Welcome to my chocolate factory

I made 64 bride and groom chocolate lollipops yesterday. Today,I will wrap them all.
Kara's bridal shower is just 5 days away. I remember when it was months away. Where did all the time go?

I also have to make chocolate boxes with a chocolate diamond ring inside for our 3 flower girls;Lillianna,Lena and Bella. (Lena and Bella are Peter's daughters and Lillianna's soon-to-be cousins.)There is a lot of chocolate making going on in here.

Yesterday,while driving Lillianna to her hip-hop dance class,I told her the story of when I made chocolates for Liane's bridal shower. Lillianna thought it was very funny so I thought I'd write about it. My point to Lillianna was,"You always have to try your best." I think I got my point across.

It must have been June 1997. I remember it was summer time and it was HOT! I was 6 months pregnant and a tad more teary than usual. I had agreed to make chocolate heart bride and groom jewelry boxes with a bride and groom inside for a shower favor. I had been making chocolates for years by then so this was no big deal.....or so I had thought.

I bought this new chocolate mold because it had the imprint of a bride and groom on the cover and I loved it. My friend,Cheryl,had come over to help me make them. After pouring the first mold and letting it freeze to set,we tried to unmold it. The top popped out with ease,but the bottom was stuck. I tapped it lightly. Nothing. I pressed it lightly so that I wouldn't crack the chocolate. Nothing. I pressed and pressed and....crack. The bottom was in a million pieces!

I looked hopelessly at Cheryl and she said,"Let's try it again." We did and the same thing happened.I tried again. This time I pleaded with it,"Come on chocolate. You can do it. Just pop out for me,ok?" I asked G-d for help,"This is for my best friend's shower. We've been through a lot together. Help me make this day wonderful for her." I tapped the mold. I pressed the mold and.....it cracked again.

I called up the chocolate store down the street where I buy my supplies and asked them for a tip. They said to tap it. We had. Press it. Yup. That's all they had to say. I sighed and called up the chocolate store a few towns away where I buy my molds. They said I was doing everything right.THEN WHY WON'T THE CHOCOLATE COME OUT???????

After 3 hours of this,Cheryl wished me luck and went home.I looked at the 25 tops that I had and no bottoms.I needed 50 or 60 completed boxes. I can't remember how many it was but I was not going to give up.

The next day,I tried again. After about an hour,I got a bottom to come out....unbroken!!! I was overjoyed! The next one broke. The one after that broke. I sat down and cried. I cried and cried as I begged the chocolates to cooperate. "Please....I'm a good person. Why won't you just unmold? Why?"

Finally,I tried rubbing it in spots where it might've been stuck and patted it gently and tapped. It came out...in one whole piece. I thanked it for it's cooperation and tried another one. It too,came out in one piece. Not wanting to appear cocky,I gave it a grateful pat and set it aside.

About 6 hours later,I had all my chocolate jewelry boxes done. The following day,I wrapped them in cellophane bags and tied them with a ribbon. I gave the mold a dirty look and said,"I don't love anyone enough to go through this again. This is the last time I am making this." I put it in my box of molds but in 9 years,I've never used it.

That weekend was Liane's shower. I put a chocolate box at each place setting and sat down to enjoy the day. I could hear people talking about the chocolate. "Oh look. It opens. It's like a jewelry box!" "Hey,there's a little bride and groom in here." "I wonder where they ordered these. I'd like them for my daughter's shower."
Kristy,who was sitting next to me said,"This is the person who made them all," as she pointed to me. Everyone asked me questions and told me how beautiful they were.
It took the pain of making them away a bit. I knew they were beautiful and it's a good thing I love Liane as much as I do or I would've given up long ago.

I knew I could find a way to make the mold work so I didn't give up although I think I cried in every chocolate!