Tonight is a GREAT night for... what?

Hello Hello and Happy Monday!


Not sure what the weather is like where you are, but here in Vancouver, it is grey, drizzly, cold (well, compared to what it has been lately!), and... I love it!

Reminds me of Edinburgh or London- I had the pleasure of exploring both places in the pouring rain. Sometimes while wearing a backpack as big as me.

Anyway, extreme CouchSurfing days are behind me, as far as I can tell, and I am taking much pleasure in a bit of comfort here and then, in familiar surroundings.

Such as...





hot chocolate. Sugar & Spice Hot Chocolate, to be exact.

Let's face it- the night can always get better, and here is the perfect recipe!

Zimt Sugar & Spice Hot Chocolate


serves 2


2 C      hemp or almond mylk (I made hemp mylk by blending about 2 cups of purified water with 1/4  
            cup hemp seeds- tastes a bit peanut-buttery to be honest. Try it with coconut milk!)
2 T       maple syrup

1 - 2     Sugar & Spice bar(s) - if you use 2, it will be a seriously rich treat. Yum!

....hemp seeds

In your Vitamix...

combine water... 

1-2 bars of Sugar & Spice

Canadian Liquid Gold....

-----

Ta da! 

Somebody is tired- but that's ok!

For one...

And two!

Method A:

Have you got a high speed blender, like a Vitamix? No better time to use it than now! Combine all ingredients on high until they warm up- should take about 2 minutes.

Method B: 

I haven't tried this one, but here's an alternative for those who don't have current access to such culinary luxuries.
Heat up hemp or almond mylk in a small pan, add your maple syrup, and whisk. Break up one Sugar & Spice bar and let it melt in! Whisk it up to emulsify.


Pour into two nice mugs and share with somebody special! (Somebody special can include you- you're special).

Enjoy!!!

Here's a Zimt update:


Expansion, I think... is going to go like this:

Organic Certification (check!)
New packaging.... soon! My designer sent me lots of beautiful proofs.
Approach distributor with finished product
... bring Zimt to the world!!!!

How does that all sound?

Happy Tuesday Eve,


emma

Today is a GREAT day for... what?

Hello!


Can you guess? I will give you a hint: the sun is shining, I would imagine it to be pretty warm out (leaving the office soon!), and... you have taste buds.

Any ideas?

Oh, another hint: apparently, we all scream for it.

Eis! ...

Whoops! Wrong continent!

Ice Cream! Or, should I type, Ice Kream*

*note: The term "kream" is used to denote the ethical, animal-friendly, vegan version of dairy "cream".  

But just because I am particular, I required some chocolate chip cookie dough ice kream. 

Good thing I made these this morning: 

Zimt Chip Cookies! 

They are pretty phenomenal- especially for raw, nut-free cookies! 

Here's the recipe I used:

Zimt Chip Cookies      raw, vegan, nut-free cookies

Makes 12 

buckwheat groats                 66 g            (about 0.375 of a cup, you can also just use regular oats)

coconut flakes                      86 g            (about 0.875 of a cup)

vanilla bean or extract          1/2 tsp

dates                                     40 g            (about 2, pitted, if you use the fatty medjools)

coconut oil                           22 g             (about 2 Tablespoons)

maple syrup                         22 g             (about 2 Tablespoons)

Zimt Chocolat 67% Bar       1

First things first- grind up the buckwheat groats in your food processor, or magical Vitamix. Then grind up the coconut flakes, with the buckwheat groats. They will make a coarse flour.  Add your vanilla and pulse.

Add your pitted dates to that mixture and pulse until they are pretty pulverized. Then add your coconut oil and pulverize again.

Add that mix to a mixing bowl and chop up your Zimt 67% bar. Add that to the mix, and stir.... it should look something like this: 

Now you are ready to form the cookies! Form any size you would like- try making an enormous one- I bet it will taste better than smaller versions. But regular cookie size wise, this recipe will make about 12.

If you would like, you can stop there- good job! You have healthy, diabetic friendly, tasty cookies, made with lovely Zimt chocolate. 

If you want to take things to the next level...

 Zimt Chip Cookie Dough Ice Kream 

Makes 1 Serving

2 frozen bananas

1 splash of hemp milk    (did you notice the spelling?! Same idea as the "kream"!)

pinch vanilla bean powder (optional, but great)

2 Zimt Chip Cookies 

Place in your Vitamix or food processor frozen bananas (broken into chunks about 1 inch long), hemp or other non-dairy milk, and vanilla bean. 

Whip! 

Until they look like this:

View from the top- so kreamy!

Put that mixture into your favourite Frog Mascot green bowl, and break up your Zimt Chip Cookies to sprinkle on that. 

