I'd like to welcome Wild Oats Co-Op to Life by Chocolate

Wild Oats Co-op
320 Main Street
Williamstown, MA 01267
Phone: 413-458-8060

Ah, the magic of having a great product. The wonderful people at Wild Oats found space for our chocolates and have decided to join our growing movement. It is the Yum, I love good chocolate and confections, Movement. Affectionately known as Yummer.

These people are the best. I love their store. I love their dedication and I love their helpful attitude. Please go there and buy chocolates, especially buy some Life by Chocolate. Ah, the magic of a great store and a co-op to boot. Go, enjoy, it's a great place to visit and shop. They will be carrying our butter crunch toffee. Yummer.

Masala Art

Wow. Same trip to Massachusetts different town. Masala Art, the art of blending spices. And how.

Masala Art
990 Great Plain Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
Phone: 781 449 4050

This is the most elegant and upscale Indian restaurant that I have ever eaten in. They have a great spice bar where a chef will mix, for a party of three or more, his own beautiful blends of spices for mouth watering dishes. It's like being a Ballywood celeb and having your own personal chef. Well, since I'm a chef, I already have my own personal chef, pastry chef and chocolatier, still, I'm going to have to find a third person so Kim and I can do the Spice Bar.

I ate their Medu Vada, lentil dumplings, which were a meal unto themselves and a trip to southern India. Dumplings? These were most like donuts. I also had the Tandoori Shrimp Shaslik, which was very good. I had the garlic naan to go with it and some side cars and a mango lassi.

I loved the wait staff. Very attentive. I loved the food. I must say, it rivals Garam Masala. This is interesting because it also has southern Indian food, a completely different take on food. They don't, sob, have goat but they make up for it in their use of flavors. Very nice. I can't wait to go back and take Kim with me. She'll love it.

Well, my educated readers, I hope you enjoyed the reviews and I hope you get to eat at these restaurants.

Napoli Pizzeria

When I was in Quincy, I decided to stop and eat here. I just loved their meatball hero, grinder, sub, whatever you call it. The only thing I didn't like was no red gravy. So, I asked for a cup on the side and I was in heaven. Actually, I liked the hero as it was, with no red sauce. But the red sauce really made it. They bake their bread fresh though they don't actually make the dough. Still, it was very good. I also loved their pizza. Again, the dough, which they make there, is the reason I loved it so much.

This is staffed by a dedicated family of Italian restaurateurs. They owned a place in New York for years. I must say, New York is the poorer for them moving to Quincy. What a find in Massachusetts. Check it out.

Napoli Pizzeria
1570 Hancock Street
Quincy, MA 02169

Dell is up and running

So, emails will be replied to etc. I had to do a lame chkdsk with the XP disk in the drive. Anyway, got to make a ton of bars. I have most of the vegan ones done.

So, order away. We're busy as can be here.

Enjoy.

Dealing with Dell and Christine

Well, the people at Dell are helpful and great but the phone system is bad. I think it's name is Christine. It was demonic.

Here is what happened. The computer, which processes the orders from the website, went belly up. Yup. Now, I have to get the original media from Dell. The only problem is, when I called, they would internally transfer the call and I'd get two people on the line at the same time. What is wrong with their system? I had to call 10 times in order to connect to the correct support person to process my order.

On a couple of occasions, the phone system actually had 2 or 3 people on the line at the same time in probably two or three different countries and they all hung up. Each time, I had to go back through the help number and start at the top. A couple of times, the phone system wouldn't pick up or it wouldn't understand my voice commands and it didn't have a key button option. So, now I'm late in making chocolates and the Dell is down.

Now, this wasn't because of the support people but rather because of the Dell automatic phone system, let's just call it Christine for short. In reality, I fell sorry for the wonderful Dell support people. This must make there job very difficult. So, I paid a little more than $50 to get the media which I hope will solve my Dell's problem.

IN THE MEANTIME, I'll be downloading the email to my very old but reliable HP laptop with Windows 2000 server. Nice. Finally an operating system by Microsoft that actually works. and is reliable. They really messed up there.

