MILK CHOCOLATE QUEEN'S CAKE for Mother's Day!: Retro Ad with Recipe

I love Retro Ads with Recipes, and here's a really good one for Milk Chocolate Queen's Cake from Pillsbury's Best Flour. I'm a dark chocolate afficiando, but for those who love milk chocolate (or love both), this is a great cake! The recipe was a Grand National Pillsbury Bake-Off Favorite. Perfect for Mother on her special day--Queen for a Day!

Mother's Day Fudgy Brownies

Who doesn't love Brownies? Mom does, for sure. Here's a great recipe from Scharffen Berger for Mother's Day Fudgy Brownies!

One hint: Stir hard until the batter is smooth and glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Great advice!

Mother's Day Fudgy Brownies!

Ingredients 
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the pan
8 ounces SCHARFFEN BERGER 62% Cacao Chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves
1/2 cup 62% Scharffen Berger Chocolate, chopped into chunks

Directions
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
Cut an 8 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper.
Lightly butter 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan and line  with the parchment, allowing to extend evenly over the opposite sides.
Butter parchment including paper on sides of pan.
Put chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over pot of simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
With large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat sugar and salt into chocolate mixture. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour and mix vigorously until batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of bowl.
Break nuts into large pieces over batter and fold in.
Fold in extra chocolate chunks.
Pour batter into prepared pan and tap pan bottom on countertop to level batter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until skewer in center comes out moist but clean.
Cool in pan oncooling rack for 10 minutes.
Remove brownies from pan using parchment “handles,” and cool completely on rack before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Five D-I-Y Chocolate Face Masks: The Perfect Mother's Day Gift!

Here's a personal and unique Mother's Day Gift! A Chocolate Facial for Mom! Mix up one of these recipes for Mom! Be sure to make a second batch for yourself!

We all know Chocolate is good for the heart, blood pressure, and a lot more. When I was growing up, we were told that chocolate was bad for the skin. That it actually caused acne. This is not true. Chocolate is full of antioxidants that actually give the skin extra protection against free radicals and can nourish the skin. The following masks can increase hydration, support skin's defense against UV damage, decrease roughness, and actually improve blood flow. Give one or all of them a try.

Pros of Chocolate Face Mask: The skin becomes glowing and soft,  firm, and smooth. Even if the mask goes into your mouth, no problem; it tastes yummy. The final Chocolate Face Mask even has an alternative fudge recipe.

So here are 5 D-I-Y Chocolate Face Mask Recipes! They're all simple to make. Let me know which one you like best.

1. Chocolate Mask from Household Magic: Daily Tips

Mix together a heaping Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder with heavy cream to form a paste.
Apply to clean, dry skin and leave paste on for 15 minutes.
Wipe off mask with washcloth.
Rinse face with lukewarm water and pat dry.

2. Chocolate Yogurt Honey Mask from Flavor Fiesta

Ingredients
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp yogurt
1 tsp honey

Directions
Blend cocoa powder with honey and yogurt. Cocoa powder can be difficult to blend, so be patient with this step. Keep mixing until mixture looks like melted chocolate.
Clean your face with lukewarm water. Dab dry and then apply the mask evenly all over your face except the eye and lip areas. Relax for 15-20 minutes and let the mask do it’s magic.
Wash off with lukewarm water and dab dry.
Apply moisturizer.

3. Chocolate Brown Sugar Sea Salt Mask from WikiHow

Ingredients
2 bars of dark chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup of milk
Sea salt
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Directions
Heat dark chocolate in double boiler for about 3 minutes.
Mix sea salt, brown sugar, and 2/3 of a cup milk in a bowl.
Remove melted chocolate from heat.
Mix melted chocolate with salt/milk mixture.
Allow to cool.
Apply to face while cool but not hardened.
Leave on until it hardens.
Wash or chip off with mild cleanser and warm water.
Add moisturizer when done.

4. Chocolate Oatmeal Honey Mask from Skin Care and Remedies

Ingredients
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup organic honey
2 Tbsp of heavy cream (or sour cream)
3 tsp oatmeal powder

Directions
Mix all ingredients until mass in consistent.
Apply to face, gently massaging so oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer.
Leave on for about 15-20 minutes
Rinse off with lukewarm water.

