Truffles Newsletter

Our store in Lakewood is approximately 4,500 miles from my childhood home in Croatia, but as soon as I arrived in our village, I was instantly back in the land of childhood memories - life on our farm and the joy of locally sourced food.  Today, I'd like to share my thoughts about some of the homemade meals and foods that I enjoyed on my recent trip.  Food Facts, Favorites and Recommendations!  Nothing beats Mom’s cooking. My mother’s chickens give us the best eggs - the yolks are so big and orange. Here we are cooking them on an old wood-burning...

  Mother’s Day became a federal holiday in 1914 under Woodrow Wilson, thanks to the unwavering efforts of Anna Jarvis. Jarvis, who was a single woman without children, believed her own mother to be deserving of a day of honor and wrote to every state governor in1908 petitioning for an official day for moms. In the 1930s, a Mother’s Day tradition was born: breakfast in bed. Thanks to many newspaper articles recommending that children and fathers alike honor their matriarchs with breakfast in bed, the practice stuck. Read on to learn about some unique ideas to serve your matriarch the...

Yana, who came from Ukraine, joined the Sweet Designs team earlier this year. Prior to developing her video and social media skills, she was a middle-school teacher. Truffles: What’s it like to be a videographer at a chocolatier?   Yana: I like my job a lot.  It is what I love to do – creating short videos, making something different, and making people happy with my content.  It motivates me to do better.  I also like working at Sweet Designs because it’s a nice environment with great co-workers.  I am an artistic person, and I never expected to find a job...

  The Thrill of the Hunt  Not every Easter egg in the hunt needs to have a sweet treat.  Get everyone moving and shaking with this interactive Easter egg hunt from Alice & Lois.  You can see the full tutorial and free printouts at https://www.aliceandlois.com/easter-egg-hunt-free-printable/.  Image courtesy of Alice & Lois  Plant a Jellybean Garden...and Watch it Grow  Get the kids in the garden with this magical activity!  Have them plant some ”jellybean seeds” in your yard and water them with a watering can.  Imagine their amazement when they wake up in the morning and see foiled chocolate carrots and...

Marisa Sergi, Chief Growth Officer, L’uva Bella Winery, was recently selected by FORBES for its prestigious annual “30 Under 30 Awards” recognition.  Question: My knowledge of wine is rather limited, but I’d like to learn more as we head into the height of the holiday season. What do you think is the best way to learn about wine?  Chuck N, Lakewood  The best way to learn about wine is to start slow and build your base knowledge of reds, whites and roses through understanding the following:  How to describe a wine - i.e., tastings notes  basics of wine tasting /...