This mother of 3 wanted a way to stay home with her toddlers while bringing in some extra cash for the family. Beverly Jackson found a company that sold chocolate! She loved that she could work when her husband was home and not worry about who was caring for her children, the bonus was that she now had an excuse to eat more chocolate. What she found, though, was that it provided much more than extra income to pay off the credit card debt they were working on paying off. It led to friends both those who host experiences in their homes to earn free and discounted products but also other curators in the business. She loves that the curators really do want each other to succeed and cheer each other on or pick each other up as the situation calls for. The business also led to enjoying cooking again for Beverly. She likes opening Pinterest and finding recipes she can add the cocoa twist to and sharing those outcomes on her VIP page, Beverly has called these recipes pintwist.
That company is called The Cocoa Exchange and offers 3 lines, Dove signature, Pure Dark and Pod & Bean. Each cocoa bean must be fermented and roasted to bring out the flavors of the cocoa bean, each line has a different flavor profile in the cocoa used. Dove signature features the sweet confectionary concoctions one often thinks of when hearing chocolate. Pure Dark is chocolate the way nature intended, additives are left out of this cocoa and sugar used minimally, just to get the balance desired. Pod & Bean is the culinary line and Beverly's favorite line that The Cocoa Exchange offers. The Cocoa Exchange has 3 chefs who work on obtaining the balance necessary for each product offered and coming up with recipes to utilize the products you may not think of.
The Cocoa Exchange is a company started by Mars, Mars was started by Frank Mars in 1915 after learning how to hand dip chocolate from his mother in their kitchen. He brought chocolate back to home where it all started, with Dove Chocolate Discoveries and that company evolved into The Cocoa Exchange. The Cocoa Exchange also has philanthropic roots like Mars, in that it has partnered with CARE. CARE provides sustainability training and Savings and Loans programs for the cocoa farmers in Africa. The Cocoa Exchange has also been rated in the top 8 direct sell companies to enroll with.
Now that I've told you a bit about Coco Exchange, the lines of chocolate, and Beverly let me say this.
I love chocolate. Who doesn't? Ok, I know there are a few who don't like to enjoy a chocolate bar.
Well, if this is you, maybe you haven't tried this chocolate. The Cocoa Exchange offers 3 different ways to enjoy chocolate.
Pod & Bean - more for the chef of the house or the connoisseur of chocolate who enjoys mixing cocoa with spices to create something different for your family dinner. I had the pleasure of trying a couple of items from this group, Moroccan Sauce and Moroccan Mint Blend. I used them both right away. I love to cook and when I get a chance to try a new seasoning I don't wait long. I used both on a simple chicken breast. The Moroccan Mint blend was used as a rub over the breast and baked like I usually do in the oven for 20-40 min (depending on density of breast and whether the breast is defrosted or frozen) at 350 degrees. I kept it simple on purpose to see what the seasonings brought to the dish. My husband is very particular and he enjoyed the seasoning as much as I did. It's not like chocolate coating your chicken, it's like adding salt or pepper. The raw chocolate cocoa that mixes with other spices which add and enhance the flavor of the item being cooked. This added a great depth to the chicken. The Moroccan Sause was also good. My husband didn't like it as much as it has a chunky texture (onions) and he was expecting a smooth texture. I, on the other hand enjoyed it. I used it as a dip with a plain chicken breast and with the Moroccan Mint blend chicken breast. I liked it on both. The sauce was not overwhelming with the Moroccan Mint blend rub. It added a bit different twist on the dish.
Pure Dark - This line is chocolate made in the true way that chocolate should be. Simple and direct tastes. - Aztec Slab was the selection I tried, it was classic chocolate mixed with chipotle and cinnamon. I made a hot chocolate out of it. The chocolate melted evenly and gave a wonderful smooth chocolaty slightly spicy flavor.
Dove Signature- this is something for those looking for treats and gifts of fine chocolate. - The Cinnamon Dusted Almonds were wonderful! Dove is a wonderful brand to begin with but the cinnamon dusting over the chocolate gave a little extra boost of flavor for the almonds. Not your typical chocolate covered almond.
Honestly my daughter didn't like anything. She doesn't like cinnamon. When buying for her I'd be better off to keep it simple. Cocoa Exchange has a wide variety of ways to enjoy chocolate so there is something for everyone.
If you don't already have your own cocoa curator with The Cocoa Exchange, please consider reaching out to Beverly for your hook up. If you'd like to learn more about enrolling to be your own cocoa curator, please contact her to talk about the business options. You can reach her at: mytcesite.com/BeverlyJackson or you can email questions to beverlyjackson2016@gmail.com
