#upliftthroughchocolate

[chocolateuplift]

Be the light of the world: here's to craft chocolate and housemade lemonade; I love @xocolatlchocolate's versions of the former, including the Ripple Effect bar with luscious raspberry inclusions, and I love this frozen watermelon blueberry version for the latter, all at @cocoaandcochi! 💛 #sustainable #scrumptious #chocolateandlemonade #upliftthroughchocolate (at Cocoa + Co.)

[chocolateuplift]

Hello there! I made an in-flight snack from @violetskychocolate's scrumptious savory chocolate bar made with just Polochic Guatemala cacao, sugar, and fennel pollen (tastes like fennel seeds, which I've loved since I was a child!), and @southwestair's salty pretzels, and had a beautiful morning in the air! (Being in the air was the topic of my college application essay back when, by the way.) ••• Did you guess my destination from the clues / riddle in my previous post? Another clue (ok the name of the city) is in this photo! #upliftthroughchocolate (at 30,000 Feet) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAjdjsBCbq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=fj3romzw4cpk

[chocolateuplift]

What fun to spend time with the founder and director of sales of @madecasse chocolate, and to introduce them to the marketing and brand lead at @hannahsbretzel, where their bars are carried! ••• The lemur logo is adorable, right? Lemurs are primates like us, and are native to Madagascar, where #madecassechocolate is made in-country from Madagascar cacao, raising farmers out of poverty. By the way, did you know that lemur society is female-dominated? Here's to #upliftthroughchocolate! (at HANNAH'S BRETZEL) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp5eqxChUXY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13ckxow9zu262

[chocolateuplift]

Hello there! Simplicity and subtlety: I picked up this exquisite double chocolate thumbprint cookie from @hotchocolatebakery at @revivalfoodchi yesterday, and admire the sophisticated simple-subtle harmony of a classic cookie taken to a stunning new level with incredibly velvety textures, tender softness, and a beguiling hint of smokiness for a touch of attitude. Voilà a nice breakfast today! : ) ••• Also, last night I played the card game euchre for the first time, and enjoyed the classic game's blend of simplicity and subtlety. Have you ever played it? ••• And, I've been reaching out to my #ACLU contacts last night and this morning so they can work with a precinct in the neighboring state of Indiana that saw voting irregularities yesterday. ••• Here's to smart strategy for honest results! #keepthefaith #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp4lvB6hAX-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=kb5t77ra0h4a

[chocolateuplift]

Boo! These lovely looking bonbons came back with me from the @forloveofchocolate annual spooky costume gala, which raises funds for pastry scholarships -- and at which my costume this year was The Ghost of Democracy Past, as a reminder to create a golden future now. What do you think is inside these bons: tricks or treats? ; ) #keepthefaith #lifttheveil #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/BpkELuug90a/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2s6a2chy0wdg

[chocolateuplift]

"The light of awareness in you lights up the world." #deepakchopra ••• Guess who made a new very vibrant and beyond bold 1-ingredient chocolate bar with heirloom Peru Marañón cacao? I bet you can tell which craft chocolate maker it was from the wrapper and other clues! ; ) 🌌 #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/Bph4DECB8R1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xk0kek9g0dxl

[chocolateuplift]

Hello there! Feel like dreaming of Paris? How about a magnificently massive macaron for Macaron Monday! Voilà the chocolate macaron filled with housemade chocolate hazelnut cream (swipe) and raspberry jam (swipe x 2) at @petitmargeaux at @wachicago, complete with edible gold and silver racing stripes! The map of Paris it came wrapped in was so charming I decided to use it as a placemat. Pourquoi pas! #keepthefaith #upliftthroughchocolate (at Waldorf Astoria Chicago) https://www.instagram.com/p/BphqllKBE0k/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=23exv4cbmisq

[chocolateuplift]

The theme of last night's @forloveofchocolate Halloween costume gala was Corpse Cabaret, so I came as The Ghost of Democracy Past. ••• The party itself was very much alive! We enjoyed high-energy cabaret acts during a delicious 7-course Escoffier-inspired meal with paired wines, an exquisite plated dessert of chocolate mousse entremet with salted caramel hazelnut cream and feulletine crunch plus a chocolate whiskey puff, and a fabulous chocolate dessert buffet afterward including these chocolate orange shortbreads with chocolate croutons, plus dancing and deep dish after-party pizza! Thank you to the organizers, super chefs, culinary students, and all involved who created such magnificence and flair. ••• It was also a blast to catch up with special friends and former customers from the old chocolate tour days! My team of 50 Choc Stars and I always said our tour guests were the nicest people in the world! ••• The #fortheloveofchocolate event benefited pastry scholarships, as will the upcoming FLOC February gala which I encourage you to attend! ••• Looking ahead a little bit more: here's to the coming Golden Age. Remember that in A Christmas Carol, the ghosts of past, present, and future appeared in order to encourage change! #removetheregime #undothecoup #onwardandupward #upliftthroughchocolate (at Parkway Ballroom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpezGUahvHQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4t9919j6o3hy

[chocolateuplift]

