Chocology Today

+ A Limited Time Special Offer

We're less than a month away from Valentine's Day - the traditional chocolate holiday! We are so excited that this special day is near. What a wonderful time to express love and gratitude to those special people in our lives.

At Chocology, we realize it’s not always easy to choose a gift that truly says, “I love you”. That’s why we have created a most delectable array of chocolates just for Valentines Day. Your Valentine will feel extra special when they receive our Love & Kisses collection. Designed to perfection, our creamy homemade fudge and couture truffles are as delicious as they are pretty, each an individual gift of its own.

All of our chocolates are hand packed with the greatest of tender loving care and made with the freshest ingredients available. Our “How to Eat Chocolate Mindfully” card accompanies each and every order. You can rest assured that your Valentine will savor each chocolate and thank you with every bite.

Last week, we took a poll asking you, our readers, what kind of chocolate you hoped to find in your Valentine box this year. The votes are in!  Dark Chocolate Hearts were voted the most desired chocolate for Valentines Day 2015. Look below for a sneak peek at the truly decadent Valentines collection Chocology has to offer for the Valentine’s 2015 season.

All of our Love & Kisses chocolates are tenderly filled with dark chocolate ganache, rich creamy salted caramel and oh so much more. Our romantic heart-shaped fudge will be available for a limited time as well.

As an expression of our love and gratitude, we at Chocology would like to extend a special offer to you ~ our loyal followers. For a limited time, we are offering 20% off your entire *Chocology Valentine order. This offer will run through midnight, Wednesday January 21. In addition, all orders over $75 will receive **free standard shipping.

We hope that this offer will assist you in creating a Valentines Day to remember.  Our mission at Chocology is to provide excellent service and products while building strong relationships with our customers.

Here’s your sneak peek of our Love & Kisses Valentine Collection:

Cherish--Dark Chocolate Ganache in a Dark Chocolate shell.  62% Dark chocolate ganache

 

 

Sweet Love--Creamy white chocolate ganache with the pure and gentle taste of fresh picked raspberries wrapped in a White Chocolate Shell.

 

 

Adore--Strawberry Champagne Ganache in a Dark Chocolate Shell.  Balancing sweet strawberries, champagne and almond paste in a dark chocolate shell

 

 

 

My delight--Salted Caramel in a Milk Chocolate Shell, filled with a rich harmonious blend of buttery caramel with the unexpected boldness of fleur de sel.

 

And don't forget our fabulous fudge:

Fat-Ass Fudge Hearts: You can taste the delectable pleasure and pure ingredients in every bite. Our heavenly, handmade fudge is rich, delicious, and completely natural. It is made with Belgian chocolate, organic goat's milk and goat's butter and love; gluten and lactose free.

 

 

Your Coupon Code:

Loyal Followers Coupon  (coupon code: Love&Kisses)

Expires Wednesday at midnight

We look forward to helping you create a wonderful Valentines Day for your special someone. Please feel free to share this offer with your friends and family on Facebook or Twitter, so that everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of this wonderful pre-Valentines Day special.

*To insure the freshest chocolates, your order will arrive in the days just before Valentines Day.

** free shipping to one destination on orders over $75.

Be sure to visit our website soon and make your gift purchases.

Gratitude ~ the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness

  We talk a lot about gratitude in the month of November. We all try to make an extra effort to count our blessings, do for others and pay closer attention to all that we have. It’s important to make this effort in every day life, and we’ve found at Chocology that it is especially important to practice gratitude in our day-to-day business dealings. Having a gratitude practice can paint a new picture on a chaotic day. Starting and running a business can bring challenges that aren’t expected at times. When we make it a point to shift our focus to what is working, rather that what is challenging, it feels as though we are swimming with the flow of life. By integrating an attitude of gratitude into our business practices, we make better decisions, even in the chaos of a challenging day. Focusing on gratitude grounds Chocology and keeps us zeroed in on giving. When we feel abundant, we feel as though we have lots to give. Our focus becomes about giving good service, good quality products and building strong relationships. We don’t have time to dwell on the things that don’t go our way, because we know that there is always another door up there on the horizon just waiting for us to walk through it. When we appreciate all of the good things that are happening, it seems to bring us even more. Chocology prides itself on making chocolate personal. Our vision is RED, putting our focus on Relationships, Education and Distinct products. All of these qualities arise from the gratitude we have for our customers and vendors. While the bottom line is important, when we put our focus on giving, the bottom line takes care of itself. We operate Chocology just as we operate our personal lives. We start our day with gratitude for our customers, our readers and all of our vendors and products. Our purpose is to bring great products and education to all that desire it and to appreciate every step we take to get there. We thought it might be nice to share some of the things that Chocology is very grateful for this month. We hope that it will inspire you to stop for a moment and think about what you are grateful for. Being thankful is the first step to creating a brand new day filled with all of our hearts desires. It really does begin with perspective. Let’s cultivate an attitude of gratitude together this month. Chocology is especially grateful for:

