How Do I Love You? Let me count the ways.....

Okay, so if you could not tell already I was totally stoked at the discovery and subsequent tour of Askinose Chocolate. So, because of the utter joy and elation of my chocolate experience I came home and blogged about it. And then what comes to my humble e-mail inbox but a request from an Askinosie angel asking for our address so they could send us some FREE CHOCOLATE for sharing our experience with our friends and family on the web. Did you get that? FREE CHOCOLATE!!!! Just when I thought I could love these people no more, they send me free chocolate. Now I have enough to last me until next week when I will have to drive across town to get more. :) For those of you not fortunate enough to live here, let me show what it will look like when you order some chocolate heaven online. I'll use pictures from the arrival of my FREE CHOCOLATE, and in sharing I will let you in on some more why you should get your chocolate fix from Askinosie instead of your every day chocolate maker.....


That's right Mr. Fed Ex Man, be careful with my chocolate there...please. :)


Forget diamonds, THIS is how you say I love you! Or I'm sorry, or you were right.....



Your chocolate will come lovingly packaged in biodegradable materials. That right, no annoying packing peanuts, just unwrap the chocolate and throw the padding on the compost pile. Askinosie not only has a commitment to a great product, but they have a commitment to protecting our environment wherever they can.



And here you go. My beautiful chocolate. From left to right they are a 75% Soconusco bar (please bury me with one of these ;) ), cocoa nibs (which are the insides after the cacao beans after the shells are removed), and a 70 % San Jose Del Tambo "nibble bar" meaning it has the nibs pressed into the back and really gives a unique flavor to the chocolate. Thankfully my kids don't care for the nibble bars so I don't have to share *impish grin*.



The best part, the actual packaging and the bar. Please take the time to go on their website and read about the company. Shawn Askinose is a Christian and left a high profile (and profitable) job as a lawyer and has pursed chocolate making. I believe God is going to bless him in this endeavor. Why do you ask? Because he lives out his faith. He sources his beans directly from the small farmers. See that picture of that farmer on the Soconusco bar? The reason Shawn was not there our tour day is because he was shaking this farmers and others in that regions hands and sharing a portion of his first year's profits with them, giving them a Stake in the Outcome ™. If your chocolate says San Jose Del Tambo then Shawn has met every person who has touched the beans that are in that bar. They do not source cocoa butter or beans from anywhere else. Every bit of that bar from the cocoa to the cocoa butter has came from the same batch of beans. The only thing not coming from those farmers is the sugar. I cannot tell you all the good things about this company. Please visit their website and read about all the reasons they deserve your patronage.

And a big "THANK YOU" for my chocolate!