Ah, chocolate! So many different kinds to choose from, and all of it delicious! But where did it originate – and is it really an aphrodisiac?

The average American consumes 11.7 pounds of chocolate a year. To get an idea of how much – imagine almost 12 packages of butter as being made of solid chocolate – or about the size of your average well-fed house cat. That is a lot of chocolate! (And it won’t stop meowing for some reason.)

The treat so loved worldwide has very humble beginnings. The cacao bean begins life inside a fruit, called a pod, on a tree in the tropics, primarily in remote areas of West Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and South America.

These delicate, flower-covered trees need much tending and, when farmed using sustainable methods, grow in harmony in tropical forests beneath other cash crops such as bananas, rubber or hardwood trees. Grown on small family farms, the beans leave cocoa farms by hand, in carts, on donkeys or rugged trucks to be sold to a local buyer and then to processors abroad. Once in the factory, they are ground, pressed, heated and stirred to create luxurious chocolate.

3,000 years ago, the ancient Meso Americans discovered the seeds which would be processed into what we now know as chocolate on the cacao tree, found in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. They mixed the ground seeds with seasonings back then, to make what they believed to be a health elixir – a bitter, spicy drink that could be considered the World’s first Cocoa drink.

The pods that the cacao seeds grew in were considered by the Mayans to symbolize life and fertility, and so the Mayans often used the symbol of the pod in their religious rituals. They called cacao “The Food of the Gods”. The Aztecs also believed the plant had magic properties, and that it could bestow wisdom and power. They also thought it to be a great source of nutrition – and most interestingly, used it as an aphrodisiac, which today’s science says isn’t so far off!

The Spaniards were the first to introduce sugar to chocolate – and thank goodness they did, or else we wouldn’t be enjoying all of the sweet confections available to us in the present. They also added new spices to the health elixir the Mayans and Aztecs enjoyed, and the modified beverage quickly spread throughout Europe like wildfire, enjoying a reputation as “the drink of the elite” for centuries.

Leave it to the French, however, to further the food’s reputation as an aphrodisiac! Casanova – the infamous womanizer – drank chocolate before seeing his lady friends, and as word of his romantic prowess spread, so did the romantic reputation of chocolate, inspiring much erotic art and literature in the French royal court.

In Barcelona in 1780, finally the first machine-produced chocolate was made. It was still in liquid form, however; smooth, solid eating chocolate would not be available until British chocolatier Fry & Sons developed the first solid chocolate bar in the early 1800s.

So when did Valentines Day chocolates begin to become a tradition? Richard Cadbury, founder of Cadbury Chocolate, introduced the first box of Valentine chocolates in 1868. However, the chocolates must have been dark, because the first milk chocolate was not brought to market until 1875, when a Swiss chocolate maker named Daniel Peter introduced it.

Chocolate became so popular around the world that during World War II, the U.S. government shipped cocoa beans to the troops. Even today, the U.S. Army includes chocolate bars in their rations. Chocolate has even been taken into space by NASA.

So is chocolate an aphrodisiac? Chocolate contains a small amount of phenylethylamine, which has been linked to the regulation of physical energy, mood and attention. A tiny amount of this chemical is released during moments of emotional euphoria, elevating heart rate and blood pressure. There’s no evidence that this chemical in foods elevates the level of the chemical in humans – however, the extra dopamine boost that you get from the caffeine and sugar in chocolate, combined from the happiness of eating such a yummy treat, might put you in a better frame of mind, which can only be a good thing when it comes to romance! Also, some scientists have said that chocolate causes the release of oxytocin, aka “the love chemical”, which causes us to bond with one another. Final analysis? It never hurts to believe!

And it can even help, if it gets you to eat a little chocolate: Dark chocolate (as opposed to milk or white chocolate) contains healthful flavonoids similar to those found in tea, red wine, fruits, and vegetables. Studies have shown that dark chocolate can improve blood vessel flow and may improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity to help reduce the risk of diabetes. But beware, chocolate candy has plenty of saturated fat and sugar, so enjoy small portions of as part of a healthy diet.

If you do happen to overindulge, just remember, these “Chocolate holidays” only come a few times a year, so just get back to your healthful eating plan as soon as possible – and take a nice, long walk outside to get your motivation and energy back in line. That always does a body good!

