Bless a friend or loved one  by giving food for a lifetime to a hungry
child in their name through the gift of a goat at
http://www.foodforthepoor.org/.

Disgustingly Rich Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients:

2 cubes (1 cup) butter

3/4 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then smear the inside of an 8 or
9-inch baking pan with shortening.

Melt the butter over a low heat. Watch it. It's easy to burn.

In your mixing bowl, stir the cocoa and sugar together. Then stir in
the melted butter. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir again. Now add
the flour and salt, and mix just until smooth. Not too much. (If
you're adding walnuts, now's the time.)

Scrape the mixture out into the greased pan and spread out in an even
layer.

Bake in a 350-degree oven until the brownies just begin to pull away
from the sides of the pan (or until you can stick a toothpick in and
pull it out with no batter sticking to it). Takes about 60 to 65
minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Hugs and Kisses Valentine Cake

24 HERSHEY®'S HUGS® Chocolates

24 HERSHEY®'S KISSES® Milk Chocolates

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces; coarsely chop.

In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla
until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour
mixture alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating well after
each addition. Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into prepared
pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out
clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost as desired. Arrange
additional chocolate pieces in heart shape on top of cake.

HersheysKitchens.com

The common cold and the flu  are both caused by contagious viruses.
Symptoms of the common cold include sneezing, runny nose, and watery
eyes, but usually without a fever.  The flu, however, has several
additional symptoms, including chills, fever, and sometimes nausea and
vomiting.  Both conditions respond well to natural remedies.  In fact,
during cold and flu season, proper nutritional intake can help boost
your body's own resistance to these viruses and minimize symptoms.

Try these easy and effective remedies:

Drink hot liquids (chicken soup or broth and herbal teas), drink more
fluids, especially orange and grapefruit juices.

Facial steam (with a few drops of eucalyptus oil) is helpful.

Get extra rest.  If possible, use a vaporizer while you sleep.

Use Saline nasal drops.

The immune system is made of the bodily components including organs,
bone marrow, cells, antibodies and bio-chemicals, as well as specific
nutrients that help nourish and generate them.   To help keep your
immune system strong and help you maintain optimum health and
well-being, consider the following protective nutritional supplements
to incorporate into your daily regimen...

Vitamin C: Provides comprehensive support to your immune system and
also has anti-viral benefits.  Health problems such as viral
infections, colds, stress, surgery and progressive diseases deplete the
body's Vitamin C levels and should be replenished on a daily basis.

Vitamin E:  This essential vitamin is most useful for its antioxidant
effects on dangerous oxidized fats and cholesterol, both of which are
suspected causes heart disease. Vitamin E also helps to protect cell
membranes and DNA from free-radical damage.

Selenium:  As part of the body's detoxification system, Selenium is
particularly helpful in getting rid of chemical pollutants such as
heavy metals.  As an antioxidant, it prevents or slows the aging
process of tissue.  It is beneficial for the cardiovascular system and
helps protect against cancer.

Vitamin A:  This antioxidant reduces the rate of infection and supports
normal cell reproduction. It helps protect the body from the irritating
effects of smoke and other pollutants. It may also reduce your chances
of getting ulcers, atherosclerosis, stroke and high blood pressure.

Beta-Carotene: This anti-oxidant vitamin has been shown to strengthen
the immune response by stimulating T-helper cell activity.  It also
appears to prevent the development of cancer. A number of studies have
shown people with a higher beta-carotene intakes have a reduced rate of
lung and colon cancer.

Zinc: This protective mineral is essential to several immune-system
functions.  It helps with healing and reduces infection.  It supports
the immune system to help the body fight infection and produce
antibodies.  By helping to regulate the function of white blood cells,
zinc can improve antibody response to vaccines and cell-mediated
immunity.

Echinacea (herbal):  Echinacea is used to purify the blood and lymph
system and to treat infections.  Recent studies show that it can
increase white blood cell counts and as a result increases the ability
to fight bacteria and viruses. It also stimulates the lymphatic system
to help clear wastes.

Acidophilus:  This beneficial bacteria inhabits the human digestive
system. It is best known for assuring the return of normal body
functions after a course of antibiotics, by reintroducing friendly
bacteria into the colon. It acts as a mild antibiotic, and regular use
can replace the harmful bacteria in your colon (or vaginal tract in
women) where acidophilus is useful to help treat yeast infections.

CoEnzyme-Q10:  CoEnzyme-Q10 works alongside other enzymes to support
the body's bio-energetic functions.  It acts as an immune-system
booster and has been shown to help lower blood pressure and enhance the
pumping action and electrical function of the heart. It may also
improve energy production in heart muscle cells.
http://scentsnsweets.homestead.com/VP.html

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