My Chocolate Fantasy

India is famous for their tasty, refreshing, cheap and easy to make drinks. They have developed a wide array of interesting drinks that reflective of their culture.
Beverages are flavored drinks for human consumption. It can be any drink prepared in different ways in order to satisfy a quenching thirst. Since alcoholic drinks are not good, especially in many ethnic cultures in India, Indiansdeveloped a multitude of non-alcoholic beverages. Here are some of the famous Indian beverages:
Tea
Tea or Chai is a North Indian beverage made from leaves, twigs or buds of a tea bush called Camellia Sinensis. Indian tea processing procedures includes fermentation, heating and drying. Herbs, flowers, fruits and other spices are being added as an added appeal.
Chai is known throughout many countries. It comes in different flavors and strengths. Some of the Indian teas are the Darheeling Tea, Assam Tea and Nilgri Tea. Most people use tea as a natural hair conditioner, skin vitalizer and a cure for arthritis. To make an Indian tea, it’s helpful to understand the basics.
Basic tea ingredients:
• plain or non-flavored Tea (loose leaf tea or tea bags)
• 2% Whole or skimmed milk
• Sugar
• Spices (optional)
• Hot or cold water
• Tea press or squeezer (for tea bags)
• Tea strainer (for loose leaf)
• Cup and saucer
Masala tea or Garam Chai is the most popular Indian beverage. Spices include ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, Saunf (fennel seeds) and Khus-khus.
How to make a Masala Chai
Ingredients:
• 4 single tea bags or 3 teaspoons of un-perfumed black loose tea
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 6 tsp. sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1/4th tsp. of Masala Tea mixture (a pinch of Cardamom powder and
2 in. piece of fresh ginger)
Method:
o Boil 1 ½ cups water and add the Masala tea mixture.
o Boil again for 1 minute. Add milk and sugar and simmer.
o Throw tea bags or leaves and let it set for 2 minutes.
o Strain the tea.
Coffee
Coffee is made from roasted seeds of a cocoa plant. It is served either hot or cold. It is a black beverage that is common in India. Indian coffee has its own varieties which includes the following:
1. Moonsooned coffee
2. Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold
3. Robusta Caapi Royale
4. Orange coffee
5. Choco-coffee Shake.
o Monsooned coffee – Moonsooned coffee has a unique natural element. It has a moonsooned flavor (mellow taste) with a golden appearance.
o Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold – This is premium quality coffee that exhibits a full aroma, good acidity and fine flavor. These very large blush green beans grown in the Mysore region.
o Robusta Kaapi Royale – This coffee is bold, gray to bluish colored beans from Robusta Parchment AB. It is grown from the regions of:
• Mysore
• Wynad
• Pulneys
• Coorg
• Shevaroys
• and Barbabudans
Robusta Kaapi Royale gives a soft, full bodied and mellow flavor.
Coffee preparation includes the following:
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. coffee
Mix together sugar and coffee. Add a few drops of water to make it fluffy. Add another two to three drops of water to get a creamy color. Add one teaspoon of coffee. Boil milk and pour in cups with a pinch of chocolate powder on top.
Orange coffee is a mixture of hot chocolate and strong coffee. Orange slices are placed into the cup with a garnish of whipped cream and cinnamon.
Other Indian traditional beverages are Lassi, Chach, Sharbat, Thandai, Shikanjami and Kanj.
India’s popularity extends to its various types of refreshing drinks, all reminiscent of their deeply-rooted culture. They are fond of non-alcoholic drinks due to health issues.

The Senseo coffee machine has not only gained an excellent reputation among coffee lovers worldwide but also has contributed to the increased consumption by occasional coffee drinkers. It takes less than a minute to brew an excellent cup of coffee and this feature has made it a popular choice for those purchasing a new coffee machine. The Senseo coffee-brewing machine uses coffee pods, which are prepackaged coffee designed for the Senseo.

The Sensational Senseo

One or two cups can be brewed at a time and as there are a variety of different flavors available. There is no problem selecting one for each cup. The machine does not only produce the perfect brew but a delicious creamy layer as well. Well-known appliance manufacturer Philips and Douwe Egberts have joined forces to produce the ultimate coffee experience.

