Aug 25, 2012 |
Two days ago, I posted about my living in fear. Now, while those fears are true, and real, and constant, I don’t want you to get the impression that that’s all there is to me.
I don’t suffer depression. I’m not in need of medication. But I do bounce around from Happy to Sad to Stressed to Carefree. That’s not me. That’s my environment. That’s 14 months of unemployment and car repairs and medical bills and frustrations. And believe me, this week it’s been hitting us in spades.
So I vented.
If I were to post only Happy Thoughts, I wouldn’t be honest with you. I value you. And, it’s apparent you value my honesty. Thursday was my third most popular day at Frankly, My Dear… (My most viewed day was July 25, “Alienation“. The current Chocolate Heaven (and a Giveaway!) is quick on its heels!).
And so I just wanted to say
Thank you.
I really do appreciate each of you, and your wonderfully supportive comments. Writing is my calling, my comfort, and my catharsis.
Even when we don’t agree. Even when I write too much, or too little. You are there. Even when you don’t comment, you read. And Frankly, My Dear… is growing stronger. Because of you. Thank you.
On my Facebook page, almost every evening I post a link from a year ago. It’s fun to look back and read the many ways I’ve grown, changed, and even stayed the same.
I can’t believe it’s an accident that today’s Year-Ago post is Filigree Frosting. You all are the icing on my cake.
If I could bake each of you a cake, I would.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 24, 2012 |
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.
YOU CAN ORDER MORE WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE PRODUCT DIRECTLY FROM SCHARFFEN BERGER ONLINE.
I believe in chocolate. I believe it has magical powers to uplift spirits, create amazing kitchen delicacies, and basically make the world a much better place.
My love for Scharffen Berger started nearly a year ago when I won their $150-value gift basket assortment through GoodLife {Eats}. Filled with cocoa powders, baking bars, chunks, nibs, and their book, “The Essence of Chocolate”, I quickly fell in love deeper than I ever thought possible.
This is the chocolate all other chocolates compete with. This is the chocolate that should be in every fine confectioner’s shop, every store, every kitchen. This is the chocolate that makes me want to sing songs from Willy Wonka every time I taste it.
This is the Chocolate God.
Imagine my delight when Scharffen Berger agreed to sponsor a giveaway on Frankly, My Dear… And then they suggested their Artisan Bars. Eight perfectly delectable varieties made with the purest of cacao and other ingredients. All I had to do was taste them myself to write a review.
All I had to do was eat
eight full bars of chocolate.
Sometimes, it’s hard to be a blogger. *Snicker.*
Overall review:
Public Relations/Customer Service: 10 stars
My contact was immediately responsive, and went above and beyond our initial agreement by sending me a second shipment of bars when she heard some of the first had been compromised in delivery during the Southern California heatwave.
Their website, ScharffenBerger.com, is more than just advertising. Incredibly user-friendly helpful, and supportive, they explain their chocolate-making process, offer chocolate-based recipes, and describe each product.
Want to know which Artisan bar goes well with your Sumatran coffee, Sauvignon Blanc, aged gouda or other food item? Click into their Pairing Navigator. It offers suggestions for snacks and beverages to compliment their delicious chocolate [Although you don’t have to. This product really stands on its own!].
PRODUCT: 8.5 stars
It’s hard to miss the authentic cacao flavor and aroma that inherently makes Scharffen Berger the best chocolate around. Each individual bar is an experience in itself. I found myself fully satisfied after just one or two bites, making it easy to save some for later (unlike drug-store chocolate bars, where I tend to indulge in the entire bar all at once and am still left wanting a bit more flavor).
The one small disappointment [if I can call it that], is that this chocolate is so specialized and well-crafted with real cacao, it melts faster than your drug-store candy bar. This is not the kind of bar you want to let your five-year-old hold in her hand for any length of time.
When my first shipment arrived on Day Three of Southern California’s record-breaking heatwave, I immediately refrigerated the bars. The next day I opened the Extra Dark Chocolate bar and was not disappointed. While the shape of the bar wasn’t as pretty as its original form, the flavor and aroma were still beyond measure, and the quality had not been terribly compromised.
Can you imagine how much more wonderful the second shipment was, in its fine, unmelted glory? I felt as though I was at my own private wine-tasting party. Each bar offered pieces that I held on my tongue until they melted away, leaving me with textures and aromas I’d fallen in love with. Every. Single. Bite.
Can you say, “Exquisite Experience”?
I knew you could.
BARS:
Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Almonds (41% Cacao)
Who doesn’t love sweet and salty? I know I do! The almond bits are small, which I found wonderful. No tooth-breaking with this bar! The melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mixed with the crunch of the almonds and essence of sea salt is an unexpected combination that satisfies both a sweet tooth and those looking for a heartier chocolate.
Extra Rich Milk Chocolate (41% Cacao)
I honestly thought this bar wouldn’t be as wonderful as the others. I like my chocolate to have substance and more than “just chocolate”. I like nuts, caramels, flavor explosions. And then I nibbled on this. Filled with hints of caramel, it was so savory I had to share it with my family. They couldn’t believe this was “just” a milk chocolate bar. It was like eating the purest hot chocolate drink, in bar form.
