I have found a new favorite tea. And if you like strawberries and chocolate I think you will too.

Introducing Strawberry Chocolate Tea by The Republic of Tea.

Yummy, yummy!

Naturally caffeine free (so I can enjoy a cup at bed-time), naturally sweet, smells and tastes delicious. A perfect 0 calorie, aptly named treat. I think I’ll have a cup right now!

Ingredients: Rooibos (red tea), carob, cocoa kernels, chocolate flavor, strawberry flavor, sweet blackberry leaves and bourbon vanilla beans

Try it and let me know what you think.

Do you have any other really yummy teas to recommend?

I’ve had a few (sometimes inexplicable) celebrity crushes over the course of my life…. mostly in my youth.

Jonny Quest (yes, the cartoon) was the first. He was followed by a string of mostly musicians… teen heart throbs like Davy Jones, Donny Osmond and David Cassidy, etc.

Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing – but admit it… you loved them too, or someone just like them in your own music era. (FYI, I fell for musicians in real-life, too…)

Anyway, during the 80s I developed a celebrity crush on Richard Page, lead singer/songwriter from the band Mr. Mister.
Read the rest of this entry »

Meet my newest addiction, thanks to Ashley.

I’d never tried a Chai Latte before (I know, can you believe it?) but had a sip of Ashley’s while she here a couple of weeks ago. OMG – love at first sip.

How can it be I’d never tasted this delicious hot, sweet drink? I live in Seattle, after all, the coffee shop capital of the world.

Ashley gave me a rundown of the different types of Chai out there, and insisted that Oregon Chai is the best (or at least her favorite). While at Central Market last week, I discovered Oregon Chai concentrate on sale for 2 for $4.00 – less than half the regular price. I bought a couple of each of the varieties (regular, slightly sweet, and caffeine free – made with red tea instead of black). I like them all – but prefer the sweeter varieties (of course).

Because I enjoy drinking this in the evening, the Caffeine Free variety has become my favorite. I always have it in my Laurel Burch cat mug, a favorite gift from my friend, Jana.

And topped with a little whipped cream and cinnamon, it’s simply divine.

What are your thoughts on chai?

Any brands in particular to recommend? Want to write a chai haiku?

I have one final post to share about my Cost Rica trip – filled with wonderful pictures from my last few 5 days in the country. But I haven’t had a chance to work on it – and wanted to share why.

The last few weeks I’ve been working, nearly non-stop, on preparations for a “Breakthrough Telesummit” that Margie (my main Virtual Assistant/web design client) decided she wanted to put together.

The woman has a lot of vision – but, sadly for me, not much of a feel for what is involved and how long it reasonably takes to bring her vision to life

So I’ve taken what should be a 12 – 36 week job and pulled it off in just 4 weeks. The telesummit took place this weekend and was a smashing success. I’ve had the opportunity to listen to many of the 24 speakers and they are really INCREDIBLE.

This was a high caliber event – speakers like Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For The Soul), Marci Shimoff (Happy For No Reason/Love For No Reason), Cheryl Richardson, T. Harv Eker, Tim Sales and more.

All for only $20.

Really, it’s an incredible bargain.

The calls were all recorded, and anyone who registers gets 60 days access to listen to them. Margie has decided to leave enrollment open for one more week (til Sunday, February 27th) – so I wanted to let you know about it.

If you are looking for a breakthrough in your business or in your life, I really recommend you invest the $20 and listen to these speakers. Even though it is billed for “network marketers” - it’s really for anyone wanting to make more of their life, business and relationships. Or to start a new business or create something new. Most of the speakers didn’t even talk about network marketing (though a few did).

Anyway – just wanted to share what I’ve been doing and invite you to take advantage of the offer.

Having heard nearly half of the speakers so far, I can say it’s well worth $20.

Check out the website (yes, I made it) for details on the speakers and their topics – and to register if you’d like.

OK.. back to work!

Costa Rica: Day 3

New year’s day was nice and relaxing. Friends of Brandon & Jennifer came by to visit and share what they’d learned about the process for gaining residency and the various hoop jumping necessary to prepare for the birth of the baby in June. The Engelhardts are really great people and we enjoyed some very interesting conversation. I’m glad I got to meet them.

I also took photos of them for their newborns birth announcement for their family in Holland.

And here are the lovely Pearce ladies in the garden.

We went out for an early dinner at a wonderful little open air restaurant just down the street – Monte Companas.

