Lately I have been obsessed with the way these three colors look together: tangerine, white, and chocolate.
Lately I have been obsessed with the way these three colors look together: tangerine, white, and chocolate. This combination is very strong and can be so graphic. You have to be confident when using a color like tangerine; whether it’s an accent or covers the entire ceiling, you’ve got to be comfortable with it. When combining two dominant colors like tangerine and chocolate, you need to think about how to tie them together. White accomplishes this nicely. People tend to associate these dark colors with fall, but combined in this way, they can be used all year.
1. Love the color combination and use of barn doors. Via House Beautiful.
One night, my husband came home with three cake pops from Stick and Pop.
One night, my husband came home with three cake pops from Stick and Pop. He meant for our two daughters and me to each have one of these adorable little treats, but after taking one heavenly bite, I selfishly decided to keep them all to myself! I love chocolate and anything surrounded by chocolate, and these cake pops were too yummy to share!
Assorted cake pops from Stick and Pop.
These moist morsels of cake on a stick make the perfect treat for nearly any occasion. They are well packaged and great for kids, making them ideal party favors for birthdays or school functions. Any time I need a hostess or housewarming gift, I pick up an assortment of cake pops knowing they will be well received, unique, and appreciated. Stick and Pop offers a big selection of flavors and designs to mix and match for different events, from birthdays to weddings, and holidays from Christmas to Halloween.
Birthday CakeO’Hara: Coconut Cake in dark chocolate with coconut flakes.Wedding pops.
Stick and Pop also offers Minis, bite-sized versions of their delicious cake pops, and Cups, which are made from layers of cake, icing, chocolate, and toppings.
Cups!Johnny Cakes cup.
To place an order (they ship!) or see more flavors and varieties, visit the Stick and Pop website. You can also find them on Facebook!
Few people can resist the dark allure of really good chocolate.
Few people can resist the dark allure of really good chocolate. We associate chocolate with rich desserts, lavish Valentine’s Day gifts, and decadent holiday treats, but what we now call chocolate began as a very different kind of concoction.
Mankind’s love affair with chocolate began a staggering 4,000 years ago in the Amazon when cocoa beans were roasted, ground, and made into an unsweetened, bitter drink. In the 16th century Spain, the brilliant step of blending chocolate with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon created a fashionable beverage for the nobility. It wasn’t until 1830, however, that a process for developing solid eating chocolate was finally developed, and another few decades would pass before the inception of milk chocolate.
With the holidays quickly approaching, I want to focus on gorgeous artisan chocolates. Odds are, a gift box of these beautiful chocolates would make someone on your gift list a very happy person. I’ve found that local chocolatiers often combine exquisite craftsmanship with high quality, fresh ingredients for the kind of chocolate experience a mass-produced chocolate company cannot compare with.
Truffles
Connoisseur Collection
For example, DeBrand Fine Chocolates is a family-owned chocolate company in Indiana. Each piece of chocolate is meticulously hand-crafted from the highest quality ingredients. These chocolates taste as incredible as they look, with traditional as well as exotic flavors.
Another noteworthy artisan chocolate shop is Alma Chocolate in Portland, Oregon. Chocolatier Sarah Hart creates traditional truffles, bon bons in a variety of tempting flavors, and unique molded chocolates decorated with edible gold leaf.
Thai peanut butter cupQuan Yin Icon
Christopher Elbow Chocolates in Kansas City and San Francisco, sculpts tiny works of art into delectable chocolate creations. Each confection is as much a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.
Christopher Elbow Chocolate Collection
In my experience, the ideal chocolate shop offers hand-made chocolates made from fresh ingredients on a small scale. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a small chocolate shop that makes their own artisan chocolates, all of the examples here ship chocolates anywhere in the U.S. For gifts, dessert or favors at your next dinner party or event, beautiful little works of art like this can please on every aesthetic level.