The best part is that this can be experienced every time a cup of coffee is brewed. After years of development and market research, the perfect amount of water used for the brewing process maximizes the flavor from the coffee beans. The successful brew is also contributed to the fact that the water reaches the ideal temperature for the pod to bring out the desired flavor.

The Senseo is able to brew an outstanding cup of coffee in about 60 seconds. Another very appealing feature of the coffee machine is the easy cleaning operation. The bag is simply removed and discarded after the coffee has been brewed. There is no wonder why so many people love it.

Popular Hot Winter Drinks



Brewing the perfect cup of coffee can be achieved to suit personal taste and requirements. Senseo normally comes in various strengths. There is regular, mild roast, dark roast, extra dark and decaffeinated. Senseo regular is a superb drink that can be enjoyed any time during day or night. Senseo Sevilla is a mild roasted coffee with a slightly sweet taste. As Seville reminds one of a romantic setting of peace and solitude, the coffee brand comes close to inspire the same mood. Godiva crème brulee coffee pods are specially designed for the Senseo machine.

If you simply love the aroma and flavor of vanilla and caramel in your brew then this one should not disappoint. These pods are made of pure Arabica beans and since their strength is not particularly strong, two pods may be used per cup if so desired. The deliciously sweet smell of the brew is a lot sweeter than its actual taste. When adding milk and sweetener as in regular coffees care must be taken because it can become too sweet.

If you love a sweet brew then this one may be ideal. A mild taste can be equally satisfying and one pod may be used with two cups of hot water. This amount of water can just about fill a regular size mug. As the coffee can also be served with the after dinner dessert, it is an ideal replacement for hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate is a popular drink during the cold winter months because it can provide the comfort and warmth necessary as the temperatures fall. The comforting aroma and taste also make this hot chocolate an excellent choice. The Senseo hot chocolate potholder with the purple handles is ideal for brewing the ideal chocolate drink. Hot Chocolate from Douwe Egberts is made of an excellent grade of cocoa and a frothy layer tops the smooth drink. This hot chocolate product does not contain any coffee.

Mocha Gourmet coffee pods are another sensational hot drink, especially if you are a mocha fan. The full aroma with its smooth taste gives full credit to the ‘gourmet’ title. A touch of cocoa enhances the rich coffee flavor and makes it a lovely drink for a cold winter’s night.

Senseo espresso pods can be used to make the very popular and delicious espressos. The new Senseo cappuccino pod has been developed to bring out the unique taste. A rich brown froth tops the drink and one pod is enough for a large drink.

Is making Tea as popular as Coffee?

Tea is another popular drink that can be made with the Senseo coffee brewer. People using the machine to make tea have found it to be as good as making coffee. Tea pods are a recent addition to the collection of drinks that can be brewed using this brewing system. This is mainly because tea has become popular, and the Senseo has proven to make an exceptionally good brew!

The Senseo coffee-brewing machine is the perfect addition to one’s kitchen. The Senseo can brew several beverages that are excellent on a cold day. The Senseo can brew coffee, hot chocolate, cappuccino and espresso. If you are looking for a product that can brew these drinks in under one minute, the Senseo coffee brewing system is for you.

What could be better than eating chocolate – that delicious, creamy concoction that’s adored the world over? Drinking chocolate of course! Nothing completes a cold winter’s day like a cup of steaming hot chocolate. So revered is hot chocolate that is has become part of our holiday traditions – starring in ice skating outings, sledding, and holiday decorating. As if chocolate isn’t luxurious enough – you can enjoy it completely melted down and drinkable. Could there be anything more decadent?
The truth is that the advent of hot chocolate actually preceded chocolate in its solid form. The ancient Maya and Aztec of South and Central America first discovered the glorious properties of chocolate contained in the seeds of the cocoa tree. These first experimentations with the cocoa seeds found these ancient people combining the seeds with combinations of spices and then drinking the mixture. This liquid chocolate substance was revered by their population and was used in everything from social to religious functions.
When the Spanish conquered Mexico in the early 1500s, the conquistadors were introduced to this exotic beverage. They became so accustomed to it that they brought cocoa seeds with them on their return home and began having the product shipped back to Spain. Because the price of importing the cocoa seeds was so high, hot chocolate was reserved exclusively for the wealthy.
The Spanish enjoyed chocolate as a beverage for nearly one-hundred years before its existence became known to the rest of Europe; Europeans soon adopted chocolate as its collective own, adding sugar to sweeten the mixture and serving it piping hot; it had been served cold up until this point.
The word “hot’ was added to the term hot chocolate when people began enjoying chocolate in its solid form. This was a way to differentiate the chocolate bar from the chocolate drink.
As mass production took hold, more and more people could enjoy hot chocolate as prices came down. In the mid-1920s, a powder mix was invented that would allow consumers to simply add hot milk or water to make their own hot chocolate. Many of us enjoy the beverage this way today.

