Can Chocolate Revitalize a Mall?

Can Chocolate Revitalize a Mall?  I sure Hope So!!

So, Our local, small, older and dying Mall was featured in our local community paper recently. It's new owners talked of new stores, new renovations and new life for our little community mall. I was excited. It's closer to me and I much prefer to shop locally than drive somewhere else, but they've got their work cut out for them.  One thing they mentioned in the article was a News stand- I wanted Home Design magazines. .  . . So I dragged my sister over there on a Sunday afternoon, just to discover to my great disappointment that while the News stand is open, it currently has no news.  [What were thinking? Was this beyond their control?] Well, we popped into Sears next door and did a little shopping anyway. Walking on the opposite level going out than we came in, we were surprised and excited to discover a chocolate Kiosk.    And that is the focus of this post:
           It turns out Chocolatier William Zeebek Jr is opening a store front for his Chocolate Pumpkin company in just a few weeks. Not wanting to miss important excuses to eat chocolate  Holidays such as Valentine's Day and Easter, William and his co-owner, Timothy are selling chocolate right by the center court until his permanent space is ready.    These guys are true chocolatiers- hand making all of their own pieces in a variety of flavors and themes.  
I had to get a sampler of course- everything from Pomegranate to Pear Truffles.  The pear was very mild and smooth. The Grand Mariner truffle was super delicious- though I like Liquor.   The mint truffle was a pretty dotted paint creation. The pear truffle had a little green leaf on it.  I try to only eat dark chocolate so all of my selections were dark.  I can't decide my favorite, but when all I really want is true chocolate I would go for the bittersweet dark chocolate truffle.

 I am sorry, I ate most of the box before I remembered to take a picture!  

The Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel was one of my Absolute favorites and I'm usually a Chocolate 'purist' not wanting caramel to overtake the chocolate. This does not and melts in the mouth oh so smoothly!

You will be hearing more About  The Chocolate Pumpkin in future posts as I hope to try more of their tasty products and take better photos.  I do plan to get some Easter Themed treats and will post them here.  I'd also like to know more about the business and their philosophy. Their introductory website is intriguing.  

While in my mind a Chocolatier totally revitalizes the Mall, I know the reality is he will need some other great store offerings to really take off. I do hope he inspires and encourages more entrepreneurs to give Marley a second chance! We are in real need of hand made chocolate in our neighborhood and I do pray this venture is a smashing success. 

Diet proof Fudge

       So, it's really hard to keep a chocolate blog when your chocolate intake dwindles to almost zero!!  Its almost like I jinxed myself. I thought I couldn't live without a daily dose, so a blog on the stuff would be easy as pie.  And then I got this compulsion to loose some weight and there went a nose dive on the chocolate intake! At first, I could still nibble a little every day. I actually have a desk drawer just for my 'stash' [I think it's currently empty, how sad is THAT??]  And then, it just got to the point where I didn't even THINK of chocolate every day.  Gasp. . . . I know.  Twisted and wrong.     

Happily, I am sure  this too shall pass and future posts ought to be forthcoming, albeit slowly.

      My latest thing is my latest 'diet.'  I'm sorry for using a four letter word.  This is one is not primarily for weight. It is for health. I actually sought out a nutritionist as my DIY diet was no longer very effective or motivating in the weight loss arena, so I felt I needed a different tack. Well, she's got me on a 30 day test. An elimination type diet to clear up some 'minor' lingering symptoms.  So, with no diary, gluten, potatoes, chocolate [except dutch processed cocoa] peppers, nitrates, most oils [except coconut, olive and butter- a fat not an oil, but you know. . . ]  A lot of stuff like that.  I'm eating pretty good. Had a few accidental cheats; which is probably why its for 30 days, but otherwise, eating a lot more home cooking. A good thing always.  

And since I don't plan to be on this type of diet for ever  [Prayers please!!] I'm finding that its not too bad.  

  

My nutritionist did suggest a 'fudge' recipe if I needed to fudge the diet with a treat.  It turns out this recipe is ALL over the internet.   It was super easy to make [not so super easy to find dutch cocoa though!] and its very chocolatey and satisfying. In fact, I think its a little too addictive.  Good thing I keep it in the freezer  [refrigerator is probably fine too] because if I could carry it around all the time, it wouldn't be good. It definitely melts in your hands. So break it up and put it in a baggie or container so you can pop a quick bite in your mouth before it starts to melt.  Melts in your mouth super delicious.   Some of the comments on the recipe site complained of it not working. My suggestion is to make sure you are 1] using the correct ingredients; coconut oil not milk or cream. and dutch cocoa.  2] don't over cook it. Heat it until well blended and smooth and that's all.   No thermometer needed, soft balls or anything- if its smooth its done.     

