La Capilla del Hombre

This week, I have called Quito, Ecuador, twice for work, and we got our shipment of cocoa beans from Ecuador this morning.

All this has me reminiscing over being in that lovely Latin city this time last year.

Photo from Askinosie Instagram.

One of my favorite experiences of the entire trip, I have yet to share with my fellow traveling chums: 

Visiting la Capilla del Hombre.

Found on Flickr

La Capilla del Hombre, or the Cathedral of Man, is an art gallery dedicate to one of Ecuador's most famous artists: Oswaldo Guayasamin. The gallery was actually designed by Guayasamin, but he did not live to see out his final masterpiece's completion.

"I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a child with no feet."

Guayasamin had a very unique style born out of his friend's death in a political demonstration and his travels to indigenous people along the Amazon. 

He became obsessed with human suffering and injustice in the world. 

His work reflects that greatly.

The cathedral of man is showcases man's suffering and greatness in that suffering.

Like in religious depictions, there are three levels:

heaven,

purgatory &

hell.

However, it is more about man than a higher being because Guayasamin was not a religious man.

Found on Flickr.

My favorite of his paintings is called "El mestizaje," or mixing of cultures and races. The blue and yellow hues represent the clashing of the Spanish people with the indigenous people of South America.

I love how he represents this concept.

I hung a copy of this painting up in my Askinosie office this week because I love it so much.

I enjoyed our group tour of La Capilla Del Hombre so much,

I made an independent trip back to the gallery and bought three paintings.

One is in my office.

One is hanging in my new apartment.

One still needs a home.

Does art about social injustice excite anyone else? 

Or just me? :)

Safe travels,

-Coffeegirl

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Closing a Chapter

Today, I am officially closing a chapter in my life:

SCHOOL.

I graduated from Missouri State on Friday morning 

with a B.S. in Public Relations and Spanish.

All the work has finally paid off.

Although I never plan to stop learning,

after tomorrow,

my life will not be the same.

I will be a professional

not a student.

On Friday, I had a lovely time with my and the beau's families. 

It was great to have their love and support on a special day.

I would not be where I am at now without them.

I had the privilege of sitting next to two of my awesome PRSSA buddies, Doug and Chelly, who were of course live-tweeting the whole time.

I also had the privilege of having my new boss, Shawn Askinosie, give my commencement address after receiving his honorary doctorate in Public Affairs.

His words were both honest and inspiring.

He shared his post-grad struggles and how that shaped him as well as the lessons he has learned from farmers in poverty-stricken areas of the world.

I could not help being moved to tears thinking about the people I have encountered myself in Latin America over the years.

My thoughts wandered to their

 love,

sacrifice,

and joy.

I feel so honored to begin making a difference in some of those people's lives starting tomorrow at Askinosie Chocolate.

One of my special guests was my Aunt Pam Parry, who drove nearly EIGHT hours to see me graduate. 

She is a public relations professor at Belmont University, 

and one of the reasons I decided to pursue PR and join PRSSA. 

She has been such a great support and resource throughout these four years.

After graduation, I got to watch the beau graduate as well.

It was just too perfect to share that day with him.

I am so proud of all he has accomplished in his college career.

After two graduation ceremonies, I took my family to the chocolate factory and gave my first tour. 

It was great to share this next part of my life with them, 

and I think everyone had a blast trying all the chocolate. :)

Tomorrow is my first day at Askinosie, and a million emotions are running through my mind, but I am mostly excited. 

Because I have no other point of reference, I am treating tomorrow as if it were the first day of school.

I went to Staples and bought supplies.

I picked out my outfit.

I have packed my little briefcase,

and now, I am just waiting for tomorrow to come.

The sermon at church this morning was about Elijah passing his job on to Elisha, which was so fitting.

It is time for me to close this chapter and fill some big professional shoes tomorrow.

Here's to NEW beginnings!

-Coffeegirl

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Chocolate Girl

This Coffeegirl is about to become a Chocolate Girl, too!

If you keep up with my blog, you may have heard of this wonderful local chocolate factory in Springfield that I adore,

Askinosie Chocolate.

In fact, I counted earlier this week, and I have mentioned them in 7 blog posts.

I may be a bit obsessed.