YOU our customers and readers

For the opportunity to share our love for all things chocolate

For all of our outstanding vendors, technical people and associates who help us make Chocology a company we are proud of

For our new Fat Ass Fudge products (We know you’re going to love them!)

For the potential to bring education to kids through Chocology Kids

For all of our pet friends out there and the opportunity to develop products that they will enjoy in the future

For all of our family and friends, who support us on this lovely chocolate adventure

We truly are thankful for the opportunity to share our passion with you. Thank you for being a part of our Chocology family. We wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. We would love to hear what you are thankful for this month. Feel free to leave us a comment, visit us on Facebook or tweet us your gratitude list.

On Sunday, November 2,  Chocology had the honor of participating in the Long Island Chocolate Festival and what a day it was! People young and old came out to taste, look at and experience chocolate at it’s finest. We got to meet lots of people and give samples of our great chocolate, including our new product, Fat Ass Fudge. The event coincided with the announcement of our newly acquired company, Fat Ass Fudge. We had the opportunity to hand out samples of our new fudge and it wasn’t long until there was a sea of people standing in line to buy it.  We were pleased to hear, “This is the best fudge I’ve ever had,” many times throughout the event. Fat Ass Fudge, made with organic goat’s milk and butter, was a hit.  We pretty much sold out by the end of the festival. We also sold our new test product, Espresso Ganache Truffles. The truffles were meant to be samples, in an effort to discover if they would be popular enough to sell. When participants began to ask if they could buy a box to take home though, we shifted gears and put it up for sale at the event. Several people left with a box of the Espresso Ganache Truffles before we even officially have it on the market! Our testing efforts seem to be a success. We sold out. Madeline truly got a chance to shine with her doggy treats. She worked hard before the festival to choose treats that were all organic and safe for puppies. She tested them out on her dog Logan well beforehand and also designed the Chocology Pets logo, made banners and signs and created the doggy treat packaging. She was a world-class entrepreneur on Sunday, presenting the puppy products to passersby. Madeline’s doggy treats sold out in the first two hours of business. Madeline also had 197 voters register for her “Delicious Data” research project entitled What’s Your Favorite Chocolate? -to find out the results you will have to go to her ChocologyKids.wordpress.com blog next week.  Now that’s success! All in all it was a wonderful day. We met lots of great people and were proud to offer products that everyone enjoyed. If you weren’t able to get out to the Chocolate Festival, you can still try our Fat Ass Fudge. We’re having a “Chocology Sugar Rush” from now until Monday, November 24. Get ½ pound of fudge for $15 or a full pound for $30. Don’t miss this opportunity to serve this delicious organic fudge at your Thanksgiving table! You can order the fudge by emailing us through the contact page at our website. We want to thank the following people for sharing Chocology! You are all winners of some fabulous prizes:

The winner of the 24-piece “You Can Have it All” Chocology Chocolates, is Ted Cart. Thank you Ted for helping us spread the word about Chocology.

Winners of our Fudge giveaway are Candy Johnson, Nitsa Swain,Tricia Folliero, DanTeresa Loos, Wesi Tresi and Beda Nelson. Thank you all for participating in our contest and sharing your love of Chocology with your friends and family.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our give aways! Be sure to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter so that you will stay updated on all of the contests and specials we are having during the holidays. Have a terrific, chocolate filled week! ~ Linda Johnson

