If you ever needed an excuse to eat chocolate, well now you’ve got it! Numerous studies have indicated that there are an array of health benefits associated with eating chocolate. In typical gourmet hot chocolate style, I prefer to drink my chocolate and that apparently this is just as good too. Moderation is still the best approach but I can deal with that.

So you want a few details about your luxurious rich treat, well here are a few:

Chocolate causes the release of endorphins. This substance is commonly referred to as the ‘happy-hormone’ as it naturally lifts our moods. In addition to giving us that feel good sensation, endorphins have also been found to be mild pain relievers and assist in reducing stress.

Chocolate is rich in flavonoids. Dark chocolate has the highest levels of flavonoids with milk chocolate coming in second. Unfortunately for white chocolate lovers, white chocolate does not contain this beneficial substance. Flavonoids act as anti-oxidants by helping the body’s cells resist damage from free radicals. Excess damage from free radicals can cause premature aging and has been linked to heart disease.

I’ve also recently found out that chocolate contains a substance called serotonin. Serotonin acts as an anti-depressant – yet another feel good property.

Saturday night calls for relaxation and recharging the batteries. Tonight once the kids are tucked away in bed, my husband and I will be putting our feet up ans watching a DVD (we’ve got “50 first dates” picked out). To add to the atmosphere we will be indulging in a gourmet hot chocolate and tonight it will be created from the Ghirardelli range – quick, easy and oh so tasty. So much to look forward to and apparently we’ll be receiving some health benefits too… this couldn’t get any better.

Eat, drink and enjoy and forget the guilt, it is not required.

 This week in the Edmonton Journal it was reported that women actually prefer chocolate to sex! I imagine that this would leave a lot of males feeling a little uneasy… how on earth can they compete against chocolate? I am a fan of most chocolate, in particular a good cup of heavenly gourmet hot chocolate. However, I’m not sure if I prefer this delectable treat to sex. My understanding was that chocolate, in any shape or form, was in fact an aphrodisiac and therefore should possibly be enjoyed as a prelude to sex. Now this is possibly a way of having the best of both worlds.

In many ways chocolate and sex have been connected for centuries. Rather than competing they have actually existed side-by-side. For example, chocolate has always been and remains to be a fantastically romantic gift. The heart of most females could possibly be won over with a beautifully presented gourmet chocolate gift basket for almost any occasion. A Valentine gift would not be complete without at least a handful of heart-shaped chocolates.

My recommendations for a perfectly romantic evening would go something like this…

A romantic candle lit dinner, preferably outdoors in the fresh air on crisp, cool night. A light dinner will suffice. My husband recently made us a magnificent warm trout salad including grilled trout, thinly sliced red peppers and bok choy cooked for a few minutes in a pan with a dressing of soy, rice vinegar, mirin, ginger, garlic, chilli and sesame seed oil and served on a bed of fluffy rice. The focus of the meal can therefore become a rich chocolate dessert. As an undying fan of a good gourmet hot chocolate this would be my number one recommendation. Serving this hot chocolate with a few plain biscuits would be perfect. Now if there is indeed truth in the matter of chocolate being an aphrodisiac, well then the rest of the evening should take care of itself.

I believe the answer is sex AND gourmet hot chocolate.

Over the years my chocolate addiction has become more and more apparent to my family and friends and so my default present come any special occasion is usually chocolate in some shape or form. Now on a day to day basis I am pretty happy with a block of fairly good chocolate but come a special occasion I am all for the really good quality stuff. ‘Koko Black’ a gorgeous little chocolate shop has recently opened not to far away from where I live (very dangerous). Anyway this is the sort of place you visit for those special occasion chocolate gifts. 

This weekend I went venturing for a Father’s day present for my equally chocolate addicted husband. Koko black was my first destination of choice. Now I had a little time up my sleave and so decided to sit down and treat myself to one of their incredibly enticing gourmet hot chocolates. Whilst I was sitting in this chocolate heaven, completely engrossed in my magnificent hot chocolate drink I came up with the perfect chocolate gift with a little twist – a hot chocolate gift. I think this gift idea was partly because I was beginning to feel slightly guilty at the fact that I was out alone indulging myself whilst my husband was at home with our two kids and partly because it occurred to me that this fabulous drink could be savoured in the comfort of our home too.

The fabulous hot chocolate gift that I purchased was made from dark Belgian chocolate and was presented in a gorgeous little bag – perfect. In addition the kids and I got our creative hats on and painted a couple of ceramic mugs one stating “Worlds greatest Dad” and the other “I love hot chocolate”. Our little gourmet chocolate gift basket could not have been complete without the inclusion of a few of dad’s favorites, these included:

• A Classic Belgian Truffle: a dark ganache with a small hint of vanilla
• Caramel mousse: a milk chocolate filled with a light caramel ganache
• Hazelnut trio: milk chocolate with a hazelnut praline
• Almond praline: a combination of milk and white chocolate with an almond praline filling