I experienced my first Costa Rican mixed fruit drink here – and it was delicious. This was peach, mango, papaya and starfruit. And I think it was only about $2.

I was lost looking at the menu (in Spanish), so just took Jen’s recommendation for a traditional Costa Rican meal – Arroz con pollo – rice with chicken. It was served with french fries (which seemed a bit odd) and steamed vegetables. It was very, very good – something I’d order again. I was so eager to eat it I forgot to snap a photo first. Sorry.

The food is only one of the great things about this restaurant. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere comfortable and inviting, and the prices very reasonable. They also have a playground for the girls (making it a great “date night” restaurant for Brandon & Jennifer), and an absolutely incredible view.

I give it 4 clams.

I’ll leave you with a couple of scenic photos I took on the way to dinner. You can click them to enlarge a bit. These were taken from the same place in the road – one shot to the southwest, the other to the southeast. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, isn’t it?

As a card-carrying member of the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club, I am morally obligated to stop into my local Godiva shop each month for my free piece of chocolate. It’s a burden, but how can I refuse? I love chocolate, and it’s even better when it’s free. I also get a monthly catalog which attempts to entice me into purchasing more chocolate… which I rarely do.

Last month the catalog featured their new “Baked Dessert” truffles – along with a $15 coupon. I ripped it out and headed straight to Godiva. Some of the flavors sounded better than others to me, so I was hoping to purchase individual truffles. But they only had them in a 6 truffle, boxed box collection that day – for, as luck would have it, $15.

Tiramisu: meh
Strawberry Tart: meh
Cheesecake: OK, but nothing special.
Carrot Cake: Pretty good, didn’t love it.
Chocolate Lava Cake: Now you’re talking. This was delicious.
Red Velvet Cake: MMMMMMM. I’ve been back for another.

A couple of weeks later I stopped by my local Hallmark store where they happen to sell individual Hazelnut Lindor Truffles (most stores don’t carry that variety, which is my favorite). I bought two – and enjoyed them both before I even made it home.

These little chocolate balls just melt into creamy chocolaty goodness in my mouth – and I am forced to wonder if the $2.50+ Godiva truffles are really that much better than the .45 Lindt truffles…

Certainly the Godiva truffles are more artistic. But do I enjoy them more???

I think not. I’ll enjoy my monthly free piece of Godiva, and save my money for Lindt. Or Boehem or Seattle Chocolate’s Mint Truffles.

What’s your take on Godiva vs. Lindt (or other)?

Each year, for the past several years, Kristin has hosted/put on an interactive murder mystery for her kids and their friends.

This weekend was the 2010 Murder Mystery – Til Death Do Us Part…set at a Medieval wedding event.

Something you should know about Kristin is when she puts on an event, she goes all the way. It’s not just a party – it’s a production!

And these are no murder mysteries you can buy in a box – no, those don’t meet her standards. Instead, she writes them from scratch.

I am a “creative consultant” on the projects, suggesting ideas for plot lines, characters, twists and turns, etc. I help with some editing/proof-reading and occasionally assist with a bit of writing.

But Kristin does all the heavy lifting – writing each character’s story, organizing, making sure each character has enough to do and have all the items they need to accomplish their goals – and that all the different plot lines fit together.

I don’t know how many spreadsheets and other documents she has to create to keep track of it all. I’m a bit in awe of all that goes into putting one of these things together. I think Kristin has a special gift for it.

It’s a huge job. HUGE.

And takes a particularly creative and organized mind to pull it off – not to mention a bit of a budget. I think she said she printed over 506 index cards for this particular mystery (the biggest one she’s done yet) in addition to other documents and necessary items.

She’s very clever. I was particularly fond of the Bible (a main theme of this mystery – lots of bibles with things hidden inside) which contained scripture from the Book of Armaments. Lots of clever bits like that.

“…And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, “O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that with it Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits, in Thy mercy.” And the Lord did grin and the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats…”

She has spent the last 8+ weeks on the most recent murder mystery – literally, a full time (unpaid) job.

Although I have helped in the development of previous mysteries, this is the first event I have actually been able to attend (since she now lives only 90 minutes away). And even though I know she goes full out on anything she does, I was not prepared for what I discovered upon my arrival.

I was completely blown away.
.

