2022 was a year of many things, and chocolate was often part of conversations, travel, adventures, dinners, desserts, and art.
I made a Memorable Moments printable pdf that I shared for everyone over on the Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers Patreon page in case you want to print it out and put some of your chocolate memories in one place. I’m going to share a few of my highlights that would have gone onto this sheet.
Memorable chocolate covered moment:
Chocolate covered strawberries that we picked at the U-pick farm 20 minutes from home. Strawberries covered in chocolate will always remain one of my favourite treats.
Memorable chocolate drink moment:
Sitting at Hummingbird Chocolate’s new café drinking some sipping chocolate beneath a cacao tree. Their space is gorgeous, relaxing, and the chocolate drinks are a must try. I have tried several now and hope to try more soon. I really need to make a point of visiting their café often. As a side note, another memorable experience was drinking chocolate drinks of all sorts with a group of chocolate makers who were in Ottawa for the Ottawa Chocolate Show this year. It’s amazing to see how they have grown over the years.
Memorable Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers moment:
I made the Memorable Moments for Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers so this is one of the memories I asked them to think about, and for me, in the making of Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers, I have two moments that stick out. The first is making the beeswax wraps as it was a fun afternoon spent with one of my besties, and a lot of laughter was put into those wraps! The second is travelling with the candle I included in the one year anniversary envelope in April. I was testing the packaging to be sure the handmade-in-Ottawa (by Wax Studio) birthday candles would survive being tossed about. The sample packaging and candle travelled from Ottawa to Calgary, to Winnipeg, to Paris, was lit on my birthday in Paris, travelled back to Winnipeg, and then back to Ottawa. It was tucked in carefully in its mini package I made but also just tossed in amongst the clothes in a suitcase with room to spare and it survived each trip.
Memorable chocolate bar moment:
Sharing chocolate with others, no matter what the bar, would have to be my favourite moment of the year. After not sharing chocolate at all in 2021, it was lovely to share chocolate with many new and old friends in 2022. I shared chocolate in coffee shops, chocolate shops, libraries, parks, cafés, diners, and chocolate festivals, and every time I share chocolate with someone it is new and unique in its own way.
Memorable chocolate experience:
2022 had lots of visits with chocolate friends, but I am pretty sure sitting on the floor of my office surrounded by chocolate tasting bits and bites and talking about flavours with my friend Genevieve tops the list.
Memorable baking/recipe/pastry moment:
Eating Cedric Grolet Pastries at midnight on my birthday in Paris, followed closely by the pain au chocolat for breakfast in the morning.
Other memorable moments from 2022 include:
- meeting chocolate makers, chocolatiers, and chocolate friends in person
- tasting the Salted Egg Yolk Bar from Kassama
- judging the International Chocolate Awards
- behind the scenes tours of a few chocolate makers’ spaces
- travelling and finding random chocolate places
- drinking European style drinking chocolate in Europe
- drinks and chocolate with friends online
- enjoying chocolate on my Stand Up Paddle Board on the water, alone and with friends
- sharing chocolate with family, friends and new faces
- creating all sorts of fun things for Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers
