The #AcidReflux Grocery Shopping list and other information. #Silentacidreflux #GERD

This post is from another blog of mine that I thought i'd share on this one, as this is more the niche it belongs in. Over the years I have learned a lot about acid reflux and how to deal with it naturally by changing your eating habits. 

Do you have GERD? Then you need to read this! I have been battling with GERD aka Acid reflux on and off for years, and now surprisingly (which shouldn't be so surprising) after slacking on my healthy eating, it has graduated to Silent Reflux. This is where it affects your larynx, without as many symptoms or they are confusing ones. This is not to be confused with heart burn. It is far worse. It doesn't burn, but it's still doing damage. It's just not letting you know. Often times this is happening to you, but there is no sign or very few or a LOT of symptom, such as chronic cough, hoarse throat, postnasal drip and the feeling of a lump in the throat. These are TOO often confused with allergies or even asthma. for years I was told I had non-allergic rhinitis!! I had all of the symptoms and it greatly dissipated when I began eating non acidic foods and healthier in general, whilst losing weight. Now, it is back with a vengeance because I decided to get lazy, or lets be honest, I just ate like 99% of the population. I can't do that. My body is very sensitive and honestly, I am thankful that it is. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have the warning signs.

If you are someone that suffers with this, know that there is a cure aside from medicines. Those are great for short term, but the importance lies in keeping away from all acidic contents, certain fruits and veggies and all caffeine and carbonated beverages. Even club soda, as it serves as a kind of hot air balloon by latching onto the bad acid into your esophagus and Larynx, where it eats away at it. Literally.

Acid is a huge epidemic in our packaged food ridden life. It was introduced into everything to kill the bacteria that causes food poisoning. This happened in the 70's when there was a huge outbreak of  it. Unfortunately it kills poisons while slowly killing us. The percentage of people with acid reflux has skyrocketed in the last few decades after the introduction of extra acids. There is solid proof of this. If you suffer from acid reflux, stay away from all packaged foods whenever possible. Acid is your arch nemesis. Alkaline is your best friend. This has the ability and often does turn into cancer down the line.

To find out specific details on this deadly disease, watch this episode of  Dr. Oz. It will explain everything. If it weren't for this show, I would have never stumbled across this information in my google searching. TONS of people suffer from the same symptoms and always leave the doctor bewildered. I  urge you to please consider this. Watch all the parts! They go to a mall and test random people and you will be floored by their findings! 

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/silent-reflux-preventable-epidemic-pt-1

Print out the following and bring it with you to the grocery store.

                   What you need to avoid for a month or more, depending on the severity.

 You can slowly reintroduce these things in moderation, but not for a long while. You need to calm down your system and bring it back to a normal PH:

• Caffeine of any kind
• Mint
• Strawberries
• Oranges
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Club Soda 
• High fat foods 
• Lots of oils 
• Fried foods
• Citrus acid and any citrus derivatives in packaged and canned foods. READ LABELS. Avoid ANY acid. Vitamin C fortified means it's got more acid. 
• This isn't a full list, but you get the gist. Avoid all citrus fruits, acid, alcohol, caffeine and anything you are unsure of, just look  up its PH level. It needs to be alkaline on the scale. 

What you can eat:

                   Fortunately, the Grocery Shopping List for allowable foods is a lot longer.  Note: Sometimes cheese and dairy can cause the same symptoms, so if taking away the acids in your diet doesn't work, try eliminating all dairy. Though this usually does the trick.

Apple- juice, dried or fresh

Banana

Pears

Potato

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrots

Celery

Corn

Beans

Lentils

Mushrooms

Parsnips

Peas

Spinach

Kale- Any green vegetables are safe! 

Squash

Green beans

Brown Rice

Multi-grain or whole wheat bread

Bran Cereal

Oatmeal

Corn Bread

Graham Crackers

Pretzels

Rice cakes

Feta cheese

Goat cheese

Fat-free cream cheese

Fat-free sour cream

Low-fat soy cheese

Skim milk

Egg substitute

Egg whites

Skinless chicken breast

Extra lean steak

Extra lean ground beef

Salmon

Fish – no added fat- Do not fry your meat! Broil, bake or steam only.

