http://www.general-articles.com General Articles from the World Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:29:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en http://www.general-articles.com/41904-virtual-chocolate.html http://www.general-articles.com/41904-virtual-chocolate.html#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:17:35 +0000 admin
A second on your lips forever on your hips never happens with virtual chocolate.


Chocolate begins from a seed. A cacao seed. It is then fermented, roasted, shelled, grounded, and melted into other forms and tastes. It is also exactly how a product is created. Whether a car or an article.


The process begins with an idea–another way of seeding. We ferment it–we let it roll around in our imagination, sprinkle on a little creativity, and even place it into a state of aggravation in order to deshell it.


Next, we roast the idea, melt it, add this and that, and mold it into some delectable small, large, round or square piece that will tingle taste buds, yours, and mine too. It could be building a book, an article, a building, or sending food to a starving country.


Sometimes we remove something to change it’s color or to make it fat free. With chocolate, they remove the extra shell and then make it into white chocolate. For a writer, it’s the editing process, the removing of that inner shell to find the white sweeter spot or to make it fat free.


Everything leads up to one thing whether it’s making virtual chocolate or anything else. It’s the user’s result. When someone pops that piece of chocolate into their mouth and that smile of delight lights up their face, it doesn’t matter whether they’re young or old, an American or of Australian descent. A smile is a smile on any human being. And a smile on a child is forever on our hard drive.


So, what is the difference if you are making chocolate or writing an e-mail that makes someone smile. Send virtual chocolate everyday and make them smile.

Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
]]> http://www.general-articles.com/41904-virtual-chocolate.html/feed http://www.general-articles.com/47367-is-chocolate-a-new-health-food.html http://www.general-articles.com/47367-is-chocolate-a-new-health-food.html#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:17:35 +0000 admin Could it be possible that our beloved chocolate may actually be good for us? This is the nutrition news we have all been waiting for. So here is the scoop on chocolate and its health benefits. Yes, you read right, health benefits!

Recent studies show that cocoa and dark chocolate with a high cocoa content contain many heart-healthy antioxidants. They contain a compound called flavonoids which may help prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood. There is also some evidence that these flavonoids may prevent certain cancers.

It is important that we are all on the same page here, not all chocolate have these health benefits. The healthy flavonoids found in chocolate are found in the cocoa butter and cocoa solids. Milk chocolate is diluted with milk and sugar and contains little amounts of these substances, therefore providing fewer health benefits. So, for those of you who love dark chocolate this is your lucky day! The darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa content and the more antioxidants it contains. The quality of the chocolate you consume is also important. The cocoa butter is quite pricey so less expensive brands will replace the cocoa butter with milk fats and hydrogenated oils which are bad for our health. Look for high quality chocolates with their main ingredients being cocoa butter and cocoa solids. Unsweetened cocoa powder is one of the purest forms of chocolate you can eat and is lower in fat and calories than other chocolates.

Although this is great news for all chocolate lovers, don’t forget that most chocolate (unless you use unsweetened cocoa powder) does still contain sugar and saturated fat.

And please remember calories. An ounce of chocolate contains around 135 calories. So enjoy a cup of hot cocoa or an ounce of chocolate once in awhile to contribute to your health and not to your waistline!

Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She has received a bachelor’s degree in both nutrition and psychology and has extensive experience in nutrition counseling and medical nutrition therapy. She offers individual nutrition counseling and has developed one of the only non-diet online weight management programs available on the internet. Meri specializes in weight management, cardiovascular health, and sports nutrition and consults with professional athletes at Titan Sports Performance Center. Her practice includes teaching people how to eat for endurance, improve vitality, and lose weight healthfully. For more information visit http://www.reallivingnutrition.com
]]> http://www.general-articles.com/47367-is-chocolate-a-new-health-food.html/feed http://www.general-articles.com/51049-7-tips-on-giving-chocolates-to-your-valentine.html http://www.general-articles.com/51049-7-tips-on-giving-chocolates-to-your-valentine.html#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:17:35 +0000 admin Every year millions of people exchange chocolates on February 14th for Valentine’s Day. This trend has grown very popular in recent times, especially with the rise of quality chocolates (…and the number of chocoholics). Still, even in these modern times there are a few things you need to consider before you run out and grab a chocolate gift.

Fresh chocolates are the best to get
Some of the larger chocolate candy makers make their chocolates for the “busy season” (December through February) as early as summer time. That means that some of the packaged chocolates you can purchase are several months old. Also, some of these chocolates are made with added preservatives which allow the chocolates to stay good longer, but can affect the taste.
To get around this it is recommended you buy from a local chocolatier, candy store, or bakery who can produce a fresh chocolate treat for you (or at least one that is only a day or two old). If you are sending your chocolates to someone far away, check to see if there is a good local place that could deliver fresh chocolates for you and lessen the chance of shipping mishaps.

