NEW YEAR'S " REVOLUTIONS" AND THE CHOCOLATE QUEEN

NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTIONS AND THE CHOCOLATE QUEEN!

My B-Dazle Art Car Featuring 23,000 Beads and Other Items-Give or Take A Few Hundred.

Finally! My B-dazle art car is up and running again. It’s been over a year since she had her “break down” I searched far and wide to find a good mechanic who could and would work with a 27 year old car covered in beads bangles and bows. Joe Senecker, from Vinton, Virginia took on the challenge. Joe totally rebuilt her engine but in the process, her window slammed down into the door. She’s old..the girl has a right to be a bit belligerent from time to time if she wants to right? Joe is rebuilding that window motor from scratch since the part for it is nowhere to be found. In the meantime, I’m driving her to our Farmer’s Market loaded down with my new enterprise..chocolate truffles!

My Line of Chocolates Including The New Chocolate Vessels

Each year I make out a list of what I call my “Revolutions.” Surprisingly, I accomplish checking off most of them each year. This year, I plan to learn absolutely everything there is to know about chocolate designing. Last February, I took an adventure with my granddaughter, Marcy, to visit my friends, Chris and Betsy at their apartment in Nantes, France. It was there we all took a cooking class on how to make French Macaroons. When I got home, I found that making for family and friends is one thing, but to sell is another. I completely sold out the first week I took them to the market but the process is so time consuming that I had to finally admit it was not a good plan.

The Macaroons I Made Upon Returning from France

While in Nantes and Paris, I was astonished at how many chocolate shops there were. Not just one on every corner but many more than that. Each shop had it’s own ambience and type of candy..all chocolate of course but many of the shop owners were not just makers of chocolate, but authentic chocolatiers. The presentations were magnificient. I kept the ideas in the back of my mind, hoping to come up with my own style when I got back to the states.

Chocolate Animals

Chocolate Cars and So Many More Amazing Chocolate Sculptures

I just knew I had to start making chocolate truffles. The adventure began. After experimentation, laborious work and some failures I finally have come up with my new line of deep, dark, chocolate truffles. I am now changing my DBA from Garlic Queen to The Chocolate Queen. So far my endeavors have been very successful. I’m even contemplating shipping possibilities. My friend, Deb, agreed to be the guinea pig by accepting a box of my chocolate shipped regular mail, which was a bit slow, to her home in South Carolina. I asked her to check to see if any melted or felt sticky in any way. She declared “Chocolate arrived perfectly and is delicious!” Maybe I will be able to ship in the winter months?

A few of the favorites so far are, Mayan (with a bit of heat) Kahlua (with my own homemade kahlua) and my natural peanut butter. I have several other selections but I need to experiment with more exotic flavors. Do any of you have ideas about what ganache you would like to taste inside my dark chocolate truffles? I would love to hear from you.

In the meantime, I’m off to work on my creations but will be back with more news from Woodloft (my home) soon. Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Cheryl

Front View of B-Dazle. Lots of Repair Work This Winter!