review

Bee a Thoughtful Guest with Gather Chocolate

November 4, 2016

Hi. I like bees.

Is that a given with the name of my blog? Hopefully!

So it should come to no surprise that I was head over heels in love with the that recently arrived at my door step. What a wonderful package to open up at the end of a long day!

I was so eager to open up my box of handmade Gather Chocolates from Harbor Sweets, a New England based confectionery company.

What’s so special about this box of chocolate?

Besides, just being chocolate and therefore awesome. The Gather Chocolate box contains a delightfully delicious assortment of chocolates that have a wonderful purpose, besides being a great sweet treat.

Harbor Sweets teamed up with the Pollinator Partnership to help support the bees!

The Pollinator Partnership is the largest non-profit organization devoted exclusively to the health of the pollinators. Supporting pollinators, like bees, is so very important as they are vital in our food production. We all know that bees are in real trouble so helping them is extremely important in their well being, and ours.

Harbor Sweets created the assortment of chocolates in the Gather Chocolates box to highlight rich natural flavors like honey, molasses, sour cherry, and coconut.

I enjoyed sampling the 12 piece box of chocolates ($18.50), but there is a smaller 6 pieces sampler for $12.50 that would also make for a wonderful gift. There also is a larger gift set that has other New England treats like cookies, honey from Ipswich, MA, and tea. Perfect for the holidays!

The Caremlized Honey Truffle had a nice deep floral note to the filling.

The Cashew Caramel was addicting with the salty and sweet combination of flavors.

The Sour Cherry was my favorite as it was rich in flavor that wasn’t too sweet

Pomegranate Molasses was such a unique flavor.

I could have eaten a dozen of the Coconut Clusters.

The crunch from the Sesame Crunch was wonderful in contrast to the other fillings.

Bee a thoughtful guest with a box of these Gather Chocolates.

A bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. It makes the perfect gift for a hostess, boss, friend, or even yourself!!

____________________

Giveaway

Leave a comment saying which flavor you would like to try for your chance to win a 12-piece box of Gather Chocolate.

Ends 11/7 at midnight. Open to US residents.

____________________

While I enjoyed Harbor Sweets chocolates, all opinions expressed are my own.

Monday Munchies: Piroshky Piroshky & Rachel’s Ginger Beer

April 20, 2015

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

____________________

I had the amazing opportunity to visit my best friend in Seattle last month. It was so great to see her, see Seattle, and eat so much great food during that long weekend.

We really enjoyed some amazing meals, like our dinner at Revel in Freemont. Oh boy, that was so good. I can’t stop thinking about their short rib dumplings!

But at the same time I can’t stop thinking about the wonderful lunch we had from Piroshky Piroshky and Rachel’s Ginger Beer. Yep, you read that correctly, 2 places!

We got our food from Piroshky Piroshky and brought it over to Rachel’s Ginger Beer for some drinks and seats. It was a perfect marriage of things as Piroshky Piroshky does not have tables and Rachel’s is BYOF… Bring Your Own Food! They supply the drinks and the tables. Thankfully, they are fairly close to each other so it made for a great lunch.

Piroshky Piroshky (pi-rawsh-kee) has been servings Russian hand pies since they opened at Pike Place Market in 1992. They blend traditional recipes with local flavors and ingredients. They have both sweet and savory pies that will satisfy your every craving.

The different piroshkies are pictured on their menu that is posted to the wall that you wait along making it easier to be prepared to order when you arrive to the register. Plus, there are always the once you can check out in the display case.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the piroshkies getting made by hand as well. There was such a nice rhythm to their movements as they worked the layered doughs or while they stuffed the pockets.

I grabbed 2 piroshkies as I couldn’t make up my mind as the Beef and Cheese piroshky and Mushroom, Onion, and Celery piroshky both sounded so good.

