CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS FEBRUARY 25

Actress Diane Baker is 74.
Singer-guitarist Mike Peters of The Alarm is 53.
Actress Veronica Webb is 47.
Actress Tea Leoni is 46.
Comedian Carrot Top is 45.
Actor Sean Astin is 41.
Comedian Chelsea Handler is 37.
Actress Rashida Jones ("The Office") is 36.
Actors James and Oliver Phelps ("Harry Potter") are 26.

WHAT MATTERS...

Barbara Ward-Finneran

The calm amidst the chaos.

Looking beyond imperfections.  

Memories that you can't forget.

Smiling at a stranger. 

Believing love always multiplies and never divides.

Enjoying the life you have right now.

Knowing the little things are often the BIG things.

Keeping the promises that you make to yourself!

KING ARTHUR AND THE WITCH

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death. The question?...What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end. He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first. The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life. He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life. Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding. The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half. Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night? Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments? What would YOU do? What Lancelot chose is below. BUT....make YOUR choice before you read any further! OKAY? Made your choice?    Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life Now....what is the moral to this story? The moral is..... If you don't let a woman have her own way.... Things are going to get ugly

---

40 DAYS

40 is a significant number in Jewish-Christian scripture:

In Genesis, the flood which destroyed the earth was brought about by 40 days and nights of rain.

The Hebrews spent 40 years in the wilderness before reaching the land promised to them by God.

Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the ten commandments on Mount Sinai.

Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry.

Most Christians regard Jesus' time in the wilderness as the key event for the duration of Lent.

Lent is an old English word meaning 'lengthen'. Lent is observed in spring, when the days begin to get longer.

Purple is the symbolic colour used in some churches throughout Lent, for drapes and altar frontals.

Purple is used for two reasons: firstly because it is associated with mourning and so anticipates the pain and suffering of the crucifixion, and secondly because purple is the colour associated with royalty, and celebrates Christ's resurrection and sovereignty.

THE PERFECT ROLE MODEL....

The story behind this photo.... I was on the field with my son and our Scout Pack at the time. We were holding the Flags for the National Anthem. It was literally 2 minutes before game time. I had shorts on. I made eye contact with Gary Carter, lifted up my shorts and showed him my huge Mets logo on my prosthetic leg. Gary was amazed. He made the whole team look at it then he came over to shake my hand. It was a great moment for me. I was 16 when the Mets won in 86. Carter was the perfect role model for a teen. I feel like I lost a part of my youth with the news of his passing. As a cancer survivor I know what this poor man had to go through. Its such a horrible thing to go through... only to end up losing the battle. No matter what sport... all professional athletes should handle themselves, & us, with as much class as Gary Carter did.

Is It The End Of The World As We Know It?

TONY WALKER
Whenever the topic of the end of the world comes up, most people expect some kind of major explosion or tidal wave or some kind of mass destruction.
Most people think the world will never end. I am one of those people.... I think.
Has the world ended & we just don't realize it?
Think about it....
Autism & other mental disabilities are on the rise.
The economy is continuing going to shit.
Medical/insurance are on the rise.
People have to get second jobs just to afford their gas!
Today's society is nothing but negative. Endless finger pointing & hatred. No one has morals.
Too many people will do anything to get on TV. Pride is completely thrown out the window.
No one wants to work hard or earn their keep. They just wanna complain because someone else got something they want.
There is no originality on TV. Where are the geniuses? Where are the Cosby's? The Seinfeld's? The Brady's even!!!
There is no originality in music. Where are the geniuses? Where are the Won't Get Fooled Again's? The I Saw Her Standing There's? How many songs from the past 10 years will be classics like the ones we heard growing up?
There is no originality in movies. Remember when Michael Keaton's Batman came out? That was an event! Star Wars was an event! When was the last time we had a movie that big???
Even fashion... one subject I know NOTHING about.... you look at photos of the 80's & you know the photo was taken during that era. Same goes for any era before the 90's. Any photo taken from 1995 to today has no characteristics that identifies a certain era.
I could go on & on.
So maybe the world has ended.
Do you feel fine?
Or am I just sounding like a crotchety old man????

WHAT IS LENT???

Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).
Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.
Not all Christian churches observe Lent. Lent is mostly observed by the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican denominations, and also by Roman Catholics.Eastern Orthodox churches observe Lent or Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sunday with fasting continuing during the Holy Week of Orthodox Easter. Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday (called Clean Monday) and Ash Wednesday is not observed.
The Bible does not mention the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.

DAWNS ASH WEDNESDAY....sorta kinda

Dawn Boyle

So, today is Ash Wednesday....I will go get ashes and attempt to give something up for 40 days. I will also try with everything inside of me to remember no meat on Fridays.

The idea of giving something up that you really like or a habit that you wish to stop is the norm. My kids giving up candy, talking back or actually cleaning up their rooms is the route they take each year and very similar to their mother, they fail.

