As it is Spring (finally!), we always try to cook light this time of the year. It’s not that we’re trying to get ready for bathing suit season – not a whole lot of time to do that while running a seasonal fudge shop in the Black Hills – but there’s something in the air that gives us the urge to be nicer to our bodies, and fill it with healthy food. Don’t you wish Spring would last forever??

One of our favorite salads is a strawberry-avocado salad. Mix that on top of spinach, topped with Poppeyseed dressing, and trust me – you’ll want to eat this salad every day of the week!

Enjoy.

P.S. This weekend, we are beginning to get our store ready. So excited to see all our wonderful friends/customers this upcoming season near Mt. Rushmore! If you’re in the area this summer, stop by our store on the Boardwalk in Keystone.

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

As most of you know, we have a seasonal store in Keystone, SD, just 3 short miles from Mt. Rushmore. This month (March) is so exciting because we start to gear up for a BEAUTIFUL summer in the Black Hills. Here are a list of some of our favorite things to do in the majestic Black Hills:

1. Go to Mt. Rushmore (obviously)
2. Hiking Harney Peak – side note: There are so many other hikes, but this is by far our favorite!
3. Ice cream on the boardwalk in Keystone
4. The Hill City train
5. Giving thousands of samples to thousands of families, meeting thousands of wonderful people all summer!

Summer: We simply can’t wait!

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

Fondue is one of my favorite desserts, not only because it tastes wonderful, but because it is so versatile. Dip ANYTHING in chocolate, and you have yourself a winner! When I was younger, I would make this dessert with my husband for date night. The only problem was, sometimes the chocolate would be grainy instead of smooth – I couldn’t figure out why!

I figured out the secret years ago, by realizing if you let chocolate get too hot too fast, it seizes, and that when you get that unwanted grainy texture. To prevent chocolate from doing this, it is best to chop up chocolate, and melt it in a double boiler. Don’t have a double boiler? No problem. Just boil water in a pot, and stick a metal bowl over the top with your chocolate in it. Important note: Don’t let the water in the pot touch the metal bowl.

And there you have it: Your recipe for a GREAT fondue experience!

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

I worked a bizarre a few weeks ago – so fun and rewarding! Got to meet lots of great people, and gave 10% of our proceeds to a local elementary school. Win-win situation, right? I did notice one thing while I was there: People LOVED our mint fudge!

I suppose it’s the season of candy canes and peppermint, so it makes sense. Remember we have milk and dark chocolate mint, so make sure to order yours today!

~ Giving chocolate to others is an intimate form of communication, a sharing of deep, dark secrets - Milton Zelman, publisher of “Chocolate News” ~

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

Did you put off holiday shopping? Do you have a loved one that’s really into gourmet fudge? OR do you just really enjoy it yourself, and want to make a lovely presentation for the holidays?

We have put together TWO holiday gift boxes for any of these reasons! Usually something like this would go for $28 → $24 for 1 pound of fudge and $4 for the gift box, but we are retailing them for $19.99 – making it easier to for you to splurge on yourself or a loved one.

We know fudge is a favorite for the holidays, and are honored to be a part of your special moments. Order now so you can enjoy our gourmet fudge as soon as possible!

To see our Holiday Gift Boxes, click here.

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

I took a class a few years ago, and the subject material included how we as families can remain connected and successful. We discussed how rites of passage bring us together (graduations, weddings, etc.), but also how successful families – those that stay together – usually have more traditions than non-successful families.

Who can honestly say, when they look back at traditions they practiced in childhood, that those memories aren’t attached to warm feelings? As a young girl, I loved opening JUST ONE gift on Christmas Eve. It was such a great teaser for what was to come, but also helped us kids sleep until morning. Then, before we would open gifts, one child would be chosen to hand out the presents. Being chosen made us feel so special, kind of like being Santa ourselves!

The great thing about traditions is being able to pass them on to our own children, which we have done. Whenever we chose one of our children, or opened a gift on Christmas Eve, somehow that experience was elevated, because I knew we were passing on a tradition I enjoyed as a child.

Our job for YOU? Please tell us of your favorite traditions. We plan to blog about these special moments on Thanksgiving. Happy writing!

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

There’s something so comforting about pie. Whether it be cherry, apple, blueberry – pie takes you back to some of your earliest memories. For me, eating pie takes me back to my grandma’s house. I would play with toys and run outside while she picked rhubarb from her garden, made the dough, kneaded it, and artfully created the masterpiece that is her rhubarb pie.

