The Chocolate Fudge Cafe

Happy New Year to loyal fans of the Chocolate Fudge Cafe!

(This is an iStockphoto.  Isn’t she adorable?)

         Let me take this opportunity to say “thanks” to all my readers.  I’ve maintained this blog for about two years now and it is a gratifying experience (well…mostly).  The best part of writing a blog is that one gets to (hopefully) reach others who might be inspired by something you write.  The worst part about it is the “SPAM”.  I just wish Wordpress could filter out the hundreds of ridiculous e-mails I get throughout a week; most of them relating to Viagra, Poker, Jokes or Porn.  (Hey, sounds like a great name for a band…or maybe these guys should all get together, take viagra for their porn while they play poker and tell jokes!)

         I hope to continue the blog with more interesting articles forthcoming on the history of chocolate, fair trade information, books and recipes.  Please write to me if there is anything you would like to see regarding chocolate, organics, or fair trade issues.  I love reporting on these things.

        As far as an update on Earth’s Sweet Pleasures, our organic fudge company, we continue to grow, albeit slowly…but that’s mostly because it’s just me and the my hubby, the Fudgemeister “Hawk”.  We have a new webmaster and host for our website www.earthssweetpleasures.com.  His name is Jason and we are very happy with him.  If you would like to contact him, send me an e-mail.  His company is small, but I’m sure he would like to grow.  Our Rich Rainforest Gourmet Fudge Bar is now in 30 locations nationwide.  Sounds small, but that’s a lot of fudge folks! 

       On that note, I would like to thank some customers who supported us (and fair trade) by ordering lots of fudge for the holidays: It’s Only Natural Gifts (all natural gift baskets), Benziger Winery (a biodynamic winery in Sonoma, CA), Kate’s Caring Gifts (fair trade & organic gift baskets), Artisan Sweets (all natural candy store online), Lifesource Foods in Salem, OR, the Briar Patch Co-op, Natural Valley Foods and Mother Trucker’s in Nevada City, CA (our home town), Whole Foods Market in Roseville, CA and Santa Rosa Community Market.  There are many more, but I can’t list them all here.  Visit our website for a complete list of all of our stores, both physical and online. 

       Our plans for 2010 are to continue to grow and expand the business.  We would like to forge a relationship with a distributor who cares about organics and fair trade and also purchase the necessary equipment to go AUTOMATED!  (Yes…I am ready to stop wrapping hundreds of fudge bars by hand!)  We will continue to cut and wrap by hand until we can find the financing to go automated.  Any leads in that department, by the way, are always appreciated!

       Finally, I would like to say that I absolutely LOVE the authentic comments, so keep them coming.  For those of you out there who just want to mess around with us “poor ole bloggers”, PLEASE STOP…and smell the roses for a change!

        Blessings to all for a prosperous and chocolately-filled New Year!

 Choco Mama 

Below is a copy of the petition to Fair Trade the White House.  You can sign the petition at the official site.  Just click on the picture! 

Dear First Lady Michelle Obama,

As a nonpartisan coalition of Fair Trade organizations, vendors, and consumers, we cordially invite you to help extend the fair trade movement by declaring the White House a “Fair Trade Home.”

For more than sixty years, the Fair Trade movement has strived to create social and economic opportunities for the world’s poorest communities. As you know well, it is the poor who most acutely feel the effects of economic turbulence, climate change, and isolation. Fair Trade combats these issues.

As you may be aware, the movement toward ethical and sustainable consumption has grown to include faith-based centers, college campuses, businesses and individuals. The United States is also home to eleven “Fair Trade Towns/Cities” including Media, PA, Brattleboro, VT, Milwaukee, WI, Amherst, MA, Taos, NM, Northampton, MA, San Francisco, CA, Montclair, NJ, Ballston Spa, NY, Chico, CA, and Bluffton, OH.

Knowing that you and the President share these values, we invite you to extend the Fair Trade movement by making the White House a “Fair Trade Home” and increasing the number of items used by the White House which have been sourced according to Fair Trade principles. By requesting that your staff purchase items like food, body-care, and clothing made or sourced under Fair Trade Principles, your family’s example would show Americans how their purchasing habits can alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and create opportunities for people to help themselves.

As a coalition of organizations, vendors, and consumers supporting Fair Trade, we represent 69 organizations, account for over $3.8 billion in annual sales and work with approximately 55,310 artisans, farmers and producers around the world.

We look forward to your RSVP. 

   Earth’s Sweet Pleasures is an official supporter of Fair Trading the White House!