The Connection

What is white chocolate?

White chocolate contains cocoa butter, a product of the cocoa bean that is also used to produce chocolate. The cocoa butter, which does have a faint chocolate flavor is combined with milk, sugar and often other flavoring ingredients such as vanilla in order to create the creamy confection known as white chocolate.

In order to be labeled chocolate (as defined in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration) a product must also contain cocoa solids from chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor is not alcohol. Rather, it is the thick liquid produced when fermented, dried and roasted cocoa beans are shelled, then ground. This ground up inner bean is known as chocolate liquor and is the key ingredient in all of the chocolates on the market except for white chocolate.

When the chocolate liquor is pressed, the fat can be removed from it. This fat is called cocoa butter, and it is the primary ingredient in white chocolate. In plain chocolate, the cocoa butter is reblended with the cocoa solids from the separation process in order to make unsweetened chocolate. It may also be sweetened and blended with additional ingredients such as milk to make the chocolate confection we commonly eat. However, with white chocolate the cocoa butter is not reunited with the cocoa powder. Instead, sugar and milk are added to create the final treat. Since the caffeine in chocolate is found in the cocoa solids and not the cocoa butter, white chocolate does not contain any caffeine.

Just like regular chocolate, white chocolate is then heated, cooled and processed to attain the desired consistency, texture and sheen. This processing is known as conching and tempering. The final product may then be placed into molds in order to attain the final shape in which the chocolate will be marketed. White chocolate has gained popularity in recent years and is often used in baking and candy making, either alone or in conjunction with other chocolates. Since the creamy white color and the mellow flavor of white chocolate provide a nice contrast to other chocolates, they are often paired for both visual appeal and flavor.

White chocolate chips can be found routinely next to the semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips in the grocery store baking aisles. Gourmet treats such as chocolate dipped strawberries are regularly available in white chocolate varieties.

Since white chocolate labels are not currently standardized, some manufacturers market products that do not even contain cocoa butter as white chocolate. Usually, these candies contain vegetable oil and lack the rich and creamy flavor that “real” white chocolate boasts. It is important to check package labels to ensure you purchase the best white chocolate since both product types may be labeled similarly.

The cocoa butter used to make white chocolate is a very stable fat and has a long lifespan without spoiling. It contains several natural antioxidants and it has a shelf life of several years. It is also used in products other than chocolate and white chocolate, such as soaps, moisturizers and other skin care products.

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Interesting and Fun Alcohol Facts

1. The word “toast,” which means wishing good health originated in ancient Rome. A piece of toasted bread was literally dropped into wine back then.
2. The soil of one of the vineyards in France is considered so precious that it is mandatory for workers to scrape the soil off their shoes before they leave.
3. Anyone under the age of 21 should be careful of taking out trash bags in Missouri. If you are under 21 and the garbage contains an empty bottle of alcohol, you can be charged with illegal possession of alcohol.
4. Most people think that drinking alcohol raises the body temperature. Alcohol actually lowers the body temperature.
5. Here is a little surprise : The national anthem of United States “The Star Spangled Banner,” was written to the tune of a drinking song.
6. Although “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is considered to be the shortest sentence that includes all the letters of the alphabet, alcohol lovers came up with one of their own “Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.”
7. Most vegetable and almost all fruits contain a small amount of alcohol in them.
8. The first Thanksgiving Day didn’t include mashed potatoes, turkey and all other foods that we usually eat on this particular day. However, there was beer, brandy, gin and wine.
9. Bourbon, the official drink of United States takes its name from Bourbon County in Kentucky.
10. The pressure in a champagne bottle is 90 pounds per square inch, that is three times the pressure in automobile tires.
11. Adolf Hitler was one of the world’s best known abstainers from alcohol.
12. Sir Winston Churchill was one of the world’s heaviest drinkers.
13. The longest permanent bar is 405 feet and 10 inches. It is located in Ohio. Some suggest that the longest bar is in Illinois which is 684 feet.
14. The first recruiting station of the U.S. Marines was a bar.
15. The world’s oldest known recipe is for beer.
16. It is illegal to run a “tab” in Iowa (source that we used says running a “tab” in Iowa is illegal. Iowa residents say it is legal. We will go with Iowa residents and rule this one out)
17. United States has the highest minimum drinking age in the entire world.
18. The alcohol content of a typical beer, wine or spirits are virtually identical. To a breathalyzer, a drink is a drink is a drink.
19. Brandy, rum and whisky can be either aged too long or not long enough.
20. It is estimated that there are 49,000,000 (forty-nine million) bubbles in a bottle of champagne.
21. Human body produces its own supply of alcohol naturally, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
22. Beer started selling in bottles starting 1850 and in cans starting 1935.
23. In the 1600’s thermometer used to be filled with brandy instead of mercury.
24. The term “Dipsomania” refers to abnormal cravings for alcohol.
25. There is a cloud of alcohol in the outer space which is enough to make four trillion-trillion drinks.
26. It is illegal to feed alcohol to Moose in Alaska and fish in Ohio.
27. In some European countries McDonald’s serves alcohol. Some parents like to drink alcohol while kids munch on fries and chicken nuggets. McDonald’s decided they needed all the customers they can get.
28. Many high school cafeterias in Europe serve alcohol to students who choose to drink
29. Distilled spirits such as brandy, gin, rum, tequila, etc. contain no carbohydrates, no fats and no cholesterol of any kind.
30. A mixed drink that contains carbonated drink is absorbed into the body more quickly than straight shots.
31. Abraham Lincoln held a liquor license and operated several taverns.
32. All spirits (unlike beer and wine) are originally clear and colorless. The golden brown and other colors are achieved due to the aging process.
33. The French Wine “Fat Bastard” is banned in Ohio and Texas. (although the articles we referred to suggested that this was true, many readers have said that you can buy “Fat Bastard” in Texas)
34. Here is another one we found that relates to Texas : Texas state law prohibits taking more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.
35. The BATF (Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms) prohibits the use of word “refreshing” to describe any alcoholic beverage.

The main causes of liver damage

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil.. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

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10 Brain Damaging Habits

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.
This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power..

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

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The top five cancer-causing foods

1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can’t live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.

2. Processed meats and bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French f ries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.

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Facts On Drunk Driving

1. In 2006, there were 13,470 fatalities in crashes involving an alcohol impaired driver (BAC of .08 or higher) – 32 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year.
2. The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was four times higher at night than during the day.
3. As in previous years, in 2006, males comprise a majority, about 81 percent, of all drivers involved in fatal crashes with a BAC=.08+.
4. The 13,470 fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes during 2006 represent an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 39 minutes.
5. On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes. In 2007, an estimated 12,998 people died in drunk driving related crashes.
6. Fifty to 75 percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.
7. Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life losses. People other than the drinking driver paid $71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill, which is 63 percent of the total cost of these crashes.
8. About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.
9. Over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States.
10. A first time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested.

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