I traveled to Indiana for a few days to visit my sister and her husband who just happen to live by two big South Bend attractions: Notre Dame and the South Bend Chocolate Factory.
We thought it would be a good idea to go to the Chocolate Factory and make sure we weren't missing out on anything. :) Here is a pic of the chocolate waiting to coat the candy coming down the line.
Easter eggs were already in the works.....
The caramel turtles were definitely calling my name....
At the end of the tour was a little chocolate museum that is home to the smallest chocolate book in the world. Cacao: Chocoladen was printed for the German company Hartwig and Vogel in 1898 and measures 1.75" x 2.5". Being an altered book artist AND a collector of all things chocolate, this was absolutely a delight for me to see. It was behind glass so the picture will not do it justice but take a peek for yourself:
There was also a great bit of antique chocolate packaging and memorabilia.
Now, are you ready for my favorite part? They were selling cocoa shell mulch! Such a great idea! Rather than let the shells go to waste, they can be enjoyed along a walkway or in the garden. I cannot wait for Spring to arrive so I can put this down around my flower beds.
I would like to say that we limited our chocolate intake that day to the tour, but later that evening when we went for dinner, we ended up right around the corner from the South Bend Chocolate Company Cafe. Located on a different side of town than the factory, the cafe features a restaurant, gift shop, cafe and dessert room.
In addition to the array of cheesecakes, pastries and 6-layer chocolate cake, they also had a candy counter with some of the largest chocolate covered strawberries I have ever seen. We were so full from dinner that we ordered Mexican hot chocolate. It had the perfect ratio of chocolate and chili powder.
One of my favorite Mucha prints was hanging above the candy counter:
