Claudia Marie E a s y E l e g a n c e E v e n t S t y l i n g w i t h C h o c o l a t e Fall 2011 Volume 1, Issue 2 takes time but we re hopeful that ~ smooth ~ ~ creamy ~ ~ dreamy ~ Inside this issue: Weddings 5 Pairings 2 Scoops 4 Dreampire 6 Fundraising 3 Recipe 3 Health 4 And it s Still All About the Chocolate!! Issue number two of Claudia Marie and counting!! I am so excited!! Fall is coming!! Are you starting to yearn for cooler weather? Reading a good book with a cup of sipping chocolate, chocolate coffee, or chocolate tea? Speaking of sipping chocolate (yes, that was a deliberate segue) my friend and I just came up with the best Cinnamon Sass ever. We are so excited and can t wait to share it with you. Of course, from idea to product development takes time, but we re hopeful to be able to debut in the next 2-3 months. Thank you to the ladies at BAM for their insight and input regarding the name and branding. One has to appreciate the blessings in your life!! I m also working on the first three Easy Elegance cookbooks, starring of course, chocolate. Lot s of hard work yet well worth the time and effort. I definitely want to share all the good stuff, and chocolate, with you!!
Page 2 Claudia Marie Wine and chocolate pairing the right wine to complement the right chocolate "Nobody knows the truffles I ve seen Chocolate Pairings: Lindt Chocolate & Wine There are so many kinds of chocolates. And so many kinds of wines. Where do you start? I say start simple and with Easy Elegance. First, choose the glasses. Do you have traditional wine glasses or are you into scouting a variety of stores to find something unique and different. Unique can really make a unique statement!! Choose a theme for your tasting. I don t care if it s just you, you and someone else, or a group. Make it special. Dig into your cupboards and find those unique tableware items, candles, crafts, tablecloths, table runners that you aren t using and pull them out. Be creative. Have fun. Use Easy Elegance Styling. Since I m all about Easy Elegance I suggest starting with a tried and true chocolate like Lindt. It s a well made product and easy to find in your local market. Then choose your wine. Following is a suggested list created by Lindt Chocolate. You can plan your chocolate pairing and tasting for just relaxing and socializing or you can change it up by adding wine tasting and chocolate scoring cards. Allow yourself and your guests to really get involved in the tasting of the pairings, jotting down impressions and recommendations and scoring all the aspects of the flavors, feel, and aromas. What fun is that? Total fun!! Excellence White Coconut Riesling Sparkling Pink Wine (demi-sec) Muscat Excellence Extra Creamy Chardonnay Pinot Noir Tawny Port Excellence 70% Cacao Merlot Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon
Page 3 Claudia Marie Fundraising with Chocolate Summer is over and for many of us our volunteer groups and schools are back into full swing seeking support for their upcoming programs and projects. Cutting back? Raising funds? Those are the questions. I vote for raising funds and doing it in a fun and memorable way so it doesn't even feel like hard work. I d like to suggest the fundraising possibilities that abound with chocolate. The weather is getting cooler. There are still birthdays and celebrations during the Fall months. Then Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Lot's of reasons for people to make a purchase or two or three for themselves and others while supporting a good cause. Nowadays we have to make our money do double-duty. So why not consider offering gift giving purchases through fundraisers. And why not consider providing that opportunity to your potential supporters and community, friends, family, neighbors. I suggest contacting Lindt RSVP or Dove Chocolate Discoveries. Why? Well, beside the chocolate they are well-known companies. They offer good products. The consultants are nice and helpful. And, these huge companies haven't been tapped and exhausted as all the small businesses in your community have been. This is the time to make your fundraising count!! Chocolate makes for great fundraisers Chocolate is a permanent thing." Milton Snavely Hershey Three Ingredient Chocolate Recipe Brownies 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 (12 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips In a large mixing bowl blend all ingredients together. Pour into a 9 x 9 non-stick baking pan. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Brownies can be served warm or cool. Recipe hint: Try different quality and flavor chocolates chips. Easy Elegance serving suggestion: Arrange 3 one inch squares of brownies on a white dessert plate. Add a scoop of chopped green apples. Drizzle brownies and apples with caramel sauce. Top with a sprinkle of mixed nuts. For interactive fun let everyone plate their own. Recipes have been tested. Variations in results are subject to age and quality of products and ingredients used, expertise and experience of the preparer, weather and elevation, cooking and baking temperatures, variations in equipment, to name a few. It is always a good idea to practice first with any new recipe because results can never be guaranteed.
