Yema (pronounced yea-ma)

If any of you like sweetened condensed milk, this post is for you. Yema is one of my favorite candies from the Philippines. They would sell it on the streets and I could never resist buying some. It's fun to make with my neices and nephews who like to call it White Rabbit since it tastes similar to another Philippino candy. The recipe is very simple:
Yema Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
sugar

On medium heat, pour milk into a large non-stick pan (add cooking spray before if it's not a non-stick pan). Stir constantly, as it will burn easily, until it reaches hard-ball stage. If you're not sure when that is, take a small glass of cold water and pour a small amount of the milk into the cup with a spoon. If the milk stays in a ball when dropped into the milk and feels like it has a shell around it, then remove from the heat. Immediately pour milk onto a non-stick surface (I use a baking sheet). Form into balls (use a spoon to do this as it will be hot) and roll in the sugar. You can eat them now or after being chilled for a bit. They are a great way to give the kids a sugar high too since they ate half the plate of sugar before I finished making the candy!

Molten Chocolate Cake

Molten Chocolate Cake is my favorite recipe. As a health educator, I've learned that it is important to enjoy your diet and that is why I include this recipe - how can I not enjoy CHOCOLATE. I tried to look for some good information about the health benefits to justify eating chocolate in this form but I was not very successful (obviously), but I did find some really interesting information on this website: http://www.allchocolate.com/health/nutrition/ and it spoke very highly of the antioxidants, minerals, and fats in dark chocolate and cocoa. So I guess I can't help you justify any kind of health benefit by eating these cakes, but I guarantee that you will have the benefit of happy tastebuds.

Ingredients:
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (Baker’s brand)
½ cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 4 (3/4-cup) custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide batter between prepared custard cups. Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately. Can be topped with whipped cream or powered sugar, raspberries or candy canes. This cake forms a pudding in the middle.

I show this picture because I normally don't take the cakes out of the ramekins I bake them in. I like to serve them in the ramekins and pile a nice big blob of Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream on them. Too bad I don't have any today. Ramekins are fairly inexpensive to buy if you don't have any of your own. I got mine two-for-a-dollar at Target, I just wish I had bought more since I can't find them there anymore.

FACT

"The earliest reference to salt is in The Book of Job written about 300 B.C. At one time, it was the custom to rub salt on newborn babies as a symbol of purity and to ensure their good health. Salt was once so scarce that it was used as money. Caesar's soldiers received part of their pay in common salt. This part of their pay was known as their "salarium", and from this came today's word "salary". The expression "not worth his salt" meant that a man did not earn his wages." - Contemporary Nutrition 6th edition by Wardlaw & Smith, p. 293
Now wouldn't Ceasar's soldiers think we were crazy if they found out that in the future we would be dumping their income all over our roads, driveways and sidewalks in the winter to melt the snow!