Pasta

Malden Rotary Club 10K… and a few thoughts

Published on March 25, 2012March 26, 2012 by Marie4 Comments

I did it. I ran my first 10K yesterday. And I ran the ENTIRE THING.

I didn’t necessary stick to my original training plan and even though I did get my butt out to run a few days a week, I wasn’t feeling super prepared. Plus, my head hasn’t been 100% in the game (any game) over the past few weeks and I considered not running it at all. But then I figured if anything, this was something I had to do for me.. and only me.

So let’s go back to the day before my biggest running accomplishment to date.

Friday was rough for the good portion of the daylight hours. After seeing the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games with my friend Greg, I had a completely unrelated breakdown, cried until I got sick, cried myself to sleep and then all morning. I didn’t even go to class. Eventually I dragged my sorry excuse of a human being out of bed, picked up my camera gear from school and spent the afternoon with my friend Sara. And by spend the afternoon with, I mean that I fell asleep at the end of her bed for three hours, probably because I haven’t had a sound night’s sleep in weeks.

A few hours later, Sara worked her magic, made me look gorgeous (not to toot my own horn, but even I was like holy crap,) and we went out for our other friend Steph’s birthday. We went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where I fueled with their Skinnylicious Pasta with chicken, basil and marinara. I only got about halfway through the bowl before my tummy told me to stop. Apparently 2 weeks of hardly eating will shrink your stomach. Either way, it was delicious and I spent the next few hours having fun with my friends without thinking about any other worries in the rest of my life.

prettyme — Sara does good work... I even *felt* pretty.

I went home to Lynn to get a full, yet restless and nightmare-filled, eight hours of sleep. In the morning, I had my usual pre-race breakfast of 3 pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter and a bottle of water before my mom and I headed to Malden for the 11:30am start.

When we got there, I headed right to registration, picked up my swag bag and tried my best to push all sad thoughts from my head. I visualized crossing the finish line. Before I knew it, I was hugging my mom and heading to the start.

And this is the face of a very nervous runner…

The race itself was pretty small. There was a 5K course and 10K course but only about 350 runners total. The 10K headed out first. As I started running, I felt good. Just 1 mile in, I knew I’d be able to run farther than I had in any other race without a walking break. Usually, I have to stop a few times to walk but as I hit the mile 2 mark, I had a feeling that I wouldn’t need to stop at all and that’s where I started to think “Oh my God, I can do this without stopping.” And once I get a goal in my head, it’s pretty tough to get it out.

I had my Garmin on and it kept my pace beautifully. Sadly, every time I looked at it (which was pretty often), I felt a small searing pain hit my heart. It was a gift from someone very important to me, but we’ll just leave it at that.

I also kept my eyes on a girl in a bright pink tank top who was running ahead of me for the entire race. I could’ve passed her multiple times, but I let her pace me and I think it was the better decision. At times, I’m sure I felt like a shadow to her because I was so close but if I hadn’t used to her to speed up and slow down, I don’t think running the whole race would’ve been possible.

At 4.75 miles in, I called my mom to tell her I was close to finishing. She was reading in her warm car but I didn’t want her to miss my finish. After that, my groove seemed out of step, my stomach was a little less uneasy and I wanted to be done. I kept telling myself “keep going; I want to tell people I ran without stopping; prove to yourself that you can really do it.” Eventually, we rounded the corner to the finish line, I could hear my labored breathing over my music but I didn’t care – I dug deep and pushed, crossed the finish line and grabbed a much-needed bottle of water.

I threw myself into my mom’s arms and started crying. I cried because I finished, I cried because I ran the entire thing without stopping once. I cried tears of joy, sadness, anger, resentment, disappointment. I cried because the one person I wanted to collapse into, to hug me, to be proud of me at the finish line, wasn’t there. I was angry, overjoyed and devastated all at the same time.

And then I stopped crying. Because this day was about nothing other than the fact that I set my heart on something and got it. And it felt amazing. I knew then that if I didn’t give up on running, no matter how hard and painful it was at times, I wouldn’t give up on other things I loved either. And for that moment, I felt calmer than I have in weeks.

