Confessions of a Shopaholic: ALL that glitters is NOT gold

Confessions of a Shopaholic: ALL that glitters is NOT gold

I agree with you Ruby. Marrying rich is important for me as well, but as long as I live according to my means thats fine with me. i don't need a millionaire, but i dont want a broke man either. Basically what i am trying to say is i want to live comfortably, and the things I can provide for myself financially has to get more comfortable when I marry.

great article!

Chocolate Man of the week

So this post is very special and one that is very dear to my heart. As you all know, this blog is about chocolate and today's post is no different. I decided to do a chocolate man of the week post. When I say chocolate, I dont mean in the literal sense, but figuratively speaking.

In order to be considered for the chocolate man of the week, you must be sweet, humble, hard working individual who has contributed to improving the quality of life for those around him. It's about improving the world. Also, a minor detail, you must extremely good looking; but like I said thats just a minor detail.

For this first selection it was not hard at all, because this particular man will always be the chocolate man of my dreams. He is very attractive, hard working, and has contributed to the lives of those around him. Who am I talking about? Its none other than Anderson Cooper, also known as the love of my life. When we will get together, I don't know. But I do know why he's the chocolate man of the week, and I believe that most of you will agree.

Born in 1967 (sexy @42), Anderson Cooper was born into royalty yet his modesty would make one assume otherwise. He graduated from Yale University, where he studied Political Science and International Relations.

On July 22, 1988, Cooper's older brother committed suicide, which sparked his interest in journalism : "Loss is a theme that I think a lot about, and it’s something in my work that I dwell on. I think when you experience any kind of loss, especially the kind I did, you have questions about survival: Why do some people thrive in situations that others can’t tolerate? Would I be able to survive and get on in the world on my own?"

Cooper has covered a lot of significant events through his short career, from the tsunami to the death of Pope John Paul 11. His report on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was what ushered him into super-stardom because of his impassioned coverage.

For me Cooper is the chocolate man of the week for his heroism when he rescued a young Haitian boy who was severely injured during a violent looting attack.

Check out the image to view the actual footage.

Chocolate Cooper

"Wow-ee, Kaza-wee" - Oprah

For this post, I absolutely have no words! I am still in shock from what chocolate can truly do. As a bona-fide addict, I should not be amazed because I know how awesome chocolate can be. But I absolutely had no idea it was this great. I do not want to explain what is on this video. I urger everyone to watch it. You have to see it to believe it!

Please click the picture below to watch the video.

Make sure to leave your thoughts!

In the words of Oprah "Wow-ee, Kaza-wee!!"

Frrozen Haute Chocolate, Say WHAT!?!

So for this blog I decided to explore the world's most expensive chocolate. I search directed me towards the world's most expensive chocolate. To my surprise it was a chocolate dessert. I mean I should not be surprised because chocolate is just that awesome. I guess the reason why I was surprised was how much the dessert cost. I still can't get over it because the price is absolutely ridiculous.

Here it goes: so the world's most expensive chocolate costs $25,000! It's not a typo, its $2-5-0-0-0!!!! That makes no sense, my first year tuition at Brock did not even cost that much. You are probably wondering what makes this desert so incredibly rich? This is desert is considered "Frrozen Haute Chocolate" and it contains a blend of 28 cocoas, including 14 of the most exotic blends from around the world. It contains 5 grams of edible 23-karat gold and its served in a goblet lined with edible gold. At the base of the goblet is an 18-karat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds. The whipped cream on the sundae is covered with even more gold.

This dessert is apparently eaten with a gold spoon, which is decorated with white and chocolate coloured diamonds. To get this dessert you have to order it in advance.

This dessert seems more like jewelery, with all its gold and diamonds. Clearly the presentation is what gives it its price.

Although I am a bonafide addict, this is one chocolate that I could definitely live without. Its incredibly expensive. Before I indulge in something like this, I would prefer a nice ring, some new shoes, clothes, and some money please.

How to Battle Your Addiction.

So my last blog focused on chocolate addiction and whether or not it existed. Well now all know that it does. It possible for someone to be addicted to chocolate, see I was not lying. However with all addictions, there are side effects. Chocolate can cause pimples, cause you gain weight, and have a negative impact on your health.

Being a bona-fide addict, I know that summer is fast approaching, and I want to kick my chocolate addiction to the side so that I can look fabulous! I found some helpful suggestions on what I can do to kick the habit, and thought that I would share it with you all.

• Discover if the craving is emotional – there are all sorts of reasons why people crave foods. It can often be related to feelings of low self-esteem or depression. If you can identify your reasons, then try another approach to tackling the problem.
• Incorporate small portions of chocolate into your usual diet, rather than restrict yourself. Moderation is the key. A research trial found that people who limited eating chocolate to within half an hour of eating a meal gradually weaned themselves off their craving.
• If you are feeling bored and craving chocolate, go for a walk, run errands, call a friend or read a book. If you can take your mind off food for a short time, the craving may pass.
• Make sure you always have healthy food nearby, so you can replace chocolate with fruit a few times a day. Eat an overall balanced diet, eat regularly to avoid hunger, and eat more slowly. When your blood sugar levels are stable, cravings are less likely to occur.
• If you think it’s necessary, do not allow chocolate in the house. Ask friends and family not to buy you chocolate, or even not to eat it in front of you!
• Finally, it is a good idea to increase your level of exercise, to burn off excess calories and increase your metabolic rate. Exercise also releases endorphins, which counteracts stress, anxiety and depression.

They Tried to Make me go to Rehab, I Said No No No!

Bonafide Addict

There might be some who think it is impossible for people to actually be addicted to chocolate. Being a self-described chocoholic myself, I completely disagree with them. However is there such a thing? Therefore I wanted to put this dispute to rest and see what the experts have to say about chocolate addiction.