Tour a Chocolate Factory in San Francisco (video – RealPlayer required)

Valentine day is celebrated on February 14 every year. This day has become love festival and is celebrated with zeal and fervor by young people and youngsters. It may rightly be called the lover’s day. The day has gained enormous proportions among kids and teenagers in recent years. The youth enthusiastically enjoys the day be exchanging love feelings and greetings. This day has become embodiment of love, passion and commitment.  Red rose are offered to lovers as were offered to deities in ancient days. Red rose depicts passionate love and passionate hearts of blossoming lovers: whose red hearts like red roses throb with love, dynamism and devotion. Red rose is favourite flower of goddess Venus, the Latin goddess of love. Love knots made by interlacing loops of ribbon, the pair of white doves, the green colored parrot, the vahana of Kamdeva  all these symbolize love and affection.

Love is eternal subject of art, literature and paintings. Every artist had tried to define love in his or her own unique way but love is like a ocean who none could fathom, so love is still undefined and waiting for future generations to be defined. Not much has been written on single subject as on the subject of love. love is basic human emotion which his flowing eternally in the hearts of people and their arteries, since time memorial and centuries. Some walk in love, some walk through love, some walk over love. There are only a few fortunate in who love rides.

Wars have been fought for love and lover’s sake. Emperors have abdicated their mighty thrones rejecting all wealth and fame of world in choice of love. Such is the power and strength of love. Some unfortunate having obsessed with love committed either suicide or committed the heinous crime of murdering their love.

February 14, the day of love has special significance for all of us. It reminds us the piousness and innocence of love over lust and possessiveness. Love frees us from the bonds of possessiveness whereas the sensuousness binds us with worldly things and bodily beauty and figure. Love is that sweet fragrance that everyone wishes to smell on this day. People express their love and commitment for each other on this auspicious day

This day has mythological significance too.. This reminds us the eternal “love –stories” of cupid-psyche, Eros-psyche and Kamdeva and Rati and love symbolized in images and myths. Cupid was a mischievous winged youth whose arrow would pierce the heart of his victims. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, young son of Aphrodite. To the Romans he was Cupid and his mother was Venus. The Indian version of cupid and Eros is Kamdeva. The three myths of cupid, Eros and Kamdeva symbolize the eternal emotional river of love passion which is flowing in every young and old heart since dawn of civilization. These myths also speak of eternal miseries/ anguish and travails associated with love emotion. Roses that are exchanged on this day symbolize both peace and war, Love and Forgiveness.  White roses are for true love, Red roses stand for passion, Yellow for friendship and Black roses mean farewell.

When the gods of love –Kamdeva, cupid and Eros pertaining to Indian, Latin and Greek cultures see the modern youth in their full bloom dancing with vibrating energy and radiance, they must be remembering their own sportful, fanciful youthful days full of love and romance and offer their  blessings  to the modern youth. I too wish you all happy valentine day. Long live the memory of saint valentine in our hearts.

Pagan History of Easter

Easter is originally a concept from pagans and they used to call it ‘eastre’. This was intended as celebration of spring season. Spring season as per pagan perception was for natural fertility and so it reflects in their celebration. Bunny as symbol is taken based on the fertility goddess they used to worship during this season. This goddess was known for her power of spring season and fertility and they used to believe that she blesses her worshipers with more health and fertility in natural form. Bunnies are known for their high fertility and hence chosen as symbol for this season. Before Anglo-Saxons got mass converted into Christianity they used to worship goddess of offspring through bunny symbol.

Christian History of Easter

After mass conversion of pagans under Christianity the name of the festival was changed from eastre to ‘Easter’. At first this festival was in conflict with new religion Christianity. But some of the preachers managed to mix it with Christianity by totally removing the pagan essence from it. They didn’t give much exposure to pagan bunny symbol and fertility season. This Easter was then modified with Christ resurrection celebration. Staunch Christians usually prefer to follow this new tradition instead of pagan influence on this season.

Easter Bunny

Original Easter bunny symbol from the pagan festival is really to hard to find on the internet. There are some pagan texts available which are likely to have this ancient symbol in them. In modern Easter, the symbol of bunny is modified by funny or laughing bunny or with illustration of bunny near eggs. You’ll find such modern Easter bunny illustration on greeting cards and Easter bunny chocolate gifts. There are some interesting Easter bunny folklore stories published as well. These story books are definitely worth to read for children who have interest in this festival.

Easter Egg

The Easter bunny and Easter eggs traveled continents because of dutch migrations. In America, Easter eggs and bunny got popular because of German migrants in 1700. You’ll find that the method of decoration is quite different among European nations. Eggs are known for their fertility symbol and re-born concept of Christ. This is the reason eggs and bunny symbols of this celebrations are not modified by Christians. The Easter eggs from German and Russia are known for beautiful crafting and variety. During festival celebration eggs are decorated with various colors and placed in basket along with Easter bunny doll or symbol. These Easter eggs in basket are usually chocolates or other sweets placed for the celebration. People often think that some of these eggs are chicken or goose eggs but that’s not the case. They’re often cake, sweet item or simply chocolate wrapped with colorful covering.