My favorite part, of course, was when she took the pie out of the oven. Pie has this way of enveloping the space its in. Its sweet smell fills your house, making it impossible to ignore. She would put a piece of pie especially for me in a bowl, put whipped cream on top, and watch while I took my first bite. My grandma is one of those women that wants nothing more than to serve people food everyday she lives! I really believe nothing makes her happier. This relationship went two ways, because while she felt fulfilled feeding someone in her home, she made me feel special every time she baked me rhubarb pie.

Well, if you have ever made your own pie crust, you know it is an ART! This process can be so frustrating, but if done right, is worth every painstaking minute. Well, I searched the web just for you (because that’s how much I love you all), and found a great tip for pie crust:

To keep your crust from sticking to the pan, after you After crimping the edge of the pie crust, lift the edge of the crust gently all around with your fingers. This keeps the dough from sticking to the dish while baking and makes it easier to take out the pieces of pie.

We hope our tip helps you this holiday season!

**Don’t forget, for the next week, we have $4.95 shipping on our fudge. Take advantage of it while you can!

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

Today, I’m thankful for silence.

“Do we know how to shut the door, stop the noise, and tune in to our own inner lives?” – Katrina Kenison

I’ll explain: My newest purchase on my Kindle (LOVE. IT.) is Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry, by Katrina Kenison. The author is a mom (obvsiously) that has discovered the secret to enjoying life is by silencing the noise around us. She decided her young kids didn’t have to be in so many activities – that just a few would suffice. She didn’t need to always have music or the DVD player on in the car. That sitting in silence sparked conversations she would never have had with her kids. She also found that a little silence meant she simply didn’t feel as rushed or hurried. She felt peaceful. And peace leads to happiness.

Happiness is a journey. I used to think, One day I’ll be married. Then I’ll be happy. Then, it became One day we’ll be done with school. Then we’ll make lots of money (funny, right?), and be happy. Then, I realized that happiness can come regardless of our circumstances, if we just seek it. Plenty of people are married and unhappy. Plenty of people make lots of money, and are still unhappy. So, I started to figure out ways I could change my attitude. Then, a friend mentioned I should read this book – she said it changed her life.

I encourage you all to tune into your inner selves, to find time to be thankful for our daily activities, which, in turn, will make you so happy for what you have.

I’ll leave you with one last quote:

“I am convinced that the simplest, most effective way to enrich family life is to return quiet to our homes.” – Katrina Kenison

What are your thoughts?

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

Do you ever have a day that just feels like Monday, even if it’s Wednesday – or Saturday? What’s weird about Monday, is that it’s usually a great day for me. Super productive, I’m on the BALL at the beginning of the week – mainly because if you don’t start the week well, then there’s only one direction for your week to go, and that is DOWN. So I guess when I say, “Feels like a Monday,” I don’t mean that at all. I mean, “Wow, this day has gone downhill fast, and I must save it!”

Other than looking forward to a dessert of DELICIOUS fudge, there are other things I do to get my day back on track. One thing I enjoy is to read some of my favorite quotes – some from authors, some intelligent, and others… well, they make me smile, and that’s what matters, right?

I came across this little ditty while perusing Pinterest.com. If you haven’t checked this site out, you MUST. It is where I spend my free time (that I don’t have).

“When I’m sad I stop being sad, and start being AWESOME instead.”

Wow, you can’t say it any better than that! Positivity doesn’t come from what others say, what others do, or from any outward source. It comes from inside, when we say, “I think I’m going to be AWESOME today!”

-Hope this post put a smile on your face today Don’t forget our promotion with Groupon (previous post) and our 20% of coupon code – k101 – you can present at checkout.

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People

SilkFudge has been around for almost a decade, but for the most part,our advertising has been by word-of-mouth. Our fudge is so good (SO GOOD!) that this has been enough to make SilkFudge a successful company. This past year, however, we decided to take our company to the next level.

We opened a store in Keystone, SD, just 3 miles outside of Mt. Rushmore, right on the Boardwalk. Our store did better than we could have hoped for, so we decided to see what we could do about increasing our internet sales.

Our big goal was Groupon. What’s not to love about Groupon? They always manage to give us services at over 50% off, introduce us to companies we didn’t know about, and a chance to do things we wouldn’t normally do. Sounds like a deal, right?

Well, guess what? We currently are being featured by Groupon, and it feels so great to reach one of our goals! We are thankful to Groupon for giving us this opportunity, and we look forward to advertising to customers across the US. To order $24 worth of fudge for just $10, click here.

SilkFudge - Uncommonly Good Fudge For Exceptional People