Full to the brim with a wide assortment of trinkets, the baskets offered by this group can brighten any occasion you might be shopping for. Customers will delight in the food included in these gift baskets. Meats, crackers, cheeses, and fruit are placed together by skilled hands in order to provide delectable combinations fit for all. Factor in the wine that is part of the majority of baskets and it’s easy to understand how they earned their top notch reputation.

For those with a sweeter tooth, they still have many baskets you might peruse as well. You can buy just sweetmeats or mix them with a variety of nibbles so friends, associates, and so on can sample the wares. What other treats, you wish to know? Equally pleasing to that sweet tooth are cakes and we guarantee that the choices will make the recipient smile. They also offer baskets intended for people who favor sweet tastes but refrain from processed sugar. Taking into account the tropical hampers cheese and fruit boxes, and boxes of individual fruits you have a wide spread of choices. And if you’d prefer not to send edible gifts, consider sending a spa gift selection containing bathing luxuries.

As with any gift seller, a sizable proportion of its output is assembled for the festive season. To fill decorative containers they collect cookies, chocolates, treats, mints, wine and many more to help celebrate. Choose the look which works best for you — do you need a family-friendly Christmas tree, or would you go for a formal package better suited to the office? They’ve got what you need. Naturally, Christmas isn’t the only important date on your calendar, so don’t sweat it — they offer specials for funerals, birthdays, weddings, closing a business deal, not to mention other special events.

Delivering to all, wherever you ask worldwide, they can guarantee with certainty to supply the very best. No matter what you order, you may rest assured that it’ll reach the end of its journey just as you saw it on 1800Baskets.com — and it will only take you a few clicks of the mouse to make it happen.

Fannie May’s ability to mix the freshest ingredients in the perfect way made them so popular they expanded to about forty eight outlets in only fifteen years. In fact the management were so dedicated to the standard of their products they preferred to shut their doors instead of changing their recipes during wartime rationing. Quite a number of these much loved recipes are in fact still being made use of and savored all these years later.

As you would expect, the chocolates are beautifully boxed. Don’t forget to choose a gorgeous presentation box when the chocolate is for a special occasion, just to give the chocolates a finishing touch. The size of a chocolate gift is altogether your choice, going from a single chocolate to a basket bulging with various sorts of chocolate truffle, caramels and just about any other filling you can think of from Fannie May. If you prefer to request unique centers that’s easily done, however a huge assortment of premade gifts are on offer besides.

Fannie May nowadays have providers not just in the country but in various other nations all over the globe. So you can choose a gift online and have your gift delivered anywhere at home or abroad. There are a couple of chocolates which are not suitable for transportation during the summer, however this chocolate manufacturer can ship gifts throughout the year and will ensure the quality of the candies when they reach their destination. Even if you are on a sugar free diet plan or are unlucky enough to have allergies, there’s something suitable. Fannie May’s have sugar free chocolate and many other delicacies as well. If you are planning a special occasion like a marriage, tiny gifts and wedding favors are a specialty. Give them a ring or contact Fannie May online for more info.

Fannie May has developed into such a popular chocolate maker and it is all down to its commitment to quality, service and such a great variety. And, with types encompassing a huge spectrum: white, milk and dark chocolate, fruit, and caramel flavors, the hardest task is bound to be not to order their entire inventory!

Whatever your favorite size or flavor, they stand ready to provide you with all the popcorn you could want. They’ve maintained their quality for thirty years. To make sure of perfection they begin by determining the finest corn from America. If you’re using the finest corn oil, you can keep that flavor as the kernels pop, meaning you can add other flavorings easily. It’s packaged in colorful cartons and dispatched immediately. Have you ever wanted a six gallon tin, full of popcorn? They can help. So if you have a staff function that wants snacks laying on — or simply want to stock up enough to cater for the next few movie nights — you know what to order. Of course, you’d expect the buttered and plain varieties, but other tastes available may come as a surprise. Perhaps these should be beyond your price range? Don’t worry — gift boxes are also possibilities. Designed to reflect birthdays, Christmas, or to send a message, they make great gifts. If none of these will quite do, investigate having the package customized with an amusing image, clever missive, or simply your name.

