chocolate in the news

Chocolate for Breakfast

Recently, a breakfast survey was conducted to group of www.foodchannel.com subscribers.  The purpose?  To discover trends and habits of today’s busy breakfast eaters.

Here are Breakfast Trends for 2011:

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Coco Preggers

Chocolates can easily help pregnant woman satisfy their cravings, but can they also provide a guilt free, good for you feeling?

Coco Preggers can.  A chocolate company out of California, Xan Confections, launched a new chocolate containing folic acid and DHA omega-3.  This chocolate was designed to deliver important nutrients during pregnancy.

Folic Acid helps prevent birth defects and DHA is a specific omega-3 fatty acid important to the correct development of the brain.
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THE Chocolate Room

Check out this fascinating chocolate sanctuary.  Yes, it's an actual room with walls, furniture, and home décor all made out of chocolate. 

Heaven?  No. Vilnius, Lithuania...

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Giant Chocolate Billboard

OK, I'm keeping it quick today.  This is another one of my “time for a quick chuckle” type of blog posts.

This giant chocolate bar-shaped sign looks good enough to eat, don't you think?

Read the whole article at the link below:
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Chocolate Chemistry

This is officially the International Year of Chemistry 2011 brought to you by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Chemistry is essential for our future and an improved quality standard of living for everyone. 

What does this have to do with chocolate?
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Chocolate Facial Mask Recipe

One day I came home from work to find my daughter putting lemon juice and sugar on her face.  “What are you doing?” I asked.  “I’m making my own facial scrub,” she answered, “and next, I’m making pore strips out of gelatin and honey.”  There goes my grocery budget!

The practice of using food as a beauty treatment is certainly not new.  And for my daughter, the interest in making her own natural products from scratch comes partly from being sensitive to harsh, laboratory made chemicals.  Plus, it appeals to her creative side!
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Ooh La La – Chocolate and Kissing

Now here is a research study that will make your day!

According to a study done in the UK, chocolate and kissing stimulate the body in very similar physiological ways.

The researchers studied six couples and measured brain waves during various activities including kissing and letting a piece of chocolate melt in their mouths.

Both kissing and eating chocolate increased the activity in the brain that signals alertness and relaxation.
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The Power of Cocoa Powder

New research finding just released in the Chemistry Central Journal compares the antioxidant power of the powders; fruit powder vs. cocoa powder.

Cacao and a number of other fruits are often classified as super fruits.  So which is the most super?

In the study, a variety of fruit powders were analyzed for their antioxidant capacity (ORAC) and total flavanol (TF) content.  Cocoa powder was also analyzed.

After all the powders were tested, it was determined that cocoa powder had the most concentrated source of antioxidants and flavanols (ORAC and TF).
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Product of the Year – M&M’S® Pretzel

Over 60,000 shoppers voted M&M'S Pretzel Chocolate Candies as the 2011 Product of the Year.

The food product category was Candy & Snacks, and the Mars Chocolate Company came out on top during a selection process that had consumers voting for their favorite innovative product.  The products were chosen based on 4 key elements; appeal of innovation, usage, satisfaction, and purchase intent. 

The M&M'S Pretzel achieved high marks across all elements but scored highest in satisfaction.

The Product of the Year award is hosted in 28 countries and is the world’s largest consumer-voted program of its kind.
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Chocolate Tasting Interview

A few weeks ago I was interviewed for an article with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper.  That article appeared in the print version yesterday and online the day before.

There's some great information about tasting chocolate as well as pairing chocolate and wine.  Click this link for the full chocolate and wine article.
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