The Chocolate Season

Chi-O Cuties

2010-03-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to do a quick blog post about how awesome my sorority family is! As you all know, i relocated from omaha to algona and left some of my closest friends there. All is not lost though, my friends are not just friends...they are family. My sorority sisters from Chi Omega are amazing and just thinking of them always brings a smile to my face.In fact, all 5 of them drove to Algona to help at the shop for a weekend (they worked NON-STOP), and even surprised me with the first ever Chocolate Season t-shirt (they are so creative!)Each girl in my family is completely different, but somehow, we all share a common bond and explode with happiness or laughter whenever we're around each other.The first in my family is Julie, she is my little sis. With a heart for those in her neighborhood and for those around the world, she never stops giving and with a listening ear, gives amusing but insightful advice. Julie was the first Chocolate Season employee and i count her as one of my most cherished friends.Next in the lineage is Felicia, Julie's lil' sis. When Julie left for Africa, Felicia stepped in as Chocolate Season employee number two. Felicia is candid and witty. She has many attributes, including an insane amount of intelligence and drive, but also an odd sense of humor and uncanny ability to knit :)After Felicia comes Hannah. I looooove how blunt and honest Hannah is. She and I can laugh about anything and she is quite the fashionista, (i love it when she lets me borrow her stylish threads!) I truly believe she is going to be the world's best mother, or the first multi-millionaire global real estate queen. Hannah's lil' is Jena. And Jena is a lil' lil' :) She is my perfect pocket-sized sister and her smile is nothing but contagious. Jena's gutsy and daring, and i couldn't imagine my perfect Saturday night without her and her many stories. Hannah and Jena both have stepped on multiple occasions at a moment's notice to help with the biz and I'm so grateful for their support and hard work.and last but certainly not least, would be our newest lil', Molly. Since the move happened right when she joined the family, i have not had a ton of time with her, so i relish any opportunities i get to talk with her.
She is very sweet and genuine, and as i found out when she came to algona, quite the aspiring chef (she could make a yogurt sauce that would knock your socks off...and her mudball pre-coating ability is inspiring) and i can't wait for her to come back to the shop!

love you girls :) and thank you for all your support, encouragement and time, and for always laughing (or attempting a small chuckle) at all my bad jokes :P

one month wrap up

2010-02-28T15:46:00.000-08:00

It's been a month! We opened the day of a blizzard and still had excited chocolate-enthusiasts braving the weather to come check us out. It's been a blur of chocolate dipping, coffee making, cleaning, accounting, baking and so much more :)
I can't tell you how fun its been and what a continued learning experience it is for us to figure out what our customers crave, how to train employees, learning how to use the cash register and change the tape in our pricing gun and besides all the daily chores, i still get to bake, create, and educate customers on our products and about chocolate in general. (which, by far, is my FAVORITE part)
We had a lovely grand opening with around 70 people showing up. Algona's response and support overwhelms and humbles us, we couldn't ask for a better community to live and work in. We had a variety of treats and those in attendance got to see a glimpse of what we do. But since you all couldn't be there, i'll describe some of the "yums" at the store.

The imported cheeses (and always one domestic!) as well as native Jasper wines are very popular and people love the fact that they have gourmet food options right in their back yard. The mornings always feature one or two breakfast items that are, yes, made THAT MORNING!

People are in shock when they realize they are not purchasing items baked from frozen Sysco or Sam's club and when they taste it, they just about fall over from disbelief because homemade items are just not something you find in retail stores anymore.

But that makes my job all the more rewarding and I love exciting customers with new items or flavors they wouldn't normally pair (hmmm, banana nutella bread and chocolate chip amaretto bread pudding and *gasp* muffins with a complimentary yogurt/fruit sauce)

We have fresh brewed drip coffee (no over-roasting here!), sensational lattes (with real chocolate and caramel) and hot chocolate or sipping chocolate (made from chocolate. not syrup. and not powders)

The afternoon is enticing with artisan chocolates and fudge from the case, any of our worldly chocolate bars, dipped apricots or fresh cookies, gourmet popcorns, or a "snack of the day" which you will find at least one or two, if not several options like decadence cake, vanilla-cardamon mousse cake with raspberries, cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies or whatever inspires us that afternoon.

What people are loving about the shop is our relaxed atmosphere, free WiFi, friendly customer service, and the fact that everything you find is natural, no preservatives. Everything you eat you can pronounce ;) and we make our chocolates and other sweet treats daily right in the store. Everything but the cheese, wine and chocolate bars are made from scratch in-house, and even when you order on-line, you are still getting your treats made just for you :)

Besides the yum-yums, we have lavender products, purses, vintage hair accessories and super cool and flattering aprons!

Lastly, I want to thank you all for being loyal friends and customers, and for making our dream, The Chocolate Season, come true. We hope to continue to thrill and inspire you with our creations and hope that our life's passion will become sweet moments in yours.

Can you believe it?

2010-01-31T20:01:00.000-08:00

We're open. Yes, we are open :) The Chocolate Season Confiserie and Dessert Cafe just finished our first week in Algona, IA, our new home (we hope they'll keep us around for a looooong time)
We opened during a blizzard but we still had loyal friends brave the snow, ice and wind to sample a latte or some chocolate and after that, the next 6 days were all a blur of training of employees (lissa and rachel) baking, chocolate-making, ribbon tying, reports, coffee grounds and foam.
Algona has been nothing but wonderful in their welcome and interest in the store and we've already had repeat customers. (we haven't even advertised yet...but we are recording a radio ad tomorrow...wish us luck!)
We open 7 to 5:30 Tuesday thru Friday and 8 to 2 on Saturday and even though its only been a week, it seems like we've been doing this at the store forever. We also opened up the on-line shopping cart Tuesday night and already had some orders! (yes, we need to update the web site to match the theme of the store and to showcase lavender, aprons, hair clips, purses and our new luxury gift boxes that are replacing the baskets (which i looooooove the new gift boxes!) but you can always call our new number if you have any questions or need to special order something (515-395-2462)

Our day starts early in the morning when we bake something fresh for the AM crowd, be it scones, banana bread, granola, brioche etc and then in the afternoon we try to bring out new cookies, brownies, tart, cake by the slice or this week i hope to get some chocolate custards or mousse out. Throughout the day we help pick chocolates out for people, make lattes, and our classic hot chocolate and European sipping chocolate has been extremely popular, and to sweeten your morning or afternoon, every drink comes with a little piece of milk or dark chocolate!

So how do we serve all our great customers and keep up with inventory? (which we ran out of continuously this week! i had to try to split time with training, being out front with customers, and in the kitchen making chocolates all week, and brad and i stayed at the store every night till 10-10:30 just trying to keep up!) But that's ok, because i have a secret weapon. :0)

My weapon is called.....Brad. and Mom. oh, and Dad. Yes, they have not left my side this entire week...i even get customers in requesting Brad's lattes, and no one greets customers quite like mom, she warms up the entire store with her charm and could sell a winter coat to a polar bear :) and dad's been wonderful with helping get the accounting books started and saving us with a drip coffee pot...long story....

One morning mom and dad even got to the store before us to start the coffee, put away some surprise groceries and sweep the floor. how lucky are we? i would have crashed and burned without mom, dad and brad's love, support, encouragement and all the time they spent helping with the store.Hope you enjoy some pictures of the store, and i'll try to update again soon (once i find an ounce of time!) But please come visit us to try some luxurious imported cheeses (which have been selling like crazy!) some wine from Jasper winery, chocolates, gourmet apples and treats, our fine solid chocolate bars, desserts or shop around for vintage hair clips, aprons or purses :)
If you have any questions, or suggestions, or requests, email us at contact@thechocolateseason.com, call 515-395-2462 or order online at thechocolateseason.com :)

PS- if you can find the time, try to stop by 114 N. Dodge St Algona, IA, for our ribbon cutting on 2/12 at 9:30 for samples and fun times and then Bradley's Photography, which opens in a couple weeks (and is suuuuuuuuuuuch a cool gallery and meeting place) has his grand opening on 3/5 at 9:30!

Almost Completed!

2010-01-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

well, i'm sure you're all upset with me for not blogging properly the last couple months. but....if i had been blogging, then i would not have been working on the store, then i'd never be able to open, and you'd never get to eat truffles, rocky road popcorn or all sorts of lovely treats from the chocolate season ever again. :P so i figure you'd forgive my lack of posting with some updated pictures of the store!

things are moving along, you saw some of our "before" photos when i last posted, and here are some "inbetween" photos, and then the last ones are "so close i can taste the finish, but not quite there yet" photos.

what's taking so long you may ask? well, really, with the help of friends and family (toooooooo many friends to count (just trying to name some would be: the stones, limbaughs, christensens, loeschens, joe marck and lizzie lebedz (their generous personalities will deserve a note all by themselves!) and many many more!) and some of the key players have been: rich and linda feaster, ed and becky berg, and sara and scott lockard, but, as you can tell, we've been doing a lot of the demo/construction/finishing touches ourselves. So, as talented as we think we are :) we're not as fast as professionals!

but we've been doing lighting, painting, then touch ups for painting, building the bar, doing baseboard and quarter round, then searching for inventory (aprons, purses, wine etc), ordering business cards, GC cards and envelopes, more kitchen accessories, prints and frames for the studio, sewing pillows for the store (thanks sara!) finding more furniture, ordering chocolate, making the chalkboard, figuring out pricing for ALL the products, learning how to use our cash register (ok, that's on the "to-do" list still) setting up a credit terminal, ordering and putting away boxes for confections, setting up the kitchen and familiarizing myself with my surroundings, ordering coffee equipment, coffee, learning how to USE the coffee equipment *ha ha ha*

and brad's still doing photography, print orders, making albums, responding to emails etc, and these are all things we've been doing...and there's so much more i can't even remember it all! oh yes...and lets not forget the fact that bradley and i bought a new house and we finally closed on it after "renting" and living there for a month...so we are slowly...slowly....trying to unpack and make it our own!

so i hope you enjoyed some photos, sorry, there's still newspaper on our gorgeous front windows, and yes, i need to do some major cleaning...but you'll get the idea!

also, what's to come? well, an awning for the front of the building in the next week (i hope!) putting in the coffee equipment, finishing the bench cushions, getting tables and chairs, and hiring and training an employee, doing a ton of paperwork, and hoping for a potential opening in mid-end january. *gulp* wish us luck and i'll let you all know when we're open and when the shopping cart is ready to use for national and international orders! (even though i expect all of you to come to algona to see us at the store!)

thanks again for all your support and interest....and see you soon....at the store! you can browse gorgeous photography with a very handsome photographer, or just stop by and pull up a chair at the chocolate bar :P

A New Direction

2009-11-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

The Chocolate Season is heading in a new direction....North :0) Actually, northeast to be exact. We are relocating to Iowa from Nebraska and will be expanding into a confiserie and dessert cafe and will be sharing a retail storefront with Bradley Jensen Photography. (some of Brad's work below!) :0)

The new shop will be Euro-Vintage in design, featuring free WiFi, a sit down granite chocolate bar, imported cheeses, local espresso and coffee, fresh breads in the morning, desserts by the slice, assorted chocolates, native wine and some non-edibles like handcrafted whimsical aprons, locally grown lavender products and one-of-a-kind hair accessories. (as well as all the other services you've grown to know and love from The Chocolate Season)

This exciting expansion has been a ton of paperwork, inventory researching, financing, and labor...especially since we are doing a majority of the construction and decorating in-house...(extra thanks to mom and dad and the members of Team Rohan!))
*pic #1: what we started with
*pic #2: some demo...ok... ALOT of demo
*pic #3: Team Rohan
*pic #4: drywalled and beginning to prime and paint The Chocolate Season officially closed down for a few short months to make this transition go more smoothly, with an expected reopening of the online shopping cart, and new store, in January.

But we did, however, have time to do some fun projects right before closing, including a lovely baby shower, hosted by Chi-O sister, Jess :) We did some pretty-in-pink baby favors and pink cupcakes, and afterward, we received the most considerate and sweet thank you note in return (it truly made my day..week...month....thanks jess! xoxoxo to you!)
Also had several weddings in the last month, one featured the ever so popular mudball favor, another was a one-piece truffle favor with custom made "thank you" tag tied with ribbon, and also the two-piece truffle purse favor, for a wedding in Iowa City.
In addition to weddings, we made some treats for Wiltgen's Jewelry and Gift World's open house this week, created chocolate favors for Algona's hospital fundraiser, the Legacy Ball and made some yummy desserts like an apple frangipane tart, strawberry cheesecake, and chocolate pave cake, for a Rotary Club presentation (including a powerpoint...yes...i created a powerpoint....impressive right?) :PThat about wrapped up the last days we were open...and then...Brad and I bought a house. We have some work and decorating to do, but it is truly lovely and we are so excited about this new phase in our lives.Even though we will be closed, I will keep you updated on the phases on the new retail location, as well as any house improvements we do! (Because i know you're curious!) :P

Thank you for your continued support, and just because we're relocating, doesn't mean we won't still be coming to NE. We'll be around a ton, and some fun incentives for my home base clients will be sure to make an appearance in your emails! As for my national clients, look for NEW gift options to show up on the shopping cart when we re-open, and i won't keep you waiting for long...just a few short months to January, and then you can satisfy all your Chocolate Season cravings!