Ginger

Manuka Honey

Basil

Cilantro

Chamomile tea

ALSO

• Avoid eating too close to bedtime. Try to leave at least 2-3 hours after a meal, before you go to bed. 

• Avoid lying down after meals.

• Eat small regular meals. Overeating is a big cause of it. 

• Do not wear tight clothing that may increase the pressure on your stomach.

• Raise the head of your bed by 4-6 inches may help reduce night-time acid reflux.

Follow the GERD Diet to a T and you will feel better in as little as a week! 

Good Luck and Health be with you! 

Meat replacement with #Gardein #Review & #Giveaway !

Gardein was the inspiration for this post and I received samples for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

When one tries to cut their meat consumption significantly to almost nothing, they want to be creative when it comes to cooking. This is what I did over a year ago and saying it's a challenge is putting it lightly. Not experimenting with things is the quickest way to get bored and go back to your old ways. I am constantly on the look out for new and exciting meat replacements on the market and it's important that those be healthy.

Gardein carries by far and wide, the most exquisite soy derived meat replacements on the market, and I have tried quite a few. When I took my first bite of their version of Chicken strips, I was immediately hooked. In fact, it was my dinner for the next several nights. I thought, there's no way they can all be this good. I can't impress upon to you just how wrong my assumption was.

Baking and stir frying these dishes was so convenient and fast for me to do. I love the simplicity and the fact that I am still maintaining my health. 

The first dish I made was the Crispy Chicken Filet's and my god were they scrumptious. They tasted almost 99% like real chicken. 

 Each bag comes with enough for two people and is perfectly filling when you have bread, rice or a salad along with it. 

Teriyaki Chicken strips. I added fresh broccoli, herbs and the sauce packet that came with it. It's a very sweet and sour type of taste that is soooo yummy. Very reminiscent of Asian cuisine.

Chicken filet's once again, but this time with  fresh Broccoli, fresh Portabello mushrooms and garlic sauteed in balsamic and apple cider vinegar. The sauce packet really complimented the flavors nicely! 

And here is the Steak Strips alternative, which is the closest I have ever tasted to actual steak. It's amazing. I made some pasta and sauteed some fresh broccoli in herbs and mixed everything up in their steak sauce.

This product is like something I imagine a mad scientist taking years to perfect in his laboratory. Countless nights experimenting with ingredients and concoctions only to fail, until that one glorious night when they finally found the secret ingredient. I know that sounds a bit overzealous, but when you taste these you will know why. Absolutely everything I tasted from this company tastes almost EXACTLY like real meat. Especially their steak alternative and chicken pattie alternative. I could not believe just how akin to meat it actually was, even in it's consistency.  

There are endless ways to cook with these and although somewhat pricey, they often have coupons, plus sales every few weeks at my local Target! even at it's regular price, which is $3.99 at Target, they are still worth the money. I usually get them when they go on sale for around $3 and then apply  a $1 coupon. Not bad at all! 

And now I get to offer one of you lucky people from my audience a chance to win 3 free bags to try out Gardein's many yummy flavors, along with some nifty buttons and sporks with the company logo! 

Good Luck! 

Giveaway open to U.S. & CANADA!

Starts 12-19 12 am EST Ends: 1-2 12 am EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Warm up your holidays with this easy and fast recipe for Tropical Island #Chex Party Mix

Sponsored by Platefull Co-op & General Mills

Have you ever tried the classic Chex Party Mix? It takes just 15 minutes to make in the microwave and is a delicious gluten free snack the whole family can enjoy! Now, there is a twist on this famously easy recipe and it'll get you in the mood for the warm months ahead. The Tropical Island Chex mix is another fun way to eat your Chex and warm up the holidays with a tropical flair! This recipe is also pretty healthy to boot at just 160 calories per serving! 

Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 8  cups Rice Chex® cereal
• 1   cup shredded coconut, if desired
• 1   cup dried banana chips
• 1   package (7 oz) dried tropical fruit mix
• 1   jar (3 oz) macadamia nuts
• 3   tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4    cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4    cup frozen (thawed) pineapple or orange juice concentrate

Directions:

1. In microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in brown sugar and pineapple juice concentrate. Microwave uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until hot; stir. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on High 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until mixture just begins to brown.Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container. 

2. Oven Directions: Heat oven to 300°F. In ungreased large roasting pan, mix cereal, coconut, banana chips, tropical fruit mix and nuts. In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar and pineapple juice concentrate over medium heat until hot. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Bake uncovered 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.  

3. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal, coconut, banana chips, tropical fruit mix and nuts.

  

If you plan on making this sweet and tangy snack, don't miss out on the  deals you can get on some ingredients, only at Publix. Why not make a Tripical Chex mix for yourself and family. It's something new and different and would make a great party snack for New Years. If you Google all over you'll find that the general consensus is that this is a well liked fast and easy recipe! 

11/14—12/31: Save $1.00 off 2 Chex cereals, find coupon in the “All The Trimmings” coupon booklet, available now until 12/31/13 in Publix stores.

12/12—12/18: BOGO on the following Chex cereals:

• 14.25oz Chocolate Chex
• 13.75oz Apple Cinn Chex
• 13.5oz Cinn Chex
• 14oz Corn Chex
• 13.8oz Honey Nut Chex
• 12.8oz Rice Chex
• 14oz Wheat Chex
• 13.5oz Vanilla Chex

What can I do with expired coffee beans?

Is your coffee too gross to drink? In my search about expired coffee, I encountered so many creative ways to re-use coffee beans and ground coffee when it is too rancid to prepare. Take a gander at this list and see if you can't do some of them. I have already tried out one of these. Using coffee to disguise bad smells is one of the best in existence! 

• Natural hair enhancer for Brunettes

• Compost for gardens-once ground

• Some say the caffeine in coffee is a good cellulite combat. i have yet to try, but here is the recipe:

1 part ground coffee beans

mixed with 2 parts brown sugar

a big dash of vanilla extract

enough oil to make a sludgy paste

Store in a pretty jar and use to exfoliate your legs. Let it soak in for an hour, then shower off. Apply more another hour for a stronger effect. 

• Some use it in recipes you wouldn't think of, like barbecue sauce and confections. Experiment and see what you come up with! 

•  Is your child in a play where he will act as an older gentlemen? Get some Vaseline and some ground coffee beans. Smear the Vaseline all over your youths chin and smush coffee beans on it. It will perfectly mimic chin stubble! This is a silly, but clever one and it's proven to work, but watch out if you are prone to clogged pores!

• Exfoliate by grinding the beans half way and using it with your favorite facial cleanser. Some people swear by this as an exfoliant. 

• Absorb odors. Apparently coffee is a great odor eliminator! Just put some in a jar and poke holes in the top or put it in a mesh sachet tied up. 

• Scent replenisher. One person swears that if your nostrils are overcome by different smells all at once, he sniffs a jar of coffee and the next scent he smells, is the only one. 
• Get rid of bad smells by sprinkling some in a garbage can.

• Use the beans to make crafty and yummy smelling candles. There are plenty of projects if you Google for them. Here is one: Get some cheap glass votive holders. Fill them with some beans and then place a tea light in the middle. These make beautiful center pieces for fall or anytime and give off a lovely coffee aroma.

• You can also make a more involved project where you make an actual coffee infused candle. Here is a complete tutorial. Get acquainted with candle making as a whole, before attempting to do this! 

• Another great project is brewing not so great tasting coffee and then using it as a dye for papers and clothing.  If you want something to look old and weathered, this would be perfect for that. 

Some awesome ideas for you there and i'm sure there are more floating around. If you have any, add them in the comments.

And now I leave you with an oldie but goody that fits the occasion: 

"Keep It Fresh!" 

Easy and #cheap recipe for Spiced nuts! #McCormickBaking

Sponsored by McCormick. All opinions are my own. 