I could easily see why the Beef and Cheese is their top seller! It was a packed full of a juicy mix of seasoned ground beef and Columbia Valley Sharp Cheddar. I thought it was a great combination of flavors and textures. Plus, whenever you can see oozey cheese on the top you know it’s just going to be great.

How cute is it that the Mushroom, Onion, and Celery piroshky was shaped like a purse!?!?! I thought it was a great vegetarian offering. It didn’t feel plain and flat for just being vegetables, it was nicely filling.

Emily enjoyed the Smoked Salmon Pate piroshky. It thought that it was adorable that it was shaped like a fish!

We also grabbed a Marrionberry Cream Cheese Vatrushka to share later for dessert. It was a great sweet piroshky made of a sweet pastry base with a beautifully piped topping and then topped off with the marionberries. I had never had a marionberry before so it was nice to be able to try something new, and local to the Pacific Northwest.

We brought out lunch to Rachel’s Ginger Beer, just a short walk away from Piroshky Piroshky. They create

Rachel’s is a pretty large space filled with various sized tables to accommodate all sizes of parties enjoying food that they brought in to enjoyed with their drinks.

Rachel’s makes artisanal ginger beer from locally sourced ingredients from Washington State farmers whenever possible. They have an Original (plain) Ginger Beer and then they have a lot of other varieties of flavors, even some that rotate with the seasons. I enjoyed the drink I got but I was so torn prior to ordering as they have such cool flavors like Blood Orange, White Peach, and Guava.

I really enjoyed how the ginger beer is sweet but not too sweet and still has some bite from the tart ginger. It all worked together so well. I really admire companies that work hard to achieve a well crafted product.

I enjoyed their seasonal cocktail special, the Peppermin- Pear Moskow Mule. I was in love. It was really bright and refreshing. It did pack some punch, or I would have ordered another. I just didn’t want to be stumbling around the rest of Pike Place Market and Seattle for the rest of the afternoon.

The thing that I most admired about Rachel’s Ginger Beer was how just beautiful the place was. The subtle palette and full wall of windows makes it bright and welcoming. Plus, it makes the fun, happy colors of the different varieties of ginger beer stand out. They really make the place pop! It pops with pop! <<< I’m corny.

I loved every bit about lunch. The food was wonder, the drink was refreshing, and my company was great as always. I couldn’t have asked for more!

As you can order and ship from both places, I am already scheming about making orders to both Piroshky Piroshky and Rachel’s Ginger Beer. I need some awesome hand pies and some ginger beer by the jug!!

____________________

Piroshky Piroshky

1908 Pike Place

Seattle, WA 98101

Rachel’s Ginger Beer

1530 Post Alley

Seattle, WA 98101

Finding yourself, a dress, and a perfect fit {an eShakti dress review}

April 2, 2015

Wanna know what’s so great about losing over 60 pounds?

All the shopping you get to do!!! For real!!

Since having Autumn in November of 2013 I’ve lost over 60 pounds. Just about 65 actually. And I’m not talking baby weight either. That’s a whole other story. But the point is when you put in the hard work you need to reward yourself. Plus, nothing else fits anymore.

And I fall into the super special category of women that are short (5′-1″ish) with curves. Curves= big butts and hips. It’s the Italian genes I have. I used to have boobs but I tend to lose weight on the top first so they said ‘bye-bye’ after nursing.

Anyway, what does that mean for me? It means that I get the pleasure of struggling to find clothes that fit. Petite pants are great for length but don’t handle the curves well. And then regular pants are too damn long. Like I’ve gotten 6″ hemmed off pants before. Damn you tall ‘normal’ people!!! And dresses are a pain too!! Man, don’t even get me started on Maxi dresses! Who are these amazon women that they make these dresses for?!?!?

And tailoring is a pain. A royal pain to go to the tailor, try stuff on, get measured, wait, go back, and test it out there. Plus it’s expensive. It can be $8-12 to get pants hemmed and $15+ for dresses.