Fall is here!

2009-09-28T09:08:00.001-07:00

So many things have been going on in the last month! We have new products for Fall, new gift options to replace gift baskets, new logo, working on our new retail location, had a trip to GA to see my best friend and new baby, and Brad and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary! *whew* i'm tired just thinking of it!

But let's start with some fun products for Fall. One of which are the Noir Callet Brownies. Oh lusciousness! These brownies are super dark, made with unsweetened chocolate, with pieces of 72% dark chocolate callets in the middle of their super fudgeyness (is that a word?!) But to accent with just a touch of sweetness, we dust it lightly with powdered sugar. Pair with fruit, unsweetened whipped cream, or an ice cold cup of milk! MMMMMMMMM!

For October only, we have the "Spook"tacular Gourmet Apple. A Granny Smith apple covered in caramel, dipped in couverture white chocolate, "mummified" with dark chocolate eyes and white chocolate drizzle. This guy weighs in at a little over a pound of yumminess...and I've decided to name him Herman :)
As I mentioned above, we are replacing the gift baskets with something new....I don't want to give away the surprise, but they will be awesome and a little more "hip" than just a basket!! and will still keep the names "surprise me, spoil me and indulge me" (because, well, i love that!) But just know that our baskets are now off-line, and we won't have them replaced for a couple weeks.

If you are in need of a custom gift option, just drop me a line, and I'd be happy to customize a gift bag or box for you!!

Also new on the horizon...a new logo. This is premiering in our business cards and printed material, but won't phase into the web site till later this winter. Pictured above is our former logo, and yes, I loved it, it was chocolatey, and symmetrical and had my favorite color green in it...but as we've been working on the new retail confisserie and dessert cafe, we have decided to go with a soft vintage/European decor and this logo just doesn't fit. Our new logo is more organic in nature and lighter in color, and this will hopefully give you a glimpse into what's to come! :)

Hmmm....other fun things in life was my trip to GA to see my dear friend Amanda, her husband Nathaniel and new baby, John. It was fun being "auntie" for a week and helped her clean and take care of the baby, and just spend some quality time with two (now three) of the most amazing people I know! You both are fantastic parents and I'm excited to see how John, and your family, grows!
*thanks for a wonderful trip dearie!*

Lastly, Brad and I were blessed enough to take some time and celebrate our 3rd anniversary in Iowa City. Marriage has proven to be a wonderful refining tool :) and has given us many fun times, but also times where we've had to lean on each other for support, which in the end, makes you appreciate each other all the more.

Even though we work a lot, we do always make time for date night (like this one...we went horseback riding!....date night is something I suggest EVERYONE do!) and I just wanted to thank Brad for always loving and encouraging me....because without his belief in me, The Chocolate Season would never have been born! *thank you sweetie!**and here's a link to our wedding slideshow, showcasing our fabulous wedding photographer Shawna Herring from GA. It's always fun to look back at a day that changed our lives!

Oops, almost forgot! The fall issue of Pastry Baking North America was published on the 25th, and if you are one of over 25,000 subscribers, you'll see The Chocolate Season in the Regional Showcase with a "plated version" of your favorite Marbled Cheesecake Brownies! Here's the photo, with components being the brownie, midnight fudge sauce, raspberry coulis, homemade raspberry leather, raspberry cream rolled in freeze-dried raspberry powder and chocolate discs....yummmmmmmmy.

Thanks for reading, and I'll make sure to keep you all updated on the new gift options coming soon, and hope to see you swing by The Chocolate Season for all your fall treats!

Business Buddies

2009-08-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but when you become involved in something, or interested in something, don't you find yourself gravitating towards that subject, or going the extra mile to promote or support it?That's how I feel about small businesses. My husband Brad and I are both self-employed. He is a truly genius photographer who seems to enchant everyone he meets, and I, as you know, am a chocolatier and dessert fanatic :) Since we both rely on the good will, support and loyalty of our customers and friends, we often seek out independents to help spread the "supporting karma" of small biz owners everywhere! Like if we eat out, we do our best to find independent restaurants instead of going to a chain, or if we shop, we do farmers' markets and local boutiques if at all possible.

It just so happened the last couple weeks have surrounded me with the glow of small business owners, specifically, women business owners. Last week I participated in the Kossuth County Fair (had a quaint little spot selling baked goods and showcasing some of Brad's photos!), and shared a space with Nancy, who co-owns Colors (a Diamond Vogel paint and design store) with her husband, and who is also a talented designer and uplifting gal to be around. She is contagiously enthusiastic and thinks outside the box, turning ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art! (*also, lucky us, she's helping design the new photography studio and chocolate/dessert cafe! more info to come later...but be excited...very excited!)

Another gal I LOVE to be around is Kim, owner of Allure Salon. We just celebrated National Cupcake Day together. She hosted fantastic product specials and offered knowledgeable advice as well as free cupcakes (oh yes...customized cupcakes...chocolate cake with Italian buttercream, decorated to reflect the colors and mood of Allure!)

Kim just had her 5-yr anniversary of owning Allure, and her customers can't seem to get enough of her! Besides being a business owner, she is talented in the art of hair cut, color and styling, a nail extraordinaire as well as formally educated in make up application, specifically, Mirabella makeup. And if she wasn't busy enough, she is also one of The Chocolate Season's best customers :)

And lastly, a newbie in the small business world is Amanda, a Mary Kay consultant. By day she is a new mom, wife, teacher and friend, by night, she makes the world beautiful, one lucky lady at a time :) I helped host one of her parties last night and some lovely friends (thanks Clarissa, Laura and Sara!) came and helped support Amanda in her business. And what party is complete without chocolate?
So I thought I'd chip in and make 2 oh-so-yummy pavés (pa-vae) which is a chocolate sponge cake, soaked in caramel soaking syrup, layered with chocolate caramel ganache and diced apricots and then covered again, in chocolate ganache. (its supposed to look like a French paving stone...)Yum-o. :)
Just wanted to wish you the best of luck Amanda, thanks for being so attentive to everyone's needs, you'll do great!!!

So guess this post is getting a bit long. If you'd like any more information on any of these ladies, drop me a line! From hair, to make up to perfect design advice, these girls can help you out! (And don't get me wrong, these are not the only talented business owners I love...I love you all! From Icon, to The Market, Dario's, Tangles, Creative Design Concepts....the list goes on and on....hopefully I get to highlight them all soon!)

And before I end this entry, I did want to let you in on some super awesome news...yours truly will be an officially published pastry chic! Look forward to the Sept/Oct issue of Pastry and Baking North America where you will find your favorite Marbled Cheesecake Brownies turned into a fresh yet classic, plated dessert! I will tell you all about the components and show you pictures in our next post...so stay tuned :0)

PSS- completely random...a couple weeks ago we did a "manly" but whimsical Huskers cake for a dear client of mine, Anne, who ordered her favorite thing...chocolate cake with cookies n' cream filling and American buttercream....her favorite statement? "Anne? are there cookies in this cake?!!! Yummmmmmmmmmm!" love ya Anne!

Fun & Festive Treats

2009-07-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

I love holidays. Its a wonderful way for the family to get together, celebrate a worthwhile occasion, and provides an absolutely splendid excuse to invent something new in the kitchen and get immediate feedback!!! :0)
My holiday started off with a chilly morning parade and continued on for the Jensens' 2nd annual wine, chocolate and cheese luncheon! (Thanks to Mary and myself for starting this tradition!!!) We picked out some delightful cheeses from Whole Foods, had some salami (i think...Rod would know what it was we ate!) *ha ha ha* sparkling white wine, lovely raspberry wine, dark chocolate and my first creation of the day, Pate a choux with Grand Marnier Mousseline, sandwiched with strawberry compote! yummmmmmm
If you'd like to try your hand at the mousseline, it is truly the best filling ever....use it on fruit, in pastries, on a brownie or heck, eat it with a bagel!!! (if you'd like to omit the alcohol, just add some OJ)

Grand Marnier Mousseline:

10 oz milk

zest of one orange

3 egg yolks

120gr sugar

25 gr cornstarch

115 gr butter, cut into small chunks

1.5- 3 oz Grand Marnier (depending on desired thickness)

1 tsp gelatin and 1 TB water

4 oz heavy cream

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let stand until ready to incorporate into the pastry cream.
Bring the milk to a boil with the orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly pour a small amount of milk over it while whisking vigoursly (to temper your eggs and reduce curdling)Make sure all your ingredients incorporate smoothly and then continue to add the rest of the milk.

Return the whole thing over medium heat and cook until thick for about 5-10 minutes. (carefully watch it and stir, scraping bottom, with spoon, don't let it boil, and if you see lumps, take off heat right away)

Remove from the heat (if you're feeling nervous about curdling, just push through a mesh strainer into a bowl!) add the butter and the Grand Marnier. In a microwave, dissolve the gelatin for 15 seconds. Quickly mix into the pastry cream. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (make it touch the cream so it does not let a skin form on top) and refrigerate until cold.

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks and gently fold it in the pastry cream.
Use as desired! Have fun!!!

Well, after the luncheon, it was too cold for pool time at the farm, so we went home and got ready for Steve's 4th of July party/BBQ. I had a ton of fun creating this next treat, a Raspberry Charlotte. This cake is light but creamy with a mixture of textures. I hand-piped sponge cake batter into two rounds and a set of lady fingers, made a raspberry cream mousse and a hazelnut dacquoise for the center.

To assemble, line torte ring with ladyfingers brushed with a raspberry puree/sugar syrup mixture, lay down one sponge brushed with syrup, pipe in some raspberry mousse, layer dacquoise, and another sponge brushed with syrup, top with fresh raspberries, and finally finish with the rest of raspberry mousse. Let set for 2 hrs and top with a mixture of berries!

This is probably one of my favorite things so far this summer! :0) I just love creating new desserts and then, of course, trying a bite!

(PS-thank you to Rod and Mary for a lovely holiday, full of parades, LOTS of food, family and fun, and of course, no 4th is complete without our trip to the fireworks show!!)

Also to help you celebrate summer, I created a Box o' Fun chocolate assortment that features both Bejeweled and Hand-dipped Chocolates, for the best of both worlds. And to sweeten the deal, every box size of this assortment is 15% off. So go ahead, indulge the last days of summer and let The Chocolate Season help you do it!!

Perfect Pairs

2009-06-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Some things in life always seem to come in pairs.....a pair of socks or shoes, a salt and pepper shaker, even things like ice cream and a cone. Same goes for life in the chocolate world. Just seems funny how we've had a couple duplicate orders in the last couple weeks...starting with two separate requests for one-piece favors to be tied with black ribbon (this is unusual as we don't normally carry black, but will special-order colors).
One set of favors was for a rehearsal dinner, which included the ever-so-popular milk chocolate mudball, and this favor was perfectly finished with a custom printed label. Not but a week later, the Magnolia Hotel was hosting a wedding reception and requested a variety of one-piece bejeweled truffles, with no truffle cup, and black ribbon.
That same week we had two PINK celebration cakes requested. One was for a long-time Chocolate Season customer, Robin, for her anniversary. She requested a cute, lil' 6-inch chocolate cake, with chocolate/caramel whipped ganache and American buttercream. Her wedding colors had been pink and burgundy, but with thoughts of summer, we opted for a completely pink cake! :) She said it was a big hit, and I was thrilled to please such a loyal friend and customer! (*thanks Robin!!!)*
The other celebration cake was for fellow Chi Omega sister, Angela, and her beautiful 1-yr old daughter, Helen. Requested was a very "girly" cake that had a dominant pink theme, with accents of white and purple. The cake was a 9-inch and 6-inch white cake with citrus simple syrup, torted with strawberry puree and strawberry Italian buttercream, iced with American buttercream and covered in homemade marshmallow fondant. We also included a 4-inch smash cake for Helen to dig into, which mimicked the larger cake, minus the fondant (we didn't think a baby could easily dig into that!) I loved how this cake turned out, and was super excited to present it to Angela, who also loved it! (*Thanks so much to Angela for this fun and creative opportunity!*)

And lastly, my other perfect pair for the month was Scott and Sara. They had their wedding in Okoboji, IA on June 14th, and the day couldn't have been more lovely. Brad took the wedding photos (as well the engagement photos below) and yes, sara, I've already had a sneak peek at the wedding pics and they are divine!!!! Can't wait to post more about the beautiful wedding and more importantly, what a beautiful and perfect pair this couple makes. They really do complete each other in a multitude of ways and I am so pysched to have Scott as an official part of the family! :)
Hope to write more later about some upcoming specials...but just thought I'd share all the fun pairs we've had in the last couple weeks! And if you're ever in need of your own favors, celebration cakes or just a day of sweet delights, then stop by The Chocolate Season...we'd love to help make any day a special one!

Some Cakes, Chocolates, and Crashing...oh my!

2009-05-30T10:12:00.001-07:00

oops! late again with my blogging :) i guess that's good we've been so busy though...thanks to wonderfully loyal and always "sweet" customers like you!
Well, since our last post, the Low-Sugar Luxe Collection launched and can be found on the web site, readily available for you to enjoy, and just in time for swimsuit season! :P

Also in the works, we had our first set of solid chocolate bars come out for consumer-testing, and will hopefully be featuring those in the next couple weeks!

This last month was full of wedding fun, special requests for graduations and some celebration cakes. I had the awesome opportunity to work with the Werner family for daughter Lyndsie's wedding, and we had so much fun with their 2-piece chocolate boxes, filled with a sea-salt caramel and the honey-cranberry-amaretto truffle, accented by a custom ordered pink transfer sheet and special ivory boxes with green ribbon and tulle. Becky and Lyndsie are absolute dolls, and they truly made my April and May memorable :)

For graduation we had a fun request for a "vintage" treat, and provided Sue with a wonderful array of chocolate-dipped dried fruit for her daughter's party. Friends Abby and Zach Meyer celebrated Zach's medical school graduation with various treats, including a chocolate cake, filled with strawberry mousse, and covered in Italian buttercream. We went for a "scrub-colored blue gray" icing, and medical-related fondant accents :)

Another fun cake was for a bridal shower, with red and white being the main colors. We had a white cake with strawberry mousse, iced in American buttercream and had fondant flower accents for a light-hearted and friendly summer shower cake!A super fun bridal shower took place at the school house, and it was for my very own sister, Sara. Crystal, Amanda and myself hosted (BTW-crystal and amanda are the BEST hostesses ever!) and Sara's other bridesmaids, Shanna and Kelsey made sure the day ran smoothly, and made it a great day filled with a high-heeled cookie decorating contest, lots of cookies, chocolate and Nicole's famous scotcharoos, presents, and fun facts about the bride and groom! I can't wait for the wedding in just a couple weeks!!!!! (PS- we sure miss bridesmaid Lizzie who's in FL...i'm so excited to hug you soon!)

Among these custom orders, we've had fun with everyday orders, as well as thoughtful gifts delivered for Mother's Day. It's you, our friends and customers, that make every day exciting and unexpected...and for that, we thank you!!

On a side note, we did suffer a technical loss with the failure of a laptop hard drive. This hard drive had been backed up in several areas, but many areas were not. This was an emotional and stressful event for us, but there is a silver lining to this really big and wretched cloud! One of our customers, Aaron Shaddy, President of Plum Root Technology, offered to try to retrieve lost information, and even sent our hard drive out to CA in hopes for recovery. Sadly, it was unreadable, but having a customer go out of his way (and trust me, he's a busy guy!) to help, free of charge, made the whole situation bearable, and even made me smile. I am still in awe of this act of kindness, and wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to him and his wonderful family.

And this only goes to show what great people and small business owners we can find in our own back yard. So take a moment and learn more about Plum Root Technology, and all the services they provide: (systems design, administration and maintenance, protection of digital assets and basically ANYTHING to do with technology problems and solutions!!) *these guys rock*

More to follow in the next couple weeks, and thanks to you for a memorable May! :)

A New Collection!

2009-04-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's been quite the week recovering from an amazing chocolate conference in Canada! I met so many wonderful people, learned new skills and theories, (like using an airbrush, as seen below) and thought of a ton of more equipment i want to buy! *uh-oh!* :P
But it was such a fun experience, and even inspired some new recipe ideas as well as the little push needed to perhaps make some toffee for a monthly special? (i know a couple gals in alaska that would be pretty excited about that!)
This week did mark the close of one my favorite memories from 2009 thus far, which would be the Chocolate Exhibit at Durham museum. I was given the opportunity to sell at their gift shop and met some very friendly volunteers as well as many visitors eager to learn all about chocolate! (which, if you've ever met me, you know i could talk for DAYS about chocolate!)
As I've blogged before, I venturing into bread just for fun, and here are some of my latest creations...a chocolate rum ganache brioche

and a brioche braid filled with almond cream and fresh raspberries!
Lastly, as promised, the new Low-Sugar Luxe Collection is now available! These indulgent lil' truffles are so decadent, you'll never guess they are made completely from France's finest sugar-free chocolate....and if you'd like to read more about these luxurious treats and what makes them so special, check them out on-line!
Thanks again for all your sweet comments and fun suggestions, I always love hearing from you, so don't hesitate to drop me a line!

S'more posts please! :)

2009-04-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

Hello hello! Here's a quick recap of the last month...and I promise, you'll be receiving "s'more" posts soon on the happenings at The Chocolate Season!!
This Easter was fabulous, I couldn't believe how big a hit these eggs were! You all went crazy for the painted milk, dark and white eggs...I couldn't tell if it was because they were so pretty? or because they came with your favorite treat...white mudballs inside! But your comments and suggestions were the inspiration for this special, so we'll make sure to do something like this again next year!

Also had some fun with my sorority sisters at Chi Omega's Eleusinia. We made some cardinal and straw-themed bejeweled truffles as a part of the table centerpieces and also donated some nostalgic caramels and the most adorable Chi-o celebration cake ever! It was a chocolate cake torted with chocolate caramel ganache, iced in Italian buttercream and covered in marshmallow fondant with a chocolate wrap accent. We also made some edible fondant owls, fondly named Roger and Lulu :) It was fun reuniting with Chi-o alum and active members, as well as my beautiful sorority family: felicia, hannah and jena (julie is also my lil' sis, but still in africa, and we're anxiously awaiting her return!)

In the kitchen, I've been having some good times experimenting with artisan breads (this one was slashed a bit too deep...resulting in a "knobby" look!) :P and with tarts, making a chocolate raspberry tart, and also my new favorite, nutella s'mores tart.

It's a sweet tart dough, layered with nutella, baked chocolate ganache topped with hazelnuts and then finished with a uber-yummy marshmallow icing! This icing is fabulous on graham crackers, tarts, or cupcakes, and can be "torched"! (i love torching anything and everything if possible!) If you want to try it at home, here's the recipe:
Marshmallow Icing:
1 1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 T. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini marshmallows

combine the first 4 ing. together in a glass or metal bowl. use a double boiler (get a pot of water, fill 1/2 way, and put at a simmer. place mixing bowl on top of pot of water (you don't want the bowl to touch the water though) keep it at a simmer, and start beating the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. (this will take several minutes...and stiff peaks will be like if you're beating, then turn off your mixer, and left up the beaters, a peak will form in the bowl, and if the tip of the peak doesn't flop over, then you're good to go!)

mix in the mini marshmallows and vanilla, continue to stir or beat till combined. let cool to room temp then you can pipe with a ziplock baggy or piping bag, or just spread on the top of the tart with a knife. if you have a blow torch, i love to "torch" the icing for that browned effect, but its still great without the torch!

So, I hope you take some time to add a little bit of sweetness to your life, and look forward soon to a post about the launching of our sugar-free truffle line before Mother's Day, a fabulous and "slightly floral" gift for your mom, ideas for your graduate, and some fun pictures from Easter weekend with the fam!

A Reason to Celebrate...

2009-03-14T17:47:00.001-07:00

The Chocolate Season has been super busy! Thank you so much for all your support the last couple months, your loyalty alone is reason for us to celebrate with a bite of chocolate! But if you need a reason at home to celebrate, why not take life's little joys and make it a memorable occasion with your own celebration cake?

That's what a few clients did a couple weeks ago, starting with a girly princess cake for a Abby's 1-yr birthday. The requirements were frilly, pink and purple and I think we accomplished that! The cake also featured a smash cake so that Abby could completely immerse herself in chocolate cake with american buttercream and cookies n' cream filling!
Another option for cakes is a traditional torted 9-inch layer cake, with a not-so-traditional spin on flowers as decoration. This 4-layer chocolate cake with filling and covered in (my favorite) Italian buttercream, was requested to feature bright pink and blue...the rest was up to us! But I heard that 10-yr-old Noel loved her birthday cake and that is was the hit of her birthday party!Lastly, if you just need a special cake to make an ordianary day extraordinary, than try our chocolate raspberry merlot cake with fudge icing and sugared rose petals. Mark used this cake for a dinner party and his parents and relatives from California just raved about it!

Besides being busy with cakes, the Durham Museum Chocolate Exhibit is going wonderfully and The Chocolate Season products have been selling like hot cakes! I've already gone to the exhibit twice, and I recommend trying out this colorful, interactive and truly fascinating learning experience! And if you need one more reason to go, I'll be there the 21st and 22nd handing out samples from 1-4 pm :)

So take this time to find a reason to celebrate life, and help us make that reason something memorable!!
http://www.thechocolateseason.com

PS- our first trial run of the low sugar truffles were wonderfully received. We're looking at a few flavors like dark chocolate vanilla, chai tea, espresso, lavender, and maybe one or two more. All made with sugar free chocolate, and flavored with organic agave nectar, resulting in a chocolate that has less than 2 grams of sugar in it!

Che l'amore

2009-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

Do you ever look at a couple holding hands, or a mom wiping ice cream off a child's face and think "awww, now that's love?" I've been around a lot of love lately...first, when my husband Brad, (a fabulous, fabulous photographer) and I were a part of Teresa's Bridal Show. I modeled some beautiful gowns, Brad took photos for Teresa, and it was just a fun show to be a part of, as well as a moment to remember the excitement of wedding planning and the lovey-dovey look of newlyweds :)Being around all that love and romance inspired me to create our newest special, The Valentine's Day Collection which is an awesome assortment filled with raspberry caramels, espresso-sambuca truffles, and hot cocoa and white chocolate raspberry bejeweled heart chocolates. This collection is sure to bring a smile to your loved one's face, and the pretty hearts and colors are just perfect for the holiday!
Something else that inspired some love? Well, obviously I love chocolate, and when I heard about this event, it sent shivers down my spine :)
The Durham Museum in Omaha is hosting a very new and exciting exhibit: Chocolate, The Exhibition. The exhibit is open now, till April 26. It explores the rich history of chocolate and has beautiful photos, chocolate-making tools, and even an "extra" exhibit hilighting one of Omaha's oldest candy companies.

Durham has also set up a chocolate shop at the end of the exhibit, featuring, well, tons of chocolate! If you stop by to purchase some sweets and support the museum, then look for The Chocolate Season logo, since we were lucky enough to be one of the vendors to take part in the store, and have around 10-12 different products available!!!!

And here's a little tip...if you go on the weekend, expect to satisfy your sweet tooth with samples from various vendors from around the area, from 1-4 pm. If you can wait to go, or would like to go 3-4 times (like i will!) then please stop by March 21-22, since that is when I will be there handing out samples, and would love to see some friendly faces there :)

Well, these are just a few things to help you get in the mood for looooooove, and don't forget to order before our Valentine's Day deadline, which is February 9th, if you want your order guaranteed for the big day! Please contact us if you ever have any special requests, and we look forward to seeing you at the Chocolate Exhibition, especially on March 21-22!

XOXOXO (thought this was appropriate due to the holiday!)

Remembering the Holidays

2009-01-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Ugg, sorry late in posting again :) But it's been a fun week reflecting on the holidays and also moving forward with 2009, including participating in Teresa's Bridal Show (a post on that later next week...) gearing up for Valentine's Day and making arrangements for our participation in Durham Museum's newest attraction "Chocolate, The Exhibition" beginning January 31-April 6.
Back to the subject at hand...the holidays. Omigoodness...what fun :) I love the holidays because there are certain clients I only get to work with on a seasonal basis, and it's such a joy to reconnect with them and see how their businesses have grown, and how that reflects in the growth of The Chocolate Season. For example, the 4-6 weeks that made up our holiday season looked something like this: 32 lbs of butter, 878 truffles, 26 lbs of fudge, 168 ounces of caramel corn, 82 pounds of couveture chocolate and hundreds of hours of love and dedication! :) And that's just a taste of what our kitchen was producing!But I also love the holidays because they bring opportunities to revel in family traditions, make new memories and enjoy each moment as it comes. One of the best parts about the holidays is looking around at your family, making "Christmas Pizza" or catching someone laughing a joke...and it brings me such a sense of peace and happiness at how simple life can be.

And as family time was winding down, work started up again with a catering job in Algona. Ed and Becky Berg were throwing their annunal Pharmacists Mutual Holiday Party, and asked me to prepare an assortment of appetizers and desserts, with some finishing touches like homemade sangria and apple cider, several wine choices and a freshly cut floral arrangement (by yours truly!)

