I hope you all will love this one - I got a great e-mail from Monica at the National Confectioners Association writing on behalf of the Chocolate Council. (How cool would it be to get to hang out with the Chocolate Council? OMG! Think of the great conversations! The whole chocolate world is in their hands! Oooh - the power!) But I digress.
The big story is that next week is American Chocolate Week (not to be confused with Russian Chocolate Week or Swiss Chocolate Week). And to commemorate the week - the council is launching a new website http://www.thestoryofchocolate.com.
The Savor section was my favorite part of the site. It talks about how to taste chocolate and why it's just so dang irresistible. There's no peanut butter tab, but hey, I'm sure the Peanut Council is on it.
So let's get to the giveaway!!!! Monica is offering YOU, dear readers, a chance at a Chocolate Gift Pack from the Council!!!! See below:
I don't know if you all can really tell from the pic - but this is a lot of stuff! Now, Monica said that what you get may not be exactly this assortment, but who cares, right? It's FREE chocolate!!!!! And a lot of it! Are you with me?
So what do you have to do?
Monica suggested you all share your own "Story of Chocolate" - could be a memory, a favorite recipe, something about how you enjoy chocolate now - be creative! I'm going to put all the names of everyone who submits something that took a little effort and pull out one at random.
If you just post something like "I ate chocolate for breakfast today" - that is too lame. Give me something good - I know you all have talent!
I'm thinking anyone who takes the time to do something has a pretty good chance at this! I'm going to give you all Chocolate Week - that means through midnight the 26th. You can enter multiple times with different stuff if you want.
If I pick you, you'll give me your address and NCA will mail you the packet - how awesome is that????
Good luck, my beauties!!!
And you can always check out my cool website at www.firestarspeaking.com
At Christmas time, I like to make homemade peanut butter balls covered in chocolate (or Buckeyes). I'll have to look up the exact recipe and post it, but it's peanut butter, powdered sugar, and margarine mixed together and rolled into balls, then dipped in melted chocolate (I use almond bark).
ReplyDeleteOh so unfair! I have given up chocolate for Lent and even tied a monetary punishment to any cravings or desires.
ReplyDeleteI must abstain. sniff
Oh - those peanut butter balls sound delish!!!! We'd love to see the recipe!!
ReplyDeleteKris - AAAIIIEEE!!!!!! I won't pressure you. : ( But I knew you'd do something great! Sigh...
ReplyDelete2 cups powdered sugar
ReplyDelete1/2 cup butter (I use margarine)
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream butter, add peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla. Roll into balls and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet. You don't have to, but I find it helps to freeze them for a little while. Then melt almond bark and dip the peanut butter balls in the chocolate. Enjoy!
When I was maybe 5 or 6 my parents bought me my first ever Christmas advent calender. Unfortunately they didn't quite explain the concept of having one piece a day. I'd never had so much chocolate all to myself before, so ran to my room and ate the whole thing in about 15 minutes. I got in big trouble for that, but it was probably worth it.
ReplyDeleteMy chocolate munching rate hasn't slowed down much since then. Yum.
Yahoo! Those peanut butter balls sounds AWESOME! Thanks so much! And Kirsty - ha, ha, ha!!! LOVE it - that sounds like something I would do!!! Thanks for sharing - both of you!!!!
ReplyDeleteFor our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, my husband and I didn't have much money to go out for a nice dinner so I tried to think of a way to celebrate on the cheap. My inspiration came on the snack aisle of Wegmans when I saw the gourmet chocolate bars. I decided that splurging for a $4 bar was the perfect solution! I picked out a couple of bars that sounded interesting and delicious and we indulged! We so thoroughly enjoyed this that we've made it a tradition every V-Day since! Granted we've only been married 3 years, but I don't see this tradition ending anytime soon!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was going through my mom's things after she passed away a few years ago, I found this in her recipe box:
ReplyDeleteChocolate Marshmallow Pie
40 marshmallows
5 cups chocolate chips
Oreo crust
Melt marshmallows and stir in chocolate chips.
(freeze)
It was a recipe I had written for her when I was little. I remember sitting on a couple cushions so I could reach the typewriter (it was a while ago!) and dreaming of being a cookbook writer someday.
We never tried making it - those are three of my favorite ingredients, but it does sound like it might be a little much :) - and I didn't realize that she'd kept it all these years. It was a truly sweet discovery!
