So Long Chocoholics!

This is my last blog for a while everybody. But its been fun. I hope I taught some people about chocolate or at least got you interested in different recipes, movies, and products!

I could not leave without mentioning the new M&Ms that I tried last night:

They are for the new Indiana Jones movie and are called Mint Crisp. They taste just like a Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie and are my new obsession!!! Everybody should go out and grab a bag, you won't regret it.

Join the Dark Side; It is Good for You

Okay, this is great news:
According to WebMD and many articles, dark chocolate is actually beneficial to your health. Now, of course, this does not mean that we should all go out and binge ourselves on dark chocolate, but it does mean that I feel less guilty when I sink my teeth into a Lindt dark chocolate truffle, almost.
Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that are importat in fighting heart disease and other bodily ailments. However, milk chocolate does not contain these. In fact, drinking milk after eating dark chocolate neutralizes the effect of the antioxidant and defeats the purpose of eating the chocolate for health reasons.
Dark chocolate has also proved to be beneficially in the fight against high blood pressure. But only if you have reached a determined age and have mild high blood pressure. It is also important that while eating this extra chocolate, you cut down on other foods.

Mexican Chocolate? Ole!

We can find chocolate anywhere we go, as long as it is either milk, dark or white. There is one chocolate that is a little more difficult to get our hands on. Mexican chocolate.

This is a specially flavored chocolate that is made with ground up cocao beans, adding vanilla, both very normal, then adding cinnamon and almond flavors. This may seem like a strange combination and it definitely is a different taste than what most Americans are used to. It is also considered grainier and less smooth than the average milk chocolate.

I have never tried this type of chocolate, but I am always willing to try!

Dark vs. White vs. Milk Chocolate

According to the poll I took towards the beginning of my blog, the highest number of voters preferred dark chocolate over white and milk chocolate. I thought this was intersting because I feel like a know many people who really dislike dark chocolate, so I decided to find out the difference.
Most people would consider dark chocolate to be bitter compared to the creamy milk chocolate that people are used to. This of course is true because dark chocolate contains more chocolate liquor (the result of grinding cocao beans), about 35-50% and therefore less sugar, vanilla flavoring and cocoa butter. Also, there is no milk in dark chocolate to further sweeten the dessert.
Milk chocolate contains much less chocolate liquor, with about 15%. The remaining 85% consists of milk (obviously), sugar, vanilla flavoring, and extra cocoa butter. This gives it its lighter color and sweeter, creamier taste.
Most white chocolate contains absolutely no chocolate liquor, which makes some think that it is not actuall chocolate. It does contain cocoa butter, milk, sugar, and vanilla flavoring.

*To give you a hint of what chocolate liquor is, think about this. Have you ever tasted unsweetened baker's chocolate? Not the best thing in the world for those with the sweet tooth but that is what chocolate liquor is when it is solidified. So it makes sense that dark chocolate with the most liquor would be so bitter.

So those of you who voted on my poll, there is a little explanation as to why our favorite, dark chocolate, has such a different taste from milk.

Chocolat

Johnny Depp must have a thing for movies about chocolate because I just remembered this movie I watched in my French class in high school called, "Chocolat" Something about a French woman who makes chocolate, people realize its an aphrodisiac, the town goes nuts I think and she's got a thing for my Johnny :)

Not a bad movie and the chocolate looks delicious.

Chocolate + Shoes = Perfection!!!!

Okay, we all know that most girls have a thing for shoes, and chocolate. Gayle Harte of Gayle's Chocolates must have realized this too because she designed this great treat as well as dozens of other fun chocolate ideas. Each shoe is handmade and no two shoes are exactly alike.

Some other delectable designs that are available at http://www.gayleschocolates.com/ include:

-Maple Leaf Box with chocolate acorns inside a maple-flavored chocolate gift box.

-Chocolate Strawberry Pig- Dark Chocolate Covered with Strawberry Chocolate. Yum!

And one of my personal favorites:

-Chocolate Turkey Pinata: A blend of milk, dark and white chocolate on the outside. Crack it open and you will find chocolate truffle drumsticks, chocolate wishbones, chocolate acorns and maple leaves. Definitely something for the chocoholic to give thanks for!

Did You Know...

I'm sure you have heard somebody say something such as the following, "Will work for food." or something more like what I would say, "Will work for chocolate." A funny thing is, cacao beans were actually the currency used in the Honduras. When Columbus and his crew found a canoe off the coast of what is now Honduras, the natives were very protective of the cacao beans they had and would pick up each and every seed that fell. This was very strange to Columbus because he did not know their customs. His son noted, "They seemed to hold these almonds [referring to the cacao beans] at a great price; for when they were brought on board ship together with their goods, I observed that when any of these almonds fell, they all stooped to pick it up, as if an eye had fallen." (http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/exploring_chocolate/choc_2.html)
Obviously, chocolate was pretty important back then too, maybe a bit more than now even!