Chop your chocolate into small pieces, or use chocolate disks, sold by many manufacturers at gourmet stores or online from professional chocolate suppliers. The more chocolate you use, the easier the process is to manage. Try to chop your chocolate as uniform as possible. Chocolate that's uniformly chopped will melt evenly and lower the risk of scorching. If you want, you can use a serrated knife to cut the chocolate into even chunks, or you can look for chocolate chips that are evenly molded. Set aside approximately 1/3 of the chopped chocolate for later use. It will not be used in the initial double-boiling. Fill it just full enough so that your other bowl your bowl with chocolate will rest nicely inside without spilling the water. Melt it gently over a pot of very gently simmering water by resting the bowl on the top of the pot of water. The bowl should be bigger than the pot and should not be submerged in the water, but resting on the edge of the pot. Do not bring the water underneath the chocolate to a boil. Also, don't rush the melting by turning up the heat on the stove. Trying to melt the chocolate too soon will cause it to scorch, ruining the taste and the tempering process. Be careful not to allow any water to get in the chocolate, or it will seize. This is very important. Once the chocolate is fully melted it should feel warm to the touch. Place the bowl of melted chocolate into the bowl with ice water, and begin to stir slowly but constantly. Once it begins to thicken and reaches a temperature of 95100F, crystallization or "tempering" is occurring, and you can remove it from the cold water. Incorporate the two forms of chocolate so that the final mixture is smooth. It should set up hard, firm, and shiny with 2 to 3 minutes, in a 65-72F environment. If it appears spotty or dull, you need to continue stirring, applying heat or cold as necessary to keep it soft and workable, but not too thin. It should feel cool to the touch; a good test spot for temperature is to place a dot on your lower lip. If it feels cool, the temperature is probably about right. When the chocolate sets quickly, uniformly, with good shine and no spots, it is ready to use. You can fill molds, make bark, dip dried fruits, biscuits, cookies, or anything else with it. You can flavor it with fat-soluble oils (mint, lemon, orange, etc.) as well.

Summary: Gather your equipment, and preferably one to two pounds of chocolate. Fill one of your bowls with ice water. Place your chopped chocolate in the dry, stainless steel bowl. Heat the chocolate slowly until it reaches a temperature of 110115F. Add the remaining 1/3 of untempered chocolate to the melted chocolate and stir. Start test for temper or crystallization at 90F by dipping a spoon into the chocolate. Check for tempering.

There are many medications, both over the counter and prescription, that can help relieve nasal congestion in your sinuses. Flonase and Nasacort are nasal steroid sprays that are available over-the-counter. To use, administer one spray per nostril, once or twice daily. This is especially helpful if you have allergies. You may also try Zyrtec, which is a non-drowsy antihistamine, which can reduce sinus congestion. Take 10 mg once a day. Also try Claritin, another non-drowsy antihistamine that may work well for you. Take 10 mg once a day. Oral decongestants that include pseudoephedrine may also be helpful. If the over the counter doses don't work for you, talk to your doctor about stronger version of these medications or other, prescription only decongestants that may work better for your case. OTC pain medications for the pain associated with sinus congestion, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, may also help. Nasal decongestants, such as Afrin, can quickly reduce sinus congestion, but should only be used for three days. If you use them longer, you may get rebound symptoms. Pregnant women or people with medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease should not use these medications without talking to their doctor. And talk to your child's doctor before giving them to children. If you have severe chronic allergies that cause your sinus issues, consider immunotherapy to eliminate your sinus congestion. Immunotherapy is the process by which you are administered small doses of what you are allergic to, such as pollen, mold, or pet dander, either by injections or under the tongue. The first step is to get tested by an allergist, who will figure out exactly what you are allergic to. Once your doctor has confirmed what you are allergic to, he or she will begin to administer the allergen as injections or under your tongue. The doctor gives you doses of the allergen with the idea that your body will learn to adapt to the allergen, no longer see it as an invader, and no longer continue to mount an immune response, such as the sinus congestion or a runny nose. The injections or treatments will take place weekly for the first four to six months. Next, you should be at the maintenance level and require treatment every two to four weeks. Gradually you will go longer and longer between treatments until you only need them once a month. After one year, if you have responded to therapy, you will have either no symptoms or be much improved and your treatments can continue for three to five years, when you should be completely immune to the allergen. If you haven't responded, the immunotherapy will be terminated. This treatment is time consuming and can be expensive, but many people are turning to this therapy because it removes their sinus congestion and improves their quality of life. There are certain situations when a doctor may be needed. If you have had symptoms of a head cold for more than two weeks, you should see your doctor to check for a larger issue such as a bacterial infection. If there is a change from your usual allergy secretions and symptoms for a week, it is reasonable to seek treatment if you are worsening on day seven instead of improving. Occasionally, sinus congestion can lead to a bacterial sinus infection, and your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic at that time. Sinus surgery is rarely needed for chronic sinus congestion or infections. If you are bleeding from your sinuses, if your sinus congestion is associated with headaches that are severe or with high fevers, confusion, neck stiffness, or weakness, or if any symptom increases after the use of any home remedy, see your doctor immediately. Drainage from sinus congestion can trigger symptoms in people with asthma or other lung problems. See your doctor right away if you have a cough, wheezing, chest pain, or shortness of breath associated with your sinus congestion.
Summary: Try medications. Ask your doctor about immunotherapy. Seek medical attention.