Nothing beats a homemade gift
For a more personal touch you can make your own box of chocolates to give to your valentine. Don’t worry if you are not a whiz in the kitchen - even if your gift does not turn out perfectly, it will earn extra points because you made it especially for them. There are many books, magazines, and websites to turn to for help and guidance so you do not have to go it alone. This is also a chance for you to personalize the chocolates an make them extra special by adding your valentine’s favorite fruits, nuts, liqueurs, flavors, etc. See the Chocolate Truffle recipe below for a good way to make your own homemade gift.

The shape of love
While hearts are often a common theme used for shaping chocolates and gift boxes, you can use any shape that would appeal to your valentine, such as flowers. You can be creative with cookie cutters, stencils, or decorator’s icing to give your chocolates extra flair, such as drawing a heart, smiley face, or bow on your chocolates. Also consider the different ways you can dress up the gift box with ribbons, flowers, handwritten love poems, etc.

Milk chocolate is not the only chocolate out there
While most Americans favor milk chocolates, don’t be afraid of using dark chocolate in your gift; for instance, you can do a mixed selection of 1/2 milk chocolate and 1/2 dark chocolate. If you are not sure if your valentine likes dark chocolate you might want to go for the mild and sweet taste of semisweet chocolate. If you want to go for intense chocolate flavor then go with the bittersweet dark chocolate.
Generally, the higher the percentage of cocoa, the more bittersweet the chocolate will taste. If you are using unsweetened or baking chocolate, then you will want to mix it with something else, such as cream and sugar, to help bring down the intensity level.

Timing is everything
It is important to give the right amount of time towards your chocolate gift. If you are buying the chocolates you need to get your order in early to help avoid the last-minute rush. Some places have a cut-off date that they will take Valentine orders, especially if shipping or local delivery is involved. If you are making the chocolates you might want to try a practice run to work out any kinks that might come up and to help you get familiar with the recipe.
The odds are good that you will do even better the next time you go through the recipe and you can make any adjustments you think would taste good to your valentine. Make sure you can get the ingredients you need from the store since the holiday rush can often deplete the local supply of chocolate, sugar, and other handy ingredients. If you purchase the chocolate early, store it in a cool, dry, dark place, not the refrigerator.

So much chocolate, so little time
There are a wide variety of chocolate gifts you can give: chocolate truffles, bonbons (chocolate shell with a creamy center), cake, brownies, fudge, cookies (chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate dipped, etc.), chocolate dipped fruit/nuts/pretzels/whatever, and many others that you can purchase or make, so let your imagination run wild.

As a final tip, here is a recipe for making Chocolate Truffles to help you get started:

Chocolate Truffles

½ cup heavy cream

8 ounces semisweet dark chocolate (not chips), chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

powdered sugar

cocoa powder

Equipment needed: baking sheets, baking paper, pastry bag

1. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it is just boiling.
2. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter until it is completed melted.
3. Let cool a few minutes, then stir in vanilla.
4. Wait until mixture starts to thicken, then form ½ - ¾ inch mounds using a pastry bag with a No.6 plain tip, a melon ball scoop, or 2 spoons to form the right shape.
5. Place mounds on sheet pans lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set.
6. Roll the mounds in powdered sugar, then roll into roughly round balls between your hands, using more powdered sugar to keep them from sticking to you.
7. Then roll balls in cocoa powder until they are completely covered.
8. Let the truffles set on baking paper for about 10 minutes to finish.

Makes about 35 truffles.

Will Konijn is a Certified Professional Chocolatier (Graduated with Honors) who has also worked as a pastry baker and dessert caterer. Will enjoys writing about chocolate trends and teaching others how to make the best chocolate possible. You can reach him at willk@chocolateace.com or by visiting his website at http://www.chocolateace.com/blog/
]]> http://www.general-articles.com/51049-7-tips-on-giving-chocolates-to-your-valentine.html/feed http://www.general-articles.com/129540-chocolate-a-history-of-chocolate.html http://www.general-articles.com/129540-chocolate-a-history-of-chocolate.html#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:17:35 +0000 admin Did you know chocolate was originated in Central America? That it used to be a treat only to the rich? Chocolate has a fascinating history!

