It's a Chocolatey Weekend

I know that there are a lot of people who just love chocolates – milk, white, and the dark. Although I am not too picky when it comes to chocolates, I mostly like the dark ones. I remember my first favorite dark chocolate – the Meiji Dark Chocolate. My dad, who was almost always out of the country when I was younger, would bring us an assortment of chocolates from everywhere. I remember my younger brother at age 3 or 4 years old, he would climb the refrigerator just to get chocolates. Too young to even read if the chocolates had liquor on them! LOL

This week, I have received some chocolatey stuff that made me heavier by 10 lbs just for the last three days! It has actually lost my appetite to eat other food since tasting all these chocolates made me full. I got three different tempting chocolate goodies that I want to share with you.

Crave It! Cheesecake on a Stick

We have all been accustomed to eating cakes in slices. But just last March of this year, Mercato introduced a new dessert that became an instant hit – the Cheesecake on a Stick by Mercato. I rarely go out too far because of the traffic regardless of the hour of the day or day of the week. Good thing, the recently opened Pop Up in Katipunan opened a Crave It Shop. I had the opportunity to indulge in their very popular cheesecake on a stick. Being a chocolate lover, I chose “Romeo”. It is a cheesecake topped with Oreo cookie crumbs, chocolate chips and drizzled with white chocolate. They have other flavors called: Nuthaniel, Cinndy, Calix, and Wallow. I’d surely try the rest of the flavors on my next visit.

The cheesecake was perfect! You could almost mistake it as an ice cream but bedazzled with the chocolate cookie crumbs and chips. For the price of Php170, it’s surely a hit among the kids, particularly those who are nearby, since it is just a stone’s throw away from Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College.

Truffles by K

My sister sent me a message over Viber a week ago informing that our brother would be coming home for just 2 days from Singapore and would be staying at our parents’ home for the one night. My sister told me that she got something for me and that I should just get it when I come to their house. Mom would often prepare his favorite food. And so, I decided to come over with my son to have lunch with them.

My sister did mention that she bought be truffles and I asked mom about it. She handed out a small box for me and my brother to taste. I was surprised how smooth it was and it was just locally made! For a box worth Php150, this is a GO! It comes in three variants- milk, chocolate, and dark. And as usual, I love the dark chocolate. A funny thing happened, though. My husband was never into dark chocolates, but he practically ate one box!

Chocolate Lava Cake by Candice Delice

This particular chocolate temptation is a new business by my sister-in-law’s brother in law. I have actually tasted a few of his great chocolate creations and I could say that they are really delicious. This Lava Cake is a bit bitter which I like. I am not aware how much it costs but I am sure it's just below Php300 per order.

The Chocolate Lava Cake by Candice Delice is pure chocolate. It is topped with a chocolate bar, literally, slicing through it, it is impossible to have a perfect slice. As you cut through, the “chocolate lava” oozes out. Being all too chocolatey, I suggest to just have it in small servings and be stored inside the freezer since it collapses if it is not stored at a higher temperature.

Chocolate Facts

While chocolate is believed to be a great contributor to gaining weight due to its massive calories, it has antioxidants which can be actually good for your health. But of course, you need to eat in moderation, otherwise, you end up developing diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension, despite some studies that show that it could lower cholesterol level and reduce memory decline.

Additionally, dark chocolate is believed to provide more health benefits because it contains less fat and sugar. So, the next time that you go chocolate shopping, read the label!

Scientists from Harvard Medical School have suggested that drinking two cups of chocolate a day can boost brain function and reduce memory decline because it helps in improving blood flow. From an experiment performed in 2014, the cocoa extract might reduce or prevent nerve pathways that are found in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.

From another research, it has also been found out that an athlete who takes a little amount of chocolate might boost oxygen availability during fitness. This may be due to the flavonols which are known as epicatechins, which enhance the release of nitric oxide in the body.

Your eyes may have glowed after reading the benefits of eating chocolates. But just like everything else, when taken more than the necessary amount could lead to health risks.