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It’s melted! It’s dark and creamy! It’s coming for you!

Every year, in the sleepy college town of Ashland, Oregon there comes a swarm. Of chocolate lovers! March 6-8 2020 is the 16th annual Oregon Chocolate Festival at the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites. While tickets are $20 for the day and $30 for the two-day pass, the profits and proceeds go to some wonderfully helpful and localized organizations to ensure the quality and continuation of the festival. (Listed below.)

Did you know over there are over 3,000 visitors at the Oregon Chocolate Festival each year?! All 3,000 of those people are supporting different organizations with the money it takes to get into the events. Proceeds go to towards Habitat for Humanity, Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, Access Building Community, Ashland Emergency Food Bank, and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Check out the Oregon Chocolate Festival events listed below:

• Chocolate + Wine Spa Party 3/7/2020

Saturday, March 7, 4:30-6pm at Lithia Springs Resort in the Citrine Room

• Friday Night Disco Inferno Social 2020 Kickoff Event 3/6/2020

Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites (home of the festival)

Friday, March 6th, 2020 from 7PM – 10PM

• Chocolate Jazz Cafe 3/7, 3/8, 2020

4PM – 7PM at Luna Cafe (located inside Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites, home of the festival)

• Chocolate 5K & 10K Run/Walk 3/8/2020

Emigrant Lake Recreation Area

Registration: 8:00 am 

• Chocolate Truffles Making Workshop 3/8/2020

Branson’s Chocolates shop: 1662 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland

• Chocolate Makers Wine Dinner (SOLD OUT)

Friday, March 6th, 2020 from 6:30 to 9:00pm

$80 per Guest (all-inclusive) at the Historic Ashland Springs Hotel

• Chocolate Sunday Brunch (SOLD OUT)

March 8th, 2020 at the Stardust Lounge – Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites (home of the festival) 

• Resources on website for family activities, the history of the festival, how to plan your trip, the competitions and judges, and photos

Workshops and Talks at the Chocolate festival will include subjects centered around:

Top 10 reasons chocolate is the ultimate yummy superfood, pairing wines and chocolates, the sourcing of the tasty treat and how it is grown, guided tastings of wines, and international chocolates for your enjoyment throughout the whole weekend!

Official Website: http://www.oregonchocolatefestival.com/ 

ACF IG https://www.instagram.com/oregonchocolatefestival/ 

There is a growing population of Vegan and Vegetarian options popping up on menus all over the world! We here at Taste of Ashland have been inspired by one of our editors, The lovely Allison, to share a favorite recipe for the much loved and coveted pizza pie!

The recipe below is from a great site, A Couple Cooks. They not only give you the recipe and the education needed to ensure that your homemade, freshly baked, vegan and veggie slice of delight is truly a vegans paradise; they help to show you the proper veggies and alternatives to cheeses, meat-less options and gluten-free crusts to make certain your vegan pizza is one others will convert for!

Here is the recipe! Enjoy the making and the edible destruction of this delicious dish!

Ingredients

• 1 ball Best Pizza Dough (or Food Processor Dough or Thin Crust Dough)
• 1 jarred roasted red pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 8 baby bella mushrooms
• ¼ red onion
• ½ cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing dough
• 3 cups spinach, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup Muir Glen Organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes or our Homemade Easy Pizza Sauce
• 6 canned artichoke heart quarters
• 4 large leaves basil

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Instructions

1. Prepare the dough using the Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe (follow this video instruction for more). Follow the preparation instructions in the dough recipe if prepared in advance.
2. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
3. Prepare the toppings: Slice the jarred red pepper into thin strips and set aside. Mince 3 cloves garlic. Slice the mushrooms and red onion. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic, mushrooms, onion, chickpeas, and spinach and ½ teaspoon kosher salt; saute until the mushrooms are tender and the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel. 
5. Quickly assemble the pizza: Spread a thin layer of crushed tomatoes across the dough and sprinkle with a few pinches kosher salt. Add the sauteed vegetables, then top with red pepper strips and artichoke quarters. 
6. Transfer the pizza to the oven on the pizza peel, and bake until the crust is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. While the pizza bakes, cut the basil into thin strips (chiffonade). Allow to cool slightly, then top with basil and serve.

https://www.acouplecooks.com/very-veggie-vegan-pizza/

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
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The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

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You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

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