There are the decadent and detailed time consuming recipes for the Holidays, and then there are the cheap and easy ones that are still really tasty. Of these are the classic spiced nuts or candied nuts as some call them, which are among my favorite holiday treats! You'll find many recipe variations for these, but I am a fan of the tried and true version made with All Spice as the main ingredient. 

This spiced nuts mix gets the spiciness from cinnamon and allspice. I Omitted the seasoned salt in this, as I wanted it to be more sweeter than herbier. It was replaced it with some sea salt. I did purchase the Lawrys Seasoned salt for the first time and used it on veggies. It was really good! Another new go to seasoning for me!

We all love to binge on the super fattening but oh so gloriously yummy Holiday foods, but there is another choice. This recipe is tasty and it has health benefits to boot from all the nutrients of the nuts. A great way to keep it significantly healthy during the holidays and still get that satisfaction of a desert.

Ingredients

Makes 3 1/3 cups or 18 (3-tablespoon) servings.

• 1/3 cup sugar2 teaspoons McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground

• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Allspice, Ground

• 1/2 teaspoon Lawry's® Seasoned Salt

• 1 egg white

• 3 cups nuts, such as almonds, cashews, peanuts and pecans. I used walnuts, almonds and pecans. 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250°F. 

• Mix sugar, cinnamon, allspice and seasoned salt in small bowl. 

• Beat egg white in large bowl until foamy. 

• Add nuts; toss to coat well. 

• Add spice mixture; toss to coat nuts evenly.

• Spread nuts in single layer on lightly greased baking sheet.

• Bake 1 hour, stirring once. Cool slightly and break apart. 

• Cool completely. Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Nutritional information

(amount per servings)


Total Calories: 169


Sodium: 137mg


Fat: 13g


Carbohydrates: 9g


Cholesterol: 0mg


Protein: 4g


Fiber: 2g

These work great as a snack at parties and when displayed in a pretty bowl, they make a nice centerpiece! 

Enjoy! 

#Organize your #Kitchen -The Spices Conundrum

The Spice Stack by Youcopia is the inspiration behind this post. I received it free for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Prior to order of the chaos in my kitchen, I had one of those turn table spice holders you see above. It was nice, but still left a lot to be desired. The sizes have to be just right to fit in it and that never happens.  Or you'd have to fill up and re-label the existing bottles, which you have to wait to finish them up. Obviously not going to happen either. I'd have it shoved in the back to make room for more counter space too. It was barely help for my disorganization and I still had 20 odd other spices I needed to organize. I put them in tins, but that just took up more room! I will say it was a step up from just putting bottles in the cupboard, which half of would be shoved so far back that I'd end up buying duplicates forgetting I had them! 

Guess what my favorite past time is? When the bottles have a mind of their own and jump out of the cupboard. None of you can tell me that hasn't happened. Especially at the most inopportune time, when you're cooking! 

Well, I kissed ALL those problems goodbye with ONE product.

The original spice stack came into my life and all was right in the world. It fit perfectly in my cupboard, but with absolutely no room to spare. I was almost afraid it wouldn't fit judging by the size of it. The specific measurements are Height- 8.5” Width- 8.0” Depth-10.9” So as you can see, it is rather large. This is the size that is supposed to fit into any standard size cupboard. 

See how much room this baby has? It doesn't skimp on design or innovative concept. Trust me when I say this thing is nothing short of amazing and for the price ($24.99 on Amazon!)  It is incredible what you get. The Original Spice Stack holds 18 spices. Even the more larger, longer, thicker and irregular shaped spice bottles. OR you can stack the smaller ones and hold double that! 

This heavy duty plastic spice holder is incredibly easy to use. Especially in the midst of cooking. I don't have to fish for things while my food burns anymore! Yes, that did happen. I'm not too proud to admit it. To use, all you have to do is pull out the drawer containing  the spices you need. Then when done, put the spices back and push it back in. It is very durable, not at all flimsy! 

As you can see, I use a wide variety of spices and flavoring that come in different sizes and shapes and to my delight, they ALL fit perfectly! 

