Valentine’s Day is Monday and if you don’t have time or a lot of money to buy gifts, try making these Chocolate Covered Strawberries

yummmmmy!!!! and easy to make…just follow the directions below, they’re sure to please your loved one…and don’t forget yourself!

ingredients
16-ounce container of strawberries
8 DOVE CHOCOLATE DISCOVERIES™ Chef-Series chocolate bars (16 oz.) of your choice for base color
4 DCD Chef-Series chocolate bars (8 oz.) in contrasting color for swirls
Parchment Paper

PREPARATION
1.Wash and completely dry strawberries.
2. For best results use the DCD Pro-Series Chocolate Tempering Unit. Temper 16 oz. of chocolate for base color.
If you don’t have the tempering unit, you can melt the chocolate in microwave or in double boiler-just make sure not to overcook!
3. Holding by the stem, dip about half the strawberry into the chocolate. Give it a quick twist, shake off excess and point at ceiling for a second to be sure chocolate adheres. Place on Parchment Paper.
4. Temper ½ pound of contrasting chocolate.
5. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons into a Pastry Bag with a very small tip (or in a plastic bag with corner snipped off) and pipe swirls onto strawberries.
6. Place on Parchment Paper and allow to set up.
7. If set up seems slow, place in refrigerator for 3 to 5 minutes.
These are best eaten the day they are made

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, is quickly approaching.

It’s a day for love.
Here are some interesting stats about Valentine’s Day:
~~25% of card sales are for Valentine’s…consider sending an ecard instead to be green or making your own.
~~over 36 million heart shaped boxes of candy are sold for Valentine’s…consider sending organic chocolate.
~~10% of engagements happen on Valentine’s Day…consider wood rings.

What are you doing to celebrate?
Are you expecting gifts?
Are you the type that wants perfume, chocolate, flowers or do you prefer other types of gifts?
Not that I’m getting anything for Valentine’s Day but I’d not want any of that, give me something useful any day!
Ok, so I’m weird like that. Hmmm perhaps that’s why there’s nobody giving me anything! lol

Are you giving gifts?
If you’re giving…are you giving green, eco friendly gifts?
Need help…try giving some of these:
organic gift bags, Fairtrade items, organic chocolate, eating locally, giving organic or live flowers, organic bamboo sheets…the list goes on.
Are you going to propose? Instead of a diamond, consider wood rings.

What are you doing to be green for Valentine’s Day?
Are you staying home for a relaxing romantic dinner? Making a personal special Valentine’s card? eating locally? buying living flowers? what…

Post in comments section and you might be the lucky winner of a surprise green gift.

http://www.goveg.com/f-veganAphrodisiacs.asp?int=weekly_enews

We’ve known for years that vegetarians make better lovers. Physicians
agree that eating meat clogs up the arteries that go to all organs,
not just the heart, which means that eating meat causes impotence.
Because pure vegetarians are about one-ninth as likely as meat-eaters
to be overweight and report that they need less sleep and have more
energy than meat-eaters, you will become more appealing in the
bedroom.

But there’s even more good news for veggie Valentinos: Many healthy
vegan foods are loaded with natural aphrodisiacs—nutrients and
chemicals that boost your and your partner’s sexual arousal and
performance. Research has shown that vegetarians enjoy greater
amounts of the nutrients that help boost sexual health and
performance—such as vitamins A, C, and E and potassium—than
meat-eaters do.

When it comes to a romantic dinner with your special girl or guy,
ditch the meat. Alan Hirsch, M.D., of the Smell and Taste Treatment
and Research Foundation has found that the smell of barbecued or
roasted meat reduces sexual desire in women, confirming what vegans
have known all along: There’s just nothing sexy about eating a
diseased, rotting corpse!

Try serving your lover these scrumptious vegan aphrodisiacs to help
put both of you in the mood:

* Asparagus: Asparagus is high in vitamin E, which increases
blood and oxygen flow to the genitals, and potassium, which is
important for healthy sex hormone production, making this veggie a
well-known aphrodisiac. Its suggestive phallic shape makes it as
enticing to the eye as it is to the mouth. To get the best effect,
eat this delicious and healthy vegetable at least three days in a
row.
* Bananas: A fruit with a sexy shape, bananas are said to contain
chemicals that can lift your mood and make you more confident.
Bananas are also famously high in potassium, a nutrient that aids in
sex hormone production and boosts energy.
* Berries: The perfect foods to feed your lover, strawberries,
raspberries, and blueberries are high in vitamin C, which is
important for making sex hormones and neurotransmitters.
* Carrots: Carrots are bursting with vitamin A, a nutrient needed
for producing sex hormones. For guys, vitamin A is vital for sperm
production.
* Chili Peppers: These sizzling veggies will spice up your meal
and your evening! Adding chili peppers to your dishes gets your heart
pumping and produces neurochemicals known as endorphins, which make
you happier.
* Chocolate:Nothing shows your love—or your compassion—better
than a box of vegan chocolates for your sweetheart. Chocolate
contains the chemical phenylethylamine, which is believed to
stimulate romantic feelings by making you happy and excited. Its
natural caffeine provides an added boost by giving you more energy.
* Ginger: Seasoning your meals with ginger will enhance blood
flow to all parts of your body as long as your arteries aren’t
clogged up from eating the cholesterol and saturated fat in meat,
eggs, and dairy products.
* Licorice: A fun food to hand-feed your lover, researchers have
found that the smell of licorice mixed with cucumber is the most
sexually stimulating scent for women. Licorice is widely believed to
produce feelings of love and lust—particularly in women.
* Nuts: Men should eat cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts, and
other nuts to take in a healthy amount of zinc, which keeps men
potent and prevents prostate problems. Nuts are also high in protein,
which gives you the energy to keep you going throughout the day—and
night.
* Pumpkin: Neurological research has shown that the scent of
pumpkin pie is a sexual stimulant for both men and women, increasing
male penile blood flow by 40 percent. Pumpkin seeds are one of the
best vegan sources of zinc, which for men is crucial for potency and
in preventing prostate problems.

Here’s to success, happiness & health,
Tara

http://www.TaraBurner.com