Have Some Fun With Dessert Only Potlucks

Create An Event Filled With Sweet Fun

Most of us enjoy being invited to participate in a potluck dinner. Whether at our workplace, church, school, or at a family gathering, a potluck meal is a chance to share recipes and see what everyone else is cooking these days.

Sometimes, a big table filled with row after row of casseroles, meats, pasta, and salads isn't quite right for the occasion. There are simply times when we just all want to enjoy something sweet! That's where the 'Dessert Only' potluck comes in.

Let's take a look at a few ideas for creating the event with desserts that will be fun to bring, and to eat.

Ingredient Theme

The idea here is to have everyone bring a dessert that uses a particular ingredient or flavor. For instance, a chocolate theme or fruit theme would both work well. With this type of theme, you would have fun seeing how many different kinds of ways there are to serve an ingredient.

Chocolate, for instance, can be used to make cakes, cookies, and bars, of course, but can also be turned into a drink. Think also of the many foods you can cover with chocolate. But don't stop there. Remember, you can also serve chocolate that has simply been flavored with herbs, floral, and even spices.

Fruit can be used to flavor other ingredients or can be used as the main ingredient in cookies, cakes, and bars. Get creative with both fresh and dried fruits in all sorts of sweet dessert offerings. These are just two ideas for ingredients. Dig through your pantry and I bet you'll come up with more!

Item Theme

Ask each participant to bring their favorite cookie, cake, or bar, and enjoy discovering just how many ways there are to make one dessert so different! Don't worry; you won't end up with dozens of plates of chocolate chip cookies.

When you limit the dessert offered to a particular kind of item, the results are surprising. Given the task of making your cookie stand out from other cookies, folks tend to reach deep into their creative reserves and dig out the most unusual recipe they can find.

You can get as specific as you want. For instance, try an 8x8 bar theme, or a round cake theme, or a refrigerator cookie theme. Or, just ask for cake and see what you get! Remember the Bundt cakes from years ago? Maybe it's time to bring them back and have a bit of fun! Whatever item you choose, relax and enjoy the offerings.

Jello Theme

Is any potluck complete without at least one Jello dessert? What if you had an entire table filled with Jello? That would definitely be a potluck to enjoy, and talk about!

You may have to dig deep for recipe ideas since Jello creations are not as popular as they were a few decades ago. However, there are still some adventurous cooks who have fun using this inexpensive jiggly ingredient and share recipes they love.

Ask your potluck participants to bring any Jello dessert they find festive and fun. Don't worry about your Jello creation fitting in with all the others. That is the Jello dessert legacy - it is meant to be funny, but still delicious. When your guests present their Jello desserts, expect some laughs, but also expect some tasty treats.

Hosting a 'Dessert Only' potluck can be a challenge. If you just throw out the word 'dessert' you could see the same offerings time after time. Choosing a theme sparks the imagination and helps the participants have a little more fun. One thing to keep in mind is to be sure to make portions small so everyone can enjoy multiple servings. After all, this is a decadent potluck and should be fully enjoyed!

A Brief History Of Cocoa

The Pleasures And Promises Of Cocoa - A Healthy Surprise

Just like many discoveries, the cocoa bean was little understood and certainly under-appreciated in the early years. Although it is believed that Columbus found the cocoa bean nestled in a vessel full of fruit, the use for this bean was a mystery. It was just a few years later, however, when Cortez realized the value of the cocoa beans.

But long before Cortez landed in Mexico, the cocoa bean had formed a part of the culture of the Aztecs who used the bean for worship in religious ceremonies. Through centuries, this bean had become an important part of the life and livelihood of the people. The cocoa bean during this time was most often consumed as a drink - xocolatl - which was a stimulant enjoyed by the Aztec people. As word of this drink was spread by Cortez and Montezuma, the beans were almost like gold.

As recipes developed and became more complex, the original xocolatl changed. Experimentation resulted in hardened cakes of cocoa, some sweetened and flavored with spices. These changes led over time to many of the products we know today.

We are still a little mystified by cocoa. There is an entire industry built around the desire or, dare I say, addiction to cocoa, more often called chocolate at this point. The chemical complexity is still not fully understood, which leads to even more mystery. The stimulating effects of cocoa are widely believed, so there is no debate there. Just how this translates to healthy benefits is another story.

Aside from the stimulants, many people are finding cocoa to be beneficial in several ways. Of course, we are looking at real pure cocoa and not sugar-laced chocolate. Here's what we have learned.
Just looking at nutrition, cocoa is low in calories and fat, but high in dietary fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and even protein. 

Antioxidants are the name of the game, and cocoa is definitely a player. With over 40 mg of flavonoids per gram (part of the powerhouse family of polyphenols), cocoa contains one of the highest amounts of this antioxidant of any group in its class. This saturation of antioxidants may help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and pre-mature aging caused by those destructive free radicals.

Consuming raw cocoa powder may also help increase blood flow through the arteries, lower blood pressure, help improve brain function and memory, reduce LDL cholesterol, and elevate HDL cholesterol. Cocoa also contains the substance phenethylamine, which is a substance in the brain responsible for mood elevation and fighting depression. Cocoa also boosts endorphins, which is the substance in the brain responsible for the  natural "high" we feel when exercising. Cocoa may also boost serotonin, which is another substance our brain needs to feel good.

By the sounds of things, it looks like the Aztecs were on to something. The stimulant effect of cocoa is well documented. Montezuma consumed large quantities of cocoa as a way to boost his mood and libido. The results from that time are not well documented, but modern science seems to have proven the ancient claims of health and well being from this little bean. No matter what, none of us can argue the attraction or, perhaps, addiction, of cocoa. It definitely is worth a taste... for our health, of course!