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Gourmet Food

DYI Monster Chocolate Pops Kit to Launch for Limited Time

Families looking for a fun Halloween activity have a unique new option: tinyB Monster Chocolate Pops, an at-home chocolate-popsicle making experience. This easy-to-use kit helps kids of all ages make monster, ghost, or mummy popsicles with creamy brigadeiro (Brazilian chocolate truffle) filling.

The limited edition kit contains everything needed to temper and mold chocolate popsicle shells, fill them with brigadeiro and cover them with colorful toppings, making it simple to make chocolate Halloween ghouls and let children, family, friends and co-workers express their creativity.  Kits will be available exclusively online starting on Sept. 5.

“We’ve had such a great reception for our DIY brigadeiro kits, we decided to make a Halloween monster version,” said tinyB Chocolate founder Renata Stoica, who uses her Brazilian family recipe to make tinyB brigadeiros.  “The kits are a fun at-home activity for families and a great team-building activity in corporate settings. Besides, shouldn’t everyone know how to make a Monster Pop?!”

The one-of-a-kind popsicle kit comes with pouches of dark and white chocolate (used to make the outside of the popsicle) and 4 ounces of dark chocolate brigadeiro and pumpkin spice latte brigadeiro for the inside. The kit also includes an array of spooky decorative toppings like googly eyes, colorful sprinkles, nuts, popsicle sticks and a silicone popsicle mold.

tinyB Monster Chocolate Pops are gluten-free and preservative-free.  Each kit makes four complete popsicles and retails for $59.  Supplies are limited and orders will be fulfilled on a first come, first served basis.

San Francisco-based chocolatier tinyB Chocolate specializes in making brigadeiros, extraordinary Brazilian truffles that are adored the world over. Family-owned and operated, tinyB Chocolate makes its authentic brigadeiros fresh to order.

Stoica’s recipe strikes a perfect balance — avoiding the bitterness of dark chocolate or the sweetness of extra sugar. Perfect as gifts or wedding favors, tinyB brigadeiros are handcrafted, beautifully packaged and delivered within two days anywhere in the continental United States.

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Greene Concepts Donates Truckload of Be Water for Kentucky Flood Relief

Kentucky flood disaster relief

Donations for Kentucky flood disaster relief are being accepted through the state at https://secure.kentucky.gov/FormServices/Finance/EKYFloodRelief 

North Carolina beverage bottler Greene Concepts Inc. has donated a truckload of Be Water premium artisan bottled water to support rural residents in the surrounding areas affected by the recent Kentucky flood who have yet to receive aid.

Greene Concepts sent 1,540 cases (36,960 bottles) of Be Water to the First Church of God in Jackson for distribution among the area’s residents still in need of supplies. The truckload of Be Water arrived on Aug. 4.

“This is one of the most devastating deadly floods that we have seen in our history. These are proud, hardworking folks that just lost it all, and maybe even lost someone they love. The least we can do as human beings, as people of faith and values, is to give and do what we can to get them back on their feet,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to donate Be Water to the people of Breathitt County, so that it may be delivered to the county’s most rural residents who have yet to receive potable water,” said Amy McNally, Greene Concepts’ vice president of sales and marketing. “In addition to the 37 lives lost, and many others unaccounted for, the state also lost approximately 440 homes, which equates to over 31 square miles of families that have had their homes destroyed. While nothing can replace the lives lost in this tragedy, we want to do our small part in helping Kentucky residents that have been tremendously impacted.”

“We understand the urgency to assist those in peril and importance of getting our bottled water into their hands as quickly as possible,” CEO Lenny Greene said. “Many people had no advance warning of the floods, nor had any evacuation routes from the rising floodwaters. The people who reside there are proud patriots; in fact, Breathitt County is historically known as the only County in the United States to 100% volunteer for World War I and World War II.

“Mayor of Jackson, Laura Thomas, is working tirelessly to provide aid to citizens in distress, and her immediate action and resilient spirit is a testament to the Kentuckian strength. It is our hope that our donation is a catalyst for others to also support the eastern Kentucky region whose residents have suffered during this unimaginable calamity. Kentucky, we are here for you.”

Due to the overwhelming in-kind donations still being processed, volunteer organizations are asking for monetary donations to support the work being done in Breathitt County. Proceeds of donations to the Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief will go toward room and board for the volunteer teams and other relief efforts helping those impacted by the deadly flood.

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Yoplait, Box Tops for Education Renovate School Library

This back-to-school season, Yoplait and Box Tops for Education are giving back to local communities and are committed to empowering women who make schools a special place for students by donating a library renovation to the Dolores Huerta Elementary School in Lennox, Calif.

Yoplait and Box Tops for Education identified the school through the hard work of Principal Maria Castellanos, who is dedicated to ensuring that all students at the school have an opportunity to thrive, even through the challenges of online learning during the pandemic which caused many students to fall behind on reading. In close collaboration with the teachers and staff, including the school’s librarian, Megan Gomez-Green, Castellanos has provided her students with valuable learning habits.

“Our library is the heart of the school. The kids are excited, they want to find the right book, and they want to learn about different topics through reading. I’m excited that with this makeover, the kids will have access to a space that fosters the creativity and development that comes with reading,” said Castellanos. “As a woman myself, I want to make sure that I recognize the importance of being a Latina female leader in this world. I hope that the little girls can see a Latina principal and say, ‘she grew up on a similar street, in a similar home, and look where she’s at.’ ”

Yoplait and Box Tops for Education’s library makeover is providing Dolores Huerta Elementary School with a unique and colorful new space including a new amphitheater, reading corner and donated books from the librarian’s wish list—many of which are in Spanish and/or showcase the importance of diversity and representation, such as “Crónicas Apestosas by Martin Pinol and When Rosa Parks Went Fishing by Rachel Ruiz.

“Yoplait is committed to celebrating and empowering the women that set up the future generations for success, and we also believe that investing in a child’s education with the tools they need is foundational,” shared Rachel Letsche, General Mills brand experience assistant manager. “Our partnership with Box Tops for Education is the perfect opportunity to help schools and communities get the necessary resources to grow and excel.”

Yoplait wants to encourage consumers to give back to their local communities through Box Tops for Education by giving shoppers an easy way to earn cash for schools with products they already buy. By using the Box Tops app, consumers can scan a store receipt that includes Box Tops participating Yoplait products and earn cash for a school of their choice. Through this, you can support a local school in need and champion learning and development for the children of your area who need it most.

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