Buy Local Chocolate!

I just read about a local Boston chocolatier, Taza, that is now struggling because of flash flooding this past weekend at their new factory - luckily all of their chocolate and goodies survived, but their company's offices are ruined. They're selling off the stock they currently have in the hopes of raising capital to rebuild. If you have a few dollars to spare and want to help out a great local business, check out this link (even if you don't want chocolate, they're also selling t-shirts).

While we're on the subject of chocolate, we discovered Theo Chocolate on our vacation. A great Seattle chocolatier, this is how they describe themselves on their website: As the first and only organic and Fair Trade chocolate factory in the country, all of our ingredients are carefully screened to ensure they meet our standards for social and environmental responsibility. We visited their store in Fremont, WA this past Sunday, and really enjoyed trying a lot of different free samples! I had been hoping to take a tour of their factory, but they were booked up until the middle of this week.

My favorite flavors were Mint Dark Chocolate, Jane Goodall 70% Dark Chocolate (yes, that Jane Goodall - they have a partnership), and Coffee Dark Chocolate. (Those of you who know me and my dislike of dark chocolate must be laughing right about now, but it's true - I really enjoyed them!)


Oh, and I love their motto: "Theo Chocolate - Because Chocolate Grows on Trees."

PS - You can also buy their chocolate at a bunch of specialty stores, including PCC Natural Markets. A Seattle grocery store chain that is what I would imagine Whole Foods was when it was just a local store (or City Market/Onion River Co-Op in Burlington, VT), Dan and I had a lot of fun wandering around the PCC Market in Fremont. Definitely check one out if you're in the Seattle area - they have TONS of bulk food products and lots of local stuff.