Do you know the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate? Many people think they are the same but they are nutritionally on opposite ends of the spectrum. Hot chocolate is a sugar and fat filled mix that is mostly artificial chemicals and fillers with a chocolate taste.
Because chocolate is high in refined sugar and fat it is nutritionally void. However hot cocoa is the opposite. Nutritionally, hot cocoa is very beneficial. It is full of antioxidants and had been proven to be an extremely healthy food. Hot cocoa is naturally low in calories. You can make your own healthy hot beverage by adding cocoa powder and a small amount of sugar to milk, soy or even hot water.
Drinking hot cocoa has been around for centuries. Modern archaeologists have found evidence of cocoa beans in Olmec tombs as far back as 1500 BC. These ancient rulers drank a bitter mixture of hot water, cocoa powder and spices. The Mayans also fell in love with cocoa beans and developed a drink they named chocolatl.
These cacao beans were so valuable that they could be used as money. The rulers of the Mayan kingdom shared their love of cocoa with the Spanish who them brought it to Europe. It was in Europe that sugar was added and it became the drink we know as hot cocoa.
Cocoa became the Drink of the Gods
We think of hot cocoa as a desert drink but the original drink was a hot and spicy brew containing water, wine and peppers. The Mayan aristocracy had many variations of this beverage which they considered magic. After bringing the cocoa beans back to Europe sugar and milk were added to make a sweet after dinner beverage. Soon the general population could not get enough. Confectioners experimented with the cocoa powder and began making chocolate.
Nowadays people are discovering the powerful nutritional benefits of the cocoa bean. Recent research has found that the flavonoids in chocolate are more powerful than vitamins such as ascorbic acid in protecting circulating lipids from oxidation.
Researchers have discovered that people who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times each month live almost a year longer than people who eat too much or folks that steer clear of junk altogether. (This happy information is from a study done at the Harvard School of Public Health)
Are you Drinking Real Cocoa or just a sugar flavored brown drink?
Don’t settle for fake hot chocolate when you can have real delicious and nutritious hot cocoa. Hot cocoa not only tastes better is is so much better for you. The best way to make sure you are getting the real deal is to start with quality cocoa powder. The best cocoa powder is dark brown and will taste bitter by itself.
You can make your won hot beverage by mixing this powder with hot water or just like when you were a kid: real milk. Milk substitutes like: soy milk, coconut milk or rice milk are great for those who are lactose intolerant or who just want to try something different. You can sweeten your drink by adding sugar, honey or agave nectar.
Cocoa contains several bioactive compounds that promote alertness, lessen pain and promote a natural feeling of well-being. For example, one such element, Tryptophan, reduces anxiety by producing serotonin. The compounds in cocoa also produce endorphins which lessen sensitivity to pain.
Scientists have labeled Cocoa “the new vitamin.” Health experts are discovering that some of the chemicals in cocoa powder can have a positive effect on the heart and blood circulation.
Harvard researcher, Dr Vinson and his colleagues discovered that the flavonoids in chocolate are even more powerful than vitamins used for anti oxidation. Studies in Atherosclerosis show that the oxidation of lipoproteins is one of the ways that plaque clogs artery walls.
Food scientists from Cornell University state that they have discovered that cocoa has almost twice the antioxidants of red wine and nearly three times the antioxidents of green tea.
Drinking hot cocoa provides more antioxidants than simply eating chocolate candy. The heat releases more of the antioxidants. Some research indicates that ingesting dairy along with cocoa inhibits the absorption of the nutrients. You can get the most nutritional value by combining cocoa powder with a milk substitute like: coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk or even water.
Don’t let the picture on the packet food you. Check the ingredients! The primary ingredient in most commercial hot chocolate mixes is sugar. The rest is fat, fillers and artificial flavors. Why settle for a facsimile when you can have the real deal? Real hot cocoa is not only better nutritionally it tastes better too!
The hot creamy cocoa you loved as a kid is now a health food. A guilt free pleasure that’s good for you too. You can enjoy a rich cup of hot cocoa every day – just tell your friend it’s a nutritional supplement.