Oh...you want to know what was on the menu? :P Well, we had a 5-cheese platter, veggie tray, several types of crackers and toasted baguettes, spinach-feta-bacon stuffed mushrooms, prosciutto purses (melon, wrapped in prosciutto, tied together with a chive), toasted baguette slices topped with honey goat cheese, sugared strawberries and balsamic glaze, baked puff pastry filled with brie and apple compote, funnemark fudge, assorted truffles and a several chocolate raspberry-ginger mousse tortes. *yum*

Yes, the holidays are a time of planning, prep work and lots of production, but in the end, the relationships I get to renew with customers, new friends and clients I meet (some here in NE...some in London!) and time spent with family make it all worthwhile in the end!

So I hope your holidays were full of fun, love and insane amounts of chocolate :) as well as an eager anticipation for all that 2009 will bring!

Best wishes always-

Tick Tock How Time Flies!

2008-12-21T11:00:00.001-08:00

Oh no, has it been over a month since my last post?! Well, with the holiday season in full swing, it has been quite busy, so I will divide the last month into two posts. First, we'll start in November, which was a month of prep work and correspondence with corporate orders. But mostly I had some quality family time starting with Thanksgiving at the Jensens, then Thanksgiving with the Rasmussens, Thanksgiving with the Bergs and lastly, "family night" with my sorority family.

It was wonderful spending lots of time with all my families, and with those holiday celebrations, came a celebration of my birthday with twin sister Sara, as well as a celebration of Sara's engagement to her wonderful catch of a man- Scott! These two have had a whirlwind romance but they are so good together I know that they will have a long and happy marriage! The date to save is June 14th, with a lakeside ceremony in Okoboji! (and as a bridesmaid, i am sure i will be busy in the upcoming months)

Actually, one of my first tasks was to help her ask her personal attendant, bridesmaids and flower girl to be a part of the wedding, so I made some chocolate cupcakes, cut out a hole from the top, and placed "laminated" (ok, actually, it was tape on two sides of a note) pieces of paper asking each girl to be a part of the wedding. It was covered in vanilla bean buttercream and then fondant, showcasing Sara's "jewel toned" colors that will be in her wedding bouquet.

And with my husband Bradley as the photographer (ww w.bradleyjensen.com) this is sure to be a beautiful and very family-oriented affair! :)

Besides prepping for the Christmas rush, I also had the opportunity for inventing new creations, and with that came a Thanksgiving tart of sweet tart dough, cranberries, honey roasted apples, candied almonds, frangipane and golden raisins! *yum*
I also had my first attempt at French macarons, which was successful, and produced some vanilla almond and nutella treats! Lastly, for the twin birthday, I asked Sara what she would like for our birthday cake, and made a yummy chocolate ginger mousse and raspberry torte!

All in all, November was a time for family togetherness and family traditions (like Berg Kumlas), lots of food and fun and many, many photos!

Well, that should take care of last month...I will post a tad later about our adventures in December!

Tis' the Season...

2008-11-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Tis' the season for holiday parties, sweets, treats and so much more! Our holiday season is in full swing, and it kicked off with a dessert buffet for Sergeant's Pet Care of Omaha. This is Sergeant's second year with us, and this year we had a buffet focused on cakes, bite-size desserts and of course, Karen's favorite treat, the Berry Bark!

After Sergeant's, my assistant set up "shop" at the Bellbrook Boutique, a unique gift show for women small business owners, and that show went beautifully!
Then is was time to start nailing down all the details for our many corporate holiday gift orders, updating our homepage with the new seasonal special, Funnemark Fudge, and promoting our Christmas deadline, December 12. (check the homepage for details on the deadline and why it is necessary for a made-to-order confisserie and bake shop like us)So, right now, I hear some of you saying..."Funnemark Fudge? What in the world is that?" It is a dual-layer Peanut Butter/Chocolate Fudge that was inspired by one of our very own customers, the Funnemark family of Algona.

Carol, a very loyal friend and customer, had bought some sweets for her son's family, two of which were the chocolate and peanut butter fudge. After eating them separately, Chad started putting two pieces together and eating them at the same time and thought "hey...this is good." After returning home, Carol called up and told me I needed to make a 2-in-1 fudge..so I did...and it's fabulous! It seemed only fitting to name it after them!

But life is not all work and no play, the last couple weeks have also brought me much joy from the birth of my new nephew, Strummer William Paul Grout, who is an absolute cutie and I adore him to pieces!

Bradley and I also attended the Legacy Ball, a fabulous dinner/dance/auction fundraiser for Algona's cutting edge hospital, and a "night out" with my parents and friends from town.
And just lately, an extended weekend trip to Georgia, a surprise from my best friend Amanda, and her husband, Nathaniel Roper. They wined and dined me, took me shopping and bowling and it was a much needed break to clear my head before the holiday rush!
Lots going on, and much to look forward to with the holiday season! So don't hesitate to contact us for any special holiday gift requests, browse our selection of Keepsake Boxes and Gift Baskets, or be creative and make your own! Let the Chocolate Season help you create that perfect, personalized gift for anyone on your list!

Happy Holidays...and let the fun begin!!!! :P

Sweet (sugar plum) Dreams!!

Happy Memories

2008-10-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

As a chocolatier, I get the opportunity to be a part of so many happy memories. Nothing is more fun than delivering a bag of hand-selected sweets or surprising someone with a "thank you" gift basket. A person's expression when they see receive a chocolate gift or cake really makes this profession more rewarding than anything I have ever encountered :)

In the last month, deliveries have gotten very popular, as well as requests for custom cakes. I've been able to decorate cupcakes for my sister's baby shower, (and I'm actually at the Ames hospital writing this, as I wait for baby Strummer to be born...pics will be up later!!!) make an armadillo wedding cake for a fabulous hair dresser, Shauna; do wedding favors for one of my favorite post office workers, Sylvia; as well as 2 celebration cakes for Michelle, an employee at Woodhouse Auto Family. (and while at Woodhouse, I also got to visit some of my favorite customers...one of which was Kim who ordered some Gourmet Apples! *hi kim*!)

On-line orders have a life of their own as well, since I usually don't get to meet the person who orders, and sometimes don't get to meet the recipient, but I love the little side notes written to me about why this gift needs to be extra special :) or if they need advice to make a unique assortment..... and sometimes the destinations are just as exciting as the present being sent, like when we shipped to Nigeria, Alaska, France or even just across the border to Iowa!
Events I'm looking forward to in the next couple weeks are a dessert bar/employee party for Sergeants Pet Care, a silent auction donation and thank you gifts to Legacy Ball (a hospital fundraiser in Algona) a women's business only holiday gift boutique show, and of course, the upcoming holiday season!

So I just wanted to say "thank you" for letting me be a part of your lives, and making my life more worthwhile because of it.

A Whole Lotta Livin' Going On....

2008-09-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Oops! It's been a long time since I've posted...sorry about that! (i think someone just needs to send me a reminder email every once in awhile!) :)
Well, there has been a lot going on at The Chocolate Season and on the homefront. Custom cakes are becoming a big hit. Just lately, we created a vanilla cake with ganache filling and Italian buttercream for Kaylee's 1-yr old birthday party as well as catered an assortment of birthday treats, which featured a classic carrot cake with not-so-classic garnishing (including a naughty bunny made out of fondant!) for Diane's Pharmacists Mutual friends in Algona.

At home we've been having fun with family time at Lake Okoboji as well as keeping up with my sister's rapidly progressing pregnancy and very rapidly expanding belly! Little Strummer just might come out early, which would be a relief for my sister. But last weekend Sara, Crystal and I threw her a baby shower full of fun games, and a chance to decorate onesies for my new nephew. The shower featured Amanda's favorite food, hot wings, some yummy cupcakes (courtesy of, well, me!), a jungle-theme with a bunch of balloons (talk to sara about how fun that was...) and was held at Crystal's beautiful home in Urbandale.

My husband has also been super busy with senior photos (a new service he's offering) and I think they are so fantastic! I didn't think I could love anything more than his wedding photos, but lately, his senior and family photos are just so exciting to me! http://www.bradleyjensen.com

And even though we've lived in our school house for over a year now, we threw our first official dinner party...aka: taco night at our home with some wonderful couples, and had a grand ol' time. So fun in fact, that Brad has already announced the 2nd Annual Jensen Pancake Feed to be following shortly. Oh dear. :P

More to post later, but look forward to our fall caramels to be officially released in just a short time (less than a week?!) and get ready to indulge in some nostalgic yumminess!

"Custom"er Cake!

2008-08-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the fun opportunity to bake a cake for a very special customer. This customer has been a true joy with his with word of mouth advertising, repeat orders and has the honor of being my first customer....ever! (with an order of Rocky Road popcorn and Marbled Cheesecake brownies)! Ben is not only one of my most loyal customers, but he's just one of those guys that is a true friend to those around him, has great work ethic, and is a "stand-up" kind of person.

His need last week was for an anniversary cake for his parents, and after prompting him for some wedding details, we came up with this: a classic white wedding cake, filled with chocolate ganache, topped with a sour cream fudge frosting and accented with daisies, blue detailing and a pearl border. (wedding color was blue and daisies were the flowers). Verdict on the cake? Parents loved it! That is something I always love to here :) So thank you Ben for being a wonderful customer and for making my first order EVER such a great experience, it truly means so much to me!!!!
Other news...A new Reason for the Season is here! http://www.thechocolateseason.com
Now you don't have to choose between Bejeweled and Hand-dipped truffles, because for a limited time only, The Chocolate Season 8-piece truffle box will feature both types of chocolates as well as a one or two special "sneak peak" caramels! (which will not officially release till this fall)
To even "sweeten" deal, we will be giving you the opportunity to purchase this box of chocolates with a 20% discount, making it only $7.75! So now is the perfect time to give that special someone (even if it's yourself)...something special :0)I hope this week gives you time to make memories, or to contribute in the making of someone else's (like Ben!) And just like Ben, if you ever are in need of a special birthday, anniversary, or "just for fun" cake...the sky is the limit... so don't be shy! Just ask! contact@thechocolateseason.com

Family, Friends and Framboise...

2008-08-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness me, how time flies! I'm so sorry for my tardiness in journaling, I can't believe how fast the weeks have gone!

First, random tidbit of information, we have changed our "look"! Our new business card features the Chocolate Season "Tree" which will be our new icon/symbol, and I hope you will grow to recognize this even if our name is not attached! My brother brought up a good point..."why the tree?" Well there is a certain bible verse that always comforts me, and I thought that not only does the tree stand for "season, naturalness (ie w/packaging and ingredients used) but mostly because of this reason: Psalm 52:8

"But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love
for ever and ever"

If anyone has ever started a new endeavor, business, or even a family, life changes like that can be scary. But I know if you trust in the Lord, and give thanks to Him, and do all for the sake of Him, He will love you and comfort you in all trials and celebrate with you in your success, which through Him would not be possible. So I think the "tree" is always a good reminder of that!
But I hope the web site and labeling will soon follow suit by fall... so get ready for some major over-hauling!!!

I have luckily been quite busy with family and friends as well as busy with some new customers who have presented interesting orders as well as fun stories to share.
On the caramel front, the framboise (raspberry) caramel has been perfected and I am quite happy with the results!
The one question that was heavily debated was "seeds or no seeds" since there is a whole heap of fresh raspberries in there. After several opinions, it has been decided that we will keep the seeds, due to the "naturalness" and peak flavor that is imparted. I can't wait to share that framboise and chocolate fleur de sel caramel with you...and soon to come...mocha, apricot and possibly anise caramels?!
I had some wonderful visitors this month as well, including my best friend Amanda and her charming husband Nathaniel, from Georgia. They continue to bless my life with their friendship and support and I was so happy they were able to come stay a few days with myself and Bradley. They were instrumental in causing us not to overwork (even though we kind of did anyway) as well as provide the best seafood pesto pasta I have ever tasted!! (thanks nath!)

Also this month my sisters Amanda and Sara came to Omaha where were able to have a fun-filled photo shoot taken by my talented husband! We thought this would be a nice memento of us girls before lil' Strummer is born, and if you want to see some pictures, go to http://www.bradleyjensen.com and click "berg sisters" and enter the password: algona
I am always amazed and blown away by how talented and creative my husband is, and now he even offers senior and family packages...trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Lastly, Sara just stopped by for a day and let Bradley and I take her and Scott out for horseback riding, lunch and ice cream! This was my first visit to Shady Lanes Ranch, and the trail we rode was scenic and, well, shady! :) I highly recommend stopping out for a unique date or family day...this was for sure one of my most fun Saturdays in a long time!New to come, a discounted special on our 8-piece chocolate box. For a limited time I will be offering the best of both worlds...the hand-dipped and bejeweled in the same box! And each box is guaranteed to have at least 1, if not 2, "sneak peek" caramels which will officially release in the fall!

