U.S. Census Says Single Women Outnumber Marrieds
Chocolat Frey Offers 11 Ways for Single Women to
Take Back Valentine’s Day and All of Chocolate Month
Buchs, Switzerland – Chocolate on Valentine’s Day need not be a luxury reserved for married women … particularly in light of newly released data from the 2005 Census. For the first time in history, census data shows a majority of U.S. women are spouseless. Not wanting this historic milestone to affect women’s legendary love affair with chocolate – or to disappoint those 59.9 million single women -- Switzerland’s #1 chocolate maker, Chocolat Frey, offers suggestions for female-only celebrations that enable single women to take back Valentine’s Day – and all of Chocolate Month (as February is commonly known).
While women everywhere know that chocolate is balm for a broken heart, research from the University of California and University Hospital in Zurich suggests that dark chocolate, with its concentration of antioxidants, also may be good medicine for a healthy heart. “Whether you look at it figuratively or literally, there’s a natural connection between chocolate and matters of the heart,” says Nadja Muggli, Chocolat Frey Marketing/Brand Director. “It’s probably no coincidence that chocolate is closely linked with the most romantic day of the year. That’s why we’re encouraging all women – single or married – to create opportunities for chocolate indulgence not only on Valentine’s Day but throughout the entire month of February.”
Available for the first time in the United States, Frey chocolate is distinguished by its 11-flavor selection of 3.5-ounce bars, which includes such surprising combinations as White Blueberry, Citron & Poivre (Lemon Pepper), and Hot Chilli Pepper. The 120-year-old company behind the treat has as many fun ideas for female-only Chocolate Month celebrations as it does flavors. And none of these ideas involve wilted flowers, tacky lingerie, or confusion over the meaning of an obscure gift. Here, then, are Chocolat Frey’s 11 flavor-infused ways for women to take control of Chocolate Month.
- Discover what your taste in chocolate says about you. Is there a sweet, romantic side hiding beneath your cool exterior? Are you all spice and no sugar? Visit www.chocolat-frey.com/chocolatequiz/ to take the Frey Chocolate “What are You Made of?” personality indicator test.
- Treat yourself to a small square of exotic chocolate every single night of Chocolate Month. While you savor your treat, take a moment to be grateful for all the sweet things in your life.
- Host a Chocolate Month party for those women who support you year-round – your girlfriends, co-workers, sisters, and mother. Use different flavored Frey chocolate bars as place cards and invite your guests to guess which flavor you believe represents each of them. Creatively introduce chocolate into each course of your meal, and hand out all of the recipes in a keepsake party favor cookbook. (Also share the latest information about chocolate and heart health.) After dinner, play party games to help everyone get to know each other. Use different flavors of Frey chocolate bars for prizes. Finish the evening with a game of truth or dare to reveal who has ingested the most chocolate in one sitting or who has the best story about drowning a broken heart in chocolate. The winner gets a Frey chocolate bar every month for a year from you – a sweet reminder of the importance of sisterly solidarity.
- Are you invited to someone else’s Chocolate Month soiree? Think outside the bottle. Pair that standard hostess wine gift with the chocolate that will really bring out its flavor.
- Give your friends the gift of guilt-free indulgence. Surprise the important women in your life with a bar of their favorite dark chocolate, a copy of the latest news about the health benefits of small doses of chocolate, and a Happy Chocolate Month card listing all the reasons they deserve to indulge.
- Make chocolate your main course. Cook up some Mexican Chicken Mole (chicken with sweet and spicy chocolate sauce) or a pot of chocolate chili (your favorite chili recipe with a bar of Frey Hot Chilli Pepper chocolate added at the end or shaved on top). You’ll be surprised at the spicy depth chocolate can bring out in your savory dishes.
- Celebrate your inner child. Plan a play date with your best friend like the ones from childhood (remember, back before they were called play dates?). Go ice-skating, then turn off cell phones and beepers as you settle in for a chick flick with a cup of gourmet hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream. To make a really special cup of hot chocolate, experiment with Frey Chocolate Merveille de Lait and warm milk. Shave additional Merveille de Lait over the whipped cream. Or try a more adventurous flavor. White Blueberry hot chocolate, anyone?
- Indulge your fantasy life with a marathon movie night of sensuous films about food, beginning with Chocolat and Like Water for Chocolate. What to choose for a snack? Isn’t it obvious?
- Enjoy the sweet reward of paying it forward. Pass out chocolate to others who could use some sweetness in their life – women at a shelter, the homeless, even your co-workers.
- Host a chocolate potluck party. You supply the spirits and invite all of your friends to bring their favorite chocolate indulgence.
- We’ve all heard it before, but it’s worth repeating. Life is short; eat dessert first. Just once in your life, indulge your sweet tooth, then move on to the veggies and protein if you have room!
Beautifully boxed 3.5-oz. bars of Switzerland’s favorite flavors of Frey Chocolate -- Pécan & Caramel, Bouquet d’Oranges, Café & Cacao, Citron & Poivre, and White Blueberry – can be found in Target stores nationwide. A special Swiss reserve of six specialty flavors – Hot Chilli Pepper, Noir Satin (69% cacao), Rhubarb & Aloe Vera, Merveille de Lait, Coeur de Macadamia, and Noir Authentique (78% cacao) – are being offered at select Target stores around the country. For a listing of stores carrying the expanded line, go to www.chocolat-frey.com.