If you’re already certain what you’re after, you can always purchase a healthy amount. However, samplers provide a smaller quantity of several types so you can try everything. And if you need to buy more than just a small serving of several varieties, your wisest way to go is a tower. Easily created by stacking boxes together and securing them to one another, you can purchase specific combinations or design your own. And there you have it; so many flavors, such a variety of options. And with their appearance, too, they’re excellent gifts. So why not spread a little happiness? We highly recommend it.

Fannie May’s talent of blending cocoa, sugar and other quality ingredients in just the right manner made them such a favorite with the public they grew to just under 48 branches in only 15 years. During the second world war rationing, the doors of the business were shut, as they refused to debase the quality of their recipes. A range of these closely guarded recipes are being made use of and enjoyed today. Naturally each and every individual chocolate looks as delicious as it tastes. Gorgeous gift packages add that something special to make a gift anyone will appreciate. How much you spend is totally your choice, from just one perfect chocolate to a hamper loaded with various kinds of truffle, fruit creams and just about any other filling you can imagine from Fannie May. There are a a carefully chosen selection of different hampers in the internet store, or you can buy particular varieties and just pick which box you would prefer. Unlike many of its challengers, Fannie May has multiple branches across America and the globe. So you can order on the internet and have your gift box sent anyplace. While they do have a few shipping restrictions during the warmer summer months, Fannie May has the ability to deliver the vast majority of gifts everywhere.

Particular diets should not be an issue. Fannie May’s make candies with no added sugar and various other delicacies besides. Should you need a large number of gift boxes or special gifts for a wedding banquet, Fannie May can help you there as well. Pick up the phone or contact Fannie May online for more info.

Fannie May has grown into such a booming chocolate maker because of its commitment to quality, its customer support and its vast selection. In fact, with candies such as white, milk and dark chocolate, nut, fruit, and vanilla fillings, the most difficult task is going to be not going for their entire stock in one fell swoop.

A casino evening can be just as fun with your friends as the bargainers or you running the activity tables. As the host, you may need to play the character of the “Pit Boss” so you can maintain an eye on the celebrations. Here is what you will require for Do-it-yourself gambling casino party themes. Turn standard tables into gambling casino tables with felt layouts for black jack, roulette, poker, and craps. Purchase accessories for your casino activities such as notices and a menu brake shoe, a line roulette wheel, craps die and stick, and testimonials from casino occasion supply sites. Throw in one of those games that people desire to take on in the solid casinos but may be intimidated by like Baccarat or Pai Gow. Take a casino games book on hand so nary of the rules are left up to risk!

For this snazzy fete, you are going to need to make the most delightful for your invitees. Las Vegas is a urban center of splendid culinary art and amazing intoxicant drinkables. Fortunately for you, we have a bill of fare that will bedazzle everyone. Begin the Libations with…The Velvet Elvis and You Ain’t Nothing But a Greyhound. Your invitees will cap you the unparalleled Ace of Hearts and Taste Buds when they get a taste of the bill of fare that is guaranteed to make everyone feel as if they have hit the Jackpot! This fashionable Vegas spread is fit for High Rollers and will inspire your acquaintances to croon your culinary praises like Frank or Celine before her final curtain call. It is no gamble. Just slap on your favorite boa and smash the party table.

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa… Think it is impossible to fete all the various holidays at the office? Don’t sweat we’ve got you covered with effortless, traditional recipes, playful decor, and rapturous holiday party games will allow you and your co-workers enjoy a genuine multicultural holiday season. To make sure your office fete has a diversity of goodies and drinks, make it a potluck and specify coworkers to add food that stands for a unique occasion. Cook up a pile of potato latkes, a celebration favorite. Traditionally cooked during Hanukkah, these warm hot cakes are commonly served with apple sauce, but try a cut of apple cuts instead for novelty.

