Happy February!
Am I the only one who thinks about chocolate and pink being synonymous with February? Do you have a secret stash of personal chocolate favorites? My go-to bar is from Trader Joe’s and is 85% cacao…the flavor is fruity and out-of-this-world! Not fruity as in cheap chocolate-covered cherries (yuck), but grown-in-the tropics kind of fruity - only there’s no fruit inside.
Do you plan a surprise for your family for Valentine’s Day? I love setting the table with colorful paper plates, stuffed animals, and treats for my kiddos, and for my husband we either go out or I plan to cook a fancy meal. Two years ago I papered my husband’s bathroom mirror with sticky-notes saying all the ways I love him. Guess what? They are still there - only he opened a hole to see his face for shaving! What ideas do you have that will be memorable? This year, instead of chocolate for my children, I’m thinking of French croissants for breakfast. They love them and can never have them enough. Plus, our trip to Paris last summer is still fresh on our minds, AND WE DIDN’T TRY CROISSANTS WHILE THERE! Maybe it was a plan, so we make sure we return!
I’ve been eyeing Dandelion Chocolate and would love to order the Lover’s Box from Loco Love Chocolate, but I think they originate in Australia and shipping would be in the clouds. Instead I’ll swoon over their descriptions and pretend I can taste every flavor.
“coconut cashew with vanilla
salted caramel crunch with mesquite
hazelnut praline with maca
black cherry and raspberry with schisandra
butter caramel pecan with cinnamon
peanut butter caramel with tremella
almond caramel crunch with ashwagandha
wild orange ganache with camu camu”
Illustration I did for The Cookery, UK.
One year my husband and I went to Quebec and sought out a chocolatier named Érico. It was winter and beginning to snow outside when we stepped inside and were welcomed by the rich, deep smell of warm chocolate. Mmmmm. ❤️They have a tiny museum displaying the process from bean to bar, which was fun to see. A candy machine dispensed a roasted cacao bean for a quarter, which I brought home to analyze and then figure out what to do with it.
Chocolatier Érico in Quebec.
Just in case you are looking for something to read, I’ve been enamored by Austin Kleon’s books of Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, How to Sell Your Art Online, and Keep Going. These four books are an encouragement, as I’ve been wanting to turn my hobby into a profitable endeavor. I LOVE making art, and would love if my creations go out into the world to bring happiness and inspiration, instead of it being consumed only by myself. So, if you are in the same boat, please check out these quick reads.
As for movies I’ve watched recently, I must recommend The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s dated, but oh is it a classic! I love the lead characters and the storyline, plus it takes place during the French Revolution. The elusive Scarlet Pimpernel secretly rescues the aristocracy from the guillotine, but remains undiscovered, until…
I already returned Show You Work to the library so someone else could read it. These books were on hold when I tried to check them out!
For another French story, this time true, may I shyly recommend the children’s book I wrote about Madame Lucie, Lady-In-Waiting to Marie Antoinette?
Well, that’s all for this letter. I’ll let you know what I’m working on next time!
XOXO, Rachel