One took up painting, another built a “victory garden” of vegetables and herbs, another the violin. It seems Keys people don’t like sitting still, and many have adopted new hobbies during the “safer at home” edict gripping Florida. Marathon’s Sherry Alana took up … chocolate. But not just any chocolate … “keto” chocolate.
“It was something I did with my daughter who is 8 years old,” Alana said. “She loves chocolate, and I am not a fan of American chocolate. My fiancée tried it too … he ate an entire jar at 6 o’clock in the morning!”
So far, she’s mastered five flavors — bacon, coconuts (with walnut and macadamia nuts), peanut butter, toasted coconut and blueberry. She describes her genre of confection as chocolate bark.
Here’s a little more about Sherry:
How did you get to the Keys? We moved here in 2011 and I attended Marathon High School for three years before graduating from Island Christian School.
Where do you work? I’m a customer service representative at the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority. I’ve been working at home during the quarantine.
Where do you live? I live in Marathon with my fiancé, my daughter and my two stepsons, ages 12 and 13.
We love the packaging — little mason jars. Tell us about that. The recipes are mostly organic and I wanted to continue with the same mindset by using containers that could be re-used or recycled.
Is the chocolate-making eating up a lot of your time (pun intended)? Oh, yes. For three weeks I haven’t had time for anything else except Zonta Club, work and this. I’ve been staying up until 1 a.m. I think I need to start limiting myself to 15 hours a week.
If you could have any superhero power, what would it be? The ability to see into the future.
Are you a reader or watcher? Both. The last book I read was called “The Plant Paradox,” and I watched “Maleficent” last night.
If you could have lunch with anybody, dead or alive, who would it be? My great-grandmother, Ruby. She is the one that taught me how to make caramel that we used in candies and desserts. She liked to throw a lot of parties, and I would help bake in the kitchen.
Do you have a life motto? I say, “make it work, figure it out” all the time.
What would your fiancé say about you? That I am loveable and always try to do the right thing, including obeying traffic rules in parking lots; that aggravates him!
What song do you know by heart? “Sherry, Baby” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons!
