Monday, 19 November 2007

Christmas Chocolates

On the weekend I travelled to my parent's place and dipped chocolates with my mom and my sister. We had so much fun working and chatting together. Marie provided the Christmas music to put us in the spirit and vetoed my dad's movie choice of an old Clint Eastwood flick on Saturday afternoon. I think this weekend may have been the first time I've dipped chocolates with my side of the family in more than 15 years! I've kept up the tradition of making chocolates, but I've done it with Ken's mom and sister and sister-in-law.
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While I was dipping with my mom on Friday we had some adjustments to make so that we could work together. I use something different to keep my hands from getting sticky when I roll fondant, and I like my chocolates smaller than hers, and I use pecans instead of peanuts. At one point she exclaimed, "You just don't do anything the same as us anymore!"
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My traditional chocolate dipping sweatshirt - a Christmas gift from my parents 19 years ago (Cutie-Pie).
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It took 10 large pizza boxes to transport all of my chocolates home on Saturday night - a brilliant idea I got from Ken's sister (or was it his mom?). I brought home around 700 chocolates.
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.Carmen offered to pose for a picture of her "stealing" a chocolate. I would love to give someone a whole pizza box of chocolates! I'm going to make more chocolates in a couple of weeks, and I'm toying with the idea of getting some small pizza boxes to fill up for the staff rooms at my office, Ken's office, and the kids' school.
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This is the size of chocolates box I use now. We give them to teachers, neighbors, and friends. I have 30 boxes this size ready to give away when December comes, leaving maybe 100 chocolates for my family to just eat - and they'll be gone fast!
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23 comments:

Mandy said...

Those look so good!

Unknown said...

woah! what an accomplishment!

Anne said...

Oh wow, that's a lot of chocolate. If those were in my house they wouldn't last a week. Yum!!

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

I love reading about your chocolate dipping, Barb. They're really, really beautiful, too.

April said...

Well, these are just spectacular! This is a true art and I am amazed as much by the beauty of the tradition as I am by the gorgeous chocolatey results.

I was also in complete wonderment at your white sweatshirt...no chocolate stains after 19 years...it would only take me 19 minutes.

Michelle Alley said...

Those look absolutely amazing! What a fun thing to do together! Now, when am I getting some of these!?????

Denise said...

Oh. My. HEAVENS. I don't know which is more amazing, that you can make such luscious-looking chocolates, or that you can give them away without eating them all.

That pristine shirt, though, is the real miracle. Nineteen years and no stains? It takes a brave woman to wear a white sweatshirt for chocolate-dipping, and a talented woman to keep it that way.

Elizabeth said...

They turn out so pretty. What a talent.

Anonymous said...

Those look delicious. I am amazed at just how many there are. And you're planning more. Whew! What a fun way to spend time with family.

carlo said...

ok, too much good in one post here.

first, your mom's comment CRACKED ME UP! i can totally hear my mom saying it AND i know i will say it to my girls some day

second, YUM> wow! speechless on the yum factor. how i wish i were a teacher or a neighbor of yours. better yet, i wish i could help in the fun! love the thought of it but i am certain it is a lot of work!

third, how CUTE Is that pic of the 3 of you?

fourth, carmen is my kind of girl. "volunteering" to pose stealing chocolate. love that!

fifth, clint vetoed for christmas music. that would so be an argument at my parents house.

I *almost* feel like i was there! :)

jenny said...

Those look amazing! What a fun treat.

Anonymous said...

Barb,

Huge favor after moving I can not find my Fondant recipe. Can you share your's with me. You can e-mail me at Rearbs@aol.com

Your's turned out so yummy looking! Love the Pizza Box idea. Wonder if I can get someone to give me some. Or did you buy them off some one.

Jenny

Sandi said...

What Carlo said. I R-E-A-L-L-Y love the T-shirt.

Jill said...

That's a darling picture of you, Marie and your mom.

I've dipped chocolates with my aunts and grandma, but I found it to be a bit tedious (perhaps if the conversation had been better). I can't believe you came home with over 700 chocolates and yet are planning on making more, wow!

Lindsay said...

I am so impressed!

My aunt dips pounds of chocolate every year. I really want to learn how. This year, I got invited but wasn't able to make it. Hopefully next year. My biggest concern is how I would keep myself from eating them constantly!

Anonymous said...

For some reason your chocolate dipping shirt looks familiar, but I'm not sure why since I've never been around for chocolate dipping day. I'm also amazed that it's still so white!

The chocolates look great -- love the colored papers they're in.

Price Cream Parlor said...

I am loving the pizza box idea! How clever! I can't believe that you did 700 and WANT to do more! That is totally amazing to me! This is when I wish that I was on your VT route to receive such goodness! What a fun thing to do with your sister and your Mom!

Bond Girl 007 said...

wow that looks sooo nice...and aren't self portrait pictures soooo fun and soo human...all of you look wonderful.

Emily said...

VERY impressive!

Amy said...

I remember Kelly telling me that Keith's family makes chocolates. But, oh my! You guys don't just mess around...this is real business! What a beautiful thing to gift.

Kathy T. said...

Hi there. I've been searching for the perfect fondant recipe. If you don't mind sharing - would you e-mail me the recipe? Much thanks! LDS SAHM of 3. :)

Kathy T. said...

Oops, forgot to leave e-mail address. Smart... (fondant recipe) katanner0123@yahoo.ca

Thanks again :)

michelle said...

That is a serious amount of chocolates! They look beautiful and delicious -- I can imagine anyone who receives them must be quite thrilled. It would be very dangerous for me to have so many yummy chocolates around, I would have a heck of a time not eating them! Darling photo of the 3 of you.