A few friends have decided that 40 days off Facebook was the way to go, and I wish them all the luck in the world (but hope they don't forget to stop by Delayed Reaction Lounge) or to stop watching the incessant reality shows, which I love and would never even toy with the idea of making it 40 days without those knuckleheads down at the Shore, ALL my housewives (including those with Mob connections) or my newest addiction ~ Revenge.

AND....just about EVERYONE in the land will attempt to get back on the diet/exercise bandwagon for the 10th time since New Years.

This year I have decided to do all of the above, without doing them at all. I am going to give up putting unnecessary pressure on myself. I will attempt to give myself a little room to breath and not be so hard on myself. I am pretty sure that this will be the hardest of all the things I have ever tried to give up in the 41 Lents I have under my belt.

I wish you all luck in whatever you plan on sacrificing over the next 40 days (excluding Sunday - FYI) and would love to hear what you're planning on giving up in our comments below! Maybe something you say you are doing will inspire someone else - maybe even me!

LIGHT FOR LENT

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

While lent is a time for repentance and reflection, it is also a time for renewal; the renewal of our own faith and the energy of Christ within us. Recalling the events that led up to Christ’s crucifixion and death are solemn indeed, however, honoring this holy time of year need not be 40 days of gloom and doom. There are hundreds of ways to rekindle that spark of faith, starting right now, on Ash Wednesday.

This lent, instead of “giving up” something, like chocolate, try DOING something. Commit yourself to taking time out every day to perform an act of kindness. Perhaps you can check on an elderly neighbor that lives alone or offer to pick something up at the store for him or her. Take ten minutes each day to write a thank you letter to your local fire department or the crossing guard at your child’s school. You can thank a lot of people you’ve always taken for granted in 40 days!

Get some friends together and volunteer to clean up an area, more commonly known as “adopt a highway” or “adopt a road”. You’ll be benefitting your community , getting other people involved in a positive community service, and getting some fresh air and exercise!

 The point is, putting yourself out there to DO something positive for others this Lenten season, will not only make them happy, it will fill your lent with joy. The feeling of having brightened another’s life fills your own with light. Don’t you think that Christ, Himself  would rather see us concerned with the needs of others in response to His suffering and sacrifice than “giving up” chocolate, chewing gum or some other relatively unimportant indulgence?

Give it a try. Bring some joy to others this lent and in return, be refreshed, renewed and  “rekindled” in your love and appreciation of all He has done for you!

ASH WEDNESDAY

Those who work with liturgy in parishes know that some of the largest crowds in the year will show up to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Though this is not a holy day of obligation in our tradition, many people would not think of letting Ash Wednesday go by without a trip to church to be marked with an ashen cross on their foreheads. Even people who seldom come to Church for the rest of the year may make a concerted effort to come for ashes.

How did this practice become such an important part of the lives of so many believers? Who came up with the idea for this rather odd ritual? How do we explain the popularity of smudging our foreheads with ashes and then walking around all day with dirty faces? Those who do not share our customs often make a point of telling us that we have something on our foreheads, assuming we would want to wash it off, but many Catholics wear that smudge faithfully all day.

Ashes in the Bible

The origin of the custom of using ashes in religious ritual is lost in the mists of pre-history, but we find references to the practice in our own religious tradition in the Old Testament. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for repentance this way: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).

The prophet Isaiah, on the other hand, critiques the use of sackcloth and ashes as inadequate to please God, but in the process he indicates that this practice was well-known in Israel: "Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: that a man bow his head like a reed, and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" (Is 58:5).

The prophet Daniel pleaded for God to rescue Israel with sackcloth and ashes as a sign of Israel's repentance: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Dn 9:3).

Perhaps the best known example of repentance in the Old Testament also involves sackcloth and ashes. When the prophet Jonah finally obeyed God's command and preached in the great city of Nineveh, his preaching was amazingly effective. Word of his message was carried to the king of Nineveh. "When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes" (Jon 3:6).

In the book of Judith, we find acts of repentance that specify that the ashes were put on people's heads: "And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord" (Jdt 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1).

Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Mc 3:47; see also 4:39).

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes" (Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13).

EVERYONE EAT CAKE....KING CAKE!!!

Ingredients

• PASTRY:
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• FILLING:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• FROSTING:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

IT'S MARDI GRAS!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

It’s FAT TUESDAY! Why aren’t we all in New Orleans? Today is the day Mardi Gras is celebrated in the French Quarter. There will be parades, parties, food, drink, dancing and of course the famous King Cake and Mardi Gras beads! The French Quarter will be filled with costumed visitors wearing purple, green and yellow masks and feathers. People will party out on balconies and throw beads to passers by in the giant swarm of partygoers on the street below.

