Week 40 – The story of how my crush developed..

The holidays are coming which means it’s time for another giveaway. But I am getting ahead of myself. This week I toyed with the idea of returning to the online dating world and after quickly browsing through the sites, umm yeah..I postponed it! Instead I did something that I really love and it ends with a happy ending! Ha ha don’t worry it’s totally PG 😉

Week #40 Challenge: Attend a Purdys Chocolate Bark-Making Class!

Have you heard of or tried Purdys Chocolatier?  It’s a Canadian compagnie that specializes in making quality chocolate since 1907. The chocolates are prepared using Canadian milk, cream and sugar and are made fresh with no preservatives. 

Where are Purdys Chocolatier classes held? The classes take place across Ottawa and it just so happens that they had the Bark-Making Class at Place d’Orleans! They also offer Truffle Making classes!

How is chocolate made? Well that’s what we learned during the first part of the class! We explored the entire process from the cocoa pod cultivation, the roasting, the cracking to the conching. If you ever wondered:

1. What colour are cocoa pods when ripe?
2. How long are cocoa beans roasted?
3. What is the difference between cocoa butter and cocoa mass?

Purdys chocolatier classes will answer all these questions and more!

You also get to sample chocolate! I tried the Peruvian chocolate (which has a subtle cherry hint and bitter taste) followed by an Ecuadorian chocolate (smoother and richer flavour)! It was like wine tasting but improved!

Bark-Making time! Instructions were given and we had the flexibility to customize the bark to our liking! I kept mine simple and healthier by using almonds and dried cranberries as my filling. They had a good assortment of nuts, candies and spices even!

I left with a pretty large quantity of bark and before going to my sister’s house for a night of bark snacking, I stopped by the Purdys shop to pick-up a little something to give away as a thank you for all the support I have been given this year! This is where I met my crush: Philbert. He is a hedgehog and he happens to be the Purdys mascot! The word “Filbert” happens to be a synonym of hazelnut hence why he was named this way and hedgehogs are in fact a sign of good luck!

The prize includes:

• 1 x Plush Philbert (Hedgehog)
• 1 x Hazelnut Hedgehog
• 1 x 70% Dark Chocolate – Classic Bar
• 1 x Mint Meltie Bar – Dark Chocolate
• 1 x Peanut Butter Bar
• 1 x Orange Meltie Bar – Milk Chocolate
• 1 x Milk Chocolate and Almonds Bar



How can I win this prize? It’s simple just let me know who you would share the chocolate treats with in the comment section on my blog, on Facebook or on twitter!

I will draw the winner on Sunday December 4th, 2016!

Isabelle xox