When discussing the Tassimo hot beverage system, one thing should be made clear: Tassimo is not a single-serve coffee maker. There is a reason that they call it a ‘hot beverage system’ rather than a one-cup coffee machine. The Tassimo Hot Beverage System may just be one of the most versatile beverage makers on the market today.The Tassimo hot beverage system is designed by Kraft, a multinational food and beverage company, and is manufactured by Saeco, which makes the highest quality coffee and espresso in the world. Distributed by Braun, the Tassimo uses a proprietary T-disc design to brew just about any type of beverage that uses hot water, and brews it perfectly every time.The T-Disc and What Makes It UniqueMost one cup systems use little filter packets stuffed with pre-measured and firmly packed coffee called ‘pods’. There’s a wide range of espresso systems and coffee maker systems that use E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) pods, which are standardized in size and volume to fit E.S.E. machines. Pods are essentially the same, no matter what their size – they consist of a pre-measured portion of coffee compressed into a puck and covered with a paper filter.Tassimo’s closest competitor, Keurig, uses a proprietary coffee filter and holder all in one called a K-cup. The K-cup is designed to be a mini-brewer, similar to Tassimo’s T-disc, but there is one major difference.

It’s time to start thinking about holiday entertaining.  Whether you are entaining a large group or just your family, you will want to make it something special.  And if there are diabetics in your group, it may cause you worry about beverages.  Following are some great holiday and winter beverages that can be enjoyed by all, including the diabetics.  Try Christmas Punch in a pretty punch bowl with some safe greenery floating on top; mint is a safe one.  Some may prefer Elegant Eggnog while others may be interested in Raspberry Hot Chocolate or Peppermint-Mocha Coffee.  Whatever your guests choose, you are sure to recieve lots of compliments.

ELEGANT EGGNOG

1 cup Splenda Granular

1 tbsp cornstarch

1tsp ground nutmeg

7 egg yolks

4 cups whole milk

2 cups nonfat half and half cream

2 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix Splenda, cornstarch and nutmeg in a large bowl.  In a seperate bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth.  Add to Splenda mixture and whisk.  Slowly add milk while stirring constantly.  Pour mixture into a large, heavy saucepan and place over low heat.  Whisk while heating until temperature reaches 175 degrees.  This should take about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and blend in the half and half.  Pour into a heat-safe pitcher and chill for about two hours uncovered.  After two hours, cover eggnog and chill at least three more hours before serving.  May be kept in refrigerator up to three days.

NOTE:  It is very important to heat to a full 175 degrees to kill any bacteria that might be in the eggs.

RASPBERRY HOT CHOCOLATE

2 packets Splenda Flavor Accents, Raspberry

1 packet sugar-free hot chocolate mix

1 cup milk

Mix together the hot chocolate mix and Splenda Flavor Accents packets in a mug.  Heat milk and pour into mug.  Stir to dissolve.  Serve immediately.

CHRISTMAS PUNCH

2 pkgs sugar-free cherry Kool-Aid

2 pkgs sugar-free strawberry Kool-Aid

1 small can unsweetened frozen orange juice

1 small can sugar-free frozen lemonade OR 1/2 cup lemon juice

3 ripe bananas, mashed

3 cups Splenda

1 can unsweetened pineapple juice

32 oz sugar-free gingerale

3 cups water

In a large plastic bowl or other large freezeable container with lid, mix together bananas, Splenda, Kool-Aids, thawed orange juice, thawed lemonade or lemon juice.  Add pineapple juice, water, and gingerale.  Stir well.  Freeze until mushy or may be frozen for longer and removed from freezer a few hours before serving.  Thaw to mushy stage and serve in a pretty punch bowl.  For the holidays, float a pretty plastic holly sprig on top.

