Q: What exactly is white chocolate?

A: White chocolate is made with cocoa butter. After roasting, the beans/nibs are milled to create cocoa liquor (pure chocolate), which is then pressed to extract the cocoa butter. To make true white chocolate, only cocoa butter, milk, and sugar are used. Additionally, true white chocolate isn’t pure white; it has an ivory hue from the cocoa butter. Real white chocolate must also be tempered to create a nice shine and smooth texture.

— Jim Snook, Owner & Master Confectioner, Snooks Candies & Chocolate Factory, 731 Sutter Street, Folsom. 916-985-0620, snookscandies.com

Q: What’s the difference between blinds and shutters?

A: Blinds have cords, which lift, lower, and tilt the window covering, in addition to holding the slats to the headrail above and keeping everything connected. Cords are unattractive, wear out over time, are hard to dust around, and can become soiled by hands. They can also pose a serious safety threat to children and pets. 

Shutters are louvered panels mounted into a stationary frame that open using hinges, thus eliminating all cords. Initially, shutters are a bigger investment because of the way they’re mounted/installed, but they ultimately add to the physical structure of the home and add long-term value to it.  

Both blinds and shutters offer variable light control by tilting slats, but shutters have more flexibility since the slats can be split to tilt separately, allowing the bottom to be closed for privacy and the top kept open for natural light. Additionally, shutters are about three times more energy efficient than blinds.

—Jeannie Noll, Owner, Blind Spot, 6624 Lonetree Boulevard, Suite 500, Rocklin. 916-773-7768, shutterspot.com