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Chocolate – A Piece of Pure Bliss

May 28th, 2015

History of Chocolates

The chocolate is a confectionery, mainly derived from the cocoa, cocoa butter, and fine sugar. The history of chocolates dates back to the pre-Christian time during the Mayan civilization, where chocolate was used in different rituals. Later, in the 18th century, Christopher Columbus along with his crew happened to seize a large canoe of cacao beans and traded them later. Earlier in Spain, it was often used as a frothy drink usually after dinner time. Over the centuries, the concept of savouring the chocolate has definitely evolved to a great extent. Now, chocolate is the greatest comfort food with definitely certain health benefits.

Chocolates- The Best Expression of Love

There has been something special about chocolate since the very beginning. Chocolate has been associated with all types of special occasion and a lot of warmth and love. Whether it is a birthday or a marriage anniversary, Valentine’s Day or mother’s day – chocolate has always remained the best way to express love for any occasion. Chocolate is generally, more popular with woman and children. It has been associated with every other emotion as well. It has become the unspoken word of love and affection for all generations and occasions. For children, it is the ultimate joy and satisfaction. Even in cases of depression, mental agony and loneliness, chocolate has always, faithfully remained the only friend and support for the bereaved soul.

Types of Chocolates

There are different types of chocolates all over the world to cater to the different tastes of the huge fan following for this confectionery. The unsweetened chocolate, also known as the “Bitter Chocolate” is generally used to form the base of cakes, cookies and brownies. The “Dark Chocolates” are usually high in the portion of cocoa and very less of milk chocolate and sugar. The “Semi-Sweet Chocolates” are usually used in different recipes for cooking purposes. The “Bitter Sweet Chocolates” are high in cocoa butter, vanilla and lecithin. It has more liquor and less sugar than the semi-sweet chocolate. Chocolates that are rich in cocoa butter are popularly known as the “Couverture”. These chocolates contain a high percentage of cocoa and some of the very popular brands are Valrhona, Felchlin, Lindt and Sprungli, Cacoa Barry, Guittard and Scharffen Berger. The “White Chocolate” is also very popular which is mainly made with fine sugar, milk solids and no cocoa solids at all.

The “Milk Chocolate” is the most popular and desired amongst all. The main ingredients that go into creating this pure bliss are mainly the cocoa powder, milk powder, milk solids, condensed milk and cocoa solids. The perfect texture and smoothness just melts in the mouth to give the best feel ever of a fine chocolate. The Hershey’s chocolates manufactured in North America and the Swiss Chocolates made in Switzerland are the El Dorado of the chocolate lovers globally. There are various flavours of milk chocolates as well as chocolates with roasted nuts and raisins

Reaching Out For the Chocolates                   

Chocolates are abundantly available all over the world. It is easily reachable through numerous local stores and shops. Life becomes all the more euphoric if you can send the chocolates by post, instead of venturing out to the shops. With recent technology and globalization, online availability has increased the demand of the chocolate industry and simultaneously has continued the flow of supply to make lives happy with every bite, everywhere.

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A story behind delicious chocolate

February 27th, 2015

Who doesn’t like receiving chocolate gifts by post? We all love the flavours and texture of chocolate in various forms – whether they are shaped as bars, candies, in pastries or even in the form of sauce. People with a sweet tooth swear by chocolate and consider it the greatest creation of God. Even people who are not fond of sweets and candies occasionally crave a bite or lick of this yummy treat! But here are some fun facts related to chocolate that would make your tryst with the dark hero even more enjoyable!

About the name – Ever wondered how chocolate got its name? Well, most people believe that the word chocolate has its roots in the Aztec word “xocolatl” which means “bitter water”. If you were to bite into a bar of dark chocolate, you will realise why it was thus called. Cocoa beans, from which chocolate is made, are actually bitter. When you mix the extract with milk and sweeteners such as butter and sugar, you actually get the edible chocolate variants available in the market.

A source of energy – Surprised? Most people are only aware of protein shakes and fruits like bananas that are considered instant sources of energy. Studies have proven that if you were to consume just one chocolate chip, you will get enough energy to walk about 150 feet!