Note:  Do not overdo it on the punch as there is sugar in the fruit juices.  Take this into consideration when enjoying this punch.



PEPPERMINT-MOCHA COFFEE

6 cups freshly brewed coffee

4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

1 1/2 cups hot milk

1 tsp peppermint extract

8 sugar-free peppermint sticks or sugar-free candy canes

Pour coffee into a large saucepan.  Add chocolate; cook on low heat for five minutes or until chocolate is thoroughly melted, stirring occasionally.  Add milk and peppermint extract; stir until well blended.  Garnish each serving with a peppermint stick or candy cane.

Enjoy!

Fall has just begun and it’s clear that cold and flu season is upon us. Just why are some people more susceptible than others? While doctors are not really sure, experts say it may have something to do with immunity and resistance levels of each individual.In order to maximize protection against seasonal flu, follow the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization and your local health authorities. In addition, you may want to follow a few easy tips that may help you stay healthy! There are no claims that these methods can actually boost immune health or totally protect you from seasonal flu, but there is sufficient scientific research data that show these may help build immunity. Many recommend chocolate tea or supplementing your diet with additional nutrients. You may want to consider these methods since they do not have side effects and show potential to boost the immune system.Tips to Boost Immunity!

Drink Chocolate Tea!

The combination of pure cocoa, green tea extract and resveratrol is available in a super-delicious ready-to-make chocolate tea blend called CocoPure. It is powerful in antioxidant strength and all the immune-boosting properties of each of these three nutrients. And it’s only 10 calories a serving so it’s great for people on a diet.

Very few of us don’t have at least one good memory of chocolate. Remember warm chocolate chip cookies after school, or brownies pulled straight from the oven on a cool, fall day? Hot chocolate is still the beverage of choice for many children, and few of any age can resist a scoop of chocolate ice cream. With a hot Texas summer approaching, and cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin already getting a hint of the heat to come, a hot fudge sundae just might be the cooling cure for a lot of maladies. Not even health insurance can provide a sweet cookie and fresh glass of milk when it’s really needed, after all.
The first records of chocolate consumption date back to the Mayan Classical Period, or between the years 250 and 900 on our modern calendar. Cacao beans were cooked, ground, and made into a paste. When mixed with water, a bitter beverage important to Mayan, and later Aztec, ceremonies was created. That means chocolate has not only survived thousands of years of conquests, changing political maps, shifting cultures, and natural disasters, but also managed to grow more popular. That’s fairly impressive.
When Spanish conquistadors came to the Mesoamerican areas now called Belize, southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and parts of El Salvador, they, too, discovered chocolate from the indigenous peoples. The Spaniards soon brought the seeds of the cacao back home with them, where the traditional recipes were modified and sweetened. The modern uses of chocolate in Texas and the rest of the Western world are now so varied as to be impossible to name in brief — from a shake or two added to cooking pinto beans, to rich layers worked into decadent flourless cakes.
One of the reasons quality chocolate is so prized is that the preparation process is long and sensitive. The pods must be harvested from the trees at the right moment, dried and fermented for the right amount of time, and then ground, mixed, aerated, tempered, molded and otherwise processed to perfection. The level of quality depends on the beans, as well as the composition of the final mixture, the roasting, and the types and amounts of additives. The most sought-after chocolate is organic, single-bean origin chocolate, which simply means that all of the cacao beans were grown organically and gathered from the same source. Most commercial chocolates, for instance, will mix inorganically grown cacao beans from different regions in different countries, and of varying qualities.
There’s been a boom of higher grade chocolate sold in American markets recently, including in Texas. It’s common now to see a supermarket or health food market devote an entire section to various types of gourmet chocolate — and one need not go to cities like Austin, Dallas, or Houston to find them. They’re all tempting, oh so tempting, but it’s easier not to give into that temptation when it’s unclear how to use them properly.
“What’s the difference between dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate?” “Should I pay attention to all the percentages? This one says it’s 65% pure chocolate, and that one says it’s 45%. Which one do I want?”
The best choice depends on for what the chocolate will be used. To make giving into temptation that much easier, here’s a basic run-down of the main categories of chocolate:
White chocolate usually has very little chocolate in it. In other words, the cocoa content in white chocolate is very low, and most of its composition will be of other ingredients: butter, sugar, milk, emulsifier, vanilla, and flavors. Because there are no non-fat ingredients from the bean, its appearance is very pale. Some “white chocolate” marketed in the U.S. may not even have any cocoa content at all.
Genuine white chocolate is usually used for specialty deserts.
Milk chocolate is roughly 10 – 20% cocoa solids, although some gourmet varieties will have more. The rule is that milk chocolate should have no less than 12% milk solids. It’s not usually used for baking — except in cases of cookies, of course.
Dark chocolate is a sweetened chocolate with high cocoa solid content. The more cocoa content, the more bitter the taste. Dark chocolate contains a maximum of 12% milk solids, although many gourmet brands have no milk at all. Varieties of dark chocolate include sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet, and unsweetened.
Dark chocolate is used in many recipes, including a lot of baking recipes. These directions are usually very specific, however, and, when it calls for semi-sweet dark chocolate, for instance, use it. Each type of dark chocolate has specific baking properties.
Semi-sweet dark chocolate is often used for baking cakes, cookies, brownies, and other sweet treats. Its composition is 40 – 62% cocoa solids.
Bittersweet dark chocolate is a sweetened, dark chocolate that contains at least 35% cocoa solids. Good quality bittersweet bars will have a much higher percentage, though, usually between 60 and 85%. The more cocoa, the less room for sugar. That means the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter the taste.
Unsweetened chocolate is very bitter and is only used for baking. It is almost 100% cocoa solids, half of which may be fat (or cocoa butter).
So now that you’ve had a brief history lesson and run-down of the different types of chocolate, a whole world of cooking has opened up. Try a traditional chocolate beverage recipe, dare to bake that luscious chocolate flourless cake, and try a bar of bittersweet dark chocolate, with at least 65% cocoa content, to really appreciate the true taste of its main ingredient — cacao. Watch out: over time, you, too, will become a chocolate connoisseur, passing up low-grade chocolate for that organic, single-origin, Venezuelan bar.
Moderate chocolate consumption, according to many studies, is not harmful, and may even be good for you. What you put in your body will certainly affect your health as you age, and eventually your wallet.