The following recipe is one of my favorites because it's so versatile.. with a tiny bit of tweaking, you can make fudge! How cool is that?

5. Chocolate Avocado, Honey, Oatmeal Face Mask (or Fudge)  

 from Meghan Telpner-Making Love in the Kitchen

Ingredients
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup organic honey
2 Tbsp smashed avocado
3 tsp oatmeal powder (leave this out if making soft fudge, leave in if you want a harder texture)

Directions: Face Mask
Mix all ingredients until mass is consistent.
Apply on face, gently massaging so oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer.
Leave on for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Instructions: Fudge
Mix all ingredients (except oatmeal) until mass is consistent.
Spread in small pyrex dish or into individual ramikens.
Allow to set in refrigerator for at least two hours.

VINTAGE & RETRO MOTHER'S DAY WHITMAN SAMPLER CHOCOLATE ADVERTISEMENTS

I love old magazine chocolate advertisements--Retro and Vintage. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates, and Whitman's Samplers has known that for decades. Here are several Whitman's Chocolates Mother's Day Ads.  Enjoy the tour through the decades. Happy Mother's Day!

 

 

MOM & APPLE PIE: Mother's Day & Apple Pie

Chocolate Apple Pie is perfect for Mother's Day! You know the expression -- as American as Mom and Apple Pie, and here where it originated:

From Wikipedia: 
Although apple pies have been eaten since long before the European colonization of the Americas, "as American as apple pie" is a saying in the United States, meaning "typically American". In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, apple pie became a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. A newspaper article published in 1902 declared that “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” The dish was also commemorated in the phrase "for Mom and apple pie" - supposedly the stock answer of American soldiers in World War II, whenever journalists asked why they were going to war.

My grandmother made an awesome Apple Pie. I've written about it before. It did not contain chocolate, and she made it in a huge rectangular pan that was big enough to feed a crowd since there were always lots of family at our house. She lived with us, and all of her children and their children lived within walking distance. She made Apple Pie because it was American, and when she came to these shores, she became an American! My Bubbe was born in Ukraine, married in London, and settled in Philadelphia, the cradle of liberty. She took her new citizenship to heart, and she baked her special apple pie for every Friday night dinner. She did it because she saw herself as a true American. So Celebrate Mom (and Grandmom) and Apple Pie with this easy Chocolate Apple Pie Recipe!

CHOCOLATE APPLE PIE

Ingredients
Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie, unbaked
8-10 tart apples (peeled, cored and sliced thinly--number of apples depends on their size)--Gravensteins aren't available this time of year, but they're my favorite, especially for pies!
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup 65-75% dark chocolate fair-trade organic, chopped into smallish pieces

Directions
Apples: peel, core, and slice thinly.
Combine cinnamon & sugar = cinnamon sugar. (you may need a tiny bit more). I've also used the chocolate cinnamon sugar from Trader Joe's
Place 1 layer apple slices on bottom crust. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Repeat twice.
Spread chopped chocolate pieces over top.
Using remaining apples, make 3 more apple/cinnamon sugar layers.
Top with 2nd crust and seal edges. Make cut on the top--or prick with fork in a few places.
Bake in preheated 450 F oven for 15 minutes (until golden).
Lower heat to 350F and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes, or until apples are tender.

VINTAGE MOTHER'S DAY ADVERTISEMENT FOR GOLDEN CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE

I love Baker's Chocolate Vintage Ads with recipes that "Tell a Story." These Ads appeared in Life Magazine, and some of them are so amusing, especially this Ad from February 7, 1938 (and again on June 5, 1939) for Paula's Golden Cream Chocolate Cake. What a period piece! And, perfect for Mother's Day! 

I mean really...just read the headline, "Paula Gives Mother-in-Law Her Come-Uppance." And don't you just love the word "Flibbertigibbet." Good thing Paula had a mind and talent of her own. And what a saint she was for not lauding her baking skills over her mother-in-law. Such modesty. Oh puh..lease. I feel like writing 'the rest of the story.'