So, keep on ordering, it's no problem. If you've ordered before, it's no problem. All orders are being processed and we thank you for the order. It's time to get a Mac. (I can't believe I said that. Iggy Monahelis would be proud.) I'm finally fed up with Microsoft and the shoddy software. (Sorry Mike, I know you think XP is the best yet and is actually LIKE a real operating system but it ain't.)

Enjoy your chocolates.

Welcome to All The Best Natural Foods

All The Best Natural Foods
One Pleasant Street
Cohasset, Massachusetts 02025
Phone: 781-383-3005

I would like to welcome All The Best Natural Foods to the Life by Chocolate family. We are overjoyed and very proud to have such a great store. Here are some pictures. (Indeed, David had said he was going to order and so while I was there, I took the liberty of taking these pictures. After all, I have my new camera.)

I have two new restaurants to review

I'll get to it. They were in MA. Don't worry. It's coming.

The Kushi Store has arrived

And another vegan store for Life by Chocolate. The wonderful Kushi Store has joined the Life by Chocolate parade.

The Kushi Store
308 Leland Rd
Becket, Massachusetts 01223
Phone: 800-645-844
2nd Phone: 413-623-679
Fax: 413-623-235

It's a beautiful campus. Go and buy vegan! Enjoy the Life by Chocolate.

BTW, I say vegan not veagan. It's vegetable not veagetable. ;=)

Lemongrass Curry Chocolate Ice Cream

Yup. Now I've gone the other way. I made some lemongrass curry ice cream. I make Bon-Bon Bay's, which are my lemongrass curry dark and milk/white chocolate confections and now I just made ice cream for the artists. Yum.

How do you make it? Simple, make a vanilla ice cream base and then add chocolate and lemongrass curry. Churn and freeze.

Enjoy.

I'd like to welcome the Crossroads Gallery

Yup. Now you can get Life by Chocolate at the Crossroads Gallery. Please go there and buy chocolates, Life by Chocolate especially. Go now. Check out their website. It's very cool.

Crossroads Gallery
4956 Western Turnpike
Duanesburg, NY 12056
phone: 518-895-2950

A demo grows in New Jersey

Indeed, I had a great time demoing at the Health Shoppe in Chester. Indeed, I even met Brant, the owner. Nice guy. Marlin, the manager, is also good people. And the customers are all very kind and chocolate lovin' people. They loved our chocolate bars. I also sold some of our festive boxes.

Here are some terrific pictures from the demo there. Again, with my new camera.

Here's a not so terrific picture of me.

What a beautiful store. Our chocolate is on the other side of that Odwalla machine.

Look at that produce. Vibrant.

Tip Top Country Store Pictures

I took pictures before but they didn't come out. Now, with my new, handy camera, no fuss and no muss. I can download the pictures and my poor, sweet Kim doesn't get extra chores.

Now you can see what a great store it is. First, the most important, our chocolates on display.

Let's see that again.
Ah, Sarah and Adelle. What wonderful people.




Well, that raps that up! Say good night, Adelle.
Go to our old blog post for their address and other contact information.

"Good night Adelle." ;-)

The Living Earth, Chocolate Center Extrodinaire

The Living Earth
232-234 Chandler Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01609
Phone: 508-753-1896
2nd Phone: 866-268-7229
Fax: 508-754-4840


Not only has The Living Earth joined our family of beautiful stores that sell our chocolates, but they've also joined the rank of stores that carry our lotions, bath fizzies and candles. Indeed, you must go there and buy our chocolates and chocolate candles, lotion and bath fizzies. And it's going to go right here:

And will be sold to you by this woman.At least the health and beauty products will be. Frank, the manager, wasn't there when I stopped in but he's a great person and a big help as well.

This store has energy.And it's very special.

Don't forget to eat at their cafe, Sano. Yum.

Nice...

Debra's Natural Gourmet has joined Life by Chocolate

Debra's Natural Gourmet
98 Commonwealth Ave
Concord, Massachusetts
Phone: 978-371-7573
Fax: 978-287-4212




Here there be chocolate, and how.

I'm please to announce that Debra's has joined our family of beautiful markets. Go there and buy chocolate, especially ours. We are the best, after all.



It's a fine store and as luck would have it I had just bought a new camera. So, here are some great pictures of the place. It's a warm and inviting store with a place to eat and great food. Kim and I ate there when we were on our Massachusetts trip. This is my mostly Cambridge, follow up, though I dropped off a bunch of chocolates to various places and also stopped off in Concord and Cohasset.