I promise to faithfully post more info on that soon, as well as some info on exciting times in Okoboji! All I can say for now is a big "THANK YOU" to my mom, dad and our special new friend, Mary Lynn Ingvall from Dowden-Hinn Realtors in Spirit Lake. http://www.dowdenhinnrealtors.com

Best wishes and chocolate kisses from The Chocolate Season!

So Let Them Eat Cake...

2008-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry a wee bit late with this post...but with the holiday, my schedule kind of got away from me! (though my holiday was fantastic....parades, swimming, wine and cheese and fireworks! how was yours?!)
So my exciting news...well, this last weekend I experimented with some new flavors and found a couple winners! Some flavors you can look forward too if you order soon (because we might run out!...but then I guess I can make more huh?!) are a refreshing lemon-mint white chocolate ganache (inspired by my uncle Frank), a PB &J milk chocolate ganache (inspired by my niece Hannah and nephew Ian, who I thought would enjoy a kid-friendly chocolate), pumpkin-caramel milk chocolate ganache (inspired by, well, me...i love pumpkin!) and caramalized black sesame seed milk chocolate ganache (inspired by no one really...i just saw Food Network using black sesame seeds in a dish and I thought "huh...i like black sesame seeds....let's try it...")

So that's some fun news, and on the horizon, look forward to a cookies n' creme ganache... you excited? I think one of my favorite twins Karen in Alaska would enjoy this ganache, since she looooooves white chocolate.

My other great news? The Chocolate Season is welcoming Julie as our new apprentice! She is a wonderful girl and very dedicated hard worker. As a "must" she is very serious about all things chocolate and has super bow-tying skills! I am so excited to have her with me...she is becoming my newest essential here!

Besides all that, I've been dabbling around with some cakes, and thought I'd share them with you. Like most Americans, i love a big ol' slab of moist chocolate cake with a dense sugary fudge frosting...but after my trip to Europe, have been inspired by "component cakes" or European tortes and gâteaus.
So here are a couple pictures of a white chocolate strawberry charlotte with chocolate lady fingers, vanilla sponge, a passion fruit cream, sponge and white chocolate strawberry mousse, topped with strawberries and white chocolate curls.This next picture is of a chocolate-chai tea torte made with a cinnamon pastry dough for a base, vanilla sponge soaked in coffee syrup, chocolate mousse, sponge w/syrup, chai tea cream, sponge w/syrup and topped with an Italian buttercream, dusted with cocoa powder, and accented by textured dark chocolate tiles. A very fun cake indeed :)

Now, if you're like my husband, you're probably wondering where these cakes are on the web site? Well I have so many fun ideas for component cakes that I couldn't dare narrow it down for the site. But I do love custom cake orders and requests, and would love to make one for you or your next special occasion! If your mouth is already watering...just drop me a line...we'll chat :0)

Best Wishes to All and more to come next week!!!

PS-if you have any ideas for desserts or truffle flavors, please let me know! Who knows...the next one may be named after you?!

Love is in the air...

2008-06-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

Well we sure have been busy with weddings this month! Seeing the requests for favors, wedding desserts and cakes have prompted me to re-write the wedding/catering page on the web site, http://www.thechocolateseason.com/wedding_event_catering.htm

The re-construction will continue with new product photos of favors and truffles featured on the bride's cake table as well as pricing options to order these cute lil' guys yourself on our shopping cart! So no matter if it is a wedding, baby shower, graduation, or just as a special thank you gift, these 1-piece, 2-piece and 4-piece options will be available for you!*personalized ribbon is available for any event

*custom box with wedding colors from our latest wedding this month

*my good friend Jess got married this June and gave out her favorite Chocolate Season treat...a mudball!

*4-piece boxes are always a great gift

*a new "purse" complete with handle, is one of my favorite boxes!

*seriously...how cute is this?

I am also narrowing down my choices for one or two more fun boxes to share with you (maybe "something blue"...a baby blue box with polka dots?) When they are available, I will be sure to announce our newest addition to the vast array of products already offered! :)

These are all new and exciting things, but bear with me, I won't be able to get the web site updated in the next day or two, but when those items are updated, I'll be sure to let you know!

On the home front, my husband Brad has officially become a full-time photographer! He's been shooting professionally for several years now, but always with a web design job as his "full-time" work. Well, it got to the point where is was soooo busy with photography, that he was working two full-time jobs. After much thought, he pursued his passion and we are so excited for this new stage of our lives!
http://www.bradleyjensen.com
Also at home, a new project is underway...the floors. 108-year-old floors are being sanded down, stained and "finished"....a task my husband is undertaking and wow...I'm impressed. I'll put up some before and after photos when he's done...it should be quite the project with great results!

I have another exciting announcement as well...but i will save that for a post later this week ;)

Best wishes to all!

Wine and Chocolate

2008-06-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!!
Europe was amazing and I can't even begin to tell you about all the places I went, chocolate I ate and people I met :0)
I will try to post very, very short stories after this one with random tidbits of information from Switzerland, France and Italy. But before I tell you about new chocolate flavor combinations, the most sinful drinking chocolate ever, or just about the beauty of Europe, I must tell you about an amazing small business owner I met while in wine country.
My friend Jonathan and I were out dining when we met David Clark, of Domaine David Clark, Vins fins de Bourgogne. He is a passionate man full of infinite wisdom regarding types of vineyards and soils, methods of growing grapes and the whole process of producing a fine bottle of wine. His wealth of knowledge is only surpassed by his kindness and genuine spirit.
Long story short (ok, not that short), David invited Jonathan and I out to his winery in Morey-Saint-Denis, in the heart of Burgundy, for a personal and informative tour. He is a native Englishman who started his own winery about 5 yrs ago. He produces 5 wines from his vineyards, (Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains, Bourgogne, Bourgogne-Grand Ordinaire, Cote-de-Nuits-Village, and Morey-St-Denis...all of which basically tell where his grapes are grown...) and this is where he hand prunes and personally tends to all 20,000 of his vines!!!

He is strictly organic and believes in old-style wine making, with no added enzymes for saturated color or other additives to change the most important part of the wine...the grape. David operates the whole winery himself, with added help during harvest. Fun fact about harvest, he will personally look over all the grapes and pick out any grapes with defects or bruising...using only the best for his wine....wow. :)

I could go on and on about David and they way he tends to his vines, but I also wanted to point out that he was even nice enough to not only explain the history of Burgundy wine making and about different soils and grapes, but he shared his very exciting 2007 vintage with us, which is currently aging in oak barrels. Yup, you're right...I was able to experience my very first pipette! Being the professional he was, David swirled and swished and spit...Jonathan and I...well...it was so great, we just swallowed! I couldn't get enough! Even though it was young, I could already see the differences and characteristics of the wines we tried!
And if that weren't enough, David even gave us a bottle of his 2006 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, which I think will age beautifully....if I can practice enough self-restraint to not open the bottle next week.

The only bummer is that David does not personally sell his wines, they are sold by other companies and stores. Lucky for us, he is sold in the USA, but sadly again, he isn't found in NE. So I am currently "googling" Domaine David Clark in hopes to snag more of his very special wines! (perfect for that family dinner or a relaxing night home...reading my favorite book as of yet...The Other Boleyn Girl...oh, the combination would be sinful!)

So please check out his web site, http://www.domainedavidclark.com
and drop him a line or read his blog, where you will learn a load of interesting wine information from a true source...perfect bits of info to impress your in-laws or your boss at the company party!

Lastly, I receive many requests about what wine to pair with chocolate. Personally, I have never tasted a wine I liked that would not compete with the different notes found in chocolate, so I often tell people to try a port or sherry. But, while in France, I tried a dessert wine that was phenomenal, and I can vouch that the source who recommended these two wines to me is top notch! (a writer for Robert Parker!)
So next time you're having a tasting party, try Mas Amiel- Maury and Dr Parce- Banyuls!

Best wishes to you all and more to come!!

And Baby Makes 3?

2008-04-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, actually 4, in the case of my sister Amanda...who is now officially "expecting"! This will be Brad and Amanda's first child, but their first bundle of joy is Bosco, their lab mix. He's a 3-yr old who's full of energy and love...and is actually quite smart!

But my glowing sister is officially in her second trimester and I can't wait to keep you updated on baby details. A true Berg, she has suffered quite a bit of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness (thanks mom...) :0) but is on the upswing and says she can't wait to eat more Chocolate Season! (hee hee hee!)

I'm so excited to know the gender of the baby since I know whether a boy or girl, they will be showered in affection as well as "rocker" baby clothes. So if anyone knows where I can buy some baby Converse Chuck Taylors, drop me a line, since I want Baby Grout to match seamlessly with Mama and Papa Grout!

Sorry such a short post, but I just wanted to let everyone know how truly happy I am for my sister and I can't wait to rub the belly and *hopefully* be there for the delivery.

*just don't go into labor early amanda!!! i'm in a wedding the week before.....*
xoxo

PS- off to Switzerland, France and Italy today, so I will try to post, but if not, look for pictures and a chocolate adventure story to come once I get home!

An Easter Holiday

2008-03-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

So how was everyone's Easter weekend? My weekend started early with a Friday night dinner with Rod and Mary, my in-laws, who took us to a lil' country restaurant called "Around the Bend" I believe. Always wonderful catching up with them, after dinner they stopped home and saw "the kids," our dogs Barry and Leia...who were excited to see them (to say the least) but they were good sports and welcomed our pooches' affections with open arms :0)
Brad and I left home for Algona early Saturday morning, with Chocolate Season orders in tow for my loyal friends and customers in Algona. Also along for the ride...another cake! I've really been into making cakes lately, and I only hope to explore this wonderful art form more. This cake had dual purposes, serving as an Easter cake as well as a cake celebrating my brother Mike's birthday and my dad Ed's birthday. (we have a "birthday buddy" system in effect with the Berg family!)
It was a chocolate cake with whipped chocolate ganache and fruit preserves, covered in a layer of homemade buttercream and homemade marshmallow fondant. This was my first encounter with fondant...and wow...they should call it "Fun-dant"! (ok...that was cheesy...)
At home we had a fun time playing Mike's "Scene It" game, watching a movie (Berg tradition), as well as decorating eggs and having an indoor Easter egg hunt for my niece and nephew, Hannah and Ian. And it was super awesome seeing Amanda and Brad, my sister and brother-in-law...but sadly...we were missing one important family member...Sara. (miss you!) She's still in TX finishing her last clincal.
The weekend wrapped up with Easter service at First Baptist where Pastor Kevin's message is always inspiring and down-to-earth. All in all, a very fun and relaxing weekend and a great opportunity to see family once again...(thanks for hosting us mom and dad!)
I hope your Easter was full of Easter eggs and cookies, as well as family and friends, but lets not forget the real reason for Easter, which is to give thanks and rejoice in Jesus' resurrection and marvel at the sacrifice made so that we may have eternal hope and joy in our Savior!
Have a beautiful week!

Luck O' the Irish

2008-03-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

With St. Patty's Day just around the corner, I had just the right inspiration when playing around with cake the other day. My mother-in-law Mary is Irish, and her sister Sherrie, and husband Frank had been on my mind a lot lately, so I thought I would make them a cake! Knowing that Sherrie is very proud of her Irish heritage, a fun lil' shamrock cake would be a nice surprise for them, especially since I needed an excuse to see their smiling faces at Mulhalls...(where they are both floral geniuses!!!!!)
So this was the end product of my creative efforts...something cute and casual...nothing to serious...just fun with a couple tips and some way-sweet buttercream on a chocolate cake filled raspberry mousse! (Hope you enjoyed it Frank and Sherrie! It was wonderful seeing you!!!)
Also thoughts about St. Patty's Day brought up the idea of "lucky" and how lucky I am to have two awesome, beautiful, fabulous lil' sorority sisters. Though I'm alum now, I still continue the journey of getting to know and appreciate my Chi Omega family. The closest to me in my family is Julie, and most recently, her lil' sis Felicia.
Both girls have incredible hearts and a willingness to laugh and learn and be supportive...all of which came in handy this afternoon when I was teaching them some ins and outs of The Chocolate Season.
There were challenges (curling the gold ribbon and "sculpting" cellophane) and triumphs (learning the correct "nesting" technique and packaging those darn pretzels!) But the whole afternoon theses girls did nothing but laugh and ask questions and had such a willingness to learn about this side of my life, my passion for perfection and for really putting your heart into every little detail :)
So even though I am BEYOND "lucky" (or I prefer the word "blessed") with beautiful friends and supportive family, this afternoon with my two little sisters made me appreciate the little moments in life even more...so thank you girls for all you do and I only we hope we can hang out more! (no ribbon work or nesting required!)

New & Exciting?!

