It’s never too late to revamp your summer fitness goals, even if it already the middle of August. Hey, summer in New England lasts all of 5 seconds so I plan on taking advantage of this weather as much as possible until fall officially starts on September 22nd.
Throughout my engagement from October 2014 until my wedding in June 2016, I was super motivated to get and stay fit. Over the course of those 19 or so months, I dropped 20 pounds and felt incredible in my wedding dress. I tried my hardest to keep up my routine after the wedding was over, even hit the resort gym during my honeymoon in Jamaica, but the same old routine just wasn’t cutting it anymore. In short, I was SO bored.
From last June until the beginning of this summer, my motivation for working out was coming in waves. I was still dancing and getting some cardio and strength training in, but my once-strict regimen was dwindling. When I discovered Aaptiv and its “Fit for Summer” program, I jumped at the chance for a much needed change-up in my routine.
Aaptiv has tons of different programs and trainers you can choose from. What I like about it most is that the trainers talk you through your workout and motivate you to succeed. I found this particularly helpful for treadmill running, a workout that is never high on my to-do list. Since running a race is on my Bucket List for the year, I’ll definitely utilize Aaptiv as part of my training. It’s also great for cross training, yoga, and strength and has multiple levels to keep things interesting and challenging based on what you’re up for.
Everything your body needs right at your fingertips!
A bonus about Aaptiv is that it can be downloaded right to your phone. Super convenient as it’s something that’s always with you. No friends around for a gym date? The trainers on Aaptiv can lend that human voice you may need to get you through a tough workout. Not feeling the gym today? Take your workout home and get some yoga in while dinner is in the oven.
Overall, if you’re looking for a break in your routine or just to try something new to get started, Aaptiv makes any workout better.
Want to try Aaptiv for yourself? Download the app and use code BURPEES for a FREE 30-day trial! I’d love to hear what you think!
I was provided a free month of Aaptiv in exchange for my review. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Thank you for supporting brands who support Chocolate & Wine!
Back at Easter, Sean and I were just starting the journey to buy our first house. We got pre-qualified, talked about what we would want and need in our home, and narrowed down the towns we’d be happiest living in for at least 5 years. Up in New Hampshire (and I’m pretty sure all of New England right now) it’s definitely a seller’s market; new listings would be up and off the market in a matter of days, sometimes before we could even get in to see it. Cue all the curse words.
Everyone kept saying “the right one will come along.” (UGH, WHAT IS PATIENCE?) I actually joked with Sean on more than one occasion that we should forget the whole thing and go on vacation. Luckily he’s much more level-headed than I am so we continued to look at what was available, which wasn’t much. I had my naive first-time homeowner heart set on a colonial, but realized very quickly that it was not the style we were going to end up with. When I was finally able to wrap my head around potentially getting something along the lines of a split level, Sean found “the perfect raised ranch” with not-so-great listing photos. When he swiped through the photos and landed on the image of the kitchen, I didn’t hold back a very loud “EW!” Poor guy. He convinced me to just golook at it and I obliged knowing full well in the back of my mind that there was NO WAY I was going to want, nevermind love, this ranch house.
Long story short, he was right. The right house did come along and I knew it was that ranch the moment we stepped inside. It felt right. (I don’t think Sean will ever get tired of saying I told you so.) I’m now a firm believer that buying a house is like being in a relationship; you can’t force it. It has to fit.
The scary part of the whole process came soon after. Once we fell in love with the house (after being there all of 10 minutes), we knew we needed to put in an offer immediately. With the help of our wonderful realtor, we were able to put in our strongest offer and beat out six others all within three days of the house being for sale. Our situation, from first showing to close ended up being 28 days altogether which is definitely not the norm for the whole home buying process, but for a girl was zero patience it was a welcomed surprise.
So, here’s a quick (and empty) tour of our new house! I can’t wait to get in there and start on the projects we have lined up: staining the kitchen cabinets and putting up a backsplash, painting all of that wood trim and the walls throughout the main space and then eventually getting to bigger things like finishing the basement, cutting down a few trees, painting the bedrooms, etc. I’ll be sure to update the blog to not only document the changes but also what worked, what didn’t work, and our favorite brands along the way.
