Tag: Chocolate

Wine Gift Baskets For Any Occasion

For any celebration or glorious moment in life, wine is essential to have. Parties and celebrations are thought of as being incomplete unless there is wine present, which makes it an ideal gift for virtually any occasion. Wine gift baskets are a great gift, they are very affordable, and perfect for nearly any occasion – such as birthdays, weddings, festivals, parties, or anniversaries.

Wine gift baskets are trendy gifts that are very popular – in terms of price and taste. Along with the bottles of wine, wine gift baskets also contain various accessories as well, such as wine glasses and corkscrews. With most wine baskets, fruit and chocolate is included as well. You can also find cheese in some baskets, which most consider to go perfect with fine wine.

Depending on the occasion, there are suitable wine gift baskets to choose from. When you select a basket, there are several factors that youll need to consider in order to make the basket a truly special gift. If you are giving a basket as a wedding present, then youll obviously want to choose a different basket than one you would give to a friend at a party. There are wine baskets out there that are cheap in price – to those that are more expensive and more suitable for a wedding gift.

If you are buying a wine gift basket for a beginning enthusiast, you may want to include a book on wine that will help them learn more about wine in general. If you are giving the basket to a wine enthusiast with a lot of experience, you may want to include a stopper. No matter who you are giving the basket to, a wine gift basket with an assortment of fine wine is a great gift that can bring joy to anyone.

For wine lovers, you can find gift baskets that include fruity red wine, tangy white wine, full bodied wine, dry wine, sparkling wine, and even sweet wine. Red wine is ideal for main course meals such as meats, while white wine is ideal for seafood and white meat. Sparkling wine on the other hand, is ideal for special occasions. If you are giving the gift basket as a wedding present, sparkling wine is a choice that you cant go wrong with. Sparkling wine is one of the most popular types of wine – perfect for weddings and anniversaries.

If you have a bit of difficulty choosing a wine gift basket, you cant go wrong with mixed baskets that offer a mixture of wines. You can find these types of baskets in local stores or on the Internet. They are affordable, starting around $20.00 and going up from there. If you are thinking of getting fine wine gift baskets, you should keep in mind that it can be a bit more expensive.

Why Ice Cream Is Important

Fewer food products have had such a wide range of appeal, and such a longstanding appeal, as ice cream. The popularity of ice cream has withstood the test of time, being a greatly-loved treat from generation to generation. The enjoyment of ice cream knows no barriers of age, class, gender, or any of the other factors which often divide and separate people. Ice cream is truly a universal delight almost everyone loves it!

Ice cream itself is not specifically designated as one of the Four Basic Food Groups. While some people, albeit humorously, believe that it should be, ice cream merely takes its place amongst the Dairy Group. The result is that it can then get lost amidst the more basic dairy products, such as plain milk and plain cheese, while there is nothing at all plain about ice cream!

Humor aside, ice cream’s place in the food groups is very important, for standard ice cream and its many variations is a very healthy food. Although there are a number of factors to consider in selecting and consuming ice cream, categorizing it along with the other food products in the Dairy Group is wise, for even just the factor of its high calcium content makes ice cream a product which is beneficial to most people’s everyday diets.

Ice cream also has a “community” aspect on a number of different levels. On one of the most personal and memorable ends of the scale, ice cream is a favorite addition to a family dinner. For the many whose meals are not complete without a dessert, family members will certainly state that ice cream is at or at least near the top of their list of favorites.

On the other end of the scale are the larger, community events which include ice cream. Some, for that matter, such as the ice cream socials which are popular in parts of the United States, place the sharing of ice cream as the main focus. Sharing ice cream and interacting with friends and neighbors thus becomes synonymous.

For children and adults alike, ice cream can be a special treat. Whether ice cream is a standard part of everyday life or not, it can also be more meaningful and memorable. Ice cream can be a major part of a party, it can be a reward to yourself or your child for a job or task done well, and in the excessive heat of summer weather it can be a delightful and refreshing way to cool off. There is something that is not exactly describable in terms other than “very good” about being able to walk into your favorite ice cream shop on a hot summer day and treat yourself to a double-scoop ice cream cone.

Many people also choose ice cream as a favorite “comfort food.” Ice cream is a great way to boost one’s mood when life is at less than its best. Whether one’s preference is to dig into a half-gallon container from one’s freezer, or to go to a local ice cream shop and order something “with everything on it,” there is no comparison to the mood-elevating effects of ice cream.

