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Some say that after jewels, chocolate is most appreciated gift. One thing is for sure, many people love chocolate, and it is definitely a classy and wedding material. Whoever chooses chocolate wedding favors makes a good statement that is elegant and also caring for their guests. There are so many different chocolate options and, trust me, each one of them works. You can be original with the look and the shape, the flavor and packaging, but bottom line, your guests will go for the taste, and that is when you truly gain their recognition.

Chocolate wedding favors have another big advantage, which is the one that you don’t need to necessarily have the chocolate themed with the rest of the decoration, chocolate is indeed a great stand alone item, which always gets its attention among people. Chocolate, in some mystique sort of way, has its own magnetism and that shows very well, especially in a special occasion such as a wedding. Now, often you might have the problem to run out your chocolate wedding favors, so be careful to load up enough, because people will seek for them until the end. Of course, if you are really generous, think that most of your guests will want to keep some as a memory… or take it at home with them.

Eat your veggies - especially your lettuce. But don’t confine yourself to iceberg lettuce or salads! Darker greens have about the same number of calories and carbs -very low! - but pack a lot more punch in the vitamins and other nutrient categories. By substituting radicchio, watercress, escarole or spinach for the iceberg lettuce, you add vitamin C, riboflavin’s, manganese and other essential vitamins that aren’t present in lettuce. Try them braised, steamed or grilled for something a little different from the usual salad.

Here are some recipes for greens that will tickle your taste buds and make your heart happy!

Wilted Spinach Salad:

The onions take on a natural sweetness that contrasts with the tangy yogurt and the bite of the spinach. A family favorite that’s low in calories and high in important nutrients.

Here’s what you need:

2 cups spinach leaves
1 medium onion peeled, sliced
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Saut© onions in olive oil till transparent. Add spinach and toss in pan to coat with oil until leaves are barely wilted. Stir in yogurt while the spinach is still warm. Eat hot or cold. Only 50 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: protein, calcium, vitamin c, manganese, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, beta carotene, vitamin K, ALA

Grilled Radicchio:

Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce add spice to heart-healthy radicchio without adding much in the way of calories.

1 head radicchio
1 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
A splash of Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients except radicchio in small bowl. Cut head of radicchio in 1/4 inch slices. Brush cut side with marinade mixture. Grill over hot coals till browned. Only 25 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, foliate, vitamin K, beta carotene,

Spinach, Mushroom & Anchovy Salad:

Anchovies are one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids AND they’re low in calories. Simple to fix and delicious for dinner, on its own, or with a bowl of chunky pasta.

6 cups spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 2 oz can anchovies in oil
10-12 small mushrooms
Juice of 1 lemon

Wash and dry spinach. Drain anchovy oil into saut© pan and warm. Add anchovies and gently stir over heat till anchovies are dissolved in oil. Slice mushrooms thickly and add to anchovy oil, saut©ing till browned. Add spinach, tossing with oil and anchovies till just wilted. Spritz with squeezed lemon. Only 50 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, foliate, vitamin K, beta carotene, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids, riboflavin, and calcium

Walnut & Raisin Greens:

Get even more essential fatty acids and antioxidants in this great tasting warm salad.

6 cups greens, loosely packed (spinach, collard, turnip will all work well)
2 tbs. walnut oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Chop greens and place in shallow bowl. Heat walnut oil slowly over low heat. Mash garlic cloves and saut© in walnut oil till soft and browned. Add raisins and toss, and then add walnuts and heat through. Pour over greens and toss to coat well. Only 150 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, foliate, vitamin K, beta carotene, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids, riboflavin, and calcium.

Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit www.popular-diets.com/ for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.

Chablis is thought to have originated in northern Spain and grows well in a ‘Mediterranean’ climate. As a result, it is widely grown in many of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea including France, Italy, Spain, and Algeria. Chablis is the most widely planted grape in France. It has also found a home in almost every other wine producing country around the world.

The Chablis grape variety is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. It’s popularity stems from the high crop yields that it produces as well as the characteristics that it can bring to a wine. Chablis wine usually has red-fruit characteristics, deep violet and purple color, strong tannin structure and high levels of alcohol content. It is sometimes peppery like Syrah.

These characteristics have made Chablis wine very popular as a blending agent in the vast quantities of local table wines (jug wines) that are consumed around the world. It often provides the ‘backbone’ of these wines and is blended with other grape varieties that bring additional flavor characteristics. Chablis is always glamourous, but it does the job.

Chablis Wine Tip:

Chablis wine is brisk and fruity, very dry and with a refreshing acidity. Chardonnay grapes grow on a limestone soil rich with fossils.