CHOCOLOGY UNLIMITED LAUNCHES THEIR LATEST PRODUCT “FAT ASS FUDGE” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Port Jefferson, NY  November 2, 2014 Chocology Unlimited is honored to be introducing its newly acquired company, Fat Ass Fudge, originally founded by Donna McCue of East Hampton, NY. “The velvety smooth fudge is home made in small batches with organic ingredients,” states Linda Johnson, Managing Director and owner of Chocology Limited (UK) and Chocology Unlimited. “It harmonizes nicely with what we are already doing with Chocology and we think our customers will appreciate the decadence and integrity of the product.” Keeping in line with Chocology’s philosophy of providing quality products along with education, Fat Ass Fudge is sure to compliment Chocology’s existing fine products. Linda and her daughter Madeline (Official Chocolate Taster) met Donna at a Whole Foods market several years ago. Donna befriended Madeline and they have kept in touch. Linda says, “We’ve never forgotten how kind Donna has been to Madeline through the years. When we saw her on “Shark Tank”, I thought to myself, I’d like to partner with her someday. Instead, when Donna decided to sell Fat Ass Fudge, Linda was first in line. “For the past several months, we have worked closely with Donna in our test kitchen to be sure that the transition is smooth and that we understand her business and recipes well,” states Linda. “We love what she’s done with her company. Donna will officially pass the torch to Chocology on Sunday, November 2nd.” Chocology will keep the name Fat Ass Fudge and use it as a description for their new product line. Four flavors of fudge will be offered in the beginning with additional flavors and products to come in the future. “Donna McCue will stand in as an advisor to Chocology for as long as she is willing,” states Linda. “Her expertise and creativity is an integral part of making this transition seamless.” Linda explains, “Donna has an interesting story, she is regarded as a staple in the East Hampton’s Farmers Markets and is celebrated for her contributions to the home made gourmet fudge market,  Her fudge is loved by many people across the country.” You can read more about Donna McCue and Fat Ass Fudge at Fat-assfudge.com. Linda plans to keep the Fat Ass website up indefinitely as a convenience for the established customers. “We are excited about our new acquisition and look forward to carrying on the legacy that Donna McCue started” Linda concludes.  

Wow, Madeline and I have been learning a lot about chocolate lately! In addition to all we are discovering in our chocolatier class, we are getting ready to make a big announcement on Sunday about our upcoming fudge line. We're also gearing up to participate in the upcoming Long Island Chocolate Festival! There’s a lot to learn and since we are a company based on the study of chocolate, this is a good thing! We’re so excited about the knowledge we’ve acquired and naturally we love passing all of this new information on to you. So, this week we decided to create a chocolate glossary, for all you chocolate lovers out there! Did you ever wonder what the difference was between a cocoa nib and a cocoa bean? Or maybe you thought that a cacao bean and a cocoa bean were the same thing. Have you ever been at the grocery store trying to decide between semi-sweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate chips but didn’t really understand the difference? What about tempering? What exactly is that and how is it done? Well, read on. You’re about to find answers to many of the questions you’ve always had about chocolate.

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Chocology Chocolate Glossary

1. Bittersweet Chocolate –Contains at least 35% chocolate liquor for bittersweet. Other ingredients include extra cocoa butter (in some cases), sugar, lecithin and spices.
2. Cacao Bean – The seeds of the fruit, called Pod or Cabosse, produced by the Theobroma cacao tree, pronounced kah KOW.
3. Chocolate Liquor – The ground cacao nibs, which contain their inherent cocoa solids and cocoa butter (approximately 50%). The term “liquor” comes from the Latin term liquor meaning “liquid” which is what happens to roasted cocoa beans when they are ground into a paste. Correctly pronounced as “licker”.The heat of the friction in the grinding process melts the cocoa butter making the mass “liquid” until it cools and hardens. Sold in the consumer market as “unsweetened” chocolate (also referred to as Cocoa Liquor, Liquid, Solid, Mass, Masse, Pate de Cacao). The liquor can be compressed to release the cocoa butter and separate it from the cocoa solids – the result is called cocoa cake or presscake. Liquor can be made from a blend (or “cuvee”) of different cocoa beans. “Varietal”, “Single Origin”, or “Vintage” are all labels for blends or single bean formulations that come from a specific region and are often named by the area or tree species from which they are grown.
4. Cocoa Bean – In the industry, once cacao beans (or seeds) have gone through the fermentation process, they are then called “cocoa beans.”
5. Cocoa Butter – The pale yellow vegetable fat in the cocoa bean with a melting point of 84 – 95 degrees F. (32 – 35 C) Its crystallization properties demand that chocolate containing cocoa butter be tempered in the final process before cooling.
6. Cocoa Nib – Cocoa beans break into smaller particles/sections called nibs after they are dried and roasted. These natural breaks are caused because the inside of the cocoa bean is not a solid mass but consist of the tiny stem and unfurled leaves. Also called grue.
7. Cocoa Powder – Ground cocoa cake. Cocoa powders can have different percentages of cocoa butter.
8. Milk Chocolate – Contains at least 10% of chocolate liquor. Other ingredients include sugar, lecithin, milk or cream powder and spices such as vanilla.
9. Semisweet Chocolate – Contains at least 15% chocolate liquor. Other ingredients include extra cocoa butter (in some cases), sugar, lecithin and spices.
10. Tempering – The heating-cooling-heating of the chocolate in order to stabilize the cocoa butter fatty acids. Referred to as temperage in France.
11. White Chocolate – Contains at least 20% cocoa butter. Other ingredients include sugar, milk and vanilla. Since it does not contain any chocolate paste, white chocolate is not considered a chocolate product.

