| This has got to be one of the funniest episodes of I Love Lucy! Of course, it has to do with chocolate! |
| Click here to watch a couple minutes of this hilarious episode! |
| Happy Tuesday and make sure you have a bit of chocolate today! |
| **Chocolate Pillow Giveaway** |
Isn't this adorable?
Isn't it how most people really feel about chocolate?
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It's 8' high by 12 inches long. 3 large wooden buttons adorn the left side.
It is made in North Carolina, U.S.A.
It's from my friend Gary from Dancing Bears Gifts.
Here's a link to his facebook page! |
I'm giving one away! Want to win it?
Here's what you need to do. |
1. Leave a comment on this blog. No need to get fancy, just say hi! You MUST leave your email address so if you win I can contact you.
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2. Become a fan of our Facebook page if you aren't already a fan! (Click on the word Facebook to go directly to our Facebook page!)
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Winner will be picked by random drawing (random.org) on Monday, May 24th. You will be notified via email if you have won.
You can only enter once. (Seriously, it's just a pillow ... not a laptop)
You must live in the United States. (Canada is not the US. I'm just sayin')
You must have a valid street mailing address. No Post Office boxes.
Your name and email address are not sold or given to anyone! Ever.
You must love chocolate. (Well, ok, that's not really a rule!)
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| Good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to email me! |
**** And the winner is .... Sandie Markland *******
I did the drawing on the 24th and added the winner BUT FORGOT to make the response LIVE.
Sorry to those who didn't win but do continue to browse the site as we'll have other things to give away! |
| A Day That Changed My Life |
On this day 6 years ago, March 17, 2004, my life changed. My world changed. Forever.
It was on that day, a Wednesday, that an article appeared on the front page of the Washington Post's Food Section. Take A Dip In The Latest Craze. It was the day that rocked my world. It was all about Chocolate Fountains!
I had spoken to the writer, Janelle Erlichman, in January about the fountains. She had seen our display at the Washington Bridal Showcase at the Patriot Center that month. The lines were long to get a sample of the chocolate; the shrieks of glee were ubiquitous. Not only was Ms. Erlichman a writer but a bride-to-be. |
During the months of January, February and early March, I didn't give much thought to the interview as I was busy putting together my business plan and marketing strategy.
After all, with a degree in Marketing and an emphasis in Advertising, I reflected on all that I had learned in college oh so many years before.
I received an email from Ms. Erlichman a couple of days before the article appeared notifying me of its publication date.
And then it happened.
The phone started ringing at 7:30 AM and, truthfully, hasn't stopped since then. A miracle! That's truly what it was. A miracle. No college education, no business plan, no marketing strategy could have prepared me for that day. |
6 years have passed and Capitol Chocolate Fountains is so different from what it was then.
We're located in the Hornbaker Business Park, a 2100 square foot office/warehouse location. Our facility has a commercial washing system (CMA-180), holds our inventory of over 40 fountains and our stock of Imported Belgian Chocolate.
The comments that were featured in the article are still heard today! I shall never forget that day and all of its good fortune associated with it.
I thank you, Ms. Erlichman, for the impact you have had on my success. It was about being at the right place at the right time.
For others, I encourage to pursue your dreams, whatever they may be. Whether it's finishing an education, beginning a new career, starting your own business, moving to another city, state or country. Follow your passion and dedicate yourself to it.
Dreams really do come true!
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| As I'm sure you've noticed, Regie and I don't appear often in this blog. We'd rather be behind the scenes and let the chocolate speak for itself. |
| Well, today I'm going to share a picture of me that was in the NoVa News and Messenger newspaper from the Connections event at the Freedom Center. |
| A record-setting 1800 people attended the event which is always a hit! As usual, the chocolate fountain had a line from the beginning to the end. In truth, it was about 20 minuted after the end before I was able to turn off the fountain and begin taking down my display! |
| The great people at the Prince William County - Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce put this event on every year. If you've never attended, keep an eye out for it in October. It's a great way to see what businesses are a part of the Chamber of Commerce and also try some of our wonderful imported Belgian chocolate! |
| We get lots of email and phone calls. LOTS. |
| While every client is different, many times clients (or potential clients) will ask the same questions. With that in mind, we're going to address a few of them. |