Sprinkle and mix together the two... and you will get this:

a spoon, laptop with pink keyboard protector, Frog Mascot, and Zimt Chip Cookie Dough Ice Kream. 

Enjoy! 

Other Zimt news- (you asked!)

Head on over to Fairy Cakes on 20th and Fraser for some extra special Zimt treats! Every week, there will be something new, such as cinnamon coconut chocolate disks, fig heart disks, and banana creme crunch bites. Yumyum! 

New packaging will be happening within the next 3 weeks, too! Then it is time to approach a distributor to see how badly they want to make sure my product gets to everybody in the country. I am excited! I will really need to up production, but that should be fine- I have resources =) 

Also, please be sure to check out www.zimt.ca - I have been working hard on the site to make it beautiful. You may notice some fancy new logos on the homepage... such as the organic certification approved logos. How satisfying. Okay, I can retire now.

Enjoy your Saturday! 

Peace and blessings,

Emma

Hi, Anxiety!

.... and hello lovely Zimt Enthusiasts!

Thank you for stopping by to take a moment out of your day to read a bit about the life of Zimt.

Here's some fairly big news that has been on the brain for a while- if you read back to the last post, you will see I began to hint at it in what I believe was the third point- kitchen availability.  The kitchen Zimt has been operating out of has been amazing- it is in a church and in addition to be totally food safe and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority certified, it is frequented by some very friendly staff, parishioners, and volunteers while I am in there, chocolate-ing away.  It is a beautiful space- just gorgeous. Stainless steel everything, commercial dishwasher, even a heated oven-type surface to safely dry the chocolate forms off after washing them. I could not have asked for better. Couldn't even imagine better, and I am almost overwhelmed with gratitude and peace every time I walk in there. After spending so much time there (sometimes for almost 24 hours in one go...), it has really started to feel like home. No matter how hectic and stressful the morning is, whenever I would get to the kitchen, I would just breathe a huge sigh of relief. The hours can be long, for sure, but being there is like going to a spa for the soul.

Mom and Oma in the kitchen- aka our hangout =) 

And I am going to miss it a lot. I already do. The church needs more space for community programs, so as of September 1st at the latest, Zimt will no longer be manufacturing in the present location. I am thankful they gave me so much notice, though, because finding commercial space is really tough.  They absolutely helped get Zimt to where it is today, and to be quite honest, it would have been impossible to have done much of anything without this church's help. Ugh, I miss it so much even though I'm going to be there tomorrow! It is just unpleasant to think of there being an end. I know it is totally unrealistic, but I had always wanted to operate out of that kitchen. It was just really nice to have some stability- this past year has been incredibly chaotic. Many wonderful things, but lots of adjustments.

So, now it is time to find a new home for Zimt. Not so easy, but God's got it under control. He's helped me out with way more challenging things in life (which He caused in the first place?! Oh boy.) and I have learned lots, grown lots, and now, I just have to grow a company with me. ... no big.

Anyway, bawl fest. Actually.

I am not complaining- really- who could complain about memories of that place? I am just slightly devastated it is over.

Again, not complaining- I fully agree with this video, by Marie Forleo: When Life Hands You A Sh*t Sandwich.  (Pretty sure I still have a roof over my head, am living in a rather peaceful country, and have some very incredible people in my life. No complaints what.so.ever.)

One fantastic option is to operate out of the Fairy Cakes kitchen- familiar and very close to the space I am renting! So that is great! (Can you tell I am trying to be really, really happy about this and end my pity party?! Are you convinced?). So, Zimt may get to work out of a lovely facility with a lovely cupcake master, Cera- Fairy Cakes owner and founder. Still need to see what my options are, but I am beyond grateful to have such a kind and generous friend.



Hey! Here is some other happy news! (Three cheers for distractions, am I right?!)- Organic Certification! It is happening on July 4th at 9 am! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited and nervous. A couple of days ago, I was thinking, "Emma- what did you accomplish for Zimt so far this year? What new clients did you acquire? How much have you expanded your chocolate company? Are you even doing a half-decent job? Should you get Zimt a new boss?" and then I thought- "Ah, right, the certification. The new packaging. This is a big deal and will allow my little pride and joy to get to the next level- distributors."

I think anyone I spend a decent amount of time with must be so beyond sick of hearing me blab on and on about the certification process and the packaging and I really can't stand to even speak those words much more myself to be perfectly honest,  but hopefully I can put a lid on it after next Wednesday. A week tomorrow. Such a big enormous deal. The new packaging is stunning- thank you to the lovely people who provided their input, and especially to the designer, Dana Lau (let me know if you need your business cards or whatever designed- she can handle it!), and her infinite patience.

