Bossy is a word people often use to describe me. Some mean it in a negative way. I, however, consider it one of my finer qualities. You ask my opinion, I give it to you. Well, actually, you don’t even have to ask. As a result, I try to make sure my friends can’t out boss me. There always has to be one in the group who challenges you and that would be my friend Rachel. She is also the person I call whenever I have some crazy idea. She answers with a “Count me in,” or “You might die, so go ahead without me.” When I decided I wanted to learn how to make fudge from a real chocolatier, she was in.
Off we went to St. Charles. (Yes, I crossed over the river to visit Kilwins St. Charles, which is right on Main Street.) My daughter-in-law’s uncle owns the place and every time I saw him, I would ask if I could come and hang out at the chocolate factory. Since he never seemed to think that was weird, we picked a date and off I went.
Kilwins has been around since 1947 when it was started in Petoskey, Michigan. Jenny and Greg VanWyk opened the St. Charles store about three years ago. Not only does the place have fudge, it also has truffles, caramel apples, chocolate-covered Oreos and all kinds of ice cream. I was in heaven. I love sweets. I am not one of those people who turns down dessert, and fortunately, Rachel is the same way. As Greg showed us the store he would ask, “Do you want to try …” and before he could finish, we would just say, “Yes!”
The people who work at the store are happy. I assumed it was because they could eat all the chocolate they want (which actually is true.) Employees are welcome to eat whatever their little hearts desire, but Greg says after about a week, they’re over it. I wonder if he has ever considered employment as a potential weight loss program: Work for me and after a week, you won’t want to eat sweets and you can lose weight! Just a thought.
Greg decided that Rachel and I should make peanut butter fudge. I found out later it was because if we screwed it up, he could melt it back down and remake it! So we put on our aprons and hats, stood next to a cauldron with fire underneath and added ingredients as the temperature rose. Once it hit the sweet spot, we poured the mixture onto a marble slab, and well, that’s when things derailed.
Greg had demonstrated how we were supposed to move the mixture back and forth to create the fudge. I thought since I had watched people do it so many times at The Fudgery at Union Station, it would be no problem. It was. I don’t move fast enough, which means the mixture slid off the marble table. That’s when Rachel started bossing me around, so I gave her the paddle and told her to do it herself if she was so good. At this point, an audience had gathered to watch, and we were supposed to be singing Christmas carols, but I was swearing … which really was not helpful. Bottom line: The bossy women pulled together and made some outstanding peanut butter fudge, and Greg didn’t fire us.
Valentine’s Day is coming up. Do yourself and your significant other a favor and cross over the river. Visit Kilwins to pick up some chocolates or whatever else looks yummy. Tell them the bossy women sent you.
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.