Wow - great comments!!!!! Fear and Rambling - too sweet - I love it! Congrats on three years and here's to many more! Thanks for sharing your story!
ReplyDeleteJane - that recipe sounds yummy!!! And what a great story about your Mom! You know she smiled everytime she came across it. Thanks so much for sharing a terrific story!!!
ReplyDeleteI was raised by a dad with a sweet tooth. At times it was pretty bad. What made it special was every year before school started, we'd all go to Sears for school clothes. Us kids thought he was just bored, like the other fathers -until we realized that was an excuse to go to the candy counter without us. He'd get candy for himself (which he'd hide in one pocket) and different candy for us in another pocket. Needless to say it was a several years before we figured that one out. lol
ReplyDeleteHi Denise,
ReplyDeleteI’m happy to see you posting again. Based on your facebook picture it looks like thing are still going strong in the Loooove department as well.
I read about this chocolate giveaway last week and my response has been ruminating ever since.
I teach 6th grade in a very poor school. My students know three primordial facts/quirks about me.
That is, the three C’s.
1. Coffee
2. Candles
3. CHOCOLATE!
Without them, I couldn’t get through the day. I light the candle to mask the funky air of my 40 year old portable. The coffee speaks for itself, duh!
The chocolate however, is something to be shared. My kids take part in a chocolate tasting party once a year when we study the Ancient Mayans. For the most part, they are only familiar with that gross bagged stuff that starts with a P.
It is my honor and delight to share as much as I can. I tend to mix it up every year, by picking up what I can here and there. I do make a point of watching them as they taste the dark stuff, at least 70%. A guaranteed good laugh! This year they sampled Lindt’s Dark Chocolate Chili and next year, I’m going to attempt Mexican hot chocolate.
For me personally these days, I’m loving (and eating) Green & Black’s Peanut & Sea Salt. It’s really great, the best.
Thanks for the opportunity to share, and please keep posting.
Cheryl G.
Ok, here goes! First, some background: My dad is Peruvian and pretty strict. He also isn't quite sure how to deal with tears very well. The story: My mom finally convinced him to let me get my ears pierced for my birthday when I was in about 5th grade. My birthday is in early April, so generally very close to Easter. On my birthday, he wound up having to take me while my mom was home with my siblings to get the house ready for my party. We went to a jewelry store in the mall, and I he was *way* more nervous than I was! Anyway, when it was my turn, the employees seated me in the chair, marked my ears, and told me that they were each going to fire an earring gun simultaneously, so that in a matter of seconds it would be over. They assured me it would only hurt for a second, but I was too excited to be worried. Then, the countdown: 3,2,1 -- and they fired. Of course I noticed the moment of pain, but also realized that my dad, in his concern that I would cry, had, at the EXACT moment they fired the guns, shoved a whole, unwrapped cadbury's creme egg into my mouth. Now, I loved those eggs, but my mouth had watered so much due to the shock that my saliva mixed with a WHOLE chocolate egg was just too much. I drooled chocolatey stuff all over my outfit and felt like a total loser. Needless to say, my dad's plan backfired and he had to deal with plenty of tears on the sticky ride home :)
ReplyDeleteI, Like you, enjoyed the savor tab as well! :D
ReplyDeleteI made nutella buttercream!
http://www.oliviafrescura.com/1/post/2011/03/nutella-buttercream-recipe.html
chocolate inspires me!
whenever i was little i used to watch jacques torres on the TV a LOT and that was when I was little. his name always was familiar to me even though I couldn't remember his face, I remembered his show on TV.
Dessert is my favorite. I used to want to be a pastry chef, actually.
I've seen the chocolate fountain in the bellagio i want to say? it is GORGEOUS.
Chocolate is an art form, definitely! as is sugar :)
<3
Wow - what great entries we had!!! Seems that Dads have a secret place in their daughter's hearts when it comes to chocolate!! Diane, love the sotry about your Dad - thanks for sharing! And Cheryl - how cool!!! I bet your students LOVE you! And urban.eve - well - that is just a riot! Love your Dad! But the thought of the whole egg cracks me up - get story!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd HeyLiv - thanks for sharing the recipe And I agree - love the chocolate fountain at the Bellagio!!! You ALL did a great job with the entries! Thanks so much!!! I'm choosing the winner today!