Tiger is skeptical at best... 

New Zimt Packaging: Walter Lande Approved!

Look familiar? The times... they are a changing! 

Onto bigger and better things (oh yes it is! What a stunner!)

So, I guess that is about it. How have your past 24ish days been?


=)

I hope they were filled with love and enough chocolate to comfortably swim  in. Not that one would want to do this!

emma


P.S. You thought I almost forgot about the ethical recipe and link to "click-here-and-help-animals-out-for-free-whydoncha?!"... not forgotten!

Click this text and then the purple button!   ... and if you want to go a step further, consider donating 5 bucks a month (or whatever you can afford) to an excellent organization, such as Farm Sanctuary.

And a vegan recipe to round things off...

Mac n Cheeze- what's not to love?! (We're making this, Schatz.)

Shhhhh! I am making chocolate...!

Hi Everyone,


Happy June 1st! Also known as, my mom's birthday...!

Can you believe she turned 53?!?!?! I can't! This isn't the best picture of her- but honestly, she looked like she was maybe 35 today. Maybe. Maybe 30, after a terrible night's sleep. I don't know how she does it- she doesn't eat a super clean diet or anything and she has tons of stress in her life (I mean, look at who she has for kids! Yikes!). 

Anyway, happy birthday, Mom! I hope I age half as gracefully as you. Probably the radiant inner beauty that shines through- living proof. This woman is amazing!

Now that we have established my mother's excellence, let's talk a bit about Zimt.

First: I will try to get more bars to Whole Foods on Cambie on either Sunday or tomorrow or Monday- it depends on when the labels will be finished... betcha didn't think of that! Label making is different from chocolate making- not so obviously. It is tough to think of all the components that go into a finished product when it is precisely that- a finished product. Things don't grow on shelves in supermarkets.

Second: Major thanks go to my family for all of their incredible patience and support and joy- they never complain. Ever. They just are happy to help me out and enjoy us spending time together. That I get to spend that much time with people who are so unthinkably giving and kind is mind boggling. Physically, the work is pretty demanding.  I mean, I do BodyRock, officially, but I also feel like I am getting in another work out during the work day. But really, if that is all I have to complain about- I am one lucky lady. I get to hang out with some wonderful, supportive people on a regular basis- thank you, Oma, Mum, Auntie, and Michelle! How unusual and great!

Third: I am getting a bit antsy about kitchen availability. Zimt is kind of at the bottom of the totem pole, only in the sense that if others need the kitchen, others get the kitchen. I am blessed, though, as I still often feel like I get to live there.  

Anyway... I find that times are getting kind of restricted, however, and this is obviously a concern. I have to sort out a solution, other than me working past the time set out in the schedule, and being really quite while chocolate making, so that I don't get caught. Pretty sneaky!

Other than that... I wish I could tell you more. But everything is top secret until further notice! Until then, I invite you to check out the Zimt Facebook page, which I am working on updating. Part of the online marketing I am trying to get a hang of. 

Have a lovely Saturday! 

=)

emma

CFIA, EPIC, and other acronyms

Hi There!


*blog was on my to-do list. And look at it get done- here's an update on the latest and greatest... in the land of Zimt!

The CFIA Rears its Ugly Head... Again.


They found me! Or, Zimt, rather. Zimt got inspected by the CFIA on Tuesday this week. (Of the same day I made a delivery to Unity Yoga- what a beautiful place! Check them out and try some lotus positions and warrior things.... and Zimt!)  So, I met with a nice inspector, and we sat and chatted for quite some time, in the big gym adjacent to the kitchen.

I also had a friend I met at EP!C that weekend meet with us, who specializes in food safety for small food manufacturing businesses.

So, we sat there and went over all my papers and tracking systems and things. Inspector was impressed! Now, to give you a bit of a freak out...

A lot of huge companies do not track their outgoing product. 


That's right. If you get sick from eating something, Big Box Company may not know a thing about where that food poisoning actually came from. Maybe it was Batch #1k9834j or maybe it was Batch #897m3490w. We just don't know. So keep your fingers crossed when you open that next bag of whatever!

... paranoid yet? You will likely be ok. =)

Anyway, meeting went well. More with packaging. Organic Certification Tale continues... they are reviewing more now- Zimt has been unofficially, but officially somewhat, inducted into the Organic Hall of Fame.  Need CFIA to do label reviews or at least pick up the phone when I call to ask about Nutrition Facts Table formatting.

Yes, so, EP!C happened- it was alright. Nice, because I saw some really wonderful people I know and met a whole bunch more- great contacts! Didn't sell too much, but who was expecting to buy chocolate bars in the wedding section? Oh well. EAT! Vancouver is coming up. May be a good idea... will have to think about it.

