Chocolate Gift Baskets Canada

Hersey’s Kissables I love Hersey’s kisses but kissables I’m not so sure about. Inquiring minds want to know when the first Hersey kisses rolled of the conveyor belt. In 1907 Hersey’s brand chocolates were first introduced. Urban chocolate legend says that these foil wrapped delights received their name from the huge kissing noise they made as the chocolate was being being formed : moah... In 2006 almost 100 years later the company tried to market a smaller candy coated version of their Kisses called ‘kissables’ which has since been discontinued. The Hersey Company produces 60 million kisses per year which has earned them well over $400 million in sales.

Healthy dinners are best left for other days of the year. This Mother's Day, treat your Mom up with coffee and a box of truffles she will thank you for it! See's Truffles are made with only the finest dairy ingredients fresh butter, heavy cream, real fruit and of course, chocolate. A one-pound box includes Dark Chocolate, Cafe Hazelnut, Lemon, Key Lime, Chocolate Chip and Raspberry The bottom line is that a Mother's Day gift does have to be expensive but it should truly b...e a gift a gift from your heart. For those Mom’s who prefer chocolate there are all kinds of delecacies from an above average box of chocolates to new and exciting personalized M n M ‘s http://www.mymms.comt site is amazing besides mother’s day they have gifts for every occasion birthday’s anniversaries etc.You have to check out this site. Don’t forget flowers I want help with the gardening and planting this year and for me it’s the most practical and loving gift. Nine times out of ten, a thoughtful card will be enough to . See more

( \ / ) (=’.’=) () ()o Funny Bunny ... 1.Q:How can you find the Easter bunny? A:Eggs (x) marks the spot 2.Q: Why was the Easter Bunny so upset? A: He was having a bad hare day! 3. Q:What is the difference between a crazy bunny and a counterfeit banknote? A: One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny! 4. Q :What did the gray rabbit say to the blue rabbit? A: Cheer up! 5. Q:Why did the Easter egg hide? A: He was a little chicken! 6. Q:Why is a bunny the luckiest animal in the world? A: It has four rabbits’ feet! 7.Q:What do you call a bunny with a large brain? A: Egghead! 8.Q:What did the bunny want to do when he grew up? A: Join the Hare Force. 9.Q:How do you make a rabbit stew? A: Make it wait for three hours! 10.Q: How does the Easter bunny paint all the Easter eggs? A: She hires Santa’s elves during off-season. See more

Chocolate Bunnies big and small

Easter represents spring and new life... I am Christian so I believe Easter is a celebration of Christ’s life. Easter is a great time to celebrate with our families. I am certain everyone has some terrific memories of hunting down their Easter baskets or deciding whether to eat the feet or the ears off their Chocolate Bunny. I remember those wonderful amazon like one pound bunnies that seemed to last forever. Now there are a variety in Easter Treats so that it’s difficult to ...chose. I think I’ll chose those tiny melt in your mouth Lowrey’s foil wrapped bunny’s. I enjoy sharing and making memories with my family and seeing the delight and anticipation in my children’s eyes when they waiting to see if Peter Rabbit will escape from Mr. McGregor’s garden. Mother rabbit gives him stern warnings but also comforts him with camemel tea. If by chance I overindulge this year I may need some mint tea and perhaps a bit a few chocolate mints. See more

My tour of the Chocolate World in Hersey, Pennsylvania. The tour is amazing it covers both the facilities and the production of chocolate. It is totally interactive and you will tempt your senses while making your own Hersey kisses and the children can test out recipes in the bake shop. While the tour is meant for children but adults will enjoy it. I want to take home a pair of giant peanut butter cups. www.hersheys.com/chocolateworld/

These are called Pretzel Turtles. This recipe was given to me a long time ago by my weight watchers leader. She called them poor man’s turtles. I love indulging in chocolate but the lesson for me was that when we want to indulge we have to do so in moderation. I think that treats aren’t treats if we indulge too often so keep them special by having them once a week. You can find Pretzel Turtles and some great recipes at Food.com 20 mini small pretzels $ 20 chocolate covered... caramel candies Rolo’s 20 pecan halves Preparation 1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). 2.Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel. 3.Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. http://www.food.com/recipe/rolo-pretzel-turtles-307807

