Day 4 - Andy goes back to work and we're on our own!

So the morning was spent going back and forth between Andy's apartment and the car, shuttling stuff for our journey westward (we definitely wanted to avoid driving over to Andy's place if possible...Seattle driving/parking is insane!)

The park as seen from Andy's apartment

Our first trip over, we said goodbye to Andy and saw him on his way off to work. Then, after the car was packed, we headed to the park for some dog-run time, and then off to our favorite coffee place again!

The mountain as seen from Andy's apartment

Working while vacationing. He just can't stop!

Good doggies get treats.

After we had filled our tummies, it was time to find the Troll under the bridge! We found him (or did he find us??)

Full sized VW Bug added for perspective

He is definitely under the bridge!

After the troll stop, Emily had heard from her friend that the Theo chocolate tour was awesome. So we headed further down Fremont to check it out! Because we had the dogs with us, Steve had to wait outside while we took the tour...but it was fascinating!

First stop...HAIR NETS!

 

Second Stop, learning how chocolate is made
and tasting the different types!

The Theo Chocolate Company gets their name
from the Theobroma Cacao bean.

That's Stanley checking the beans to make sure they're roasted to perfection

We started the tour with a tasting of different chocolate: first 85% cocoa, then two 70% chocolates, one infused with raspberry and one infused with toasted and buttered sourdough bread (and yes, it tasted like buttered sourdough bread and chocolate!). The bread and chocolate bar is one of their signature bars.

We then toured the facility, where we got to see the process from when the beans are shipped (they only take beans from Peru and the Congo) to when they turn into chocolate bars. We learned that they pay the farmers higher pay so that the farmers will make sure they get the best pods. Then they dry the seeds (with the fruit surrounding it still) there at the farm over the course of days (big chocolate companies flash dry pods for a quicker process which is why they don't taste as good).  The fruit ferments, giving the seed it's flavor.

Once the seeds arrive at the facility, they are first roasted (Congo beans are more acidic, so they're used for citric inclusions...Peru beans have more oils and make for a smoother chocolate). Stanley tastes the beans as they roast to know when they have reached roasting perfection. Then they are broken up into 'nibs.'  These are a super food that contains a TON of nutrients. You can buy nibs there in the store, and our guide told us that she heats them up in her cast iron skillet and puts them on top of salads. Another person bakes them into banana bread. Meanwhile, they bring in sugar that is broken down to be very fine and mixed with some of the cocoa from the nibs. We tried some. It was AMAZING CHOCOLATE SUGAR! (and they don't sell it) :-(  

The sugar that gets added in! Yummmm....

Finally, the nibs are ground until they are a creamy oily chocolate consistency. Then they can be mixed into the various chocolate bars based on the beans.  We tried some of the ganache they make there too, including a basil ganache and a raspberry caramel ganache. This stuff was amazing!

Once we finished with our tour, we headed back to the park, because the dogs love it there! Em and I ran the dogs while Pete and Steve went to get Caribbean sandwiches at Paseo...right down from Andy's apartment, and has been rated one of the top restaurants in the US!

After our picnic, we packed up and headed off to our rental house for the next week! Along the way, we took the Edmonds ferry. The dogs were AMAZED at the BIG BOAT!

Parked on the ferry and the dogs can't stop sniffing the air.

Woah! WATER!!

We got off and looked around a bit.

The wind flying through Max's hair as he listens to small dogs yapping.

Once off the ferry, we spent an hour grocery shopping, and then headed to the house. The Erkenswick family, who was joining us for the night, beat us there by 15 minutes!

We checked out the house, unpacked, and ate an early dinner of all the grilled meats we had picked up at the market. We then walked down to the water to check out the oysters and crabs, and then headed back up the hill to relax and then head to bed. We want to be ready for tomorrow!