Sunday, February 13, 2011

Heartwarming Hot Chocolate Recipes

Certain events just call for that perfect drink. A margarita is a great way to celebrate a new promotion. That ice cold draught of water after a strenuous game of basketball refreshes like nothing else. And that fragrant cup of coffee first thing in the morning sets the tone for a successful day. But during those long, cold, wintery days, nothing satisfies like a rich cup of hot chocolate. It soothes your spirit, comforts your body with its warmth, and delights your taste buds with its decadent sweetness.

You can settle for store-bought instant cocoa, but why not try a few of these recipes and turn average, everyday cocoa into a heartwarming and delectable indulgence?

For an extra kick of creamy sweetness, add sweetened condensed milk. You can add it to taste to a single cup, or for a whole batch, add one can to 6 cups of hot water and powdered cocoa to your taste. To make it even more full-bodied and ensure a proper blending of flavors, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Be sure to stir continuously to mix it completely and to keep the water from boiling.

Another great variation is Mexican hot chocolate. To make this spicy delight, add a pinch each of ground cinnamon and chili powder to your cup and really heat up your day.

If you prefer white chocolate cocoa, give it a little kick by adding a pinch each of cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon. This is perfect for those long, cold afternoons when you want to savor each sip of your drink.

Hot chocolate packets make great as gifts or party favors, like chocolate wedding favors, or even birthday favors for celebrants during the winter season. No matter what the age, everyone enjoys a great cup of hot cocoa, not just for the taste but also for the feeling of comfort it brings. Whether spicy, white, or old-fashioned brimming with marshmallows, a cup of hot chocolate can work wonders on a cold winter day. So, the next time you crave a cup, why not try one of these flavorful twists and be inspired, too!

The Chocolate Fountain: More Than Just Dessert

Some people would say chocolate makes the world go round. Or at least it makes life more pleasurable while the world goes round, right? Whenever there is chocolate, great memories are sure to follow. Chocolate can bring fun to any situation and smiles to all who partake of it. Chocolates make great gifts for others, for any occasion, and make a fantastic self-indulgent reward for you. Whatever the event or need, you can’t go wrong with chocolate. Gifts of chocolate can be part of special and meaningful events as well, like fun children’s birthday treats or as chocolate wedding favors for her big day. So, if chocolate makes great gifts, imagine layers upon layers of delectable melted chocolate flowing non-stop, into which you can dip almost any kind of fruit or sweet treat. Sounds like a dream come true for chocolate lovers. That’s exactly what a chocolate fountain is.

Chocolate fountains pump delicious melted chocolate up through their center, over the top, where it falls in captivating, cascading layers of warm decadence.

You can easily melt chocolates in a microwave before pouring into the fountain. For better consistency, vegetable oil can be added to the mixture as well. With the chocolate fountain as the centerpiece of your buffet, place varied assortments of food items around the table for guests to dip into the flowing chocolate. You can offer pretzels, biscuits, marshmallows, and bite-size breads to tame their sweet tooth, while small pieces of refreshing fruits such as apple, banana, kiwi, or strawberry serve as tasty, healthier options.

A chocolate fountain makes a great centerpiece for your buffet table. The colorful fruits and other dipping options create an inviting display that oozes hours of fun for everyone. When your guests gather around the chocolate fountain, they not only warm up to the desserts being offered, but it’s great way for them to warm up to each other, as the fountain becomes a great conversation piece.

You can’t go wrong with a chocolate fountain. It’s a decorative item, a chocolate lover’s dream, a conversation starter, a buffet table centerpiece, a wide array of endless dessert choices, and just simply great-tasting chocolate. You can easily rent or purchase chocolate fountains. They come in all sizes and styles to fit any purpose. They are easy to maintain and generally easy to operate. One taste and you’ll never throw a party or host a celebration without one at its center!