At first meeting, Paula's mother-in-law thought Paula couldn't boil water. She was proved wrong when Paula baked a lovely Golden Cream Chocolate Cake. These 'story ads' say a lot about the times! Of course Paula couldn't have done it without Baker's Chocolate and her own Mother's teachings!

This recipe really is delicious. The cake is a "cross between a Fudge Cake and Boston Cream Pie." A perfect posting (and baking!) for Mother's Day!

MOTHER'S DAY COCOA SPICED SALMON

My Mother circa 1942

Confession: My mother was not a chocoholic. So for Mother's Day that always precluded giving her Truffles or Chocolates or baking anything chocolate specifically for her. However, my mother would have eaten salmon every day if she had had the opportunity. So here is an easy recipe adapted from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone on about.com for Cocoa Spiced Salmon. This is a savory recipe. Here's to you, Mom!

I love cocoa/chocolate rubs, and this one helps seal in the flavor of the salmon. We do a lot of grilling at our house, and this is perfect for Mother's Day.. or any day! If you don't have a grill, you can broil. If you do, give it 10 minutes tops!

Here's a chocolate menu for you for Mother's Day: Cocoa Spiced Salmon with a green salad made with blueberries, cocoa nibs, blue cheese, and candied walnutswith a strawberry vinaigrette. You can also make a Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert and maybe some Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

Mother's Day Cocoa Spiced Salmon

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp DARK cocoa powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 pounds salmon filet

Mustard Sauce (optional)
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp hot water

Directions:

We cook on a Weber, but if you have a gas grill, fire to medium-high heat.
Pour and distribute 1 teaspoon olive oil over bottom of shallow aluminum pan. (Alternatively, you can  form a tray out of a double layer of heavy foil. Be sure to put it on a cookie sheet for stability.)

Whisk together sugar, dry mustard, cinnamon, paprika, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt.

Coat both sides of the salmon filet with remaining olive oil.
Place in grill pan skin-side down.
Sprinkle generously with cocoa spice mixture and pat down.
(You may have some spice mix left over. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place up to 6 months.)

The recipe says to grill salmon about 10 minutes per inch of thickness, until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook or it will become dry. We cook our salmon for a much shorter period of time, but then we don't have the same control on the heat on the Weber.

Mustard Sauce: Optional
Whisk together dry mustard, sugar, and hot water until smooth. 
Serve as a condiment with Cocoa Spiced Salmon.

As American as Mom and Apple Pie

One of my favorite children's books by Alison Murray

Today is National Apple Pie Day, and it's only fitting that it comes a day before Mother's Day.  "As American as Apple Pie" and "'for Mom and apple pie" - what's the origin of these catch phrases?

 From Wikipedia: 
Although apple pies have been eaten since long before the European colonization of the Americas, "as American as apple pie" is a saying in the United States, meaning "typically American". In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, apple pie became a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. A newspaper article published in 1902 declared that “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” The dish was also commemorated in the phrase "for Mom and apple pie" - supposedly the stock answer of American soldiers in World War II, whenever journalists asked why they were going to war.

My Grandmother made an awesome apple pie. I've written about this pie before. It did not contain chocolate. She made it in a huge rectangular pan. She made it because it was "American," and when she came to these shores, she became an American! My grandmother was born in Ukraine (then part of Russia), married in London, and settled in Philadelphia, the Cradle of Liberty. She took her new citizenship to heart, and she baked apple pie for her family every Friday. She did it because she saw herself as a true American. 

CHOCOLATE APPLE PIE

Ingredients
Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie, unbaked
8-10 tart apples (peeled, cored and sliced thinly--number of apples depends on their size)--Gravensteins aren't available this time of year, but they're my favorite, especially for pies!
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup 65-75% dark chocolate, chopped

Directions
Apples: peel, core, and slice thinly.
Combine cinnamon & sugar = cinnamon sugar. (you may need a tiny bit more). I've also used the chocolate cinnamon sugar from Trader Joe's
Place 1 layer apple slices on bottom crust. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Repeat twice.
Spread chopped chocolate pieces over top.
Using remaining apples, make 3 more apple/cinnamon sugar layers.
Top with 2nd crust and seal edges. Make cut on top--or prick with fork in a few places.
Bake in preheated 450 F oven for 15 minutes (until golden).
Lower heat to 350F and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes, or until apples are tender.