The Olmecs occupied a small area south of Veracruz and were the first cultivators of the cacao pod. The Mayans were next, just south of present day Mexico, to elevate chocolate to status of the Gods. They named the cacao tree Cacahuaquchtl (tree) as they were concerned no other tree was worth naming. They believed the tree belonged to the gods and that the pods growing from the tree were an offering from the gods to man. They Mayans were the originators of a bitter brew made from cacao beans. It was a luxury drink enjoyed by kings and noblemen. Thankfully we can all enjoy chocolate now!

Christopher Columbus, in 1502, reached the island of Guanaja off the coast of Honduras. As legend goes he was greeted by natives that gave him a sackful of cacao beans in exchange for some of his own merchandise. When Cortes arrived seventeen years later the cacao beans were being used as food and a form of currency. It was reported that a slave could be bought for one hundred cacao beans. At the time, two hundred small cacao beans were worth one Spanish real.

The Spanish helped develop cacao plantations in Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Jamaica and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Cacao production has since spread all over the world but the cacao from these original regions still produce the most highly prized variety of cacao bean. The first ever chocolate processing plant was set up in Spain in 1580. From then on the popularity of chocolate gradually spread to the other European countries.

The Dutch transplanted the tree to their East Indian states in the early seventeenth century and from there it spread to the Philippines, New Guinea, Samoa and Indonesia with a large degree of success made possible by the exploitation of hundreds of thousands of African slaves. In the early nineteenth century the Portuguese transplanted Brazilian cacao saplings to the island of Sao Tome off the African coast and later to West Africa. By the end of the nineteenth century the Germans had settled it in Cameroon and British in Sri Lanka. Plantations have since spread to Southeast Asia and Malaysia is now one of the world’s leading producers.

For online chocolate resources go to The Chocolate Site
]]> http://www.general-articles.com/129540-chocolate-a-history-of-chocolate.html/feed http://www.general-articles.com/137342-the-true-history-of-chocolate-part-1.html http://www.general-articles.com/137342-the-true-history-of-chocolate-part-1.html#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:17:35 +0000 admin For a food that seems so familiar, most of us know surprisingly little about the real origins and history of chocolate. I counted myself in this group until very recently when I picked up a copy of a book titled ‘The True History of Chocolate”, by Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe. Published in 1996, it’s 268 pages of meticulously researched, fascinating facts and “speculation” about the origin and development of the food we call chocolate.

I wonder how many of us would even recognize a cacao pod if one happened to fall on our head? Of course, such an event is highly unlikely unless one happens to be in a very small number of places in certain regions of the world. The cacao tree simply refuses to grow outside of a very narrow range of latitudes and weather conditions. Another crucial factor in the successful cultivation of the tree is making sure that the right insects are around to pollinate the flowers, a fact that wasn’t known when some early attempts were made to transplant the trees.

As the authors mention, if you hold a cacao pod in one hand and a piece of chocolate in any form in the other, you would never suspect that the one was made from the other. In fact, for nine-tenths of its long history, chocolate was drunk, not eaten. Consumption of solid chocolate by the masses is a relatively recent development. So how did chocolate get from the forests of Central America, where it began as drink for the royal courts of the Maya in the Yucatan Peninsula, to your pantry in the form of a Hershey Bar? Seems like a long trip, doesn’t it? Furthermore, why is chocolate thought of a product of Switzerland? How did the Swiss manage to dominate the chocolate world? Can you think of two more different environments than the jungles of the Yucatan and the Swiss Alps?

The story is more fascinating than you can imagine and involves Columbus, the Conquistadors, the fall of the Aztec Empire, the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, and last but not least, Milton Snavely Hershey.

When first introduced to Europe, chocolate was only for the nobles, who endlessly debated it nutritional and medicinal properties. In fact, because of the dominance of the Catholic Church, long debates were held as to whether or not chocolate was actually a food and whether, as such, eating it broke the fasting rules in place at the time.

The generally accepted first meeting between Europeans and the cacao bean took place in 1502 when Columbus anchored off the island of Guanaja, north of mainland Honduras. It was his fourth voyage, and he unfortunately died without ever tasting chocolate.

What followed was the Spanish conquest of Central America and the eventual return of cacao to Europe where it did not actually receive rave reviews. But the story is long one, and to get all the details, pick up a copy of the book. It’s a wonderful story, a great history lesson, and may leave you with the desire to sample not just Hershey Bars, but some of the other more “exotic” chocolate products that are available these days.

Note: You may freely publish the above article in any way you wish, as long as the author’s name and links are left intact.

Pete Cullen runs the website http://www.for-chocolate-lovers-only.com

Visit http://www.for-chocolate-lovers-only.com for more info.
]]> http://www.general-articles.com/137342-the-true-history-of-chocolate-part-1.html/feed