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We hope this glossary gives you a little bit better understanding of chocolate, one of the world’s favorite delights. It sure has helped us to understand our business better and our appreciation of all that goes into making chocolate has expanded tremendously! Would you like to learn more about chocolate? Did we answer all of your questions in the glossary or do you have more? Let us know in the comment section. Or send us a Tweet or comment on Facebook. We may use your questions as a basis for another chocolate covered blog post! We have a great week planned! To celebrate the days leading up to our first chocolate festival on Sunday, we will be giving away sweet treats to our loyal followers. Share our message through your favorite social media and to show our gratitude, your name will go into a daily drawing. We're excited. SHARE AND WIN! Oh, and if you're in the area, come see us this Sunday at the Long Island Chocolate Festival! We'll be announcing our new fudge line, so you won't want to miss it. It's sure to be a fun chocolate filled day!

  Halloween is so much fun. It signals the beginning of Fall festivities, cooler weather and the countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our kids get excited about dressing up and filling their pails with candy. It’s become such a popular holiday that Americans are estimated to spend a whopping $2.5 billion this season on Halloween candy alone! Almost all of us celebrate to one extent or another, but have you ever wondered how Trick-or-Treating came to be? Disguising our children and allowing them to beg candy from strangers is, well, a little strange. Chocology wanted to know the history, so we went on a mission to find out how Trick-or-Treating on Halloween came to be. Halloween came about as a celebration of All Hallows Eve (the day before All Saints Day), a Christian holiday in which the dead are remembered, particularly martyrs and saints. All Saints Day coincided with a Celtic celebration called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). For the Celts, Samhain was a time in which the spirits of the dead swept through the earth, mingling with living beings. Bonfires and sacrifices were made to keep the spirits moving on their journey to the otherworld and keep them away from the their tribes and animals. Samhain became the Halloween we celebrate today when Christian missionaries attempted to change the religious practices of the Celtic people. Rather than eradicate their pagan practices completely, Christian missionaries transformed Celtic ceremonies little by little to coincide with the Christian holiday of All Saints Day. Mingling Christian beliefs and customs with Celtic traditions helped the Celts to slowly convert to Christianity. Trick-or Treating is actually a fairly new practice. Before the 1940’s All Hallows Eve was celebrated by holding small parties with cakes or fruit. It wasn’t until the late 1940’s that trick-or-treating was recognized throughout most of the U.S. and even then candy was not the treat of choice. In the 1940’s and early 1950’s, trick-or-treaters were more likely to receive homemade treats, coins, fruit or even little toys rather than candy. Today, Halloween is the candy industry’s most profitable holiday, falling behind Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. In the 1960’s it was still fairly acceptable to hand out homemade treats. But in the 1970’s, fear of those homemade treats being tampered with or even poisoned, led people to feel that the store bought, individually wrapped candies were a safer option. As the number of children trick-or-treating swelled, the candy industry saw this as a perfect marketing opportunity to raise sales of their confections in the Fall. The marketing of small individually wrapped candies took off in the 1970’s and candy became the official “treat” for trick-or-treaters. Despite the fact that Trick-or-Treating is a fairly recent phenomenon, it does resemble a medieval practice called “souling”. Poor folks would go door to door on November 1 (All Saints Day) offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food. Although popular historical rumors explain that trick-or-treating was invented by adults as a plan to stifle youthful pranks on Halloween, there is no real documented evidence of this. In the late 1940’s, Jack and Jill magazine mentioned a fun game called trick-or-treating. After that, television shows portraying children trick-or-treating got national attention. For the most part, it was the children who had to explain the practice of trick-or-treating to bewildered adults. Many adults felt it was an act of extortion and did not approve. Despite the push back from some adults, however, trick-or-treating on Hallows Eve took hold and it slowly became the tradition that many of us enjoy each year. It was so interesting researching all of the ancient traditions that led to our modern day Halloween celebrations. What are your customs for Halloween and All Saints Day? Do you have a special tradition or practice? Chocology would love to hear about it. Tell us what you are doing this holiday season or better yet, send us some pictures on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Chocology wishes you a safe Halloween this year with lots of fun with friends and family! Happy Halloween!

