How To Make Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

By : jane lake

This surprisingly simple recipe to make chocolate dipped strawberries has some expert tips to help you achieve the best possible results.
Once the strawberries are coated with chocolate, you can decorate them with valentine sprinkles or, once the first layer of chocolate is dry, you can drizzle the strawberries with a contrasting chocolate color.
However you serve them, valentine chocolate dipped strawberries are a perfect offering for any valentine.
Chocolate dipped strawberries recipe

Ingredients:
1 pint of perfectly ripened strawberries with stems and leaves intact
About 4 ounces of chocolate chips - dark, white, milk or even chocolate mint flavors
Microwavable bowl and microwave
Cookie sheet covered in wax paper
Optional: valentine sprinkles, small candies, contrasting color of melted chocolateChoc-berries3 (7k)

Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.
Wash strawberries and pat dry, leaving stems and leaves intact. Strawberries should be completely dry before proceeding with the recipe.
Melt valentine chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl, using the defrost setting (or 10% power). Heat for 90 seconds, then stir; repeat until the chocolate has just melted and can be stirred smoothly. (chocolate goes from melted to burned very quickly, so monitor the procedure and remove the chocolate from the microwave as soon as melting is complete.)
Hold a strawberry by the stem and leaves and dip it into the melted chocolate. Withdraw the strawberry and swirl it in a tight circle to spin off excess chocolate. If desired, shake sprinkles or small candies over the wet chocolate coating.
Place the chocolate dipped strawberry on the wax paper and set aside to dry. A cool room temperature is preferable for drying. Repeat with the remainder of the strawberries, reheating chocolate for a short time, if necessary, to keep the coating consistency.
If possible, dip and serve the strawberries on the same day. Once dry, you can place each strawberry in a small paper candy cup.

Http://www.allfreecrafts.com

What Do Rose Colors Mean?

Dear rose color curious,
Yes, it is indeed true that each rose color has its own unique meaning. This presents a great opportunity to send a message along with your thoughtful gift. Here are the color meanings:

Red rose
red roses this one is the most obvious. It means "i love you." it represents romance and love.

Deep pink
This simply means "thank you". If someone you know does something nice for you, a deep pink rose is a good way of saying "thank you".

Regular pink
A pink rose represents happiness. It's great to give a pink rose to a partner to say, "i'm very happy with our relationship."

Light pink
A light pink rose means "sympathy". When someone has had a loss then light pink roses is a very nice way of expressing your condolences.

White rose
A white rose symbolizes innocence and purity. When combined with red roses (see further down), it represents "unity".

Yellow rose
A yellow rose symbolizes friendship and caring. It's the perfect innocent gift to give to a friend or give to a loved one when you simply want to say "i care". When given to a friend it also means "i'm happy with our friendship."

Lavender rose
A lavender rose is a symbol of "falling in love". When you give it to a person you are saying "i have fallen in love with you and am enchanted by you."

Orange rose
An orange rose is a symbol of desire. "i desire you" or "i desire to get to know you better" is the message that orange roses send.

Black rose
Never ever give a woman a black rose or red roses, because hollywood has, unfortunately, made out the meaning to be "death". These aren't easy to find and some maintain that they don't actually "exist"

Http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com

Top 6 Valentine Gifts For Her

Guide picks

Is there a woman alive who wouldn't like to receive a romantic little something on valentine's day, chosen by someone she cares about. Here is a list just in case you are having trouble choosing something... Perfect!

1) roses
Trust me... Nothing will impress a woman more than a bouquet of roses for valentines gifts. Here is a selection to peruse ranging from one single rose, to a dozen and everything in between.

2) heart pendant
Another really romantic possibility. Lots of price ranges to meet any budget.

3) chocolates
Chocolates in a heart shaped box. Does it get any more romantic than that? The $135.00 box caught my eye, but relax, there are boxes at every price range. :)

4) lingerie
Gain some brownie points by picking something that you would love to see her in. The best way i know to let her know that you still find her gorgeous.

5) fragrance
These are the most popular fragrances of the moment. You won't go wrong if you close your eyes and choose any one from the list. (personally, angel is my favorite.)

6) women's watches
You can never own too many watches for valentines gifts. Some of these are absolutely stunning!

Http://beauty.about.com

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year, especially by people in mainland China and Taiwan. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī. It literally means "Year-pass Eve".

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Lunar Calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most.

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans (Seollal), Tibetans and Bhutanese (Losar), Mongolians (Tsagaan Sar), Vietnamese (Tết), and formerly the Japanese before 1873 (Oshogatsu). Outside of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, Chinese New Year is also celebrated in countries with significant Han Chinese populations, such as Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates.

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of “happiness”, “wealth”, and “longevity”. On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will range from pigs, to ducks, to chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is a great way to reconcile forgetting all grudges, and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

Although the Chinese calendar traditionally does not use continuously numbered years, outside China its years are often numbered from the reign of Huangdi. But at least three different years numbered 1 are now used by various scholars, making the year 2009 "Chinese Year" 4707, 4706, or 4646

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

Same Day Flower Delivery Services

Flowers make classic gifts for every occasion. The importance of any special occasion is enhanced with wishes accompanied by the fragrance of beautiful and fresh flowers. There are many florists who promptly cater to the needs of the customers. They have a network of florists who make same day delivery of flowers possible. They sometimes deliver flowers directly from the fields.