Wine Ratings - Wine ratings, wine and winery related information for the enjoyment of fine wines.

Have you ever wanted sometime off from work and spending some quality outdoors with your family. You may think that spending sometime outdoor with your family is boring as you would not cook or have hot meals. It is about time you got an outdoor kitchen and experience the wonders it has to offer. Imagine being able to have your barbeque or making lunch outside with your family and friends. You may also be able to cook and prepare all your meals whilst hanging with your friends and family outside in the open space. Certainly people will definitely find this as the best experience and life style.

We all want to find time with our family to have a barbeque and relax in the fresh outdoor environment. These outdoor activities are very essential as they provide a good relaxation outside from our home. It is also important to note that these outdoor kitchens are easy to setup and cost less. We should not make an excuse of not having one. Cooking on the fire is very interesting and is a great outdoor hobby for most of us. You would agree with me that outdoor cooking is the best cooking experience.

More about outdoor cooking and kitchens here

You use it everyday in the Kitchen. If not looked after it can make you sick - And yet you probably never give it a second thought.

The Chopping Board is a large board you use in the kitchen for chopping, cutting and preparing food on.

When purchasing a new board, there are heaps of options to choose from - timber, glass, marble, plastic. And it can be a confusing choice.

Glass and Marble type cutting boards may look good but they play havoc on your knives. The hard surface will quickly blunt your knife and damage it’s edge.

So, keep your glass and marble boards for serving food only.

When it comes to wooden and plastic boards, even the experts are divided as to which is best. It comes down to personal preference. And mine is…. wooden.

Wooden boards are generally heavier and less inclined to slip. They are also more attractive and can be used to serve food at the table.

Where as plastic boards are lighter, come in various colors and are dishwasher safe.

Whichever type you choose, it is imperative you clean it well. Harmful bacteria can breed on your board and cause dreadful food poisoning.

So … be sure to scrub your board well after each use, with hot water and detergent. Then allow it to stand and drip dry. Your board should be completely dry before using again.

It’s a good idea to have more than one board, to avoid cross contamination. Have one for raw meat and one for other foods.

Or take it to the extreme and do what the professionals do. Use 5 different colored boards:-

Red - Raw Meats
Yellow - Poultry
Blue - Seafood
Green - Fruit and Vegetables
White - General

So, if you board is starting to look a bit worse for wear, then it is probably time for a new one. And now you will be well informed to choose the right one for you.

Happy Cooking
Lisa “The Crock Cook”
http://www.a-crock-cook.com

Lisa along with her husband Neil create all the Crock Pot Recipes at www.a-crock-cook.com. Lisa is also webmaster of www.chinese-fortune-cookie.com, where you can find everything you could ever want to know about fortune cookies.

**Webmasters - Please feel free to add this article to your site. Just remember to ensure the links remain live and static back to www.a-crock-cook.com and www.chinese-fortune-cookie.com
Regards Lisa**

Olive wood from Europe is recognized as the premium wood to fashion gourmet wood cooking utensils. Research from the University of Wisconsin, has proved through tests, that wood is more hygienic than any kind of molded plastic. Wooden products are safer than plastic kitchen items because bacteria like salmonella cannot survive for more than three minutes on a wood surface, yet it will remain viable on or in a plastic equivalent.

Kitchen utensils and kitchenware are made from European olive wood because of its high grade of durability. Olive wood carpentry and craftsmanship has been handed down from generation to generation, from family to family, in the Provence area of France. The Provence locale is picturesque and compelling to visit. Hilltop towns overlook the Mediterranean Sea, and bask in the warm temperate climate. Gourmet cooking from this area is famous for incorporating the organic herbs and spices grown here. Special dried herb mixes are featured in gourmet Herbes de Provence. Gourmet chefs and cooks from around the world utilize French Herbes de Provence for its pure flavor in their finest recipes. This region has become known for its gourmet cuisine, rich history, and olive wood artisans. It has become a natural for gourmet gift products to be made from olive wood, here.

The olive wood selected for their products is of the finest aged quality and is extremely robust. Each olive wood piece is processed naturally to bring out the unique grain pattern inherent to olive wood. The olive wood raw material is hand selected and skillfully crafted by wood carving professionals. Because of the nature of olive wood, over 75% of the rough material may be turned to waste, to manufacture a fine grade kitchen utensil or olive wood gourmet gift item.

Numerous shops from Paris to Nice will include olive wood gift items of extraordinary quality. Tourists find exceptional bargains that are individually made and exquisite.