On that note, here are some happy/crappy details of the race:

The Happy:

– The weather. I could not have asked for a better day. It was incredibly chilly out, a complete difference than the past few days in the Boston area. I was thankful for the crisp breeze the second I started running because I knew it would keep me from getting too overheated throughout the run. And the overcast kept the sun from beating down onto my already reddened face, so that was nice too.

– My new shirt. A gift from my friend Kim for my birthday, it’s sweat-wicking and didn’t get heavy or overheat me in anyway. I even wore my long-sleeved NDA zip-up for the whole race and only felt super hot towards the very end.

– The swag. I got a long-sleeved T, running gloves, a baseball cap, bread from a local company, a water bottle and other goodies from sponsors like VitaWater.

– The price. The student rate was $10 which is the least expensive race I’ve ever run. I think I got more value in just my swag bag than I paid for the actual race.

– Shot Blocks. Ya know how good runners say to never try something new on race day? Well, I did.. oops. I bought a pack of Tropical Fruit flavored Shot Blocks at New England Running Company and was excited to try them. The only thing I was worried about was any stomach issues that might occur but I took one just pass the mile 2 marker and then another a little ways into mile 4 and chased both with some water from water stops and felt a sudden surge of energy after each. They tasted great, had a consistency that didn’t hurt my stomach and gave me a boost that I needed.

The Crappy:

– My running capris. Apparently they are too big, which shouldn’t be a surprise since I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I bought them. I had to keep pulling them up, which got a little annoying. I’ll buy new ones for my next race.

– The finish line. Not the actual finish line itself, I could see the clock, the girl took my number, normal end of the race. It was who wasn’t at the finish line that hurt the most.

On another happy note, I mentioned on Facebook that if I finished my race, I would reward myself. So this little guy is all mine. My new motto: “Slow and steady ~~wins~~ finishes.. the race.”

turtle — My nickname in elementary school was "Tortoise" so I suppose this is pretty fitting!

And as the title promised, a few thoughts…

I think running is a lot like being in love. It’s an incredible feeling, good for your body, your mind and your soul. Sometimes it hurts like hell, sometimes you want to quit and give up or stop because it’s just too hard. But when you push yourself through that pain, find your stride and look deep in your heart, when you can breathe again and take look around, it is the most rewarding and breath-taking experience in life.

And if, at the end of the race, you have the person you love’s arms to collapse into, well.. I’d say you’re the luckiest person in the world.

That time I signed up for a 10K

Published on February 16, 2012 by Marie4 Comments

So remember that time I was going to run a 10K and then totally chickened out? Then there was that other time when I accidentally registered for a 5-miler instead of a 5K, but got through it without dying? Well, my friends, two nights ago I clicked a pretty little PAY NOW button and officially registered for my first-ever 10K road race.

Holy. Crap.

The race: The 9th Annual Malden Rotary Road Race 10K

Where: Malden, Massachusetts

When: Saturday, March 24th… a mere 5 and a half weeks away.

But at a $10 student race fee, I couldn’t turn it down. Plus, the prospect of some sweet race swag had me giving them those ten dollars even faster.

I can’t say no to free stuff, especially when it has to do with running (or dance.) The awesome bright green gloves I got from that 5-miler say “Shamrock Running Club” on them and I won’t lie – I love wearing them. I feel like a runner or something.

So where does that leave me training-wise? Well, I’ve got the 5-miler and a few 5Ks under my belt so I already know I can complete the extra 1.2 miles without dying. Will I enjoy it? Probably not at the time, but I’ll do it. Since I kept putting off registering, I now find myself with only 5 weeks to formally train along with a full course schedule, TA-ing and 12 hours a week of dance (oh, did I mention that even after dropping Wednesday night at DanceWorks, I somehow managed to add an additional 4 hours of dance a week? I didn’t mention that? More about that in a different post….), it leaves little wiggle room for hours of running.

So I found a plan that fits just right.

So obviously this plan does not come complete with almost 12 hours of extra cross training per week but as is the life of a dancer/wannabe runner. I’ll be running various mileage 3-4 times a week, totaling from 14-17 miles per week. This is by farther most miles/week I’ve ever done and I’m super excited to start! I’m not going for speed, just endurance and a strong finish (aka don’t collapse at the finish line.)

But let’s be real here… I need some advice.