But I’ve discovered a solution to all of that! eShakti!!!

eShakti is an online retailer that has a large selection of dresses, pants, and tops that you can customize. For example, you can change design elements of dresses, like add pockets, change the style of the neckline or sleeves. You can take that all a step further by providing them with your measurements, which they keep on file, to get the clothes to fit your perfectly.

I really enjoyed the process of shopping for a dress as there were so many to pick from. I was on the look out for summery dresses as I don’t have many of those that fit me anymore. I cam across “Her fifties piped trim dress” ($59.85) which seemed like a great shape for me, it has great detail, and would be a great dress to wear to work or just around Boston in the summer. It would be a great summer time staple.

I had considered doing the custom measurements but I wanted to test out the ‘standard’ sizing to see how it fit me. Plus, I as doing Whole30 program at the time , which specifically says not to weigh or measure yourself during the 30 days so I was committed to sticking to that. The risk paid off as the size I ordered fit me well, especially since it has no stretch as it’s 100% cotton. I actually could have ordered a size down, but that’s basically only as a result of completing the Whole30. I will order the next size down for future orders.

I did make the dress shorter as it was designed to sit “below knee-length”. I think $7.50 charge is well worth it because you can get something that fits and looks great on you. I decided to go with “knee-length”, which I think works well for me.

I am so happy with this dress as it fits me well, looks flattering, and is made really well. It made me feel great wearing it. And I think that is pretty important.

The construction of the dress is really good with neat seams and piping. The ‘piping’ actually is made from a serger with the stitching pretty tight. From afar it looks like piping but in reality it is not, this might annoy someone but I have no problem with it. Plus, it’s cotton. I love cotton dresses. It’s breathable and wears well.

I’m actually ordering a Maxi dress next. Those are the toughest for me to shop for as, I said before, I am just a smidgen taller than 5′-1″ so they are generally way too long for me as things are designed for woman 5′-4″ to 5′-7″ (according to eShakti’s site). By giving eShakti my measurements I will get to avoid all that. Super excited.

Now it’s your turn to get SUPER EXCITED!

Here is a coupon code ‘iamahoneybee’- exclusively created for you guys to get 10% OFF when they shop at eShakti – valid from 04/01/2015 – 05/01/2015!!!!

Please note:

Code has to be entered in the ‘promotional code’ box. It is not case-sensitive.

Code can be used any number of times until the validity period.

It can be clubbed with any other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order unless explicitly specified otherwise in the offer conditions.

This discount code is not applicable on clearance / sale, gift cards & overstock categories.

Not applicable on previous purchases.

____________________

I received this dress from eShakti free of charge in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Cajun Pork Benedict- Top of the Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

November 12, 2014

When we were visiting Raleigh, North Carolina back in September we enjoyed some really great meals throughout Research Triangle area. There are so many wonderful places to eat that we had a blast. One place in particular had an awesome brunch.

Based upon some reviews and suggestions we went to Top of The Hill in Chapel Hill for brunch. Brunch is one of my favorite meals and obviously, my favorite dish is Eggs Benedict. And Top of The Hill, aka TOPO, did not disappoint!

Typically, we would not order a ‘starter’ of biscuits but Autumn can happily eat them so we ordered them. So, of course, we snagged some pieces of the light and fluffy biscuits too. Although they were buttery I felt it was super important to add some butter on top as well. Plus some jelly. When in Rome?

We also did get a cup of fruit ($3.99) for Autumn as well.

Sweet tea and a sweet baby.

Price ordered the Chicken and Waffles ($9.99). It is becoming the signature dish that he has been ordering lately.

He thought it was really good as the boneless chicken breast was really tender under all that crunch. The coating was on the sweet side, which went well with the belgian waffle. He remarked that he enjoyed how airy the waffle was. Two thumbs up.