One such item is an olive wood herb mill or herb grinder, which is used to grind dried herbs and salts. Each mill is hand made, and at completion, solely unique. No two pieces of olive wood material are the same, thus the wood grain and veining pattern are never similar from piece to piece. Like pepper grinding mills, an olivewood herb grinder offers the fresh ground taste and aroma of fresh herbs to any gourmet dish.

An olive wood herb mill has made many cooks happy as a thoughtful kitchen gourmet gift.

James Zeller writes for gift related websites and blogs. Here is a selection of unique gifts that he found, and a creative collection of culinary gourmet gifts.

To run your car wash business with a profit margin, it is essential to get the right car wash supplies from the right dealers. Car wash supplies include all the accessories necessary for cleaning a car: car soaps, tire cleaners, glazes, polishes, waxes, conditioners and even bill changers, vending supplies, vacuum cleaners, water treatment plants and shampoo units. There are several car wash suppliers throughout the U.S., including those listed below.

Sonny’s Car Wash Factory has a range of car wash supplies that include different types of brushes, brooms, conveyor parts, vacuums and accessories, pump accessories, vending machines for self-serve wash systems and detergent accessories.

The Internet is a store for car wash supplies, and many websites bring to you the best products from the top manufacturers. Buyersmls.com provides a range of car wash supplies categorized by brand names and product applications. Their popular brands include Carrand, Einszett, Meguiar’s, P21 and Porsche. The website provides online ordering and buying for car waxes, polishes, wheel and carpet cleaners, vacuum cleaners vinyl protectants and lubricants.

Beauty Shine Advanced Car Care Products of California manufacture their own range of car wash supplies that cater to all kinds of vehicles and car wash systems. Since 1926, they are a reputed supplier to car wash owners, with products including paste wax, liquid polish, dressings and automotive shampoos. Auto Gloss Wash, Moonshine Liquid Carnuaba Speed Wax, and Chrome and Glass Polishes are some of their products. The Carnuaba wax is unique in that it can be used for processes where polishing is not needed. Easy to apply, this wax protects the paint from fading. They also have exclusive products for special cars, one of which is Frontline Finishing Mist. This product, sold for approximately $7, is a spray that can be applied for removing dust and fingerprints by wiping it onto the car surface.

Car Wash provides detailed information on Car Wash, Car Wash Equipment, Hand Car Wash, Waterless Car Wash and more. Car Wash is affiliated with Powder Coating Ovens.

As a busy working mother, I’m short on time, especially during the holidays, but baking Christmas cookies is a family tradition I’m unwilling to give up. Over the years, I’ve come up with many ways to make the process of baking a large variety of cookies go much smoother and take less time out of my busy life. You may want to start by checking out my 6-day program for hassle-free Christmas cookie baking ( http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/hassle-free.php ). In addition to the 6-step method, I’ve found an efficient way to prepare a large variety of cookie dough with minimum fuss by setting up a cookie assembly line. The best part about this process is that you can make 12 different batches of cookies and only have to wash the dishes once!

This process assumes that you have already chosen your recipes and gone grocery shopping. You will want to use your longest available expanse of countertop for this. My assembly line turns two corners as it winds around my small kitchen, but that is fine.

You may need to make some adjustments depending on your individual recipes, but for most recipes, you can set up your assembly line like so:

Flour Line:

-Large mixing bowl
-Measuring cups and spoons
-Fork for stirring
-Flour
-Baking powder and baking soda
-Salt
-Cocoa powder
-Spices
-Any other dry ingredients that are added to the flour in your recipes

Butter Line

-Another large mixing bowl (or the bowl from your stand mixer)
-A second set of measuring cups and spoons
-Electric mixer
-Wooden spoon
-Rubber spatula
-Butter, shortening, margarine and/or cream cheese
-Sugar (white and brown)
-Eggs
-Vanilla and other extracts
-Chunks such as raisins, nuts, chocolate chips
-Rolled oats
-Any other ingredients that are added to the butter and eggs in your recipes
-Plastic wrap
-Felt-tip marker

To avoid transferring flavors from one recipe to another, you will start with basic recipes that have no spices, chocolate, or other strongly flavored ingredients. Starting with your first recipe, go down the line measuring out the amount of flour, baking powder/soda and salt into one bowl. Then, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla in your larger bowl as directed. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. After that, stir in any chunks.

Next, scrape down the edges of the mixing bowl so that it’s fairly clean, shape the dough into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Identify the recipe by writing its name on the plastic wrap with a felt-tip marker, and refrigerate it. If it is a slice-and-bake refrigerator cookie, form it into a log instead of a ball, according to the directions in your recipe. If you plan to bake much later, you can even freeze the dough. Most cookie doughs freeze very well. Defrost at room temperature while still wrapped in plastic wrap, and unwrap only when dough is thoroughly defrosted. Otherwise condensation could add too much moisture to your dough.