Side note: I can already envision a GIANT Christmas tree the back sun room with the high ceilings and large windows. Sean thinks 7 feet is good. I’m thinking 12…
I can’t wait to see how it all turns out as we move in, get settled and really start to decorate. Here’s to this next chapter!
What are your best tips for brand new home owners? Anything you did or wish you would’ve done as soon as you moved in?
While I’m over here taking my sweet time trying to write up all the fun I had in Nashville last month, I didn’t want to miss the chance to share a cute and easy Easter tablescape from this past weekend! But first, a short life update.
Sean and I are currently searching for our first house, a process I am already not enjoying very much. (I lack a particularly important virtue, ahem, patience.) Couple that with my always-busy, can-never-sit-still schedule and you have a recipe for unlimited amounts of frustration. Luckily, my laid back, go-with-the-flow husband keeps things in check, both for me and for our budget which I’m willing to blow any time a just-out-of-reach Colonial comes on the market.
Besides the obvious reasons for wanting to own a home, one of the things I’m most looking forward to is being able to entertain. While I do love our current rental condo and will most likely cry unnecessarily when it’s time to move out, the fact that I can’t sit more than 6 people comfortably in our main living area is not conducive to the type of hosting I want to do. (This includes Pizzazzerie-level planning, decorating, themes in case you were wondering.) The possibilities are endless and so are my hopes for this house.
So anyway.
For the big holidays like Christmas and Easter at my parents’ house, my mom and dad are usually so busy getting dinner ready that they have no problem whatsoever relinquishing the table to me. This year, I wanted to keep it simple and highlight the Lindt GOLD BUNNY figures I picked up from a sale at work. My mind immediately visualized the set up: white tablecloth, gold chargers, white napkins, a Lindt GOLD BUNNY, a few chocolate eggs, simple candles and a bouquet of white and/or yellow flowers in a crystal vase in the center.
This table came together in under ten minutes. I used my parents’ good silverware but any would do (maybe even gold flatware if you have some?!) Since everyone was drinking different beverages, I set one wine glass at every place setting to make the whole thing look cohesive and finished. It was simple, elegant, and every one loved it.
My parents, as always, made an incredible dinner so I brought dessert: a Lemon-Blueberry layer cake with cream cheese frosting (recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.) It really was the best way to end such a wonderful holiday with our family. Maybe next year I’ll host Easter brunch at my house….
Do you have any first-time homebuying tips? Ways to not completely lose your mind during the process? Please send them my way!
As I mentioned in my End-Of-2016 post, 2017 is already shaping up to be quite the travel year. I couldn’t be happier about it. What better way to start the year than with a trip to California? Cue my friend Sara who would always argue that “the West Coast is the best coast.” I debated with her all through grad school but being in California for 11 days and loving every second makes my argument tough to defend these days…
On the 4th of January, I boarded a plane to LA for a work trip to the Golden Globe Awards. This is the event of the year for my team and we started planning back in July. Seriously, that’s when I booked my plane ticket (on JetBlue for super cheap I may add.) Lindt Chocolate USA is the Official Confection Sponsor of the Globes and as such, we have a variety of activations, both before and on the day of the awards show. Things like special chocolate boxes on the tables for all of the celebrities, a live sampling booth in the lounge off of the ballroom where the show is taking place, and a booth/bar at the Weinstein-Netflix After Party.
My boss, Chandra, and I rented gorgeous rose gold Badgley Mischka dresses from Rent the Runway for the event and felt right at home with the stars. Along with our two Master Chocolatiers, CEO, Lindt team members and bloggers, our chocolate was quite the hit. We chatted with celebs, sampled thousands (and thousands!) of truffles and chocolate bars and even walked the Red Carpet.
Lindt Team in the Golden Globes ballroom loungeThe entire Lindt Team at the Weinstein-Netflix After Party
As a longtime Pretty Little Liars fan (anyone else??), one of the major highlights of the night was working with Shay Mitchell (who plays Emily in the show). As our celebrity partner, she took photos before and during the after party and was just an all-around down-to-earth, super sweet person. She even took a Snapchat video with myself and Chandra in it (…dying) and then we took a PLL “shush” picture with her (…more dying). I managed to keep it together pretty well even though the fangirl in me was screaming on the inside.
