Did someone say chocolate?

                      Chocolate tasting party? Who wouldn’t give a quick and positive R.S.V.P. to that?

                      Blocks and rounds and rubs and sauces are in the pages of The Cocoa Exchange order catalog. A table spread out with nibbles of dips and spreads and for bread and chicken all paired well with chicken salad croissants and wine the hostess served at a party I attended.

                      Debbie Henagan of Suphur, La., represented the products that spoke for themselves. She gave a few sentences on how she became involved, the perks of being in control and then the guests were on their own to browse the pages of her book. Women kept dashing back to the serving table to check what was that little bite of heaven called. Did I mention the evening began with a chocolate martini, topped with chocolate shavings?

                      I’ve attended parties for candles, baskets, stamps and jewelry. This was the most low-pressure and pleasant experience of all. I mingled with women happy to discuss the pleasures of cocoa beyond the popular bags at the grocery store checkout line.

                      I’m anticipating delivery of a jar of white chocolate raspberry honey mustard for dips with pretzels, braised vegetables, glazing chicken or pork or used as a marinade.

                      I expect my bottle of fig balsamic vinaigrette with white chocolate will be with me a long time, as a little bit goes a long, luxurious way.    Why have  a party? Micha Katherine Leigh, a Port Arthur hostess, shares her motivation:   "When I first met Debbie at the LiveWell conference, I was intrigued about her in-home chocolate experience. I signed on immediately! It was great fun and the products are delicious!"

                      Get in touch with Henegan at debbiehenagan@me.com or www.mytcesite.com/Debbie Henagan to organize one of these fetes.

              The Little Kernel

                      Little Kernel looks is an adventurer who popped to toe top of his class because of his insatiable desire for exploration.

                      Like snack foods to have a back story? Little Kernel is also into altruism, and makers of this character's popcorn support Generation Rescue, for families affected by Autism spectrum disorders.

                      Snacking is the kernel's first order, so let me tell you, these tiny, flavorful pops are made with olive oil and you just kind of feel good after eating them. They are very tiny and perhaps a bit more crunchy than your typical popcorn. And light.

                      It's a kinder, gentler snack in the sense that I consider popcorn as a good-for-you food that could be taken to the extreme. The Little Kernel keeps everything in healthy balance. Follow his orders.

                      darraghcastillo@icloud.com