My dinner club had our annual Christmas party this weekend. Instead of adding more cooking and entertaining holiday stress to everyone involved, we had a small cookie exchange. When I asked my significant other what kind of cookies he’d be making (I do not bake!), he said, “You’re not going to like it. I think I’m going to make the kind with a Hershey Kiss on the top.” Rather than get upset and tell him all the reasons why he shouldn’t make those, I suggested using a square of Endangered Species Chocolate on top instead.

It worked perfectly! The little tree on top of each square made the cookies look festive. And we (he) used different bars so there were a variety of flavors. Upon the peanut butter cookie, you could find plain milk chocolate, milk chocolate with almonds, dark chocolate, dark chocolate with hazelnut toffee (yum!). Replacing the kiss with a square of Endangered Species Chocolate was a tasty alternative to a holiday classic, if I do say so myself.

We also went carolling throughout the neighborhood, a dinner club tradition. Though many of us whined and complained as we put on our coats to head out into the cold, it ended up being a really fun activity that helped put me in the Christmas spirit.

Want to take advantage of great deals, but don’t feel like leaving this house the day after Thanksgiving? Need to stock up on chocolate for your holiday baking? Want to send your favorite aunt who lives 1,000 miles away a chocolate gift set? Need a hostess gift for a holiday party? How about a fun stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift?

Wow, I could make up catchy questions about how to use Endangered Species Chocolate for the holidays all day! Regardless of how you’ll use it, this coming weekend is the time to stock up on your favorite milk and dark chocolate bars. We’re having a Black Friday weekend sale! November 28 - 31, shop at chocolatebar.com and find these deals:

• 50% off 3oz. All-natural milk and dark chocolate bars
• 20% off all other chocolate items
• 20% off select chocolate gift collections
• Free shipping on orders over $100

Here’s to a wonderful Thanksgiving and a stress-free weekend of shopping.

I’ve been putting off blogging because I’ve been so busy…and then I thought of this headline and could wait no longer! Our human resources chic launched the most fantastic program a few weeks ago. In order to encourage our crew to reduce ther carbon footprint, each driver of a carpool gets a gas gift card for every time they carpool! I finally earned my first one this week (fear not, I’ve been the passenger several times, but this was my first time driving)!

It’s cool to look at the list of carpoolers. People you’d never expect to give up their vehicle, people getting together that don’t normally hang out. I’m so proud of the green efforts going on around here. More green updates to follow…

[going green gives me gas….heh, heh, heh]

Endangered Species Chocolate currently has three representatives in Peru visiting the farmers that grow the organic cocoa that is used in our organic milk and dark chocolate bars. A first impression from Nick, our graphic designer and one of the employees that was also in Ivory Coast, is that ” This place is different from Africa for sure. It is absolutely beautiful here…can’t describe it.”

Having met with the Naranjillo Cooperative administration, our crew reports that they are completely transparent, answering all of our questions. Yesterday they held a press conference to show how organic chocolate is marketed in the United States. From there they ventured out to the farms to meet the cocoa farmers and their families.

Doreen, our director of education, gained valuable information about how we can help the communities where our organic cocoa is grown. First, they hope to learn about sustainble infrastructure. The co-op currently creates a sustainable process for farmers to plant, grow and harvest cocoa trees. Their goal is to empower cocoa farmers to produce their own seedling trees and see the crop through from start to finished product.

Second, they seek education on nutrition and hygiene for their families. It’s refreshing to see such focus on the children within the communities. The co-op already provides school supplies to enable children to be educated, and now we can be part of their health and prosperity.

All in all, it sounds like it’s been a productive and insightful visit. We can’t wait for their safe return, when we can see amazing photos and hear all about their gracious hosts in Peru. For now, I think I may need to savor an organic dark chocolate bar to truly appreciate the hard work being done at Naranjillo Cooperative.

Who knew a cocoa tree could grow right here in Central Indiana? Sure enough, in the Garfield Park Conservatory on the near south side of Indianapolis, there is a healthy cocoa tree nestled among many other beautiful, blooming plants.

