My Chocolate Fantasy

Sweet for the sweet is the theme of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is the best time to spend the day in the kitchen creating time honored snacks with the little ones.
White chocolate with dark chocolate swirls will be a wonderful treat for a Valentine Day dessert buffet. Kids like chocolate and strawberries. The combination makes for a yummy and fun activity.
Red Strawberries & White chocolate fondue
Ingredients:
* 1 cup whipping cream
* 10 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 2 oz white chocolate, chopped
* Fruit to fresh strawberries, sliced bananas, orange
* Sara Lee Pound cake cubed
Instructions:
1. Pour the whipping cream into a small saucepan
place over medium heat.
2. Bring cream just to a simmer
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add the semisweet chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
5.Transfer mixture to a small ceramic fondue pot over a tea light candle.
6.Sprinkle the chopped white chocolate over the dark chocolate mixture.
7.Let stand for a minute or two to allow it to melt
8. Gently run a spoon through the mixture two or three times, just until marbled.
9. Serve with strawberries, and other fresh fruit and chunks of cake for dipping.
Valentine Day Cupcakes
A special treat to serve on Valentine’s Day
INGREDIENTS:
* Red Velvet Cake Mix
* Cream Cheese Frosting
* Cinnamon Hearts
* Heart shaped cake molds
Instructions:
1. Make your cupcake batter according to the package directions
2. Pour into cupcake cups in the cupcake pan.
3. Frost and decorate with cinnamon hearts.
These cookies are so easy, even the tiniest of helpers can participate in the excitement. Quick assembly and cooling is all that is required.
Valentine Day Cookies
Ingredients:
* 1 box Vanilla wafer cookies
* 1 pkg. Round pretzels
* 1 bag of Hershey’s Kisses
* 1 box Candy hearts
* 1 8oz Valentine M&M candies
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Place vanilla wafer cookies 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Set a Hershey’s chocolate Kiss on the center of each cookie.
4. Bake at 200 degrees for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and gently press an M&M candy or a candy heart into the center of the softened Hershey’s Kiss.
Allow to cool completely to let the chocolate harden again. You can cool in the refrigerator, but the chocolate will soften again after coming out of the refrigerator. Just allow them to sit long enough to harden up again.
Valentine Day PRETZELS
Place pretzels 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Place a Hershey’s chocolate Kiss in the center of each pretzel and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently press an M&M candy or candy heart into the center of the softened chocolate.
When pushing down you may want to wiggle the chocolate around a little to fill in any gaps between the chocolate and the pretzel. This will help the chocolate adhere to the pretzel. Allow to cool completely.
Next time you are looking for Valentine’s Day recipes or any day you want to make something special with or for your children, pull out these recipes and give them a try.