XOXOLAT!

Check them out- they are on the corner of West 8th and Burrard in Vancouver... they are considering Zimt! I took a class with them and brought my mum. She's so awesome. Anyway- they have lovely chocolate there. Hopefully Zimt will be a part of their crew, soon!

Oy vey I have a lot of work.... wish me luck! And I wish you a lovely Saturday evening.


=)

emma

P.S.- Don't forget to help out some animals! Click for free (it takes a second of your time. And I cannot think of a better way to spend a second of your time. No excuses.) http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3 (purple button- can't miss it!)

P.P.S.- Try this tasty recipe! It is vegan (of course) and is good for you, the planet, and does not hurt any animals. What a lovely concept =)  http://cupcakesandkale.blogspot.ca/2012/05/cumin-chive-lentil-hummus.html  Lentil Hummus- amazing!!! Move over chickpeas- you take so long to cook. But are still great for chana masala. Yummmm... 

All that's old is new again.

And by that title, I mean that I feel like I am having to re-construct a whole other company.

There's just a lot in the way of R&D that has to get done by me. Although raw chocolate is a fairly new phenomenononon to Vancouver, it is getting really competitive already! Not just raw, though- there is a lot in the way of competition out there- and Zimt must cover all of its bases.

Which means a lot of experimenting with processes for me! I feel very fortunate that I am able to do this- and grateful to myself for saving up all of my pennies all those years- who knew that my wage at Capers for making smoothies would go right back into making a product sold at their store!

Experimenting is expensive- but developments are underway and I will keep you posted, as always.


Peace and blessings,

Emma



P.S.- mentioning some trade shows featuring Zimt would probably be a good idea! Please stop by at EPIC! on the weekend of the 11th until the 13th of May and then at EAT on the first weekend in June!

P.P.S- nearly forgot to send you along with a healthy, non-dessert, compassionate recipe! Here is a very tasty vegan recipe http://sketch-freeveganeating.blogspot.ca/2011/01/chickpea-burgers-with-tahini-dill-sauce.html- how yummy do those look?!?! Thank you, Jennifer and Jacyln of Sketch-Free Vegan Eating!

P.P.P.S- click here to feed a puppy! Or kitty! For free!

Yum! Thanks!

Thank you!!!!

Yay! Kibbles!

Aaaaand cookies!

Back from Taipei and off to...

resuming insanity?


Hello!


Karl and I got returned from Taiwan after a really lovely tour of the country. If you would like to read a bit about my travels, please visit http://gogemmer.wordpress.com/.

Travels are fun, but at this stage, I felt that 12 days in a row of really unfocused Zimt work was a bit much. After touring during the day, I would work on that never ending organic certification application. It won't stop.

But I think I am almost done.

Anyway, back at it! Big changes are in store for Zimt- I feel like I am starting the whole company again. So, I guess I shouldn't be allowed to leave the desk, nor the kitchen. But I have to leave the kitchen because... it has not been available all week! That's because it is Holy Week- the week leading up to Easter, and because the kitchen is in a church, and I suppose things are quite busy before Easter.

So I have carted a whole lot of my equipment over to the Fairy Cakes kitchen. Thanks a million to Cera for being so generous with the space!!!!

Just because I feel like painting a more detailed picture of the situation, I invite you to visualize what this would entail- how much stuff I have to move, little bits and pieces I cannot forget, but have forgotten. All the different flavours and ingredients and bar molds which I forgot. Lots and lots.  But I think I figured it out recently, as in a couple of hours ago, as to how I am ever going to fill the Whole Foods order I have due on Tuesday. .... right.

Speaking of which, totally messed up on a meeting time I had with them! But not my fault for the extra zero after the one in one-thirty pm.  It happens. They are gracious and have offered to grant me another meeting.

Anyway, the timing has actually been supreme because I have....

Karl and me in the Fairy Cakes Kitchen! 

KARL! Holy cow- I cannot even express how happy and thankful I am to have him here! I told him yesterday that he seems to have this common theme of fixing up all the bits of craziness in my life. This, all before piling into my smart car, which is almost always filled to the roof with... stuff. Groceries, chocolate stuff, probably a life-sized replica of the Eiffel Tower.  Time to get an 18-wheeler... last month. Yeesh.

What else. Made Easter chocolate and tried out some new recipes... kind of top secret, but in time, you will find out!

In Point Roberts- picked up some packaging. Border guards don't know that. Kind of a favour- they really have more important things to worry about. Just need to be aware of it!

Easter Bunny!

Easter chocolates are available at Indigo. 

Blogging of which... I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Easter!

Peace and blessings,

emma