Blog Chocolate

Blog Chocolate is Moving!

Blog Chocolate has found a new home.

Please update your links and feed reader to point to: http://www.blogchocolate.com

We hope you'll visit us often at the new and improved site!

Great Chocolate Blogging

Blog Chocolate is back from hiatus and working on some exciting changes to the site.  Stay tuned for lots of new, delicious chocolatey goodness.

In the meantime, we are thrilled to be once again ranked as a Top Chocolate Blog

 

If you are looking for other good chocolate reads to satisfy your sweet tooth check out the list we are thrilled to be among.

Or visit this great compilation of the top 100 chocolate sites that we were included in earlier this year.

 

My Kitchen

Okay so this really isn't *my* kitchen.  But it might as well be

Roger Brought Me Back

Once upon a time there was a small corner of the internet carved out just to tell tales of chocolatey goodness.  A corner that was lovingly nurtured with great sacrifices of copious amounts of chocolate consumption.

Then it went silent. Disappeared. 

So many excuses ... life got busy, was drowning in chocolate, dog ate my homework ...

But the truth is there are still like 100 people a day that stop by to visit little 'ol Blog Chocolate despite not being updated in more than a year.

Time to fix that.  Partly because I feel terribly guilty about the neglect but also because I made a chocolate discovery that was worth sharing while on vacation last week.

My new boyfriend's name is Roger.

 

 

My son and I spent a week in the ever charming Victoria, British Columbia and a few steps from our hotel was Roger's Chocolates.  Lovingly prepared chocolate with the sweetest staff on the planet, we visited it every day.  We tried all of the truffles and the creams and ... well we tried everything.  

My favs? The salted carmel chocolate and the winter apple caramel truffle.  They apparently rock the caramel.

Completely worth coming out of hibernation for.  Thanks Roger!

Kohler Chocolates, Marry Me

Dear Kohler Chocolates,

Marry Me.

Love, Sandra

I am a chocolate Enthusiast (with a capital E) and I've been known to gush and rave unapologetically about the world's most perfect food. 

But it is not often that you'll hear me use this collection of words:  "These chocolates are one of the best chocolates I've ever seen or tasted."

  

 

Best.  It's a pretty big word that shouldn't be thrown about lightly - and, believe me, I am not.  Because Kohler Chocolates deserves to wear that crown.

I was recently sent a box of their Garden Ganache that is presently featured on Oprah's February 2009 O-List.  Mrs. Winfrey absolutely knew what she was talking about this month ... they are nothing short of spectacular and now sit atop the "S-list" for sure. 

To begin with, they are stunning to look at.  Really, they are beautiful perfect round domes each artfully hand-painted with a burst of lovely colour like they were a canvas.  I almost didn't want to bite into them because they were so pretty. Almost.

These original-recipe, hand-made chocolates were brilliant.  Not too sweet, not too rich, and you could taste the artistry with each bite. The mouth feel was smooth and the flavours distinct, bold and elegant.  I am beyond smitten with Kohler's delicious gems.

 

In the Garden Ganache box there were a host of lovely and creative flavours each with special hand-painted colours: Coconut, Pear, Asian Spice, Hazelnut Coffee, Macadamia, Chai Tea, Raspberry ... plus my favourites: Passion Fruit, Creme Fraiche and Earl Grey.

And in case you are wondering about the company behind these delectable creations, yes, it is that "KOHLER".  The one that makes covetous sinks as well as a host of other seemingly unrelated international businesses.  I was prepared not to like them just because of their strange brand heritage that didn't seem to fit.

But the truth is it fits perfectly with their reputation of bringing superior products to market.  Kohler Original Recipe Handmade Chocolates were first developed at their five diamond resort in Wisconsin after their incredible chefs were charged by Mr. Kohler with trying to create the best chocolates in the world.

And as far as I can tell, they have succeeded.

Gorgeous to look at and with flavours that satisfy your palette and leave you craving more.  I'm having daydreams of buying one of everything they create to savour ... especially the Terrapins (in a word: heavenly).

The only complaint I have (and it is a big one) ... they currently only retail and ship to the US. When they are available internationally I've asked that they let me know so I can share with my readers who live beyond the red, white and blue border.  