• All major main-floor furniture was being moved out of the house and into the garage. This includes all the tables, office desks, giant big screen tv, etc. With 28 kids in the house, every square foot was needed.
• Her house was transformed into a castle! The white walls now appeared to be made of stone, doorways became staircases, torches and stained glass windows on the walls. The backyard was now a graveyard.



• All 28 characters (plus two ‘oracles’ – Kristin and I) each had their own professional packets of information – including their character sheets, abilities, goals, secrets, trivia, and items in their possession.
• Craig spent an entire day cooking to create a delicious feast for the Medieval wedding, and the entire night serving it.

Friday and Saturday were spent in these preparations, and the kids began arriving Saturday evening. And what an awesome group they were. Most took their costuming very seriously – they looked fabulous.

Even though most of them had never attended an interactive murder mystery (and were, therefore, completely confused for the first hour) – got into their characters and had a great time. They are not scripted – each character can do what they want with their part, so we never know how the evening will end. Makes for great fun.

Jousting while riding the stick ponies was a big hit, there were several attempted murders, three deaths, two coronations and five weddings!

So fun to see the creative ways the kids played their characters and created alliances and plotted against each other.

My character was Mirela the gypsy. I had a fabulous costume and spoke with a convincing Romanian accent.

My job was to help Kristin manage things, share my “visions” – and photograph the event… “capture their images with my magical contraption, provided to me the wizard”.

Anyway, it was an impressive and exciting evening…. and exhausting. We all slept til nearly noon today!

And then started brainstorming on the plot for the 2011 mystery – it’s going to be good!

If you ever get an opportunity to attend one of Kristin’s murder mysteries – BE THERE!

It’s an experience you’ll not forget.

I really think she should sell these… or perhaps even put them on as a paid organizer/hostess. So hire her for your next party! (and offer her a lot of money)

All hail Kristin – the Mistress of Murder!

My mom recently spent a week visiting here in Seattle. It was all the excuse I needed for another Savor Seattle tour.

Since taking the Pikes Place Market food tour in 2008, Angela and company at Savor Seattle have introduced a Chocolate Indulgence Tour. Apparently, along with coffee and fresh seafood, Seattle has developed a reputation for great Chocolate.  It’s no secret that the sweet tooth runs in our family, so choosing this 2 hour walking tour was a no brainer.

We invited my siblings and their spouses to join us. We met up with our spunky guide, Amy, and the 8 other guests, put on our cool wireless headsets and were on our way.

We started off at Oliver’s Lounge at the Mayflower Hotel, where the bartender created a chocolate cocktail for everyone… except us.

Since we’re non-drinkers, we opted in advance for hot cocoa.  But after hearing him talk about what goes into the cocktail and watching him create it, I really wish I’d tried it (even with the likelihood that I wouldn’t like it).

Next time I take the tour – and believe me, there will be a next time – no substitutions for me.

Next stop was The Dahlia bakery – owned by renown Seattle chef Tom Douglas.

There we sampled his famous Triple Coconut Cream Pie and a completely decadent chocolate truffle cookie – which  Seattle Magazine named as one of Seattle’s best desserts.   So moist, so delicious! Mmmmm…

I want one right now.

And we’re walking….. we’re walking….

We made our way to The Chocolate Box to sample gelato, sweet mini cupcakes and absolutely TO DIE FOR Chocolate Enrobed Brownies.

Enrobed.

Doesn’t that sound decadent? Moist brownies enrobed in chocolate.  So moist they were almost like fudge (but better).  I think that was my favorite taste of the day.  And we came back here after dinner (at Machiavelli’s, of course) to pick up more brownies (and tried both the Walnut and Rocky Road varieties – both delicious).

After that we wandered on over to Pikes Place Market for a stop at The Confectional.

There we enjoyed delicious, rich Colombian Sipping Chocolate so thick you could use it as a topping. It had a bit of spice added, and tasted a lot like I imagine Juliette Binoche’s character, Vianne, served in the wonderful movie Chocolat, also starring Johnny Depp. One of my favorite movies – you should really see it if you haven’t.

But I digress…

An even bigger hit was the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. This shop is another ‘must visit’ stop if you’re ever in Seattle.

All of their cheesecakes are made in individual serving sizes – so perfect for on the go. And lots of delicious flavors to choose from.

From there we walked to Kukuruza Gourmet Popcorn where not only did we get to sample yummy chocolate coated popcorn, but we were entertained by a dancing employee. Awesome. Some of us also tried the cheddar and caramel popcorn mix, as well as a lavender lemonade variety (which smelled like lavender, but tasted like lemonade, imo).  All quite delicious.