This is one very fast efficient way to organize your spices in a snap and save A LOT of room for other things. I absolutely love having something so convenient as a go to and plan to buy another one soon. They come in different sizes and stainless steel  to appeal to everyone's fancy.  It includes drawer labels as well, but I didn't need those at the moment. I use my spices enough that i know what is where. I could see this working well as an arts and crafts holder too! 

I saved the best for last though and that is the fact that there's no assembly required! It comes fully equipped and ready to use with non skid feet! They're also stackable!  Honestly, this is probably my top favorite product of this decade. It has saved me so much trouble in the kitchen. The spice stack IS all it's stacked up to be.  I know it will solve your spices conundrum too! 

Stay tuned for more kitchen organization where I get a little more creative and stylish. 

#Win a $100 Bonefish Grill Gift Card!

I have an awesome giveaway for you guys from my fellow blogger Confessions of a messy mamma. Who needs a free night out to dinner with the family? I don't think there's one person who will say no to that! Enter  the RC  below for your chance to win $100 to Bonefish Grill! 

WIN A $100 GIFT CARD TO BONEFISH GRILL!

Hosted by: Confessions of a Messy Mama

Sponsored by: Bonefish Grill

Disclosure: This blog  has not received compensation for this giveaway and is not responsible for prize shipment.

From now until December 31st if you purchase 

$100 in gift cards and receive another $20 gift card 

to give as a gift too (or enjoy it yourself).

Entry-Form

#Win a #Mohawkflooring #Rug for your #kitchen or #diningroom!

Who is in need of a new Kitchen or area rug? I know as full time cooks, we tend to make boo boo stains far more than your average cook. That means needing a new rug now and then. Let's face it, the best of them just aren't machine friendly! If you are in need of one, definitely enter this giveaway! 

I'm so excited to offer this giveaway to my readers and have many bloggers to thank for their participation!

Sponsored By Mohawk Flooring

Giveaway & Review By: Beautiful Incentives

Did you just move into a new home and can't think of how to decorate your rooms? Perhaps you're missing that extra piece of style to make a room complete? A rug can do wonders for the ambiance and feel of a room. When I had the opportunity to review for Mohawk rugs, I was very excited. Several of my rooms were begging for rugs. Especially the kitchen. Once I plopped these puppies down, they transformed my kitchen! 

I ordered two rugs under $60 and they're both gorgeous. 

• Brown Leaves Memory Foam Rug - Beautiful design, Comfortable, with thick memory foam padding. Much better than standing on my hard tile floor when doing dishes. 

• Baroque Kitchen Coffee Rug - A Nice array of neutral and dark colors, clear design, thick and soft to the touch. 

I wanted a kitchen rug that would take up a good amount of the tile that coordinated well with my kitchen decor, but also would be able to camouflage stains and crumbs. Choosing a darker brown seemed perfect to me and I was right. Especially for right under the stove and where I prepare food. The smaller rug is for the sink area where crumbs and dirt fall less. 

Being a bit of a coffee connoisseur,  I love how the rugs look with the coffee cups showing the words Cappuccino, Espresso and Coffee. It's inviting to wake up to in the morning.  They also have a whimsical touch with the way the steam comes out of the cups in  scrolls and the other rug is full of scrolling that I love. It's hard to find unique rugs that don't look like a child drew a picture on them. The designs on these are very pretty. 

Both rugs are spot clean only so I do have to be careful, but overall, I think these rugs are definitely worth the money. They have held up exceptionally well in the month I have used them. I just take them outside to flap the crumbs etc off and good as new. I haven't needed to use a damp cloth on it as of yet.

 It's hard to find exactly what I want in my price range and these were on the ball. They are made extremely durable with little slipping compared to others I have had and I know they will last a long time as long as I treat them like they're works of art, which they are.  Now I just need to find some cute matching coffee cup towels! 

In addition to their site, Mohawk rugs  can be found at Kohls, Target and other fine retailers.

Check out all the many rugs they have to offer, including area, kitchen, outdoor and more.

 I encourage you to keep up with promotions through their Facebook and Twitter as well! 