Here are some pictures from our MA trip

Here are some pictures form the Sleigh Maker B&B, one of our new favorite places to stay. This up and coming trip, I'll be staying there, just not in my favorite room.






We also stayed at the White Swan. A very nice B&B by the water.







Pictures of the water close to this house.

Sweet Earth Chocolates

Well, I have vegan customers who need certified organic and certified fair trade. As you know, for my bars, I use fair trade and organic chocolate but because I get it from small producers, they are not certified.

So, I had to search for an organic and fair trade certified chocolate. I turned to Dagoba. However, when I got in my chocolate it said that it may contain traces of milk protein. What? How? Huh? I wasted my money.

I called up the people at Hershey/Dagoba megaplex, yes, ouch, they were SOLD to Hershey, but they use their equipment, the same equipment, to process their milk chocolate as well as nuts etc. They told me that they were actually a small company, not very big, and that they didn't have the money to have two separate lines. I mean who are they talking about? The old Dagoba or Hershey? Come on people. Ask you chocolate daddy for another line of equipment. Scharffen Berger down and now Dagoba. Sun of a pod!

Well, I decided to go to Sweet Earth, whose chocolate flavor profile is even stranger than El Rey. Fruity but very good. So, now I have vegan bars. Hurrah.

In the future, I'm blending several of their chocolates to make a new flavor profile. I think I have to do it to get the right flavor for my bars. Shhhh! It's a secret.

I also want to note that all my bar chocolate is organic and fair trade. But only the vegan bars have not a trace of milk or other animal BY products. Obviously, none of the bars has animal product in it.

You can also order the other chocolates as vegan if you wish. We have the chocolate we can make vegan versions of most of the chocolates. Only the caramels are impossible to make vegan. Soy caramels? I wonder... ;-)

Listing of all the stores

Check out my new web page of stores that carry our chocolates and confections. Funny. Stores are starting to call us. How do you like that?

Welcome to TipTop Country Store

TipTop Country Store
8 Central Street
Brookfield, Massachusetts 01506
Phone: 508-867-0460

Well, we stopped at TipTop and Sarah made us some great tea. What a lovely store and it is run by beautiful people. They loved the chocolates and have decided to join our family of coops and health food stores that sell our healthy chocolate.

We took pictures. I plan to put them up soon. So, go and support these people and don't forget to buy chocolates, our chocolates, and get a life, by chocolate, 'natch. Wonderful town. Oh, and I'll be demoing at their fall festival. Stay tuned for news.

New Bacon Banana Caramel with maple flakes

I just made a slew, that's technical talk for lots, of bacon banana caramel. You'll love this. Order some today.

Helper in the Kitchen

Just so you don't think that this blog is all about our stores or business or traveling. Today, we had Susan, a student at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops who wanted to help make chocolates, in the kitchen helping out. So, we made Cafe con Leche and we made some O! Sunny Day bars as well as solid milk chocolate.



It was fun and Susan learned some basics of chocolate making.

Welcome to the Natural Food Exchange

And the fun just doesn't stop. We were in Reading and the owner just loved our chocolates and put in a big order. She's thinking of only having our chocolates in the store. Nice.


Natural Food Exchange
343 Main Street
Reading, Massachusetts C01867
Phone: 781-944-8498



I can't say enough about this wonderful store, the beautiful people that work in this wonderful store. Everyone was helpful, charming and fun. This is a great store, a homey store and a beautiful store and the best in Reading, Massachusetts. Go there and buy chocolates. Now. Go to Reading. Have fun.

The Organic Rainbow has joined our family

Well, Massachusetts was very good to us. We not only had a tremendous reception almost everywhere we went but we had people ordering. For example, the Organic Rainbow, a wonderful shop in Beverly, put in a lotion and a chocolate order. And yes, the ordered candles, too.



The Organic Rainbow
267 Rantoul Street
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
Phone: 978-927-4600

A nice place run by a lovely and yes bubbly woman. Go in there and enjoy. Buy our lotion, she's carrying lotion as well as chocolates.