Sadly, we arrived at right when they open at 11 and they don’t start serving alcohol until noon so we didn’t get to enjoy some brunch cocktails or their on-site brewed beers. The selection looked great so it was disappointing but you just can’t break state law!

I love Eggs Benedict but I love when restaurants change things up and play on the components of it. Which is exactly what TOPO did when they created the Cajun Pork Benny ($8.99). Their version included 2 cheesy grit cakes, Cajun pulled pork, 2 poached eggs, a beer cheese sauce, which were served on a bed of arugula, and lastly topped off with fresh salsa.

Each element was executed really well. I loved the spice and seasoning in the moist pulled pork. As well, the creamy, thick beer cheese sauce has a really nice spice to it. Of course it was made with theitr own beer. That went really well with the pepper arugula. I typically look forward to homefries but the arugula was nice instead as it added some nice crunch to each bite.

The best part of the Cajun Pork Benedict were the cheesy grit cakes. They were cheesy, creamy, and crunchy. Imagine croquettes but 10x better. The grits were cooked perfectly and they were formed into the cakes and gently fried. Be still my heart. I made sure I had a bit of the cheesy grit cakes with ever bite.

My eggs were bright and runny but just a tad over cooked.You might even say it was barely noticeable, but I do take note. However, I would always choose a slightly over cooked egg than under cooked so it wasn’t such a big deal. Plus there was enough of the cheese sauce to balance out some of the cooked yolk.

Rating

Grit Cakes– 20/20 pts

Pulled Pork– 18/20 pts

Poached Egg– 20/25 pts

Cheese Sauce– 23/25 pts

Arugla & Salsa– 8/10 pts

Total: 89/100 pts

And post brunch pics of elation and exhaustion.

Top of The Hill

100 E Franklin St #3

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

(919) 929-8676

Brunch is served from 11-2pm on Sundays

Monday Munchies: The Fat Cactus- Lynnfield, MA

February 17, 2014

I swear I could eat Mexican food twice a week and never get bored of it. It’s just a cuisine that is so flavorful and delicious. I can’t resist the opportunity to have it. And we had been recently been talking about going out to dinner so I just knew we had to try a place that we always say ‘oh we should go there!’ every time we drive by. So we headed to The Fat Cactus- A Mexicali Cantina for a great dinner.

The Fat Cactus is located on Rt 1 in Lynnfield, MA

Price enjoyed both a frozen Fat Cactus Margy and a Fat Cactus Margy on the Rocks ($6.59). The Fat Cactus is their classic margarita consisting of Tequila, triple sec, sour mix, and fresh lime juice. He said that both were good but he preferred the one on the rocks much more.

I had the Prickly Pear Margy, which is their #1 best selling special ($9.95). I thought it had a great boozy kick to it as it was pretty sweet from the prickly pear juice. Because the margarita had orange juice instead of lime juice I decided to get it with sugar on the rim as I thought the sweetness would be a perfect pair. I would definitely order this margarita again.

We started with some complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were crisp and salty, which went well with the salsa that came with a kick. Typically restaurant salsa is pretty plain and mild but this was good with some bite.

The Baja Spicy Popcorn Shrimp ($8.99) sounded like a great appetizer so we ordered that. It was a great alternative to the calamari that we typically order. The shrimp were small and the perfect poppable appetizer. The shrimp’s light coating was lightly fried to a toasty brown color. The shrimp were flavorful on their own but even better when dipped into the Baja dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was creamy and really quite spicy amping up the flavor of the shrimp even more. I dipped some chips in the sauce as well since I enjoyed it so much.

For dinner I ordered the Tacos AL Pastore ($9.99). The pair of pork tacos came with a choice of rice, refried beans, or black beans. I selected therice, which was seasoned nicely and loaded with vegetables as well. The portion was rather large, and I was looking forward to dessert, so I only had 1 taco and some rice but that taco was so dang good. The pork was dang tender and flavorful. The rotisserie pork was marinated with pineapple and red Chilies, and then topped off with fresh onions, cilantro, and the same Baja sauce that was served with the Baja Spicy Popcorn Shrimp. So many layers of flavor!