What a wonderful week! I want to thank all of you who helped make my birthday so very special by sharing Chocology with your family and friends! All the birthday wishes on Facebook, Twitter, private messages, Linkedin and Instagram made me smile too. Chocolate lovers are GREAT people! Our Happy Birthday to Me contest was a big hit! Thank you ALL for participating. Chocology would like to congratulate Ted Cart for winning the 24-piece box of Chocology chocolates. And since we had so many entries, we've added a second prize. Gretchen Ting, you've won a Chocology Gift Certificate in the amount of $27.50. Thank you Ted and  Gretchen for helping us spread the word. Be sure to contact me within 48 hours so that we can get you your prizes. [caption id="attachment_512" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A Full Box of Decadence - From the 24-Piece Chocology Collection[/caption] In keeping with all of the chocolate celebrations this month, we thought we would gift everyone with a couple of our favorite brownie recipes! The first is a grain-free low-sugar recipe that is to die for. Originally posted by PaleOMG, it is our go to recipe when we want something healthy and sweet.   [caption id="attachment_495" align="alignleft" width="300"] SWEET POTATO BROWNIES[/caption]          

1 sweet potato 3 eggs, whisked ¼ cup Coconut Oil, melted ⅓ cup raw honey ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons Coconut Flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt ½ cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

Bake the sweet potato. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, use a fork to puncture holes all around it, then throw in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Once your sweet potato is soft and cooked through, peel off the skin and mash it up in a bowl. Turn your oven down to 350 degrees.

 Add your wet ingredients: eggs, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla to the bowl and mix together.

Then add your dry ingredients: coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips.

 Mix well.

Pour into an 8×8 glass baking dish.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let rest to cool a bit.

If you’re looking for a decadent, super easy recipe for brownies, our favorite is right off the back of the Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate box. One-bowl brownies are so simple to make; you can be eating this sweet treat within 40 minutes, start to finish! We substitute chocolate chips in place of nuts (of course we do, we LOVE chocolate). So, if you’re feeling a bit wicked, whip out your ONE bowl and make a batch of these. They’re sure to please all those chocoholics in your family!   [caption id="attachment_496" align="alignleft" width="224"] ONE BOWL BROWNIES[/caption]                  

1 pkg.  (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate ¾ cup  butter or margarine 2 cups  sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp.  vanilla 1 cup  flour 1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

HEAT oven to 350°F.

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and chocolate chips; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely. Use foil handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

If you try one of these recipes, please tell us about it. Did you make them both? Which was your favorite? Please share with us in the comments section here or on our Facebook Page or take a picture and send it to us on Instagram! We'd love to hear all about it. Thanks again to everyone who participated in our Happy Birthday to Me Give Away! Stay tuned for more contests in the near future. We appreciate your support!

I love birthdays, don’t you? My birthday is October 8 and I would love to include my loyal readers and customers in the celebration! I have so much to be thankful for, and to show my gratitude, I want to do a big birthday giveaway! I truly believe that I was meant to work in the Chocolate industry.  No wonder I’m so passionate about chocolate--It seems to be a very chocolaty month...  Did you know that Chocolate week is celebrated in the UK on October 13 through October 19?  And there’s Chocolate Cupcake day on October 18 as well as The Chocolate Show – London October 17^th through the 19^th.   And let’s not forget that Halloween is in October and full of chocolate goodness! AND – The National Chemistry Week’s theme this year is, yep, CANDY. So with my birthday festivities, combined with all of this chocolate celebration, how would you like to win a 24-piece fresh box of delectable scrumptious chocolate from our Chocology collection? YOU could be our lucky birthday celebration winner! Plus, we are extending a 15% discount on all of our chocolates this week (October 7 through October 14) to everyone! Don’t miss this opportunity to visit our website and get your discount. Here’s how to be sure you’re entered to win: You can enter as many times as you like. Each time you do one of the following, your name goes in the hat again.

