A week without chocolate

After 2 big jobs in a row, I took the last week off, the bonus of being your own boss.  The only chocolate I even looked at was junior mints while at a movie!  I don't want chocolate to be involved with any of my five senses.   Of course  I had other business details to take care of, re-ordering, spreadsheets, all that fun stuff.

Here are some photos from the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center's "Red, White and Chocolate" event:

I did 9 different flavors, I still haven't heard back from them but I am hoping that everyone enjoyed them.

The last event was the anniversary celebration for Let's Talk Wine.  I love the events at the wine shop, I get to chat with everyone and hear first hand comments about the chocolates.  I had the usual questioning looks on the faces for some of my flavor choices, including the favorite of the day; the Brittany, which is a caramel with sea salt:

The second favorite was the Ponce, which if I named it for a friend would have been Cynthia.  This truffle is milk chocolate, coconut and rum, which is Cynthia!

The Sorrento was the other surprise that people loved:

In all I did 12 different flavors for the event, some recipes enhanced or re-tooled, most exactly the same.

I am now feeling a little uninspired.  I need to hit the market and see what is out there that I can play with for some new creations.  Local strawberries are starting to come in, which will be fun.  I did play around with making some small bars, flavored with dried fruits and or spices.  I really enjoy them myself, so I took some along.  The pink peppercorn and star anise was my favorite:

I am also working on a tasting event at Let's Talk Wine, a chocolate and wine pairing type event. I have found the chocolates that I am going to use, now I just have to find the wine.  A rough day of work is ahead of me again!