A stellar companion! – Russians and Americans have been two of the most active nations when it comes to exploring space, the galaxy and our neighbouring planets. Did you know that each time one of their spacecrafts took off, the astronauts had a small stash of chocolate with them?! It seems that whether you are on or off the planet, there are some cravings that just don’t change and chocolate is the most delicious of them all.

Mood enhancer – People, who consume chocolate have often mentioned on how happy and light they feel after consuming some amount of chocolate in any form – solid or liquid. This is not because chocolate rouses the mushy feelings within them! This is because consumption of chocolate is known to increase the supply of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is the compound that is released by the brain which keeps us calm and happy!

When chocolate became blood – Well, this is not one of the fun facts but is a slightly bizarre one! Alfred Hitchcock, the famous movie director, used chocolate in a really unique manner. There is a scene in his movie “Psycho” wherein he used chocolate instead of coloured water or fake blood in a shower! That must have been one of the most tasty crime or thrilling scenes that was ever shot in the history of filmmaking!

Chocolate has and will always be a popular choice with children and adults alike. So the next time you have to gift something and are in a fix about what to gift, consider chocolates, especially the flavoured ones, and the chances that you will go wrong would be very slim indeed!

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Mesmerize your dear ones with the gift of chocolates!

February 25th, 2015

Irrespective of whether one is at college, doing a job or relaxing after retirement, chocolates counts as one of the most important and favourable gifts in the current scenario. Perhaps there is no one on earth who doesn’t like chocolates. The mere flavour is sufficient to arouse a quotient of pleasure and satisfaction. There are many occasions when chocolates are gifted to the near and dear ones. One such event is the Valentine’s Day occasion. A specific day is allocated for gifting chocolates, which is designated as the Chocolates Day. Other festivities like homecoming and prom nights can be made extra special with the gift of chocolates.

It has been found that market research points to the fact that popularity of chocolates has taken a sharp curve in the recent present. Loads of factors attribute to this fact. Here is a list of top 5 factors, which clearly depict why chocolate gifts by post is one of the best and popular ideas of gifting.

  • Easy a convenient delivery– With the advent of new technologies and the concept of online buying and delivering of gifts, sending chocolates through online portal is now very easy and convenient. Range of varieties are available, which can be chosen and then the personal details along with shipping address can be punched in to get hassle free home delivery in the desired locations. Convenience is one of the factors, which make gifting chocolates a good option.
  • Nice and elegant pick– For those, who have a dearth of ideas in the gifting domain, chocolates provides the convenient option. Team it up with a card or bouquet of flowers and the complete package is done.
  • Premier appeal– Thanks to the packaging industry, chocolates are now wrapped up in brilliant packages. Attractive colours with various packaging designs such as that of Ferrero rocher, a glamorous appeal is extended which is sure to satiate the appetite the appeal of one and all. The packaging itself represents that of a gifting pattern, which forms the crux of the gifting ideas.
  • Accessibility– The fad of chocolates has extended its pang from the children’s zone to the adults. Adults are now as much a fan of chocolates as the kids. This has led to the cropping of chocolates as a popular gifting item. Occasion such as father’s day, mother’s day and other occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries are some of the occasions where one can easily send chocolates through posts. All the more, it has more accessibility than any other form of sweet since they are available in every nook and corner of the city.
  • Myriad of varieties– Chocolates comes in different varieties and one or the other form is sure to appease your taste buds. Dark chocolate is available for chocolate lovers while the not so in-to chocolates have the option of milk and white chocolates. Other options include truffles and flavoured chocolates such as Belgian flavour.

So, surprise your dear ones with the gift of chocolates!

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10 Tips for Celebrating Success with Your Co-Workers

February 21st, 2015

As a manager or supervisor of a start-up or a small business, who is continually striving to exceed expectations, you might not have the chance to celebrate success that your team achieves at the workplace. However, it is essential to celebrate success frequently to boost up the enthusiasm of the team.

A mundane job schedule may lead to an absence of inspiration. So, here are some tips to celebrate success at your workplace.

1. Order in soft drinks or coffee frequently with your workmates, or team members – once a week or fortnightly, for instance. Invest this time offering and praising your highlights and concentrate on making a positive mentality.

2. Look back at your team’s accomplishments and praise the team members publicly. If possible send chocolates online in UK, to each of them for their contributions.

3. Make a custom for closing your work day. For instance, toward the end of each day, take 5 minutes to recognize and reward 2 victories in your daily assignments your team accomplished.