Our last stop was Fran’s Chocolates. Three luscious treats awaited us:

• a dark chocolate truffle (my favorite)
• a raspberry truffle (Kristin’s favorite?)
• a salted caramel (President Obama’s favorite – as well as many of the people on the tour)

And then our tour of deliciousness was at an end, sweet tooth satisfied.

All along the way we learned fascinating information about the history of chocolate, where it comes from, how it is made, as well as chocolate’s unique place in Seattle culture. 

If you like chocolate, I recommend this tour highly – and suggest that if you take it while visiting Seattle, do so near the beginning of your stay so you can take advantage of the merchant discount card you’ll receive at the end of the tour. It’s good for 10 days at ALL of the businesses where Savor Seattle tours – not just those on the chocolate tour.

So, who’s going to come visit me next so we can take this tour together??

Now, where’s my chocolate…

When I purchased my Dell Inspiron 1520 Notebook over two years ago, I did something rather atypical – bought an extended warranty.

I usually don’t ‘waste’ my money, since rarely have I ever had to use one. But for some reason (maybe because my livelihood depends on my functioning computer), I bit the bullet and added a 3 year warranty to the order.

Over all, this has been a great computer – and no need to use the warranty. I did break one of the USB ports (connector broke off while still inside – my fault, not covered by warranty), and I’ve completely worn the letters E, R, N and M off the keyboard. But aside from that no problems.

But a couple of months ago, the screen started doing something weird. It was pink when I turned it on, though would become white quite quickly. Over time, the pink has gotten darker and lasted longer. And yesterday, the screen just went black.

OK, I figured that warranted a call to Dell Tech support – surely that would be covered by my warranty. Fortunately, I purchased an external monitor I could hook up to, went to the Dell website and started an online chat with tech support.

It was one of the easiest, most satisfying tech support sessions I’d had. He didn’t just want to know about the screen – he also asked me all about the condition of the notebook – did it have all its screws, rubber feet, condition of the keyboard, if I had any concerns at all.

Because I mentioned it sometimes gets hot, he asked if I’d use compressed air to clean out the air vents. I hadn’t. He asked me to that, (which required me buying a can of compressed air), and that he’d call me the next day (today) to see how it worked – and based on that, he’d put in an order for replacement parts. He confirmed that the USB port wasn’t covered by the warranty – but I figure I’ve lived without that 4th port for a year, I can manage.

So today I get a call at the appointed hour. I’m told that not only will my screen be replaced, so will my keyboard, my touchpad – AND my motherboard, so I will have 4 working USB ports (they made a special exception for me). Basically a new computer.

And the best part of all this is that I don’t have to ship my computer off to be fixed – they’ll send a technician TO MY HOUSE to swap out all the parts…. no charge. Well, I guess there was a charge – the warranty. But today I’m thinking it’s worth every penny. So thank you Dell.

I’d buy another Dell in a heartbeat (and an extended warranty).

Do you have any warranty (or lack there of) happy or horror stories to share?

Well, I’m back on my HCG diet, trying to undo the damage inflicted by the holidays. That means my food choices are extremely limited (but I’m getting smaller…)

Since I can’t eat the food I love, I’ll write about it and make you hungry for it too.

Here is my current list of “bests”
(subject to change at any time):
.

• Best Burger - Red Robin
• Best Creme Brule – tie: The Keg & Ruth’s Chris
  and they both serve a fantastic filet mignon
• Best Tostada Salad - Cafe Rio
• Best Girl Scout Cookie - Tie: Thin Mints (frozen) or Tagalongs
• Best Italian food – Machiavelli’s
• Best Chinese food (esp. Schezwan Beef) – Asian Star



• Best Comfort food – there are so many, but today I’ll say Chicken Pillows
• Best Ice Cream – Haagendaz Rocky Road
• Best Cheesecake – Craig Cottle’s
• Best Brownie – Judge Cafe
• Best Chocolate Chip Cookies – J’Neil’s
• Best Carne Asada – Azul
• Best Pie – Tie: Soda Cracker or Lemon Meringue

Best Mint Truffle: I’m on a quest here. I’ve tried (and enjoyed) Kara, Boehms, and Seattle Chocolates. All are very good, but I haven’t been able to determine a “best.” Any suggestions?

Any “bests” you’d like to challenge or add?