Treats

I went to a dinner the other night and found that little ribbon wrapped boxes were nestled right above each place setting. I could only assume they were chocolates and because I'm such a fan, was kind of excited to think it looked like the perfect amount to enjoy, one at a time, during the next few days. I was tempted to take a look, intending to save them all for later....... and then noticed a sticker keeping the box closed:

FOR PLANTING NOT FOR SNACKING!

Turns out this was a box of four 'Garden Bon Bons': Beautifully crafted clumps of seeds, organic compost and clay presented as truffles.....each one shaped and dusted with natural pesticides such as coffee, pepper and cinnamon. An enclosed card said that when they are placed on top of soil and watered, each one will sprout Italian Large Leaf Basil, Chives, Italian Parsley or Winter Thyme. Tomorrow they'll go into a couple of pots on a sunny part of our patio.

What a genius idea......So creative and unexpected! I really didn't need the chocolates.....but I'm sure glad I brought my glasses that night, which prevented me from popping one of those delectable looking balls of seed, compost and clay right into my mouth!

Wishing you a wonderfully warm and sunny week,

Margaret

PS: The Rocky Mountain School of Photography appreciated my last few blog posts and created a link to them from their own blog, Paper Airplanes. So thankful for the kind words about me, too!  You can take a look at it here. 

Beer and Chocolate

Last night we met my brother in the city and attended Bittersweet, a beer and chocolate tasting event held at the Fremont Brewing Company. We sipped, tasted and compared. Listened to music. Ate cheese and crackers. Went out for pizza afterward.

Last weekend a short write-up in the paper caught our attention. After minimal discussion, we got on line and bought tickets. I'll be completely honest here and admit we had no idea that it was a fundraiser for FamilyWorks when we bought them (but I'm sure glad it was)......we simply thought it would be interesting to see how 8 breweries and a local chocolate maker would pair up two of our favorite things. And they did it splendidly.

Each station served up small tastes of a couple of different brews: one created specifically for this evening and one chosen to be sipped along with small bites of a complementary Theo chocolate flavor. I can't say that I had a favorite; I enjoyed them all. I will tell you that the one I found most interesting had an aftertaste with a strong cayenne pepper kick.

The event was sold out......which I'm hoping serves as encouragement for its sponsors to hold it again next year. We will no doubt end up there if they do.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Margaret

Love and Chocolate

On this Friday before Valentine's Day what's on my mind is, of course, love and chocolate. How Marc and I were engaged over a cup of coffee. There was no fanfare or anticipation or even a split second's thought about it in advance. Just a couple of mugs filled with fragrant dark roast and a good conversation that led somewhere. The great thing was that by the end of it we were both surprised. It certainly wasn't the plan on that morning or even anything that had been discussed up to that point. And isn't that the best kind of surprise......one that someone else becomes aware of with you? The dual realization that good and real and true make complete sense to integrate into the very next moment.

I'm feeling pretty happy that the sun warmed my kitchen, laundry area and office this week. It made the sorting and the washing and the folding so much easier. And anyone who knows me knows that laundry is my least favorite way to spend even a minute. And bill paying.....

  But put me in a sunny kitchen scooping, measuring, leveling, mixing......and I'm good.

  

   There is no better way to spend a morning. Listening to music, the mixer, the timer, the dishwasher. Lost in thought. Adding chocolate. 

  Rolling. Flattening.

Frosting.

  Happy Valentine's Day boys. This is how I spent my time thinking of you.

Check your mailboxes.

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Warmly, Margaret