Here are some ideas to help you still celebrate Valentine’s day and show your loved one that they’re your #1 sweetheart… without going broke in the process.

The Meal

If you can afford the five-star restaurant and martini bar, then go for it. But, many of us are still in sad finances from the lackluster economy. Try any combination of these ideas:

* Get out the grill and make your sweetheart’s favorite meal at home. 
* If the weather is good, set up a picnic.
* Cut the cost of eating out down by making the appetizer and pre-meal cocktails at home.
* Call around to local restaurants for any specials such as a two can eat for X or discounts for early/late reservations.

The Candy

Again, if you can afford the giant box of Godiva, then go for it. Otherwise, try these ideas:

* Try making the sweets for your sweets…nearly anyone can make a basic cookie recipe and dress it up with heresy kisses, personalized icing messages, or pre-ordered personalized M&Ms.
* Fondue is a fun, sweet activity that both you and your sweetheart can get involved with at home.
* Substitute the high-dollar box of candy for a simple scoop of ice cream (Note: many ice cream parlors now feature a flavor of the month and will have a Valentine’s Day themed ice cream selection.)

The Flowers

Online flowers tend to be costly, and for what? They die in a few days!

* Do you have friends or neighbors with a garden -  ask if you can pick a few flowers to make your sweety a homemade bouquet.
* Check out the prices at your local supermarket – the flowers there usually are just as beautiful, but cost a lot less.
* Try a two for one strategy – make the flowers and the candy into one expense with an edible bouquet of fruit, candy, or popcorn.
* Many flower shops pull off the outer petals to make their flowers symmetrical and more attractive – ask if you can get a discount on these petals and use them to decorate your stay at home meal.

* Look into local origami artists or a “how to” book to make paper flowers.

The Jewelry

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but a heartfelt, meaningful trinket of love will be that one item in her jewelry box that brings a smile as she tells her children and grandchildren the story behind it. 

Good luck and HAPPY VALENTINE”S DAY!

By the way, have you always had a knack, love, or desire to write, but never had an outlet to get published? The Triond family always has room for one more. Get started today, and you can feel free to message me with any questions! 

       I love the fall and the fact that we have so many really great holidays coming up even though there are idiots like that Principle that wants to do away with holidays because they are offended by them.  I say cool let the idiots give up their holidays. I don’t know about you but all they do is make me want to celebrate mine in even a bigger way.  While I am having fun and food with those I love, the idiots are sitting by themselves being hated by everyone else who can care less about their views on the subject anyway.  That said I would like to take a look at the retail stores new ideas as to how to sell holiday items to the public.  When I was a boy you knew what holiday was coming up because when you entered a store you would see holiday displays all around you.  It was exciting and it added to the suspense of the upcoming fun and games.  On Halloween you would see decorations, candy, costumes and everything in that well known black and orange inside and outside the stores.  On Thanksgiving the orange stayed but the pumpkins turned into turkeys and the costumes into Pilgrims. Since Thanksgiving was believed to be the beginning of the Christmas and New Year’s season all of the colors changed to red white and green, along with colored lights, Christmas Trees, Wreaths, and ornaments galore. You always had a section for Hanukkah, and later, Kwanza.  I will always remember the Holiday music playing in the background at that time of year.  Now we get to the crux of the matter.  For some reason the retail stores came up with the dumb ass notions that they should put the Christmas time items out at the same time as the Halloween items.  Does that make any sense to you at all?  It doesn’t even make good business sense because people still by what they need for the next holiday and seldom by Christmas ornaments on Halloween.  I went into a small retail establishment the other day and had another strange adventure.  I was looking for Halloween stuff and I happened upon a half empty isle. I asked the worker that happened to be putting things up on the shelves where the Halloween items were and he said and I quote; on isle 3 between the Thanks Giving and the Christmas stuff.  I just walked out of the store.  They are ruining it for us.  We have nothing to go out and look forward to.  We just go out one day and it is all there, done and forgotten except the money they will be counting.  The problem is not that they want to sell everything at once as much as it is that they don’t take into consideration anyone’s joy or holiday spirit.  What is or retail system coming to?  Have you ever been to the stores that have those do it yourself registers?  I have.  Do I have to tell you that someone is out of a job?  They call it convenience, I call it being cheap and caring less about customer service. I am telling you that this country is losing its identity and the lake of pride and customer service is one of the symptoms of a greater wrong being done in this country.  It is no longer about the working man and Made in America, it is about how much they can get by selling the cheapest shit possible and squeezing the consumer for the highest price possible.  I brought a Television from Best Buy Stores five years ago and had trouble with it from day one.  I paid for the Insurance on it and they took it from my home and could not find anything wrong except it wouldn’t go on.  They kept the television for 6 weeks, and sometime during the seventh week redelivered it to my home. The workers plugged it in and it wouldn’t start.  Part of the Insurance plan sold to me by Best buy said that it would replace the set if they could not fix it.  I called their corporate office. They made all kinds of promises to me, and never followed through.  Needless to say that the policy ran out during this time and Best Buy refused to help me any longer.  They said that I had to work with the insurance company directly and complain to them.  The insurance company told me that the store should be helping me.  The Television issue happened and was worked on and reported during the time the plan was active; therefore they should have replaced the set.  They did not.  I went to another store and bought another television and put the other 52” HDTV away.  I was wronged by Best Buy, and the insurance company.  I don’t have to say more, do I?  Best Buy, Sears, and many other stores who once backed their products now do everything they can to wash their hands of responsibility.  Sears charges you $100 just to come to you home and look at the junkie product they sold you.  Why are we as consumers putting up with such nonsense?  We are being used and robbed by the same stores that once took pride in their products.  Are we to go around now and like a group of idiot’s say that it is alright and that is how things are these days?  I say bullshit to that!  It is time we don’t go to stores that sell at high prices and won’t back their products.  I don’t know about you, but I am mad as Hell!