Milk Nibby Milk Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs (41% Cacao)
Roasted Cacao Nibs (bits of raw cocoa) add a remarkable crunch to this milky chocolate bar. Similar in texture to a chocolate-covered coffee bean, this bar is great in small amounts to be savored and saved for those special nibbly moments (no pun intended).
Mocha Dark Chocolate with Freshly Roasted Coffee (62% Cacao)
Bliss. Chocolate covered, coffee flavored bliss. Opening the wrapper was like opening a bag of freshly ground coffee beans. And the flavor! Have you ever had a cup of coffee so exquisite, so divine, that nothing else mattered? I may have to just melt this bar in my mug tomorrow morning. I’m certain nothing else will ever compare. You can’t overindulge on this bar. If you’re a chocolate-and-coffee lover, this bar is a necessity!
Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (62% Cacao)
An interesting undertone of fruitiness and honey, just as the label indicates, adds a unique blend to this nearly addictive dark chocolate. Even with being my least favorite bar of the bunch, I still found myself coming back to this flavor.
Nibby Dark Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs (62%)
This richer, deeper experience with all the glories of the Milk Nibby bar, was more satisfying with each bite. Because of the fullness in flavor and texture, I found myself savoring, as well as saving some for later.
Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (70%)
I was wonderfully surprised with my first taste of this bar. I expected something more appropriate to baking than tasting; but what I experienced was a smooth, almost light-and-fruity flavor. This was Dot’s favorite of the bars, and she said it best: “It tastes like pure chocolate without added sugar.”
Extra Dark Chocolate Bar (82% Cacao)
I admit it. I went for this bar first. I love-love-LOVE dark chocolate. The darker, the better. And besides, it’s healthy, right? Okay, so I also won an extra one through Scharffen-Berger’s daily twitter giveaway, which arrived two days before the big shipment. Still, I would have pulled this one from the pack first. I’m just that way.
The aroma itself is worth buying the bar. If Scharffen Berger made a candle from this, we would all be so very happy, I guarantee it. 82% cacao. Eighty-two percent! The true chocolate flavor was refreshingly bitter yet lively.
And now after all that, we get to the part you’ve been patiently waiting for:
The Giveaway
TWO lucky people are going to win an eight-bar gift pack from Scharffen Berger!
1. MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave a comment on this post: What is your favorite way to eat chocolate? This entry is mandatory. If you don’t answer this question, all other entries are void.
2. ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: You can earn up to seven additional entries (for eight entries total) by doing each of the following then leaving a comment here telling me you’ve done so. If you already do any of these things, that counts as an entry only if you post it in the comments. (Additional entries will be verified):
a. Follow me on Facebook and share this giveaway.
b. Follow Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
c. Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway.
d. Follow Scharffen Berger on twitter.
e. Follow me on Pinterest and pin this giveaway.
f. Follow me on Stumble Upon and Stumble this post.
g. Share this giveaway on your own blog and leave the URL link in the comments below.
BONUS ENTRIES ONLY COUNT IF YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH AND I VERIFY.
Here’s the fine print:
- This giveaway is solely through Molly Jo and the blog Frankly, My Dear…. It is sponsored by Scharffen Berger. There are no other corporate sponsors. This giveaway is in no way endorsed by any other person, business or entity.
- Immediate relatives, employees or persons affiliated with Scharffen Berger, New Inklings Press, or Frankly, My Dear… are ineligible.
- Only legal citizens of the United States aged 18 years and older are eligible to win.
- This giveaway begins at 5:30 a.m. PST on Friday, August 24, 2012 and ends at 5:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.
- Winner will be selected from all eligible comments on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, after 6:00 p.m. PST, through Random.org.
- Winner will be notified by email and will have 120 hours (five full days) from the time email is sent to respond. Should winner not respond in a timely manner, prize will subsequently be re-awarded to another Entrant. Not more than three (3) subsequent winners will be picked for each of the two giveaways. After that, prize will be forfeited and no winner will be chosen. Scharffen Berger, Molly Jo and Frankly, My Dear… are not responsible for any misdirected or undelivered entries, comments, or emails.
- Two prize packs [$40.00 value each] consisting of Scharffen Berger Artisan Chocolate Bars (one each: Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Nibby, Mocha Chocolate, Semisweet, Dark Chocolate Nibby, Bittersweet, and Extra Dark Chocolate) will be given. No substitutions or transfers allowed.
- Scharffen Berger, Molly Jo and Frankly, My Dear… are not responsible for any lost or misdirected shipments, or damages that may occur during shipping.
- You may comment as much as you like, but any comment that does not meet the requirements will not be considered for this Giveaway.
- By leaving your comment on this post, you agree to be bound by the rules of this giveaway in their entirety.
Happy Eating!
[The opinions in this review are my own, and not affected by any sponsor, entity or other person. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.]
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 23, 2012 |
My world will never be the same.
I’ve discovered how easy and fun it is to create my own e-cards using some ecards.
