Do You Celebrate Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is a widely celebrated American Jewish holiday. The celebration includes food, exchange of gifts, playing the dreidel game, and lighting of the Menorah, that is filled with brightly colored candles.

The Menorah is a candle stand that has nine branches. It holds eight candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, plus a shammus (servant) candle at a different height. Each evening, one candle is lit, from right to left, with a special blessing. The dreidel game, that is played with a square top is also a tradition. Most play for pennies, matchsticks, m&ms or chocolate coins.

The traditional foods are fried or baked in oil; such as potato pancakes, or a jelly filled doughnuts. Dairy products and especially cheese is another Hanukkah tradition.

The Jewish festival is celebrated on eight consecutive days. It is also known as the Festival of Lights, Feast of the Maccabees and Feast of Dedication.

Need a Gift?

Chocolate is a great gift for the holidays; and is the single most craved food item in the United States! Everyone loves chocolate and appreciates receiving it.

But really any day could be a holiday; a birthday, a wedding day, Christmas, a romantic day, New Years Day, a promotion, a party, an engagement, a graduation, a house warming, a baby, an adoption, Hanukkah, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, Valentine’s, today or even tomorrow.

Mistletoe - What Do You Believe?

Mistletoe is a plant that has no roots and yet it stays green during the cold winter months; and is revered and believed to have magical healing powers. (Some people feel that way about chocolate.)

The Celtics used mistletoe as an antidote for infertility, poison, and to ward off evil spirits. The Romans saw the mistletoe as a symbol of peace. Scandinavians associated it with their goddess of love. (Chocolate is also known as "food of the gods".)

It is said that if you kiss under the mistletoe you have happiness and good luck for a year. I say bring on the mistletoe; and the chocolate!

Why Do We Give Gifts?

A gift is something we give to someone without expecting something in return. We give gifts for a birthday, for love, for gratitude or any celebration. The kind of gift you give may be something someone especially likes, a charitable donation, a re-gift (something that is unwanted, that was previously given to the giver) or even a virtual gift.

Chocolates are a sophisticated gift, they are always appropriate and appreciated. Chocolates can be given along with flowers, or diamonds, or even cash, which all are also appreciated. Gifts such as these are given to see the smiles on the someone’s face.

There is a gift that should put a smile on anyone’s face. It is called "The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate", and was created by Serendipity 3, in New York. This dessert, is one cup of haute chocolate and has been declared the most expensive dessert in the world; at $25,000 per serving. It features a slushy mix of cocoas from 14 countries, milk, and 24-carat edible gold, shavings from a La Madeline au Truffle, and is topped with whipped cream. They serve it in a goblet with a band of gold, that is decorated with 1-carat of diamonds.

You eat this wonder with a golden spoon; which diners may take home with them when they finish the dessert, and after paying the check!

For whatever reason for giving a gift; make the gift a memorable one. Give a gift that makes you and the one you give it to happy!!

Eating To Much on Turkey Day!

After having two or three average servings of turkey and all the trimmings, go for a walk, play a game, get some exercise; help all that food to digest. Yes, exercise, we all know the worst thing you can do is sit down; and then, right away you will fall asleep. Trust me; you will not feel better for two or three days (or even longer, if you are the host; and there are leftovers).

Things you could do; if you don't want to over eat:
*Eat breakfast, don’t starve yourself while waiting for the BIG meal.
*Drink lots of water before you indulge in the Thanksgiving Feast.
*Eat only 3/4 of the food on your plate, and no second helpings. (Right!)

Remember; this is the first big holiday meal, and many more are to come before the end of the year. Yes, yes!!

Let’s Give Thanks

On Thanksgiving day we offer thanks, we gather friends and family together to EAT! It is the time for all the turkey, stuffing, vegetables, hot rolls, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, or even pumpkin cheesecake that we can possibly eat. Also it is time to watch Macy’s Parade and the football games.

Remember the Mayflower, and the first Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims at Plymouth feasting with the Indians in1621? Their celebration lasted three days!! We really shouldn’t mess with that custom, should we! Let’s embrace it; and enjoy, the family, friends, football, giant balloons, and the food for as many days as we can.

We need to be thankful; for everything life offers us, and that we didn’t have a heart attack after stuffing ourselves all day.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Eat Fruits and Vegetables or Chocolate?

What a choice! You really don’t need to choose. You can enjoy the goodness of your favorite fruits and vegetables and the delectable taste of rich chocolate. They have catechins in them that are good for you and help make you eat healthier.

