Saturday! Local Farmers Market

It's finally spring and I am anxious to get out and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.  The past two Saturday's I've been up and out early enough to make it to my local farmers market in Falls Church, VA.  It's full of fresh treasures including crepes, donuts, honey, soup and the usual farmers market fare. I've been craving good quality donuts and discovered a donut cart called a Donut Heaven. They serve mini plain donuts to which you can add your own toppings such as sugar, chocolate and sprinkles. They are warm, fresh and delicious. I also purchased sweet potato and kale soup with bits of sausage from Sunnyside Farm and Orchard. It was light, flavorful and nutritious. 

For the Love of Chocolate

Today I visited a chocolate shop called For the Love of Chocolate. It is a chocolate haven located in Carytown in Richmond, Virginia. Where do I begin?  When I first walked in I noticed aisles of chocolate, every type you can imagine. The aisles are organized by country identified by each nation's flag.  It seems like a perfect place to explore a new treat or possibly locate chocolate that you've experienced while traveling abroad. There is a traditional glass display of individual chocolates with fresh baked cookies on the counter, a HUGE variety of cooking extracts and dessert sauces. I was a bit overwhelmed but in a good way since it is chocolate. I managed to select a giant chocolate covered rice crispie treat. I also purchased chocolates from Holland as a gift in flavors such as plain, espresso and tiramisu. 

Honestly, words won't do this place justice, check out the pics below. If you are in Richmond, you must try it out. 

Flashback Friday - Aruba

It's cold and there have been two unexpected snow showers today.  I would love to be on a warm, sunny, breezy beach looking at and listening to the sounds of the ocean. I am thinking back to a trip that I took about five years ago to Aruba. I remember huts on the beach, beautiful clear water and a wonderful warm breeze. I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Resort whose theme reminded me that I'm in the Caribbean compared to the other resorts I visited while there. There were plenty of palm trees, ponds of water and huts on the beach.  I also remember enjoying a delicious cobb salad and pomegranate iced tea at one of their restaurants. As I face another forecasted winter storm, I use these memories as a temporary escape and motivation to plan my next beach trip. 

Sweet Spot in Richmond, Virginia

Whenever I'm in a new city I look for a bakery with tasty treats, specifically cupcakes. Even if it's unlikely that I'll make it there, I still feel comforted knowing what the options are and what people are saying about them. I have a gluten allergy so I look for places with good gluten free options. While in Richmond for work, I discovered Pearl's Cupcake Shoppe from Yelp which had great reviews. It's a cute bakery with a boutique feel and a friendly staff. When I inquired about the gluten-free options, I was directed to a case filled with plenty of options. Usually a standard bakery may have one or two gluten-free options, if that, but I was pleasantly surprised and excited to be able to choose from a variety of cupcakes, cookies, pumpkin roll cake and other pastries. I selected the three gluten-free cupcake choices, red velvet, a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and a creamy marshmallow topping and a chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing.  I cannot pass up a chocolate chip cookie so I ordered one of those too. The other cookie options were the chocolate crackle cookie and I believe oatmeal raisin.  My items were then packaged and labeled with a sticker that reads "Gluten Free" so there is no confusion. 

I was very impressed with the flavor and texture of these treats. They really tasted like their gluten-filled counterparts. These were not the dry, crumbly, or tough cupcakes I've had at other locations. The chocolate chip cookie did not have an excessive grainy texture that I've experienced so often. Instead, the chocolate cupcakes were moist with a rich chocolate flavor and plenty of icing and the red velvet was great with the signature cream cheese icing. The chocolate chip cookie was exactly what I expect to get from a boutique bakery, a thick, tender cookie with a lot of bite. 

Pearl's Cupcake Shoppe made me forget that was eating gluten-free desserts and I appreciate it! If I lived in Richmond, this would be my happy place. 

Pics are below. Enjoy!

Favorite French Bath and Body Products

Whenever I come across a blog or an article about beauty finds in Paris, I never see my favorite products so I would like to share mine. The first is Sanoflore hand and nail cream which I found in the Saint-Germain pharmacy. My goal was to find a product that I could not find at home.  The key ingredient, honey, gently nourishes and protects your skin.  I believe it was around ten euro. As you can see, this well used tube was my go to during the winter and beyond and provided long lasting moisture. I've not been able to find this cream in the U.S and it would cost twice the price in shipping to order it online. I'm now wishing I would have purchased a few more tubes. 

I discovered my other product here in the U.S.  It is Doux bar soap which is made in the South of France. It contains shea butter, palm and olive oils.  My favorite is the rose scented bar. It is a very soft and feminine fragrance which produces a very creamy lather.   I find myself stopping my shower to inhale the sweet rose scent.  I also like the lavendar scent (not pictured). It has a very clean, soft scent with actual pieces of lavendar in the bar providing an interesting texture and light exfoliation.  I discovered these at a french boutique in my neighborhood, retailing at $12.50.  They tend to sell out and luckily I was able to find it online through a U.S. retailer.  I will keep my eye open for these decadent bar soaps the next time I'm in Paris. 

Discovering My Home Away from Home in the City I've Loved from a Distance

Last year around this time I turned 40 and was preparing for my first trip to a city I've loved for a lifetime, Paris. I took french classes in high school because I knew one day I would go to Paris and I wanted to be able to speak the language.  Eventually life took me in other directions and in my adult years other vacation spots distracted me from my end goal.  Last year though, Paris was my priority and nothing was stopping me from getting there for my 40th birthday.

I embarked on this journey with my friend Michelle who was also intrigued with Paris. We both wanted to experience the city more like a Parisian and less like a tourist.  We were eager to walk the city with no real destination and hang out at cafés while people watching.

We stayed at a lovely french hotel, Hôtel de l'Abbaye located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, an area in the 6th arrondissement (district) of Paris. I would return to this hotel and neighborhood in a heartbeat. This is a residential area filled with french cafés, bakeries, shopping and schools.  I instantly felt at home walking up and down the narrow streets and discovering what this gem of a neighborhood has to offer.

After having lunch at a cafe where I had a the freshest salad full of crisp green beans that I'm convinced were picked from a garden out back, I needed an authentic chocolate croissant. As we were exploring Saint-Germain, we came across a bakery called Poilâne.  Completely unaware of it's popularity, we later discovered that not only is it frequented by the locals as pictured below, but also the wonderful bread basket provided daily at our hotel for breakfast was procured from Poilâne. Once inside the smell of wonderful baked goods welcomed us. We quickly realized that this establishment takes their business seriously.  The employees wear white lab coats and the locals swiftly place their orders and continue on their way. I did get my delicious chocolate croissant (a request made by the way, using my very rusty high school french) but I fell in love with their shortbread cookies.  After the first bite, I could taste the purity of the ingredients with the outstanding flavor being butter. These were not cookies that I could eat a pack of in minutes but they were rich, buttery cookies that deserved to be savored. 

During this wonderful first day in Paris, I discovered Saint-Germain was a place that I needed to explore again during this trip. In addition to finding my favorite bakery, I would later find my favorite pharmacy and neighborhood coffee shop, Lili's Brownies.  Ah, my home away from home.