Be a subscriber to this blog, Chocology Today. Not a subscriber? It’s easy. Just type in your email address in that handy "follow" button to the right and you’re in! Subscribing to the blog puts your name in the hat one time!--Get one (1) point!

 Share THIS blog with your friends--Get one (1) point!

Share THIS giveaway with your friends using the social media buttons at the bottom of this post--Get one (1) point!

LIKE this post and leave a comment--Get one (1) point!

Buy a box of chocolates on our website at chocologyunlimited.com Don’t forget, you get a 15% discount this week--Get two (2) points!

The more you share the better your chances of winning!  Winner will be announced on the blog, October 14, 2014. You will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen, so be sure to check our blog next week to see if YOU are the lucky winner! I’m so excited to be celebrating my birthday with all of YOU! Thank you for helping us spread the word. On your mark. . .Get set. . . Go! And, Good Luck! ~ Linda Johnson

Everyone loves chocolate. This is evident in both movies and television. We thought it would be fun to relive some of our favorite scenes together in this weeks Chocology blog. Disclaimer: These video clips may prompt uncontrollable cravings for chocolate!   One of the most famous (and hilarious) scenes of all time involving chocolate has to be the scene in the I Love Lucy series, where Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a chocolate factory.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI&w=560&h=315]

And what about that famous line in Forest Gump? Do you remember it? If not, here’s a refresher: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJh59vZ8ccc&w=560&h=315]   Remember when Johnny Depp licks his fingers after Juliette Binoche guesses his favorite chocolate in the movie Chocolat? Just about any scene from this movie could be included here, but we thought this one was pretty good. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhkCGApLP30&w=560&h=315]   On this episode of Friends, things get a bit out of hand when Monica tries to impress her neighbors by making candy.   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou76DXq57MI&w=420&h=315]   We hope you enjoyed these clips. Chocolate is so universal that even the movie makers like to include it in their story lines. Check out Rotten Tomatoes for more chocolate covered movie themes. We probably could have included countless others in our collection here, but we want to hear from you! What is your favorite chocolate scene from a movie or television show? We’d love to know what it is! Share it with us in the comments section or on Facebook. Who knows? We might include it in an upcoming blog post! And don't forget to check out our website for some delectible chocolates you might enjoy at your next movie night!

“Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me” ~ Jill Jackson Miller

Sunday, September 21, was International Day of Peace. The day was set aside by the United Nations in 1982, in hopes of promoting tranquility among nations and spreading the message that peace is vital to human rights and happiness. Many countries, cities and neighborhoods celebrated with festivals, peaceful gatherings and quiet meditation. Others perhaps just paused and reflected on the possibility of a more peaceful world. So, what did Chocology do for International Day of Peace? Well, we celebrated with chocolate of course! Madeline and I came up with the idea to share chocolate and the message of peace by making chocolate peace pops. This was our first real project with Chocology Kids, a division of Chocology that we are looking forward to developing. We headed to the kitchen and made 100 lollipops in the shapes of peace signs. Our idea was to mail fifty boxes to family, friends and colleagues. We even mailed one to the United Nations! Included in our Peace boxes were the following:

2 Chocolate Peace Pops that Madeline and I made. One to eat-One to share

A bag of moldable chocolate

A set of four peace pop candy molds

Instructions on what to do – One set written by Madeline (the easy version) and one set written by Linda (The more detailed version)

The instructions were to keep one of the already made peace pops and share the other with someone else. We encouraged our friends to use the molds and the chocolate to make even more Peace Pops and share them in their communities. The feedback was wonderful. Many of the people who received our chocolates became aware of International Day of Peace for the first time. Some were inspired to gather groups of kids to make lots of chocolate peace pops to share in their neighborhoods. Madeline and I made extra chocolate pops, and then hit the streets on Sunday to pass them out to neighboring businesses and strangers. Madeline passed them after her violin lesson they made everyone smile. [caption id="attachment_457" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Madeline making Peace Pops in New York[/caption] [caption id="attachment_445" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Making Peace Pops in Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_450" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Peace Pops Made in Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_443" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Caleb and Lucy set out to spread a little Peace in the neighborhood.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_454" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Peace Pops in San Diego[/caption] [caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Making Peace Pops in San Diego[/caption] [caption id="attachment_456" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Making Peace Pops in San Diego[/caption] We at Chocology love sharing chocolate. We especially love promoting peace and tranquility in the world. Combining our love of chocolate along with our passion for a peaceful world made for a very gratifying experience. We hope it inspired others to share a smile, a chocolate or just become more aware of what they can do to promote peace in their family, communities and world. Sometimes all we need is a new perspective to make the world a kinder more gentler place. So what did you all do for International Day of Peace? We’d love to hear about it. Join us on Facebook and share a bit about how you strive to bring about peace in your world. And if you received one of our Peace boxes, we'd love to receive your pictures with a note about your experience with International Day of Peace. And remember to check out our website for delicious chocolates that you can share all year long.

