Create a chocoholic party

Looking for fun party ideas? How about a chocoholic party? New research is touting the benefits of dark chocolate, and in fact, many of the benefits were known to our ancestors for many years. Hosting a Chocoholic party is easy and your guests will enjoy the unique idea.

First things first: the menu

It’s not supposed to be fancy sit-down food. Instead, follow the flow of a chocolate fountain as the centerpiece. You can buy small chocolate fountains at most big box stores and don’t feel limited to the prepackaged pieces of chocolate that are supposedly designed for use with these machines. Read the instructions that come with your machine and you will almost always find that you can use any type of chocolate, even white chocolate. Just add a little good quality oil to make it flow easily.

Serve a variety of fruits, candies and marshmallows, and even cookies and pretzels or wavy fries for dipping. I love offering a great selection of bite-sized oranges, grapefruits, and other fruits for my guests. But one piece of advice. Prepare your table so that it can be accessed from both sides. This will help ease the jam around the chocolate fountain. You can also offer small plastic cups or bowls to allow your guests to bring their treats to a table or other areas where they can form small groups and carry on the conversation.

But just like a buffet has a main meal and a dessert, you shouldn’t forget to add an assortment of chocolate desserts. Chocolate cakes, pastries and lots of different types of chocolates to nibble on. Make sure you have plenty on hand, as you can use them for games or prizes during the gathering.

Don’t be tempted to buy a load of expensive gourmet chocolates, as your store favorites are sure to please most people.

Yes, chocolate and wine are a great pairing. Do some research on wines that would go well with chocolates. Talk to your local wine merchant for some good suggestions, and of course, don’t forget the milk and coffee. How about Hot Cocoa?

Setting the stage

You may want to consider using your best bedding. If you have bedding designed in chocolate, that would be great, but if not, you can easily design your own with stamps, fabric paint, browns of course, and an inexpensive fabric.

Set up several tables for your guests, one for eating and one for the chocolate fountain and the chocolate and wine tasting. You may also want to set up some chocolate grazing stations around the house or patio, or display desserts for later.

Decorate with shades of chocolate, from tan to crust brown. Love chocolate fruit, then consider some hints of fruity colors like raspberry, orange, or apple green.

Plan the fun

While just eating pounds of chocolate may be enough for many, you may want to plan a few games. Here are some ideas.

1. Who is the worst addict to chocolate? Give a prize to the one who eats the most chocolate.

2. Paint with Chocolate: Use milk, white and black chocolate to paint a pre-made pizza crust. Decorate with fresh fruit. Who is the delicious creation that receives the most votes?

Now that I have you thinking about chocolate, get down to work. A chocolate addicts party is a great alternative to the traditional gathering.

NOTE: Scientific studies now indicate that a little chocolate a day is GOOD FOR YOU. so eat your chocolate … it’s a healthy food! Enjoy.