Why Women Love Chocolate

If every gift for women but one were to disappear from the earth, let the gift that remains be chocolate. No matter the age — little girls, teens, and grown women — females adore receiving chocolate gifts. Whether as candy bars, ice cream, drenched over almonds, coating fruit, or in heavenly truffles, chocolate is nice to buy for yourself, great to receive as a gift, and definitely best when eaten, preferably not alone. Chocolate has become an essential part of special celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, and baby showers, and housewarmings are made more special with brownies and éclairs. Weddings are made more romantic and dreamy with chocolate cakes, chocolate fountains, and even chocolate wedding favors. But just why are most women so enamored with the confection while most men wouldn’t miss it if it disappeared altogether?

According to some studies, genetics plays a part, as women’s tongues are more sensitive to bitter tastes. Therefore, the sweet taste of chocolate is quite a treat for a woman’s tongue. We see this in women’s choices of cocktails, too. They’re more likely to choose a sweet mixture to cover the alcohol’s bitter taste.

Evolution might come into play, too, as to why women like chocolate more than men do. Because a man’s body and mind are wired to build muscle for more strenuous physical activity, and chocolate offers relatively no nutritional value, men rarely even think about the sweet treat.

Psychologically, eating chocolate causes the brain to release pleasure-inducing chemicals, something often perceived as unmanly for most of the male population. Because of this chemical release, women turn to chocolate when they need comfort. As well, women celebrate with chocolate. Take a great time with great memories and add great psychological response due to eating chocolate, and you’ve got a perfect day in any woman’s opinion.

Chocolate and women will always go hand-in-hand. No matter what her mood or circumstances, whether needy or celebrating with friends, chocolate will always be a part of a woman’s life. Its sweet, strong, and delicious taste is truly a treat. And, maybe most importantly, chocolate is often associated with good memories. Whether recalling the first decadent bite of your favorite truffle, a fun celebration with friends, or that special chocolate bar given as a gift by that special someone, chocolate always brings a smile.

Fight the Summer Heat by Keeping Your Body Cool

You can do so many activities during summer. You can just go and have leisurely walks in the mall, go on picnics at the local park, or visit your favorite summer beach. Summer can be the best times for special occasions as well such as reunions, or weddings at the beach complete with a beach-inspired wedding gown and summer wedding favors. The weather can be really hot during the summer and some people actually prefer to stay indoors. However, for most people, there are many simple, practical, and effective ways on how you can prevent summer heat from ruining that all important occasion and vacation.

Wear light colored clothes and those made of light materials. Stay away from wool, polyester, or other similar materials. Let your skin breathe by wearing cotton or other light materials that will not make your body retain heat. Cotton allows heat from the body to be released, and make the cool air from outside your body refresh your body. As for color, you may notice that light colors such as white, yellow, and bright green and orange shades are more popular during summer. This is because light-colored materials do not absorb heat as much as the darker ones do.

Regularly drink water so your body will remain hydrated. It will be much more difficult to rehydrate if your body has almost reached the point of dehydration. Stay away from sugary drinks as the body will generate additional heat by breaking down the sugar that you have consumed.

If there are shaded areas in the places you’ll go to, try to stay at these shaded places more often. Direct sunlight can be harmful to your body and not just to your hydration but to your skin as well. Make the most out of summer by having fun, but be sure to protect yourself from the sun and extreme heat. Being active during summer can be beneficial to your health, but if you do not hydrate your body, then you could suffer from dehydration or heat related illness. Protect your eyes as well by wearing shades with UV protection. Remember that eyes are very sensitive and full of moisture, so keep them that way by protecting them from the sun and the heat.

Summer Destination Places in Europe

Europe has always been a top tourist destination because of the famous landmarks, rich cuisines and art and romance that seems to abound in the place. Vacationing in Europe can be fun whether you are with your loved one or whether you are in a group. Here are some summer destination places that are not to be missed when you go to Europe.

Louvre Museum is an art curator’s dream because it houses no less than the Mona Lisa. There are also Greek artifacts that you can find in the place. No wonder the Louvre museum is being visited by thousands of visitors each year.