I want to know…. what advice do you have for me as I train for my first 10k? What works best for you when you train? What should I wear (keep in mind, the race is at the end of March). Share your 10K stories! Any and all advice is appreciated!

It’s Almost Christmas!!!

Published on December 23, 2011 by MarieLeave a comment

To start this post today, I’d like to say a very Happy Birthday to my cousin Sam!

sams21 — Sam's 21st Birthday... 22 will be much calmer.

I can’t believe how fast this year flew by. It’s crazy to me that Christmas is a mere 2 days away. Am I ready? YES YES YES!

tree — Our Christmas Tree... It takes up the better half of the living room.

First, I want to give a special shout-out and thank you to to Boston.com for featuring my Cranberry & Walnut Biscotti recipe the other day. Because of you, I reached a record number of page views for one day at Chocolate & Wine! What a great early Christmas present for my little corner of the Internet.

Lots of people ask me what I cook this time of year for Christmas and the various holiday parties I go to. To be honest, the list is endless. I try not to bring the same thing to the same place so it’s always a never-ending search for new recipes to try.

This year, I narrowed it down to a few winners.

For my best friend’s ugly sweater party, I made kale chips. The recipe could not be simpler. Take a bunch of fresh kale and wash thoroughly (they can be gritty so really let ’em soak). Then rip the leaves away from the stems and place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Top with more cooking spray (instead of oil to save some cals!), a little salt and a little black pepper and pop into a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. They become crisp and golden and melt in your mouth. A really great snack or appetizer for hungry girls watching their waistlines!

ugly sweaters — Check out those sweaters. We don't play around.

For a Christmas Eve appetizer, I pinterest-ed a recipe (did I mention I’m on Pinterest now? And obsessed with Pinterest? Well, I am.) And I found mini toothpick caprese salads. So easy, so healthy, so beautiful! I’m even going to make a balsamic glaze to drizzle over the top.

Christmas Day is my favorite. Because I come from a large Italian family, we do things in a traditional way. And by tradition, I mean we eat and drink for approximately 6-8 hours and pass out in food comas at the end of the night.

christmas2007 — Food Coma 101... Christmas 2007!

Christmas is a time for family and the Torto family’s ancient recipe for homemade raviolis. These are no joke, my friends. We already made them (in November) and they are sitting in plastic baggies in my aunt’s basement freezer waiting for their bath in from-scratch, simmered-for-hours tomato sauce.

Christmas day is served in multiple courses. Antipasti, then escarole soup, then the ravs with meatballs, sausages and pork, then salad, then dessert. Not to mention the finger foods we munch on before sitting down to the table or the bottles and bottles of Asti Spumonti and 2-Buck-Chuck red wine we go through.

And that’s only with my family. I mentioned that Stephen is Italian too, didn’t I? That’s a whole ‘nother story (and food coma..)

I hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, and great food. And maybe a surprise or two!

ravs — Beautiful pillows of ravioli perfection. Photo courtesy of Miss Ali Reed.

Lil Vinny’s Ristorante

Published on September 5, 2011 by Marie7 Comments

Last week, I got an e-mail from Boston Bruncher creator, Renee, with an exciting event: Dinner at Lil Vinny’s Ristorante in Somerville, MA. She opened it up to the first 8 bloggers who registered. Luckily, I check my e-mail approximately 126 times a day (rough estimate) and jumped on the chance to have a delicious dinner with fellow foodies.

After a not-so-wonderful 2-mile run per my 10K Training Plan (I skipped that day’s strength since I did it the day before plus with 2 hours of dance), I headed out to Somerville. Note to self: Run outside more. You suck at it.

What should have been a short 28-minute drive turned into a 1(+) hour nightmare. With no GPS, I ended up in every city around Somerville except Somerville. I was aggitated to say the least.

When I finally found the restaurant, I walked in to a dimly-lit atmosphere, immediately greeted by the comforting aroma of Italian food. A few steps in and I recognized my fellow bloggers enjoying each other company. I instantly felt much better.

I was especially excited to go tonight to meet some of these bloggers in person. It’s one thing to follow a blog and converse on Twitter but there is something even more meaningful to me when I connect with someone through actual human interaction. I spent the majority of the dinner conversing with: Katy, Rachel, Audrey, Kathy and Amanda.

