Melted Chocolates

Before you gasp and think this is terrible, let me assure you, a different perspective is just around the corner.  Yes, this is plate full of melted chocolate truffles!  I can no longer sell them, unless I created a "Melt Special" discount. :)

You would think, after making chocolate for over 4 years, I would have learned how to not melt my chocolate!  As a professional chocolate maker, I know the three enemies of chocolate; water, sunshine, and heat.  I steer clear of rainy days, splashing water, and a hot stove.  

When it comes to water, even one drop, in a brewing batch of chocolate, can ruin the whole thing.  It actually curdles the chocolate and it cannot be salvaged.  If heat or sunshine get to my chocolate, I can usually redo the batch.  Chocolate is awesome.  A little sunshine might make it look funny with crazy streaks, but it is fixable.  As for heat, as long as I don't burn the chocolate, this is a great.  I can fix most batches.

In the picture of above, these are mocha truffles.  They were already completed. Chocolate, the mocha filling, shelled, filled, capped, and packaged.  When I saw the disaster above, I cringed! The time it took to make each delicate one.  Sigh...

When I finished the boxes of these delicate truffles, we took them to be sold.  Most of them flew into the hands and mouths of happy customers.  We had only a couple of boxes left. 

On our way home it was pouring rain, with no sign of sunshine.  I mean, a serious down pour, leaving me gripping the "Oh Crap" handles above my passenger seat (my hubby was driving).  I am not only a chocolatier, I also have talents as a "backseat driver" says my husband.  What can I say? I consider myself a co-pilot when we are riding in the car together.  The skills of a master chocolate maker equip me with sharp driving instincts, too.  I don't even have to be driving to use those instincts...

After the down pour of rain, ironically, the sun came out for just a little bit.  It doesn't take very much. Just a sliver of sunshine landed on the edge of the chocolate boxes. 

At first, as a business owner, I saw dollar signs being thrown away.  Then, I considered my time and each drop of sweat that landed in the chocolate.  (You know that is a joke right?)  I imagine my chocolate competition taking this sentence and reporting it to the health inspectors.  For those who didn't get it, read it again and you will.  :) You never want to lose money as a business owner, particularly, if it's preventable.  

Over twenty chocolates melted.  Then, I smiled.  I knew I could hold tight to my business owner perspective. It was true, I lost a little bit of time and money when these boxes melted, but it all changed into something amazing.  For the world outside, I am Amy, a chocolate maker, business owner, and the founder of this company.  I have happy customers who have their favorite flavors and count down the days until their chocolate arrives.  In another world, I am not a business owner.  In this world, every day, I have a family.  I have a husband and 3 children.  

I laugh at myself, when I think making chocolate is hard. Running a business, is a piece of cake, compared to motherhood.  Our three busy children make chocolate look easy! Two boys and a girl.  The girl is the youngest and oh my gosh, we are in trouble with that one.  Alert!  Confession coming... This is why I have been sneaking my own boxes of chocolate lately!  We are talking about a problem.  As the owner, I am eating whole boxes of truffles!  Instead of selling them to my customers, they are my coping and sacred time... After the kids arrive home from school, I hide the chocolates and eat them.  They are so good!! I figure I deserve it after I have broken up fights, helped with homework, gotten the kids on chores for the day, hugged them, taken them to practices, last minute errands, and staying patient.  Yes, this is definitely why I have a chocolate business.  Sorry everyone, I thought it was for your happiness! It's for me... Parenthood, is not for the weak. I digress...

Back to melted chocolates...when we arrived home, over twenty chocolates were melted.  Then, I took off my business owner "hat".  All I had to do was put these melted chocolates on a plate.  So, I did!   Gathered on a beautiful plate, melted, smeared, unsellable.  I yelled "melted chocolates!"

Screaming, happiness, squeals of delight, and a stampede of feet ran quickly into the kitchen! My three children and husband were there in seconds.

This melted picture of chocolate does say "A Thousand Words!"