7 Tips on Giving Chocolates to Your Valentine
7 Tips on Giving Chocolates to Your Valentine
Every year millions of people exchange chocolates on February 14th for Valentine's Day. This trend has grown very popular in recent times, especially with the rise of quality chocolates (...and the number of chocoholics). Still, even in these modern times there are a few things you need to consider before you run out and grab a chocolate gift.Fresh chocolates are the best to get
Some of the larger chocolate candy makers make their chocolates for the "busy season" (December through February) as early as summer time. That means that some of the packaged chocolates you can purchase are several months old. Also, some of these chocolates are made with added preservatives which allow the chocolates to stay good longer, but can affect the taste.
To get around this it is recommended you buy from a local chocolatier, candy store, or bakery who can produce a fresh chocolate treat for you (or at least one that is only a day or two old). If you are sending your chocolates to someone far away, check to see if there is a good local place that could deliver fresh chocolates for you and lessen the chance of shipping mishaps.Nothing beats a homemade gift
For a more personal touch you can make your own box of chocolates to give to your valentine. Don't worry if you are not a whiz in the kitchen - even if your gift does not turn out perfectly, it will earn extra points because you made it especially for them. There are many books, magazines, and websites to turn to for help and guidance so you do not have to go it alone. This is also a chance for you to personalize the chocolates an make them extra special by adding your valentine's favorite fruits, nuts, liqueurs, flavors, etc. See the Chocolate Truffle recipe below for a good way to make your own homemade gift.The shape of love
While hearts are often a common theme used for shaping chocolates and gift boxes, you can use any shape that would appeal to your valentine, such as flowers. You can be creative with cookie cutters, stencils, or decorator's icing to give your chocolates extra flair, such as drawing a heart, smiley face, or bow on your chocolates. Also consider the different ways you can dress up the gift box with ribbons, flowers, handwritten love poems, etc.Milk chocolate is not the only chocolate out there
While most Americans favor milk chocolates, don't be afraid of using dark chocolate in your gift; for instance, you can do a mixed selection of 1/2 milk chocolate and 1/2 dark chocolate. If you are not sure if your valentine likes dark chocolate you might want to go for the mild and sweet taste of semisweet chocolate. If you want to go for intense chocolate flavor then go with the bittersweet dark chocolate.
Generally, the higher the percentage of cocoa, the more bittersweet the chocolate will taste. If you are using unsweetened or baking chocolate, then you will want to mix it with something else, such as cream and sugar, to help bring down the intensity level.Timing is everything
It is important to give the right amount of time towards your chocolate gift. If you are buying the chocolates you need to get your order in early to help avoid the last-minute rush. Some places have a cut-off date that they will take Valentine orders, especially if shipping or local delivery is involved. If you are making the chocolates you might want to try a practice run to work out any kinks that might come up and to help you get familiar with the recipe.
The odds are good that you will do even better the next time you go through the recipe and you can make any adjustments you think would taste good to your valentine. Make sure you can get the ingredients you need from the store since the holiday rush can often deplete the local supply of chocolate, sugar, and other handy ingredients. If you purchase the chocolate early, store it in a cool, dry, dark place, not the refrigerator.So much chocolate, so little time
There are a wide variety of chocolate gifts you can give: chocolate truffles, bonbons (chocolate shell with a creamy center), cake, brownies, fudge, cookies (chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate dipped, etc.), chocolate dipped fruit/nuts/pretzels/whatever, and many others that you can purchase or make, so let your imagination run wild.As a final tip, here is a recipe for making Chocolate Truffles to help you get started:Chocolate Truffles
Top 14 Tips for Selecting A Golf School
Top 14 Tips for Selecting A Golf School
With the increase in number of schools for learning Golf,
it has become necessary for the learner to find out a
school that suits him best from all the angles. Here are
the tips for selecting a Golf School:1. When the institute was established and how many members
they have. Since when they are into coaching.2. What type of golf course they have? Is it 18 holes, 22
holes, 27 holes or more?3. Do they organize tournaments regularly (a lot of
learning is possible by the learner by simply watching good
players)?4. The school should have sound credentials. If possible,
find out from other sources about the claims they make.5. Try to get the record of accomplishment of the schools
by talking to people who either are learning there or have
completed the training and now practicing there or
elsewhere.6. Get details from other such schools, make your own
assessment/comparison and decide. If a school offers any
guarantee, the same should be crosschecked with schools.7. Find out the details of the program they have for the
learners. What methodology they follow in coaching the
students.8. How many students have completed their training and
where they are. Have they trained/produced
national/international golfers?9. What kind of facilities they have? Do they have the
facility to learn Uphill, Downhill, Side hill, Sand and
trouble shots?10. Can one learn all types of shots during training or
some shots they do not teach during training?11. Do they have separate ground for training?12. What type of facilities for learning/improving the
Swing. Do they have a Video that can analyze the swing? If
yes, it will be better because one can learn by seeing his
shots on the video and find out where and what is wrong in
it. You can improve/ accelerate your learning curve by
watching and practicing.13. Do they customize the trai
zning program according to the
needs / skills of the individual or these are common to
all. This may be very crucial in deciding as one would
always like to have a tailor made learning package so that
he can get best out of the training.14. Do they have covered ground for learning, this is
important because if it rains continuously for days
together one may lose his training time resulting into loss
of total training days/hours?Follow these tips, and selecting the right golf school
becomes a no brainer.Bud Bradley is a freelance writer, working long hours at a
computer. His main relaxation is golf, and over many years
he's visited many golf schools in an attempt to improve his
game. This series of articles relates his experience.
