Finally Back!

I feel like the last couple weeks have been full of traveling....well...they have! First chocolate school at L.A. Burdicks and then a personal trip to Georgia to see my wonderful and very sweet best friend, Amanda.

At Burdick's we were immersed in gourmet food and chocolate goodies. Our instructor Michael is a culinary genius and the most down-to-earth person I've met in a long time. The class consisted of 10 strangers who became great friends by the end of the week, sharing pictures of kids and dogs and swapping stories from the week....I love that we still e-mail each other and I hope to stay good friends with everyone!

The knowledge and hands on learning experiences gained that week are indescribable and I would go back in a heartbeat.
*Look forward to brand new flavor combinations for chocolates...my creativity was unleashed and I can't wait to make brand new recipes for everyone! ex: burnt caramel chocolate, lavender vanilla and mojito...just to name a few!


As for GA, my best bud Amanda and her husband Nathaniel hosted Brad and I for a couple days and they were awesome hosts! We got to stay at a little apartment in Savannah and they took us out on the town, we went sightseeing, stayed at their house in Brunswick, smoked pork and chicken for us, made a good ol' Southern breakfast...complete with grits...and we had a whole day at the beach!

Thanks for the wonderful memories, inspiring conversations and just for a great, great time!!!

To New Hampshire....and Beyond!

Well, actually I'm not going much beyond New Hampshire..but I thought the title sounded kind of fun!

I'll be going on a business trip to New Hampshire from today the 11th, till Sunday the 19th. I'll be studying some new chocolate techniques with world famous chocolatier...Larry Burdick! Always ranking in America's Top Ten Chocolate Shops, this will truly be a memorable experience and I can't wait to pass on all the *delicious* tips and trends in the chocolate business to you!

Any order or email received while I'm away will be processed and answered when I return in a timely manner. Have an enjoyable week and look for some fun pictures to go up on-line when I return home to Omaha!

Any Requests From the Crowd?

Something I love providing for my customers is the ability for them to be able to "create". I offer many products at The Chocolate Season, but sometimes occasions call for something unique, or custom made just for that person. For example, your dad's birthday is around the corner and you want to have something made just for him....you search the bakeries and check Hy-Vee, but nothing seems quite right.

That's where The Chocolate Season comes in handy. So your dad loves cinnamon and bananas and hates chocolate....what's a girl to do? How about create a bananas and cream cake with vanilla bean and an Italian buttercream frosting with cinnamon, then top it off with baked banana slices and some whipped cream art? (Mmmmmmmmmm)

So was the case last week with a request for an anniversary cake. What does an anniversary mean to you? To me, it means wine and flowers, chocolate and fruit. So how about create a merlot chocolate cake, with chocolate raspberry frosting and top it with sugared rose petals? I loved this cake so much that I decided to add it to my product list!
http://www.thechocolateseason.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=39

What's the point of this particular journal post? Just letting you know that food is fun, and if you have ideas...let's try to create something fantastic together!

Lovin' Algona...

I just went back to my hometown Algona for a couple days to meet with customers and enjoy some time with my parents.

It was a wonderful opportunity to deliver some orders to friends back home (thank you to the Tim and Barbara, Robin and Sandy!) as well as visit with some businesses about options they can use to show their customers appreciation, send holiday wishes or receive information on retail opportunities (great visiting ya'll at Interior Designs, Erpelding & Voigt, Northwest Federal, Iowa State Bank, Styles Salon, The Gallery, Kossuth County Hospital and Teresa's Bridal)

I know some say that people are just different in small towns, but sometimes, I think it's true! I was greeted with such warmth and enthusiasm, it made all my visits so pleasurable and it was very exciting talking with others about the products we have here at The Chocolate Season and all the options that are available for customization!

I can't wait to go back to personally deliver customer orders or to talk with others about The Chocolate Season, and I know I'll have an enjoyable time with the friendly people of Algona, as well as investigate the wealth of opportunities that lie there!

PS-thanks to my parents for putting up with me for a couple days, dad for taking me golfing (swing towards the hole!) and mom for the morning of bagels and cream cheese and the funny conversations with Sandy at The Daily Grind, among other countless moments!