Good Eats: Spiced Chocolate Bisque

Now that the weather is cooler, I am officially on the lookout for some new hot beverage recipes to try. Aran's Spiced Chocolate Bisque is definitely on my list of possibilities. Thicker than traditional hot chocolate, this decadent little confection can be served either warm or chilled, and it works well as a custard for dipping. Aran recommends serving this rich bisque with cinnamon sugar churros (pictured below). You can view both recipes here.

(Photos courtesy and copyright of Aran Goyoaga)

P.S. Cannelle et Vanille is one of the most amazing food blogs out there. In addition to being an accomplished chef, Aran is a brilliant food stylist and photographer. Check out her portfolio here.

Cinnamon latte

A couple of nights ago I turned up the air conditioning and whipped up a decadent cinnamon latte, filling our apartment with a heavenly scent. (Coffee and cinnamon are two of my favorite scents, but combining them produces an aroma that is pure magic.) Topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with a dash of nutmeg, this lovely little latte proved to be the perfect nightcap.

Blueberry bloggin'

My best friend took a job this summer at Hurst's Berry Farm in Oregon. I came across some of their fresh blueberries while grocery shopping the other day and got so excited that I startled my boyfriend and roommate. Naturally, I had to buy a carton. I haven't yet decided what to make with them, but I'm sharing a tiny bit of blueberry goodness with you to get myself in a blueberryin' mood.

(Top photo by kaycatt, bottom photo by kelly.kaye)

Belated blogger

I'm a belated blogger.

Sadly, I've had very little time to dedicate to blogging in the past few weeks, so I'm only getting the chance to share my experiences from a couple of weekends ago with you now. We flew up to Oahu again to do more apartment hunting.....and finally found a place! We spent a few hours with some friends, went to an appointment with our realtor, then stopped at Mai Tai's for a couple of drinks before heading to the airport to fly back home. On Sunday we went to the farmer's market for some fresh veggies, ran a few errands, and stopped for lunch at 1 + 1 Cafe. (Chicken pho for me!) All in all, it was a great weekend.

Weekend warriors

This weekend was quite a busy one--had to fly up to Oahu with my love and his family to move some things from our old place into storage and do some apartment hunting. We found a few possibilities, so the next step is simply to settle on one. Spent Saturday night at a karaoke party with a bunch of my boyfriend's pals. Great fun! Stopped for a midnight snack at Like Like Drive Inn before walking back to the hotel. French pancakes (pancakes rolled with guava jelly and sprinkled with powdered sugar) and the most delectable little cup of hot chocolate.....naturally, I was in heaven.

On a side note, I'm beginning to develop a love affair with hot chocolate. I'm all about it these days. In fact, I'm sipping it at this very moment, despite the fact that it's a warm night. Hot chocolate, Diana Krall, and a bit of blogging before bed. Quite a delightful combination.