The Most Awesome Birthday Gift Ever

This is long overdue, but I want to brag about (and say thank you) for the amazing birthday gift that Tara gave me back in February (when I turned the big 2-5).  It's a chocolate subscription!  She stumbled across the company Standard Cocoa, which delivers three bars of specialty chocolate to you, or someone of your choice, once a month, for as long as you like.  The last bar I tried was Hawaiian chocolate with coconut milk and caramelized ginger, and it was out of this world.  The couple who runs the company say their mission is to "connect chocolate lovers with people who love to make chocolate."  So now, amazing chocolate is regularly delivered to my doorstep.  It's literally the gift that keeps on giving!  Actually the chocolate is delivered to my landlord's doorstep, and then he resists the temptation to eat it and hands it over to me.  When I explained the subscription to him he said, "That is the most awesome birthday gift ever!"  I totally agree :)  Sisters are so great; thank you Tara!  Actually, I was given a few really cool and surprising gifts this year, so maybe I will share the others as well...

Cheers!
xomo

Christmas Visit + Afternoon Snack

Winter break is over and I am back in Kentucky, enjoying 60 degree weather (wow!) much more than the frigid temperatures of Wisconsin.  I do miss my family though; We had a really nice time together, especially because my sister, Tara, was home.  I pretty much only get to see her once a year in these times where we live very far apart and are silly enough to let ourselves be pushed around by work, school, and limited funds.  Tara plays the flute for a living (she's awesome), but she's also super interested in nutrition and has lately been exploring in more detail the types of foods that work best for her body.  What you're seeing above is an afternoon snack she prepared for us that was so good - bacon, salad with avocado, and hot chocolate that turned out super thick and filling, more like a European style drinking chocolate.  If you'd like to try, all we did was mix coconut milk, a cinnamon stick, bit of honey and vanilla, squares of very dark chocolate (melt first), and cocoa powder.  It's not super sweet, but rich and satisfying.  Yum.  

Happy New Year everyone!  Take care out there :)

xomo

ps:  Don't get me wrong, WI > KY