Catechins are found in cocoa beans; (the main ingredient of chocolate) and can help protect your body against some degenerative diseases.

Fruits, vegetables, red wine and green tea also contain catechins. Your body needs as many different types as possible. A good reason to eat all your fruits and vegetables; drink your tea and have your chocolate every day too! This way you can eat it all and feel good too!!

Better Health With Dark Chocolate

American’s favorite confection may have significant health benefits with only eating one ounce a day, researchers say .
But; not all chocolates are created equal. Dark chocolate has more flavoniods than are in blueberries, black tea, red wine and green tea. These flavoniods can improve circulation and lower blood pressure. A little dark chocolate is very good for you; but nutritionist and researchers say; "a lot is not always better."
Dark chocolate is a good choice for better health, although the favorite of most has always been milk chocolate.

Do You Know What You Are Eating; Is It Chocolate?

If you are a chocolate lover, you should pay attention to this startling information.
The Food and Drug Administration has received a citizen petition calling for modernization of food standards of identity; some of the proposed changes would impact chocolate; and this would change chocolate as we all know it.
The only way you will be able to tell if your chocolate is "chocolate" is to read the nutritional label on each product. That label should list all of the ingredients that were put into that product. The important item you will need to look for would be cocoa butter, (which is extracted from the cocoa beans and makes chocolate smooth and flavorful) or some kind of vegetable fat. You want to see cocoa butter listed, not the vegetable fat!!
I am elated that it will be years before the final changes are made, if at all.

Is Chocolate Good For You?

Chocolate’s nutritional content varies. But most chocolates contain:

Protein - for cell maintenance and repair
Fat - 30% (cocoa butter)
Vitamin E - essential for cell membranes
Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium - for strong bones and teeth
Iron - needed to form hemoglobin (has more than beef liver)
Caffeine and Theobromine - these are nervous system stimulants
Copper - assist iron metabolism, for hair, skin and central nervous system
Sugars - 50%
Flavonoids - antioxidant phytochemicals

As you can see rich, creamy chocolate is good for all of us, and nutritionists say the darker the better! But as with almost everything, in moderation.

What Chocolates Are!

Chocolates are many things to many people. Chocolates are "satisfying", "heaven sent", "a friend", or even "a chocolate lovers dream". Chocolates also would proudly display your affection or appreciation to anyone that you give them to.
Most all kinds of chocolates are craved by men and women alike. The endorphins in chocolates make you feel good. You crave gourmet chocolate; and you imagine what the smooth, creamy dark chocolate inside and out of a gourmet chocolate mousse truffle, would taste like. Or possibly the thought of the heat of spicy ancho chilies, the dark chocolate ganache, and the dark chocolate covering of a mexican heat truffle. Satisfy a craving with chocolate and feel good; sounds good to me.
Chocolates are what you want them to be; make your world a better place (remember the endorphins). But I feel sharing chocolates would be optional!!

Do You Eat Terrapins?

Most people don’t know what a terrapin is, so they wouldn’t know if they eat them or not. But I know and I do eat them! To add to all the confusion; there is a terrapin beer company, a terrapin restaurant, a terrapin salad, a terrapin athletic team, a terrapin guitar, and even a turtle living in water, called a terrapin.
But to a chocolate lover a terrapin is a irresistible and delicious piece of chewy, crunchy candy, with chocolate. The name comes from the appearance; a terrapin looks somewhat like a turtle; you know, four legs, a head and a rounded shell. They are called different names in different parts of the country. Terrapins can also be called snappers, fiddlers, chewy crunchers, pixies, turtles, tootles and tortoises.
Terrapins of the chocolate variety always includes roasted nuts, chewy caramel and the crowning sweet, rich layer of chocolate. Some are completely covered in chocolate, others leave the nuts extending out to appear like legs.
The nuts are usually pecans, but some are made with almonds, macadamia nuts or cashews. The caramel is always fresh made, and chewy. The top layer of chocolate could be a rich milk chocolate, or even a decadent dark chocolate. I do eat terrapins, as often as I can.

What Americans Believe About Chocolates

Americans taste and enjoy many different kinds and varieties of chocolates. Most believe that some kinds of chocolates do help them.

They believe that chocolate:

Revitalizes them (46%)
Enhances sexual performance (16%)
Contains anti-cancerous ingredients (31%)
Enhances memory (16%)
Boosts moral (50%)
Is good for the heart and cardiovascular system (31%)
Helps prevent hair loss (5%)

Americans know they like chocolate, and they seem to know the reasons why.