Delicious and Gorgeous Chocolate Wedding Cakes

Everyone loves chocolate! Instead of the traditional white wedding cake, it can be really great to choose a rich, yummy chocolate cake instead. These days, you don't have to hide a flavored cake under plain white icing, either; not only can you have a chocolate cake, but go ahead and frost it with chocolate icing, too. These are some fantastic ideas for delicious and gorgeous chocolate wedding cakes.

The great thing about a chocolate wedding cake (besides the taste, of course) is that it can work for any style of wedding depending on how you design it. Whether your style is glitz and glamor with lots of beading on your dress and Swarovski crystal bracelets, country and homey, or modern and chic, there is a chocolate wedding cake design which will be perfect for you. You can be guaranteed that the groom will be on board with whatever design you choose, as long as the cake is chocolate!

A chocolate wedding cake can be the perfect centerpiece for a grand wedding reception. Let's say you were planning an opulent reception in an ornate ballroom in a luxury hotel. Begin by designing a cake which is very tall; five or more tiers would be good - you want your wedding cake to make a statement. Place it upon a silver cake stand and decorate it with fresh red roses between each tier. Top the cake with a small antique silver vase filled with red roses. Then decorate the sides of each tiers with a hand applied scroll pattern in crystals. The sparkling detail will really pop against the dark chocolate frosting, and is a fabulous complement to the bride's Swarovski crystal bracelets, earrings, and bridal necklace.

Chocolate wedding cakes can also be romantic. Lighten up the appearance of dark brown frosting with pink and light green accents. The effect will be softer if the cake is frosted in a buttercream chocolate icing rather than a smooth fondant. Expertly made pink frosting roses with green leaves would look sweet and charming placed around the edges of the cake tiers. For a final touch, bands of pink satin ribbon can be used along the base of each layer.

There are some great modern cake designs which can be created for a chocolate wedding cake. Take three narrow layers and stack high before covering with a smooth-as-glass brown fondant. Adorn each tier of the wedding cake with circles in varying sizes done in white, lime green, and tangerine for a mod cake that will steal the show at the reception. Or opt for a modern elegant cake and decorate a fondant covered chocolate cake with an all-over damask motif in a contrasting color like sky blue. So sophisticated and definitely delicious.

Chocolate works great for a country wedding cake. A low cake with two or three wide tiers would look wonderful decorated with fresh strawberries for a summer reception. Another gorgeous idea is to decorate the cake with chocolate cosmos and pink wax flowers. Whichever decorations you choose, your guests are sure to love the sweet ending to your wedding reception!

Guy writes on many subjects including travel,customs and society. For a fabulous selection of Swarovski crystal bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, visit http://silverlandjewelry.com/. We offer free crystal samples for color matching and complimentary shipping on all jewelry orders over $99.

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Chocolate Gifts

If there is one reason to celebrate chocolates, other than the fact it is delicious, it is that there has been lots of evidence to find that good quality chocolates have health benefits. For many people it is one of life's greatest pleasures. More of these benefits were found in dark chocolates.

In fact, dark chocolate has more of these flavonoids than other kind of food. The amount of these flavonoids increases along with the quality of the chocolate. Researchers have found that these flavonoids in quality dark chocolate improve a blood vessels ability to dilate, or open up. They have been found to decrease LDL cholesterol, inhibit aggregation of blood platelets (which leads to blood clots that produce heart attacks and strokes) and to decrease the body's inflammatory immune response (which can lead to clogged arteries).
So, what better reason than these to give chocolate gifts than these? Chocolate gifts are truly good for you!! Your only problem now is what kind of chocolate gifts to give to the important people in your life, along with yourself.

Chocolate truffles are a guilty pleasure for many people. Chocolate truffles, for those unaware, are a type of chocolate candy that is made with a chocolate ganache center that is covered in chocolate or cocoa powder. Sometimes the fillings are other ingredients also such as caramel, nuts, fudge, min, marshmallow or liquor. Any and all of them make the chocolate truffles all that much more delicious.

So give chocolates as a gift for the holiday season, or for someone's birthday. Really give chocolate for any reason, it is good for you and has health benefits. What better reason?

For more detailed information, visit http://www.ameliechocolat.co.uk/.


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Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans - How to Choose the Best Ones

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People who have discovered the taste of chocolate covered coffee beans can positively say there is nothing more sinfully, tasty and a treat with this combination. Numerous fans have been increasing for this type of coffee, which is growing fast. The popularity is a good indicator of this amazing taste of flavor. If the plan is to buy these sinful chocolate covered coffee bean treats you should be careful so you can get the best chocolate covered coffee beans money can buy. When you are buying this type of coffee there are some very critical aspects you should pay attention to. For example, the quality of the coffee beans, also the quality of the chocolate, and the quality of cooking.

Let us begin with the quality of the coffee beans, if you want the best quality of chocolate covered beans, you will need to start from scratch. Coffee is the basic ingredient; if the coffee beans you choose aren't high quality you can't expect the product to have a high quality. In this case your best option would to choose the coffee you would normal choose for this purpose. Let's say you do not have a preference take a few beans of whatever coffee that is available and test it out separately with chocolate to figure out which one gives you the most delightful taste.

