The Christmas countdown

[JohnDB]

60-40-38

 

[Josho]

I need to have the first pieces of chocolate ready by US Thanksgiving day....so they can start to go out to be delivered by that following weekend.
And I will be delivering platters and boxes all throughout every weekend throughout December until Christmas.

So...I like to have everything ready to put together by the second week of November.
(Orange peels and other centers made and frozen) flours and sugars and molasses and spices and other cookie ingredients all gotta be good to go by then too.

Cookies and candies when made from scratch don't have preservatives so they are made and then delivered as fast as possible.
Kahlua/coffee centers can be frozen just fine before enrobing them in chocolate and then they will usually last a week before they start to leak and not be great.
Cookies?
Not so much... depending on the weather (humidity and etc) they can last up to a week on the outside.
(You can see from the photos that I dip them too but I use a chocolate blend for those...one part chocolate bark and one part good chocolate)

I haven't gotten the good oranges yet. Been looking for them too.

Florida is where mine usually come from...they have been pounded by hurricanes this year. They have agricultural police who issue permits to pick the oranges. I'm guessing they haven't issued anything yet.

It's going to be a horse race for everything this year. I'm currently waiting for word from the chocolate seller to see what they are going to do to fix this.

Flights are currently very limited (97% not happening). Cargo ships are running...but slow.

Maybe they are waiting for a big order for Thanksgiving.

The type of chocolate I use is for bakeries and patisseries. They are all but closed right now. No one brings boxes of donuts or cakes to work right now. (Not like they used to)
And that has trickled back to the supply houses.

Maybe I should buy a case of 5? I can go through that in a year. (Barely) But a 25kg case of chocolate is rather heavy. (The delivery man will definitely whine about it)

I don't know how to fix all this. Surely there will be a solution coming up.

If you did express post from Australia, during these current times, it should get there 3 weeks to maybe a month. But cannot guarantee it haha.

 

[JohnDB]

If you did express post from Australia, during these current times, it should get there 3 weeks to maybe a month. But cannot guarantee it haha.

See?
What used to be so simple isn't anymore.

Chocolate in Europe comes from Africa. Hershey's and Mars here in the USA gets theirs from both South America and Africa.
African chocolate has been hit hard by gold mining but is still somehow keeping up with demand even though rubber is usually a better crop.
Lots of shenanigans over chocolate beans and farms going on there. From shipping to local export markets to outright thievery and destruction of a farm by armed chinese gold miners.
So Callebaut (largest chocolate producer) is seeking to do it's part in trying to clean up the chocolate market from scamming thieves. And for the most part they have done what they could.
The government of the african countries aren't doing what they can. (Bribery and graft of all sorts)

Hershey's and Mars are still some of the worst offenders for doing nothing. Nobody is willing to pay a little more to ensure an ongoing supply and fair trade practices.

But as a consumer...I can.

But I'm about positive that everything will eventually get over these hiccups. But in the meantime someone is starving for lack of sales. Donut shops, bakeries, and gourmet candy makers most definitely are.
(I qualify as a gourmet candy maker but I don't have any sales... just purchases)
I have already laid in a good supply of chocolate chips...I need more. And more butter...lots of butter. @20lbs.

 

[Josho]

See?
What used to be so simple isn't anymore.

Chocolate in Europe comes from Africa. Hershey's and Mars here in the USA gets theirs from both South America and Africa.
African chocolate has been hit hard by gold mining but is still somehow keeping up with demand even though rubber is usually a better crop.
Lots of shenanigans over chocolate beans and farms going on there. From shipping to local export markets to outright thievery and destruction of a farm by armed chinese gold miners.
So Callebaut (largest chocolate producer) is seeking to do it's part in trying to clean up the chocolate market from scamming thieves. And for the most part they have done what they could.
The government of the african countries aren't doing what they can. (Bribery and graft of all sorts)

Hershey's and Mars are still some of the worst offenders for doing nothing. Nobody is willing to pay a little more to ensure an ongoing supply and fair trade practices.

But as a consumer...I can.

But I'm about positive that everything will eventually get over these hiccups. But in the meantime someone is starving for lack of sales. Donut shops, bakeries, and gourmet candy makers most definitely are.
(I qualify as a gourmet candy maker but I don't have any sales... just purchases)
I have already laid in a good supply of chocolate chips...I need more. And more butter...lots of butter. @20lbs.

Well are you allowed to fly to Belgium at the moment?

 

[JohnDB]

Well are you allowed to fly to Belgium at the moment?

Ya know?
I got friends over there (not in Belgium but in the neighborhood) trying to finalize an adoption and I want to send them an email asking them to pick me up 10Kg on their way back.
My wife says not to....*grumble grumble*

*Sigh*

I think that I found a supplier in Pennsylvania that can get me what I want if Amazon fails. At least we will get our money back at some point.

 

[April_Rose]

But I like snow...

So do I just not in October. Btw, ever seen this movie? (Your picture made me think of it. XD)

 

[historyb]

Anyone do Elf on a shelf?

 

[shortangel]

i've never had an Elf on the shelf it sounds really cool though

 

[JohnDB]

i've never had an Elf on the shelf it sounds really cool though

It's especially fun when you have children around...
Otherwise it's just a bunch of pics with a doll.

Kinda like when your children lose their teeth and instead of regular money you always use the gold colored dollar coins to replace the teeth with.
That way the kids never see you spending that kind of money. And it leaves that "air of mystery" about the tooth fairy that coincide with the myths.
Elf on the shelf playing tic tac toe with marshmallows and pretzels on a chocolate syrup drawn board on the counter is always a good pic. (Napkins work too)
Stuck halfway into the cookie jar is another.

Kids get all into this...and the imagination and magic never seems to end.

 

[Pearl]

The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross. J. I. Packer

 

[Josho]

Anyone do Elf on a shelf?

I don't, but wow was it popular last year, there was plenty of posts about it on social media.

 

[April_Rose]

I don't, but wow was it popular last year, there was plenty of posts about it on social media.

Minus the fact that it's a Christmas elf,.. it seems more appropriate for Halloween since it's incredibly creepy.

 

[Josho]

Minus the fact that it's a Christmas elf,.. it seems more appropriate for Halloween since it's incredibly creepy.

Not that creepy hahaha

 

[April_Rose]

Not that creepy hahaha

Uh,.. I beg to differ with you.

 

[Josho]

Uh,.. I beg to differ with you.

 

[historyb]

 

[Josho]

So you find them creepy too?

 

[April_Rose]

I must admit that's pretty cute,.. but then again that isn't constantly watching me lol however history's picture is enough to give me nightmares for life.

 

[historyb]

So you find them creepy too?

No I find it silly and I really don't like it. Something new I am as they say a Christmas purist . I just was having fun

 

[JohnDB]

Yay....
The correct chocolate showed up today.

It was touch and go there for a bit.

Now I just need some decent oranges.
I seen some from South Africa in the store that looked good.

But I'm not exactly sure what to think about them.
I seen a bunch from California that looked like garbage.

I want some Florida Oranges and they have been suspiciously absent so far this year.