Tired of Winter ? Grab a mug of warm hot chocolate and hibernate! Did you know the most chocolate is consumed during the winter months? Chocolate is the favourite flavour of more than half of the adult population in North America. 52% of adults surveyed said they like chocolate best with vanilla and fruit flavoured came a very distant second with only 12%. Vanilla bean, cocoa bean, vanilla bean, cocoa bean, he loves me not, chocolate he loves me <3 I'm nuts about chocolate.... Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40% of all of the world's almonds and 20% of the world's peanuts. North American chocolate eaters also prefer milk chocolate. Chocolate covered almonds make terrific treats and are featured in many school and sport fundraisers. Who could say no to a box of chocolate covered almonds? Only someone who prefers chocolate covered peanuts. So M & M's have become pop icons. See more

from Boston Chocolate Walking Tours

Where is the Chocolate Capital of the World? Belgium you say. Not so fast. Belgium was once known for making the best chocolates in the world. They started with the ‘praline’ in 1912, not crispy nutty type but a chocolate shell with a soft center. Invented by world famous chocolatier Jean Neuhaus this treat was a sensation in 50 countries. Belgium currently makes 172 000 tons of chocolate per year. The modern day chocolate industry in Belgium inspires talented chocolatie...rs from around the world. Ryan Stevenson a chocolate artisan so to speak, started off as a pastry chef in Australia. He competed against the world’s best O’Chocolate Couture. Since his debut in 2005 he has won the title of ‘Belgian Chocolate Master’ twice and went on to win the Best Praline Prize in the World Chocolate Master’s completion. Can the rest of the world compete in chocolate production and consumption? Stay tuned... See more

"Love Me Do" Is the title of the first song released by the Beatles. Chocolate hums the tune. Although we've been enjoying chocolate for countless centuries endless research is still being carried out to find out the reasons behind our chocolate passion. Chocolate could be the ultimate food - if only it was good for us. Like other sweet foods, chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural body hormones that generate feelings of pleasure and well-being. I...f I could patent the euphoric qualities I would be a billionare. I would be a female Dr. O'Chocolate and prescribe chocolate to all my patients for any ailment. "Genious!" And although it tastes great, chocolate may be a bit higher in fat and sugar and should be eaten in moderation. Chocolate can have a place in a balanced diet, but it does lack many of the nutrients we need for a healthy lifestyle. Today, at the beginning of this century we have a new culture called the'Oughts'. The 'oughts' question every single issue in terms of healthy or not healthy. When they don't like the answers they just change the questions. : Not what I should do, but 'What I 'ought' to do!' Sounds very standoffish to me. One study posted in BBC Sport endeavored to find out 'Can chocolate play a part in a healthy balanced diet ?http://news.bbc.co.uk/spor//health_and_fitness/4287524.stm See more

"How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Count the Ways!" Chocolate is definitely a favourite Valentines' gift more than 36 million boxes of heart shaped candy are sold Valentine's week. That's 58 billion pounds or $1.5 billion dollars worth of chocolate in one week. The average Canadian, in fact, consumes 5.5 kg of chocolate each year. Who was Saint Valentine? In approximately 300 A.D historians say, there were at least three Saint Valentines who lived under the Roman Empire and all t...hree were executed because of their Christian beliefs and their decision to defy Roman authority. How ironic that King Henry VII, looked at the feast for the Roman god Juno and officially declared Feb. 14 St. Valentine's Day. Other legends state that before being executed, Valentine cut out a paper heart on which he wrote From your Valentine, and gave it to a young woman he had healed from blindness, thus the tradition of the heart shaped Valentine Day card. Talk about industrious, 141 million cards are exchanged currently, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular greeting-card occasion. And we can’t forget flowers. In 2012 an estimated 19 million roses were sold for Valentine’s Day with. How will your honey surprise you today? Will it be a traditional gift : chocolates, candy, flowers or something novel? See more

All Aboard ! Bateau Chocolat II French chocolatier George Larnicol has created a boat made entirely out of chocolate. The boat has a sugar framework, much like a chocolate cake tower and it is made of milk chocolate, weighing just over a ton. The Bateau Chocolat II as Larnicol’s christened her is an engineering feat and can reach speeds up to 9mph thanks to an electric motor. On Larnicol’s dream list for the near future is a 12 meter yacht, made entirely out of chocolate. This isn’t a lollypop but you can come sail away to where the ‘Bonbon’s play on the sunny shores of Peppermint Bay I can see this inspiring a miniature mock up. You may find this and other Chocolate Boats at Rhttp://randommization.com

This is my favourite video ! I've always wanted to work at a chocolate factory!

