Almost Valentine's Day!!!

Who cannot think about Valentine's Day without thinking about a heart-shaped box of chocolate bonbons? Yes, I am milking the idea of it. For a little sense of nostalgia, Valentine's Day in 2003 was the first time my husband and I revealed our feelings to each other.

We always look forward to our Saturdays at the Western Fair Market. There is always someone new who hasn't tried my chocolates before and are delighted with the results. There are the repeat customers and I always make sure that I have their favourite on hand, and there are the ones who look and look, and seem to be hesitant to try them. But then, they come around.

We have about 12 different flavours of truffles now, along with our barks and brownies. To name the ones I can remember:

• Classic
• 70%
• Dulce de Leche
• Fleur de Sel Caramel
• Lavender Vanilla
• Earl Grey
• Chai
• Milky Mint
• Guinness
• Ice Wine
• Orange Liquor
• Mayan Spice

I'm still working on a coffee ganache and there are requests for raspberry. Raspberry is one of my favourites too. I used natural and real ingredients, however, so finding the right combination presents a challenge since I do not use extracts (except for Vanilla).

But anyway, the best part of my job is seeing the immediate reaction of those enjoying my chocolates. Unfortunately, I will not be around on Valentine's Day because of a family event in Argentina. My sister-in-law is getting married so we're flying out on Thursday. We have some great friends who volunteered to run the booth.

Oh, but what other news we have? We are going organic! I'm very excited because in my chocolate heart I've been wanting to sell organic chocolates all along. So now I have this opportunity to highlight chocolate creations using organic and fair trade chocolate. The chocolate is magnificent. You can taste the highlights of flowers, fruit, and wine. It's amazing chocolate. Just like baking and cooking, you have to have the best ingredients to have an excellent end product. Once I return from Argentina, I will work on getting to know this chocolate and coming up with more chocolate concoctions.

Happy Valentine's Day!