Ridiculously good chocolate on The Murfreesboro Post

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By: ERIN EDGEMON, Post Contributor

Posted: Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:12 am

Michael and Mandy Jones, holding 14-month-old Drayken, laugh as Hunter, 6, and Ronin, 4, enjoy Ridiculous Chocolate. TMP photo by Erin Edgemon

Michael and Mandy Jones say their “chocolate is so good, that it’s ridiculous.”

So that is why they named their line of raw, organic, vegan and diabetic-friendly treats Ridiculous Chocolate.

Ridiculous also is one of Mandy’s favorite words she quipped from her family’s kitchen.

“I came up with the name,” she said.

The family recently began selling the homemade chocolate online and at the Rutherford County Farmer’s Market.

Michael and Mandy had already received positive responses from family and friends who had tried the sweet treats, especially from their 6-year-old son Hunter and 4-year-old daughter Ronin.

Ronin has been known to sneak out of bed at night to munch some chocolates out of the freezer.

“It is good because it has good stuff in it,” Ronin said.

Her favorite flavor out of regular chocolate – maple, orange and peppermint – is definitely the peppermint. Hunter agreed.

Ridiculous Chocolate is made with organic, raw cacao powder; organic, raw agave nectar; and organic coconut oil.

Raw means the cacao powder and agave nectar haven’t been heated up above 120 degrees, meaning that most of the natural enzymes in the ingredients haven’t been cooked out, Michael explained.

The ingredients are organic because no chemicals have been added, he said.

The chocolates are ideal for diabetics with a sweet tooth because the agave nectar used to sweeten the treats has a very low glycemic index, which doesn’t cause an insulin spike.

Making homemade, healthy chocolates is seemingly a natural progression for the couple with Michael’s sweet tooth and Mandy’s commitment for her family to eat healthy, which includes eating a majority of raw food.

“Being the entrepreneur that I am, I thought I would turn it into a business,” Michael said.

Plus, he said no one else is making the type of healthy, diabetic friendly chocolate he is making.

“I have a monopoly on an extremely unique product,” Michael said.

Michael admitted that it was Mandy’s idea to make a healthy alternative to regular desserts he would make.

“I always made desserts — brownies, cookies and sweet stuff,” Michael said, adding that growing up he enjoyed making desserts with his mom in the kitchen.

While in college, he wooed Mandy and her friends with his creations.

“He would invent these insane desserts and share them with my quadmates,” she said.

Michael said it probably took him a year and a half to perfect his recipe, but now he has created something that is healthy and that people like.

Ridiculous Chocolate received a good response at its first appearance at the Rutherford County Farmers Market. The Joneses hope to soon be peddling their chocolate at the Franklin and Nashville farmer’s markets.

The ultimate dream is for Ridiculous Chocolate to be stocked in stores like Whole Foods and Kroger.

“It would be nice to become a big chocolate manufacturer,” Michael said. “When it is all said and done, I love chocolate.”

More info …

Ridiculous Chocolate

www.ridiculouschocolate.com

Free delivery is available for local residents.

Erin Edgemon can be reached at eedgemon@murfreesboro-post.com.

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Member Opinions:

By: Oompa on 5/23/10
I know this man! He is one of the good guys of this community! He is currently training my child in the gentlemans art of fencing!

He is a MTSU Grad and on of the founders of the fencing club there, His talents know only one limitation. Start up money!

I had no idea of this product but I will try it knowing the benfeits of chocolate especially dark!

Some day he will be wheel in this community if we are lucky enough to keep his talents here!