Who is Genesee?

Hello there! I'm Genesee. I am a an old-fashioned gal who loves to cook and bake. When I say old-fashioned, I certainly don't mean old! (None of us gals are that!) Old fashioned to me means young at heart and full of the things that matter. I am the mother of seven wonderful children. Or should I say that they are marvelous little creatures that make my head spin? On any count, I love them to pieces. After all, they are the main recipe testers here at The Chocolate Spot. And you know kids, they are extremely picky eaters!

I love to cook and bake and I love to share what I know and learn. I don't have any cooking credentials other than years of kitchen experience. My knowledge of chocolate has been learned through dedicated research, lots of practice, trial and error and by my extreme addiction to the sweet brown delight! I was born and bloomed here in Ohio. I lived in the StoneCreek and NewPhiladelphia part of the state for the first five years of my life. We then moved here to the village of Minerva and I have been here ever since. I give alot of credit to my mother, grandmother and aunts who always let me help them in the kitchen. That's the best way to learn! If you were to speak to my father, he would tell you that as a young girl, I was a huge fan of the Easy Bake Oven. In fact, I went through several of them before learning to use momma's oven. I even remember sculpting delicious chocolate mud pies after the rain. (I had a very vivid imagination!)

After a few entreprenurial attempts that were just not right for me. I created The Chocolate Spot in the year 2007. With the love to cook and bake and always scorching my chocolate, I decided that I was going to build my own website devoted entirely to all things chocolate. I wanted a place that one could go to find it's history, melting techniques and more. I also wanted tried and true recipes for my site visitors, that they could trust. That is how it all began and that is how I learned about SBI. I definately am not a techie, so building my own website is definately a triumph!

SBI taught me every step of the way. By the summer's end of 2007, my site was built and many people and site visitors were requesting chocolate products. So, in the fall of 2007, I joined a local farmer's market and brought my baked goods, chocolates, and other delights. The first day it poured down rain and it was a bit discouraging, but there were some bouts of sun shining that day!

It brought to me a local restaurant owner that was very interested in me and my products. She also invited me to a great event that she was hosting and introduced me to many more of the "right" people. So, to Teresa at Traxx, you are my good luck charm! I continued that fall selling at the market until it got too cold. I then booked myself with as many craft shows and other events that I could. Since then, I have my products in four local shops and supply a restaurant with desserts. The sky is still my limit! The picture above is of me and my oldest daughter. The picture was taken at the Chocolate Revolution and was our first big indoor display of our products. I hope to soon be selling some of my items here online at The Chocolate Spot.

Ps. In case you are wondering, my parents did name me after the beer! No comment!!!!!