Thanks Kohler for making chocolate so perfectly.  

Be Mine: Valentine's Chocolate

We are on the heels of one of the biggest chocolate days of the year and  I have a surprising (perhaps even shocking) admission to make.  

I have never received chocolates for Valentine's Day.  Ever.

There is no question in the minds of anyone who knows me that I am an enthusiastic chocoholic and always have been. It's a no-brainer really. I couldn't be easier to shop for.

But instead, Valentine's for me has always been just about the week after February 14th when all the chocolate goes on clearance sale and I can scoop up copious amounts at bargain prices for myself.  Sad but true.

Should you feel sorry for me?  How has a woman who writes a chocolate blog completely missed ever being gifted Valentine's chocolate?  

It all began with my first boyfriend who was not well-schooled in the fine art of romance. Valentine's Day was either, ahem, accidentally missed or marked with some hastily purchased cinnamon hearts from the local convenience store.  Which is nice.  Nice. He was very nice.

My next boyfriend was decidedly his polar opposite. He was all about grand gestures of amour, complete with candlelight and flowers and corny poetry and over-the-top story book surprises.  The poor guy could have saved himself so much trouble with a small box of truffles.

My university beau once bought me a jumbo package of red Valentine's Day licorice and ate them all himself.  In front of me. It's hard to believe I let that one slip away.

And then that brings us to my dear husband.  My dear, dear husband. But the reality is that I can't place one ounce of chocolate-less blame on him.  It's all my fault.  

When we were first dating, 13 years ago, we were madly in love with harps and cherubs flitting about our heads.  Together we proclaimed that everyday was about expressing our affection for each other and not one commercially-manufactured, retail-manipulated day.  We both agreed to boycott Valentine's day in favour of 365 days of looooove. We were the loving Mc. Loversons and Valentine's gift exchanges were beneath us.  (oh my)

And now 13 years later I am pretty convinced that might have been the worst idea I have ever had. 

So instead I wish YOU a very Happy Valentine's day filled with baskets of chocolate. Someone should be enjoying a sweet-chocolate celebration.  Please have an extra one for me.

xo

Car Hunting?

The lease for our car comes due in a few months. 

With all these financing deals abound my hubby and I 

have a harder decision than ever about what kind of car to get.

He has his own antiquated ideas of what makes a solid family vehicle choice. 

Me? I'm happy with one made of chocolate ...

Amantes do chocolate de Brasil bem-vindo

I think that title translates to "Welcome Brazil's chocolate lovers." But I don't actually speak Portuguese so I may have offered up something ridiculously naughty instead.

They say you should learn something new each day. Today I learned that Brazilians love their chocolate.

A lot.

And there are hoards and hoards of them visiting here today compliments of a lovely Brazilian website who appears to be profiling blogs about chocolate. Judging by the volume of traffic they are sending my way, for all I know they could touting this here blawg as chocolate porn. Heh.

But I am nothing if not hospitable to fellow chocoholics.

I expect they came here to read about delicious recipes or poignant chocolate reviews or at the very least see tantalizing photos of chocolate debauchery. I doubt they wanted to read the diarist ramblings of the life of a 30-something Canadian mama with a sweet tooth.

So in an attempt to make my new South American friends feel welcome, I did a little research on Brazilian chocolate facts that they might find more interesting ....

Did you know there is a super cool Brazilian chocolate company called Garoto? Well, I guess if you are here from Brazil then you would know that. Ya. But I didn't. I am a Euro-chocolate lover myself. Especially the Belgian variety. Though the Garoto folks look like they know a thing or two about chocolate so if you want to send me some brazilian sweets then I am alllll over that.

Actually, I have come to the conclusion that I think I might have to move to Brazil. Did you know they have a National Chocolate Research Institute?! Well they do. But better yet, that they have found that Chocolate can save the planet! Of course it can. Of course it can. Those smart, chocolate-savvy, Brazilians.

Tropical paradise, soccer wizards AND enviro-chocoholics. Nice. Even my friend Lucy, might have liked to pay them a visit ...