2008-03-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

I was able to experience a couple things this last week that were "New & Exciting!" I had the honor of "escorting" my sister Sara to her very last clinical in Texas. We met up with her friend Tara (fellow PT) and we caravaned to Oklahoma City. We spent the night and then finished the looooong journey to Abiline. Sounds like a smooth ride right? Well...there was one bump in the road.
Being 3 girls stuck in cars driving, we saw on the horizon a Dairy Queen sign...and had to stop. Pulled into a small town DQ and after talking a bit, we realized Tara's car was still running...and was locked. uh-oh. So after a call to the local police, we waited in the parking lot....sang the blues, played the guitar, sara hopped on her bike...you know, all the usual stuff you do when waiting for a locksmith. After a huge locksmith fee (poor Tara...) we got back on the road, blizzards in tow. *yum*
Once we arrived, my visit consisted of grocery shopping, a pizzeria, a southern Baptist church and an airplane delay...twice.
But a big "Thanks " to my two PT girls...I had tons of fun and wish you both luck in the next 8 weeks! :0)

Now, the second "New & Exciting" event this week....Artisan Marshmallows!!! These plush puffs of fun are made from all-natural ingredients and have been pre-released just for Easter. Our classic Vanilla Bean marshmallows are half-dipped in white chocolate, tinted with bright Easter colors...fun to nibble on yourself or stick in a loved one's Easter Basket.

Read the full description and see these sweet puffs here!
Special for March, the full line of flavors won't appear till the end of May...so snatch them up and try one before they're gone :)

I hope you all find something "New & Exciting" this upcoming week to spark your imagination or make a new memory...I sure did!

One Night as a Hopeless Romantic....

2008-02-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

I am a die-hard romantic. I was the little girl who wanted to grow up to be a princess. When reading any romantic books or watching romantic movies, I grew up thinking that every man gazed upon his lady love with a look only described best by writers like Jane Austen, and that every relationship began with letters dripping with romance, coy innuendos and formal requests to "call upon you again".
So when I received an invitation from my dear friend Amanda George, and her friend Heidi, to come to a "romantic girls' night," I jumped at the chance! My invitation was filled with rose petals and a tissue, as well as movie list including Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice as well as Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. I had my top pick, and all I had to do was RSVP.
Before arriving at the movie party, all us girls (about 12 of us I think) thought we were in for a night of homemade chili, snacks and a nice romantic movie...oh, and did I mention the dress code? Pajamas!
Upon entering Heidi's home, there was a trail of rose petals leading to her door, where I noticed a shelf of letters with various knick knacks partnered with each one. After a hearty chili dinner (yummm) our hostesses told us that before revealing the movie of choice, we were to watch a movie montage of different clips from all the movies. And that each girl had to read one of the "mysterious" letters which "appeared in Heidi's mailbox" that afternoon. The letters corresponded with each movie clip, featuring love sonnets from Mr. Darcy, Gilbert, Professor Behr etc....After gushing over the romantic writings of our fictional "gentleman callers" we popped in the movie of choice....Little Women. A quarter way into the movie we heard something hitting Heidi's french balcony doors. Snowballs? Who would be throwing snowballs? All of us girls ran over to the balcony doors and flung them open to find three, attractive, singing, men below us. They were serenading us, complete with guitar and the song, My Girl!The men (who turned out to be Heidi's brother and his two roomies, Arnie and Martin) proceeded to come up to the apartment and tell us how they saw us gorgeous girls from afar, and had to meet us in person! Cue the salsa music, and each gentleman picked a gal and started dancing! After dancing with all of us, we all received a red rose.
Then, the movie started up again and all of us looked around and said "did that really happen?" hearts a flutter, and cheeks rosy with a "puppy love" flush, we all looked like little girls, who just got done dreaming about their prince charming...only we had LIVED the romance!

After the movie, we sat around chatting about the night, the movie, our favorite characters and just relaxed. It was a fantastic Saturday night, and I could never be more in debt to my "very organized and super planner" hostesses than I am now...thank you for letting me live a romantic dream, to think that there really are Mr. Darcys still in this world and that though cheesy, and overdone by today's standards, our night of rose petals, love letters and dancing was just with this gal needed...and it was so much fun I wish I could re-live it night after night!

A Look at Valentine's....

2008-02-15T09:11:00.001-08:00

February 15th...a day of relaxation! The hustle and bustle and pick ups and deliveries during Valentine's Day are now over and it's time for a breather...
Valentine's Day was busy at The Chocolate Season, with lots of chocolate covered strawberries, truffles, gourmet apples and some special requests like peanut clusters, and uncommon Valentine goodies like cheesecake brownies, cheesecakes, cookies and other sweets for your sweetie :0)

Enjoy a couple pictures that show just a *tasting* of what we did this last week!

On the homefront, my husband was kind enough to cook a gourmet meal of feta cheese crusted top sirloins with merlot sauce, steamed asparagus and served it with my favorite wine, Vin du Bugey. He also picked up a pretty chocolate dome to share for dessert and we ended the night with a movie at home....which was perfect after a loooong day at work!
We also exchanged gifts after dessert and he picked out a top from my FAVORITE store, Francesca's Collection as well as made a homemade card, complete with pictures from the last year....*awwww*

What did everyone else do for Valentine's Day? Do you prefer to stay in or go out? Whatever you did, I hope that everyone ended the night with something delicious...because it just wouldn't be Valentine's without a little chocolate.....

Chocolate for Breakfast?

2008-02-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

What a fun weekend Brad and I had! We started off this Friday by attending Van and Bonnie's annual Chocolate Breakfast at the Living History Farms in Des Moines. A truly family affair, my mom came to Des Moines the night before to help set up my table and then that night my sister Amanda and husband Brad helped me cut fudge for samples. They both also stayed with me all morning, 4:30 am to 10:30 am, manning the table.
It was hard to keep count, but we're pretty sure we served 1,500-2,000 people that morning, with most people saying they had an hour wait outside....in the cold weather....just to browse through the Chocolate Breakfast. (those are truly chocolate fans!)
Another highlight that morning was getting the chance to talk on the Van and Bonnie show as well as to personally meet and chat with these radio superstars....
Later that night Brad and I attended and catered a First Baptist Church marriage retreat. The menu? A fondue dessert bar with angel food, cookies, pineapple, strawberries, dark and milk fondue and the the crowning touch....homemade marshmallows! The retreat was a lot of fun and a very worthwhile experience, and the response to the marshmallows was so strong, that i might start offering them on-line as a full-time product...what do you think?

Lastly, my sister Amanda and husband Brad (yes, there are two Brads in the family) hosted us for the weekend, letting us stay in their home and took us to dinner and church. To make the weekend complete, my brother Michael, wife Crystal, and niece and nephew Hannah and Ian came out to Granite City to share dinner with us, and it was truly a treat to see them (thanks for making the trip you guys!!!)
Thanks again to my wonderful family for such a fun and busy weekend, and thanks to Van and Bonnie for hosting such a unique event and letting us be a part of it!

Also...new specials at The Chocolate Season! While supplies last, you receive a 1/2 lb of assorted specialty bark with a $25 order, and there is a 25% discount on any Rocky Road popcorn size! Just enter in the coupon code, popcorn08 during check out!

Hope you enjoy these new specials, and check out a limited edition Valentine's Day box for your special someone this holiday! http://www.thechocolateseason.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=4

(just be sure to order by Feb. 10 if you'd like it shipped for the big day!)

Hmmm...what's new?

2008-01-17T21:28:00.001-08:00

Well, I know its been a couple weeks, but I promise I will be more faithful with blogging every week now that the holiday season is winding down!

Lots of fun stuff going on with the Jensen's...Bradley and I have recently remodeled our bedroom and I was able to be a part of Teresa's annual Bridal Show in Algona, IA. She has also done some remodeling to her bridal salon and it looks tres' chic!
Bradley and I support her business by being partnered with her on her "associated business" page. Brad took pictures of the show and I'm sure Teresa will put those up in a week or two. (check it out!) http://www.teresasbridals.com/associated_bus.htm
But the show was just tons of fun and I was so impressed by a fellow woman business owner...she is really quite savvy and has a such an evident passion and talent for what she does!

Something else fun last week was the celebration of Bradley's birthday! I made him a lemon-raspberry cake and had his family over for a chili supper. Then later that weekend we had some carrot cake with my family as we celebrated Bradley's birthday...again :0)

Next priority....Europe trip. If ANYONE has been to Switzerland, Italy or France, and has some helpful travel trips (in general) or tips for those countries...I would really appreciate it. I will be there close to 4 weeks taking notes on the culture, their views and reactions to chocolates and confections, as well as shadowing chocolatiers there. I hope to bring back the trends and time-honored practices put to use there!

Any comments or tips, please let me know!!

A New Year!

2007-12-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! I hope you've had an enjoyable break from the workings of everyday life and have had time to reflect on your last year as well as get excited for the year ahead. I can't believe how fast 2007 flew by...a gazillion recipes, hundreds of orders and one chocolate school later we are making our way into 2008.

I'm so excited for the unknown opportunities that await us in this coming year and for the chance to offer new and innovative chocolate treats as well as time-honored favorites (including the possibilities of a small line of buttercreams, dipped dried fruit, cordial cherries and new ganache flavors!) Also new happenings may be a line of gift box towers, a more informative catering section for special events, easy to use features and updates to the shopping cart and specialized cakes. Look forward to new ideas to be brought back from Europe after I do chocolate/pastry shadowing in Italy, Switzerland and France in Spring '08.

Enough business talk though....I would love to hear how everyone's holiday was! I was lucky enough to spend time with my family in California as well as a mini-holiday with my other family, the Jensen's. Both holidays were full of fun, food and games, as well as adventures at Disneyland, the ocean while kayaking and at the airport....(gotta love traveling in the winter!) Thanks to my wonderful family for coordinating such a fun and memorable trip, and best wishes and all my love for your upcoming New Year!
As to my loyal clients and friends, thank you for your support this last year, as well as for all your sweet comments! (I hope to have some type of customer feedback page this year to highlight your kind thoughts...as I appreciate them dearly!) And a big thank you to my supportive and loving husband, as well as to my wonderful and uplifting family...without you this year would not have been as fun or as successful as it was!
Have a Happy New Year and take time to reflect on all that this year has to offer you!

Fun yet Hectic

2007-11-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

The last couple weeks have flown by in a haze...I guess that's what happens when the holiday season rolls around.

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of catering a dessert buffet for Sergeants Pet Care in Omaha for their quarterly celebration. What a wonderful company that's been around for over 100 years! They offer everything from flea and tick control, to treats and toys! They even offer health and grooming tips on their web site ( http://www.sergeants.com)

I worked with Karen, who was an absolute sweetheart...and had fun planning a menu full of goodies! (just a few shown below)
Also, you remember that sister of mine? I went to Norfolk to visit her for the weekend and stopped by her clinical site, went to a service at First Baptist Church, had fun in a kick-boxing class and went to a charming winery, Cuthills Vineyards in Pierce, NE....( http://www.cuthills.com)

We were able to chat with co-owner, Holly Swanson, and sample an assortment of red and white wines, all of which were fragrant and delicious.

After the weekend, we had a busy week of deliveries and shipments during the short holiday week, and now am enjoying Thanksgiving with my fabulous family in Algona.

I hope your holidays are off to an enjoyable start, but don't forget about the order deadline of December 12. If you would like your holiday orders ready to ship for Christmas, make sure to order before the 12th and write in the "comment" section that this is a holiday order, otherwise it will be processed as normal.
All orders after the 12th will be processed the first of January. If you'd like more information, click on the banner on our homepage
( http://www.thechocolateseason.com)

Enjoy your Turkey Day leftovers and have an awesome rest of the weekend!

Sister Sara

2007-10-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, I wasn't quite sure what to write about this week....I was thinking about the upcoming Legacy Ball in Algona that I'm donating to as well as attending...(it's a fundraiser for the hospital) then I thought about the new holiday keepsake boxes that will be appearing later this week...but all that was clouded by thoughts of my sister Sara.

Sara just started her rounds of clinicals for physical therapy school. She will graduate in May, but before she walks across the stage, she will have worked in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Texas. In the next 6 months she's gone, I'll probably only see her a couple of times.

This is quite a shock for me, considering she's been living with my husband and I for a couple months, but it seems much longer than that...(in a good way!) The house just doesn't seem the same without her, and I know the dogs are depressed and missing Aunt Sara :)

Who can live without her coming home at odd hours, leaving mounds of her PT books around the living room, or having to look at several outfits before she decides on the pink shoes with black sweater, instead of the red shoes with cream sweater....

All I can say is that my days seem just a little bit more lonely without her and my life doesn't seen as full without her REALLY random stories...and even though her stuff is still at my house (for now)...it just serves as a reminder that I will never again have those moments of her and I going to the grocery store or me coming home and seeing the dogs all over her on the couch while she tries to study on my laptop....
So this week I just want to remind you to appreciate the little things and really take a look at your life and those you love who are in it...because your life changes every day and you don't get a second chance to just stop and take it all in....so start today.