The term Mardi Gras actually refers to a season which begins on the Epiphany (January 6^th) and culminates on the day before Ash Wednesday (this year it’s today, February 21^st). This is the day to get in those last sweet, rich, indulgent foods before the fasting of the season of Lent. Mardi Gras is often referred to as “Shrove Tuesday” (shrove meaning” to confess”. In my family, we always had hot cross buns for breakfast. We also had pancakes for dinner. This is an Irish tradition carried down from my father’s family.

Whatever your heritage, Mardi Gras is a fun time to set aside the diet and splurge on good food, enjoying time with friends and living it up a bit before the solemn season of Lent.

GETTING SCREWED BY CORPORATE AMERICA

Tony Walker

Four months ago I bought phones for my kids. In these short 4 months, these phones have been lost 100 hundred times & now my daughter has broken hers.

I had nothing better to do today but go to the Verizon store to take care of this. But no biggie.... I insured the phones! No problem right? Wrong.

We get to the Verizon store. Verizon.... a company I absolutely love. That was sarcastic.

The woman hands me a pamphlet. "We don't fix phones here. You'll have to call the number on the pamphlet to get the phone replaced, which will cost you $45."

Why $45?? It's insured!

"If you didn't have the insurance it would cost you $200 so you should be happy."

WHAT??!!!

So I wasted my time going there NOW I have to sit on the phone to get the phone replaced? I have to pay $45??? Then I have to spend the time to put the old phone in the box they send, make sure all the proper paperwork is there, find a FedEx store to send it back, & do all this within a week or pay a $500 FINE!!!!

WHAT??!!!

Is this where Corporate America is headed? 

We'll sell you a product. We'll take your money & give you this product. But if it breaks we can't help you. We're only here to take your money. YOU have to handle this problem yourself. If you're upset about this, you can cancel our service but you have to pay a termination fee. Basically we sucked which makes it understandable that you wanna leave us, but you have to pay to leave because we suck.

Will this be the norm 10 years from now? 

I'm disgusted.

THE JEOPARDY QUESTION NO ONE COULD ANSWER..

TOPIC: ARLINGTON CEMETERY


Jeopardy Question:

"How many steps does the guard take during his
Walk across the tomb of the Unknowns" ----
All three contestants missed it! --

I was so disappointed to hear that all 3 contestants got this wrong. The young soldiers who are chosen to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are a special breed. Read on to find not only the answer to the Jeopardy question, but just what it takes to be chosen for the highest honor afforded to a serviceperson!



Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1.
How many steps does the guard take during his
Walk across the tomb of the Unknowns
And  Why?
21
Steps:
It Alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which Is The
Highest honor given any military or foreign
Dignitary.

2.
How long does he hesitate after his about face
To begin his return Walk and why?

21 Seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His Gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his
Grip on the rifle.

4.
Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all
The time And, if Not, why not?

He Carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the
Tomb. After his march across the Path,
He Executes an about face and moves the rifle to
The outside shoulder.

5.
How often are the guards changed?

Guards Are changed every thirty minutes,
Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a Year.

6.
What are the physical traits of the guard Limited to?

For A person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he
Must be Between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and His waist size cannot exceed 30.

They Must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb,
Live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot
Drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of
rheir lives. They cannot swear in public for the
rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the
uniform or the tomb in any way.
After Two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that
is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb.

There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey
These rules for the rest of their Lives or Give up the wreath pin.

The Shoes are specially made with very thick soles
To keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to The top Of the shoe in order to make the loud click as
They come to a halt.

There are no Wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards
Dress for duty In front of a full-length Mirror.

The first six months of duty a Guard cannot talk to anyone nor
Watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175
Notable people laid To rest in Arlington National Cemetery
.. A guard must memorize who they are and where
They are interred. Among the notables are:

President Taft,

Joe Lewis {the boxer}

Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most

Decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a Day getting his uniforms ready for
Guard Duty.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was Approaching Washington ,
DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days Off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC Evening news, it was reported that because of
The dangers from the Hurricane, the military Members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier were given permission
to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way,
Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment,
it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.

MUSIC HISTORY FEBRUARY 19

1743 - Composer Luigi Boccherini was born.

1763 - Composer Adalbert Gyrowetz was born.

1956 - The Platters recorded "Magic Touch."

1958 - The Miracles released their first single "Got A Job."

1964 - Simon & Garfunkel completed the original acoustic version of "Sounds of Silence."

1968 - Gerry Marsden (Gerry & the Pacemakers) began a 3-1/2 year run in the London stage production of "Charlie's Girl."

1970 - Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart guest starred onn ABC-TV's "Bewitched".

1971 - Paul McCartney released "Another Day" in the U.K.

1972 - Paul McCartney released "Give Ireland Back to the Irish." The song was immediately banned by the BBC.

1974 - Dick Clark premiered the "American Music Awards."

