Chocolate Health

Chocolate Gift Basket

Claire Caolynn — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:03:00 +0000

What can be better for a gift or an indulgence than a Chocolate Gift Basket? Flowers can die, and plants need constant care. Chocolate, however, makes everyone happy and can lift spirits and also be healthy at the same time!

Chocolate Gift Baskets come in all types and sizes. You can get specialty chocolates or plain every day milk chocolates. You can get dark or gourmet chocolates too. You can get chocolate candy or chocolate suckers.

You can get all types of baskets too, which can add a nice touch to any house even after all the chocolate is gone. There are plastic baskets, wicker baskets, and woven baskets.

You can even make your own personal chocolate gift baskets by buying the exact chocolate items you want, or you know your recipient would like, and add dried flowers or pretty paper or anything else that can add that special touch. Or you can order chocolate gift baskets from across the country and have them delivered, too!

The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to giving chocolate as a gift, so don’t be shy!

Chocolate History

Claire Caolynn — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:00:50 +0000

Chocolate has been around for thousands of years in the form of cocao. Cocoa may have been discovered up to 4000 years ago in the Amazon. But the first people to have made chocolate from cocoa were located in Mexico and Central America. These included the Maya and the Aztec, and they mixed ground cacao seeds with different seasonings to make a spicy drink that was not very sweet.

The cocoa tree was called cacahuaquchtl, which mens tree, by the Maya. And the word chocolate comes from the Maya word xocoatl which means bitter water. So chocolate was not, at first, anything even resembling sweet. Sugar and milk mixed into chocolate didn’t come along until much later.

Cocoa pods were a symbol of life and fertility to the Maya, and this was of critical importance to their culture. They used many stones to carve pictures of
cocoa pods in their palaces and temples.

It was Cortez, when he visited South America, who found that mixing sugar with cocoa actually made a wonderful treat. From there on out the history of chocolate changed and evolved over time as people considered it a delicacy and it’s popularity soared around the world.

Chocolate Fountain

Claire Caolynn — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:59:11 +0000

What’s more fun at a party than a chocolate fountain? Chocolate Fountains are very popular at parties for both children and adults. Gathering around the fountain can encourage conversation and companionship. And you can use all types of chocolate in chocolate fountains!

When you introduce a chocolate fountain into a party you will get ‘Oooos’ and ‘Aaaaahs’ about how pretty it is, how good it smells, and how amazing it taste’s. And they are not really that expensive. This fountain from Amazon is under $40! And it can be used again and again at holiday parties, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and more.

Do you wonder what is good to dip in the chocolate? You can use just about anything. Sweet foods are great like marshmallows and pound cake. You can always use fruit such as apples, bananas, strawberries, peaches and other berries. You can even provide a berry plate and a spoon so your friends and relatives can spoon the chocolate over the berries and eat them like a little sundae.

So if you are looking to add a fun treat to your parties, or just to your every day life, check out the chocolate fountains that are available on Amazon. They are a lot of fun!

Baking Chocolate

Claire Caolynn — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:50:36 +0000

Baking Chocolate is a little bit different than regular eating chocolate. If you buy regular chocolate, or chocolate chips, for baking, it may not hold together as well as baking chocolate. Backing chocolate usually contains no sugar. If you use chocolate with sugar your recipe might end up a lot sweeter than you had intended!

When you look for baking chocolate make sure you buy it in the size you need. Some baking chocolate can be sold in very large chunks that are difficult to break up. Restaurants and bakeries can use this chocolate for very large batches of brownies, cookies, cakes, and more. If you are looking for enough for just one recipe, you might want to consider buying a little bit less that will just cover your needs.

Baking chocolate is sometimes called bittersweet or bitter chocolate. It has at least 35% cocoa solids. However, it can be available with 50-70% cocoa solids for a stronger cocoa flavor. When you are looking for baking chocolate, check the brands before you buy, because the amount of cocoa in baking chocolate varies between brands.

Also make sure the only fat source in baking chocolate is cocoa butter. If palm oil or coconut oil is used instead of natural cocoa butter the flavor might be compromised and you may not get as strong of a chocolate taste.

Women and Chocolate

Claire Caolynn — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:28:43 +0000

Women all over the world love chocolate. Chocolate has been described and sinful in how it feels an taste’s in a woman’s mouth. 99% of women love chocolate, and many of these may actually prefer chocolate to sex.

Sometimes combining Chocolate and sex can be to a man’s benefit as the woman gets an extra incentive with the chocolate!

In addition to it’s antioxidants and minerals, chocolate also contains phenylethylamine. This is the chemical that is released into your brain when you are falling in love. Chocolate can also cause the brain to release mesolimbic dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain, and chocolate’s sweetness also triggers the release of endorphins, and we all know that endorphins are what make us feel amazingly good!

Some women’s chocolate cravings will increase during the weeks before their period, most commonly known as Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and women will find emotional comfort in eating chocolate, even though chocolate with a sugar content that is very high can be detrimental to a woman’s mood swings during this time. So watch out and stay with the high quality dark chocolate!

