Dove Chocolate Discoveries Review & Giveaway

How many of you like chocolate? Or, if you’re like me… how many of you love chocolate? I’m betting a lot of you are raising your hands right now!

When I found out about Dove Chocolate Discoveries, I was immediately intrigued. I think we’ve all heard of party-based businesses before, but bringing chocolate and decadence into the picture is something new – and how FUN does it sound to go to a party that’s all about chocolate?

I got the chance to review the Introductory Business Kit, and before it arrived I didn’t really know what to expect. You can imagine my delight when I opened the box to find a ton of chocolate and chocolate-related goodies:

• 1½ Pounds of Milk Chocolate
• 1½ Pounds of Dark Chocolate
• 4 Chocolate Mousse Packets
• 1 Chocolate Martini Mix Bottle
• 6 Chai Tea Packets
• 1 Blue Heart-Shaped Fondue Set
• 1 Truffle Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1 Box Chocolate-Covered Almonds & Cashews

Printed Material

• 1 Welcome Pack
• 1 Tasting Party DVD
• 1 Share the Sweet Life DVD
• 25 Host Coaching Guides
• 25 Tasting Party Invitations
• 25 Fall/Holiday Catalogs
• 25 Fall/Holiday Entertaining Guides
• 50 Order Forms

I couldn’t get over how MUCH there was! Not only in products, which of course I was excited to try, but I was also impressed with the amount of printed material Dove sends representatives – there’s so much to help you get started and give you direction.

As a blogger, I’ve worked hard for almost two years to build my site and start earning money from what I do. The Dove Chocolate Discoveries program is another way for people to start their own side business and make extra money. This is Women’s Small Business Month, so it’s a time to especially focus on opportunities for women to branch out and do something extra, whether it’s full-time or on the side. Dove Chocolate Discoveries provides women with the chance to do just that, and have fun (and good chocolate) at the same time!

A while back we had planned a cooking day with some friends, so I decided this was the perfect time to test out some of the products in the kit. Let me just say, the chocolate by itself is SO good. Creamy, full of flavor… high-quality chocolate. We decided to make the mousse for dessert. It was incredibly simple. Just mix heavy cream with the mousse mix:

Melt some chocolate (we used the dark):

And mix it together – voila! We topped ours with fresh whipped cream, and it was amazing:

Our friend Jake even made a drink, complete with a chocolate-rimmed glass:

I’m not a fan of alcoholic drinks, but let me tell you what I did love: the Chai Chocolate Tea. To me it tasted more like a spiced hot chocolate (the ingredients list cinnamon and cardamom) and it was delicious! I will definitely be buying some more of this mix. It just screams Fall to me, and would be great to serve to company.

One lucky reader will win their own Introductory Starter Kit (with no expectation of becoming a Dove Chocolatier, although you’re welcome to do so) with a retail value of over $200! This contest is open to all U.S. residents. This giveaway has a QUICK turnaround – entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Saturday, October 15. If the initial winner does not respond by 5 pm Sunday, October 16, a substitute winner will be drawn.

Mandatory Entry: Visit the Dove Chocolate Discoveries page and comment on this post telling me your favorite Dove Chocolate product.

(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)

Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 2 entries, for example, comment 2 times.

• “Like” Dove Chocolate Discoveries on Facebook {2 extra entries}
• Sign up to receive my newsletter {1 extra entry}
• Sign up to get my updates in your e-mail {2 extra entries}
• Subscribe to my RSS feed {2 extra entries}
• Follow me on Twitter {1 extra entry}
• “Like” Frugal Novice on Facebook {1 extra entry}
• Follow me through Google Friend Connect (over in the sidebar) {1 extra entry}
• Click the Facebook “Share” button below this post to share it on your FB wall {1 extra entriy}
• Click the “Tweet” button below this post to share it on your Twitter feed –  can do up to two times per day {1 extra entry per tweet}
• Blog about this giveaway and link it back here; comment with the URL to your post {2 extra entries}
• Unlimited Extra Entry Option: Leave a NEW comment on as many other posts as you like and get one entry for each comment (entering another giveaway counts too). Be sure to let me know which posts you commented on below.

Note: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of DOVE Chocolate Discoveries and received a Starter Kit to facilitate my review.