The Eiffel Tower truly inspires love, romance and the arts. Being the backdrop of famous Hollywood movies, the Eiffel Tower is iconic in itself. Visitors can go up the tower for a fee and go to an observation deck where you can see the entire city of Paris.

The Tower of London houses the royal jewels and has been the venue of notable historical events. A trip to this place will truly make you feel you turned-back time and that you have also been a part of history simply by visiting it.

The Alps should be your top destination if you are a skier. Popular all over the world, you can see the rich and famous visit the place because of the great skiing backdrop it has. It is a family-oriented skiing community already, providing not just brief tours, but one where guests can stay for weeks and enjoy the place completely.

Rome, Paris, and Ireland are some of the most popular places that you should definitely visit. Rome is home to a number of artists and a simple walk on the streets can turn into an artistic escapade where artists can draw your sketches almost instantly. Paris is romance whichever way you look at it. The people, the food, and the sights will truly invoke feelings of passion and romance.

Summer can be that time of the year where you can go on vacation or hold special events such as reunions, weddings complete with summer-inspired items including summer wedding favors, or hold local shows and activities in your area. But if you are to go on vacation, make Europe your top choice because you will definitely enjoy your stay no matter which tour preference you may have. Whether a gastronomic tour, or to turn back time in history, Europe has a little something for everyone.

Spring Vacation Places You Should Visit

There are many activities you can do during spring. In your local area, you can visit parks and see local shows. Spring can also be the perfect time to hold weddings and have a spring-themed wedding complete with spring-inspired menu and spring wedding favors. The birth of new flora and fauna can be feast for the senses. Colorful flowers, matched with great scents in the garden will truly signal that the past season is over. And for most people, spring can be the best time to go out and explore the world to open you up to new experiences.

When you are on your spring vacation, consider a visit to Cancun, Amsterdam or Florida. Cancun always tops the list of spring break destination places, but there is definitely more to Cancun than beach parties. The culture is something to experience – the food, the hospitality, and the zest for life can be great things that you can bring home with you from your visit in Cancun.

Amsterdam also offers a feel of different cultures when you visit the city anytime of the year, but most especially during the US spring break. There are many types of entertainment available and each one is as amazing as the others. You can continue with a backpacking tour and explore the rest of the country because train connection is very reliable in this part of the world.

Florida is home to some of the best spring beaches. Panama City Beach is known for its local bars that offer different kinds of parties but are as great as each other. There is always something happening no matter what time or wherever you may be in Panama City Beach. The Daytona International Speedway is being visited by thousands of vacationers each year. Hollywood celebrities flock Miami and is where some of the most popular beach shows are shot. With this, Miami has been a haven not just for vacationers who love the beach, but those who love to celebrity-watch.

Spring vacation can be a great way to feel rejuvenated and join nature in bringing things in a new and refreshed state. This colorful and vibrant season really is like no other else – and the places you should visit should be hip, new, and make you feel refreshed as well. You can spend vacation with family and friends that can make your trip more exciting, memorable and fun.

Fresh Ideas for a Spring Wedding

Every bride has dreamed of the perfect wedding since childhood. No matter what time of year it is, there seems to be romance floating in the air. A wedding can be the best time for the couple to express their personalities and decorative tastes. There are many different themes a couple can choose from – from hobbies to colors to the traditional or classic wedding themes. For some couples, the different seasons in the year can be inspiring or meaningful to their relationship. One of the most popular seasons for a wedding is spring.

Spring gives plenty of opportunity for the couple to be creative and be inspired by their surroundings. Here are some ideas you can incorporate so you can have an inspiring wedding that reflects the freshness of spring from start to finish.

The venue of a spring wedding should ideally be a garden reception venue. The garden will be able to show the fresh blooms and there will be no need to further decorate the area. With the good weather, grab this opportunity to bring your guests outside. However, if you have a hall as a venue, you can still make it spring-like and bring the outdoors inside by decorating the place with leaves and lots of fresh flowers. What is important in your venue is the presence of flowers, whether you are having it indoors or outdoors.

