frappes

A brisk spring morning greeted our egg hunters on the morning of March 23rd. The snow took a break from falling and the sun decided to shine, shedding an extra bit of warmth to the occasion. Several cheerful children arrived promptly at 11 am, ready to scour the Faerie Garden for hidden treasure! Children under five had a minute to get a start on the action before their quick and lively rivals broke loose and we had a nice, well rounded search. Every one got plenty of eggs and even the special silver and gold eggs were well distributed. Some lucky kids even found butterflies, colorful caterpillars, and frog princes along the way!

At the end of the hunt, some of our explorers cozied up in the chocolate shop for hot victory drinks, at which time we had the opportunity to chat with the father of three of our young hunters. He told us, “This was the best hunt we’ve come to!”, and we happily accepted the compliment.

So glad you all could come. Until next year everyone!

March often proves to be an interesting time of year. Everyone is waiting to see if it comes “in like a lion and out like a lamb” or vice versa; there’s St. Patrick’s Day, a favorite among all with or without Irish ancestry, and this year, even Easter is in the month of March. Soon the crocus and tulips will begin reaching toward a sunshine filled sky and bright forsythia will fill in where the sun does not reach. Spring will commence its orchestra of colors and a flourishing season for man and animal alike.

Naturally, celebration will be in order for such grandeur. If not to marvel at the timeless glory of nature, then at the very least to shake those few remaining snowflakes off our boots and put the ‘spring’ back in our steps! At this, we often feel magnetized to garden-like settings to bask in the gentle grace of the budding branches and the embrace of a stone wall pillared by tall trees. What magic might one find there? Well, if it were the Faerie Garden in Foxburg, one might find plenty of mystery and antics afoot, especially the weekend before Easter, when everybody will be getting ready for spring and playing games in the brisk morning air.

On the morning of Saturday, March 23rd join us for the annual Easter Egg Hunt where the Easter Bunny will have hidden 100 colorful, goodie filled eggs for children ages 10 and under, in the Faerie Garden behind Divani Chocolatier & Barista. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for faeries, gnomes, and the like that may be playing hide and seek or making mischief in the morning mist!

March often proves to be an interesting time of year. Everyone is waiting to see if it comes “in like a lion and out like a lamb” or vice versa; there’s St. Patrick’s Day, a favorite among all with or without Irish ancestry, and this year, even Easter is in the month of March. Soon the crocus and tulips will begin reaching toward a sunshine filled sky and bright forsythia will fill in where the sun does not reach. Spring will commence its orchestra of colors and a flourishing season for man and animal alike.

Naturally, celebration will be in order for such grandeur. If not to marvel at the timeless glory of nature, then at the very least to shake those few remaining snowflakes off our boots and put the ‘spring’ back in our steps! At this, we often feel magnetized to garden-like settings to bask in the gentle grace of the budding branches and the embrace of a stone wall pillared by tall trees. What magic might one find there? Well, if it were the Faerie Garden in Foxburg, one might find plenty of mystery and antics afoot, especially the weekend before Easter, when everybody will be getting ready for spring and playing games in the brisk morning air.

On the morning of Saturday, March 23rd join us for the annual Easter Egg Hunt where the Easter Bunny will have hidden 100 colorful, goodie filled eggs for children ages 10 and under, in the Faerie Garden behind Divani Chocolatier & Barista. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for faeries, gnomes, and the like that may be playing hide and seek or making mischief in the morning mist!

This February, love is in the air and we’ve got some lovely specials to make your mouth water and your heart beat a little louder!
Featured throughout February is the dynamic duo of the ever popular Chocolate Covered Strawberries coupled with our most alluring dark chocolate and rose fruit syrup espresso beverage, Casanova.
Treat of the week specials include, a free milk chocolate Heart Lollipop when you buy Couple’s Treasure Box for week one, a free scoop of Red Velvet Cake ice cream when you buy a Valentine’s Pretzel Trio for week two, a free Triple Chocolate Truffle when you buy a Chest of Hearts the week of Valentine’s Day, week three, and finally two free Potato Chip Bites when you buy a four pack of Peanut Butter Cups for the last week of the month.

We will be freshly dipping a limited number of milk and dark chocolate strawberries for Valentine’s Day. If you’re coming to pickup your order, be sure to book it by Feb 10th specifying the kind of chocolate you would like.