Care packages are practical, thoughtful yet inexpensive gifts. Sending care packages to your loved ones let you show them how much you care, and that they have not been forgotten. Hence, care packages can be great morale and esteem boosters. They are often sent to college students, campers, young adults away from home, soldiers deployed overseas, or anyone you care about. This article provides care package ideas for your different gifting needs.
1. Military Packages:
For soldiers deployed to Iraq or other locations, you can send a gift package filled with American favorite snacks, including pretzels, Planters nuts, M & M’s, jelly beans, chocolate chip cookies, Oreo cookies, candies and Smiley face stress ball to reduce stress. To boost your soldier’s morale when things get tough, you can send a package which has a book with over 100 pages of uplifting stories, quotations and bible verses to accompany these treats. This book will deliver your message of faith, hope and love to the special trooper in your life. To reduce boredom and stress, You can send your special trooper a gift box that contains a word search book, crossword puzzle book, deck of cards, wooden puzzle brain teaser game, Tootsie Rolls, camouflage hackie sack, camouflage bandana, granola bars, Smiley face stress ball, juicy fruit gum, blank note cards with envelopes, Planters nuts, Chex mix, Oreo cookies, cheese-filled pretzel nuggets. Your trooper will be thrilled to receive these gifts of fun and good taste.
2. College Student Gift:
College students, especially freshmen, often go through a transitional period to adjust to their new environment away from home. To help your college student to adjust, you can send a care package with a mini laundry carrier filled with household items, including laundry bag, Woolite softner, Tide stain sticks, room air freshner, Listerine mini mouth wash, and hand sanitizer. It also comes with delicious treats, including grandmas cookies, NutriGrain bars,granola bars, chocolate chip cookies, crackers, pretzel twists, Cracker Jacks, Rice Krispy treats, This gift will help them with their household chores and lift their spirit with the treats. In addition, College students often study through the night to prepare for final exams. You can get them on the right track with their study by sending them a study snacks package. It is a great esteem booster to receive a heartfelt box of goodies and treats. This gift also contains index cards and hightlighters to help them take note of the key points in their study.
3. Kids Packages:
When kids are away from home in camps, you may want to send them a kids activity package to brighten their day. This fun-filled gift box includes snack mix, gummi candies, Suduko puzzle book, riddle and puzzle activity book, Twizzlers red vines licorice, glow sticks, Pringles chips, Ritz bits cheese filled crackers, Cracker Jacks, fruit punch drink mixes, Nestle crunch chocolate bar, Reese’s peanut butter cups, kids card game (like crazy 8′s), Squishy Smiley face stress ball, Squishy putty, and more. This gift box is also a great birthday or get well gift for kids.
4. Birthday Care Package:
For the birthday of your special trooper, college student, or kid. You can deliver a pleasant surprise with a fabulous birthday care package. This gift includes jelly Belly beans, fudge brownies, a teddy bear, crunchy caramel corn, birthday candles, cream center chocolates, and Happy Birthday horn and noise maker. This gift will deliver your sincere birthday wishes even when you cannot be there to celebrate with your loved one.
5. Get Well Care Package:
When your loved one is under the weather, or going through tough time, you can send a get well care package to make them feel better. A popular gift box is packed with green tea, Sunkist fruit gels, get well Gummi aides, fig Newton cookies, granola bars, Ritz peanut butter crackers, and word search puzzle book. The Hang in There plush monkey in the package will sure to bring a smile, and the healthy treats will brighten anyone’s day.
6. Spa Package:
This lovely gift is for the lady in your life, and consists of a mini chenille bear, floral bar soap and other bath accessories, floral potpourri, and a pillar candle in a white gloss gift box with pink and purple tissue paper, all tied up with a pink satin ribbon. This gift is great for female soldiers, mother, daughter, wife, sister or friend.
7. Game Time Care Package:
Filled with great family fun and lots of delicious treats, this gift makes a great get well gift, family fun night, thank you or just because gift for everyone on your list. The red gift box contains Cracker Jacks, buttery microwave popcorn, pretzels, Oreo cookies, mini Chips A Hoy cookies, Reese’s, M & M’s, peanut M & M’s, Planters peanuts, Skittles, Tootsie Rools box, yahtzee, checkers, hand held travel size activity game, uno. This unique and fun-filled gift set will make anyone’s day.
8. Snack Care Packages:
Snacks are popular gift packages. A popular snacks package includes fruit flavored candies, Cheez Its crackers, peanut butter cups, pretzel twists, M & Ms, Planters peanuts, Cracker Jacks, Hershey chocolate bar, Crunch & Munch, butter microwave popcorn, Rice Krispies treats, Kit Kat chocolate bar, licorice vines. This American favorite snack package is a great gift for any occasion.
9. Chocolate Care Package:
You can stop the cravings of your chocolate lover with a popular chocolate gift that includes Nutty caramel clusters, coconut cream chocolates, peanut butter cream chocolate, double chocolate truffles, chocolate chewey brownies, almond Rocca, chocolate covered almonds, chocolate cover popcorn with nuts, and Rocky Road popcorn.
10. Thank You Care Package:
You can deliver your message of gratitude clearly to your recipient with a thank you gift package. A “Thanks A Million” message is imprinted on the decorative gift box, ribbon, and caramel corn box. The attractive gift box also contains delicious tasty treats, including cream caramels, chocolate cream filled water cookies, spicey almonds, cheddar cheese pretzel sticks, Ghiradelli chocolate squares, gourmet coffee, shortbread cookies, and vanilla cream filled water cookies. This gift can be sent as a business gift, or a thank you gift to friends and loved nes.
11. Movie Care Package:
You can give your recipient a fun filled evening at home with a movies care package. This gift box contains traditional movie time favorites, classic cokes and comes with or without a Blockbuster gift card.
12. Dog Care Package:that
A fantastic way to spoil the dog in your life or their owner is to send a fun and imaginative dog gift box that comes with toys and treats. It contains doggie shampoo, ball, chew toy, washing mitt or brush, and plaster dog print kit.
In summary, a practical and thoughtful way to show you care is to send a care package. There are care packages designed specifically for soldiers, college students, kids, and dogs. There are also special care packages for just about any occasion, including birthday, get well, game time, thank you. Send a care package to your loved ones and make their day, and without causing a hole in your budget.

With Father’s Day just a few short weeks away, thoughts of finding a gift for Dad may be getting a little more urgent as the day quickly approaches. If you don’t want to be rushing out at the last minute to buy a gift certificate, consider something a little more personal and original. Consider centering your present around your father’s favorite pastime, such as fishing. If he’s a proud angler, he would be thrilled, as well as proud, to receive a handsome fishing gift basket for Dad.