Mohawk rugs are fine quality and always made in the U.S.A.
Find out more through their video

One Lucky reader will get to order a rug valued $149 or below and up to 5X8 in size. 

U.S. ONLY 

 Starts: 10/29 12 am EST Ends: 11/20 12 am EST

GOOD LUCK! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beautiful Incentives nor participating blogs are responsible for prize fulfillment, though we will do everything we can to make sure that you get your prize in a timely manner.  If there is any problem, please e-mail beautyincentives@gmail.com

Fresh Food and Produce Gift Box #Giveaway!

A good friend and fellow blogger over at Moms Gone Bronson is having an awesome giveaway that will give you a chance to win your own fresh baked goods and fresh fruits. As well as snacks! 

Good Luck!

Would you like to WIN a Snack Attack gift box or Farmers Fest Gift Box full of fresh bread fruits and more for your student or loved one? Perhaps even indulge a little yourself? Then you're in the right place! Just enter the rafflecopters below for your chance to do so, care of Brown's Orchards and Farm Market!

 Important: You must be a resident of the U.S and 18 or older to qualify. Boxes can NOT be shipped to California or Arizona and so winning addresses must be outside of those states! Thank you! Good Luck!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclaimer: Mom's Gone Bronson nor I'll Take a Bite is responsible for prize fulfillment and neither are any other participating bloggers promoting this giveaway. Prizes are sole responsibility of Brown's Orchards and Farm Market and are subject to change where a prize or product becomes unavailable. Thank you!

Simple Homemade Guacamole

The simplest of Guacamoles

This is my go to that I have been using for a long time. It's very simple, yet incredibly tasty for such minimal ingredients. If you need a dip for chip or burrito in a flash,  this is your answer. I like to have blue chips with it and also use as a spread for when I make veggie wraps and sandwiches. It is really so tasty! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Hass Avocado mashed up, but I like to leave little chunks
• 1 tspn lemon or lime juice
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 .5 tsp's of Worcestershire sauce

Mix it all up together, then top with fresh salsa!  The Sauce and lemon or lime really make this dip the best I've ever had. I do need to experiment with other recipes, because this is my go to that I have been using forever!

Old El Paso Quesadillas and homemade guacamole.

Sponsored by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

I had the chance to try out Old El Paso's new Mexican frozen cuisine and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, given that it's a frozen "t.v. dinner". Although I like to make my own, it's nice to try someone elses from time to time. Especially when I don't have time and just want something quick and fast without having to go to fast food restaurants.

I enjoyed this Chicken Quesadilla meal for two and the Mexican Platter was a nice touch.  This platter is very pretty and artsy in design and would make a unique center piece for any get together. It would even be great to take on picnics for up to a meal for 4. It's perfect for small or big snacks and meals. Especially tortilla chips, quesadillas, empinadas, burritos and dips. If you are doing a Mexican themed party, this is definitely a cute platter for the occasion. This is going to be useful!

Old El Paso claims to take pride in their mexican cuisine inspired foods and I think they do a good job. I chose to microwave one quesadilla and then nuke the other one, followed by giving it a quick fry in my cast iron skillet. THAT made all the difference in the authenticity. We all know it's impossible to get the exact taste of a real home made Mexican quesadillas, but it comes close.

I would recommend this brand for the occasional indulgence of quick tasty meals and if you'd like to try some of your own, you can grab a coupon for $1 off in your local flyer this week or one online at  coupons.com. for .60 cents off 3 Ole El Paso products. Stack those coupons!

Onto the homemade dip! 

This was the perfect occasion to whip up my favorite guacamole dip topped with fresh salsa. It went perfect with the Old El Paso Quesadillas. The contrast of hot cheesy crispy goodness with the cool guacamole and salsa was scrumptious.

Recipe for simple Guacamole: 

1 Hass Avocado mashed up, but I like to leave little chunks
1 tspn lemon or lime juice
1 tsp of garlic powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 .5 tsp's of Worcestershire sauce

Mix it all up together, then top with fresh salsa!  