Forget about the 1960′s Flower Power credo: “Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.” Toss out your DVD of the steamy 1989 erotic thriller “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.” In the health-conscious, food-obsessed, “bling”-oriented 21st Century, we seem to have stopped hurtling forward and started to move backwards Everything old is new again and we’re returning to a kinder, gentler era when gentlemen and ladies enjoyed sex, chocolate, and jewelry as the language of love.

Our Love Affair with Chocolate

3,000 years ago, Indians of Central America poured molten chocolate from one pot to another to create bitter drink with a froth on top, the part they liked best. Spanish conquistadores and missionaries took the beverage back to Europe, where it became fashionable with the aristocracy, who added sugar to it. Today, three centuries later, hot chocolate remains a favorite drink shared by friends, family…and lovers.

For a “pulse” on 21st Century chocolate, there’s no better place to go than the annual Fancy Foods Show. This year, the chocolate beverage of choice was a hot chocolate reminiscent of the “nectar of the gods” preferred by the Mayans and Aztecs. The steamy treat is made with a high-cocoa-content dark chocolate and (in response to the low-carb craze, no doubt) less sugar.

How does this cocoa fit in with romance? Chocolate bars are replacing coffee bars and liquor bars as the meeting place of choice for singles with a taste for love…and sweets. In New York City, the popular midtown hotspot “The Chocolate Bar” serves hot chocolate drinks including Classic Hot Chocolate, Spicy Hot Chocolate, and White Chocolate Caramel and iced chocolate beverages including Chocolate Shakers (served over ice, with espresso and whipped cream)

Our Love Affair with Sex

When it comes to sex, every forty years seems to signal the arrival of a new wave of permissiveness and freedom. In the 20′s, the world embraced “The Flapper Era”…and one another…with abandon. Tough times in the 30′s and 40′s put an end to the jazz babies, and gave birth to the tough, no-nonsense, almost asexual Rosie the Riveters who didn’t have time for pleasures of the flesh. (And a good thing, too, since men were at war.)

