It’s been an unusually mild winter this year, but afternoon sweet cravings seem to be as fierce as ever at our office. In my quest to share a satisfying and indulgent fix with some nutritional benefit, I looked to February for a little inspiration:

National Cherry Month
Heart Healthy Month
National Fiber Month
Celebration of Chocolate Month
Oatmeal Monday (2nd Monday in February)
World Nutella® Day – February 5th
National Almond Day – February 16th
National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day – February 25th
National Pistachio Day – February 26th

I came up with Chocolate Truffle-Oats  – they’re loaded with goodness and deliciously decadent too!

Chocolate Truffle-Oats filled with Dried Cherries & Pistachios and Figs

Chocolate Truffle-Oats

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups Country Choice Organic Rolled Oats
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup Nutella®
3 Tbsp. coconut milk
4 oz.  dark chocolate

Filling:
1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
Or any dried fruit and/or nut combination (ex. figs, apricots, almonds)

Finishing (optional):
3 oz. dark chocolate, melted
Sea salt, ground

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13 sheet pan with butter. Spread rolled oats evenly on pan. Drizzle with maple syrup. Bake at 350ºF. for 25 minutes, stirring half way through.
Place almond butter, Nutella® and coconut milk in glass bowl and heat in microwave for 20 seconds or until melted. Stir in chocolate chips until well incorporated. Add baked rolled oats to chocolate mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. Take 1 heaping tablespoon and mold it around a teaspoon of dried cherry and pistachio mixture (or desired filling), forming a ball. Place on parchment-lined paper. Repeat with remaining mixture and filling.
Drizzle balls with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with ground sea salt (optional). Makes approximately 36 truffle bites.

Do you have a favorite “healthier” treat? Please share!

Mention the word “potica” to an average American, and you’ll most likely get a blank stare. Mention it to a Slovene, and I guarantee their mouth will start watering. Potica (pronounced poh-teet-sah) is a Slovenian bread that is rolled with layers of filling. It can be eaten as breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, a snack, with toppings, plain, on a boat, with a goat, in the rain or on a train. The point is, it’s really good.

Growing up with a Slovenian mother, there hasn’t been a family event I’ve been to where potica has not been served. Usually, there is a designated potica-bringer for these events – that is to say, there is usually only one person who has the time, energy and skill to make such a delicatessen. As my mom always says: it’s not that it’s hard, it’s just time-consuming.

The curiosity in making potica has started to trickle down to my cousins, and finally to me. Better said, our moms are sick of making it and ready for us to take on the responsibility for the next wedding, funeral or reunion.  As the fourth cousin to attempt it, I was compelled to document the process.

While the most traditional version of potica calls for a walnut filling, our familiy has always used great-grandma Balbina’s peanut butter potica recipe (apparently it’s a Slovenian-Minnesotan thing. And yes, you are reading her handwriting correctly…there are graham cracker crumbs in the filling).

Below are pictures of the fun!

Great-grandma Balbina's peanut butter potica

1. Filling 2. Rolling! 3. Spreading on the egg 4. Adding the filling 5. Adding the raisins 6. The folding! Use lots of flour on the sheet! 7. Preparing to bake 8. All done! 9. Ready to eat!

Wondering what to do with all this winter and no snow? Even if we can’t hit the slopes quite yet, Minnesota does a great job of providing us with cold weather entertainment — foodie style. Here are some events that are just around the corner to get us through this weird winter.

 Beer Dabbler – Winter Carnival’s Beer Festival is back for its third year! Now at the St. Paul farmers market, you get to sample more than 200 beers from 60 different breweries while listening to live music. Unfortunately, tickets are sold out for this weekend’s event, but keep your eyes open for the biggest outdoor beer event next year! If you were lucky enough to snag tickets, have a pint for me! Date: January 28, 2012

Winter Hearty – Enjoy some polka music at the Arboretum while enjoying some favorite seasonal comfort foods from local restaurants along with some beer and wine. Date: January 29^th, 2012

 Vintages of Note – Question: What’s better than just enjoying food, wine, and music? Answer: You can savor all three to support a good cause! Enjoy a night out with hors d’oeuveres, wine and a three course meal while supporting WAMSO’s (Minnesota Orchestra Volunteer Association) children’s award winning music education programs. Date: February 4^th, 2012

Physics and Cooking - What’s the science behind preparing, cooking, and presentation? Professor David Weitz, from Harvard, will give some demonstrations on how physics, chemistry and cooking are all intertwine. Date: February 9^th, 2012

Traditional Monthly Tea – Get toasty warm by indulging in multicourse traditional tea, while enjoying various sweets — trifles and scones. Date: February 8^th, 2012

Social Science – The Science Museum lets adults 21+ have all the fun to themselves on occasional Wednesdays. While touring this month’s Buccaneer’s Ball exhibit, sample food, enjoy a drink and listen to music. Date: February 22^nd, 2012

Minnesota Monthly Food & Wine – It’s that time of the year again! Enjoy taste-testing gourmet foods, wine, and specialty beers from local chefs, brewers and wine makers. With over 200 exhibitors, the event will be held at Target Field this year-and you’re the judge! If you bought tickets, let us know what your favorites were. Date: March 3 and 4, 2012

Get out there and enjoy some of Minneapolis’ largest winter foodie events! Let us know what you thought!

Roughly a third of Americans who make New Years resolutions aim to make healthier choices in their diet and lifestyle. But by now, 20% of resolution makers have already gone back to their old habits. Studies show that specific and realistic resolutions have the most success—so start small if you’ve resolved to make healthy changes to your diet.

Here are some healthy choices we make around our office almost every day—

•  Ditch the cereal for a hearty bowl of oatmeal. Some cereals can be high in sugar and contain chemical based vitamins and minerals. At IN, we often swap our cereal for a bowl of fiber-packed oatmeal and top it with fresh or frozen fruit—YUM!
• Go Greek! Did you know that some varieties of Greek yogurt contain nearly 20 grams of protein per serving? Incorporating protein into your breakfast can help keep you satisfied until lunch so there’s no need to snack. My favorite Greek yogurt toppings: frozen blueberries and a small handful of granola.
• Don’t be afraid of the good fats. Fats you may want to avoid are saturated fats and trans fats—they can increase your risk of disease and raise your cholesterol. In moderation, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can be good for your heart. Some “good fats” IN keeps on hand: avocados, olive oil, nuts, and nut butters.
• Spice it up once in a while! Studies show that compounds found in chilies can actually crank up your metabolism! Spicy salsas and curries are often enjoyed around here!

We all know it’s not easy to adhere to a new diet, but hang in there—and don’t forget to reward yourself for all the hard work you’ve done so far!

Here’s to a Fabulous 2012 from IN Food Marketing & Design!