Ice cream is also one of the basics for simple relaxation. After a long, hard day at work, it is a very positive thing indeed to be able to enjoy a bowl of your favorite ice cream while relaxing in your own home in front of the television set or while reading a good book.

In all of these situations and others, ice cream adds to the enjoyment of everyday situations, and makes what would otherwise be ordinary, to be even better!

Who Loves Ice Cream?

It is a safe bet to say that most Americans love ice cream! It has been a standard part of most people’s diets for many generations. But if you ask a dozen different people what they like the most, you will probably receive a dozen different answers. It seems that each person has his or her own preferences; and with ice cream, they are usually very strong preferences. Each person simply knows what he or she likes the most. Surprisingly– or not– there are a number of factors which influence this type of preference, determining why some people prefer specific ice creams over others. While a person may occasionally try something new and different, he or she will usually have one flavor and one form that he or she likes the best.

Studies have shown that the main deciding factor in this preference is set in childhood. Ice cream, a standard treat for most American children throughout the decades, is often associated with good, happy, carefree moments of childhood. Sometimes this factor includes specific events in one’s childhood, or simply the time-period itself.

Associating one’s ice cream choices in adult life to early childhood is not as odd as it may sound. Ice cream preferences may be connected to childhood experiences, such as the favored dessert at one’s family dinners, the main focus at birthday parties, or a treat given as a reward for special accomplishments. Statistics show that if you were given a vanilla ice cream cone after attaining a good report card, for example, decades later you will still have a distinct preference for vanilla ice cream.

In ice cream preferences, there are a number of other factors which influence preference. Some are so common that the clerks who work in ice cream shops can often make very accurate guesses as to what a customer will want before he or she orders, simply based on these factors. Young children, for example, are those who are most likely to request the most creative types of ice cream. Youngsters are naturally drawn to such tasty oddities as gummy bears, and it presents a double treat for them when such things are added into or mixed into their ice cream.

On the other hand, high schoolers have a distinct preference for milkshakes. Teenagers loved milkshakes fifty years ago, and teenagers today love them just as much. Whether it is the still-popular oldfashioned form of a malted, or the ever-increasing flavor and style varieties of Dairy Queen Blizzards, teens love these products which are sold in large cups, portable and delicious.

Not surprisingly, it is the trendy young adults who usually prefer the trendy ice creams. Being drawn to the unusual names which ice cream manufacturers give these products, and the unusual compositions of these ice creams which may or may not live up to their names, young adults go for what is new, modern, and different.

Although each person is individual, of course, studies have shown generalizations in the ice cream preferences of people by group. Women have been shown to be more in-tune with the weight aspect of the foods they consume, and make up the majority of those who most often choose the low-fat and light styles of ice cream. Women are also shown to be more cautious in their food choices, preferring standard, basic, and what is most familiar.

On the other hand, it is usually the men who are most inclined to “throw caution to the wind” in their choices of desserts and treats, choosing their ice cream mostly on the basis of taste and enjoyment. But whether male or female, the older people are the more likely they are inclined toward butter pecan and pistachio.

Where To Find Your Ice Cream

Whether you have current preferences or are seeking new ice cream products to try, there are many places where you can find ice cream. Some of these places focus mainly on the basics, while others cater to specific tastes.

If your preferences tend toward the basic, you can find a wide range of ice cream products in your local grocery store. While the ice creams you will find there can be considered uncomplicated, that does not mean you will not have an extensive variety from which to choose. In most larger grocery chains you can find a huge selection of ice cream in various sized containers, including not only a large variety of flavors but also offering a variety of fat content, sugar content, and calcium-fortified styles. Most of these stores carry the most basic brands from their own stores to the nationally-popular brands. You can also find ice cream novelties, ranging from ice cream bars to ice cream sandwiches to small ice cream cups which come with their own spoons.

Ice cream specialty shops are another possibility. In some locations these are in the form of old-fashioned family-owned ice cream parlors, and some locations still have similar shops as part of their drugstores and department stores. More widespread in the United States these days are the ice cream chain stores. Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins 31-Flavors, and Carvel are three of the most popular. Offering a nice selection of flavors in ice cream cones, these chain stores also sell ice cream novelties, ice cream pies, and custom-made ice cream cakes decorated for special occasions. Dairy Queen’s specialty is soft-serve; Baskin-Robbins sells the standard hard-scoop style of ice cream. If you love ice cream, and you love good ice cream, every trip to one of these ice cream shops will leave you satisfied and happy.