1. What do you do with the chocolate that is left over after an event?
We dispose of it. We NEVER reuse it. |
2. With the H1N1 virus being on people's minds, what (if anything) are you doing to address it?
ALL of our fountains are COMMERCIALLY CLEANED and SANITIZED in our CMA-180 washing system. This ensures proper cleaning and sanitizing of our equipment. A home-model dishwasher does not reach the temperature necessary (180 degrees) to clean and sanitize the fountains. |
4. Do you set up in front of our guests?
NO! We'll work with your event location, planner or caterer to plan our arrival and set up time. We NEVER want to be an intrusion during your event. Depending on the location of the fountain we may set up before your guests arrive. In other cases, we may set up in a foyer or other area outside of your guests' view closer to the start time of the fountain. |
| That's it for this edition of Miscellaneous. I hope you learned something new! |
| You can always ask a question or comment on the blog or email us. You can also call us at (703) 369-7378 or toll free at 1 877 CHOC FTN (246-2386) |
Did you know we sell our imported Belgian chocolate for your own home-model fountain?
Visit our website!
Once smaller home-model fountains came on the market we started getting requests to purchase our chocolate. |
We offer fountain-ready Imported Belgian Chocolate in Milk, Semi Sweet and White.
Fountain-ready means you don't have to add anything to the chocolate. No vegetable oil, no powders or other thinning agents for the chocolate to flow smoothly in your fountain.
How great is that? |
We've heard horror stories about people borrowing a fountain from a friend or getting one for a gift only to be terrified of trying to use it. They spend way too much time trying to figure out what kind of chocolate to use and how to "prepare it" for the fountain.
Here's what we say. Our chocolate is easy to use. And best of all, it's delicious! |
After all,, it's not about the fountain.
It's all about the chocolate! |
| This favorite dipping item gives a lot of people trouble. |
| They don't know what it is! |
| One person asked if it was a chicken nugget. |
| Another asked if it was a doughnut. While that's close it's not a doughnut. |
| It has a whipped dairy cream center! They are then frozen and found in your local grocery store frozen food aisle. |
| They may be thawed on a plate in the refrigerator or left out at room temperature. We think they're best when still a little firm in the center! |
| They are always a favorite dipped in our delicious imported Belgian Chocolate! |
| We'd love to have you join our Facebook page! Between the blog and our Facebook page you'll be able to keep up with what we're doing. |
| We plan to do more giveaways and don't want you to miss out! |
| The old addage goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." |
| I had the misfortune of finding this on my windshield today. |
| Here are some photos of how the van was parked. |
| I don't see any problem with the way I parked but obviously someone did. |
| Personally, I feel sorry for the person who left this. Obviously they were having a rotten day and decided to take it out on some random person - me! |
| Instead of being mad, I'm going to do something positive and give away a 2.5 lb. tub of Belgian Semi Sweet chocolate! Don't worry if you don't have a chocolate fountain, you can use it to dip your own favorite goodies and enjoy. |
| Leave a comment in the section below and include your email address. I will pick a random winner on Sunday, July 19th (via random.org) and notify you if you're the winner! |
You must live in the US and have a valid address (no PO boxes.)
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| Here's my (not-so) subtle message: When someone does something rude or hurtful, turn it around and make something positive from it! I just did! |
****And the winner is: Tracie Rosales***
Thank you all for leaving your comments.
Check back soon as I think this chocolate giveaway seemed to be pretty popular! |
| The Sweet Science of Chocolate |
A San Francisco company, TCHO, talks in depth about chocolate! Next time you're in SF, be sure to check them out.. They're located at Pier 17.
Here's their website for additional information.
I'm looking forward to a stop there on my next trip to SF!
The video is about 10 minutes long and well worth watching. Chocolate doesn't just "happen."
Oh, and the next chocolate fountain you order from us .... maybe try the dark chocolate if you haven't already! |
| Chocolate: It's been revered for millennia by cultures throughout the world. But while it's easy to appreciate all of its delicious forms, creating this confection is a complex culinary feat. Local chocolate makers explain the elaborate engineering and chemistry behind this tasty treat. And learn why it's actually good for your health! |
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