Host a holiday biscuit exchange fete to catch up with acquaintances and trade formulas along with good baked goods. For some, the holiday season is not complete without a cookie swap! Whether you go all out and have an recognized holiday party focused around the “exchange” or request a few guests over for coffee and cookie collecting, this get together is a marvelous means to share gifts from your kitchen and pass time with friends.

Surely most every American has had their bath, dinner, favorite movie moment or (you fill in the blank) interrupted by a telemarketing call, and if you’re like most Americans it’s an everyday occurrence.

While you may not give in to telemarketing sales pitches, many do. In 2002, the telemarketing industry brought in over $11 billion in revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is a huge profit by any standard, but when you consider that it comes from only 3,245 U.S. telemarketing bureaus it becomes clear just how massive an industry telemarketing calls have become.

Every year, telemarketers make some 8 billion calls, which worked out to about 100 per household in 2002. They do have some restrictions-Federal law prohibits telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and when they do call telemarketers must provide their name, the company for which they work and a phone number.

As though sales calls aren’t bad enough at home, complaints of telemarketers targeting cell phones are increasing-and in this case it’s not just a waste of your time because you’re the one paying for the air time. Though federal law does prohibit telemarketing calls using an automated dialing service to cell phones, it doesn’t prohibit direct calls and many do get through.

If you want to dramatically reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, there are several actions you can take.

1. The National Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created a national registry of phone numbers that are blocked from non-exempt telemarketers. Over 60 million phone numbers have been added to the Do Not Call Registry since its launch.

The Registry is one of your best bets to reducing telemarketing calls: 92 percent of people who used the Registry said they are receiving “fewer calls” and 78 percent said they’re getting “far fewer calls” or none at all, according to a Harris Interactive poll,

There are two ways to add your number to the list:

1. Online at www.DONOTCALL.gov

2. By calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the number you want to register

Note: Certain telemarketers are exempt and may still call numbers on the Registry. These include charities, politicians, telephone surveyors and businesses that have a prior relationship with the person they’re calling (banks, airlines, phone-service providers, etc.). Businesses that you’ve given permission to call are also exempt.

How to File Complaints

If your number has been on the Registry for at least three months and you receive a call from a non-exempt telemarketer you can file a complaint with the FTC. To do so visit www.DONOTCALL.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY1-866-290-4236) and have the date of the call and the phone number or name of the company who called you ready.

2. Ask Telemarketers to Take Your Name off Their List

When a telemarketer does call, ask them to remove your name and number from their list. They are required to add your number to their own “do-not-call” list and keep it there for 10 years. If your number has been on the Do Not Call Registry for over three months and the company is not exempt, you may also want to file a complaint (see above) with the FTC.

3. Keep Your Phone Number Unlisted

There is typically a monthly fee to keep your telephone number unlisted, which means it won’t be listed in the local telephone directory nor will it be available through Directory Assitance (411) or telephone operators (0).

This will cut back on the number of people and companies that have access to your number, however, according to the Federal Communications Commission, there are no laws against the collection of unlisted telephone numbers, and in some cases unlisted numbers can still be obtained from a directory assistance operator. They may also be sold to other organizations or people with whom you have done business in the past.

In fact, industry experts say that one way marketers gain access to unlisted numbers is from the customers giving out their numbers themselves, via surveys, product registration cards and credit card applications. The numbers are also gathered from public records like property data.

Anti-Telemarketing Script

Here’s what to say when telemarketers call you. Just follow the script if you don’t want any more junk calls:

1. Are you calling to sell something? or Is this a telemarketing call?’

2. Could you tell me your full name please?

3. And a phone number, area code first?

4. What’s the name of the organization you’re calling for?

5. Does that organization keep a list of numbers it’s been asked not to call?

6. I would like my number (s) put on that list. Can you take care of that now?

7. And does the company you work for also make telemarketing calls for any other organizations? (If they answer no, skip the next question.)

8. (If yes) Can you make sure your company won’t call me for any other organization?

9. Is it clear that I never want telemarketing calls from anyone?

10. Will your company keep my number on its do-not-call list for at least 10 years?

11. And does your company have a written policy that says that on paper?

12. Can you send me a copy of it?

13. What’s your supervisor’s first and last name?

14. What’s your employer’s business name, address and main telephone number?

15. Are you calling for a tax-exempt nonprofit organization?

16. Is this call based on a previously established business relationship?

You may need to ask to speak with a supervisor if they can’t answer your questions. Before hanging up, check that you have all their answers written down, then say goodbye. Add the date and time to your record. (Is it between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., when such calls are prohibited?)

Copyright (C) 1996-2005 Junkbusters Corporation. Reproduced by permission under the GNU General Public License

From the FREE SixWise.com e-newsletter, the Web’s #1 most read newsletter with original articles in all 6 areas of life leading to complete wellness.

The bark, leaves and the inner stony pit of the apricot all contain amygdalin which is a naturally occurring compound that degrades to release hydrogen cyanide or prussic acid in your stomach. Apricot oil, treated during processing to remove the cyanide, is marked FFPA to show that it is “free from prussic acid”.

Extract of apricot pits, known medically as Laetrile, has been used by some alternative practitioners to treat cancer on the theory that the cyanide in amygdalin is released only when it comes in contact with beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme common to tumor cells. Scientifically designed tests of amygdalin have not shown this to be true. Laetrile is illegal in the United States.

The most nutritious way to serve apricot is when it is dried. Ounce for ounce, dried apricots are richer in nutrients and fiber than those fresh apricots.

Diets that may restrict or exclude apricots are low-fiber diet, low-potassium diet and low-sodium diet (dried apricots contain sodium sulfide).

Cindy is the host of http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com, a Free Asian Recipes website dedicated to all things on Asian Cooking and Culinary Guide.

In recent Dutch studies it was found that men who drink
black tea which contains catechins are fifty percent less
likely to die of ischemic heart disease. This occurs when
our arteries become clogged and are unable to work as they
should because of them becoming narrow.

We now know that drinking a half to two cups of tea per day
may promote fertility by inhibiting abnormalities in our
chromosomes. In a recent test 250 women drank as little as
half a cup of tea per day and their pregnancy rates were
double those who did not.

A remedy for puffy eyes is to lie in a horizontal position
and place either a tea compress or wet teabag over both eyes
and leave for about 20 minutes. The puffiness around the
eyes will amazingly vanish and your eyes will look and feel
brand new.

One way to rid your refrigerator of unpleasant smells is to
place one or two used tea bags somewhere within the fridge.
The next day any bad smell will be gone!

A substance called Tannic acid which naturally occurs in tea
is said to help in the battle against warts. Apply a wet tea
bag to the infected area for about 15 minutes three times
daily and the wart will slowly begin to shrink until it
eventually disappears.

It is known that men in Asian countries who consume green
tea have very low instances of prostate cancer. Many
prominent researchers are convinced that this is due to
green tea containing many powerful antioxidants and
preventative anti-cancer agents.

In recent Australian studies CSIRO scientists found that the
occurrence of skin cancer in laboratory mice was greatly
reduced when they were given black tea. It is thought that
polyphenols which are very strong antioxidants and are
contained in the tea are the most likely reason for this
phenomenon.

The costliest teabag ever was created for the 75′th
anniversary of the PG TIPS tea company. The bag was filled
with two hundred and eighty diamonds and expensive limited
edition tea leaves. The tea bag cost 7,500 pounds and would
be auctioned in aid of a Children’s hospital in Great
Britain.

Contrary to what one might expect, Turkey is a land of tea
drinkers. Turks drink more tea per head than any other
nation, even more than the British and they are now the
world’s biggest tea drinkers. The total annual consumption
of tea in Turkey is approximately 120 thousand tons whereas that of coffee is only 8 thousand tons.