Price had a Chimichanga filled with Carne Deshebrada ($12.99). Carne Deshebrada is marinated, slow-cooked moist shredded beef. It was a perfect filling for the chimichanga, which basically is a deep fried burrito, which is then covered in queso. umm… yum! Again, the portions were generous, as the chimichanga was served with rice and a choice of refried beans or black beans, so Price saved half of his to make room for dessert as well.

We shared the Deep Fried Ice Cream dessert ($5.99). A softball sized ball of ice cream was plated before us. We dug into the ice cream which is rolled in cinnamon and sugar and then coated with crusted cornflakes. And if that wasn’t enough it was topped off with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry! It was really good but it honestly would have been a bit better if it was softer as it was rock hard, but I suppose it’s tricky frying ice cream.

We are already looking forward to our next visit to The Fat Cactus. They have great deals during the wee, like on Monday any Burrito or Chimichanga is just $5! As well they post specials on their Facebook page.

The Fat Cactus- A Mexicali Cantina

215 Broadway

Lynnfield, MA 01940

781.592.0077

{Product Review} Foodler- Online Delivery Service

March 23, 2012

Let’s be honest here.

By the end of most weeks I don’t want to cook, I just want to get some beer or wine, some take out, and lounge around. I’m so burnt out from the week that the thought of making anything more than boxed mac and cheese is out of the question. Falling asleep on the sofa around 9 is not even all that unrealistic. (How is Price still with me after 7 years?!?)

So the point of all of that is how I’ve been relying on Foodler recently. Foodler is an online food delivery service that connects you to restaurant menus for quick ordering. Foodler is a national company that has a growing network in such cities as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington. Plus is has a quick search for campuses so if you are a college student this would be perfect for you as well.

Once you pick your location you will see that the options are divided into several cateegories for sorting. First, Foodler sorts by what is available right now for delivery and what is not currently opened but is accepting orders for a later scheduled delivery. In addition to that you can sort by Cost, Rating, Distance, and Delivery Fee. Plus you can sort by cuisine to make your search efficient.

A cool thing about Foodler is that is keeps a record of all your orders making repeat ordering very easy. You can see what you order previously with the little green arrow next to the item.

We typically schedule our delivery since I will feel the crash around Friday mid morning so at lunch I will pick some things and then have Pricer finish the rest of the order. I love knowing that we will have delivery arriving shortly after getting home. Or you can plan ahead an order for a few days in advance or weeks.

My favorite things about Foodler is that they five out Frequent Foodler Points. These are points that you earn with each order. 3pts per dollar!

What do you do with these points? Well you can save them up to redeem them for Foodlerbucks or other great things such as Amazon gift cards.

One thing I think is lacking from the site is that it provides you sorting options for several different criteria, however estimated delivery time is not one of them. As I said before, we typically schedule our delivery so this is not a specific thing that inhibits me but I could see that this would be hard to deal with on a busy Friday night. Only when you have selected your items and are about to check out is when you get the ETA.

Also, the first time that I ordered my order arrived incorrectly. I think this was based upon how Foodler relays the order to the restaurant, based upon the print out I received with my order. We were ordering Chinese and after selecting the entree it asked us if we would like to add rice to the order. We did, so we added that option. Well no rice came because the print out that the restaurant received was just the entree, however the price was adjusted to reflect the addition of rice, which I doubt most people would notice. I did notify Foodler about this so maybe this have been update, I just have avoided bundling items since then.

Whether you are like me, so burnt out and in need of take out or having people over to watch a movie, Foodler is a great online food delivery service option. The next time you feel like ordering in give Foodler a try!

*I received a $15 Foodler credit to try the Foodler service and write a honest review. These opinions are entirely my own and are not influenced by my compensation