Chocolate and jewelry proved to be a winning combination Saturday morning as more than 750 folks tasted, bought and perused the Destin United Methodist Women's Chocolat' Fare in the Life Center at the church.
With a chocolate fountain, homemade pies, cookies and jewelry, this was the 11th year for the fair. It raised more than $4,300, which will all go to missions as well as needy in the area.
"We have so much fun doing this, that it's not a chore," said DUMW's Libby Rountree, who was manning the chocolate fountain. "It's especially a favorite of the children."
Sara Cameron, 10, of Destin proved Rountree right.
After Cameron walked her way down the row of tables loaded with all things chocolate, she turned and saw the fountain and said, "It just gets better."
But it wasn't just the young that were loading up on the chocolate.
"I put it on my calendar on my computer so we don't miss it," said snowbird Barbara Moen of Minneapolis, Minn. Her husband Dean had already picked out a pecan and chocolate chip pie. The two also had cake pops, Peppermint Pattie sandwiches and chocolate pumpkin bread in their stack of goodies.
"We're having friends over tonight … but we're going to have skim milk with it all," Dean said.
Lynda Newman, Nancy McGregor and Dianne Keough, all of Toronto, Canada, couldn't resist the jewelry.
"This is my first time," Keough said. "I'm very excited and the spoons are just beautiful."
The Destin United Methodist Women craft silver spoons into all types of jewelry. Keough was fascinated with the pins shaped into angels.
"We have no patterns. We just put things together," said DUMW's Rosalie Worthington, who was manning one of the jewelry tables.
Folks were going back and forth from the jewelry tables to chocolate treats.
"I'm back in line for more," said Nancy Gasser of Massachusetts, who was holding a bag of cookies. "We come every year and try not to over do … but we do," she laughed.
Not to worry though.
"None of these calories stick today," Kitty Ammons of DUMW assured some of the customers.