PS- Good Luck to Sara during this difficult and exciting time in her life! You'll do famously and I'm sure you'll make lots of friends and learn tons that will prepare you for your promising future....I'm so proud of you!

Are you ready for some....cookies?

2007-10-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's been going on this last week...but I guess everyone is in the mood for cookies! Of the several I've had already, two in particular stand out because they came from some very special people in my life.

One was from my best friend, Nicole. She, and the lovely people of Scottish Rite Park, had some fun contests last week and the ultimate winner received a custom basket. The winning team also receives something special this week...football shaped cookies, with the winning team's colors, gold and black, of the Iowa Hawkeyes.This proved to be slightly challenging in that the request was for a shaped chocolate chip cookie...and well, I found it's hard to shape a chocolate chip cookie because
A) the dough isn't stiff like a sugar cookie B) the chocolate chips cause the cookie shape to bake unevenly...causing the original oval shaped cookie to bake into a fatter, rounder, version of a football. :0)Well, I still think they turned out cute...especially with the finishing touch of detailing in white chocolate.

Another impressive cookie order was one from Priority Envelope. My sister Amanda and two of her sweet friends, Laurie and Jessica, placed an order of popcorn, ghoulish apples and cookies...lots of cookies....(taking advantage of the discount cookie special...smart girls!)It was fun making dozens of several varieties and packaging them with ribbon and just seeing tons of cookies...I hope they enjoy them as much I as enjoyed baking them (with love!)Hope you're all enjoying the final days of October and look forward to a new product in November...just in time for the holidays!!!

Two down...one to go!

2007-10-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on....of my favorite Fall things! I just recently had a wonderful day at Vala's Pumpkin Patch with my husband and the weekend before I enjoyed an authentic and wonderful s'more at the Chi Omega Alum exchange! (it was burnt and everything!) Now the last thing to accomplish? Eat some pumpkin pie! Mmmmmmm.......

This Saturday was tons of fun with my hubby....we started off going to the last official Farmers Market in the Old Market where we bought green beans, a couple squash, fresh tomatoes and.....enchiladas? Yes...only Brad and I would buy enchiladas at a Farmers Market! I also got to taste my first Pancrepe! Yum!!!

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pumpkin patch...complete with afternoon rain showers! We ended our marvelous day with a movie at home....and all I can say is wow...i love my crazy, sweet, off-the-wall, kid at heart, handsome husband....who ate a really huge hot dog at the pumpkin patch! (off the topic...but seriously...it was huge) :0)
Hope you're all crossing off your favorite "to-do's" of Fall and I wish you an awesome week!

PS- a big shout out to the lovely ladies at Creighton's Gamma Phi Beta! Thanks for inviting me to speak about the world of chocolate...it was fun giving you a presentation and I hope you had as wonderful time as I did! You girls are super!

What a Fun Request!

2007-10-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I had tons of fun in the kitchen...especially with a certain order from my friend Kim! (this friend, actually, is semi-responsible for helping my husband and I meet..if she hadn't told him to leave his office and meet me out front...well...who knows what would have happened!)

So Kim and her beautiful girls must have been in the mood for some Halloween chow because that was the theme of their order. They were able to sample the cookies n' creme apple and ghoulish apple, which entitled them to free caramel corn. Since they got caramel corn, Kim ordered rocky road popcorn for her friend and some decorated sugar cookies and truffles for her friends and family (both of which, of course, were decorated to be like Halloween characters)

Making truffles look like a pumpkin, mummy and Frankenstein proved to be a fun, yet challenging request...but I was excited for this opportunity to deviate from the norm!

I hope you enjoy these pictures of my final creations for this wonderful family and a big thank you to Kim, Rick, Bailey, Riley and Samantha for allowing me to be artfully stimulated with these fun, fun projects! You guys are the best! xoxoxo

I Love Fall!

2007-10-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's October? Wow, time has flown by...but how can I be sad about the passing of another year when I get to look out out huge windows to see the leaves changing and I get to feel the brisk morning air. This time of the year is always perfect...it feels cool during the morning and warms up to the mid to high 70's still by the afternoon...you get the best of both seasons right now!

Also with fall comes the excuse to eat s'mores (as if I ever needed an excuse!) eat caramel corn, caramel apples, pumpkin pie and break out the hot chocolate and spiced cider! Kids get excited about Halloween (My favorite costume was Peter Pan...I wanted to be a fairy, but my mom thought the Tinker Bell costume was to skimpy for a child my age!) I get excited about going to haunted houses, an apple orchard or pumpkin patch and eating pumpkin pie...(wait..did I say that already?!)

What are your favorite things about October? The weather? Food? Time with family? To help you celebrate all your favorite "Fall things", The Chocolate Season is featuring its Gourmet Apples.

Buy any 2 of your favorite apples and get a big ol' 8 oz bag of Sweet Caramel Corn for FREE! For the month of October only, you also get the chance to purchase a whimsical "Goulish Apple" (a white chocolate covered apple, tinted orange, and topped with dark chocolate)

And don't forget the cookie special, which will be extended till the end of October...Every cookie order is 20% off!
I hope the month of October is only the beginning of a Fall full of picture-worthy moments with friends and family, and I hope The Chocolate Season will help make every moment even sweeter!

Girls' Weekend!

2007-09-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, this will be a short post, but I just wanted to tell you what a wonderful weekend I had in the great city of Omaha! My best bud from high school, Nicole, and my sister Amanda, drove to Omaha to spend some time with my twin Sara and myself.

We just wanted some time to catch up and hang out, and the weekend started out great with a wine and movie night, complete with some Rodney Strong Pinot Noir, bread, cheese and chocolate (of course!)

The weekend continued with a trip to the world-famous Omaha Zoo, some ice cream at Ted & Wally's and then a night out to Jazz (a wonderful restaurant at 14th and Farnam), and then meeting up with friends at Upstream.
Thanks girls for such a great time, wonderful talks and just an opportunity to reconnect!

Anniversary Weekend

2007-09-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I know it has been a couple weeks since I've written, it has just been a busy time getting back into the flow of things after being in New Hampshire and Georgia!

The last couple weeks have been spent completing orders and setting up meetings with new clients, one of which I'm very excited for. I'll be speaking at a Creighton sorority in October, educating them about the benefits of sorority life after graduation, (I'm a Chi Omega alum) the risks and rewards of starting up a new business and life as a business woman/chocolatier.

This past weekend was my one-year wedding anniversary with my darling husband Brad. Brad and I went to Algona to celebrate with my parents, but before the celebration, we both had a wedding to attend in Minnesota. Brad was the photographer and I provided truffles and bon bons for the dessert reception. Brandon and Ana (groom and bride) were super fun and their wedding was an intimate affair for close friends and family. We were both honored to be a part of their day! (here are some pictures of their chocolates!)

My anniversary was wonderful! Brad surprised me with a leather-bound storybook album of our wedding day...it was soooo beautiful! Mom and Dad cracked open a wine from their trip to Paris and shared our wedding cake with us....I was surprised at how NOT bad it was! (well...it wasn't awesome....but for being a year old....it wasn't to bad!)

I also got to catch up with some friends from Pharmacists Mutual, drop off some orders for a few employees, and also bring a gift basket for the folks at Kemna Auto Center, with whom I am now corporate partners with...buy a new car...get a customized chocolate basket with Kemna coffee mug! I'm very excited for this new adventure and love working with all the considerate employees at Kemna!

That's about it for this week...but more to come later! Have a wonderful week and check out the 20% cookie special at The Chocolate Season (good till October!)
http://www.thechocolateseason.com

Finally Back!

2007-08-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-08-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-08-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

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!

Bridal Fun!

2007-07-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

This week was full of fun for brides. Earlier this week I had the chance to be a part of a beautifully planned bridal shower. Hosted by Ally Strobel, she had theme colors of pink, orange and green and every detail was accounted for...from an ironing board woman to suckers with coordinated ribbons and a 5 gallon bucket of margarita mix!
Here are a couple pictures showcasing just a few of the goodies I was able to bring to the shower!

Also this weekend was a combination wine tasting shower at Vino 100 and crazy fun bachelorette party for my sorority "big sis" Rachel! I brought some truffles to the wine tasting shower, because wine and chocolate are as perfect a pair as peanut butter and jelly!!!
(the bride, Rachel, is the good-lookin' gal on the left, then her mom, and her twin sister Renee, who was the brains behind the Rachel day o' fun!)

Lovely Weekend...

2007-07-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start! I've had a great couple of weeks...partially due to the fact that my sister Amanda from Boone, and my brother-in-law Mike was in town from Texas...it's always a fun and fantastic time when they're around...love those guys!!! (Can't wait for you both to visit again! Miss ya already!....we can have ice cream sundaes again when both, or either one of you guys, come back)

My weekend was full of some fun as well...starting with a date my husband Brad took me on....went to a lovely restaurant called Firebirds, where I know have my first official "favorite" meal! It was fantastic!!! He surprised me with a summer dress from a boutique and the night ended with a movie.

Brad, Sara, Leia (our puppy) and I also went to the Luis Palau Heartland Festival. A Christian festival, it had family-fun activities like characters from Veggie Tales, motorcycle and bike stuntmen, food tents, inflatable games, HUGE christian concerts, and tons of other fun stuff....not to mention the awesome Luis Palau....who gave inspirational messages to the hundred thousand people who attended.

To round out the last couple days, I now am the official owner of a new Apple Mac Book (my other lap top died...well, not quite dead yet...but it's definatly on life support...and dying quickly) Always a PC lover, my husband has converted me to the Apple...we'll see how it goes (as it is all a little bit foreign to me right now!) :0)

New happenings at The Chocolate Season, I'll be catering a beautiful bridal shower, hosted by a good friend, Ally Strobel, this week. She's requested a very delicious array of desserts and appetizers, and I can't wait to make her bright, beautiful cupcakes, with Italian buttercream frosting...mmmm....so light and airy...perfect!

Can't wait to blog again, and feel free to drop me a line regarding the new shopping cart options, like gift certificates, wish lists, and the ability to read and review products!

Have a great week!

Where Have I Been?!

2007-07-07T20:49:00.001-07:00

Omigoodness, where has the time gone? I apologize to all my faithful readers for not posting lately, we've just been a bit busy.

At The Chocolate Season, our shopping cart is finally up! http://www.thechocolateseason.com/store/cart.php

Take a look around at the large product photos and endless options available. Make a personal wish list to send to loved ones, email your favorite product to your friend so she can see what you've been gushing about, or write your own personal review of any product you've tried!

The perfect gift is also now available, The Chocolate Season Gift Certificates! No need to worry about belated birthday presents, send a gift instantly on-line. Look forward to special coupons that will be featured on the homepage...just enter in the special code and redeem your discount.

Shipping options are easier than ever with USPS rates already calculated with the "Warm Weather Shipping" cost already added in (which will last till October 1) and new automatic options: Pick Up and Delivery!

Also new at The Chocolate Season...Bejeweled Truffles. Inspiration for these hand-painted "gems" came from the look of nature's own color palette...so try dazzling someone special in your life with these edible wonders!

I'll be back again next week with another post...but I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and again...I always love hearing your comments and opinions, so feel free to drop me a line!

Shells and Shopping Carts

2007-06-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I just wanted to touch base and let you know that we are in the process of offering you a new shopping cart! This cart will be able to make your shopping experience more organized and offer you a user profile to make check out faster and easier! There will be new specials announced, with the use of coupon codes to offer you a taste of "the sweet life" at a discounted price.

We're still working on the "look and feel" of the cart, but that will progress in the next couple months, so please stick with us during this transitional time!

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of Sunny's wedding favors. The box photos only show about 80 of the boxes, and we ended up with 250! All those little bows were sure fun to tie, but the finished look was well worth the wait.

Just a reminder, The Chocolate Season can personalize your wedding with custom truffles, or chocolate shapes, as well as offer you monogramed ribbon for your special day. Contact us with any ideas or questions, and we'll make your wedding dreams come true!

Two down, One to go

2007-06-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Well hello again! Last weekend I helped my best friend Amanda, celebrate her wedding as matron of honor. Being from Georgia, and planning her wedding in 6 months...she kind of forgot a few details....lets just say between planning the reception and the bachelorette party....I felt like I was getting married all over again!

But, everything turned out beautifully and she's in Flordia honeymooning...I miss her already! At The Chocolate Season, it's back to the daily grind, working on Sunny's "Beachy" chocolate favors...all 500 of them! I'll be posting pictures of those and some new packaging options sometime next week, so look forward to those!

After Sunny's wedding I'll have a couple weeks off, and then a couple more weddings hit...but I'm always honored being a part of someone's special day, and just wanted to thank you for letting me share these moments with you!

