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Christine & Jillian

@lets.talk.chocolate

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2 friends on a journey to taste & review all the (ethically sourced) chocolate they can get their hands on.

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Midwest craft chocolate festival 2025 - Rushville Indiana

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Recent joys.

1. @everlastingcandle is incredible. As someone that can’t use most candles because of the fragrances, this is a dream! Vibe of a candle, no scent, no smoke, just refill the oil as needed.
2 & 3. Spooky season crafts. Doily spider web, doily ghosts, felt leaf garland. Obsessed.
4. A trip up north started with lunch at @radunotc in Traverse City. House made pasta - divine.
5-8. We stayed at @theparkstreetinn for a couple of nights. It was exactly how you’d imagine it. Quaint, full of character, relaxing, cozy. Our friends, Britt & Joel (@theinnkeepercouple) have made it such a wonderful place. We loved our time there and can’t wait to go back. Also, the weekend played breakfast was a chai waffle with apple compote and chicken sausage. Incredible.
9. Stopped at the 45th parallel!
10. We searched & found a handful of Petoskey & Charlevoix stones.
11 & 12. So delighted to see some other friends, their babies, and their many animals. Jasper, the gentle shoe thief giant. Marv the adorable bull. And the goats, who do have names that I’m blanking on.
13. We had the privilege to meet the makers of @crowandmosschocolate . They make lovely ethically sourced craft chocolate. More on that on @lets.talk.chocolate

Friends, animals, getaways, food, crafts, nature. I’m grateful for that time of refreshment and rest.

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My first cacao pod painting! 🌱🍫

If you don’t know what a cacao pod is, it’s the fruit that produces the seeds from which chocolate is made! 💕

It’s so important for us to know where our food comes from and how it’s made. I encourage you to learn more about cacao — where it’s grown, who farms it, sustainability practices (or lack thereof), how chocolate is made, and so much more. This educational expedition will also lead you to the harsh reality that is forced labor, trafficking, slavery, unfair wages, and poor working conditions in the world of chocolate (men, women AND children). This is perpetuated by big corporations turning a blind eye to the realities & traumas, and being unwilling to pay fair prices or make other ethical & sustainable decisions. (And no, “fair trade” isn’t good enough)

The good news? There are SO MANY craft chocolate makers around the world that are directly sourcing from farmers whom they are building relationships with & are committed to seeing them and their communities thrive.

Christine & I share some of our discoveries, learnings and reviews on @lets.talk.chocolate - but we are far from experts!

Check out other incredible people like @thechocolatejournalist @smallbatcheducation @37chocolates
To learn more about the industry. (There are so many others I could list here, but these are good people to start with.)

💕🍫💕

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If your local @bonbonbonchocolate still has the January Bon of the month 🥕 Veg Out 🍫… GET ONE (or 17).

This is my all time favorite Bon Bon from the babes babes babes. Emma at the Ann Arbor location so generously gave me some extras (lots of extras) as I was waxing poetic about how much I love them. 🤗 🥹

Greatest birthday present 💝

…and no, it doesn’t taste like vegetables. It tastes like a warm, cozy caramel chocolate dream! 💭 🥰

Also, consider this the official @lets.talk.chocolate review for the Veg Out Bon Bon Bon 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Photo 1: 16 Veg Out Bon Bon Bons in their boxes dumped into the table.
Photo 2: the adorable packaging they came in. Emma sealed the bag with a sticker that says “You’re so Bon”
Photo 3: the moment, 1 year ago, that I realized I found the most delightful treat in the world.
Photo 4: me with my prized bon before it was consumed.

#bonbonbon #birthdaytreat #detroitbusiness #letstalkchocolate

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The one thing I desperately wanted to do on my birthday this year was to go to @bonbonbonchocolate ! I don’t know why or how it’s taken me so long to go, but now I’m hooked. Obsessed. Amazed. So joy-filled by these little boxes of sweetness.

Thank you, Rose, who helped me and Ryan — such a delightful experience, both in the store and eating these confections.

Look for a post coming soon all about the ones we chose and what our thoughts are over on @lets.talk.chocolate !!