Dinner itself was served family-style but no one could’ve guessed how much food Lil Vin’s would provide for us. Six courses. SIX. Seven if you include the bread basket and herb olive oil before the meal. And the food was as scrumptious as it was beautiful.

I should’ve worn stretchy pants.

The salad course was a larger portion of caesar salad complete with homemade anchovy dressing and crisp croutons. I didn’t even know the anchovy was present until one of the servers told us. It gave a nice salty bite to the dish.

Next up, a little seafood for my palate. Served family style, we were given perfectly steamed mussels in a spicy, yet delicate sauce. Then they brought out extra bread so none of the broth was wasted. They already knew us so well… a mere 2 courses in.

photo-2 — At this point, I was starting to get full...

Our first pasta dish (yes, I did say first) consisted of tortellinis in a yummy pesto sauce. They were perfectly al dente and I could’ve eaten the cheese filling alone. With a spoon. Out of a large bowl. What? I like cheese.

photo-3 — A very large helping of eggplant parm.

See that little beauty right there? It actually wasn’t so little. In fact, it was a huge slab of eggplant parm. Lightly breaded and fried, it was covered in cheese and not the least bit oily. I must admit, I’m partial to Boyfriend’s mom’s baked eggplant parm but this is the best restaurant version I’ve ever eaten.

My family makes homemade pasta. It’s incredible. Lil Vin’s also makes homemade pasta – fusilli with bolognese sauce – it is also quite incredible. At this point, I couldn’t eat more than a few bites so I asked for it to be wrapped up. Unfortunately, because of jumbling circumstances , it never made it home. Sad.

photo-4 — The dessert gods must've been smiling down on me.

Finally, after much debate on whether or not I could take another bite of food, this plate arrived in front of me. If you’ve been reading C&W for more than a day, you know that I can’t say no to sweet stuff. Vanilla bean panna cotta with candied lemon peel and homemade caramel was the cherry on top of a very large, multi-course, Italian cake.

And I ate every bite.

A big thanks to Lil’ Vinny’s for hosting us and providing us amazing food and wonderful service (and lights for our photos!) It is the perfect place to go for a romantic date night out or to simply catch up with a good group of friends, like the Boston Brunchers, and enjoy an Italian meal with a tasty twist. Highly recommended would be an understatement.

photo-5 — Sign of a good dinner, I think...

NOTE: This dinner was provided to me free of charge by Lil Vinny’s Ristorante. All of the opinions expressed here are mine. Neither Lil Vinny’s or the Boston Brunchers asked me to write a review of my experience there.

My First Race: The Essentials

Published on May 14, 2011 by Marie2 Comments

Here we are, kids. The eve of my first 5K. I’m sorry if you are sick of hearing about it. I’m not sick of talking about it. (I promise I’ll start cooking again for real next week though. I’ve missed it!)

So I’m nervous. Like really nervous. That’s normal right? I hope so. When I dance in big competitions like nationals, I have a habit of… well, losing it (if you know what I mean) beforehand (and maybe after.) Sometimes I cry too. Just being honest here.

I’ve been researching for quite some time now about what to wear, eat, listen to before, during and after running a race. Christine is a big help. Aron is too. But come on now, I’m no marathon runner just yet. No crazy carbo loads, no 5 mile easy runs (haha, can’t do those yet, but I did get in some nice cardio yesterday) and no Garmin on my wrist. However, I will have a (basic, but cute) running outfit, a rockin’ playlist, a good dinner tonight (a signature pasta creation), a light breakfast tomorrow morning, lots of water and my favorite people there to cheer me on (and take tons of pictures!)

This picture was my night in a nutshell…

So my essentials. I’ve comprised a (short) but sturdy list of things I’ll do/wear/eat today in preparation for tomorrow. First, I have been RESTING. My legs were a bit sore still today (I dance 3 days a week so yeah) so tonight I watched tv, cut up some watermelon, read, hung out with Tracie for a bit and watched Disney movies.

