We are barely into the New Year

Just a few days ago Christmas decorations were on display. In fact ours are still up. We traditionally leave them up until Eastern Orthodox Christmas which is January 6th. Elsewhere the ornaments aren't even cold in their boxes and now Valentine's decorations are everywhere. It's a bit unsettling. I wish that they would wait at least another week.

As you probably know, Valentine's is the #1 holiday for chocolate. There is no need to feel guilty about eating chocolate on Valentine's Day or any other day. Several studies suggest that chocolate can actually be good for you and your heart.

It has been found that chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, acts as an antioxidant. A fatty acid in chocolate eliminates some of the "free radicals" found in the bloodstream. These free radicals would normally oxidize LDL ("bad" cholesterol). Once oxidized, LDL could attach to the walls of the arteries leading to artheroscelosis and blockages.

Happy New Year!!

It is official! 2008 is history! 2009 is the present!

Let's look at that word...present. Present is also synonymous with gift. We all know what a gift is...we just finished the biggest gift giving season of the year. Between Hanukkah and Christmas billions of dollars were spent. But I am not talking about that sort of present.

I am referring to the gift of time. Time is our most precious commodity. Once we spent time we can never get it back. If you lose money you we can earn more. If you lose a possession you can get another one. Ever lose anything? a wallet, cell phone? You went out and bought another one (of course after calling your credit card companies, going to the DMV, etc in the case of a wallet) But we only have a finite amount of time.

How do you use your spare time? I don't have any spare time, you say? Oh, really? How much time do you "spend" surfing the net, playing video games, or the biggest robber of all time...TV? They call it programming for a reason.

What if you turned off the TV this year and read a book? Could it change your life? Maybe...why not give it a try?

Now what does this have to do with Chocolate? Absolutely nothing! LOL But it's my blog and it's New Year's day.

I am simply trying to get you take some time to reflect on last year. 365 days from today how would you like to look back on 2009? As more of the same? or would you like to look back on a year of change and personal growth? Think about it. We are here for a reason. We are either growing or deteriorating? Which are you? I hope that I have given something to contemplate.

Happy New Year!! May 2009 be your year to shine!!

Did you know?

Chocolate lovers are in good company...in 2004 it was reported that the retail chocolate industry in the United States was worth a little over $13 billion per year. Valentine's Day chocolates contribute more than $1 billion to that total. On average, Americans eat a little over 11 1/2 pounds of chocolate every year. This is way behind the Swiss and Germans, who eat about 20 pounds a year.

There was another statistic (though it didn't give the year), that says over 3 million tons of cocoa beans are consumed around the world annually. The market value of the current annual cocoa crop is $5.1 billion. That's a whole lot of chocolate.

I won't even mention my yearly consumption!

CHOCOLATE!!!

Who doesn't like chocolate? I know, I know, there are actually people who don't like chocolate. But this blog isn't for them. Let them go find a vanilla blog...lol

Dark, decadent, rich, smooth chocolate. Even writing those words make me want to go get a bar. As that icon Rachael Ray says "yum-mo"!

To all the chocolate lovers out there, this blog is for you...