Give out spring wedding favors on your reception. This can be simple and small items that are reflective of anything spring. Small flower pots or small pails placed with a small bottle of lotion inside can be great favors. Seed packets are also popular spring wedding favors and you can place them in small pouches or boxes.

The wedding favor, invitation, other stationery, dresses and other items should be coordinated with your wedding color. Your choice of wedding color should be spring colors such as yellow, green, peach, pink or other light and pastel colors.

The menu should be fresh and refreshing as well. Fresh fruits and a salad bar are a must and main courses can be tomato-based dishes. Preparing a spring wedding can be fun because of the inspiration you can get from your surroundings. The vibrant colors and feel of spring can truly affect the atmosphere of your wedding in a positive way. A spring wedding can be lively, beautiful, and it can be personalized to almost anything and everything you wish.

What To Plant This Spring

Spring can be the best time to fill your calendar with spring break parties, plant crops in your garden, or plan a spring garden wedding complete with spring-inspired invitations and spring wedding favors. With everything around you looking refreshed and alive, spring is the best time to rejuvenate your garden as well.

Take advantage of the sun and the great weather to produce good harvest from your garden. While spring is generally good weather for growing almost any plant, there are some plants and flowers that are best grown specifically during spring.

Your garden will look and smell beautiful this spring with orchids, dahlias and cherry blossoms. The bright colors of these flowers will truly bring life to your garden. Roses, peonies and tulips also grow at their best during spring. The sun and the air will really bring the freshest and the brightest of roses and tulips. They stay fresh indoors as long as you put them in watered vases and live longer than they normally would during other seasons.

Arm yourself with recipes using eggplants and herbs like basil and rosemary as you can grow them bountifully in your garden or in small pots placed in your kitchen. You can harvest them and make Italian recipes as fresh and as authentic as they can be. These rich smelling herbs can truly compliment any dish and what’s best is you can grow a lot of them during spring. You can dry or store these herbs for months if you want to use them in the future. For eggplants, use them as soon as possible to get the most nutrients from them.

Planting during spring can be a great bonding activity as well for the family. Kids and adults can learn to appreciate home-grown vegetables and flowers and get to spend quality time with each other as well. You can make this coming spring as extraordinary and as special as it can be with activities that can help you save and create lasting memories while maximizing the gifts that this season has to offer. Spring can be that time of the year that you look forward to not just because of the parties but for activities at home. Growing these plants will only take a few minutes of your time. You need not worry about spending a lot of time in maintaining them since the spring season is the best time for plants to grow anyway.

What To Do if Your Wheels Get Stuck in Snow

Imagine that it’s your winter themed wedding and you’re expected to deliver your flowers, your place cards, and winter wedding favors to the reception, only to get stuck in snow for hours – delaying that very important event in your life. While this can be the worst case scenario for some people, getting your car stuck in snow at any time can just be downright inconvenient and frustrating at times.

Getting stuck is one thing, but to get your car spinning and drifting can be a lot worse and downright terrifying. While there are worse situations where you would need professional help, there are some things you can do to help yourself get out of being stuck in the snow.

Check the area around your car to see if there are smaller areas around it where the snow is thinner and where you can pass through. Carefully examine the area and do not rush thinking that you can drive in whichever direction you may please. You can still find an area where the snow will be thinner and more tolerable for your car.

Position you wheels straight up because wheels that are positioned sideways are more difficult to move around and maneuver. You do not necessarily have to drive forward immediately, but just position the wheels so you can go through the next step.

Gather momentum before driving all the way out. Driving little by little backwards then forward can give you the enough leverage to fully go forward.

Use the lowest shift so you can control your wheels a lot better. Use sand or small stones and place them below your wheels so you can gain addition traction from the slippery ground. Use small pieces of wood as well whenever they are available.