Tools and Tips for Keeping the Holidays Organized
Tools and Tips for Keeping the Holidays Organized
It's November 1st. You've walked into your favorite store to buy half-priced Halloween candy and what do you see? Christmas decorations! "Oh, no!" you think to yourself. "That can only mean one thing..."The HOLIDAYS are coming!Don't stress-you're going to start early and be more organized this year...Here are some tools and tips for staying on top of the busy and sometimes stressful holiday season.TOOL #1: ListsWhy keep lists? Whether they are written on paper or typed onto your computer, a list allows you to do a sort of 'brain dump' of everything you need to recall at a moment's notice. There are so many different things to remember when it comes to holiday time: Your husband's shirt size, the spices you need for this year's stuffing, what store has gift wrap on sale, etc. Unless you have an incredible memory, keeping lists will help get you through some of the stress of the holiday season.Some examples of list topics you may need during the holidays are:food shopping listlists of dishes to prepare when entertaininggift listinvitation listsTOOL #2: CalendarThis may be the most important organizing tool you use this season. Why use a calendar? A calendar is a tool that helps you plan what you need to accomplish in a day, a week, or a month. And boy, is there a lot to accomplish during the holidays! As opposed to just making to-do lists, sometimes seeing time in visual blocks on paper (or electronically) helps one to manage their time more efficiently...Examples of activities to be scheduled during the holidays are:food shoppinggift shoppingcookingwrapping giftstrips to the post officeholiday parties (whether hosted by you or someone else)Become a 'Master of Time Management.'How will you know how much time to put aside for each task? Work backwards from the day or time that a task needs to be done by. Estimate how many hours/days it would take to complete the task. Schedule the time and and mark your calendar accordingly.For example:Task:Cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving (to be ready by Thursday at 5pm)Steps:Purchase turkey at least one week before Thanksgiving (enter task in calendar for the week before Thanksgiving)Defrost turkey 2-3 days before Thanksgiving depending upon size (calculate defrosting time and enter task in calendar to be started on Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving)Cook turkey. This can take 3-6 hours depending upon size (calculate cooking time and write on your calendar for Thursday what time the bird needs to be in the oven by in order to finish cooking by 5pm)A schedule is a guideline and should be flexible. Try to schedule tasks to be completed ahead of deadline. This allows for any problems or emergencies that may arise.TOOL #3: Quality Storage ContainersDishesAre your holiday dishes in a box in the attic? A great product for protecting and storing your holiday (or any type of) dishes are China Keepers. They are padded/quilted, made of either cotton or vinyl and come in different shapes and sizes depending upon your storage needs.*Lillian Vernon Online sells them in six different patterns including one set decorated for the Christmas season (www.lillianvernon.com).Holiday DecorationsSome people decorate their homes only in the winter and some people choose to decorate for every holiday in the year. Whichever person you claim to be, it is important to keep your decorations from being ruined due to improper storage and care. A few options are:large plastic bins with ornament dividersziploc bags for small items such as ornament hangers and anything small enough to get lost in a big boxsmall plastic bins for lights, candles, and the ziploc bags of smaller itemswreath boxes specially designed for wreath storage (found at www.organizes-it.com)*Label everything so you can find it easily next year.Leftover FoodWrapping leftovers in tinfoil might be a quick way to get them from frying pan to fridge but you'll be spending a great deal of time figuring out what's inside of them. Use food containers such as those made by Rubbermaid or Tupperware or 'disposable' containers such as ones made by Glad and Ziploc. They're found in most supermarkets. They stack well and if you want to give out leftovers to your guests, they're not very expensive to replace.Tips for staying organized throughout the holiday season:Wrap gifts and write holiday cards as early in the season as possible. I don't know anyone (including postal employees) that want to be in the post office around the time of December 25th...Shop early in the season, at off-peak hours or online if at all possibleWhen storing ornaments, group them by theme. This will make it easier to find exactly which ones you want.After the holiday, sort through ornaments, wall/door hangings, linens, etc. and purge anything that you do not need, want, or is beyond repair.Above all, remain calm. If you stay organized, the holidays will be less stressful and you will enjoy yourself even more. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!About The AuthorStacey Agin Murray, professional organizer and owner of Organized Artistry, LLC, transforms 'mess' into 'masterpiece' with patience, organizing know-how, and a sense of humor. For more articles and to get your FREE e-list of 'Top Ten Tips for Organized Living' visit http://www.organizedartistry.com; stacey@organizedartistry.com