The Outfit

Okay, so I don’t really have a running wardrobe yet. I do have great running capris from target that I’ve been training in and LOVE. A regular t-shirt will suffice for this race with a light zip-up over it. I’ll decide when I get to the race if I need the jacket or not. I doubt it since it’s supposed to be nice out and I sweat … a lot. Sneakers? I have a confession… I never got new ones. I know.. SO BAD. But I’m going to suck it up for this first race and if I enjoy it as much as I hope I will and decide to sign up for more races (and longer distances), I will go to a specialized running store, get fitted and invest in good sneaks. For now, my Champs will have to do.

The Carbo Load

Just kidding. But there will be a little pasta. And veggies (duh, don’t you know how much I love em?) So here’s what I’m chowin’ on…

Breakfast (Today): Cup of fruit salad, small sliver quiche, small iced coffee with skim milk/2 sweet n low, water.

Lunch: Garden salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, a few croutons and fat free ranch, 1 orange, water.

Dinner: Whole grain pasta (angel hair is my favorite), throw in some of Stephen’s “quick sauce” (fam recipe sped up for convenience but still delicious). Then I’ll saute zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and mushrooms in a skillet and added it to the pasta. Yeah.. the perfect dish for some pre-race energy. Matched with a large glass of water, it’s a tremendous, digestible and san-heavy dinner.

Breakfast tomorrow: Slice of wheat toast with 1 TB low fat peanut butter, small banana (3 hours pre-race), water

The Playlist

I’ve done lots of mixing and matching to get the perfect approximately 40 minute playlist so every second will be accounted for… hopefully I won’t even need the whole thing. I’m not a big song jumper – I pick the winners ahead of time and play the whole thing. Here’s what I’ve got.. yes, a song or 2 are repeated but only because they pump me up so much.

1. King of Anything (3:27)- Sara Barielles. Upbeat for the warm-up few minutes.

2. The New Workout Plan (5:22)- Kanye West. If you want the best push-yourself song there is, download this. It’s so funny and makes you want to run… or do sit-ups, whatever.

3. Best Love Song (3:17) – Chris Brown. Got this one from Christine. It’s a great pacer song. I find my stride easily.

4. Can’t Be Tamed (2:28) – Miley Cyrus. I can’t be tamed, what about it? Plus, it’s short and a nice break up in between the long songs.

5. Born This Way (4:20) – Gaga. “I was born to survive.” Enough said.

6. On the Floor (3:50) – J.Lo & Pitbull. I could dance to this, run to this, anything. It’s just awesome.

7. Who’s That Chick (2:47) – Rhianna. Another one I can dance to. For some reason, when I think of dance routines while I run, it makes me enjoy it so much more.

8. The New Workout Plan. Repeat. I know it’s 5:22 so when its over, it’s a big chunk of time I got through.

9. Mean (3:57) – Taylor Swift. I play this at the end but I’m hoping I don’t need it. It’s one of those “you think I’m nothing but look what I’m doing now” sort of songs and it makes me want to prove to myself that I CAN DO IT.

The People

Obviously I’ve never run a race before but I completely believe all you runners out there that the crowd pumps you up and keeps you going. I’ve got a terrific group coming to cheer me on including my mom, my sister, my cousin Ali, my aunt, my work peeps. I plan on getting as much energy and motivation as I can from them and HAMMING it up in front of the cameras. And I’m giving Tracie a set of poms to shake around. Yeah, we’re legit.

If you just happen to be on the North Shore tomorrow morning, say around 9ish and you want to come watch a 5K, head to Marblehead (Beach St./Ocean Ave.) Find me and say hi. I’ll love you for it!

What are your Running Essentials? Were you nervous for your first race and if so, what did you do to de-stress yourself? (Seriously peeps, I need all the advice I can get on this one!)

Warm Scallop Salad & Comfort Food for Wisdom Teeth

Published on March 22, 2011 by Marie1 Comment

For those of you who have never had your wisdom teeth out, consider yourselves VERY lucky. I had mine out a week before I turned 18. I ate way too many McDonald’s chocolate milkshakes and looked like a chipmunk for about a week. Then proceeded to go on a roadtrip with 3 friends to New Jersey to go to 6 Flags for my birthday – still puffy. Not the most attractive week of my life.