MOTHER'S DAY SUNBEAM MIXMASTER VINTAGE AD & Recipe for Chocolate Cake!

I adore Retro Advertisements, and this one is particularly close to my heart. My mother had a Sunbeam Mixmaster. So many cookies, cakes and brownies were made with that Mixmaster. I don't have my mother's Sunbeam Mixmaster, but I have my Mother-in-Law's -- the same model with all the attachments. I use my own Kitchenaid Mixer, but I love the functionality of that old Mixmaster work horse. It still works, and I'll bet my mother-in-law got it in the early 1950s.

So, for Mother's Day, here's a Sunbeam Mixmaster Mother's Day Advertisement from Life Magazine, May 1, 1950, complete with Chocolate Cake recipe. What are you making for Mother's Day?

MOTHER'S DAY COCOA SPICED SALMON

My Mother circa 1942

Confession: My mother was not a chocoholic. So for Mother's Day that always precluded giving her Truffles or Chocolates or baking anything chocolate specifically for her. However, my mother would have eaten salmon every day if she had had the opportunity. So here is an easy recipe adapted from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone on about.com for Cocoa Spiced Salmon. This is a savory recipe. Here's to you, Mom!

I love cocoa/chocolate rubs, and this one helps seal in the flavor of the salmon. We do a lot of grilling at our house, and this is perfect for Mother's Day.. or any day! If you don't have a grill, you can broil. If you do, give it 10 minutes tops!

Here's a chocolate menu for you for Mother's Day: Cocoa Spiced Salmon with a green salad made with blueberries, cocoa nibs, blue cheese, and candied walnutswith a strawberry vinaigrette. You can also make a Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert and maybe some Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

Mother's Day Cocoa Spiced Salmon

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp DARK cocoa powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 pounds salmon filet

Mustard Sauce (optional)
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp hot water

Directions:

We cook on a Weber, but if you have a gas grill, fire to medium-high heat.
Pour and distribute 1 teaspoon olive oil over bottom of shallow aluminum pan. (Alternatively, you can  form a tray out of a double layer of heavy foil. Be sure to put it on a cookie sheet for stability.)

Whisk together sugar, dry mustard, cinnamon, paprika, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt.

Coat both sides of the salmon filet with remaining olive oil.
Place in grill pan skin-side down.
Sprinkle generously with cocoa spice mixture and pat down.
(You may have some spice mix left over. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place up to 6 months.)

The recipe says to grill salmon about 10 minutes per inch of thickness, until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook or it will become dry. We cook our salmon for a much shorter period of time, but then we don't have the same control on the heat on the Weber.

Mustard Sauce: Optional
Whisk together dry mustard, sugar, and hot water until smooth. 
Serve as a condiment with Cocoa Spiced Salmon.

 

MOTHER'S DAY GOLDEN CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE: Vintage Ad with Recipe

Here's a great Vintage Ad for Mother's Day. I love these Vintage Baker's Chocolate Ads with recipes that "Tell a Story." These Ads appeared in Life Magazine from 1937-1938. Some of them are so amusing, especially this advertisement from February 7, 1938 (and again on June 5, 1939) for Paula's Golden Cream Chocolate Cake. What a period piece! I mean really...just read the headline, "Paula Gives Mother-in-Law Her Come-Uppance." And don't you just love the word "Flibbertigibbet." Good thing Paula had a mind and talent of her own. And what a saint she was for not lauding her baking skills over her mother-in-law. Such modesty. Oh puh..lease. I feel like writing 'the rest of the story.'

At first meeting, Paula's mother-in-law thought Paula couldn't boil water.. She was proved wrong when Paula baked a lovely Golden Cream Chocolate Cake. These 'story ads' say a lot about the times! Of course Paula couldn't have done it without Baker's Chocolate and her own Mother's teachings!