So cheers to getting back into the 'chocolate' of things!! 

All Gone

Back in April, we attended a Chocolate themed fundraising event. Quite a few local businesses wowed us with their chocolaty inventions!  Of course, I had to purchase a souvenir or two, so one of my choices, was this box of scrumptious,  almost too beautiful to eat  Chocolate covered caramels from Chouquette.  Almost, but not quite.

I intended to save the treats until I had reached that goal weight I had been working on- or was getting ready to get serious about working on. . .  Oh, how the best of intentions get us.

By the end of May, I was half way there and treated myself to 2 of the confections.  Then I waited. . . And waited. . . and waited some more.   Summer came and went. . .

My daughter was visiting the other day, noticed the pretty contents and voiced concerns about shelf life. .  . so considering that I had gone backwards from my goal and therefore the date of reaching it was out in the great unknown. . . I decided there's no better time like the present, and no better partner with whom to share.  It did not take long until the confections were gone.

These were dark chocolate covered flavored caramels. The gooey center caramels came in different flavors such as:
Balsamic vinegar. [actually quite good]
Sea Salt    [Yum!]
Hazelnut  [for the dd, not me ;) ]
Coffee

Well worth a treat, especially for a special occasion as they are already decorated!  I would love to try her truffle assortment and have chocolate on chocolate, in various flavors of course!!
Bon Appétit! <3 p="p">

Russkie Reminiscing

http://mandalaybay.com/dining/red-square/

While in Las Vegas this summer, L and I visited the Red Square Vodka Bar.  Even with all the choices [too many clubs, not enough night time]  we actually went back to the same bar a second time.  My new favorite drink? Their Russkie:  Banana Vodka, creme de cocoa, etc, with a plantain chip dipped in chocolate as the garnish, was truly delicious!  Just a little chocolate, but it was enough!  

While the drinks were yummy and the food was awesome- we mostly went back for the service. A top notch classy bartender!!  If you're out there reading this- you know who you are!!  <3 p="p">

We sure hope we get a chance to visit again some day, for classy and Russkies.   

Cheers!

Tall Tower

A Tall 4 Layer Cake! I don't remember ever making a cake this tall that didn't fall. Yeah, it was barely staying up. [Because I didn't bother to make sure all the layers were even and flat] But it stood as long as it needed to. It isn't a great peregrine of chocolate virtue, but it did have 2 layers of moist chocolate cake and 2 layers of chocolate frosting. The cake was made from 2 mixes and the chocolate frosting was store bought. [I did make the white decorator frosting.] I was very surprised actually, that it was very delicious! It was also very moist. I think that powdered sugar and crisco frosting concoction is a very good moistness insulator! Add the added bonus of the impressive tallness of it all and voila- Success! I wish I would have taken a photo with a fork or something so the scale would be more obvious. You'll just have to trust me on it.

It's so nice to finally have something new in the chocolate department, because I'm always so busy dieting, I'm avoiding eating most everything. And while I do have a nibble here and there on my stash-I've blogged about that already. What else can I say? Maybe, though as Easter gets closer-or better, my nieces come to visit-maybe then I'll have some chocolatey blogging opportunities.

Unsuspecting. . .

you bite into an innocent looking piece of fudge and to your surprise and wonder discover that it's no ordinary fudge. It's pumpkin spice fudge. Yep. Made with pumpkin and spices. The original recipe called not for chocolate but white chocolate chips. Now why would I have any of those on hand? sheesh. So I was forced to improvise with semi-sweet and therefore it makes the blog!

Yum.

I saw the recipe posted on a local homeschool yahoo group

Lenny The Moose

Most recently my mom and I and my youngest kids drove up to Maine to visit friends and eat lobster- not that you care. . . Because we not only ate chocolate, but also paid tribute to it. Meet Lenny the Chocolate Moose:

The 1700 lb milk chocolate statue was made in 1997, can't believe he's lasted so long. Later they added the dark chocolate bears. The pond is white chocolate with food coloring added.

I went a little crazy and bought two much smaller chocolate 'mouse' and a couple of boxes of mixed chocolates. It was fun and delicious.

The milk chocolate mouse I broke up for all the kids to share. [Mine and my friend's] And the dark chocolate look-a-like was saved for grown-ups and red wine. yum. Smoother than I expected. So that was a good find. They also had ice cream, other candies and souvenirs.

Keeping to just a little nibble a day is going to be hard.