How Much Chocolate?

Buy Chocolate

Claire Caolynn — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:21:23 +0000

So where do you go to buy good chocolate? You may not be able to find good quality healthy dark chocolate at your local grocery store. You might be able to find some at a local specialty store, but you can always find high quality healthy dark chocolate online!

Whether you are looking for fun chocolates like the above picture, or dark creamy rich chocolates, you can find a manufacturer online for whatever you are looking for. Around this blog you will find many pictures and links to great places to buy chocolate. The above chocolate treat is available at , which is a great place to buy chocolate! I recommend you try them out!

Or you can also go to the tried and true online chocolate store:

Chocolate.com has hundreds of products for all occasions including holidays, birthdays, weddings, parties, and more. Buying Chocolate is fun and exciting, and many places also offer free shipping, or free shipping if you buy a certain amount of chocolate.

Try out some different places and increase your chocolate knowledge and shopping acreage, and you find some great products!

Chocolate Drinks

Claire Caolynn — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:20:55 +0000

One of the most comforting foods in the world has got to be a wonderful, smooth, sweet and tasty chocolate drink. What’s better than sitting down in the evening after a hard day, with a hot mug of cocoa by the fireplace? Summer or winter, a chocolate drink can make us feel relaxed, loved, and just darn good!

TRU Chocolate

So if you are going to splurge on some chocolate drinks, getting the most delicious one you can find has got to be the way to go! This TRU Chocolate™ drink is a completely certified organic sugarless chocolate sweetened only with natural sweeteners (Xylitol). So not only does it taste wonderful, it’s good for you too, and this whole blog is about chocolate health!

This TRU chocolate drink also has what they call a “Magic” effect. The chocolate flavor can last as long as 30 minutes after eating a peice of TRU Chocolate™, and the drink can last just as long. And don’t you love it when that chocolate taste sticks around for a long time?

It is also rich in antioxidants and has an ORAC rating of 3,040 per piece, infused with beneficial herbs which promotes healthy blood sugar levels, and supports healthy weight loss. Originally created for diabetic and obese children, it is a snack that can be enjoyed by everyone. Mmmm I think I am going to get some myself!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Claire Caolynn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:09:42 +0000

What is more decadent and indulgent that chocolate covered strawberries? When you decide to have a special night to yourself and you go out and buy strawberries, what kind of chocolate do you buy? Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Strawberries, as we know, are a fruit and are very healthy indeed. Combingin them with chocolate… how can you get any better than that?

Some people like their tart strawberries with milk chocolate, but remember, dark chocolate is healthier for you. And you can find dark chocolate in various levels of darkness. From 45% to 85% and everything in between.

To melt chocolate, it’s best to find unsweetened or chopped chocolate in a baking store. Chocolate chips don’t hold their consistency very well when melted, and they contain a great deal of sugar and fats. So staying with the healthy chocolate for strawberry dipping can make you feel like you are cheating, when in reality you are being healthy!

Chocolate Pies

Claire Caolynn — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:08:19 +0000

If you love chocolate, you most likely also enjoy chocolate pies. There are so many different types of chocolate pies any list we could write would be endless. From whipped chocolate pie to chocolate mousse pie to caramel and chocolate pie… everyone has their favorite!

Here is a quick chocolate pie recipe if you want to cook a chocolate pie for yourself or your loved ones.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, the best quality you can find.
5 ounces butter.
2 large eggs.
2 large egg yolks.
1 and 3/4 cups sugar.
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1/2 cup flour.
1/4 cup orange juice (see note).
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 refrigerated unbaked pie crust, pressed into 9-inch pie pan (or you can make an Oreo pie crust for more chocolate!)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler. Combine together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and flour. Mix them together well with a whisk. Add orange juice, orange marmalade and the above chocolate and butter mixture. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 25 minutes until puffed, set and slightly crusty on top. Make sure you wait until it’s completely cool before serving. And enjoy!

July Chocolate

Claire Caolynn — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:54:26 +0000

Chocolate for the 4th of July… it’s as American as it can get! Americans love chocolate, and it’s a great way to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day with some great chocolate snacks. The backyard BBQ will be complete with a tasty chocolate dessert for a treat.

Liberty Squares Chocolate Confections

These Liberty Squares chocolates are perfect for the 4th of July. They each come with twelve deliciously rich dark chocolate ganache squares enrobed in 70% dark chocolate each adorned with a portion of the American flag. And as we all know, dark chocolate is a healthy supplement to our diet!

Beautiful on their own in stripes of red and white and blue-backed stars, together they join forces to create a one-of-a-kind chocolate mosaic of Old Glory. They will look great on the picnic table in July, and they will satisfy those who crave chocolate are your 4th of July party!

And remember, if you provide fruits and veggies at your party to keep your guests healthy, the chocolate will also help keep your guests, and yourself, healthy. And give you some extra energy for that touch football out on the lawn.