This recipe really is delicious. The cake is a "cross between a Fudge Cake and Boston Cream Pie." A perfect posting (and baking!) for Mother's Day!

CHOCOLATE APPLE PIE: National Apple Pie Day

One of my favorite children's books by Alison Murray

Today is National Apple Pie Day, and it's only fitting that it comes a few days after Mother's Day. This Chocolate Apple Pie is "as American as Mom and Apple Pie." But what's the origin of this catch phrase?

 From Wikipedia: 
Although apple pies have been eaten since long before the European colonization of the Americas, "as American as apple pie" is a saying in the United States, meaning "typically American". In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, apple pie became a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. A newspaper article published in 1902 declared that “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” The dish was also commemorated in the phrase "for Mom and apple pie" - supposedly the stock answer of American soldiers in World War II, whenever journalists asked why they were going to war.

My Grandmother made an awesome apple pie. I've written about this pie before. It did not contain chocolate. She made it in a huge rectangular pan. She made it because it was "American," and when she came to these shores, she became an American! My grandmother was born in Ukraine (then part of Russia), married in London, and settled in Philadelphia, the Cradle of Liberty. She took her new citizenship to heart, and she baked apple pie for her family every Friday. She did it because she saw herself as a true American. 

CHOCOLATE APPLE PIE

Ingredients
Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie, unbaked
8-10 tart apples (peeled, cored and sliced thinly--number of apples depends on their size)--Gravensteins aren't available this time of year, but they're my favorite, especially for pies!
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup 65-75% dark chocolate, chopped

Directions
Apples: peel, core, and slice thinly.
Combine cinnamon & sugar = cinnamon sugar. (you may need a tiny bit more). I've also used the chocolate cinnamon sugar from Trader Joe's
Place 1 layer apple slices on bottom crust. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Repeat twice.
Spread chopped chocolate pieces over top.
Using remaining apples, make 3 more apple/cinnamon sugar layers.
Top with 2nd crust and seal edges. Make cut on top--or prick with fork in a few places.
Bake in preheated 450 F oven for 15 minutes (until golden).
Lower heat to 350F and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes, or until apples are tender.

VINTAGE MOTHER'S DAY WHITMAN'S CHOCOLATE ADVERTISEMENTS

I love old magazine chocolate advertisements--Retro and Vintage. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates, and Whitman's Samplers has known that for decades. Here are several Whitman's Chocolates Mother's Day Ads.  Enjoy the tour through the decades. Happy Mother's Day!

 

 

MOTHER'S DAY CHOCOLATE CAKE: Retro Ad & Recipe

I adore Retro Advertisements, and this one is particularly close to my heart. My mother had a Sunbeam Mixmaster. So many cookies, cakes, and brownies were made with that Mixmaster. I don't have my mother's Sunbeam Mixmaster, but I have my Mother-in-Law's -- the same model with all the attachments. I use my Kitchenaid Mixer mostly, but I love the functionality of that old Mixmaster War Horse. It still works, and I'll bet my mother-in-law got it in the early 1950s.

So, for Mother's Day, here's a Sunbeam Mixmaster Mother's Day Advertisement from Life Magazine, May 1, 1950, complete with Chocolate Cake recipe. What are you making for Mother's Day?

Five D-I-Y Chocolate Face Masks: The Perfect Gift for Mother's Day!

Here's a personal and unique Mother's Day Gift! A Chocolate Facial for Mom! Mix up one of these recipes for Mom! Be sure to make a second batch for yourself!

We all know Chocolate is good for the heart, blood pressure, and a lot more. When I was growing up, we were told that chocolate was bad for the skin. That it actually caused acne. This is not true. Chocolate is full of antioxidants that actually give the skin extra protection against free radicals and can nourish the skin. The following masks can increase hydration, support skin's defense against UV damage, decrease roughness, and actually improve blood flow. Give one or all of them a try.

Pros of Chocolate Face Mask: The skin becomes glowing and soft,  firm, and smooth. Even if the mask goes into your mouth, no problem; it tastes yummy. The final Chocolate Face Mask even has an alternative fudge recipe.

