Thursday, October 28, 2021

Celebrating All Things Chocolate By Donna Schlachter -- with Giveaway



Photo by Loannes Marc from Pexels

October 28th is the day Americans celebrate chocolate, and it’s one of the few that also have an International or World Day of its own—December 28th or July 7th, depending on which source you follow. Regardless, chocolate is America’s favorite flavor, so let’s talk more about it. Read all the way through to learn how to win a free e-book of Testing Tessa, book 1 in “Healing the Wounded Heart” series.

Chocolate has been consumed for at least 3,000 years, and grows primarily in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Documentation dates to around 1100 BC.

How and why the first person ever ate the bean that chocolate comes from is a mystery, since it’s intense and bitter. In fact, the bean must be fermented to develop the flavor, then dried, cleaned, and roasted. Seems like a lot of work for whoever did it first, particularly since there was no guarantee they’d come up with something edible.

However, we are glad they persisted, because once the roasted bean is ground into a powder and combined with enough sugar, milk, butter, and other ingredients, then it becomes not only edible but delicious.






As any chocolate aficionado will attest, there are different kinds of chocolate, and we each have our own preference. Unsweetened is good for baking or making cocoa from scratch. Semi-sweet adds just the right touch of flavor to baked goods like cookies and breads. Milk chocolate is, of course, for eating. And white chocolate actually doesn’t contain any cocoa solids. Some argue it is merely sugar in disguise.


 
Regardless of your taste preference, there is no dissension for celebrating the Day. You might choose to visit your favorite restaurant and indulge your sweet tooth in an exquisite chocolate creation. Maybe you prefer to bake. If so, invite some friends over and enjoy one of the recipes listed below. You could promote your favorite kind of chocolate on social media using #NationalChocolateDay, or check out the myriad of posts about this topic.

 
 
It’s probably no surprise that the National Confectioners Association created National Chocolate Day, but I’m sure it was in response to consumer demand. Or a desire to sell more chocolate. Or both.






Also, not surprisingly, other good things happened throughout history on this special date. For example, in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated; in 1919 prohibition passed, and in 1954 author Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature for The Old Man and the Sea.

Enjoying your birthday on this date is second only to dressing up and begging for candy from neighbors (Halloween, of course, my birthday😊). Several notable figures from history set the fun precedence for October 28th, including Remington in 1816, Auguste Escoffier in 1846, Edith Head in 1897, and Jonas Salk in 1914. If any on this esteemed list are strangers, feel free to check them out.

Thanks for joining me on one of my favorite days of the year. Kinda like barbeque, chocolate is one of those foods you need to wear on the inside and the outside. Go for it!



Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
 
Giveaway: Leave a comment about your favorite kind of chocolate or favorite treat, and I’ll draw randomly for an ebook copy of Testing Tessa. Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. Use the format: donna AT historythrutheages DOT com so those pesky robots can’t track you or spam you.



About Testing Tessa:

In 1868, Tessa, a Mennonite nurse graduates from nursing school and is assigned to the Amana Colonies in Iowa because of her expertise in treating asthma and other breathing problems. As a former student at a women's medical school, she knows more than most about respiratory diseases. She's also had her fair share of heartbreak when, upon her mentor's death, she was forced to abandon her dream of becoming a doctor. Will she be able to use her skills? Or will her gender keep her from helping those who truly need her?

Seth, a widower in Amana, is still nursing a broken heart from his sweetheart's passing two years before. Now raising their invalid son Seth on his own, he wonders why God didn't listen to his prayers for healing for his family. Caleb has been afflicted with the same form of asthma that killed Anna, and Seth stands by helplessly as his son fades away. Can he trust God and trust medicine, or is faith in one mutually exclusive of faith in the other?



About Donna:

 

Donna writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 40 times in novellas, full-length novels, and non-fiction books. She is a member of several writing communities; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; blogs regularly; and judges in writing contests.

www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

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Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Etsy online shop of original artwork: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Dare2DreamUS



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6 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting, and Happy Birthday! My favorite chocolate treat is probably Reese's PB cups, if I have to name one, but there aren't too many I would turn down if I could eat them on a regular basis. These days they have to be an extraordinary treat. bcrug AT twc DOT com

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    1. Hi Connie, thanks for stopping by. And yes, an extraordinary treat:)

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  2. Great post! I love sweets of all flavors but when it comes to chocolate candy, my favorite is anything created by Winnipesaukee Chocolates, a local chocolatier. Yum!

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    1. Hi Linda, thanks for stopping by. Never heard of Winnipesaukee -- need an address to send some samples to me? LOL!

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  3. I so love chocolate. Dark chocolate is decedent. But my go to favorite is Almond M&Ms. You book sounds interesting. cindyhuff11ATgmailDOTcom.

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    1. Hi Cindy, ooh, yes, almonds and chocolate! What a combo!

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