Lorraine Bevere is the webmaster and operator of
FOG Tea, Inc. which is
a premier source of information about tea. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit:
http://fogtea.com

The Olmec Indians are believed to be the first culture to grow the beans as a domestic crop, between 1500 and 400 B.C. From 250 to 900 C.E., the consumption of the beans was restricted to the elite class of the Mayan culture. Throughout these years, the drink was consumed unsweetened. Apparently the Mayan people valued the beans so highly that they planted them in their personal gardens so that they had easy access to them.

Around 600 A.D., the Mayans migrated into the northern regions of South America and began the earliest recorded plantations of cacao trees in the Yucatan. They used the beverage that they made in betrothal and marriage ceremonies.

Once the Aztec culture was able to abscond with some of the beans and learn how to make the beverage from them, they used them for medicinal purposes and in ceremonies such as weddings and religious rites. They believed that the beans were a gift from their gods. They are also the first known culture to tax the beans. Their name for the beverage that they made was “xocalatl”, translated to warm or bitter drink. The beans also began, at that time, to be used as currency by the Mesoamerican cultures. They were not used to make chocolate until they were too worn to be used as currency.

The first European to learn of chocolate was Christopher Columbus. He encountered a huge Mayan trading canoe piled high with the valuable beans. When the Spaniards invaded the Yucatan in 1517 and Mexico in 1519, they quickly caught on to the monetary value of the precious beans. They were not fond, however, of the warm, bitter and unsweetened drink which they received from the local people. It took some time, but they learned to adapt their taste buds to the drink and began to enjoy it.

The most popular story of the introduction of chocolate to Europe is that which credits Dominican friars with taking a delegation of Mayan nobles to the court of Prince Philip of Spain. As one of the many gifts which the nobles presented to the Prince, they gave him several jars of already processed cocoa which was ready to drink. The Spaniards did not, however, share this much loved beverage with the rest of Europe for nearly a century!

Sometime during the 16th century, the Spanish people began adding flavoring like vanilla and sugar cane to the chocolate drinks. Thus, sweetened chocolate was invented. And recorded history shows that the popularity of the beverage grew to the point that regular shipments began from Veracruz, Mexico to Seville, Spain in 1582.

The records are not completely clear on how chocolate was introduced to the rest of Europe. It’s thought that quite possibly it was distributed through monasteries and convents which were linked with Latin America. Jesuit Society members were major consumers of the drink and had become cocoa traders as well. A French Cardinal popularized the beverage in France and when Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1615 she, chocolate lover that she was, began a custom that spread like wildfire among the French aristocracy.

The English were introduced to the cacao bean through British pirates who targeted Spanish ships in the last half of the 1500s. They saw no use for the odd looking cargo and even burned several shipments before someone found out what the beans were good for making. It took about a hundred years for the chocolate to start making its mark in British history. Once it did though, it was not just reserved for the aristocracy. Anyone in England who could afford it was able to indulge. While it was more expensive than coffee, it was less costly that tea. “Chocolate houses” began to sprout up, with the first one being opened by a Frenchman in 1657. At that time, chocolate was 10 to 15 shillings per pound. So it was rather costly.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the demand for chocolate grew so large that the cacao plantations had enslaved Mesoamericans to plant, grow, harvest and process the cocoa beans. By the end of the 17th century, only ten percent of the Native Indian population survived. It was then that slaves were transported from Africa to Ecuador, Venezuela, Paraguay and Brazil. For over two centuries, enslaved people and wage laborers were used to meet the demand for the all-enticing cocoa.

Around 1730, the price of cocoa has dropped to around $3 per pound. This made it more affordable to others besides the very wealthy. In 1732, a French inventor developed a table mill for grinding the chocolate. This simplified the process and made it possible to churn out larger quantities at lower cost. So production naturally grew.

In 1765, Irish chocolate maker John Hanan imported cocoa beans from the West Indies to Massachusetts in the American colonies. He teamed up with Dr. James Baker. They built the first chocolate mill in the Colonies and by 1780, that mill was producing the famous Baker’s chocolate which is still widely used today.