This February, love is in the air and we’ve got some lovely specials to make your mouth water and your heart beat a little louder!
Featured throughout February is the dynamic duo of the ever popular Chocolate Covered Strawberries coupled with our most alluring dark chocolate and rose fruit syrup espresso beverage, Casanova.
Treat of the week specials include, a free milk chocolate Heart Lollipop when you buy Couple’s Treasure Box for week one, a free scoop of Red Velvet Cake ice cream when you buy a Valentine’s Pretzel Trio for week two, a free Triple Chocolate Truffle when you buy a Chest of Hearts the week of Valentine’s Day, week three, and finally two free Potato Chip Bites when you buy a four pack of Peanut Butter Cups for the last week of the month.

We will be freshly dipping a limited number of milk and dark chocolate strawberries for Valentine’s Day. If you’re coming to pickup your order, be sure to book it by Feb 10th specifying the kind of chocolate you would like.

We would like to thank all of you for such a great year and especially for being a part of all the exciting changes we made in 2012. We will be making more improvements throughout this year and adding to our repertoire, so keep in touch!

We would also like to let you know that we have decided to keep Divani Chocolatier and Barista open over the weekends during winter so no one will have to do without his or her chocolate and/or coffee fix for the next two months! Hours will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Monday through Thursday we may open by chance or feel free to give us a call or contact us for an appointment. You can still place orders through our online store.
Also let us remind you that you can find out about what’s going on down here by “liking” our facebook page and following updates and post. Be on the lookout for weekly specials, monthly chocolate and beverage pairings (dubbed Divani Duos), or even contests and giveaways as they emerge on our calendar!

We would like to thank all of you for such a great year and especially for being a part of all the exciting changes we made in 2012. We will be making more improvements throughout this year and adding to our repertoire, so keep in touch!

We would also like to let you know that we have decided to keep Divani Chocolatier and Barista open over the weekends during winter so no one will have to do without his or her chocolate and/or coffee fix for the next two months! Hours will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Monday through Thursday we may open by chance or feel free to give us a call or contact us for an appointment. You can still place orders through our online store.
Also let us remind you that you can find out about what’s going on down here by “liking” our facebook page and following updates and post. Be on the lookout for weekly specials, monthly chocolate and beverage pairings (dubbed Divani Duos), or even contests and giveaways as they emerge on our calendar!

“Baby” SCOBY separating from “mother” SCOBY

Energy without the buzz…and the energy comes not from caffeine, sugar, alcohol or any other stimulant or intoxicant. Instead, it comes from live enzymes and organic acids combined with nutritional properties of tea. No wonder Kombucha is considered a raw food, like fresh garden vegetables or fruit off a tree.

Having said that, the benefits that come from regular Kombucha consumption can not be taken for granted. Just like any good diet or exercise regimen, drinking Kombucha brings positive results when the rest of your lifestyle is conducive to bringing about those same results. Here are some frequently asked questions we received in the past couple weeks after our previous article on Kombucha was published in our blog.

So, tell me about this Kombucha tea? What does it do?

It aids in digestion due to the presence of organic acids while the live enzymes and nutrients present enable your cells to generate energy.

Does Kombucha have caffeine?

Only about half of what was present in the green or black tea that’s used as a base. We further decaffeinate the our teas using a natural water based decaffeination process (included in our Kombucha Home Brewing instructions)

So, is this the new miracle cure-it-all elixir?

No. While Kombucha helps repair cellular damages incurred due to an ailment, aging or general metabolic processes, please do not attempt to cure a serious illness by drinking Kombucha. See your health care practitioner instead.

Will it help with weight-loss?

There are weight-loss claims associated with Kombucha, but only if you’re serious about losing weight and your lifestyle reflects this. In other words, you should watch what you eat and drink and exercise regularly.

But that way I would probably lose weight anyways?

True, but that’s the point! Kombucha will, however, support such lifestyle changes by supplying ready energy and aiding in the digestion of food.

Can I drink Kombucha while I am nursing?

Generally speaking, it’s advisable to not to introduce any drastic changes to your diet when pregnant or nursing. Reliable sources do say that if the mother had been drinking Kombucha for some time prior to getting pregnant, she can continue drinking it through pregnancy and nursing. However, if you’re not used to Kombucha, drinking it could initiate detoxification due to which bodily toxins may sneak into breast milk.