Fishing gift baskets are a unique gift idea that will award any fisherman with his biggest catch of the day. Baskets can be filled with snacks that include anything from cheese and crackers to pretzels and candy to help stave off those hunger pains on Dad’s next fishing trip. Just imagine the look on his face when your favorite man first sets eyes on a fishing creel full of snacks and goodies for himself and his fishing buddies! Not only can this gift stave off hunger pains for the anglers, but can also include novelties like a fishing photo frame so Dad can display his prize winning fish for all to see. A fishing cooler cup would come in handy or even a ruler made especially for measuring that trophy catch as soon as it comes out of the water. There are a variety of items that can be included in a basket so that it is tailor made just for your dad.

Whether Dad plans to spend his Father’s Day at home with the family or out on the water fishing, start his day off with a smile by giving him a gift with his exclusive interests in mind. Make it his most memorable Father’s Day yet with a fishing gift basket for Dad.

Has it been cloudy and rainy in your sales “weather’ forecast? Are you feeling blue from all those cold calls? Then why not “warm up” your clients and strengthen your customer relationships? Sales professionals earn respect by being competent and experts in their field, but respect plus being liked by your clients will result in an endless stream of referrals and a potential for exponential sales growth.

“Well, I’m comfortable with my company and product but I’m not very outgoing. What can I do to get my customers to like me more?” You may ask.

One of the most effective ways is to take the initiative to periodically give and don’t ask for anything in return and while doing so learn more about your clients on a personal level. Be ready with at least one piece of valuable information to improve your clients’ lives. Send out a monthly or quarterly e-zine or newsletter with FREE and beneficial information whether you are in the real estate business, accounting, law, construction, landscaping, etc. Do what others nor your competitors would be willing to do and do it better!

The second part is to send out inexpensive but quality gifts they will like. They can be something personal to your clients’ hobbies, family or job or just something they would enjoy and be grateful to you for going out of your way to do. One gratifying gift that is inexpensive and that can be produced in mass is certain desserts and candy. There are many different kinds of cookies that are easy to pack for delivery or drop off, as well as chocolate covered pretzel rods, chocolate covered crisped rice treats to mention a few. For your truly special clients you could choose from many easy cake or pie recipes. Learn which sweets your customers like best and they will appreciate your efforts. Try to stay away from recipes that ask for nuts since some people are allergic to them, unless you know for certain they don’t have any nut allergies. Drop in a list of the ingredients to be safe. And by the way, if you do not wish to step into the kitchen then you can order your dessert gifts at various online stores to have them delivered.

“When should I give my clients gifts?” You wonder.

Great question! You should know your client and train yourself to master the art of conversation. Find out about the areas of your clients’ lives they love to talk about most. Through the course of your conversation take mental notes of special occasions or anything they are proud of. Then write them down in an organized manner with reminders too.

Here is a short list of 10 1/2 examples of great occasions in which to offer your clients gifts.

And finally…

10 ½ Reward them for milestone referrals they give you; 5th, 10th, 25th, etc.

So the time has arrived and you are shopping around for wedding candy. Being a newly engaged couple you already have enough on your plate. From choosing the right reception area to providing you guest the the perfect candy wedding favors, planning a wedding can be surely stressful. But choosing wedding candy favors maybe easier then you think.Favors for your wedding are available in a variety of items. When it comes to choosing your wedding day flavors it all boils down to what you like. Some candy may be in-cased in a cocktail cup, be wrapped in foil, packaged in a tin and personalized to your liking. When you purchase the items make sure you will give your guests a unique keepsake. Something they will always remember.Having common, but liked by many wedding favors for your guests could be the way to go when choosing your items. The most common, but agreeably the most delicious favor you can give your guests are chocolate wedding favors. Different shapes, sizes, color and taste are easily produced, and will be a hit at any wedding. Wedding chocolate favors also range in price, so even the thrifty bride can enjoy having personalized favors.Dipping things in chocolate can be a crowd pleaser too. The way to go now days, is to have a fondue fountain with a variety or fruits and pastries. But most brides are looking for a uniqueness in their wedding favors. Dipping chocolate on nuts and pretzels and arranging them in a personalized container, can be made at home or bought in many stores worldwide. Having a home made wedding favor will mean a lot to your guests. It will add that special touch to your big day.Not only can wedding favors come homeade, you can also personalize what you hold the candy in. From unique cocktail cups, tin boxes or just simply personalizing your foiled paper, Unique wedding favors that are personalized can be fun to create and will be loved by guest. To make your own favors there is a web of wealth, and at least one idea should intrigue you.