We Did It

Well actually you all did it putting up what was needed to get this project off the ground. Everything is now being put into place to make this happen and updates to follow. Thanks to all of you!

No No's - Our kickstarter Campiagn - Status Update

We are now down to the final week to have the No No's project funded. The excitement is definitely heating up around here as we watch the final rounds of support come in. You asked for chocolate covered candies and we have pushed hard to make it happen. We are eternally grateful to the over 750 people so far that have contributed to this project in an effort to make this a reality. We will keep you updated as the final events unfold and then afterward as we get the process up and running. Thanks again and lets keep on rolling to the finish. Remember it needs to be fully funded for any funding to occur

No No's - An ambitious No Child Left Behind Program

We began over five years ago with the goal of providing great looking and tasting chocolates for those that couldn't or wouldn't otherwise have them. Many people follow vegan diets or have food allergies or religious restrictions and have never been able to partake of the many pleasures of life that others have without a second thought. So we began offering milk free, nut free, egg free, gluten free chocolates and everyone loved them. We began making holiday items like Easter bunnies for example. As our population of fans and friends surged there was one theme that we kept hearing loud and clear - We would love to have chocolate covered candies. Now making these are a bit more difficult to produce than a chocolate bar and until now we almost didn't consider it but we finally decided now to use Kickstarter to help us No No's Campaign raise the capital to put in the systems that we would need to turn this into a reality.

Do these make you think of summer?

It's summer - thinking about swimming in the ocean or hanging out by the beach? I was looking through the website thinking which of our products said summer more than anything else. I came up with these great chocolate fish. One of our favorite products here and the kids all love them. Especially those that have allergies to milk, or nuts, and peanuts. Vegans also seem to be enjoying these. They come in a pack of 12 -  foil wrapped in gold of course.

Keep Calm and Eat a Piece of Dark Chocolate

A new study from the Swinburne University of Technology found that eating dark chocolate could calm you down. How? Apparently, it all has to do with antioxidant-rich, Polyphenols. Found naturally in dark chocolate, polyphenols respond to brain receptors associated with anxiety. Even more interesting, common anxiety medications and polyphenols may work through a similar biological system to target anxiety receptors, according to the study.

Looking for more reasons to up your antioxidant intake and enjoy more dark chocolate? Here are 3 (as if you need any):

·         According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Polyphenols are the most abundant antioxidant in the diet.” Their total dietary intake makes their antioxidant rate 10 times higher than the intake of vitamin C and 100 times higher than the intake of vitamin E.

·         Dark chocolate is versatile. You can enjoy it in a traditional bar, or melted and poured over your favorite sweets. For just a hint of something sweet, dark chocolate also tastes great added to granola, yogurt or cereal.

·         Because of is high pure cocoa content, dark chocolate contains a greater percentage of powerful polyphenols. So, look at the cocoa percentages in your favorite dark chocolate, ideally 60% or higher.

Now, next time you satisfy your chocolate craving, reach for dark chocolate and you could feel more relaxed while boosting your antioxidant intake. It’s good for you!

5 Replacements for Your Favorite Dairy-Based Foods

Many baked goods, sweets and snacks are made using traditional dairy products. However, this can be a problem for people suffering from food allergies. Whether you’re interested in finding ways to work with a food allergy or you simply want to modify your diet, there are many dairy-free and egg-free options to help you still enjoy your favorite foods.

Ice Cream: A delicious dessert favorite packed with milk and cream.

What to use instead: Any “vegan” marked ice cream. Coconut milk is often a tasty substitute for milk in ice cream. Also try all natural fruit sorbet to pacify your sweet tooth.

  

Butter: Used as a staple for many baked goods and desserts.

What to use instead: Vegan margarine. Look for brands that are whey, lactose, casein and caseinate free.

Milk: Popular in baked goods, desserts, chocolate, cereals or granola, or alone.

What to use instead: Soymilk, almond milk or rice milk are easily found at most grocery stores. Look for items that are made with these cow’s milk substitutes or are labeled vegan or lactose free.

Cheese: Often used in casseroles, on pizza, sprinkled on top of meals, used as a spread, or eaten alone.

What to use instead: Look for alternative cheese products made with vegetable oil, nutritional yeast or soy protein that mimic traditional cheese. Avoid products with casein or caseinate.

Yogurt: A healthy snack on the go or a creamy additive in different recipes.

What to use instead: Soy yogurt, rice yogurt or coconut milk yogurt.

Ultimately, a good rule of thumb in finding delicious milk-free substitutes is to look for any label that states it is 100% vegan. Enjoy making your favorite meals dairy-free!

What is your favorite dairy-free product (besides our chocolate of course!)?

Making Dairy-Free Chocolate

As we continue to create a variety of delicious vegan, gluten-free and nut-free treats, a lot of people ask us about how our dairy-free chocolate is made. What is surprising to most people is that our process is basically the same as the traditional way chocolate is made. The core difference between dairy-free chocolate and traditional milk chocolate is the choice of ingredients, like using soymilk instead of cow’s milk.

Here is a look at how we make the chocolate for our signature Milkless Bars, chocolate-covered pretzels and more.

It’s all about the ingredients:

Our chocolate is made using about four fundamental ingredients including cocoa liquor (a.k.a liquid chocolate, which is finely ground cocoa beans), cocoa butter, sugar, and soy milk powder. Although we skip the dairy options, our chocolate still looks and tastes very similar to that signature smooth, creamy, rich chocolate so many people love.

Crafting chocolate:

We first put our ingredients in a machineiin called a conch, with rollers made out of stone. The conching process, which develops the flavor and make the chocolate velvety smooth, blends the ingredients for 12 to 15 hours until it grinds the mixture down to extremely small particles that are invisible to the taste buds, except in flavor! Eventually, these particles blend into one smooth, creamy result.

Next, the smooth chocolate goes into the tempering phase. Tempering is the step that makes the chocolate glossy by heating and manipulating the mixture. By repeatedly raising and lowering the temperature of the chocolate, the mixture becomes shiny and ready to be molded. Once it’s poured into the desired mold, we let the chocolate cool and prepare it for one of our various tasty forms.  

What do you find most interesting about how dairy-free chocolate is made?