[caption id="attachment_434" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lego Peace Sign made from 10,000 Legos by Madeline, Linda and David. Now on display at the Dusty Attic in Port Jefferson, New York.[/caption] Did you know that September 21 is the official United Nations International Day of Peace? Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. We at Chocology have plans to pause on September 21 and reflect on ways that we can promote peace in our world. To mark the 30th anniversary of the General Assembly Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace, the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is the “Right of Peoples to Peace”. This anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reaffirm the United Nations commitment to the purposes and principles upon which the Organization was founded. The Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace recognizes that the promotion of peace is vital for the full enjoyment of all human rights. The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982. In 2001, the General Assembly by unanimous vote adopted resolution 55/282, which established 21 September as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire. The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace. One way to promote world peace is to do what we love doing. When we do what we love, we feel more peaceful and tend to radiate equanimity to everyone around us. Since chocolate is our passion, we at Chocology feel that living our dream and sharing what we do with the world is one way that we can promote peace. Since we care deeply about our customers and strive to deliver the best possible product, with customer service at the forefront of our mission, we hope that we inspire peaceful transactions and happy customers. In turn, we hope that when our customers receive our chocolates that they feel just a little more harmony in their hearts as well. When we share our chocolate passions, whether that’s through education, blogging or selling our chocolates, we strive to transmit joy to those who follow us. Our goal is to not only sell chocolates but to educate and bring people together through an age-old delicacy that everyone loves. We hope that you’ll take a moment on September 21 to reflect on how you can make the world just a little more peaceful. Perhaps you can share a chocolate with a stranger, smile at the overworked cashier at the grocery store or write an uplifting note to a friend. It’s the small things that make up a giant peaceful world. If we all do our part, International Day of Peace will be an every day event. Share with us in the comments or on Facebook what you plan to do on International Peace Day. Even the smallest of actions make a difference and your comment just might inspire someone to join you in your peace affirming actions. Next week, we'll share with you how we celebrated! Happy International Day of Peace from Chocology!

  Whew! After working round the clock in preparation for the Chocology Unlimited Launch and then celebrating all weekend afterwards with our supporters, we were exhausted. And what do we at Chocology do when we’re exhausted? Head to the kitchen, of course! One of my Ecole Chocolate assignments is to create a unique chocolate recipe. So Madeline and I have been in the kitchen creating all sorts of concoctions; chocolate butterflies, transfer sheets, chocolate clay, fudge, and all sorts of other chocolate goodies. With all of this cooking, shaping and molding of chocolate, I have come up with 6 Key Factors to consider when working with chocolate and I wanted to share that with you, our loyal readers. 6 Key Factors When Working with Chocolate Key 1: Ingredients: Your final product is only as good as the ingredients that are in it. ALWAYS use the best ingredients available. When making chocolate treats, this means buying chocolate with higher cocoa butter content. Key 2: Climate: 68 degrees is perfect for making and storing chocolate. If it’s too warm, your chocolate will melt. Needless to say Madeline and I have been living in a freezer since I’ve begun this class! Key 3: Altitude: Luckily, sea level is the ideal altitude for chocolate making. Since we live in Port Jefferson, NY, we're good there! Key 4:   Moisture Level: This is a very, very important factor in chocolate making. It impacts tempering, which determines the shine and the shelf life of the final product. Keeping moisture levels down will yield a final product that you’re proud of! Key 5:   Cooking time: Cooking time will be determined by the climate (temperature in your kitchen), altitude and moisture level. Knowing these factors before you begin will assist you in knowing how long to cook your chocolate. Key 6: Tender Loving Care Most importantly, the love and care that you put into your chocolate project will bring delight to others and a warm feeling in your heart. So, next time you’re in the kitchen, attempting to make your Christmas chocolates, be sure to keep these factors in mind. Or better yet, head over to our website to experience delightful chocolates that have been lovingly prepared using the 6 Step Method above.