When you think of Starbucks, you might naturally think of coffee. But Starbucks also sells its own brand of ice cream. Starbucks Seventh Heaven ice cream now comes in five regular flavors– Java Chip, Mud Pie, Coffee Almond Fudge, Caramel Cappuchino Swirl, and, of course, Classic Coffee ice cream; as well as the no sugar added Coffee Fudge Brownie and Low Fat Latte. The next time you visit your local Starbucks for a cup of coffee, try one of their new Starbucks ice cream flavors.

If you have a distinct preference in which ice cream you want but cannot find it in your local grocery store or hometown ice cream shops, some of the most well-known ice cream manufacturers will assist you in ordering your ice cream directly from their companies. You can have your ice cream favorites delivered directly to your home! One of the most popular ice cream companies, Ben and Jerry’s, will ship an order of six pints of your favorite Ben and Jerry’s ice creams, currently priced at $54.95, which includes the cost of shipping.

Moxley’s Ice Cream, of Baltimore, Maryland, is another company which will supply your ice cream by mail order. Moxley’s, which only has its stores on the East Coast, is available to ice cream fans regardless of location by way of mail order. You can choose any of their thirteen basic flavors, and they will ship the pints of ice cream to you. Pierre’s Ice Cream, based in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Ice Cream of America company, which is located in Hickory, North Carolina, also offer mail ordering and delivery of their ice cream products.

The Best-Kept Secrets About Ice Cream

Fans of ice cream will be pleasantly surprised to learn that two of the most common myths about this product are not based in fact. First, ice cream is not a high-calorie diet disaster; and second, ice cream is actually better for you than its substitutes. It is a good idea to dispel these popular misconceptions, for you can not only enjoy ice cream, you can also appreciate knowing that it is good for you.

Many people believe that ice cream is high in calories, and therefore believe that it is a treat which should be avoided. While calorie content varies, depending on which particular brand and style you prefer, the brands and styles you can find in your local grocery store are considerably lower in calories than one might think. It is not necessary to sacrifice taste and enjoyment, for the regular varies of ice cream do not contain a caloric count that is significantly higher than the “light” or “diet” types.

For example, Breyer’s, which is one of the most popular brands of ice cream, has only 140 calories per serving in their all-natural vanilla flavor. While one might be skeptical about additional tasty morsels in ice cream, Breyer’s natural rocky road only has 160 calories per serving. And while the Blue Bunny brand entices you to its product with wonderful enhancers, even their Bunny Tracks delight, which is said to be “chunky and gooey” will not sabotage your wish to eat healthy treats, at 170 calories in each serving.

For those who prefer their ice cream to be portable, many of these treats are also well within the range for calorie-counters. An Edy’s ice cream sandwich, for example, contains only 150 calories; and there are only 180 in each Blue Bunny neapolitan ice cream sandwich.

Ice creams which are listed as light or diet do not generally have a lower enough calorie content to make it a factor. Most serious ice cream fans will be happy to know that they do not need to sacrifice flavor, taste, and the better consistency of their favorite product for the sake of lower calories. Schwan’s light vanilla, for example, contains 120 calories per half-cup serving, while their regular vanilla is only 140; Perry’s light vanilla has 110 calories, but their premium White Lightning has only 170 calories.

In addition to concern about calories, many people who love ice cream also believe it to be unhealthy in general, and opt for less enjoyable substitutes. While those who have been advised by their physicians to limit their intake of fats and sugars due to medical conditions, should follow their doctors’ advice, people who are in good health and do not have such limitations can note that ice cream substitutes are not generally more healthy than traditional ice creams.

The most well-known ice cream substitute is called ice milk. While many believe that this product is significantly more healthy than traditional ice cream, the only differentiating factor is that ice milk contains less than ten percent milk fat, whereas ice cream is required to contain at least ten percent, and many of the better brands range up to sixteen percent milk fat. Gelato, the Italian style of ice cream which is increasing in popularity in many areas, also does not have a much lower fat content– up to seven percent, as opposed to regular ice cream’s required ten percent. Other than ice cream products which are specially made fat-free or sugar-free for those who have medical conditions which necessitate this, the ingredients in regular ice cream and the process by which it is made make it not only a good choice for one’s enjoyment, but also a healthy one.