Eating about one and a half ounces of dark chocolate a day for two weeks can reduce levels of stress hormones.

Antioxidants and other components in dark chocolate may also reduce the risk of heart disease.

Source: American Chemical Society.

Linda Willetto journeyed from her Easy Bake Oven in elementary school to starting Indulge Bakery with her husband Thomas Willetto in November 2006.

Linda, now 46, knew she wanted to be in the restaurant business after taking a cake decorating class in seventh grade.

“I’ve always liked cooking,” Linda says. “I’d make cakes for my friends (in junior high). I didn’t make a wedding cake until I was in college.”

In their 20 years of marriage, the couple shared the idea of opening a bakery. Having three children of their own, they created a family-friendly environment and a European-style shop where children can peer into cases of specially decorated cakes, cookies and other pastries. These goodies have no preservatives and most are made from scratch.

“We are accommodating to what our customers want,” Linda says.

Recently, the Willettos started making gluten-free goodies, and now the couple is attempting to make delicious dairy-free baked goods.      “Our No. 1 rule: If it doesn’t taste good, we won’t sell it,” Thomas says.  

Concertos in Chocolate, 6395 Gunpark Drive, suite R, Boulder.

Stepping inside Concertos in Chocolate makes your nose tingle with excitement from the rich, fresh smell of chocolate.

Having a lifelong love for chocolate, Chris Widlar, 50, of Boulder County, searched for better tasting chocolate that did not contain artificial flavor and ingredients and opened Concertos in Chocolate in 1999.

“I started out in my garage and had really just planned some seasonal chocolate and chocolate for corporate gifts, and it kept growing and growing,” Widlar says.

Widlar’s secret weapon is her own all-natural, handmade caramel. It is richer than traditional American-made caramel because of the heavy cream and butter, she says.

Alongside her specialty caramel, she makes 25 different flavored truffles, fruit gigs, toffee, marzipan and other mouth-watering confections. Of her products, 95 percent are all natural.

Shamane’s Bake Shoppe, 2825 Wilderness Place, suite 800, Boulder

Every day is Valentine’s for Shamane Simons and her husband Matt Dessi, Simons says.

“Our relationship is 99 percent laughter,” she says.

She laughs remembering one Valentine’s Day when the couple wanted to go to a new restaurant to celebrate. They made reservations, but when they arrived they discovered they were not on the list. Instead, they made the best of it sitting at the bar laughing about how it felt like prom night.

The two Boulder residents have been married almost seven years. Simons, now 38, met Dessi, 37, nine years ago through her roommate. Dessi’s Italian heritage caught her attention.

“I was intrigued by him because he grew up in an Italian family in New York and his family owned a bakery in Little Italy,” Simons says.

Along with pastries and local coffees, black and white photos of his family business, Pradella’s Italian Bakery, decorate Shamane’s Bake Shoppe. On one wall, Dessi’s great aunt smiles and stares out the front glass window of the old bakery. On the neighboring wall, two of Dessi’s uncles hold a basket of fresh bread. Below the photo, Dessi’s great uncle shyly smiles from under a fedora hat.

“The photos have sentimental value,” Simons says. “They make great decorations but have a story behind them.”

The couple tries to spend time together, despite Simons’ busy schedule and late nights at the bakery. The couple has date nights at the shop, where Dessi brings dinner and puts on music while Simons finishes up her work.

“What brought us together were my passion for food and his family’s traditions with food, and his passion and talent for music and my love for music,” Simons says.

— By Emily Burrows-Poretsky

New kid on the block

Vanessa Metalli Dionne grew up near Rome working in her parents’ restaurant, baking and making pastry. But it wasn’t until she moved the United States in 2003 that she became interested in chocolate.

“The more I studied, the more I discovered about chocolate,” she says. “I got a little bit addicted. Dark chocolate … the flavor and the way I can manipulate it to make chocolate. I can use my artistry and my passion for baking and pastry and combine it. It’s my perfect medium,” she says.

Dionne started her company, Desiderio Chocolates, in 2008.

“I make molded chocolates. I like to paintbrush them,” she says. “I use ganache filling with fresh cream, local and organic as much as possible, butter, organic nuts and organic fruit purees.”

In a couple of her chocolates, she uses brews from Left Hand Brewing Co. Dionne works out of the Glacier Ice Cream store in Longmont, and her chocolates are available there and at Cheese Importers in Longmont.

— By Cindy Sutter

Pair with rich chocolate desserts — The cherry wine from Carlson Vineyards. Serve chilled. For a real treat, serve with melted Enstrom’s dark chocolate (or any quality dark chocolate) on the rim of the wineglass. Very decadent.

With fruit tarts but sweets (but not rich or heavy) — Fruit wines, like peach, apricot, plum and pear.

The best match for all chocolates — Colorado dessert wines, like ports and Late Harvest wines, including Canyon Wind Cellars, Two Rivers, Graystone, Guy Drew, Whitewater Hill and Plum Creek.