Antique Hot Chocolate pot with a distinct spout : despite the different spout these are often mistaken for coffee pots.

Chocolate was born in the America’s. The returning crew of Columbus’s fourth voyage in 1502 brought the first cocoa beans from the New World to Spain.The European's combined this cocoa with vanilla, sugar, milk and other flavourings to arrive at a concoction that people loved so much they would die for it. Montezuma the Aztec leader is said the have used it to resist fatigue and it was also described in early writings as a divine drink. For the first few century’s after ...it's discovery chocolate was served only as a beverage. There are examples of French settlers having pots to make hot cocoa. It took another century for them to put chocolate in a solid form. This solid form, probably more like melded marzipan was known as an instant breakfast in 18th-century France. Later they began to give rations of chocolate to soldiers because of the stimulant effects, due to its caffeine content; hence it became a particularly useful food for soldiers standing watch during the night. Time travel forward to World War 2 and we see it in the rations of Allied soldiers which serves to explain that it is an essential life sustaining food. Adapted from Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal, Reader's Digest Canada See more

When did North American tastes turns toward coffee and chocolate and when were they used? The British brought tea to the new world because everyone remembers the ‘Boston Tea Party’ but when did coffee arrive? Coffee and chocolate have a similar history. The modern day coffee houses began with what was first called the ‘green bean’. In the middle of the seventeenth century the middle class, Dutch settlers or ‘Burghers’ make a reference to coffee in 1668 [1]. I was amused to h...ear that it replaced ‘beer’ at their breakfast table. And more importantly chocolate appeared at the same time however it was more of a luxury than coffee or tea. The coffee houses of early New York, like their prototypes in London, Paris, and other old world capitals, were the centers of the business, political and the social life of the city. First tea, and later coffee, were now favorite beverages in many New York homes. By 1683 New York became a central market for the 'green bean', so that they often supplied the other colonies. It was not long before a social need arose that would be filled by London style coffee houses which sprang up in New York and Quebec and became a social pastime. There is one outstanding feature of the early American coffee houses, opened in New York, that is not a characteristic of the European counterparts. The colonists sometimes held court trials in the long room of the early coffee houses; they also held their general assembly and council meetings there. Imagine that all of the judges and attorneys would be served right on the premises. Where were the woman? I will deal with that in another issue and also tell you more about ‘chocolat chaud’ 1 HISTORY OF COFFEE IN OLD NEW YORK www.web-books.com/Classics/ON/B0/B701/18MB701.html See more

SUNDAY JANUARY 6, 2013 Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Fudge is a favourite of mine. It is a quick and easy to make when you need to prepare something in a hurry, maybe for that book club or a little gift for a neighbor. I try not to overindulge and make sure that I cut the fudge into smaller pieces. When you store it in the freezer it lasts longer. Also you can dress it up with a pretty colour plate and decorative wrap and ribbon to make it an individual gift. You can also try tr...uffles, yum.. Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Courtesy of Dying for Chocolate Blog Ingredients 12 ounces 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped or 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 -14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 /4 tsp salt 1 /2 cup - 1 cup shelled pistachios Directions 1. Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk and salt in a heavy based pan on low heat. 2. Put the nuts into a freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin, until broken up into both big and little pieces. 3. Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix. 4. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square foil tray, smoothing the top. You may want to butter the tray slightly 5. Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set. 6. Cut into small pieces approximately 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches or cutting 8 by 8 lines in the tin to give 64 pieces. Alternatively you may crush the pistachios and sprinkle on top, instead of adding them to mixture, for more crunch. And of course this recipe also works with other nuts like pecans or walnuts. Truffle Variations - Chocolate Pistachio Truffles 7. Cover the mixture (truffle ganache) with cling wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature. 8.Once cool, refrigerate until it is firm enough to spoon about 2 hours. 9. Form small 1-inch balls, from ganache using a teaspoon or cookie dough scoop 10. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. You may want to return dough to the refrigerator to chill for an hour. Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl or pie tin and gently roll the truffles. Store fudge squares or truffles in the freezer, no need to thaw just eat straight away.

We should definitely not make resolutions we can achieve !

Top Ten Ways to Beat the Winter Blues Winter is in full force. As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, even the best of us can get a little down. The "winter blues" are characterized by the lack of motivation, low energy and even mild depression. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to prevent the blues over the course of this long winter and to get yourself feeling better if they’re catching you off guard. 1. Avoid Binging on Alcohol or Goodies - 2. Treat Your...Continue reading