Chocolate Candy Gifts, New Ideas
By Dave Owen
Everyone loves receiving chocolate as a gift. But, you might be tired of just giving the same one-pound box or tin thing special occasions. A new and different approach which should bring spectacular results is giving chocolate works of art instead!

Paintings and Sculptures and Rooms – Oh My!

Imaging receiving a chocolate painting of yourself! Wouldn't that just be a devine treat. This is the kind of a gift that can be shared with a special someone and can be enjoyed by both the eyes and tongue. Chocolatiers like Prudence Emma Staite will create customized paintings of anyone. All you do is send them a picture and the image will be reproduced in chocolate. You can enjoy it by either eating or putting it on display. You might notice that these images resemble woodblock prints as opposed to photorealistic ones, but they are quite impressive.

Customized works are more expensive, but for those who want to spend less, you can order up a chocolate painting of your favorite celebrity such as Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley.

If you want to impress a crowd, you might even want to try one of the chocolate rooms! Giant sculpted pieces such as edible fireplaces are installed in a room of your choosing bring to life childhood fantasies of being able to eat the furniture.

Another unique group called Chocolate Deities produces chocolate sculptures of deities from various world religions. If you like Asian art and sculptures, Indian works, etc., you can get items such as a Hotei (a Japanese laughing Buddha) or Kuan Yin (the Chinese Goddess of Mercy) and the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh, all sculpted in dark chocolate.

If Impressionism is Your Thing, consider giving a chocolate version of their Van Gogh, Monet or Picasso! If you visit sites such as netique.com, you can find reproductions of famous works such as Irises by Van Gogh, or Water Lilies by Monet. These iconic pieces are reproduced in miniature using food coloring and look just like the real thing. If you can resist eating them, you can display these works and preserve them just like other foodisart pieces.

Thru the use of food coloring and an inkjet-like printer, these artists can do just about anything. As you can see, chocolate isn't just limited to the boring old chocolate bar anymore! Have fun and treat yourself to a unique work of art or give one to your favorite chocoholic!

Dave Owen is the webmaster of cooking information To get more information about cooking visit tips.lookwhatsfordinner.com To find "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Cooking!" visit Cooking Guide.

Mexico Arrests 6 In Deadly Cancun Bar Blaze
Mexican Police Arrest 6 Suspected Of Torching Bar In Cancun, Killing 8
Plane Wreckage Removed From SF Bay Area Lagoon
Crews Remove Wreckage Of Small Plane That Crashed Into Shallow Lagoon Off San Francisco Bay
2 Abortion Drs. Ordered To Stop After Md. Injury
Md. Health Officials Order 2 Abortion Doctors To Stop Procedures After Woman Injured
Bristol Palin Tells Leno 'Dancing' Choice Was Easy
Prom-less Young Mom Bristol Palin Tells Leno 'Dancing With The Stars' Was An Easy Choice
Blackwater Created Shell Companies, NYT Reports
Security Company Formed Network of 30 Shell Companies, Subsidiaries to Get Millions in Gov't Business, Newspaper Reports
Outgoing Obama Adviser: Stimulus was Right to Do
Christina Romer, Chair of Economic Advisers, Stepping Down This Weekend, Doesn't Think Gov't Spent Too Much for Economy
Body Of Son Of Boxing Promoter Found In Cascades
Park Spokeswoman Says Body Of Son Of Boxing Promoter Bob Arum Found In North Cascades
New Zealand Skydiving Plane Crashes; 9 Die
9 People Die After Skydiving Plane Crashes On New Zealand's South Island
SKorean Foreign Minister In Scandal Offers To Quit
Official Says Foreign Minister Offers To Resign Over Nepotism Scandal
The Week in Space
New Teases about Life on Mars to Stunning Images of Distant Nebula
Earl Weakens to Tropical Storm near New England
Storm Dumps Wind-Driven Rain on Cape Cod
Weakened Earl Hits Mass. With Wind, Rain, Surf
After Sideswiping NC's Outer Banks, Weakened Earl Hits Outer Reaches Of Mass. With Rain, Wind
Report: Blackwater Created Shell Companies
Report: Blackwater Created 30 Shell Companies To Get Gov't Work After Iraq Shootings
Taylor Lautner Settles Suit Over RV For Movie Set
'Twilight' Actor Taylor Lautner Settles Suit With Calif. Dealership Over Late Delivery Of RV
Appeals Court Rules For Eminem In Royalty Lawsuit
Eminem's Former Producers Entitled To More Money For Downloads And Ringtones, Court Rules
Calif. Wildfire Sparked By Migrants' Signal Blaze
Officials Say Calif. Wildfire Sparked By Signal Blaze Set By Illegal Immigrants
Mesa Woman Burned After Acid Thrown In Face
Mesa Woman Burned After Woman Throws Acid Into Her Face
SEC Reaches Settlement With Ex-Qwest CEO Nacchio
SEC Reaches Settlement With Former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio In Civil Case
Longtime Book Editor Larry Ashmead Dies At 78
Larry Ashmead, Editor Of Asimov, Hillerman And Other Writers, Dies At Age 78 In NY
La. Officials Suspend Abortion Clinic's License
Louisiana Health Officials Suspend Abortion Clinic's License, Citing Health And Safety Risks
Kara DioGuardi Exits "American Idol" as Judge
DioGuardi Following Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell Out
Head Of Alleged Trafficking Scheme Arrested
FBI Arrests Head Of Calif. Company Accused Of Trafficking Thai Workers To US Farms
Video: Evening News Online, 09.03.10
Friday: The East Coast faces the wrath of Hurricane Earl; Also, "Where America Stands" on failing infrastructure; And, Steve Hartman's "Everybody In The World Has A Story."
Fox: Kara DioGuardi Departs 'American Idol'
Fox: Songwriter Kara DioGuardi Departs 'American Idol' As Judge, Adding Another Vacancy
Kara DioGuardi Exits 'American Idol' As Judge
Then There Was One: DioGuardi Exits 'American Idol,' Leaving Jackson Solo Judge, For Now