Me and Melissa in Barcelona, Spain

My sister had hers out a week ago and her surgery didn’t go as well as mine. Poor kid – she hardly ate all week so when she needed “substance” the other night, I made mac and cheese from scratch for the first time in my life. I had to overcook the pasta a bit so she could chew it but you don’t have to. I’m happy to say that she liked it and is now (almost) fully recovered from her not-so-great experience with her wisdom teeth.

Easy Homemade Mac & Cheesy (ew, how cheesy is that title? Leaving it.)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat macaroni (I used spirals)
1/4 cup Brummel & Brown margarine spread
3 TB flour
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
2 cups grated cheese (I used mild cheddar but it’s up to you)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika

Cook macaroni according to the box directions, drain and set aside.

In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add the flour and seasonings and stir consistently to form a roux. Cook an additional 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste – you will notice the mixture begin to thicken. Add wine then gradually add the milk.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened and smooth. Add cheese and continue stirring until it has fully melted and the sauce tastes like cheesy heaven.

Combine the macaroni and the sauce and pour into a generously greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle top with extra cheese and bake in a 350 for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve while hot.
Serves 4-6.

I will say, I wanted to eat it SO badly. I resisted. Instead, I bypassed the carbs (and the meat since it was Friday) and had a craving for scallops instead. While at the grocery store, the strawberries looks particularly good and I knew I already had walnuts at home. I grabbed a few cans of mandarin oranges, some fresh baby spinach and a red onion. A summer salad complimented by warm, seared scallops.

Light, delicious, perfect.

Warm Scallop Salad

Ingredients: (Makes 1 salad)
Fresh bay scallops (the BIG ones!), about 5-6 per person
Fresh baby spinach (approximately 2 cups)
1 14-ounce can of mandarin oranges (in Sugar-Free juice), drained
Fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
2 TB red onion, finely chopped
2 TB chopped walnuts
Dressing: Total optional. I have a feeling that citrus-y dressings would be divine on this salad, but I dressed it with about a tablespoon of plain Balsamic vinegar. Plain would also be great.

Bring a non-stick skillet generously sprayed with cooking spray to medium-high heat. Sear scallops 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.

Place a large handful of spinach leaves into a salad bowl. Top with strawberries, orange pieces, walnuts, red onion and dressing if you like.

Place warm scallops on top and enjoy your nutritious, delicious, carb-free, meat-free salad!

Pasta alla Vodka

Published on November 18, 2010February 16, 2011 by Marie1 Comment

Last night, I really wanted to put together a stellar meal for my parents. I planned a 3-course meal, complete with everything a dinner should have.

Still keeping with my appetizer project, I made lemon-rosemary chicken. Technically, they are supposed to be on skewers and served with a dipping sauce. Unfortunately, we had no skewers and I did not have enough marinade to make the sauce but the chicken itself (although it didn’t look too great) tasted fantastic. I think I will grill it for my parent’s dinner party. But all in all, we’ll call it a win.

For the main course, I made rotini alla vodka. The vodka sauce was quick-cooking and delicious; I even threw in a little dried tarragon just because and added a little extra vodka. I slightly overcooked the pasta (total rookie mistake – I was so mad) but it turned out delicious anyway – my parents ate all of it! (For the recipe, visit my Tried & True page!)

To go along side, I attempted a recipe I found on My Baking Addiction: Beer Bread. Since we didn’t have any self-rising flour like the recipe called for, I used all-purpose instead. Mistake number 1. The bread hardly rose and was dense and wet in the middle with a heavy beer flavor. The edges and top that were done were golden and tasty, slightly sweet from the 1/3 cup of sugar the recipe called for. I would definitely make it again, except this time, I’ll use the correct flour. Oops.

Finally, to round out my meal, I made chocolate-chip biscotti. Well, almost chocolate chip. No mini chocolate chips in the house? No need to panic. Hershey kisses chopped up into chunks works just fine! They were almost all gone and were fantastic. Sweet but not so that you couldn’t eat them all without being sick. Plus, the chunks of didn’t all melt so every once and a while you got a nice, big, warm piece of hershey’s milk chocolate – what’s not to love about that?

My only regret is that I totally forgot to take pictures. Next time for sure. Anyone wanna give me a really nice camera so I can take photos that I see on other blogs? I promise to love you forever.