Shay Mitchell + Me = Instant BFFs
After a killer showing at the Golden Globes, the Lindt team flew home on Monday morning and left me behind. Kidding! Kind of. I did stay behind and Sean flew in for a 6-day California vacation. This was the first time in our almost 5 years together that we found ourselves in Cali at the same time. I’ve gone for work twice and Sean for work 5 or 6 times but this was the first opportunity we were able to connect on the west coast. We hit the ground running just hours after Sean’s plane landed and jam-packed our week with things to do, things to see, and PLENTY of beer.
Also pertinent to note that on this trip prior to Sean flying in my team was able to do some fun things, like go to a Laker Game at the Staples Center and eat phenomenal food. We stayed at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood. It was swanky and upscale, although not as fancy as some of the hotels in other parts of LA, but I loved the feel and vibe of the place. Their Skybar and Ivory on Sunset restaurant are both winners. A group of us also dined at Del Frisco’s right on the Santa Monica pier. It had a stellar wine list and delicious salmon. I’d love to spend more time in that area on my next trip to Cali.
Los Angeles
On Monday, I checked out of The Mondrian just after noon and took an Uber up to Burbank to check in our hotel, The Tangerine. This place was essentially a glorified motel but it was cute and clean, the staff was friendly, and it was definitely a good budget find at under $150 a night with tax included. Since Sean’s flight was delayed, I had time to take a quick nap. Before I knew it, he had arrived with our rental car and we were off on a 10-minute walk over to Warner Brothers Studios for their studio tour. It was an absolute blast. Being such a huge aforementioned Pretty Little Liars fan, the first part of the tour was a stroll through “Smalltown, USA” better known as Rosewood (from PLL) and Stars Hollow for you Gilmore Girls fans out there. I was pretty much having a meltdown being in both places at once from shows that I’ve been watching for years.
Welcome to Stars Hollow AND Rosewood!Rosewood High School… Not freaking out, not freaking out…Anyone recognize this house?
Also on the tour is a walk through their gigantic prop house, as well as an archive of Marvel and Harry Potter costumes and memorabilia. The Harry Potter nerd in me was so excited to see the Triwizard Cup, Golden Snitch, the Marauder’s Map, and even the Privet Drive fireplace complete with Harry’s Hogwarts letters. There’s also an entire interactive exhibit at the end of the tour which includes a lesson on the mechanics of flying a broomstick, a display of awards trophies, and the chance to ride a broomstick or drive a bat mobile motorcycle (which we obviously did.) Needless to say, we had a blast.
On the “Friends” Central Perk set!
Can I keep this?
That night, we grabbed dinner at a great little sushi place called Gindi Thai right down the street from our hotel. It was some of the best sushi I’ve ever eaten. Even though it was early when we finished dinner, I was practically falling asleep at the table. When we got back to the hotel, I was passed out by 8pm and slept for 12 hours. In the morning, we checked out of our hotel and got breakfast at a super cute eatery called Olive & Thyme. The Eggs Benedict was super yummy – Sean and I both had it – and he ordered a mocha that I was seriously jealous of. Just look how pretty!
The weather wasn’t great that morning but we took a chance and drove up to the Griffith Observatory; the same place they filmed “La La Land”. The view was all fog, but we still enjoyed walking around and just being there together. I even got Sean to do a few “La La Land” inspired dance moves so it wasn’t a total waste.
Since we had some time to kill before heading down to Anaheim for the second part of our trip, we decided to be extra tourist-y and visit Hollywood proper for the Walk of Fame and Chinese Theater. I got to see it last year when I stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel right on the walk, but since Sean hadn’t, we spent some time walking up and down, seeing some of our favorite celebs’ stars and tracking down David Bowie and Debbie Reynolds, who surprisingly were just a few stars apart.
There’s also a Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum . I hadn’t been to one since a family trip to London years back and Sean went to the one in Vegas. We were told that this particular museum is completely interactive so we thought, what the heck? Inside, we were like kids on a playground, taking pictures with the celebrity statues and having some seriously ridiculous fun.
I think Betty White was the MOST convincing figure in the wax museumThis photo wins though…
Anaheim
After we were done goofing around in LA, we figured we should probably hit the road to Anaheim to make sure we had plenty of time to find the hotel and get ready for the night. The drive was a little grey starting out but the sun eventually broke through and I made it a point to blare the “La La Land” soundtrack as we drove out of Los Angeles.
We arrived at the Cortona Inn & Suites (which wasn’t all that luxurious but was a clean, inexpensive room that we knew we wouldn’t spend much time in anyway) and immediately got ready to head right back out. The first stop on the agenda was a local brewery, Noble Ale Works. Sean, as usual, got a flight and I started with one of their lighter beers before finding my favorite in their Pistol Whip’d Pilsner.
After the brewery, we got an Uber to get dinner before attending an Anaheim Ducks hockey game. We made reservations at J.T. Schmid’s just across the street from the Honda Center. The atmosphere here was relaxed and casual; they even had a Bruins game playing on one of the TVs. Sean had a BBQ chicken flatbread pizza (which I was jealous I didn’t order) and I had fish tacos, which were good but not nearly as good as the flatbread.
We then headed across the street to the Honda Center for the game. Sean was extra excited because it was his first time in another team’s arena. The Ducks weren’t playing the Bruins but we had fun cheering them on against the Dallas Stars and listening to their hilarious fans all night. They heckled the Stars’ goalie for the entire game, used actual duck calls (like the one Sean uses for hunting) and there was a decent amount of quacking too. The Ducks won, our seats were great and overall, it was a successful first day in Anaheim.
DUCKS WIN!!
We got up early the next day for our first of two days at Disneyland. I don’t think either of us could’ve been more excited. There was rain in the forecast so we packed our rain jackets and stuffed my sister’s Minnie backpack with extra layers and snacks.
The included breakfast at the hotel was terrible so we opted for Starbucks in Downtown Disney before heading into the actual park. When the Uber dropped us off, we went through security and I practically skipped into Downtown I was so happy. Finally fueled by good coffee, we walked through my favorite World of Disney store before taking our tickets through the entrance of the park. I had Minnie Ears from a trip to Disney World in Florida a few years back and spent a good amount of the day trying to convince Sean to get a Mickey Ear hat to wear with me. (It didn’t happen.)
I couldn’t get him to buy Mickey Ears, but I was satisfied with this.
Being January, we assumed that the park would be empty, and while it was much much slower than usual, I’d say the crowd was more on the moderate side. It sprinkled for a bit just as the park opened and we sprinted to Hyper Space Mountain for our first ride. And good thing too because that line got long fast. Eventually the clouds passed and the sun came out, and we spent the entire day literally running around the park getting in every single ride we wanted to, some more than once. Never in my years and years of going to Disney World in Florida was I ever able to ride Splash Mountain three times in one day, but in Disneyland in January, we could practically walk onto the ride. I let Sean take the reins in terms of the schedule and figuring out what made the most sense with our fast passes, and he made sure no second was wasted in that park. We ended the day in Downtown Disney at an open-air bar with a beer and a glass of wine. Oh, and almost 30,000 FitBit steps!
Can’t take us anywhere…First Dole Whips!
The next day, we were up early to do it all again at California Adventure! This time, however, we were in for some rain. Actually A LOT of rain. It poured on and off all day which made it challenging to get on some of the rides at first (like the California Screamin’ roller coaster.) Somehow though, it all worked out. Just like the day before, we were able to ride all of the rides we wanted multiple times and there were even fewer people in California Adventure than the previous day in the main park. Plus, California Adventure has beer, so you know we took advantage of that. Beer + a cheesy pretzel + a dry bench overlooking the harbor + your husband is not a bad way to wait out a rain storm. We did get stuck on the Cars ride in the pouring rain which was slightly terrifying when your car slows way down and you’re still riding along the outside track with very steep turns, but hey, it’s an experience, right?
When we got home that night, we were both soaked through and freezing, but for the fun we had it was worth it. I climbed into bed with a glass of wine and half of this Sprinkles cupcake – not a bad way to end two incredible days in Disney.
Side note: I don’t care what anyone says about January being a terrible month to go to Disneyland. No the weather isn’t perfect, but I’d take rain and no lines over sunshine with packed crowds and long wait times any day!
San Diego
We let ourselves sleep in a little bit on Friday morning. We were both completely exhausted from the past two days and ready for a day of trying as much California beer as humanly possible. The drive from Anaheim to San Diego itself was smooth sailing with hardly any traffic and Sean drove the coastline so I could get my first real glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.
Before getting into San Diego, we took a pitstop in Escondido to visit a brewery that Sean has been obsessing over for years – Stone Brewing. It was tucked into the side of an industrial building but opened up into a massive tasting room and outdoor area. It was noted many times that the breweries in California make the ones in New England look so tiny by comparison. There was over a dozen beers on tap to choose from, not including the guest taps from other Cali breweries. Sean was like a little kid in a candy store trying all of the different beers we aren’t able to get here in New Hampshire. I loved their Imperial Pilsner, which is also not available on the East Coast, so I had to have two tasters of it before we left.
After Stone we stopped for lunch at In ‘n Out. Double double animal style with non-animal style fries, please. Seriously, I don’t understand why we don’t have this chain on the east coast and then I remember that it’s best for my waistline that we don’t. And no, I didn’t eat BOTH of these burgers; Sean ate the one too.
When decided the best course of action for the rest of the afternoon would be to drop off our rental car at Sean’s brother’s house and Uber our way around. Our next stop was Ballast Point Brewing, another place Sean had been talking about for months. It was getting close to Happy Hour and the tasting room was filling up so we snagged a high top near the bar. This beer list was massive. I stuck with their three lightest beers and Sean went straight for their IPAs. Sean’s brother Mike joined us just a little while later and took us on the rest of our Tour de Beer.
Photo Credit: Sean and his fancy iPhone 7 Plus
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring three more breweries that were close by: Green Flash, AleSmith, and Saint Archer. I think my favorite beer of the three was the White Ale at Saint Archer, but all of them had impressive taps. It was a brewery marathon to say the least.
We had just enough time before picking up my sister-in-law from the airport to take a excursion to Old Town San Diego and grab dinner at Old Town Mexican Cafe. Being just a few minutes from the Mexican border, Old Town is the place to go for the most authentic food. I could’ve eaten an entire basket of warm, freshly made tortillas (with one of the best margaritas I’ve ever had) as my dinner. I opted for street tacos – one steak, one pork – and ended up taking most of it home because the portions were huge. Highly recommended on a visit to San Diego.
The next morning, we ventured out to the San Diego Zoo and oh-em-gee were we surprised at what we were in for. We’d heard so many wonderful things about the zoo, including that it’s possible to spend upwards of 5 or 6 hours in there. What we didn’t realize is that it’s essentially Disney World for animals. Absolutely massive. Needless to say, we were not prepared. We did have fun wandering all over the zoo, finding our favorite animals (mine was the baby panda and every single species of cats; Sean liked the giant hippos) and taking photos over the span of four hours. However, if we had really understood the size and time commitment of the zoo (aka done the research we should have done ahead of time), we probably would’ve opted out of it on this trip and spent the day at the beach or along the coast instead. After two straight days at Disney just a few days before, we were a little done with the crowds…. and the walking.
Shortly after getting home, we quickly got ready and turned right back around for an evening at Pacific Beach. Mike and his wife, Celina, have been San Diego natives for a few years but decided to buy a house and move to her home state of Oregon so they had a going away party with a bunch of their friends at a local hotel bar, Tower 23. It was swanky while still maintaining a beachy feel and the Patriots game against Houston was on so it made for an all-around great evening.
Sadly, we had to fly home on Sunday. After a nice breakfast with Mike and Celina, we headed to the airport. I was so sad to see our trip end and definitely had some post-event/vacation blues going back to work that week. The silver lining is I have lots of travel plans coming up (I see you Nashville….) and plenty of places on my list to see.
Next up? Sean’s 31st Birthday and of course, the Boston Wine Expo both happening in February! I’ll be live-tweeting and Instagram storying (TBD on whether that’s an actual verb) from the BWE. If you’ll be there, shoot me an e-mail (chocolateandwineblog@gmail.com) and let’s meet up!
If you haven’t purchased tickets to the Expo, use code WINEDERFUL17 at checkout for 15% off Grand Tasting tickets, weekend passes, VIP lounge, and select seminars! (Code valid through 2/14 at 11:59PM.)
I should probably rename this blog to “Better Late Than Never” given the amount of time that lapses between updates around here. I should take up blogging full time. (That would pretty great.) But then I remember I have these things called school loans and I quickly dive back into the corporate chocolate world, which, believe me, is not a bad world to live in.
But I digress. It’s time to talk about one of my favorite times of year that is rapidly approaching! Being a life long New Englander, I don’t really love the actual month of February because it tends to be freezing cold and snowy where I live. BUT my fiance’s birthday, Valentine’s Day and the Boston Wine Expo all take place in February so makes up for the fact that I’m pretty much an icicle the whole month. Sean turns the big 30 this year and I have a few things up my sleeve for that milestone. And while Valentine’s Day isn’t a huge holiday for the two of us, it is the same weekend as the Boston Wine Expo, so we turn it into a weekend in Boston and it’s a win-win all around.
My Expo partner for life.
The Boston Wine Expo is entering it’s 25th year and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of it. Winemakers from all over the world will set up in the Seaport Convention Center for two days, and even that doesn’t seem like long enough. The Expo also has a wonderful series of semimars that attendees can purchase ahead of time to learn even more about particular wine topics that may interest them. (Like the chocolate and wine pairing one? Um. HELLO.) I’ve also gotten to take part in 2 Twitter tastings with Hope Family Wines and it’s only amped up the excitement even more.
This will be my third year attending thanks to the wonderful BWE people. No longer a rookie to the Expo, I knew what to expect last year and already know what I’m looking forward to this year. Last year, Sean and I were given access onto the show floor two hours before it opened to the general public and we used that time hitting some of the larger distributors and vendors we knew would be swamped later in the day. We also started snacking early, after remembering from the previous year, our rookie year in 2014, how easy it is to lose track of how many wine samples you’ve had and forgetting to eat completely. That is probably the #1 downfall of participants at an expo of this scale – going too fast out of the gate and not remembering that food is key. And don’t worry, there are plenty of vendors on the perimeter of the floor passing out much-needed snacks.
Tickets for the 2016 Boston Wine Expo are on sale now and I highly HIGHLY recommend getting a VIP pass for BOTH days of the event. One day is simply not enough. Last year, our weekend was cut short because of a snowstorm so I am crossing my fingers that doesn’t happen again. I promise you will get your money’s worth in wine tastings alone, never mind the food and snack vendors on-site, and the invaluable information you will learn about wine and culture along with the rare varietals you’ll experience.
Would you like to attend the Boston Wine Expo on Sunday, February 14th this year?
I’m giving away a pair of tickets to this year’s event!
TO ENTER (Mandatory Entry): Leave a comment telling me what your favorite wine of all time is. (Yes, I realize that is an extremely difficult question so dig deep!) It can be red, white, sparkling, whatever you’re go-to is or a wine that you had once and are dying to have again.
I work for a chocolate company. Eat my fair share chocolate on a regular basis. And, oh yeah, my blog title is all about chocolate. And wine. Which is the perfect lead in for this post.
Chocolate Therapy: Sweet Remedies, located in Framingham and Dedham, Massachusetts, offers a workshop that pairs their handcrafted chocolate delicacies with different types of wine. Owned by husband and wife duo, David and Pam, the workshop was unique from other pairings I’ve taken part in, if not only for the innovative creations they are becoming known for. The obvious passion and love for their craft also shines through in their welcoming, chocolate-filled shop.
They were as sweet as the chocolates they make!
At Chocolate Therapy: Sweet Remedies, their mission statement is all about using chocolate as a healthy way to indulge your soul. And that’s what we got out of the workshop – a little bit of education, and a whole lot of indulgence.
All good things in this photo.
First, Pam went through the differences of the different types of chocolate that were on our plates, explaining what makes white chocolate distinctly different from milk and dark chocolate. She also explained how their chocolate creations are made with Belgian chocolate, which was a fun departure from the Swiss chocolate I know very well.
I was also thoroughly impressed when I asked how long it takes for them to turn innovative ideas into actual physical creations you find in their storefront cases. Their answer? 2 days, sometimes less! That really blew me away.
This brick of Belgian chocolate is approximately 25,000 calories…. Yum.
After getting background about how and where cocoa beans are harvested and how she and David went into the chocolate-making business after spending years in the corporate world, we then dove headfirst into the pairing portion of the workshop.
The first chocolate was called a “Pom Balm” – dark chocolate ganache, pomegranate molasses, dusted in purple cocoa butter luster. It was paired with a crisp and light Pinot Grigio from Italy. Now, I am not usually a pomegranate fan. I don’t enjoy the effort it takes to eat the seeds from one, nor do I enjoy Pom juice. But this chocolate? I wanted more. It was sweet and silky and the taste really popped in your mouth when eaten with a sip of the Pinot Grigio.
The second pairing was a milk chocolate truffle and Californian Petit Syrah. This was the most familiar chocolate to me out of the group, except for the fact that it too was dusted in a cocoa luster, this time gold. The milk chocolate melted in your mouth, especially when the Petit Syrah was sipped along with it. A very interesting and complex take on milk chocolate.
The third was by far the most out-of-the-box for me. The chocolate itself, a Blueberry Lemon Basil truffle, was exotic and unexpected, with layer upon layer of flavor. I love blueberry and lemon together, but the basil really elevated the chocolate, and the whole thing was coated in dark chocolate ganache. It was paired with a Merlot from California, but I could’ve eaten a dozen of these truffles with no beverage whatsoever. If you love trying new things, this is the truffle for you.
Layers of complex flavors.
Finally, salty and sweet come together harmoniously in the Sea Salt Caramel truffle that was set to be paired with a dry sherry from Spain. The buttery caramel, made with Tahitian vanilla, was dipped in dark chocolate and finished with a sprinkling of pink Himalayan sea salt. It really mellowed out the sherry, which I usually find to have a harsh flavor. The two married well together to result in a wonderful finale to the pairings.
After the tastings, the couple unveiled a fun secret: They had created a life-size chocolate goat for an upcoming event that was still in the back room of the shop. Yes, you read that right – a life-size GOAT made of chocolate. It was fantastic and incredibly realistic looking. Truly a chocolate masterpiece.
It was holding a real boot in its mouth. Hilarious.
Overall, my time at Chocolate Therapy was educational, indulgent and well spent. I even bought a goodie bag to take home (which was gone the next day after dinner.) I would highly recommend Chocolate Therapy for a date night, girl’s night out or an after-hours work excursion.
Everything from homemade peanut butter cups to a milk chocolate truffle with champagne inclusions!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary Chocolate Therapy workshop at Sweet Remedies. All opinions are, as always, my own.
Back in April when Sean and I went to the Boston Wine Expo, we were given access to the exclusive Vintner’s Lounge. There, we tried extra dry Italian red wines, shooters in the half shell and the most delicious beef tenderloin I’ve ever eaten: Del Terruno.
So when the people from Del Terruno contacted me and asked if I’d like to try their product again, you knew I jumped on that chance immediately.
Del Terruno is juicy, tender beef from the world’s best breeds, chosen for the high quality of their meat – Hereford and Aberdeen Angus. Because the animals are free-range and graze in the meadows of Uruguay, their beef is guaranteed 100% natural, with no growth hormones or steroids added, so you know you are getting premium meat every time. And all of it is USDA Process Verified. They even have a traceability function on their website so you can see exactly where your meat is coming from. A+ all around for Del Terruno.
You can only imagine my excitement when a (very large) piece of their finest Beef Tenderloin arrived for me. Instead of cooking the entire tenderloin at once (there are only two of us living in our apartment after all), I decided to cut the loin into two individually portioned fillets. The smaller portions significantly decreased the cooking time of the meat and assured that I would get another chance to indulge in this fabulous product at a later date.
Because I wanted the flavor of the meat to really shine through, I took a very simple approach to preparing it – a sprinkling of salt and pepper all over each fillet. I placed a baking sheet in the oven, preheated it to 425 degrees and brought a large skillet to high heat on the stove. I added a tablespoon of unsalted butter to the skillet and placed each fillet in the screaming hot butter for about 2 minutes per side. I then quickly seared the border of the meat before transferring it to the hot baking sheet in the oven to let the fillets finish cooking, about 20 minutes. I pulled the meat out and allowed it to rest for 10 minutes while I prepared the asparagus and baked potatoes.
I must say I’ve never eaten better on a Monday night. The beef was tender and buttery; slicing through it took almost no effort at all. Because there was only a small amount of fat on the meat, I didn’t have to spend time trimming it or avoiding gristle as I ate. But it was the taste – the refined taste of high quality beef tenderloin – that really impressed me.
Sean and I sat in silence for a few minutes, slowly eating the juicy fillets that I paired with a simple baked potato and asparagus, baked in 425 degree oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice for 8-10 minutes.
The next time you are having a fancy dinner party, or just feel like eating like a King and Queen on a weeknight, Del Terruno is sure to impress anyone who enjoys it. I know I will be again!
I don’t know about you, but I can hardly keep up. Thankfully, the blustery winter weather has finally left New England and there is much more sunshine in the forecast for New Hampshire.
Summer has always been my favorite time of the year. Maybe I’m a tad bit biased because my birthday is in July, but some of my favorite memories, both as a child and as an adult, took place during the warm summer months.
When I was a kid, my parents would pack my sister and myself up for day trips with family friends to the lake or a local pool. I got to experience overnight summer camp adventures where I first learned about my love for kayaking. Birthday after birthday, family cookouts, 4th of July fireworks. And of course, who could forget the London 2012 Olympics or that summer in its entirety? The list is endless.
Here I am in London during the Summer Olympics in 2012. Man, I miss that place.
This summer will be my first as a New Hampshire transplant (New Hampshire-ian? New Hampshire-ite?) and I have big plans for it. Sean and I recently purchased a chalkboard for our kitchen (a total steal – $20 at TJ Maxx) and I couldn’t help drawing some serious inspiration from one of my favorite blogs, Little Baby Garvin.
Although my artsy abilities are far more limited than Mrs. Garvin and her Pinterest-famous works-of-chalk-art, I tried nonetheless and put together a bucket list of the things I want to do this summer.
Things I left off of the chalkboard but still intend on taking part in:
– Lobster rolls & authentic Italian gelato in York, Maine.
– Visit 6 Flags New England.
– Read (at least) 5 new books.
– Go fishing. (Totally on here for Sean…) – Tour the Crane Estate in Ipswich.
As you can see, we already crossed off the last addition to the chalkboard this week: Tour the Crane Estate in Ipswich. This last Saturday ended up being a gorgeous day, despite the predictions for all-day rain. Sean and I, along with his parents, took advantage of the sunny day by heading to Ipswich to walk around the Crane Estate.
Enchanting as it is historical, the Crane Estate is fairly large (2,100 acres) and is the backdrop of many weddings and private events. Unfortunately, it was closing early for the day (most likely for an afternoon spring wedding) so our Great House tour was self-guided, but I was happy to get some time outside. The grounds were both breathtaking and breezing, and back right up to the ocean. It’s a beautiful place to spend a few hours or a whole day picnicking and exploring.
After the Crane Estate, the four of us headed into downtown Newburyport for the rest of the afternoon. We decided to have lunch at The Port Tavern, which is a great place for a delicious meal that won’t destroy your budget. I had a mozzarella, tomato and basil panini on wheat bread that I would highly recommend, and ended up taking half of it home (for a late night snack.) Sean, his mom and his dad, all had pulled pork, which was also very good. I neglected to snap any pictures during lunch, so you’ll just have to trust me.
After a long walk along the Newburyport dock, the last thing on our list was, of course, ice cream! Or in this case – gelato. Dolce Freddo, a family-owned corner gelato shop was the perfect indulgence to end a terrific day out. I ordered my usual – 2 scoops of Pistacio (which was really like 5 scoops of pistacio) in a waffle cone, but their Nutella gelato was a close second choice.
I would say that Summer 2014 is off to a terrific start already.
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