Chocolate is the most frequently craved food in women. There is an instant satisfaction, and there can be withdrawal symptoms when they are deprived.

The reason is because chocolate contains an ingredient called serotonin which is released and makes us happy. A study was conducted by Dr. John Hoebel and he found that when rats that were fed in sugar became anxious when the sugar was removed. They had similar symptoms seen in people withdrawing from drug addiction. He believes that high-fat foods stimulate opioids or "pleasure chemicals" in the brain

Another study also found that self-proclaimed chocolate addicts salivated more in the presence of chocolate and became moody and had high levels of anxiety. Chocolate addicts show similar traits to other addicts, because they crave chocolate, their behaviour changes, and they have abnormal moods when they are deprived of chocolate.

So there you have it! this thing is real. I didn't make it up. I knew there had to be a reason for my mood swings and attitude when chocolate went away :(.

like every addiction, it has to be fixed because too much of everything is not good. How am I going to this?

"The only American invention as perfect as a "Sonnet": Chocolate Martini.

The title of this post is a quote by E.B. White who once described a martini as such. I had quite the weekend. It was one of my best friend's birthday so it called for a celebration. I had the most amazing drink ever. As you have already guessed by now it was a chocolate martini. I had no idea that such greatness existed. The taste was delicious, it tasted just like chocolate. As strange as it sounds I was expecting it to have a hint of chocolate, however it had a splash of chocolate, something that only a chocolate lover could appreciate. It was presented quite well in a pretty martini glass, with chocolate pieces on top of the ice. I loved it so much, it prompted me to find the recipe so everyone could experience this greatness.

It is not going to be the same, but you can make it special by adding your own touch to it.

Here are two easy examples of how to make a chocolate martini:

(Click image below to view video)

For serious chocolate lovers I present: The Chocolate Martini Deluxe

Ingredients

-*30ml (or approx 1 oz) Vodka*-
-*30ml (or approx 1 oz) Brown Creme de Cacao*-
-*30ml (or approx 1 oz) Bailey's Irish Cream*-
-*1 tablespoon chocolate syrup*-
-*6 ice cubes*-
-*extra couple of drops of either the Bailey's or the Creme de Cacao*-
-*half of Hershey milk bar*-

Directions
-*Into a cocktail shaker, pour the Vodka, Brown Creme de Cacao, Bailey's Irish Creme and the chocolate syrup*-
-*Add the ice cubes*-
-*Shake well*-
-*Rub rim of glass with Brown Creme de Cacao then dip into a shallow dish of cocoa
-*Strain and pour contents of cocktail shaker into a martini glass*-
-*Shave chocolate pieces and put on top of ice cubes*-

ENJOY!

Chocolate, Love and Hearts!

Valentine's day is around the corner; exactly a week from today. Therefore it is only right that i dedicate a post to the goodness of chocolate on Valentines day.

Valentine's day is an annual holiday held on the 14th of Feburary to celebrate love. But how did chocolate become so symbolic during Valentine's day? Regardless of why people give gifts on Valentine's day, chocolate is certainly a gift that is often expected. This dates back to the history of chocolate, where the Aztecs used to give chocolate as a gift. A box of chocolate can say many things, "I'm sorry," "get well," "I LOVE YOU," especially on Valentine's day.

Elaine Sherman wrote “Chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, celestial. Chocolate is downfall, happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy … chocolate makes us wicked, guilty, sinful, healthy, chic, happy.” Expressive of how we all feel on Valentine's day with our loved ones.

Anyone looking for last minute gift ideas can check out these helpful chocolate-eey links below:

Serenata Chocolates:
http://www.serenatachocolates.com/
A UK based where one can have the ultimate chocolate experience. Shoppers can browse through the Valentines Chocolate selection and found the perfect gift! They also offer same day and next day delievery. So even if you forget, it's never too late with Serenata.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries:
http://www.1800flowers.com
An edible delight of fruits and passion comes in a box of six, twelve, or twenty-four. Ripe strawberries that can be dipped in white, dark or milk chocolate drizzled with "his/her" favourite toppings. A treat that you can both indulge in.

Heart Fondue Set:
http://www.cooking.com/
If you are planning to stay home, why not indulge in some chocolate fondue? You can do it all by yourself. This lovely set from cooking.com comes with everything you need to create a special sensual evening for you and "him/her".

What?! Chocolate is a Vegetable?

I chose to do my blog about chocolate because I love chocolate. My obsession with chocolate caused me to self diagnose myself as a choco-holic. I have not done any tests that back up my claim, but I am quite certain that I have a problem. When I am extremely hungry, chocolate is always the first thing on my mind, which often causes me to eat approximately three chocolate bars in the same instance. I prefer milk chocolate and I surprisingly hate dark chocolate. I don't know what influences my purchasing power when it comes to the different kinds of chocolate I like to buy. There are days when I only want a "Hershey's Cookies n Cream," and there are days when I only want a "Crunchy" bar. I recently discovered the chocolatey goodness of a "Twix" bar. I usually buy the king size one (its huge trust me) and there are usually no leftovers. Mini eggs especially get me in a lot of trouble. I could eat up to 5 bags per day, and always seem to want more. It is a little embarrassing but I try to eat some vegetables to make up for my bad habit.

Take a journey with me as I discover all things chocolate.

5 Fascinating Facts about chocolate

1. Chocolate is a tasty treat from the cacao (kah KOW) tree, and it was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the Americas.
2.Roughly two-thirds of the entire world's cocoa is produced in Western Africa
3. Chocolate is good for you! Dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system.
4. Cadbury's in England created the world's first chocolate bar in 1842.
5.Chocolate is a VEGETABLE: Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans. We all know a bean is a vegetable - I guess its not so bad after all, just what the doctor recommended.