How it all began...

The year was 2003, I found myself studying international and indigenous peoples law abroad for the summer. I would spend the first week in Belgium and 4 more in Switzerland with a few days in Amsterdam after flying in and before flying home. Little did I know the fruits of my adventure would have much more to do with decadence, music and yes, chocolate, than it would with legalese...

I had to have it, I had to try just a taste of ALL the gorgeous Belgian and Swiss chocolates. I paid for individual pieces more than you would pay for a snickers bar and gobbled them up, at first...

Summer of 2003, I remember meeting my friend Ariel at the airport in Amsterdam, energized, excited, open minded, and ready to enjoy our summer to the fullest.

Our first stop after Amsterdam was a week-long course in Leuven, Belgium. I could tell you about the things I remember, the youthfulness of us all. The small old world town that was straight out of a book, the Brazilian capricorn quoting dr. dre “doc-tor dre” actually snoop dogg - Beautiful*

Although, I don't remember the exact moment, I do remember the general feeling. I was in the homeland of the most ridiculously refined and delicious chocolate of the world and I was about to head from Belgium to Switzerland. Let's just say I was in the right place at the right time.

I had to have it, I had to try just a taste of ALL the gorgeous Belgian and Swiss chocolates. I paid for individual pieces more than you would pay for a snickers bar and gobbled them up, at first. Then I realized my budget and my belly couldn't sustain that habit.

I found a glorious little shop, bought a fancy box of truffles and resolved to eat just one a day. No more, no less and to enjoy every moment.

During that month in Geneva, I made lifelong friends, laid out in the sun on the lawn of the WTO (our school was that small building directly south of the huge WTO compound, that's gorgeous Lake Geneva to the right).

We attended the working group on indigenous people at the UN and music festivals in the street. We danced, ate amazing foods from around the world - Ethiopian, Indian, and Dominican were some of my favorites. And chocolate, I indulged in a little bit of chocolate EVERY day.

I learned a lot that summer and not just in my law classes. Although, we did have a very interesting lesson on the trade agreements having to do with chocolate. Who grows the cocoa... who buys it, sells it, processes it... puts taxes on it, tariffs?

One day as I lay eating my decadent chocolate truffle, I asked my friend to take my photo posing with the box, (as soon as I find this photo I will share it here in the blog).

And thus The Chocolate Diet was born. Now, 11 years later my sister, the baker, and I (and YOU!) are going to make it real. This blog is the first step with more exciting projects to come.

This blog is about what inspires us to enjoy life, love ourselves, and partake in just a little taste of the divine food that is chocolate every. single. day. 

365 days a year

It’s all about loving yourself, having what you want, and enjoying every bite.

*Here's the video: