National Chocolate Day Today - Fun Facts, Ideas & Recipes!

When : Always July 7th

Chocolate Day is the perfect opportunity to eat you favorite chocolates in ample portions. Do you really need another excuse to over indulge with your favorite food treat?

Chocolate is America's favorite flavor. It's the flavor of choice in candies, ice cream, cakes, breakfast cereal, toppings, and a whole host of desserts. Unequaled in popularity, it certainly deserves a day in it's honor.

Did you know? Chocolate is a vegetable. It comes from the Cacao tree found in rainforests.

We don't need to tell you what to do to celebrate this day, do we? Eat Chocolate!

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May we offer these suggestions for your menu today.......

Breakfast: Your favorite chocolate cereal along with two or three chocolate cream-filled donuts. Wash it down with a little hot chocolate.

Mid-morning snack: A chocolate candy bar(with or without nuts) to hold you over and give you a boost until lunch.

Lunch: A big tall glass of chocolate milk is a must along with your meal. Try a piece of chocolate pie or pudding for dessert.

Mid-Afternoon: Eat healthy(???) with some chocolate covered raisins. This contains both vegetable and fruit.

Dinner: If you are an adult, sip a chocolate liqueur before dinner. Chocolate flavored coffee is a must with dinner. Dessert is none other than chocolate cake.

Nighttime snack: Chocolate ice cream, of course!

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Origin of Chocolate Day:

Our research on this day did not uncover a specific date when this holiday began, Nor, did we uncover specifically who created it. But, without a doubt, you and I can guess who created this day...... the chocolate confectioners!

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Ecards We've got you covered with free Ecards for just about any other holiday, occasion, event, or no event at all!

Thanks to www.HolidayInsights.com for the info!

Paula’s Perfect Mother’s Day Table

Paula’s Perfect Mother’s Day Table

By Brandon Branch, Design Director for Paula Deen Enterprises

I have learned that a lady looks her most gorgeous in subtle pink lighting. Pink is such a soothing yet playful color. So, setting a Mother’s Day table I knew I wanted to put on the pink! An intimate spot in the side garden of Paula’s house with all the snap dragons and foxgloves in bloom was the perfect place to do my own version of a “pretty in pink” table fit for a queen.

Think outside the dining room when you are decorating a table for a formal or informal meal. Over the years, I have set tables in bedrooms, cornfields, garages, and even in one master bathroom suite (don’t ask). This Mother’s Day luncheon table was no exception. As May is such a beautiful month in Savannah with all our spring flowers in full loom, the north garden at Paula’s home offered the perfect perch. A short distance from the chicken coop with a beautiful view of the river and smack in the middle of a cutting garden! What more could a girl or his mother ask for!

Here’s what I used:

Table and Tablecloth: The table is an old farmhouse table Paula keeps on hand for extra seating. The wood is so beautiful, I didn’t want to cover it all up, so I just added a simple square tablecloth in the center. Adorned with small pink flowers and green leaves, it is a cheeky vintage textile from the 1950’s and makes for such a sweet and fresh layer.

China, Flatware and Glassware: Keeping with the pink theme, I used antique Haviland chargers and topped them with a mix and match group of gold rimmed antique Limoges floral dinner and salad plates. The glasses I’m obsessed with. They were borrowed from my friend, Brenda Anderson. I’ve been trying to purchase them from her for two years now and she just won’t let them go! The good thing is she is happy to let me borrow them anytime I want. I knew they would be perfect here as they are a simple 1950’s pink iced tea glass. I filled them with strawberry infused water to go along with the Sassy Strawberry Pie Paula made. I used Paula’s own good silver (who says you can’t take the good silver outside?) and the cutest thing of all was the napkin rings around a simple white linen napkin! It was such a fun craft to do and the best thing is I’m giving a set of six to my mom as a Mother’s Day gift. I used vintage buttons, but you could use new. Here’s how to make your own Mother’s Day Button Crafts.

Centerpiece: Paula loves cabbage roses, so I knew I wanted to use those. I stopped by the florist for a large bunch that were bright pink in color. The rest of the arrangement was cut from Paula’s garden. The vase I chose was a white antique English ironstone soup tureen. I filled it with water soaked florist’s oasis and just started layering in the bright pink cabbage roses, white garden roses and English Ivy. A perfect centerpiece for mom!