Welcome to The Candy Box 'n Gallery

Well, this is a first. We just got back from Massachusetts and we had not only great interest but people ordering as we were talking to them. Kim came on this 3 day trip covering most of the state though we had to skip Cambridge, my old stomping grounds.

So, the day after we got home Sharon at

The Candy Box 'n Gallery
135 Second St.
Monument, CO 80132
Phone: 719-481-3720

called and ordered our chocolate. So, we'd like to welcome The Candy Box 'n Gallery to the Life by Chocolate Family. Please go there and buy chocolate.

So many store, and not enough time

It seems to me that I don't have enough time to blog about anything else but all the new stores that are coming on board to sell our chocolates. That's a good thing.

We're going to MA soon and spreading the word. I'll write, probably in Innsane, about the B&B's we plan to stay in. Probably right about the food there too.

I called up one health food store and grocery store and the guy who owns it also a chocolatier. Beat that! That's funny. If I have time, I'll be stopping by there. If not, then not.

Well, Mother's Day is coming up. Time to buy Mom some chocolates from Life by Chocolate. Funny, now that the chocolate season is winding down, I find I have enough time for going out and selling the chocolates to our customers, that is, the stores. Funny. Fun.

The Carrot Barn Store has joined our family

I'd like to welcome the Carrot Barn Store to our growing family of beautiful stores that sell our chocolates.

They are the farm store for Schoharie Valley Farms. I buy my produce from Richard Ball there. It's fantastic produce. I use it in my cooking. Asparagus are now in season people and there's is great. Please don't buy it all up I need some for the restaurant.

Schoharie Valley Farms/The Carrot Barn
Route 30
Schoharie, NY 12157
Phone 518-295-7139
Fax 518-295-7139

Yes, the store is in a barn and it is gorgeous and pretty big. It's painted red, too. Very carrot like. ;-) Go there and buy some chocolate.

Welcome Park Natural Health Foods

I'd like to welcome Park Natural Health Foods in Brooklyn, a beautiful store. It's "Your Local Full Service Health Food Store" and they mean it. Nice people with a mission to serve your needs. They aren't yet carrying our bath products but they are carrying our full line of chocolate bars.

Park Natural Health Foods
350 Court St
Brooklyn, New York 11231
Phone: 718-802-1652 Fax: (718) 802-1653

It's a beautiful part of Brooklyn with, I found, plenty of parking. Go, enjoy and buy some chocolate, especially mine. Say hi for me.

Organic Bath Products Now on Website

Here's a sample:




Wow. What great products. All organic. Check it out. Coming soon, the Chocolate Ritual.

Garam Masala Redux

I went back to Garam Masala, which is at 77 New Road in Parsipanny, NJ, next door or two from Donnagio's, and had another good dinner. I didn't have the (goat) korma this time but rather had the Methi Mutton, which I asked them to make spicy. The Methi Mutton is made with fenugreek.It was very good and went perfectly with the Lachacha Paratha, which is more bland, a good compliment. Lachacha Paratha is a layered whole wheat bread made in the tandoor. I had 2 Mango Lassis, which I'm a sucker for, and of course there fine Ras Malai.

Finally, I had their Indian Coffee. That was a trip. This was a perfect end to a mildly spicy meal. Most of you would have thought the meal overly spicy, but not me. It was well done. Back in the day, I would have thought it very mild. As a matter of fact, when I got the leftovers home and made a quick scramble with the rice and caraway with the leftover goat and sauce, I added hot sauce to it. Yum.

The coffee may have had chicory, I forgot to ask, but it was lightly sugared, Kim would have preferred more sugar, and it had milk in it. The whole thing is boiled. Very different from other boiled coffees I've had, i.e., Greek, Turkish, but very tasty. Dessert is always the best part of the meal and of course the saddest. However, a nothing beats a nice cup of coffee with a splendid dessert. Try this.

Pumpkin's Organic Market,Brooklyn, has upped and joined

Pumpkin's Organic Market
1302 8th Ave Map
Brooklyn, New York 11215
Phone: 718-499-8539

Could I say it any better than, "Your friendly neighborhood organic grocer, specializing in unique and tastey organic foods!" (sic.) Probably but I couldn't be any truer. This is a fine group of people who will help you. What more could you ask?

Wh