Have a wonderful week and don't forget about Father's Day! We have a wonderful assortment of chocolate goodies, sure to guarantee a "sweet" holiday: Gourmet popcorns, PB Balls, Brownies and Chocolate-dipped cookies and always a favorite--Fudge!

Finally Some Photos!

2007-06-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well ladies and gents, one wedding down, many more to go! My friend Renee got married last weekend and it was such a beautiful event! I was honored to prepare truffles for the reception as well as have my husband be the photographer for the big day(http://www.bradleyjensen.com/).

I just wanted to say a big thanks again to Renee for allowing us to share in this special milestone as well as to Reuban and Rhonda Skow for hosting such a warm and elegant wedding and reception.

Next on the list is my friend Amanda, who is getting married this Saturday! Wow, the time has flown and being matron of honor, I'm about as ready as the bride to get this wedding planning over with :) After Amanda's wedding, another wedding reception takes place on June 15th, where Mrs. Sunny (Milhon) Forrest will be celebrating her union to Kevin Forrest. They had a romantic and intimate wedding on the beaches of Florida a couple weeks ago and are now celebrating with friends and family in Omaha. We'll be making white starfish with colored drizzle as well as milk chocolate seashells. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

And finally, here is a picture of Leia...first haircut now documented, she looks like a blondie and I'm lovin' the new "do"!

Love Is In The Air!

2007-05-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

The next two weeks are full of love, chocolate and good friends! I'm preparing an order of truffles for Renee Skow, who is getting married this weekend to her soul mate Darin. This order is particularly special to me because she is one of my best friends from high school and they are getting married in my hometown of Algona, IA. A big ol' order of 350 truffles, this surely will be a labor of love!

The next week my best friend from college, Amanda Davidson, is getting married in her hometown of Red Oak. I'm not preparing truffles, but as matron of honor, I certainly have my hands full! Planning the bachleorette party next Thursday and getting decorations ready for the reception have kept me pretty busy!

I'll post Renee's truffles later this week or early next week, but maybe I'll pop on here and give you another picture...not of friends...or chocolate...but of our puppy Leia. She's receiving her first official hair cut this Thursday...we'll see if she turns out to be a blonde or not!

Stay tuned for pictures the next time around and hope you have an enjoyable week!

Better Bark

2007-05-22T09:31:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is! The first product picture of our new Specialty Barks. Curious about flavors? You can find descriptions of each bark on our web site, http://www.thechocolateseason.com/products/specialty_barks.htm

Each bark has its own unique flavor profile, so believe me when I say you will never view bark as boring again!

Other happenings around here...I am in need of bachelorette party ideas! My friend Julie and I are planning Amanda's party, and if you have any good game or food ideas, drop me a line!

Have a great week and let me know what you think of the newest product at The Chocolate Season!

Look Foward to Something New!

2007-05-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

This week held some fun in the kitchen! Not only did I get to prepare desserts and truffles for a bachelor and bachelorette party (thanks Ben and Ashley!) but I also finally got to try out my newest idea for The Chocolate Season!

I experimented with different flavors and textures to make three new varieties of Specialty Chocolate Bark. Made with over a whole pound of coveture chocolate, this bark is like nothing you've tasted before. Only the finest ingridents go into our products and these new barks include roasted and caramelized nuts, crystalized ginger, dried berries and one even has everybody's favorite add-in...peanut butter!

Look for some pictures tomorrow on the dessert page as well as in the journal, with descriptions of each! Have a wonderful week and look forward to tomorrow!

Something Special

2007-05-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Oops! I guess it's been a couple weeks since I last wrote...but my life has been constantly busy with things and the time just slipped by! One of the most memorable happenings this week was when my friend Amanda Davidson came home for a little bit. Now living in Georgia, she and I, as well as our friend Cassandra, were college roomies and are still great friends. I'm her matron of honor, and she came home to do some wedding planning...which the big day is creeping up on us in 3 weeks! The gals and I, as well as maid of honor Julie, all went out and caught up, and it just made me realize how much I miss her, and how best friends will always be best friends, no matter the distance between them!

This Sunday was Mother's Day, and sadly, due to some photography appointments and truffle orders, I could not make it home, but I just wanted to again wish my mom a wonderful (belated) Mother's Day, and tell her how much I love and appreciate everything she has sacrificed for me in the past as well as all the support I receive from her now and in the future! (love ya!)

Happenings at The Chocolate Season...well I had the awesome opportunity to cater a dessert bar for Marriott, here in Omaha. I met some really fun people, Pam, Barb, Steven and Harry, who all were very helpful putting this event together.

We made several kinds of fudge, two-faced oreos, double-dipped pretzels, PB sandwiches, Belgian chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries and marble cheesecake brownies...enough to feed over 100 people! I wanted to give a special thank you to my uncle Frank, at Mulhalls, who did a gorgeous floral arrangement for me as well as my friend Lizzie, who was instrumental in helping me set up as well as being there for moral support! (thanks you guys!!!)

Well, this is a long post...but there was a lot to catch up on! Be sure to stop by the site to read up on the new Summer Shipping Policy, and see the precautions we take to make sure your product arrives in tip-top condition!

http://www.thechocolateseason.com/shipping.htm

Have an awesome week and take some time to thank those who are special in your life!

The Newest Family Member

2007-05-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day of driving. I woke up at 6 a.m. to drive to Spencer, IA to pick up the newest member of the family at a non-profit shelter, People For Pets (http://www.peopleforpets.org) They are a wonderful organization that takes in homeless animals and could also use any monetary donation possible, as well as blankets or toys for the pets, or if you need a pet, this a great place to look!

After arriving in Spencer, I picked up an 8-week female Pekingese/Shih Tzu mix, whom they called Cocoa. She was an absolute doll and it was love at first sight! She and I drove to Algona to hang out with my mom, Becky and eat lunch with Dad (Ed). We looked at my parents' new house (which looks amazing!) and she got to take a stroll through Algona's two-story pet store called Pet Kingdom. Mom and I picked up some fabulous ceramic pet dishes, a couple treats and looked into pet carriers, which I ended up ordering on-line later that night. With a new stylish bag, she'll be able to go everywhere with me!

After much consideration, and Brad and I studying her...we finally came up with a name. She is now Leia Jensen! Leia is named because when I first saw her, she looked like an Ewok, from Star Wars. (she even sounds like one!) We wanted to pay the movie a tribute, and even though she's a little spit fire, she is still a beautiful lady! :)

Barry wasn't quite sure of what to make of this little ball of fur, but after about 20 minutes of sniffing...I think they became friends! They were actually playing together, so now we just need to make sure Barry doesn't eat all her toys.

Hope you like the newest member, and if you have any fun pet stories or training tips, let me know!

Barry

2007-04-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Just a short post...but here are a couple pictures of Barry post-painting. He received a major haircut because we found out that paint will not come off of fur...no matter how hard you scrub!

So he may look somewhat normal in these photos, but if you look at his tail, you'll notice it looks really, really skinny...kind of like a rat tail :)

They shaved him very close...that's why he looks 10 pounds lighter and very shiny! Well, at least this takes care of his shedding problem...for a couple months at least!

Annual Girls' Night!

2007-04-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a lot of fun. The "Berg" girls (Mom, Crystal, Sara, Amanda and I) went to Des Moines to go out for dinner and a show.

This is an annual tradition (thanks to Mom) to get everyone together (no husbands or kids) and just enjoy each others company and see an awesome Broadway musical. This year we got to see Mamma Mia, and it was fantastic! The music just puts a smile on your face. It's always fun to bond with "the girls" and its nice to just hang out and catch up.

Brad and I also managed to paint the whole foundation with water sealer, with not one, but two, coats! whew whew! We wouldn't have been able to accomplish this feat without help from my sister Sara, my father-in-law Rod, and our faithful friend, Ben Boll! (thanks Ben!!!) Our lab Barry also helped...by rolling around in the grass (which had wet paint on it) and he got dubbed, "warrior Barry" with his Braveheart stripe down his face. Problem is, sealer doesn't seem to come off of fur. So on Sunday we had to go to Petco and give him a MAJOR haircut...tail and all. I'll post a picture of that later this week :)

New at The Chocolate Season, Custom Chocolates are now on-line and please give any input on this new service or if you have any ideas you'd like to see at The Chocolate Season. Hope to get new product pictures up, if you have any favorites you'd love to see up, just give me a shout!

Have a wonderful week and I'll be back later this week to update a picture of Barry....(I know you're all waiting in suspense!)

A Catering Crusade

2007-04-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend was a busy one (as usual!) I received the opportunity to cater a parents' fundraising party as well as an alumni reunion for Campus Crusade! The events took place on Friday and Saturday, so I spent a good chunk of my time grocery shopping, baking and presenting a delicious assortment of food for a wonderful organization.

I was so thrilled to be a part of this event because the staff of Crusade are good friends and mentors of mine and also because I was excited to see friends from college. I became a part of Crusade while at UNO and the friends, community, support and learning opportunities there are endless. Christians are able to have a time to worship God, hear an uplifting message, and go to neat conferences like the Denver Christmas Conference (where I happened to get proposed to...in front of thousands of college students...on stage!)

The really fun part of both events was the postive response I got from those who attended. The desserts and appetizers were a big hit, and I was very grateful for the time to network and provide this service to those who needed it!

This weekend was also spent getting things ready for some new house projects. Brad has decided to tackle a couple big things, like renovating the kitchen with a brighter, yet calmer, color, new baseboards, chair railing and wainscoting! I'm so proud of his "can-do" handyman attitude! We also took off the old storm windows on the front of the house (with the help of father-in-law Rod) and started the agonizing process of painting thick, gooey sealer over the brick foundation so we can proceed with landscaping. Uggggg. Sealer. That will take awhile. I'll post pictures of the before and after shots, so look forward to that!

This week at The Chocolate Season: new pictures of cookies, cheesecake and Oreo mudballs, as well as details about the new personalized chocolate corporate logo molds! I hope you all have a wonderful and very productive week, and if you have any home improvement words of wisdom or funny stories, I'd love to hear them!

Home to Algona…

2007-04-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, this last weekend Brad, Sara and I drove back home to Algona, IA to celebrate Easter with the family. Actually, we did more than just celebrate Jesus’ life and resurrection, hide Easter eggs in the living room and hang out….we got to paint. A whole house. My parents’ house to be exact. Surprisingly, it went by pretty fast, from 8 am to 6 pm, we inhaled the aroma of paint fumes and donut holes…and it was nice.

That’s something families don’t get to do a lot of nowadays. A family project, completing a task together. Sure, it’s a hassle and lots of work, and I’m still sore, but it was fun seeing all of us (amanda, brad, sara, mom, dad, mike, crystal, me, and my brad) all work towards a common goal. If you are in need of some reconnection, then I would definiatley recommend finding some “thing” that you could all do together…plant a garden, paint, spring clean, move stuff….whatever! :)

After the fun weekend spent with my fabulous family, we came home to a (still) un-packed home and went straight to work on truffles for GALA, a fundraiser/prom for adults to support the local Catholic school system. I was very excited to be a part of this fundraiser in my home town and I even themed the truffles to their colors (pink, gold, purple) and was very pleased with the outcome!

So, hope you all had a wonderful Easter, and take a look around at the new truffle and PB ball pictures. Also look forward to the newest item to be offered in the “What’s New” section on the homepage in a week….personalized chocolate corporate logo molds! I’m so excited to offer this service to future customers! (they are so neat!)

PS- i’m always interested in any comments, and I still would love any input on the next product picture!

a very “moving” week

2007-04-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the first official post on The Chocolate Season blog! How exciting! I hope this blog will let you know a little bit about me and what’s going on in my life concerning friends, family, and of course, the tasteful happenings of The Chocolate Season!

The last couple weeks have been full of moving. My husband Brad and I bought an old school house just a couple miles north of Omaha. It has tons of character and orginal wood floors and of course, a massive kitchen! (whew whew!)

Luckily the Lord blessed us with wonderful friends, and a few of them (Matt, Clarissa, Jimmy, Amanda and Kody) were all there to help us pack up and move. My family, Sara, Rod and Mary, were also along for the ride, with Rod uncovering his secret identity as “super-human strength guy.” I mean, all these guys were just moving huge items like our king size bed as if it were an inflatable mattrees!

And the gals, Sara, Clarissa and Amanda packed up my whole house in a matter of minutes..(ok, not that fast…but they were good…real good) and Mary came and helped unpack a majority of the kitchen and dishes!

So a big thanks to everyone who helped us start the newest chapter of our life! As for The Chocolate Season, I’ve had some fun doing a bunch of truffle orders, and it seems like the most popular items so far have been the cheesecake brownies and rocky road popcorn! Look forward to the newest item picture update next week: More truffle pictures and PB Balls….mmmmm……

If you have any requests for the next picture update, let me know! That will be the next thing I make to to show on the web site!