Chunky Cherries + Almonds + Black Peppercorns.

The Peppercorns add a nice minty taste and if you like chunks in your chocolate, this is for you!  One of my favorite blends!

100% Cacao Nibs (Chocolate intrinsically has no sugar.)

65% Cacao Nibs + 35% Unrefined Cane Sugar

75% Cacao Nibs + 25% Unrefined Cane Sugar

85% Cacao Nibs + 15% Unrefined Cane Sugar

I just spoke with my grower Vicente in Tabasco Mexico and my poor beans might be drenched in rain before they can make it over here.  As he says, “you can’t fight Mother Nature”.  Now I’m not sure if I can get the beans by Thanksgiving.  He says that since the rains are coming, it will take him some time to dry the beans by sun.  Due to my limited lack of graphic design skills, I didn’t know how to draw an arrow, but I can make a yellow smiley face.  So where you see a somewhat yellow smiley face is the state of Tabasco, Mexico.  Cacao beans can only be grown 20 degrees N or S of the equator.  So you are looking at Southern parts of Mexico, Central and South America, Ivory Coast in Africa and SE Asia.  Beans can be dried by sun like the next picture or they can use larger blowers.

Drying beans by sun

The ups and downs of a Small business.  You can’t fight it, you just have to embrace it.

Sad to say, I won’t be setting up a booth at the Venice Farmer’s Market tomorrow.  Here is the picture of my spot.  Imagine, a nice white canopy with a table decorated with a vintage yellow table cloth and baskets of “rustic bars” of chocolate.  I was so excited to get into the market, but due to “issues” I have to wait another week.  I should write a book about the farmer’s market.  Title:  Farmer’s Market Confidential.  So tomorrow, there should be this same empty spot.  If there isn’t, then all hell will be breaking loose.