And yes, the “veg out” flavor was DIVINE. No, it doesn’t taste like butternut squash and carrots. It taste like a warm slightly spiced caramel river enclosed in decadent, ethically sourced chocolate.

#thoughtfulchocolate #ethicalchocolate

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Vacation moments

In June, Ryan and I took a vacation. Just us. To somewhere we’d never been. With no agenda. The last time we traveled on our own, and without a “reason” (re: wedding, visiting family/friends, party, etc.) was our honeymoon 9 years ago.

So it was long overdue, and the break was really needed for both of us. Ryan works a ton (and from home) so he needed some creative inspiration. I’ve been in a tough season of physical and mental health struggles, so I needed to rest and find some pockets of joy.

We went to Lexington, KY, Chattanooga, TN, Blue Ridge, GA, and Atlanta, GA.

We enjoyed donuts, and coffee and chocolate. Lots of rain, a hike to a waterfall, and a train ride. Went to an art museum, did a tour of a distillery & brewery, visited my favorite beauty store, ate good food, and enjoyed a cute historic town.

It was what we needed to disconnect and unplug, to connect with each other and ourselves.

One of the most moving moments of our trip for me was seeing a piece of art that so clearly portrayed how I’ve felt in this season of depression. (Scroll to see the piece) It’s called “Despair” by Bertha Wegmann — I stood in the museum and cried. Your hair can be in a nice bun, you can have a home and a good life, you can have friends and a job and faith. And still, you can feel despair, defeat, apathy.

This wonderful trip didn’t take away my depression. But it gave me some time away from it all to find joy and rest in new ways, and to understand myself a bit more.

#blueridgega #highmuseumofart #lexingtonky #blueridgebeautybarn #toccoariver #fallbranchfalls

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It is clear that the (many) problems that we face in the chocolate industry can’t be solved by one single person…
We might be the “newbies” but we have already noticed a few things… One of those is the great feeling of community 🤝 We don’t have words to express our gratitude to everyone that has been involved with us so far in our journey. From sharing our posts or taking time to give us feedback to answering our surveys, for us all your effort means a lot and helps us to move forward 💪🏻. It means a lot to see how people are supporting our project and becoming part of our mission to help transform the chocolate industry into a responsible and sustainable sector. 🌱
We will stand for all of you, who like us, believe that a sustainable and transparent chocolate industry is possible. Would you like to know more about our work? Check us on our website Caltrix.io or write to us!

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I guess I only post these videos now. One post a month. But lots to share!

May 2021 gave us more adventure and time outside. Mango discovered bubbles. We ventured to the farm. Saw family. Made new animal friends. Celebrated 7 years of marriage. And so much more.

Looking forward to more summer fun!
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#may2021 #readyforsummer #mangodoglife #michigan #michigansummer

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Would you imagine that the beginning of chocolate 🍫, befalls here in these tiny flowers🌸?
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As marvelous as they look, these beauties🌸🌸 make nothing easy. In fact, they are one of the most difficult type of flowers to get pollinated and the process happens almost as a miracle 🙌🏼.
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The pollination of cacao flowers cannot be done by bees 🐝, normal insects 🦗 or mosquitos because they are oversized for the little orchid-shaped bloom 🌸. It turns out that, for this work to be done, a native pollinator is required. A mosquito 🦟 little bigger than a poppy seed, known as chocolate midge, steps up to the task.
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As if this wasn't magical enough, these flowers don't sprout from the branches as in most of the trees, instead, they emerge directly from the trunk😯😯.
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#Chocolate #cacao #Cacaoorchids #complexsystems #naturewisdom #AWKI #fromthemiddleoftheworldwithlove #unlockingtherealpowerofchocolate #Cacaoflower #themiracleoflife #cacaomosquito #cacaopollination #chocolatethatprotectsyou #Cacaoéducation #Cacaoeducation #Ecuador #educaciónencacao #floresdelcacao #lamagiadelchocolate #orquideasdelcacao #naturalezasabia #theobroma #foodofthegods

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