Tip: When pairing cabernet sauvignon with chocolate, you run the risk of ruining fine wine and fine chocolate. But if you insist, it is recommended that you use only dark chocolate and a low-tannin cabernet. The same holds true for merlot or cabernet franc.

— By Claire Tindall, with the Fresh Ideas Group

Pam Schumacher pours chocolate into the machine making Sun Cups at Seth Ellis Chocolates in Boulder

According to Consumer Reports’ www.greenerchoices.org, many of the world’s cocoa beans are grown in ways that are not good for the earth or workers who harvest them.

Much as with commodity coffee beans, workers in tropical regions without access to markets, are paid bare subsistence earnings. In some areas of Western Africa, where most cocoa beans are grown, forced child labor and other labor abuses have been documented.

In addition, new plant varieties that grow in the sun rather that the traditional shade habitat are being introduced. That leads to less biologically diverse habitats and potentially deforestation. Extremely toxic pesticides such as lindane, which is related to DDT, may be used, since the plants are vulnerable to many pests.

It’s enough to make you give up chocolate, but fortunately you don’t have to.

If you live in Boulder County, you have a couple of good local options for chocolate eating that can relieve the weight on your eco-conscience, if not the potential pounds you might gain indulging in the good stuff.

Chocolove
www.chocolove.com
17 different types of premium chocolate bars with ingredients such as raspberries, orange peel or crystallized ginger
Available in natural foods stores and Target locally

Seth Ellis Chocolatier
www.sethellischocolatier.com
Truffles and fine chocolates
Available at Whole Foods, Ozo Coffee, Brewing Market and Glacier Ice Cream in Longmont

— By Cindy Sutter

If you have a passion for…

The arts:
The Dairy Center for the Arts, www.thedairy.org.
Donations help expand and sustain this Boulder-based nonprofit cultural arts organization, its gallery, events, arts education, fundraising, equipment and maintenance of the building.

The holidays:
Share-A-Gift, www.shareagift.org.
Help by donating cash, bikes, books or toys to children of local low-income families. Each year, about 2,000 children receive gifts. This year, gifts will be distributed Dec. 19.

Animals:
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, www.boulderhumane.org.
Help homeless animals by donating online or sponsoring a specific dog or cat at the adoption center. You can also buy a commemorative tile, a great way to honor a loved one.

Youth:
Project YES, www.project-yes.org.
Make a monetary donation, check out the Web site’s wish list or donate your time to this safe community space for local kids.

Women making a difference around the world:
BoldeReach, www.bolderreach.org.
This women-run nonprofit raises money every year for organizations worldwide that help women and children in extreme need.

Health and prevention:
The Boulder County AIDS Project, www.bcap.org.
Due to budget cuts, BCAP is facing a major funding shortfall of $71,000. This nonprofit works to improve the quality of life of people affected by HIV and AIDs and supports prevention programs.

The streets:
Boulder County Cares, www.bouldercountycares.org.
This program provides life-saving supplies to local people living on the streets. Help by volunteering, donating money or materials or simply contacting the program if you encounter a homeless person in need.

— By Aimee Heckel

The deliveries vary every week, based on the freshest produce available. Prices start around $22 per box, which includes four to five different fruits and four to five different veggies.

Check out www.doortodoororganics.com.

Colorado wine

Did you know Colorado has more than 80 wineries — many award-winning? Stuff stockings this year with Boulder County’s own: BookCliff Vineyards, Settembre Cellars, Redstone Meadery, Boulder Creek Winery, Medovina and Ciatano Winery. Visit www.coloradowine.com for the full list and info.

Colterra
Give the gift of your time — and a delicious meal that you don’t have to cook yourself. Give your lover or mother a gift certificate to Colterra, a gorgeous restaurant in downtown Niwot. We’re talking 100-year-old trees, a stone patio and fresh produce from local farmers. The name fits; “Colterra” is inspired by the Latin words “to cultivate the Earth.”

The food is a blend of southern French and northern Italian. We especially love the idea of a special Sunday brunch, with menu items such as vanilla bean French toast, rock shrimp and avocado omelet with creme fraiche and a sockeye salmon filet eggs benedict. We’re drooling just thinking about it!

Visit www.colterra.com.

— By Aimee Heckel

LINGERIE
Di Murini mastectomy lingerie — This line makes special mastectomy lingerie, from cozy PJs to sexy camisoles. Di Murini is all about embellishments and delicious fabrics, with practical features to meet post-surgery needs.

“Lingerie can make a difference to women who are required to wear post-surgery lingerie,” the company says, adding that one of its main aims is to make breast cancer survivors feel more confident, feminine and secure.

Prices range from $32 for suspenders to $73 for a bra to $147 for a baby doll nightgown. Check out www.dimurini.com.

WINE
Cleavage Creek Wine — Cleavage Creek is owned by 76-year-old Budge Brown, of California, who lost his wife of 48 years to breast cancer. Brown created the label in 2007 in an attempt to help fight the disease and raise awareness. The image of a breast cancer survivor graces each bottle of wine. Read their stories online at www.cleavagecreek.com.