Page 4 Claudia Marie Chocolate and Your Health I was checking out WebMD www.webmd.com/foodrecipes/news/20000219/ chocolate-your-health? page=2 and came across the following question and answer... Are there any health benefits associated with eating chocolate besides enjoying the taste or satisfying a craving? A University of California, Davis, researcher has spent several years studying the possible health benefits of certain antioxidants found in chocolate. These antioxidants --phenolic compounds, also known as flavonoids -- are the same compounds found in red wine that give it antioxidant properties. Phenolics can help protect against or slow heart disease by preventing fat-like substances (LDL, or low-density lipoproteins) in the bloodstream from oxidizing and forming plaque that can eventually block arteries. Although chocolate also contains the saturated fatty acid called stearic acid, it has been shown in scientific studies to have a neutral effect on blood cholesterol. One study conducted at Pennsylvania State University with healthy, young, adult male students showed that eating one standard-sized milk chocolate bar a day did not affect blood cholesterol. Choose quality dark chocolate at least 70% or higher Gift Store "I could give up chocolate but I m not a quitter. Our website is up and ready for business. Please book mark as a favorite so you can check in often as we are in an ongoing state of product and gift development. Our first offering is gift certificates in any increment to use toward our.. Chocolate products and custom gift baskets Women in Business PR & Marketing Mentorship Scoops d`elegance Candy Buffets Wedding Day Design Check out our website at www.claudiamariedesign.com Scoops d`elegance Candy Buffet Are you getting ready for Halloween with a Halloween Candy Buffet? I hope so because it s time to change it up from that traditional candy in a bowl, drop it in a bag approach. Here s the Easy Elegance Styling approach. Place a table by the door. Drape with appropriate table covering and decorations. Be cute, be clever, be scary!! Line up three or five glass jars with scoops on the table. Fill the jars with wrapped Halloween candy. Consider filling with candy wrapped in Fall colors to really make this stand out. Trick or Treaters can then scoop their own candy right into their bags, and you ll be the talk of the town. And for another Easy Elegance Styling idea, let your Halloween Candy Buffet serve triple duty. First, for the Trick or Treaters. Second, add more candy for your Halloween party at your home, your friend's, or the office. Third, change up the decorations and add more candy or treats for your Thanksgiving Candy Buffet. Totally awesome!! And totally doable!! Easy Elegance Styling
Claudia Marie Page 5 Weddings and Chocolate: the Perfect Pairing You have to infuse chocolate in your wedding. You just have to!! Claudia Marie recommends having one signature element at your wedding. Something totally unique and unexpected. Consider Easy Elegance Styling and chocolate infusion with Lindt Lindor Truffles. Here are three suggestions: Strategically place clear glass vases of wrapped Lindt Lindor Truffles. They can be placed as centerpieces, at the bar or buffet, or right next to the cake. The truffles come in sparkly colors and really add to your event. Speaking of cake, just before the slices head out to be served to the guests add a wrapped Lindt Lindor Truffle to each plate. What fun for guests to get an extra colorful and tasty treat! And speaking of the bar, keep an elegant serving bowl of Lindt Lindor Truffles handy. Unwrapped truffles can be added to glasses of champagne or martinis. Just perfect!! Claudia Marie Design can advise you on how to make chocolate happen at your wedding. We offer a complimentary consultation by phone of in person. It s so easy!! "Man cannot live on chocolate alone, but women sure can! From the Desk of Claudia Marie Hope you are enjoying this issue as much as I enjoyed creating it. Chocolate is such a great outlet for expressing fun, elegance, warmth, and creativity. And it tastes good too!! I had the unique opportunity to do a presentation with Anesi. It was a chocolate tasting and introduction to the health benefits of chocolate, in particular, regarding memory, dementia, and Alzheimer s. I m looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate more with them and support the good work that Anesi does. To learn more dementia and Alzheimer s and how you can get and prepare your own health passport visit www.anesi4u.com Until next issue Happy Halloween!! Happy Thanksgiving!! Happy Chocolating!!
Happy Ch oc o lat i ng!! Claudia Marie Design 3941 Park Drive, #20-114 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 Happy Phone: 916-939-3492 Fax: 916-939-3905 Email: claudiamariedesign@ymail.com And above all... think Chocolate! IT S ALL ABOUT THE CHOCOLATE!! The journey is the reward!! Dreampire To Dream and to Build your Business Empire Dreampire I am diligently working on my dream building my Dreampire step by step. Sometimes it feels scary. Sometimes it feels too big. But all the time, it feels just right. How do I know it feels just right behind all those negative pulls of emotions and feelings? Because I know who I am. I know I fit for what I want to pursue. I know that what I want to do is really just an expression of who I am. When I m coaching and mentoring others I suggest that taking the time to explore and define who I am is critical. Take out a sheet of paper and start writing about who you are. You may be surprised that you give yourself a lot of traditional labels, such as mother, sister, friend, accountant, painter, wife. I like to think out of the box and focus on other labels that one might not necessarily use. I am easy elegance. I am chocolate. I am fun. I am a creative visionary. I am dedicated. You have to really get into who you are and what you are about. You have to be willing to stand up and give yourself a standing ovation. Keep that piece of paper and refer to it often when you are faced with negativity or doubt. And use it to analyze the next steps in creating your Dreampire. Know who are you? Feel free to share on my blog at www.claudiamariedesign.com Next issue: where do I want to be? Email for a complimentary consultation for Women in Business PR and Marketing Mentorship.