How do you make Kombucha?

We start with organically grown tea steeped in filtered water and sweetened with organic cane sugar as a base, along with the SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) culture. The mix is then fermented for a minimum 2 weeks to ensure most of the sugar is broken down as the culture eats it.

If Kombucha is home-brewed, can I make it at home?

Absolutely. We have Home Kombucha Brewing Kits available that come with all you need to get started making you own Kombucha at home. Instructions with useful tips are included and we’re only a phone call or an email away should you have any questions about your brewing experience.

Is Kombucha hard to make at home?

Not at all! Essentially, you brew the tea, add sugar to it and pour it in a jar with the culture (all included in the kit). The culture does rest of the work!

You can now purchase our Kombucha Home Brewing Kits from our online store. From novice to master, our Kombucha Brewing Kits will make it a breeze to create your very own Kombucha at home!

Limited number of kits are available, get yours before they run out!

Ever wondered if there was happiness at the bottom of your teacup? Many seeking the health benefits of tea consumption surely have at one time or another and among those, many more have discovered a new dimension to that angle. Kombucha. It’s sort of a buzz word among Raw Food enthusiasts these days with popularity gaining among even the average “Joes” (such as ourselves). So what exactly is Kombucha you may ask? Simple. It is an effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea that is used as a functional food, aiding in digestion, much like wine (only without alcohol so you can have it any time of the day).

Kombucha, more affectionately referred to as k-tea, contains multiple species of yeast and bacteria along with the organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids, and poly-phenols produced by these microbes. It can be bought in stores or brewed at home and when done properly, may contain varing amounts of any of the following components: Acetic acid (which is mildly antibacterial), Butyric acid, B-vitamins[10], Ethanol, Gluconic acid, Lactic acid, Malic acid, Oxalic acid, Usnic acid.

Drinkers of k-tea have raved about it’s beneficial properties claiming several healthful effects ranging from improvement of skin elasticity to aiding in cancer recovery. It is believed that the properties of Kombucha ‘detoxifies the body and energizes the mind’.
To attest to it’s health benefits, we did some of our own research with invigorating results; most notable of which is the “energy without the buzz” that you get when you drink it!

When our friends the Crosbies (of Foxburg River and Segway Estate Tours) started drinking our Kombucha, they reported an immediate healing response, which could be perceived as a mildly uncomfortable state, yet is a sign of healing taking place within the body.
Whether you drink it for good health or taste, there’s nothing more rewarding than harvesting your very own home-brewed Kombucha after weeks of waiting patiently (we can’t wait, so we always have multiple simultaneous batches going). For those who have yet to take their first sip of Kombucha, better make a move ‘cuz you may just have discovered the fountain of youth!

Believe it or not, despite the amount of criticism chocolate gets, it can be very good for you. At least in the form of dark chocolate anyway. Think about it, chocolate is made from plants, so it contains many of the same health benefits you find in dark vegetables. There’s an antioxidant in it known as a flavanoid that help protect your body from ageing signs, that lead to problems like heart disease.

So when dark chocolate is used in your favourite special chocolates, you are actually eating something that is beneficial to you, despite what health experts would have you believe. Obviously eating an enormous bar during your cheeky bingo game might cause an issue with weight, because you’re not eating in moderation, but a small bit a day never hurt anyone.

Happiness – Chocolate releases endorphins in your body, that give off the feeling we associate with being in love. So you’re giving yourself a mood boost. Dark chocolate also contains serotonin, which is a natural anti-depressant.

Your heart – A small amount of dark chocolate a day can help maintain your heart and cardiovascular system. This is because for one, studies have shown that dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure. And secondly it’s been known to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) by up to 10 percent.

Fats – Chocolate is blamed for weight problems, but if you balance the amount of nougat and milk chocolate you eat, with dark chocolate, the effect isn’t as bad as you think. Chocolate consists of oleic acid (1/3), stearic acid (1/3) and palmitic acid (1/3). Oleic acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat, stearic acid is saturated, but actually has a neutral effect on your cholesterol. Palmitic acid is the only fat which is an issue.

So don’t cut dark chocolate out of your life, even if you’re on a diet. Within moderation, you’ll find that your chocolate habit is also serving you well.