One of my favorite facts about cocoa is that it only grows between about 10-15 degrees north and south of the equator. That is, unless it’s in a glass enclosure creating the perfect tropical environment for the fruit tree. This South American beauty was thriving with 30 or more cocoa pods right here in the Indiana soil.

The staff at Garfield Park Conservatory was kind enough to offer us a few pods once they’re more mature. What a great opportunity for everyone here to taste the essence of chocolate! Such a treat.

While at the Conservatory I also saw gorgeous orchids, some that are very rare and endangered, and lily pads the size of a tire. This place is amazing and absolutely worth a visit.

I’m a little fired up today. This morning one of our customer service reps took a call from a very testy individual. The first words out of her mouth were “You are the unlucky person to answer my call today.” LUCKILY it gives us the perfect opportunity to share some information with you. Here’s an entry from her blog, followed by my comments.

Endangered Species chocolate.. well, simple enough, you would think. i had the pleasure of being treated to some bites last week of this brand of candy. i made the mistake of reading the label, which is a habit of mine, albeit a self-inflicted wound. beet sugar was the second ingredient!! sugar beets are now round-up ready,in case you have to be informed of that. this is the first year they have been introduced commercially and the growers are ecstatic! now they can spray their sugar-beet fields with herbicides! heaven help us. shame on the makers of that chocolate to mislead us into thinking they are user-friendly and compassionate about conservation of wild species, yet in their hearts they are going strictly for the dollar, as usual. big bummer . a.

We (Endangered Species Chocolate) received an abrasive call this morning from Radicalmom, which led me to seek out this post. It seems as though a June post, followed by an August fact-seeking call is a bit backwards and only lends itself to misinformation. Our very honest, open, transparent AND ethical chocolate company has some clearing up to do on this forum.

You mentioned that you made the mistake of reading our label, but your biggest mistake was not doing your research. We have layered documentation that makes its way all the way back to the direct beet supplier that says our beet sugar is non-GMO. We have been in communication with representatives of the non-GMO Project (I challenge you to find other chocolate companies that have gone so far). We actually bought forward enough non-GMO water-filtered beet sugar to last us through the end of this year and into 2009 so we would have enough time to come up with a new plan for our all-natural chocolate.

Shame on you for spreading rumors about a company that is doing everything we can to live and breathe a mission of kindness to the planet and its inhabitants. I hardly think a company that commits to giving 10% of profits to help support species, habitat and humanity (not to mention the thousands of dollars worth of chocolate we donate to nonprofits each year) is guilty of “going strictly for the dollar.”

Our mantra at Endangered Species Chocolate is Reverence for Life. We hope you’ll extend the same courtesy to us if you choose to contact us again.

Though its been a couple months, I still share stories of Africa regularly. Recently I was telling a local Indianapolis chocolate-maker about eating pure, raw cacao straight from the pod. So here I am reminiscing on the blog.

I was a little weird about it at first. I mean, they just chopped the pod off the trunk of the tree and used the same machete to crack it open. I don’t know that it’s any different from the bananas, grapefruit or mango that we snacked on that day. It’s just that, what you see inside a cacao pod is not all what you’d expect to be the main ingredient in chocolate! It’s white, lumpy, pulpy…and delicious! The flavor is so sweet and milky. Nick and I agreed that we must find a way to bottle that pulp!

I mistakenly chewed and swallowed the entire bean at first, which was still yummy, yet a little bitter. I soon learned that it’s best when you savor the pulpy goodness from around the bean then spit the seed just like you would with a watermelon seed. Can you imagine all of those wonderful antioxidants from raw cacao straight from the tree?!

I was in heaven. More than 180 beautiful kitties lounging in the sun, cleaning their fur, taking a nap, lapping up water, eating a snack…even taking a swim (not so kitty-like if you ask my two little guys at home). All about an hour away from my home and work in Indianapolis. The marketing department visited the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, one of the largest rescue centers in the US for abused, neglected and unwanted big cats. Among my favorite felines were the gorgeous white tiger, the sleepy king-of-the-jungle lion and crouching leopard, swimming tiger (pictured above).

