How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown


The darkening of the guacamole or avocado is due to the process of oxidation – reaction with oxygen in the air. The skin of the fruit, whether apples or avocados, provides protection from this process until it’s broken.

Before I go on, I will start off by saying that I was a chemistry major in college. So I find things like this quite fun. Yes fun. I am a major nerd. So if you want to skip over the next few paragraphs and right into the instructions, I will not be offended; it’s because you are probably much cooler than I am. And believe me, that wasn’t an attempt at self-deprecation or sarcasm. It’s highly likely a statement of fact. 😛

I will be very brief. But I believe that a basic understanding of the process comes in handy. And knowing WHY you are doing what you are doing will help you do it correctly.

Continue Reading How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown . . .

Spicy Guacamole!

I’ve been shunning social media most of my adult life. I neurotically guarded my privacy. However, now that I’ve started a blog, that point is moot. So I’m wading in slowly into the medium. To aid in that effort, cHow Divine is now on Pinterest. You can also find me on Google+. Why Google+ and not facebook? I will eventually get there (to facebook), but my extremely brainy little brother and his equally brilliant wife (my SIL) work for Google. And my SIL highly recommended it. Now. I wouldn’t be a good sis if I didn’t support and love everything Google! So follow cHow Divine on Pinterest and add me to your circle on Google+, and get to know (seemingly) one of the last cyber-hermits on earth.

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Now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed my brother as big sisters are wont to do, I will move on to today’s recipe.

Continue Reading Spicy Guacamole! . . .

Grilled Cheese and Dark Chocolate Sandwich with Strawberry Dipping Sauce


Last week, I read on The Huffington Post that dark chocolate and Parmesan cheese make a great pairing. Well, their exact words were “scientific pairing.”

However, we didn’t have any Parmesan. We usually don’t have ANY cheese in the fridge. I’m lactose-intolerant for the most part with the exception of little bits of goat cheese and butter. To make matters worse, I LOVE cheese. So, having cheese in our fridge would be akin to torture for me. And when I do have any substantial amounts of cheese, it better be worth it.

But for reasons too long to explain, we had Gruyère, Havarti, and Cheddar in our fridge. If dark chocolate pairs well with parmesan, why not with other types of cheese? I decided to put that to the test by making grilled cheese with the existing cheese I had in the fridge. It is grilled cheese month after all.

Continue Reading Grilled Cheese and Dark Chocolate Sandwich with Strawberry Dipping Sauce . . .

GF Dark Chocolate and Walnut Banana Bread Snack Bars


I would be remiss if I didn’t post some photos of the snacks bars I baked from the Dark Chocolate and Walnut Banana Bread leftover batter. These cook up very quickly and can be enjoyed after a very quick cooling. Sometimes, my husband wants me to just bake the bars because he’s not very good at waiting for the loaf of bread to cool.

Just make sure to line the pan with parchment paper. It makes life easier when you remove the bread from the pan – especially since it’s thin. You can forgo the loaf all together and just make a larger batch of the snack bars. And of course, you can make it thicker than the snack bars pictured in this post; just bake them a little bit longer.

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Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Banana Bread


Banana bread is a staple in our household. It’s like a food group all onto itself. I love the smell, the texture, the taste, and the versatility of the humble banana bread. I’ve made it in many different shapes and with many different stir-ins. But my favorite is the Dark Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Banana Bread.

I love dark chocolate. And I love nuts. I eat both EVERY single day. It’s a safe bet you will find them in my pantry on any given day. And it’s also a safe bet that one or both will end up in my baked goods. So it’s only natural that this would be my favorite.

Continue Reading Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Banana Bread . . .