Another revolution in production occurred in 1795 when Dr. Joseph Fry of Bristol, England used a steam engine to power the grinding wheel used to make chocolate. This catapulted the manufacturing process forward tremendously.

The man who is considered the pioneer of Swiss chocolate making, Francois Callier, opened the first Swiss chocolate factory in 1819. And in 1828, a Dutchman named Conrad Van Houton invented the cocoa press. His invention helped more with cutting the price of chocolate and by improving the quality of it by squeezing out cocoa butter thus making the consistency of the beverage smoother. Mr. Van Houton patented his invention in Amsterdam and his process became known as “Dutching”.

In 1847, another innovation was made by Joseph Fry & Son when they discovered a way to add some of the cocoa butter back to the Dutch chocolate, add sugar and make a paste which could be molded into a bar and…Voila! the modern chocolate bar was born. Dr. Fry and his son teamed up with the Cadbury Brothers to display chocolates for eating at an exhibition in Birmingham, England in 1849. In 1851 Americans got their first taste of bonbons, chocolate creams, caramels and “boiled sweets” (hard candies) at Prince Albert’s Exposition in London.

In 1861 Richard Cadbury created the very first known heart shaped box for Valentine’s Day and seven years later in 1868, John Cadbury mass produced and marketed the first boxes of chocolate candy. In 1876 Daniel Peter, of Switzerland, introduced milk chocolate for drinking – a project that he worked on for eight years before he perfected it. In 1879 he paired up with Henri Nestlé, formed the Nestlé Company and they gave us a chocolate mix to which all one had to add was water and sugar.

Also in 1879, Rodolphe Lindt of Bern, Switzerland invented a new machine which heated and rolled the chocolate to refine it. The process was called “conching”. After the chocolate was “conched” for seventy-two hours and had cocoa butter added to it the product was much smoother and creamier and could be formed into more tasty treats. Lindt Chocolates are still widely known and acclaimed around the world today.

Here’s another little tidbit of chocolate history to chew on…the chocolatier accredited with bringing mass production to the chocolate making industry is Milton Hershey of Pennsylvania, United States. Mr. Hershey was nicknamed the “Henry Ford of Chocolate Makers”.

Although slavery was abolished in 1888, the use of slave labor continued into the early 1900s. In 1910, William Cadbury became a leader in boycotting those plantations who misused and abused their workers. He invited other English and American chocolate manufacturers to join him in his campaign. That same year, the U.S. Congress enacted a formal ban on any cocoa which proved to be produced using slave labor. These efforts did cause conditions on the plantations to improve. The same year that the chocolatiers came together in their formal protest against the cruelty found on cocoa plantations, a Canadian by the name of Arthur Garong introduced the first nickel chocolate bar.

In 1913, Swiss chocolatier Jules Sechaud gave the chocolate industry a machine process for filling hollowed chocolate shells. Then in 1926 Joseph Draps, a Belgian chocolate manufacturer, opened the doors of Godiva Chocolates.

Today, most cacao is grown and harvested by hand. But gone are the days when cruel plantation owners used slave labor to satisfy the world’s need for chocolate. Today’s cacao is produced by independent growers or cooperative groups around the world.

While there are a few companies which produce handmade chocolates, most of the production is done by machine. It is more cost effective and allows the companies to sell their product for less than those who handcraft their products.

Even today there are still cultures who believe that chocolate is for use as a form of currency and for medicinal and religious purposes. In fact the cacao bean has a chemical called theobromine which is used to treat high blood pressure, because it enlarges blood vessels. So it is used even in modern medicine. And cocoa butter is used in some beauty aids such as lotions and cream to treat skin. It’s well known for its rich formula which moistens and softens. It’s also good for treating sunburn. Plus, cocoa butter is used to coat pills so they go down one’s throat more easily.

There you have it…a little history, a few fun facts…are you craving chocolate? I am! So we’ll wrap this up here. Go grab some chocolate, relax and appreciate the history which has brought us this delightful treat.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Chocolates