Candies, no matter what form, are really fun. They bring back childhood memories for adults and create many more memories for children. There are now hundreds of candy variations available the world over. Whether chewy, hard, with nougat or with sugar coating, candies are almost always a part of special occasions, especially weddings. Couples give out candy wedding favors as a reminder to their guests of the sweet occasion. Candy is easy to love and appreciate. Just take a treat out of its wrapper, pop it into your mouth, and enjoy.
During Easter, a lot of Easter baskets are filled with candies. While you can place only candies in your gift baskets, why not be a little more creative and add some other fun stuff? Your basket will look more colorful and be a huge hit with recipients once you fill it with any or maybe all of the suggested items below.
To balance out the sweetness, pop in a few healthy but yummy snacks such as pretzels or cookies. You can also add chocolate-covered fruits like bananas or strawberries (just be sure to inform the receiver to eat the fruit or store it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t spoil). These yummy treats are as delightful as candies but are packed with vitamins and great for your health.
You can also place marbles, small car toys, or even beaded necklaces in the basket. These are fun items that will be appreciated by older children. School items as well, such as erasers, crayons, or bookmarks, can be offered, too. Seed packets and trading cards are also options you can give. Many of these items can be bought in bulk, whittling away at the budget and making your Easter even better!
Make the baskets really colorful and the items inside as colorful as well to maintain the Easter celebratory spirit. There is really no limit to what you can put in your basket. You can give traditional candies, but have other offerings as well to surprise your children in a fun, lasting way with all the options. No matter what gifts you offer, remember that the most important gift is to join in the spirit of Easter with your family.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Homemade Candies Make Delightful Wedding Favors
No event is sweeter than your wedding day. Surrounded with beauty, love, and thoughts of forever, your wedding day is special as no other. It can be very expensive, too. There are many items on your wedding needs list that you can make on your own to decrease costs. The invitations, flower bouquets, centerpieces, and even your wedding gown can be homemade yet still be as beautiful and special as store-bought items. A great way to cut costs is by making homemade candies and giving them as wedding favors. Your guests will always remember the sentiment of your time and effort in making the homemade sweets. Here is a simple peanut toffee recipe that can be made days in advance.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of sugar and a half-pound of butter on high while stirring constantly. In making candies, it is important that the heat remain constant, because any change in temperature can affect the end result. To make this toffee, keep the heat high as you reach 300° F. You may want to use a candy thermometer to ensure you reach the correct temperature. During the heating process, the sugar will break down and then reform into lumps that are stronger and crunchier.
When the mixture reaches a light brown color (this should occur when the proper temperature is reached), add 1 cup of peanuts. Immediately remove the pan from the heat while constantly stirring. This becomes the ideal temperature, as the added nuts will lower the temperature of the mixture and stop the cooking process.
When well mixed, transfer the toffee to another pan, smooth the top, and let cool 5 minutes. Next, sprinkle at least 7 ounces of crumbled chocolate on top. The remaining heat will eventually melt the chocolate. Let it rest for about 5 minutes then cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. This recipe yields 5 to 6 servings.
You can give your wedding guests candy wedding favors or candy-themed favors from wedding shops or online favor stores. As sweet as your wedding, these candies will truly complement your special event. Or, you can make batches of the above recipe and personalize them in gift bags. Print gift tags with details of the wedding such as the bride and groom’s names and the date. This special candy favor is inexpensive to make, and your time and effort in providing them for your guests will make them more special and appreciated.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of sugar and a half-pound of butter on high while stirring constantly. In making candies, it is important that the heat remain constant, because any change in temperature can affect the end result. To make this toffee, keep the heat high as you reach 300° F. You may want to use a candy thermometer to ensure you reach the correct temperature. During the heating process, the sugar will break down and then reform into lumps that are stronger and crunchier.
When the mixture reaches a light brown color (this should occur when the proper temperature is reached), add 1 cup of peanuts. Immediately remove the pan from the heat while constantly stirring. This becomes the ideal temperature, as the added nuts will lower the temperature of the mixture and stop the cooking process.
When well mixed, transfer the toffee to another pan, smooth the top, and let cool 5 minutes. Next, sprinkle at least 7 ounces of crumbled chocolate on top. The remaining heat will eventually melt the chocolate. Let it rest for about 5 minutes then cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. This recipe yields 5 to 6 servings.
You can give your wedding guests candy wedding favors or candy-themed favors from wedding shops or online favor stores. As sweet as your wedding, these candies will truly complement your special event. Or, you can make batches of the above recipe and personalize them in gift bags. Print gift tags with details of the wedding such as the bride and groom’s names and the date. This special candy favor is inexpensive to make, and your time and effort in providing them for your guests will make them more special and appreciated.
Your Guide to a Candy-themed Bridal Shower
Every bride deserves a fun, memorable bridal shower. It should be a time when all her closest friends and family gather to have fun, celebrate who she is, and relieve the stress that usually accompanies planning a wedding. This is her last hurrah as a single gal, and a fun, whimsical way to send her off into wedded bliss is with a candy-themed bridal shower. Set the mood of the event with candy invitations and candy wedding favors. Here are some more ideas to make this candy-themed shower really sweet.
For centerpieces that will inspire delight, place colorful lollipops of different heights, colors, and sizes in flowerpots or similar containers. Line the pots with fake grass or crumpled colorful tissue paper for a full “garden” look. These make great centerpieces and look like you’re actually growing candy. Ring Pops can be used for napkin holders or just for guests to sport enormous fake engagement rings of tasty fun. Another great decorating idea is old-fashioned candy necklaces. Guests can wear and nibble on them, or they can serve as decor on your banquet tables or gift area.
For linens, use printed or striped designs in bold colors to complete the visual effect. You can also purchase small candy machines or rent large candy dispensers to add more fun in choosing candies, rather than just setting bowls of them on the tables. Alternatively, you can fill clear vases with colored candies and make each table a bit of candied delight. Add a bit of coordinating ribbon or festive paper, and you’ve got a great photo op.
While many items mentioned in these ideas can be purchased at stores, you can also do a lot of the work on your own and save money, too, by planning ahead and visiting craft stores. You can even make your own candy to serve. What is most important is that the bridal shower will be made sweeter with the efforts of the host(s) and the love of the bride’s friends and family. Have fun!
For centerpieces that will inspire delight, place colorful lollipops of different heights, colors, and sizes in flowerpots or similar containers. Line the pots with fake grass or crumpled colorful tissue paper for a full “garden” look. These make great centerpieces and look like you’re actually growing candy. Ring Pops can be used for napkin holders or just for guests to sport enormous fake engagement rings of tasty fun. Another great decorating idea is old-fashioned candy necklaces. Guests can wear and nibble on them, or they can serve as decor on your banquet tables or gift area.
For linens, use printed or striped designs in bold colors to complete the visual effect. You can also purchase small candy machines or rent large candy dispensers to add more fun in choosing candies, rather than just setting bowls of them on the tables. Alternatively, you can fill clear vases with colored candies and make each table a bit of candied delight. Add a bit of coordinating ribbon or festive paper, and you’ve got a great photo op.
While many items mentioned in these ideas can be purchased at stores, you can also do a lot of the work on your own and save money, too, by planning ahead and visiting craft stores. You can even make your own candy to serve. What is most important is that the bridal shower will be made sweeter with the efforts of the host(s) and the love of the bride’s friends and family. Have fun!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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