fun chocolate facts

American Chocolate Holidays

October 27, 2009

Today I caught myself absent-mindedly jumping from website to website (I think this is the equivalent to channel surfing) when I landed on a site dedicated to listing American holidays. What really caught my attention was the list of American FOOD Holidays. Hey, did you know that each day of the year has an assigned food to worship?

Here are some examples:

January 16 -- National Fig Newton Day
February 7 -- National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
March 23 -- National Chip and Dip Day
April 6 -- National Caramel Popcorn Day
May 7 -- National Roast Leg of Lamb Day

And so on...
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Molinillo – Unique Chocolate Gift Idea

October 3, 2009

I like kitchen gadgets, baking tools, and small appliances. Sometimes I even use them! (lol). I especially love chocolate paraphernalia.

Molinillo The molinillo (pronounced moh-lee-NEE-yoh) is the Mexican chocolate whisk. It is a "stirrer," typically made of wood and used to froth warm drinks such as hot chocolate.

This tool was invented by the Spanish colonists in Mexico around the 1700's. The first molinillos were made to fit into a container with the handle sticking out of the top. Then the user would rapidly rotate the molinillo between his/her palms. The twisting motion frothed the chocolate.

Having Fun with Antique Chocolate Molds

August 21, 2009

I love collecting things and I love all things chocolate. It seemed natural to put the two passions together. Now I enjoy collecting chocolate making tools and other items related to chocolate history and chocolate making.

Antique chocolate molds (or moulds) from the 19th- and early-20th-century are quite collectible.

Candy makers of yesteryear used coated-tin chocolate molds to create whimsical chocolate shapes. You may have fond childhood memories of chocolate bunnies and Santas at holiday time. These were the most abundantly made designs. Tin and tin-coated metal chocolate molds can still be readily found these days.

The Missing Cocoa

July 31, 2009

City of Cocoa, Florida A month ago we spent a week in the Space Coast area of Florida. Perhaps you saw the related blog articles: Chocolate in Space and Caffe Chocolat.

Today I was looking through some photographs and realized that I had taken a picture that I wanted to share with our readers. While we were staying in Titusville, we had the opportunity to drive up and down the Atlantic coast. Usually we were in search of interesting sights and nice beaches.