The next important factor is to know the quality of chocolate. One of the most popular chocolates chosen to cover the beans is milk chocolate. You do have the option to experiment with other types of chocolate such as white chocolate, dark chocolate, and bitter chocolate whatever suits you. Just make sure that you select the right quality to produce the best results. The last factor in choosing the best chocolate covered coffee beans is the quality of cooking. Now you have the best beans and chocolate, your last step is to cook it.

This all depends on how you cook, so be very careful. The temperature for the chocolate should be just right so the chocolate won't burn. If this is your first time with this process take care and be cautions. This is another reason why the cooking temperature should be just right. When cooking the chocolate you should aim to get the chocolate just soft enough so you can just roll the beans in it. When selecting the best chocolate covered coffee can be a big process, but you will enjoy the delicious taste.


Discover tips on how to choose the best chocolate covered coffee beans at http://www.ChocolateCoveredCoffeeBeans.Net!


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Dark Chocolate Smoothie Recipe

Dark chocolate smoothies taste like dessert for breakfast! Add dark chocolate cocoa powder to your healthy smoothie recipe in the morning for an unbelievable burst of rich chocolate yummy flavor. This is the ultimate in that decadent -you won't believe it's sooo good for you flavor! Dark chocolate cocoa powder is so healthy because it's high in polyphenol content, which means it has antioxidant power! It's also high in vitamins. This chocolate is a bit bitter, so the base of the smoothie should be either vanilla flavored yogurt and vanilla almond milk with some agave syrup or honey. Adjust the sweetener according to your desired level.

Chocolate comes from the cacao bean. This bean contains antibacterial agents that fight against tooth decay and help boost your immune system. These agents are diminished once sugar and milk are added to the chocolate to create milk chocolate. Cocao also contains phenyl ethylamine which enhances endorphins and gives you that happy feeling. Researchers have found that the mere smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves inducing relaxation. People who eat dark chocolate are also said to live a year longer -perhaps because of the antioxidant effects or maybe just because they are happier!

Smoothies are a great way to sneak in protein and extra vitamins and minerals into your kid's breakfast or snack. Great additions for smoothies are protein powder, bee pollen, lecithin granules and brewers yeast. Go easy on the brewer's yeast because it has a bitter taste the kids will taste!


Rae Haining writes about the benefits of dark chocolate and healthy smoothie recipes at her website FillingLowCalorieFoods.com.


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Antioxidants Found in Chocolate

For the past decades, many proven scientific studies have shown that chocolate antioxidants are beneficial to our health and body. It has been known for a fact that the antioxidants present in chocolates, particularly dark chocolates, are potent source of antioxidants that destroys free radicals in our system. Chocolate antioxidants are primarily responsible for fighting these highly unstable and destructive molecules thereby maintaining a balance in our system to prevent occurrence of deadly diseases such as cancer, heart disease and hypertension, to name a few. Generally, chocolate antioxidants are rich in flavorous that arrest oxidation processes in our system and therefore preventing damage in our body.

Another classic benefit that these antioxidants bring in our health is that it effectively strengthens our immune system thus enabling our body to defend itself from potentially harmful viral and bacterial infections. Our immune system is our defence system tasked to eliminate destructive molecules and other abnormalities found in our body to keep us to function normally everyday. It is also an established fact that chocolate antioxidants and any other form of antioxidants found in fruits, green tea and red wines for instance, slows down the aging process. Antioxidant is key to longevity as it allows you to stay longer and younger in the pink of health.

A study conducted by the National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome suggests a proper way of taking in chocolate antioxidants in order to maximize the absorption of antioxidants in our body. The result of the study indicates that eating chocolates, especially dark chocolates, should be eaten not in conjunction with any type of milk or its derivatives as the milk interferes with the body's absorption of chocolate

antioxidants. The subjects who ate pure dark chocolates have shown substantial drop in their blood pressure compared to those who mixed it with milk. Thus, if you are a chocolate lover it is time to change gear and switch to pure dark chocolate for optimum acquisition of chocolate antioxidants.

The best source of chocolate antioxidants comes from cocoa powder as it contains the highest amount of antioxidant capacity. The basic is rule is that the darker the chocolate, the more potent source of chocolate antioxidants it is. The suggested daily intake of dark chocolate based on the study made is 3.5 ounces to get the optimum chocolate antioxidants. Milk chocolates in particular have the least antioxidant properties and this claim was backed by the study mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Further, dark chocolates are known for having less sugar content and good source of cholesterol compared to milk chocolates. For the more health conscious individuals they always ensure that they have the regular source of rich antioxidant supplements. We should also be warned from eating excessive chocolates because they are rich in calories which may lead to obesity if consumption with gusto is not properly observed. To successfully attain a healthy, disease free body, the secret, however, is moderation and balance our diet by eating nutrition-rich vegetables, cereals and fruits.

John Ulonka can often be found sipping a hot cup of espresso at the local beanery. Besides savoring the latest blends, John has a site with reviews of straight blade razor, as well as a review of vintage straight razors.

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