1974 - KISS made their TV debut on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert."

1976 - Rich Stevens (Tower of Power) was arrested and charged in the murders of three men the night before in San Jose, CA The reason was believed to be drugs. Stevens and another were found guilty on two counts of murder the following November.

1980 - Bon Scott, the lead singer of heavy metal band AC/DC, died in London at the age of 33. He died as a result of choking on his own vomit after drinking heavily.

1981 - George Harrison was ordered to pay ABKCO Music the sum of $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" between his song, "My Sweet Lord" and the Chiffons "He's So Fine."

1985 - Mick Jaggeer released "She's The Boss". It was his first solo album.

1991 - Public Enemy boycotted the 1991 Grammy Awards because the rap award was not going to be presented during the live TV ceremony. Sinead O'Connor also boycotted the event.

1995 - Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) and Pamela Anderson were married.

1995 - Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea give birth to son Jesse James Louis.

1995 - Roxette performed in Beijing. It was the first concert for a western artist in China since 1984 when George Michael performed.

1996 - London police arrested singer Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) for allegedly attacking three children that were performing with Michael Jackson at the Brit Awards. Cocker denied touching any children.

1997 - Miles Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1997 - A New York judge dismissed a $7 million lawsuit filed against Motley Crue for hearing loss of a fan that was suffered at one of their concerts.

1998 - The Stray Cats reunited for a single show at L.A.'s House Of Blues. The show was a benefit for the Carl Perkins Foundation.

1998 - Lorrie Morgan issued a denial concerning an article that the tabloid "Star" magazine had published about "a wild ride in the back sear of a limousine with U.S. President Bill Clinton."

2003 - In West Warwick, RI, 99 people were killed when fire destroyed the nightclub The Station. The fire started with sparks from a pyrotechnic display being used by Great White. Ty Longley, guitarist for Great White, was one of the victims in the fire.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Healthy Decadence!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Valentine’s Day, a time to show your love to that special someone! Flowers, candy, maybe even jewelry, are common tokens. But there’s one popular Valentine gift that says “LOVE” like no other: Chocolate Covered Strawberries!” This juicy, red, heart shaped fruit are a delectable treat on their own, but dip them and creamy, smooth melted chocolate and it’s the most decadent, indulgence ever!

And there’s good news! Recent studies have shown that both dark chocolate and strawberries are good for you! Researchers find that dark chocolate and aspirin have similar effects on the blood. They thin out the blood so it flows more easily, even through partially-blocked arteries, and that could reduce the possibility of a heart attack. For chocolate lovers everywhere, the health benefits are even better than that. According to Voice of America (http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Study-Chocolate-Strawberries-Help-Blood-Pressure-139149509.html)

"Research shows that we get flavinoids in dark chocolate," said nutritionist Tammy Roberts. Flavinoids are nutrients found in many different kinds of plants. They help protect plants against disease and insects. When we eat food with high levels of flavinoids, these nutrients trigger our immune systems to produce enzymes - proteins - that reduce the risk of some kinds of cancer, heart disease and some other diseases that come with age.
In fact, 21 scientific studies involving more than 2,600 participants examined the effects of dark chocolate on the heart. The studies showed that eating dark chocolate lowered blood pressure and improved the ability of insulin to regulate blood sugar.
Tammy Roberts says flavinoids are also found in something that tastes great when covered with dark chocolate, strawberries. "The health benefits of chocolate-covered strawberries are that both chocolate and strawberries contain antioxidants, and antioxidants are important for immune function and preventing infection," Roberts added.

If you plan to make your own chocolate covered strawberries, here are a few hints:

1.     Choose ripe, firm, red berries and wash and pat dry.

2.     Leave on the leaves. They look pretty and give you something to hold on to when dipping.

3.     Use melted butter with your melted chocolate. It makes the dip smoother.

4.     Use or make a double boiler to keep chocolate from crystallizing. Keep the water beneath at a low simmer.

5.     Dip the strawberry and swirl a bit to make sure all of it is covered.

6.     Allow it to drip when pulling it out and before placing on sheet.

7.     Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes until chocolate sets.

8.     When solid, store in airtight container. Make when you’re planning to serve within a few hours. Chocolate can get white and chalky if kept in the refrigerator too long.
 

 Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

8 ounces dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 pound strawberries

Using a double boiler or bowl over hot water, melt your chocolate chips with the butter. Stir together until smooth.

One at a time, take each strawberry by the stem and leaves, dip into the chocolate as far as you can, shake, tip upside-down, and then set on your drying sheet.

When you have a sheet filled, place it in the refrigerator to dry the berries for 15-30 minutes. Test by tasting a berry. (This is the fun part!)

When chocolate is completely solid, put berries in an airtight container and store in a cool place away from a heat source.

*Can be made with milk chocolate or white chocolate, but this loses some of the healthy benefits.