Some of the floral companies guarantee the delivery of flowers within three hours of placing the order. They have arrangements to hand deliver the exotic floral arrangements. Some of the companies do not charge extra for same day delivery of flowers, while others do charge a fee. The same-day delivery service is also subject to the place where the recipient lives. The proximity to the suppliers and the competition among the florists to provide the best customer service plays a major role in determining the price.

There are certain exceptions, as same day delivery of flowers is possible only within certain countries. The order has to be placed within a stipulated time and is depends on the time zones of the different countries. If the stipulated time is 12 noon in the country from where the flowers are to be delivered, the order has to be placed according to the time zone of that country. This is applicable only in case of weekdays. If the same day delivery order is placed on the weekend, the order is not guaranteed. Similarly, on Sundays, the same day delivery of flowers is not assured.

Despite the exceptions, the companies strive to provide the best customer services. They address the requirements of the customers as early as possible and guarantee the supply of fresh, fragrant and beautiful flowers to loved ones.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey

A Single Red Rose is More Than it Seems

The tradition of lovers passing a single red rose began in Roman times as it was a symbol of the goddess Venus the goddess of love. The beauty and perfection of the rose was believed to be the creation of Venus to express her love. The myth has withstood the test of time because even today this simple gesture carries significant emotional sentiments.

The idea of the single red rose symbolizing love has spurned the idea that other single roses also have meaning behind them as well. A single yellow rose is used to express joy, a single peach colored rose is used to express friendship but no other rose has the power of a single solitary red colored rose.

A single red rose is only matched by the dozen red roses that are sent to valentines on Valentine's Day. It is usually accompanied by a big box of chocolates to win someone's heart on Valentine's day. Its perfect beauty is so full of promise, typically one is given while it is still in the bud stage just waiting to burst open, this is the most beautiful stage of a rose.

Brides usually carry bouquets of flowers; sometimes those bouquets are made of several different types of flowers with a solitary rose in the center of the bouquet. It is traditional for a bride to carry a bouquet of roses to the altar, but the drama of having a bouquet with one budding rose in the center and other flowers of a lighter color surrounding it is visually rewarding.

Grooms typically wear buttoners in their button holes of their tuxedos. Usually if there are roses in the brides bouquet that the groom and grooms men will wear one in their lapels. It is very dramatic and sophisticated looking against the lapel of a tuxedo.

A single red rose has symbolized love throughout the centuries, and has been used in fairytales to enhance the story. Beauty and the Beast, a well known children's story and recently an animated movie features one as an important part of plot. The receiver of a one of these roses is one lucky person and should relish in the beauty and the love it symbolizes.

There are endless ways for you to express how you feel about someone, but one of the most effective ways to do so is the passing of a single red rose to the one you care about.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kang_Chang

Creative Valentine Ideas: Red Roses Vs. Valentine Flower Arrangements

As everyone knows Valentine’s Day falls on February 14th of every year. On this day, lovers and often friends give various gifts to express their feelings. The most well known gifts for Valentine’s Day includes chocolates and flowers. While roses are the usual standard for Valentine flowers, there are other bouquets and arrangements you should consider.

Other unique Valentine flowers include carnations, iris, tulips, lilies, daffodils and even daisies. Many people prefer to give carnations as Valentine flowers because of their rich, intoxicating, and spicy scent. The smell of cloves, the many dainty petals, and the carnation's similar appearance to roses make carnations an ideal flowers to symbolize love, friendship, or companionship.

The Iris is also a popular favorite as Valentine's flowers, in lieu of roses. Its elegant long stems open to show graceful and colorful flowers. You can place these flowers next to some fragrant baby’s breath greenery to frame the spectacular coloring of the iris flowers.

Valentine’s Day also marks the beginning of the tulip growing season and tulips are beloved by all. These graceful cup-shaped flowers come in many beautiful shades and symbolize spring, rebirth, and new beginnings. They are perfect for a blossoming relationship or one that needs a breath of fresh air. Some tulips mixed in with roses, daisies, or daffodils will create a wonderful bouquet that shows how you truly feel.

Of course, even with these other unique and various floral arrangements, most people still prefer sending red roses to their beloved Valentine. Red roses are still considered to be the symbol of true romantic love (and many women love the idea of being presented with a bouquet of 18-24 long stem red roses.)

But don't forget that red roses are not the only roses that you can choose. In fact, you could send a bouquet of white, blue, pastel, pink, or yellow roses as a Valentine flower gift. You can also mix and match your rose bouquet. Red and white roses, mixed pastel roses, and lavender designer roses all show your personality while spicing up the occasion.

Besides sending fresh-cut flowers for Valentine’s Day, you might also decide to send silk Valentine flowers instead. Silk flowers are perfect for those with flower allergies or like to do their own interior decorating.

If you want the flowers to last for a lifetime, silk flowers are the way to go, although they are often perceived as less romantic. So be sure to add some nice chocolate truffles, a cuddly teddy bear, or a memorable Valentine gift basket when sending silk flowers.

The next time that you are looking to buy Valentine flowers, keep in mind the many different flowers your special Valentine might appreciate. Golden daffodils, pink carnations, white iris, mixed tulips, sun-kissed daisies and bright lilies all express love and romance in their own special way. Get creative if you gave them roses last year, or send red roses if this is your first Valentine's Day together.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com