I think one of the hardest things for me to do is to remember to take time for myself. It’s really easy to say, “I’m busy and stressed and my 8-year-old and 5-year-old have homework and school projects on a level that I seriously don’t remember having until I was 13 and my husband is working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and I haven’t slept more than 5 hours in a row in the last 8 1/2 months, so I’m going on an online shopping spree and hitting up the drive through between dance class and the second grade musical.” The problem is, no matter how fun it is to get a package in the mail or not clean up after dinner, I still kind of feel like I’m not actually doing anything for myself.
And since, in their own ways, pretty much all of my friends’ lives are as hectic as mine, I decided that we needed a grown-up time out. With grown-up food and drinks and grown-up chocolate.
Sara and I are huge fans of Ghirardelli, so we jumped at the chance to try their Intense Dark chocolate. And then I was so excited that I made my friends try it, too (trust me, if you’re ever having a hard time getting your group of friends together, mention the words “kid-free” and “chocolate party.” Everyone’s plans magically fall into place.)
To make the escape complete, I put together little gift baskets for everyone with some of my favorite things that make me happy.
I put in some cute reusable mugs, toe separators, nail polish, a mini candle, a pumice stone, bath salts, a mud mask, a headband to keep the mud mask out of their hair, lip balm, and a couple big bars of the Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolate.
When they came over, I made our chocolate ganache by mixing 2 bars of the chocolate (I used the Midnight Reverie, which is super dark at 86% cacao, Twilight Delight, which is 72% cacao, and Cabernet Matinee, which is kind of fruity) with 6 ounces of heavy cream and heating it in the microwave for about a minute (in 20-30 second increments). I served the three pots of different chocolate with a big tray of fruit.
I think the general consensus was that Twilight Delight was the favorite for dipping.
I also had a cake stand loaded with bars of chocolate for us to try out.
Toffee Interlude was probably the favorite of the night, followed by Sea Salt Soiree.
No, this picture was not staged…they were genuinely staring at the square of Sea Salt Soiree in awe.
We had lots and lots of laughs.
and when my kids came home a few hours later, we were genuinely excited to see each other, which was a giant win for everyone.
Since we wish we could invite everyone to a chocolatey escape from reality, we’re doing the next best thing–we’re giving away 3 of the gift baskets from the party, loaded up with  big bars of Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolate along with a whole bunch of our favorite things to make you feel special!
To enter, tell us what flavors you’d love to try–they are Midnight Reverie (86% cacao), Twilight Delight (72% cacao), Evening Dream (60% cacao), Cabernet Matinee, Hazelnut Heaven, Sea Salt Soiree, and Toffee Interlude. The giveaway will run now through April 2 and the 3 winners will be announced on April 3.
This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate. Create your escape here.
The giveaway is sponsored by Our Best Bites. As always, all opinions are completely our own.
I’d love to try them all! Why narrow it down to just one? I am a sucker for chocolate and hazelnuts, though.
Toffee interlude for sure!
I would love to try Midnight Reverie, Twilight Delight, and Cabernet Matinee.
I would love to try all of them, but if I HAD to narrow it down, I’d pick Sea Salt Soiree, Twilight Delight, and Hazelnut Heaven… and I’d hide it. 🙂
I am a Toffee Interlude kind of girl! The gift boxes are so cute! I need to have a girls-adult-night-out. Sounds so fun!!
all of them!
The flavors I would like to try are, in order: Hazelnut Heaven, Toffee Interlude then any of the others…
I want to try the toffee one and the sea salt one. They sound tasty!
I am always intrigued by the idea of salt in chocolate, and of course the toffee sounds amazing, always! What a wonderful giveaway ~ thanks for the opportunity!
Let’s go with the toffee! That would hit my sweet tooth right now!
Hazelnut Heaven and Toffee Interlude! All of them sound amazing!
Can we say all of them? 🙂 If I have to choose, I’d say any of the dark chocolate ones and the toffee one. Sounds so good!
I would love to try Hazelnut Heaven and Toffee Interlude. Thanks so much!
Oh my goodness, this whole post looks incredibly delicious. I would love to try Sea Salt Soiree, and Toffee Interlude and all the others, but those two especially sound AMAZING!
Love, love chocolate. Have it everyday! I would like the Sea Salt or the Toffee.
I would love to try the Sea Salt Soiree, and Toffee Interlude, and what a great idea for a girls night.
Yum, I would be most excited and curious to try the sea salt. What a fun night out:)
Sea Salt Soiree sounds absolutely like my indulgence of choice!
Twilight Delight with its 72% cacao sounds just perfect!
Evening Dream & Toffee Interlude, please.
I love dark chocolate, so I would love to try Midnight Reverie!
It’s Ghirardelli! Choose? That is such a difficult task!
Evening Dream, Sea Salt Soiree, and/or Toffee Interlude.
Phew! Sweating brow from such intense labor. Oh dearie me. I feel guilty the other bars might see I’ve neglected to mention them. Must run and hide my shame!
I want to try Hazelnut Heaven, Sea Salt Soiree, and Toffee Interlude. Are these available in stores?
Evening Dream and Toffee Interlude sound divine! I LOVE Ghirardelli chocolate!!
Thanks for the chance to win
Susan
Oh, my, I feel a tad decadent just saying the names…Evening Dream and Toffee Interlude, and the Sea Salt one. And…
What a fun friend you are. Hazelnuts are my favorite so probably would love that and the toffee one sounds yummy–but really chocolate in any form is great!
I would love to try the toffee! Looks like you and your friends had a great night out! Great idea!
I want to try them all, I have been wanting to get the girls together since we are all in different places in our lives.
Thanks for the chance to win.
The Sea Salt sounds so intriguing. I have started to really enjoy super dark chocolate in the past few months. 86% sounds so good! If I won this giveaway it would be at the perfect time for me! Between juggling the kids and their stuff and letting our fate rest in the hands of those who hate their job and having no control over what happens, I could use a night to pamper myself and dip fruit and maybe my face in chocolate.
Sea Salt Soiree! Sounds amazingly good. Oh yum.