Askinosie Chocolate is a small batch chocolate manufacturer located in Springfield, Mo., that sources all of their beans directly from the farmers. Shawn Askinosie, the founder, works directly with the farmers and source cocoa beans for his yummy chocolate. They also go above and beyond Direct Trade by investing the farming communities and the Springfield community. They have dug wells, set up food programs and taken high school students to Africa.

Well, this week, I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

Starting the Monday after graduation, 

I will be the new PR girl for Askinosie Chocolate.

Words cannot express my joy over this new adventure.
I cannot wait to learn more about the chocolate industry
and to make the world a little better by telling Askinosie's story.

This job combines everything that I love:
PR, Spanish, Speciality Food and making a GLOBAL impact.
It could not be more perfect for me.

Mallory and me celebrating with lunch on C-Street!

On a personal note, Shawn will be receiving an honorary doctorate from MSU as I graduate in TWO short weeks as well as giving my graduation commencement speech, which is really exciting for me.

I will also have the lovely opportunity to work with one of my lovely friends, Mallory Roth.

I'm about to enter the professional world, and I could not be more thrilled. 

I promise to share lots of fun chocolate tidbits as I learn them!

-Coffeegirl

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Askinosie Chocolate Meringue Pie

Over Thanksgiving, I made one of my favorite desserts with a new twist.

I made chocolate meringue pie with an Askinosie single origin chocolate bar from Ecuador. 

It. Was. De-li-cious!

And super simple...

Pie Crust Recipe from Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
• 6-7 Tablespoons of water

Directions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients.
2. Cut in the fat. (A pastry cutter works lovely!)
3. Add the water one Tablespoon at a time so that it just sticky as a ball.
4. Roll the dough out into a thin circle.
5. Place the dough in the pie pan and flute the edges.
6. Bake in the oven for 17 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Recipe for the Chocolate Custard from Green & Black


Ingredients:

• 4 large free-range egg yolks
• 45 g of sugar
• 20 g plain flour
• 350 mL of milk
• 70 g of Askinosie chocolate bar (save the left over for the top)

Directions:

1. Whisk together the egg yolks & sugar.
2. Sift in the flour & whisk that in.
3. Heat milk to boiling point.
4. Pour onto the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
5. Return the mixture to the saucepan & bring to a boil over LOW heat. You want it to be thick and smooth.
6. Remove from heat and add the chocolate until fully mixed.

Recipe for the Meringue TexasCooking.com

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites from large eggs
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Beat the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
2. With mixer running, add the cream of tartar.
3. Then gradually add the sugar, a Tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Beat in the vanilla.
5. Pie atop pie and seal the edges to the crust.
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let your pie cool before you put into the fridge to keep it from dewing. 

And enjoy!

-Beth

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Tableya: Hot Chocolate with a Cause

Two weeks ago, I visited Askinosie Chocolate Factory on Commercial Street for their free Tableya tasting event. After hearing the story behind the product, I am just so excited to share this story with everyone. It is such a neat process.

First of all, Askinosie Chocolate Factory is a factory in Springfield, Mo., that is trying to make a difference in the chocolate industry by making direct trade relationships with the farmers and giving them a portion of the profits. Every bar has a photo and autograph of the lead farmer of that specific cacao farm. I just heart their mission!

Their newest product, Tableya, is a traditional Filipino hot chocolate drink and means “tablet.” They source cacao beans in a town called Davao, and they started noticing a malnutrition problem at a nearby elementary school, so they brainstormed a way to help.

The PTA of the elementary school creates these tablets from the cacao beans and sells them to Shawn Askinosie for $1. Shawn sells in the US for $10. The $9 profit is ALL given to Convoy of Hope, a local non-profit that focuses on feeding initiatives and disaster relief all over the world—including the Philippines, which funds the food program at the elementary school.

So the parents have a “stake in the outcome” of their child’s health, and the program is dependent on the sales of product instead of donations. There are over 500 students at this elementary school, and they are measuring the students overall health to see the success of the program.

I am just so excited for this brilliant idea that is win, win for everyone! I am pretty sure that many people in my life are going to this in their stockings this year for Christmas! Who doesn’t love yummy hot chocolate that helps give Filipino children the nutrition they need to survive?!

-Beth

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