After just two minutes on the site, this is my first creation:
“SAHM” stands for Stay At Home Mom.
So. How do you like them apples?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 23, 2012 |
I know I shouldn’t. I know some people say worry is a sin. That I’m either not a good Christian, or I need to let go or… whatever it is you tell people when they say they’re unreasonably afraid.
But I am.
Often.
I’m afraid every day of the unknown.
I’m afraid that I won’t get a “real” job and I’ll lose my house. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to support my small family. I’m afraid of what would happen to the cats if something did happen to the house. Dot, notsomuch. She’s young. She’s got relatives. She’ll be okay. But I worry about being separated from her and the felines and Bedford Manor. I worry about it all the time.
I worry about car accidents. I’ve been in ten plus hit as a pedestrian. All in the last 27 years. None my fault. But I worry about more. I’m afraid of being injured again. I’m afraid of never being fully healed from past injuries. I’m afraid of being without a car, and I’m afraid now that Dot has a license.
I worry that my past concussions will interfere with my future. That I might someday need assistance to be mobile, or worse: to remember.
I worry about bad things happening to my family. What if they get injured, or worse? What if we’re separated for some reason like moving away, or death? I’m afraid of someday not being able to have coffee with my mom or talk to my brothers on the phone or watch TV with Dot.
I’m afraid that Dot’s chance for a future, a really good future, is lessened because of me. Because I’m an unemployed, single mom and we are a statistic on the poverty threshold. I worry that she’s never really had a chance to succeed, and it’s all my fault for not doing more. I worry that we won’t be able to afford the transfer to a four-year University when the time comes.
I worry that choices I made in the past about people, places, events, and opinions will affect her future.
I’m afraid of always being in debt and never being solvent. Of not being self-sufficient. Of being a burden to those around me and never being able to pay it back, or pay it forward.
I’m worried that I won’t always be able to write well. To share my thoughts, my stories, my inspirations.
And I’m worried that I will.
I’m afraid that I’ll be successful and it will change everything.
I’m afraid that my past will always haunt me. That certain people will try to sabotage me and tell me I’m not good enough. I worry about expending more energy into proving them wrong than doing things right. I’m afraid the wrong people will care and the right ones won’t.
I’m afraid of the freedoms that being a Good Writer means: publication. Payments. Solvency. Recognition. Freedom to move, to travel, to explore. Obligations to work and opportunities to play.
The chance to be balanced. To give my family a future.
To live. To live the life I have planned.
I’m afraid of trying because I’m afraid of failure. But I’m also afraid of never trying.
I worry about saying, “I don’t know what to do,” and being laughed at. I’m afraid of being mocked.
I’m afraid of being alone.
And never being heard.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
This post is linked up with Shell at
Aug 22, 2012 |
It’s been a great week around here. Mary tells me that all my housecleaning was actually the result of a virus, for which chocolate is the cure. Well, now I know for next time. The cleaning having been already done, I guess all I can do is indulge in chocolate now as a preventative measure for later.
I’ve truly stuck to this week’s Theme to Write It Out! There’s a direct correlation between me keeping a journal and how much other writing I accomplish. I like being able to note each night what I’ve worked on, and make a list for the next day.
I bought a box at the local craft store yesterday. It matches my house decor. I intend to use it to hold the many scraps of notes and whatnots I collect as a writer. Paper, magazine clippings, drawings. Those little bits and pieces I need to reference but have no other place to keep them in. Apparently, it also makes a great cat pillow.
Tuesday I mailed out my first ever short story submission, as well as emailed an inspirational essay. I’ve entered contests before, but these are my first ready-to-go, researched, unsolicited manuscripts. Ever. And I finally got the nerve up to send out two in one day.
I know. Exciting, right?!
I’ve a job interview next week (postponed from last week). I also took a typing test for the local school district. Can you believe their requirement is only 30 wpm? Of course, that’s because the position I’m applying for is classified as “Substitute Clerical”. Apparently, I did much better than the others because my score was the only one to merit exclamations and a shout-out from the test proctor. “Molly! You can TYPE!” *Insert happy face here*
Well, that’s Life at Bedford Manor this week. Time for you to link up and share your world!
On a personal note, I want to thank everyone who links up. You’ve all been diligent about adding the blog badge to your posts, and that has helped streamline and direct traffic back to these posts. So thank you very much for not making me require backlinks. Y’all rock!
You can also click the bottom link “Get The Code Here…” to add to your blog and the list will appear with your submitted posts as well. I encourage you to do so, so that all our readers can have the benefit of all our posts! And you can add more posts through your link and every post will show on every list. Nifty, huh? I think so!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
What’s the Word?” Wednesdays is a link-up that allows other bloggers and readers to share whatever they want to talk about. Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends. What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!
A few things to remember:
- Each week’s link-up is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow! In fact, you can link up as many posts as you want.
- If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
- Each week has a new link-up. Please make sure you grab the correct Badge Code.
- Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
- You can now show your “likes” by voting for your favorite links.
So, c’mon. Join the conversation. After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?
