About Me

Howdy. I’m Laura Rucker, also known – unofficially – as Ms. Wonka. I’m a high-strung, hyena-laughing Chocoholic, wife and mother of one. Welcome to my Chocolate factory!

I’m the oldest child of two born in California.  I spent my formative years in Washington state. I met my husband in college, moved to Alaska for his tourist job and somehow survived SIX looong winters among the moose and glaciers.  No, we didn’t live in an igloo, although some nights it sure felt like it. Brrr! We moved back to Washington (Yay!), this time with a newborn and we’ve been here ever since.

We both work full-time out of the home, complete with moderate to long commutes.

We help our daughter with homework.  Cook.  Clean.  And try to find time to spend together as a family.  Life is good, but busy.

Money was tight as a child.  We weren’t poor, but my mom was the breadwinner and my dad was ahead of his time – a stay-at-home dad. Being on one income, sweet treats were rare.  Very rare!

We never had pop (or soda, depending on where you grew up) and rarely had potato chips. Ice cream was somewhat frequent, but even then it was always the house brand.  Still, we were grateful to have it. If you didn’t stake your claim, you were out of luck.  To reduce fights there were a few times when my mom or dad would literally set the ice cream box in the middle of the kitchen table, peel the box away from the ice cream and cut it into four very even sections. We knew because my brother and I monitored this step. One for my dad. One of my mom.  One for my brother and one for me.   We sat there and ate our share until it was gone.  If you didn’t someone else would make sure it was gone when you weren’t looking. It puts a smile on my face every time I recall this memory.

Then there’s Chocolate.

I don’t remember Chocolate being a big part of my childhood.  Sure I had the occasional Milky Way, Snickers and M&Ms like any other kid. We even had See’s Candies during the holidays. Again, a rare treat. They were good, but nothing that left me longing for more. Chocolate was just that, Chocolate.

That is until many years later when my husband bought me a box of Godiva truffles.

OMG!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Now this is Chocolate, I thought!  WOW!!!

Having tasted one of the best Chocolates I’d ever had, I was curious to try more of these fine delicacies. Around the same time I took up the “hobby” of creating websites covering various topics. I then decided to join the masses (not my usual style) and try blogging. This meant less coding and more writing. I was sold, I loved it! And I love Chocolate.  So there you have the marriage of Chocolate and blogging into GotChocolate.com.

At Got Chocolate you’ll find a wide variety of subjects on Chocolate.  If it has anything to do with Chocolate, I mean ANYTHING, you’ll find it here. There’s more to Chocolate than just the food. And if it’s not here, tell me and I’ll be happy to explore and share your find with my Chocoholic readers.

In my recipes section, I post step-by-step photos of any and all recipes that include Chocolate. Some are even healthy for you!

In my store section, you’ll find links to many of the Chocolates I review and cook with. There’s even a link to my own Chocolate-themed designs you can buy on t-shirts, coffee cups, mousepads and much more.

In my review section, I give my honest opinion. If you’re looking for only glowing reviews, this isn’t the place for you. I’ll glow when it’s warranted. Sounds fair to me, don’t you think? After all, I’m here to help you get the best bang for your buck.

Last, but not least, I hold frequent giveaways. Some are hosted by me and others are by companies related to the many Chocolate items this world has to offer. Believe me, there’s A LOT of potential Chocolate-themed giveaways to be had!

I love blogging. I love Chocolate. I love waking up, taking photos of my Chocolate findings and writing about what pops into my head.

And I love you. Thank you for allowing me to share!

Love,

Laura