When your first batch of dough is prepared, wrapped, and stored in the refrigerator or freezer, return to the beginning of your assembly line, without washing your dishes, and begin preparing the next batch of dough. When you have prepared all the recipes that contain no spices or cocoa, move on to the recipes that contain cocoa, and finally those that contain spices. This way, you will only have to do dishes once at the end of the process, and you will have several different kinds of dough waiting to be baked.

When all your dough is prepared, then you can finally put away all your ingredients, clean up the kitchen, and do your dishes. Now if you plan to finish your baking today, you’ll have lots of space for rolling out your dough or setting out your cooling racks. If you plan to bake another day, you’re done!

Copyright 2004 Mimi Cummins. All Rights Reserved.

Mimi Cummins is co-author of the book “Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories, and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts.” This book, “enthusiastically recommended” by Midwest Book Review, is full of baking tips and hints, including nearly 50 recipes each with a full-color photo. For more information visit http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/ or order from your favorite online bookstore.

[Note to webmasters: you may include a link to the book using your affiliate program (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other) if you wish.]

Lobsters are supposed to be red right? … Well, yes and no.

Most live american lobsters are naturally colored an olive green or mottled dark greenish brown. In rare cases, lobsters come in shades of bright blue, white (albino), yellow, black, and red have been reported from time to time. Perhaps the most unusual colors are the “half-and-half” lobsters with a line straight down their backs where the two colors meet.

The major pigment in a lobster’s shell, astaxanthin, is actually bright red in its free state; but in the lobster’s shell astaxanthin is chemically bound to proteins that change it to a greenish color. When lobsters are cooked, heat breaks down these bonds, freeing the astaxanthin so that it reverts to its normal red color.

So how does a lobster turn bright blue?
A genetic defect has been found that causes a blue lobster to produce an excessive amount of protein. The protein wraps around a small, red carotenoid molecule known as as astaxanthin. The two push together, forming a blue complex known as crustacyanin which often gives the lobster shell a bright blue color. About one in a million lobsters are blue, but when cooked, it turns red like the other lobsters.

It has been suggested that more than ‘one in a million’ lobsters born are blue, but many do not survive because their bright blue shell brings too much attention to themselves, making them a prime target for predators. Scientists also believe that blue lobsters tend to be more aggressive than their normal colored counterparts. Since they don’t easily blend in, they have adapted and changed to be more aggressive to protect themselves.

The blue lobster is truly another gift from Mother Nature that most people never see. Many professional lobstermen go through their whole lobstering career without catching or even seeing a blue lobster. Those that do have the privilege of catching one, are amazed and excited as it is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime event and feel a sense of awe when they experience seeing the strikingly beautiful blue lobster for the first time. Those that are caught are not normally eaten, but rather given to aquariums and educational institutions and kept on display in tanks for others to admire.

Taxonomy of Homarus americanus:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Macrura reptantia
Family: Nephrodidae
Genus: Homarus
Species: americanus

This article courtesy of Lobster Delicious at www.lobsterdelicious.com/. To see photos go to: www.lobsterdelicious.com/blue-lobster.html. This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s resource box and url links remain intact.

Henckels knives for over 100 years have set the standard for quality kitchen cutlery. J.A. Henckels is the largest manufacturer of cutlery in Solingen Germany producing some of the finest knives in the world. A set of henckels knives will last a person’s life time and longer. The pride of craftsmenship shines through on every piece that J.A. Henckels creates.

Henckels knives come in different shapes and sizes based what you will be using them for. The most popular are the chef’s knife, paring knives, slicers, cleavers, boning and fillet knives.

J.A. Henckels makes each of these types with prices to fit anyone’s budget. Henckels knives come either forged or stamped and individually or in a set. The sets usually come with a butcher block. Forge knives are hand made from a single piece of metal. Each knife is carefully made with extreme detail. Stamped knives are made from stamping out the shape of the knife from a sheet of metal. They are lighter than forged and dont’t hold a sharp edge as long. Henckels cutlery stamped sets are usually less expensive.

Henckels knives can be found online for tremendous discount prices. Be sure to shop around and compare, as prices vary from store to store. J.A. Henckels cutlery sets are a great addition to anyone’s kitchen.

About the Author

Curtis Miller is an author and publisher of Kitchens-4u
Your source for quality Henckels knives.