4. Treat yourself or your group (in the event that you have one) when you accomplish a vital objective. Go out for coffee or a lunch together, grant film tickets or gift a spa coupon!

5. Searching for a low-cost choice? Get imaginative and celebrate by shutting down work 30 minutes early one night to allow team members spend some quality time with their family. Surprisingly better, honour yourself or your group a half vacation day!

6. Call a steady colleague, or companion when you get a good client feedback and share it with him or her.

7. Get together with your group or with associates for a drink and discuss reward ideas for motivating the team. For example, declare prizes for performer of the month, innovator of the month and so forth. Award them certificates or gift cards so that they are motivated enough to do their best.

8. Inform team members about what the team has achieved. Publicly announce these achievements. Alternately, tweet it if the online alternative is your style. This gives them a sense of pride.

9. Post customer and business examples of overcoming adversity around your workspace. Letters and testimonials from customers, who acknowledge what you are doing is an awesome approach to commend and keep joined with your business vision. Put photographs of fun or remunerating business occasions on the walls – things that will make you smile and remind you why you appreciate doing what you do.

10. Discover a business mentor or tutor, who will help you to stay positive and frequently commend accomplishment in your life and in your business.

These tips will not only help you celebrate success, but also motivate your team members to offer their best. Celebrating success also forms a close bond amongst the team members and prepares them against all sorts of adversities. It also prepares the team to achieve all the targets that has been set for them. They say, winning is a habit – it’s true.

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Food of the Romantics

February 21st, 2015

In Austen’s brilliant classic Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy had commented that he considered poetry to be the food for love. Modern lovers may scorn at this fanciful notion, but almost every one of them would agree on the fact that chocolate is the universal choice when it comes to expressing sweet feelings! Chocolate cakes, candies, baskets, hampers – you name it and they are popular. You can easily get chocolates delivered in UK thanks to a large number of stores, which stock a wide variety of chocolates and their dishes. But why just stick to plain ol’ chocolates? Why not experiment with chocolates with some interesting fillings?! Here are some filling options that you may want to consider:

  • Brown sugar butter cream  – A perfect combination of creaming butter and brown sugar, this is one filling that is soft to taste and melts instantly when put in the mouth! Chocolates with a stuffing of this are bound to taste delicious. This would be the perfect complement to both dark and milky chocolates and are irresistibly light on one’s palette.

  • Rum raisin nougat – Who can resist this wonderful combination of liqueur and dry fruits with the delicious treat from France, nougat?! With soft nougat mixed with a little bit of rum and raisins, you get a bite in the chocolate that you wouldn’t expect from a plain bar of chocolate. Made out of egg whites and honey, the nougat would be soft and form a perfectly gooey filling for your bar or bob of chocolate.

  • Marzipan – A favourite in wedding cakes, marzipan can be used with a number of ingredients, chocolate being just one among them. A filling made out of almond meal (sweetened ground almonds) and a sweetener such as sugar or honey, this can be had on its own or can be the ultra-sweet filling for dark chocolates. Marzipan can also be mixed with edible food colours to get them in various tinges so you can experiment with green, red, pink or brown hued chocolate marzipan fillings.

  • Ganache – A filling of chocolate inside chocolate? Ganache is prepared by pouring extremely hot cream over chocolate of any sort. The mixture then created must be blended/beaten very well to get a fine filling. You can also include fruit or nut extracts and various types of liqueurs to Ganache to make them more delicious. Some people go the extra mile and also add a dollop of butter and thus, you get really smooth, silky and shiny Ganache filling for your chocolate!

  • Raspberry Cream – Quite a few people would be craving a box of chocolates of any sort after reading about the chocolates and their fillings so far! But, if you are looking for a lighter and fruity filling to the heavier flavour of chocolate, you should try chocolates with raspberry cream fillings. Their acidic flavour, pretty pink shade combined with a hint of vanilla and finely crushed raspberries in fluffy cream are heavenly delights that will only enhance the magic of the chocolate it is put in.

 So get creative with the traditional tasty delight – chocolate – by experimenting with these and many other types of fillings that you will find in the market. Coconut, buttercream with apricot or mocha, peanut butter, peppermint – the list is endless as should be your quest for new flavours in chocolate!

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