So here are 5 D-I-Y Chocolate Face Mask Recipes! They're all simple to make. Let me know which one you like best.

1. Chocolate Mask from Household Magic: Daily Tips

Mix together a heaping Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder with heavy cream to form a paste.
Apply to clean, dry skin and leave paste on for 15 minutes.
Wipe off mask with washcloth.
Rinse face with lukewarm water and pat dry.

2. Chocolate Yogurt Honey Mask from Flavor Fiesta

Ingredients
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp yogurt
1 tsp honey

Directions
Blend cocoa powder with honey and yogurt. Cocoa powder can be difficult to blend, so be patient with this step. Keep mixing until mixture looks like melted chocolate.
Clean your face with lukewarm water. Dab dry and then apply the mask evenly all over your face except the eye and lip areas. Relax for 15-20 minutes and let the mask do it’s magic.
Wash off with lukewarm water and dab dry.
Apply moisturizer.

3. Chocolate Brown Sugar Sea Salt Mask from WikiHow

Ingredients
2 bars of dark chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup of milk
Sea salt
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Directions
Heat dark chocolate in double boiler for about 3 minutes.
Mix sea salt, brown sugar, and 2/3 of a cup milk in a bowl.
Remove melted chocolate from heat.
Mix melted chocolate with salt/milk mixture.
Allow to cool.
Apply to face while cool but not hardened.
Leave on until it hardens.
Wash or chip off with mild cleanser and warm water.
Add moisturizer when done.

4. Chocolate Oatmeal Honey Mask from Skin Care and Remedies

Ingredients
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup organic honey
2 Tbsp of heavy cream (or sour cream)
3 tsp oatmeal powder

Directions
Mix all ingredients until mass in consistent.
Apply to face, gently massaging so oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer.
Leave on for about 15-20 minutes
Rinse off with lukewarm water.

The following recipe is one of my favorites because it's so versatile.. with a tiny bit of tweaking, you can make fudge! How cool is that?

5. Chocolate Avocado, Honey, Oatmeal Face Mask (or Fudge)  

 from Meghan Telpner-Making Love in the Kitchen

Ingredients
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup organic honey
2 Tbsp smashed avocado
3 tsp oatmeal powder (leave this out if making soft fudge, leave in if you want a harder texture)

Directions: Face Mask
Mix all ingredients until mass is consistent.
Apply on face, gently massaging so oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer.
Leave on for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Instructions: Fudge
Mix all ingredients (except oatmeal) until mass is consistent.
Spread in small pyrex dish or into individual ramikens.
Allow to set in refrigerator for at least two hours.

VINTAGE MOTHER'S DAY STORY AD with Recipe for Golden Cream Chocolate Cake

For Mother's Day I'm posting a Vintage Ad that references mothers. I love these Vintage Ads and recipes from Baker's Chocolate that "Tell a Story." These Ads appeared in Life Magazine, and some of them are so amusing, especially this Ad from February 7, 1938 (and again on June 5, 1939) for Paula's Golden Cream Chocolate Cake. What a period piece! I mean really...just read the headline, "Paula Gives Mother-in-Law Her Come-Uppance." And don't you just love the word "Flibbertigibbet." Good thing Paula had a mind and talent of her own. And what a saint she was for not lauding her baking skills over her mother-in-law. Such modesty. Oh puh..lease. I feel like writing 'the rest of the story.'

At first meeting, Paula's mother-in-law thought Paula couldn't boil water. She was proved wrong when Paula baked a lovely Golden Cream Chocolate Cake. These 'story ads' say a lot about the times! Of course Paula couldn't have done it without Baker's Chocolate and her own Mother's teachings!

This recipe really is delicious. The cake is a "cross between a Fudge Cake and Boston Cream Pie." A perfect posting (and baking!) for Mother's Day!

Vintage and Retro Whitman's Chocolates Mother's Day Ads

I love old magazine chocolate advertisements--Retro and Vintage. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates, and Whitman's Samplers has known that for decades. Here are several Whitman's Chocolates Mother's Day Ads.  Enjoy the tour through the decades. Happy Mother's Day!