As the 40′s drew to a close, the “boys” came home to a booming post-war economy and produced a boom of their own — the Baby Boom. And when those baby boomers hit their stride in the 1960′s…the sexual revolution was born. Free love (and a fair number of sexually transmitted diseases!) were the order of the day.

Power and influence became “sexy” in the 80′s and 90′s. It was a button-down time reminiscent of the 50′s, with preppie boys and girls emulating the dress, manner, and courtship rituals of their grandparents. That conservatism continues today, but the drumbeats of a new age can be heard in the lifestyle of Generation “Next.”

Our Love Affair with Jewelry

Throughout time, both men and women have worn jewelry for power and for protection from ghosts, deities, snakes, and even bill collectors! Our ancestors wore jewelry for good reason. Personal adornment and the use of bright, shiny items to attract a mate is as old as time. Jewelry is our way of showing off, spreading our “peacock feathers” to make a hit with the opposite sex.

Put on jewelry and you’re putting on protection. (Not that kind!) What we call jewelry is really the evolution of personal adornment that has its roots in power-bestowing charms and talismans. Today, fashion forward jewelry wearers covet “conventional jewelry,” but with a unique touch. Many of the unique pieces people wear today are rooted in cultural and ethnic traditions, interpreted in a decidedly 21st Century way. The goal is for jewelry to express a link between the present and the past.

Throughout history, chocolate has captured the hearts of men and women the world over. Chocolate is produced from the seed of cacao, a tropical tree that is native to South America. Cocoa seed has an intensely bitter taste, and thus needs to be fermented first for its flavor to mature. After fermentation, the seeds are dried, then cleaned, and finally roasted. The shells of the seeds are removed, producing what is called cacao nibs, which are then ground and made into liquid. The result is chocolate in liquid form, also called chocolate liquor. The liquor can then be processed further into either cocoa butter or cocoa solids.Chocolate in Ancient Times
The earliest documented form of chocolate was a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl (Aztecan dialect) word which means “bitter water,” often flavored with pepper, chile, vanilla, and achiote (or annatto). Xocolātl or xocoatl, was believed to have anti-fatigue properties, probably because of its theobromine content, an alkaloid with mood-elevating effects. In as early as 400 AD, the Mesoamerican peoples including the Aztecs and Maya made chocolate beverages from the seeds of the cacao tree. For the Maya peoples, chocolate was also used in performing ceremonies. The earliest evidence of cacao cultivation dates back to prehistoric times, around 1100 to 1400 BC, in a site somewhere in Puerto Escondido, Honduras. A vessel dating to that era was found by archeologists sometime in November 2007 containing traces of white pulp around the beans of cacao, which was likely fermented for making an alcoholic beverage.Chocolate as Luxury
Chocolate has also been considered a luxury good and was once used for trading goods. The Aztecs, for instance, used to trade one hundred cacao beans for one turkey and three cacao beans for one piece of fresh avocado. In Europe and South America, cocoa has been used for treating diarrhea. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs sometime in the late 15th century, it became a favorite of the Spanish Kings and Queens, and soon the demand for chocolate rose. Spanish armies enslaved the Mesoamericans to produce high volumes of cacao. Because of its high cost of importation, only those of royalty and those who were highly connected could afford to buy the expensive chocolate drink. The Spanish soon expanded production and used African workforce. In England during that period, anyone with money could buy chocolate. In 1657, the first chocolate house was opened in London. In 1657 a milk chocolate drink was developed in Jamaica by the physician Hans Sloane and was later sold to the Cadbury brothers.Chocolate as we Know Today
The chocolate making process remained pretty much the same for hundreds of years from the time it was discovered. During the 1700s, mechanical mills were invented and were used to create hard form chocolates. By the time of the Industrial Revolution, chocolate candy bars today as we know today, were developed. Today, most of the chocolates sold and distributed worldwide combine chocolate with sugar. The three most common types of chocolate candy bars include dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Still, there are also unsweetened chocolates available in the market, called diabetic chocolate, equally enjoyable and more importantly, healthier.