#Halloween #DIY #WhiteChocolate #brainmold filled with #redvelvetcake and #cherries #Bloodybrain #braincandy #zombies

I made this two years ago before I created my Food blog and I honestly have no idea where I adapted the recipe from or I would link it. I altered it a lot and fused two different ideas into one. 

The idea was to create a cool centerpiece for a Halloween party and it really turned out flawless. All be it a little bit disturbing, as they almost look real! I titled it brain candy because well your brain is candy to zombies ( Note the zombie hand with green nail. Yeah, it was a last min extra detail)

Initially, I was looking to create just a brain cake of some sort, but when I saw these candy molds on amazon I thought that what would be even cooler and yummier was to make them individual candy brains. Candy brains that you would cut open to find cake or brain guts and gore inside. Although not anatomically completely accurate looking, it comes close enough and my god if it wasn't tastier than anything I have tried in a long time. 

This was a complicated process, considering I didn't really plan everything until I actually started doing it. In the middle of it all, I decided to add the cherry sauce and things later.

You really need some patience with this one. It'll take a few hours, as there are steps to freeze one half then freeze another. It is really worth it though! 

So let me see If I can explain this accurately in a way that it will be easy to replicate! 

Ingredients & tools needed: 

• Brain Candy molds  (I got mine from amazon for dirt cheap)

• Pam cooking spray

• 1 can of Cherry pie filling

• Red food coloring (About 1-1.5 tsp per brain) 

• 4 White chocolate bars (The biggest ones they have. I used Ghiradelli)

• 1 Red velvet cake (I used boxed)

• A sharp knife to cut frozen brains (warmed up under hot water to cut easily. I learned this after the fact ;) ) 

• Lots of patience. It's not hard, more time consuming than anything. I'd say you need about 4 hours and 30 minutes free in all. 99% of that is the freezing and baking time. 

Steps:

Step 1:  Spray Pam in the candy molds to be filled. DON'T forget the Pam spray before pouring the chocolate into the mold. You will never get it out in one piece! 

Step 2: Heat up 2 White chocolate bars on low to med heat.  Then slowly pour it into the brain candy molds. (2 molds, 2 bars per mold) Fill them thick enough that they cover the whole mold that will be the top half of the brain. 

Step3: Freeze those molds for about 2 hours.

Step 4: While this is freezing, this is when you want to get out your red velvet cake mix and back per directions. You'll have plenty left over, if you want to make something else gutty looking ;) 

Step 5:  Get our your cherry pie filling (You'll also have plenty of this leftover)

Step 6:  Let the cake cool off in the fridge and then stuff the frozen brain candy mold with it and the cherry pie filling.  (You can also omit the cherry filling and stuff later when you cut the brains. This is what I did)   Do not over stuff. 

Step 7:  Heat up another 2 white chocolate bars and repeat Step 2. Only you will be covering the cake inside the first 2 molds with frozen white chocolate now. Get it all over the cake so that is thick and none of the cake is peering through. This takes time and scrutinizing, but it's not that bad! Again, worth it! 

Step 8: Freeze again for about 2 hours. 

Step 9:   FINALLY. When you are ready to serve the brains. About 10 min prior to serving, or else they'll melt too much. Take out the frozen brains by very CAREFULLY coaxing them out . The Pam should make it fairly simple. Then carefully place them on a plate. 

Step 10:  Get your food coloring (or blood) and pour it all over the brains. About 1-1.5 tsp for each brain should do. Now get your very sharp knife and it's time to bludgeon the brain!  Run the knife under HOT water then let it get warm and slice it through to cut it in half. If for some reason it doesn't cut too great, It's fine. It will still look awesome, just more like a cracked brain. 

Then paint nails green or go all out with bloody torn zombie nails! 

You're done! See? I told you it was worth it! Now, just set it in the middle of the table with some candles and other zombie treats and you are ready to feed your zombie family! Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: Yeah, I know it's gorier than a kitchen massacre in this pic, but I assure I didn't cut my finger.  no human being or animals were harmed in the making. It is all that cherry filling and food coloring. Go easy on the coloring. I specified that much coloring on purpose lol

You saw this first, on I'll Take a Bite.