the mains things is how we follow them and complete them. with the every coming new year, on the nights of 31st December we make lots of resolutions for the coming year and with the first day of the new year start putting strategies to follow them all. and somehow fail to follow them.

we make resolution and break them, make them and break them, and the same story follows us every year like a shadow. the prime force acting behind this failure is “habit of laziness”. we become lazy in doing the fore most task we have assigned for us.

we make resolution like

getting early up 

doing yoga every day,

makes notes,

these are some of the real task we all assign for us, but we are break them too. i do not know when we are going to learn from our mistakes, its become a prime task for us to do mistakes and then when the time passed we realise that we have done something wrong. And by next time we will do the things in perfect way.

And the next time too, we fall in the same situation as we are in the previous time, and again and again..

Alcohol has become intertwined with celebrations.  For example, eggnog seems to be ingrained in Christmas celebrations and champagne is used to toast the New Year. Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among America’s youth.  While other dangerous substances are used by teens, curbing alcohol abuse should be a public health priority.

Holiday alcoholic drinks are even offered to underage teens by their parents.  Perhaps even more preposterous, many parents will allow their children to have holiday parties and provide alcohol under the pretense that “they are going to do it anyway, so it is better if they drink while being monitored.” 

A parent’s main objective should not be to monitor drinking; they should strive to eradicate alcohol consumption by minors to safeguard teenagers and their peers.  When a parent offers alcohol to their underage children, they influence a blatant disregard for the law. This even promotes the notion that the parent approves of their teens drinking thus encouraging the behavior.  Like other states, New Jersey has strict laws which punish people for providing alcohol to underage drinkers. 

Any adult who knowingly allows their children to drink alcoholic beverages and turns a blind eye to the fact is acting dangerously irresponsible.   72% of twelfth graders report that they have used alcohol at least once in their lives.  This is a remarkable fact considering that alcohol consumption is considered illegal for persons under age 21 nationally

According to the Surgeon General’s office, each year about 5,000 people under the age of 21 die of alcohol related injuries involving underage drinking. The Marin Institute reports that alcohol is a leading cause of death among youth, particularly teenagers. It contributes substantially to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, other traumatic injuries, suicide, date rape, and family and school problems.

 The nature of the holiday season and the presence of alcoholic beverages being served may never change.  Yet, teens should make a conscious effort to avoid alcohol consumption.  Further, adults should discourage alcohol use by their children. 

An adult can remove alcohol from holiday parties, or suggest another social activity as an alternative to their teenagers attending parties.  Any effort to prevent alcohol use and abuse by teenagers is productive to protect the safety of young people

New Year’s Day (Sun., Jan. 1, 2012)

Epiphany (Fri., Jan. 6, 2012)

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday (Mon., Jan. 16th, 2012)

Chinese New Year (Mon., Jan. 23, 2012)

Groundhog Day (Thur., Feb. 2, 2012)

Mawlid al-Nabi (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012)*

Lincoln’s Birthday (Sun., Feb. 12, 2012)

St. Valentine’s Day (Tue., Feb. 14, 2012)

Washington’s Birthday or Presidents’ Day (Mon., Feb. 20, 2012)

Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) (Tues., February 21, 2012)

Washington’s Birthday or Presidents’ Day (Mon., Feb. 20, 2012)

Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012)