Cleavage Creek donates at least 10 percent of sales to breast cancer research. That adds up to more than $55,800. Recently, Cleavage Creek funded a new integrative oncology research center for breast cancer.

Not to mention it tastes great. The wine has won numerous awards — 19 this year so far.

COFFEE
Caribou Coffee’s Amy’s Blend — Amy’s Blend of coffee, tea and merchandise was named in honor of Amy Erickson, a Caribou Coffee roastmaster who died of breast cancer in 1995. Ten percent of sales of these products will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Amy’s Blend costs $14.99 for a pound of regular blend and $15.99 for a pound of decaf. Tea is $7.99.
Find Amy’s Blend throughout October at Caribou Coffee locations and online at www.cariboucoffee.com.

— By Aimee Heckel

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” DVDs, seasons one through seven. Joss Whedon’s cult classic television show, filled with pop-culture references, teen angst and bloodsuckers, stands up surprisingly well over time.

“Angel” DVDs. A “Buffy” spinoff, this stars David Boreanaz (“Bones”) as the wisecracking, crime-fighting vampire with a soul.

“Interview with a Vampire,” by Anne Rice. The 1976 book, which was later turned into a feature film starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, is still one of the best vampire books around. The sequels are enjoyable enough — they would grow into the “Vampire Chronicles” — but this one is the quintessential Goth tale, starring the forever rock star, Lestat.

“The Lost Boys” DVD. What’s not to love? ’80s music (and hairdos!) plus the “two Coreys,” and Keifer Sutherland before he got all CIA-ish in “24.” The movie’s trailer says it all: “Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.”

The little-known film, “Shadow of the Vampire,” made in 2000, stars Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich and Carey Elwes. The premise is the making-of the classic movie “Noseferatu” in 1922 — with one major problem. The actor playing the vampire is actually a vampire. And, as such, takes the role of a lifetime way too seriously.

— By Erika Stutzman

ACCESSORIES

Dakine Lucene plush plaid tote bag, $70, at BC Surf and Sport at the FlatIron Crossing Mall in Broomfield and Twenty Ninth Street in Boulder. Carry your schoolwork and laptop in style with this bag, which features a microfiber laptop sleeve, organizer pockets and is water resistent.

BKE velvet applique purse, $59.50, at the Buckle in the FlatIron Crossing Mall. This bag goes with everything. That’s because it features lace, ribbon, sequin and rhinestones. And tw pouch pockets on the inside to hold all of your lip gloss, er, necessities.

APPAREL

Volcom Stone Only full-zip hydro fleece, $56, at BC Surf and Sport. A hoody is great as the fall sneaks in. And as Colorado creeps closer to winter, this fleece is also water-resistent, to keep you dry on those slushy-sleety days.

BKE Pintuck shirt, $29.50, at the Buckle. Plaid is huge for fall. Here is one way to put a different spin on it: Pintuck details and rolled sleeves up to the elbow.

Miss Me leather wing stretch jeans, $98, at the Buckle. Fall is synomous with denim. Bootcut ankles are universally flattering, and not as trendy as skinny jeans, so you can keeep these around for years. We also love the rhinestone accents on the pockets and waist, and the wing applique on the back yoke gives these jeans a unique style.

TECHNOLOGY

Moshi voice-controlled digital alarm clock, $49.95, at Brookstone at FlatIron Cross. Just tell this voice-activated clock what you want, and it follows orders. Start with, “Hello Moshi,” and it responds to time, alarm, sleep sound, night light and more. Almost as good as your husband waking you up every morning with fresh coffee. Hmm, it follows orders? Maybe better.

— By Aimee Heckel

We all know the frustrated feeling of standing in line, taking off your shoes, emptying your pockets and taking out your laptop. Finally, a company has designed a bag to take away this frustration.

With the checkpoint-friendly laptop bags by Aerovation, you never have to take out your laptop going through security. The Transportation Security Administration-recognized bag has two padded compartments that open like a butterfly so you can lay it flat on the x-ray conveyer belt without removing your computer. Bags start at $79.95 and are available at www.aerovation.com.

“Peanuts” 1960s collection
Everybody has her favorite Charlie Brown television tradition. Some add “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to their Halloween scary movie marathon. Some families watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” every holiday season.

Starting this July you can throw out your old Charlie Brown VHS tapes. On July 7, Warner Brothers will release “Peanuts 1960s collection,” a DVD set of six popular Peanuts television specials. The collection also includes special features, like a short documentary on Vince Guaraldi, the composer of Peanuts music, $29.98.

Colorado Shakespeare Festival

If you haven’t yet checked out the Boulder’s Colorado Shakespeare Festival, this is the year. The festival, which Time Magazine has called one of the greatest Shakespearean festivals in the country, runs from July 1 to Aug. 15 and attracts as many as 40,000 visitors each year.

Enjoy the warm night air at the beautiful Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre on the University of Colorado campus, where all of the performances take place. Head to “Hamlet” on July 3, or try “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” on July 28. For more information on festival events or to purchase tickets, visit www.coloradoshakes.org.

— By Jessica Warnock