Use brakes immediately once you feel you are losing control. Apart from helping you get out of the snow a lot faster, it can also prevent worst situations such as drifting or spinning.

These are practical and easy tips on how you can get over this situation and get your car running in no time. The convenience you can get by studying and remembering these tips can save you a lot of hassle whenever you are in this sticky situation. Remember, safety should always be of utmost importance and you should never compromise your safety only to get your car out of snow. If the problem gets worse before you can remedy the situation, get professional help immediately.

Colors of Autumn

While there are some activities that you can do all year round – nature-watching and strolling can be great during summer, or during spring where everything comes lives, or during winter evenings where everything seems magical, or during autumn with the richness of its colors. Weddings are great year round as well and even for autumn, fall colors serve as great inspiration when used in wedding invitations or fall wedding favors. Different seasons create different inspirations for different people. In general, the most alluring part of autumn is the color. While summer has interesting weather, winter inspires magic, and spring is interesting because of the new blooms, autumn stands out because of its colors.

Autumn brings rich colors everywhere, in the leaves, and even in the air. While winter brings about white colors everywhere because of snow, autumn produces rich colors because of natural occurrences as well. These rich colors are attributed to how the pigments in the leaves reacts that causes their color, but ultimately, they help in some other ways as well.

The pigments called chlorophyll, carotenoids and anthocyanins run their natural course all throughout the year except during autumn. During this season, they react and undergo processes that make them contribute to autumn colors. Chlorophyll, responsible for the food production of the plants is what causes leaves to be green colored. However, it does not function as well during autumn. Thus, the protein it supplies throughout the leaves is disrupted. When this happens, the veins of the leaves are clogged and the leaves fall off the tree. The fallen leaves serve as food for other organisms and when they decay they become nutrients for the plants around them. In essence, they help contribute to the circle of life for the plants.

The burnt orange, rich brown, yellow and gold colors of autumn are very prominent in different aesthetic designs such as in home décor and stationery. The calmness of the ambience and the rich colors are in contrast with one another, making the environment as interesting as it can be. Next autumn, get to appreciate the colors even more and be inspired by the richness of the surrounding as it is one of nature’s ways of showing its beauty and majesty. While autumn can be enjoyed indoors, it is best to get out and experience the colors that no other season can give.

Your Guide to the World’s Best Beaches

For most people, the word vacation only means going to the beach. Relaxation means lazing on the sand, excitement means hitting the waters and doing underwater activities, and fun means endless beach parties until the sun rises. For some people, the beach would be the perfect place for weddings, and many Hollywood celebrities share their “I do’s” on the beach, complete with beach-inspired invitation, menu, and beach wedding favors. There are only a few places in the world where one can feel relaxed and excited at the same time, and during summer, people flock to the beaches along with their friends or families.

For those who would like to see new sights and experience new beaches and new cultures, here is a quick look at the beaches hailed to be the best in the world. While some may be truly special and are limited to only those who can afford to spend thousands of dollars to travel to far away Maldives, other beaches are hidden getaways in your area that you can easily explore and love.

Maldives has something for everyone no matter what time of day it is. During the day, you can rest on the on the fine white sands and go into the friendly waters for hours of swimming or for beachside and other water activities. Party goers can join any of the beach parties that are going on from dusk til dawn. There seems to be no end and no limit to what you can do in Maldives, and this freedom is something vacationers really look forward to.

Boracay has been voted as one of the world’s best tropical beach and is considered to be a private getaway for vacationers around the globe. The powdery-fine and white sand beaches that stretches throughout the whole island means that there is plenty of privacy the guests can enjoy. During the evening however, Boracay is known to host fun and wild parties especially during the summer season where a lot of people flock the area.

The Coral Beach in Okinawa, Japan is one of the safest and truly relaxing beaches in the world. The calm Japanese culture blends in perfectly with nature and the result is truly breathtaking. They say that once you visit the place, you will go back year after year to experience the different kind of rejuvenation only the Coral Beach can offer.