Recently in Food | Drink Category

If there is one "guilty pleausure" I give in to, and feel good about it, is dark chocolate. I love dark chocolate and make a point of having some in the house at all times. So when I learned of TCHO, I realized I found a chocolate manufacturer (not a "re-melter") who was really extraordinique. Sold in Beta batches, by design, TCHO's recipes continually evolve and adapt as a result of customer feedback.

Sold exclusively at the TCHO factory store on Pier 17 in San Franscisco or online at TCHO.com, the chocolate, sold in plain brown paper pouches, note the chocolate flavors in terms much like a fine wine - nutty, fruity, chocolately and "blend."  Their latest release is C Ghana 0.7x with flavor notes from TCHO, which includes, "rich, smooth, and intensely chocolatey -- a perfect expression of the deep flavorful beans from Ghana. You may discern fudgy caramel notes dancing with malty, roasty and earthy undertones." Yum!

Learn more about TCHO's chocolate as the "last good drug" and read more about what drives TCHO in beta.

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With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I realize it is time to break out my recipe for "Guac'n de Casbah" mint-infused guacamole. It's definitely a stretch from its original fan-favorite "Rockin' Guac," but both are scooped up, nonetheless.

Because I like to make lots of guac, I am always keeping my eyes out for some good tools to help create these fan favorites, 10-12 avocados at a time.

Chef'n has some innovative and fun kitchen products and I just found their "Flexicado" Avocado Slicer. I used to have something similar to this and it disappeared somewhere between parties.

The Flexicado Avocado Slicer allows you to scoop out one avocado half at a time, slicing and creating strips for easy mashing.

So don't forget to get your Guac' On this Cinco de Mayo and give the Flexicado a try if you are planning on making as much guacamole as I plan to do.

Enjoy!

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Here's a unique decanter that is the perfect blend of form and function. French artist Etienne Meneau has beautifully designed two extraordinary wine carafes, La Carafe N°2 and La Carafe N°4, which holds exactly one bottle of your finest wine. Designed for decanting fine wine, these uniquely styled carafes optimize your favorite Cabernet and create a visual connection between red wine and a healthy heart. Like blood pumping through veins, the decanter oxygenates the wine and separates it from any sediment for an extraordinary wine tasting experience.

"A votre sante!"

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I've always loved granola, but I have to admit I haven't had it for years. Then, we recently received samples of a new line of Kashi Whole Grain granola cereals and I have to say, my love for granola has returned in a big way. I tried Kashi's Cocoa Beach (7 Whole Grain Granola) and devoured it. I had it every day for breakfast even found myself grabbing for it to get me through the 4 o'clock "grumblies." It's so tasty and best of all, it kept my energy high and hunger level low. Typically, when I eat cereal, I find myself looking for something to eat an hour later. Because this cereal was so tasty and satisfying, I then tried the Summer Berry too. My husband loved the Cocoa Beach, but said he thought maybe the Summer Berry was his overall favorite. Either way, I now want both these cereals in the house at all times. It's a quick breakfast or snack option that packs a punch for my daily grind!

Reading up more on Kashi and these cereals, I was happy to know that these granola cereals are packed with powerful whole grains and at least 300-400 mgs of ALA Omega 3 fatty acids, which is essential nowadays for good healthful living. While these two granola cereals are not organic, I was happy to see that there are no unnecessary preservatives or artificial additives -- just natural ingredients, like dried fruits, nuts and Kashi's blend of whole grains. If you are looking for an organic alternative, I found Kashi has a line called the "Organic Promise" cereals as well.

I've always enjoyed Kashi waffles for breakfast, but now I found another alternative that I really love. If you are looking for a tasty breakfast option, I'd suggest giving this granola a try. I'm craving some Cocoa Beach right now!

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I have long admired Angela Adams designs. Her patterns and lines are distinctive and inspired by the natural beauty of life off the coast of Maine. Adams weaves together unique colors and patterns for her rugs, linens, pillows and canvassed prints. Now, she brings her unique designs to these delicious chocolate covered cookies. They look too pretty to even eat, but chocolate calls!

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I have a "thing" for cupcakes. I absolutely love them and can't have just one. The thing I've found is that cupcakes are so easy to make, but not always the easiest to get from here to there.The Cupcake Courier is another one of those, "why didn't I think of that" products that is really so simple, and long overdue.

Jennifer Gunn, mother of two, came up with The Cupcake Courier to solve one of her biggest challenges -- transporting her nicely made cupcakes to the kids and family parties without them rolling around in the back seat of her car. The Cupcake Courier solves this problem with three removable and stackable trays that holds three dozen cupcakes in one easy to tote container. Removing all of the trays, the The Cupcake Container can also serve as a cake courier as well, which is cool.

Gunn Designs are committed to solving "mother's problems" and have a mission to create stylish products that "make household life a little easier" -- and in this case, a little sweeter!

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This is an exciting post for us because on Sunday, I received several messages suggesting we check out Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea. Text messages and Facebook posts came in saying, a sparkling tea from San Francisco's Golden Star Tea Co. (from taste to sophisticated bottle design) was "extraordinique." The reports we received from the California's 2nd Annual Artisan Cheese Festival were this sparkling tea was fresh, crisp and effervescent, like champagne, but without the buzz.

Being a huge fan of Kombucha, I was interested in learning more about this line of sparkling tea. Gold Star's tea is crafted with a secret blending of heirloom teas, raw cane sugar, jasmine flower essences (all organic), and then fermented using intensely artisanal processes. The process adds aromatic elements and complex flavor tones. Sampled with gourmet foods, the reports back said the sparkling tea paired well and complemented all the foods that were sampled at the festival. Most importantly, above all the cheeses and other food and drink sampled there,  Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea was noted as the most extraordinique!

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