News & Events
Valentine's Day Gift Giving
February 01, 2008
Happy Valentines Day!
February 14th is the day traditionally set aside for love and romance. How are you planning on celebrating Valentine's Day this year? Dining at a special restaurant or arranging for a huge bouquet of roses to be delivered to your Valentine at work? You are not alone, half of the U.S. population purchases at least one Valentine's greeting card and according to one website I searched, 85% of all Valentine cards are bought by women. The same site stated that 73% of all Valentine's Day flowers are bought by men. But it appears that chocolates are still the all time favorite choice for Valentine gifts.
Then make mine Chocolate!
According to Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD and author of several books on nutrition, "Chocolate is the number one most craved food and women are the ones most likely to crave it".
So why do so many of us crave chocolate? Chocolate has over 1,000 flavor components and 300 chemicals which affect brain chemistry and mood and can heightens sensory perception, increase relaxation, and produce a feeling of euphoria. It is also a perfect mix of sugar and fat which turns on almost every appetite-triggering nerve chemical in the brain. Sugar triggers serotonin and NPY which results in a sense of well-being and the endorphins that are released give an immediate euphoric rush. The fat in chocolate satisfies the nerve chemical galanin, curbing the cravings for fats.
Chocolate has been around for a very long time. An early record of its use dates from 1100 to 1400 BC and there is some evidence that the white pulp around the cacao bean may have been used as a source of sugar for an alcoholic drink. (I don't think it was chocolate vodka though) Chocolate was an important luxury good in pre-Colombian Mesoamerica and the beans were often used as money.
In the 1500's the Spanish conquistadors brought chocolate back to Spain and the European love affair with chocolate began. In 1765 the first chocolate factory was opened in the U.S. in Dorchester MA by James Baker and John Hannon.
Recently, you may have heard that "dark chocolate" is good for you because the flavanols in dark chocolate might act as antioxidants and we all know that antioxidants are good for you.
As much as I'd like to believe chocolate is fifth food group, I'll stick with low fat, and whole grain foods for my main diet but that doesn't mean I'll totally pass up that occasional piece of fabulous, rich, luscious chocolate!
So many chocolates... so little time!
P.S. Remember chocolate can be fatal to dogs!
Check out our selection of Valentine Gift Baskets
Best In Show
On February 11th and 12th the 132rd Westminster Kennel Club Annual Dog Show will be held at Madison Square Garden. 169 breeds and varieties of dogs will be judged in seven different groups: Hounds, Terriers, Non-Sporting, Sporting, Herding, Working and Toy. One dog from each group is named Best In Breed and one will be judged Best In Show.
When our dogs were puppies we referred to them as our "home entertainment center" and 10 years later, they still put on a great show every evening. Of course the shows at our house have a little different format than the WKC show and the group names have a little different meaning. For example, the "herding" group has to do with herding squirrels and chipmunks. Dana is our champ in this group! The "toy" group is judged by who has collected the most toys in their bed. Fox is hands down winner every year! What about your house? We'd love to know how your dog got to be "best in breed". Send along a photo and we'll post it in our studio.
Reward your champion with a Best In Show Gift Basket.
Dates to Remember
- 2nd Groundhog Day
- 3rd Super Bowl XLII
- 5th Mardi Gras
- 5th Paczki Day
- 6th Ash Wednesday
- 11&12 Westminster Kennel Club Show
- 12th Gentlemen's Night at Eastworks
- 14th Valentine's Day
- 15th Gum Drop Day
- 18th President's Day
- 23rd Clam Chowder Day
- 29th Leap Year
