration that has come to have a significant impact on the food related decisions of a family. Weight loss foods that let you manage your weight problem without having to deprive yourself of the daily nutritional requirements is going to find favor in 2008.

7- Substitute capsules with foods! With heart diseases and others becoming a major issue, foods that can fight diseases are going to be popular. Foods with antioxidants that have the property of fighting against diseases are what people are looking out for desperately. Keep the diseases at bay with a healthy and active lifestyle.

8- Indulge Yourself! The growing health consciousness is certainly not going to undermine the importance of premium foods that offer a wonderful reason to indulge. Pampering oneself with an array of exotic tastes and flavors is going to be an essential part of our lives across the globe. Entertaining and discovering the treasure house that the culinary world offers are going to be a norm that would not change for any reason.

9- Go Veggies! There is definitely going to be a rise in the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and food with useful bacteria like yogurt. Useful bacteria are going to gain entry into many other food items that are part of our daily diet.

10- Raw Food Rocks! Increase in the consumption of raw food in the form of salads and other enticing dishes is going to be another of the food trends witnessed globally. The benefits of raw food will be explored across the globe.

Here’s to eating right and adopting a healthy lifestyle that seems to be the key to food trends that would be witnessed in the year 2008.