New for an awesome autumn, and my first Holiday 2018 pick: @violetskychocolate's scrumptious and spectacular swirled Cajeta Brownie caramelized milk-white chocolate bar! ••• Outrageously creative Hans crafts this unique bar in an innovative process using goat's milk, plus touches of rum, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and sea salt, resulting in amazing creaminess, lower-than-you'd-expect sweetness, and deeper-than-you'd-guess flavor! ••• Do you remember #violetskychocolate's fabulous new Cajeta dark chocolate-topped caramelized white bar from 1 month ago? I'll share about that amazing bar again too, and couldn't wait to show you Cajeta Brownie! Why *Brownie?* Savor the warm aftertaste and you'll know! ••• Retail or other Holiday orders may be placed now, and just like new school supplies used to do, this bar is encouraging me to embrace awesome autumn! #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/BozDHJhgMI8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12b3e6ze38crv

[chocolateuplift]

Chocolate for breakfast: Thank you to a new friend for a classic from the Philippines -- tableya drinking chocolate, popular for breakfast! These tablets are 100% chocolate, made in the Philippines from local cacao, and they are non-bitter and very tasty. Just add water! #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/BowV3HMAYrM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2iizf7healqz

[chocolateuplift]

Chocolate for the revolution: beautiful new bars and samples have arrived from dear @violetskychocolate, and they are transcendental! Which would you taste first? #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/BorOEvggNrK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=68xh3fmxmffm

[chocolateuplift]

Poetry party with visual art in a library plus chocolate = fabulous Friday night! What a treat to hear powerful, perceptive, or patriarchy-scorching new original poems performed by @therealkristaf and other women of color poets at beloved @poetryfoundation, during @expochicago art week! ••• I've loved poetry and chocolate all my life, and find that a great poem can be like great craft chocolate: simple yet complex, unique yet with interconnected references or flavors, and faithful to its own authentic story while welcoming all who want to participate. Swipe for scenes! #poetrymoment #afrofuturism #afrosurrealism #upliftthroughchocolate (at Poetry Foundation & Poetry Magazine) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoS1zBMgvQn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1hc1bjxm5wg5

[chocolateuplift]

"I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can't fail if you do that." #anitahill ••• Truth and power in chocolate bar form: the @luisaabram 70% Rio Acará - Amazon Rainforest chocolate bar, made in Brazil from wild-grown Brazil survivor cacao, gives rich molasses notes from the cacao, and empowers local communities while preserving the rainforest! #2ingredientchocolate #womanpower #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPr0_MAKyo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=fw4ettekp2lf

[chocolateuplift]

Paradise found: I was thinking about dear @batchpdx, and then found this picture in my drafts file that I took of his exquisitely precise, balanced, and delicious Yuzu Gimlet bonbon! 💛 Chicago friends: did you know that Chef Jeremy is originally one of us? He's from Chicago's North Shore, and now lives and creates amazing chocolates in Portland, Oregon! 💛 Continuing our US unity theme: you can find a selection of his line at heavenly @honeycreeperchocolate, the fresh and beautiful chocolate emporium established by dear Courtney in Birmingham, Alabama! #upliftthroughchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7TSCbHIg5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9prmdzkratx1

[chocolateuplift]

I always love being back on Boston's beautiful Beacon Hill, my home during my @harvardlaw days, especially now that @beaconhillchocolates is there! Swipe for fantastic treasures and elegant decor at this fabulous store, including some of what's on offer by @bixbychocolate, @chocolatasm, @markhamandfitzchoc, and @violetskychocolate! #beantobarchocolate #chocolatebroker #upliftthroughchocolate (at Beacon Hill Chocolates) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnjHNz8g0hA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2h2mrgmavobq

[chocolateuplift]

Look what arrived from vibrant @violetskychocolate: the inspiring new Guatemala 55% Dark Milk chocolate bar! Made from just cacao from the Monte Grande farm in Guatemala, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and organic milk powder, the Dark Milk gives balanced notes of caramel and berry, plus a creamy texture that still maintains the appealingly astringent aspect that is often a Violet Sky signature! 💜 Most commercial milk chocolate from big brands contains only 10% cacao; note too that such bars are made from bulk cacao that is generally poor in flavor, poorly or un-fermented, chemically treated, and farmed by child slaves in Côte d'Ivoire. Commercial chocolate also contains additional chemical concoctions through listed and unlisted ingredients. Where's the empathy for people or planet? 🌍 So a milk chocolate bar made of 55% cacao, where the cacao is specialty cacao, carefully grown and expertly fermented in communities where kids live with their families and go to school, means complex flavor, planetary sustainability, and human rights! Empathy through chocolate! 💙 I've paired it here with the intriguing Violet Sky Guatemala 77% Chivite chocolate bar, made from another ethical specialty cacao, this time from the San Juan Chivite community in Alta Verapaz in Guatemala, and cane sugar. This bar brings notes of mango, lemongrass, and lime peel, again with the magical and refreshing astringent aspect that dear Hans can coax from cacao! 🌌 Here's to radically restorative, intensely inspirational, and scrumptiously sustainable chocolate! 💜 #upliftthroughchocolate