The hardworking, passionate staff gave us an amazing tour, complete with stops in the clinic, the overnight lodge and the gourmet food prep kitchen. Joe, the Director of the center, entered one of the cages containing 3 leopards, one of which is his little baby and just rubbed all around, getting lots of lovin’. We even got to pet a tiger (through the cage, of course) and play with a bobcat (it played just like a cat!). If you decide to visit the EFRC, please don’t expect to pet a cat. We were very lucky…and spoiled (perhaps due to the fact that we’re from Endangered Species Chocolate??).

While there, I had a fun idea for Christmas gifts. Since then it’s become a reality and this year Endangered Species Chocolate will be offering donation-based holiday gift sets! Naturally, we will have chocolate gift sets with donations to our 2008 10% Give Back partners, Chimp Haven and Ocean conservancy (featuring our primate and marine milk and dark chocolate bars). And since we had such a great time at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, we’ll also have a cat-themed gift box with a donation going to EFRC! Check back to our online store closer to the holidays to send a gift that gives back.

As Americans we live in the land of the free. For years, inhabitants of other countries have coveted the freedom that our anthem boasts. Yet we are ruled by laws and consequences. We know that if we steal something, we will likely get caught and punished; if we back into someone else’s car, we will be held responsible. Often times we may question the fairness of some laws, but the average person tends to live by the rules and understands the consequences.

Now, take West Africa, specifically Nigeria. To an outsider (specifically an American), there are few laws. Driving is a free-for-all, you can wave a gun in someone’s face at-will, stuff your pockets with someone else’s belongings when they’re not looking, cut in line (that is, if there was a line to begin with)…all with little consequence other than a yelling match with another person.

These circumstances forced me to really think about freedom. Freedom is “the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.” According to this definition, Americans have limited freedom while Nigerians have many freedoms. However, the “freedom” in Nigeria doesn’t seem to work - it results in gridlocked highways, angry patients, mobs of confused people…chaos.

Please don’t read this and think I’m completely criticizing Nigeria. It’s just different. Upon travelling to Nigeria, I quickly learned that I need to check my Western values at the border. I will say that the visit definitely helped me appreciate my heritage. In a way it even helped me appreciate speeding tickets! So, leading into this U.S. holiday weekend, take a moment to reflect on your understanding of freedom. I know I’ll be celebrating my independence with a new appreciation.

Wow, have I ever neglected the blog! So much has happened in the past few weeks that I’d like to share. Let’s see if I can catch you up. I’ve still been processing my experiences from Africa and intend to blog more, in addition to sharing an interview I had with our Peruvian cacao co-op manager. First, I’d like to tell a little about another trip - to Boulder for the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Forum.

A week after we returned from Nigeria, I flew out to Boulder along with our CEO and East Coast Sales Manager - we met our Colorado resident West Coast Sales Manager there. Boulder was the ideal destination to bring together like-minded individuals and companies to discuss health and sustainability. The first evening featured a “Life’s Better With Chocolate” reception sponsored by yours truly, Endangered Species Chocolate. It was complete with chocolate milkshakes, dark chocolate dipped bananas, chocolate dipped cookies, dark chocolate dessert cups filled with Baileys mousse…all made with our all-natural milk and dark chocolate. Delicious! My favorite part of the evening was reuniting with an acquaintance, now friend, from National Geographic.

The rest of the Forum was a whirlwind of keynote speakers, breakout sessions and exhibit booth time. Each morning started with gentle exercise, including yoga and restorative exercises. During the day, I spent much of my time at the exhibit booth, where I met amazing people and shared stories from visiting our cacao farmers in Africa. When I did break away, I enjoyed inspiring presentations by Chip Conley (CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality) and Horst Rechelbacher (Founder, Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients). My colleagues (and many other attendees) raved about the “Discussion With Wal-Mart and Whole Foods.” Naturally, one of the favorite discussions was “Fair Trade/Sustainable Sourcing,” featuring representatives from Co-op America, Hess Natur, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Endangered Species Chocolate.

I returned home with a renewed energy and passion for our mission. The time is right and the resources are there to create a more healthful and sustainable world for everyone.