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Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Rachel's October Favorites

Hi! 
I've missed you all. :)
Where have I been? 
Where have youuuu been?

I've been way too consumed with work,
you all know those kinds of months.
You blink and the month is gone. 

Anyways, I've been running 
and traveling (I'm currently Live! from San Francisco)
and painting ( upcoming post)
and checking things off my bucket list 
left and right.

I am going to be really dedicating some time
this November to blogging and sharing
some creative, inspiring, and wonderful things with you all. 
So I hope you'll come back,
check-in and visit in the upcoming month. 

In the meantime, I have some fun items
to share with you for my October Favorites list.
If you're new to my blog,
these are just items I fancy -
things I've recently purchased, and/or
seasonal items I'm loving this time of year.

Take a peek and feel free to leave your 
own favorites in the comments. 
If you like something, you can click on the items
to find out where to purchase them.

Clockwise:

1. Tis the seasons for pumpkins. I love this fabric covered pumpkin, which would look cute on a coffee table, next to a lamp, or on an office desk. The colors work wonderfully in my home, but given the fact they are so neutral- this decor can really work anywhere! You can find similar ones at Marshalls, T.J Maxx, or HomeGoods. 

2. This adorable little sign is a must have for this time of year. Or if you're my mom, you have one that reads "A Happy Witch Lives Here!". These signs are a nice way to warn trick or treaters, you know - just so they're aware what they'll be dealing with when they knock on the door! ;)

3. I am obsessed with the plates at Anthropologie - and anyone who knows me knows how much entertaining I love to do! New plates are always necessary. These colorful bird small plates are great for serving salad, appetizers, or cheese (for a wine soiree) or scones (for a tea gathering!). 

4. Its breast cancer awareness month, and so with it - we must celebrate with pink! I love the color of this coffee travel mug, and the message. I have a few ceramic travel mugs which are great for traveling with coffee and tea during the cool fall and winter months, but I may be adding this one to the collection. :)

5. Umm, hello cold front. This week its down in the 30's and 40's in New York and I can't stand having cold hands. Whip out a fabulous pair of gloves this time of year to battle dealing with numb hands in the morning. I love these little red ones with the bow...just adorable!

6.  I bought this coffee from HomeGoods and its delicious. Festive for this time of year, this pumpkin pie flavored coffee will warm you from the inside out. 

7. There is nothing better than a big oversized bag. I don't know about you, but I carry my ENTIRE WORLD in my bag and so I need space. This gorgeous black Moschino bag will be your new best friend if you don't travel light (like me!) I mean, what girl does? ;)

8. This mousepad is pretty + functional since it doubles as calendar you can quickly reference dates. Perfect for your home office or to brighten up your desk area at work. The style screams Rachel - but don't ask me.  I'm just a sucker for pastel floral. 

9. Pumpkin beer, pumpkin beer, and more pumpkin beer. If I could have an IV drip of this stuff, I would. But don't even dream of serving it to me without a cinnamon sugar rim, because thats just a sin. If you haven't had this life changing flavored beer, head to your local pub and try this seasonal fave!

10. Etsy makes great homemade products, so I love this pumpkin exfoliating soap. Its really important to exfoliate this time of year because the skin starts to become dry and pores can get easily clogged. This is the perfect excuse to scrub a dub dub away.

11. I've been traveling a lot and when possible, I like to travel in style. You can't go wrong with this vintage inspired suitcase, which is perfect for quick overnight stays or as a weekender. Too cute. 

12. Check out TruEnergy's line of gorgeous earbuds! They are designed for women, come in a variety of styles and colors, and are a must have for the modern, athletic women. Now available at select Targets and at Target.com

13. I always have these little notebooks available for jotting down ideas for blog posts, recipes, poetry, etc. These Kate Spade notebooks are great to throw in your purse for jotting down things on the go - whether its a to-do list, brainstorming, or even a grocery list. 


Rachel's October Favorites

Monday, March 4, 2013

Cuckoo for Coco(a)! You heard it here first!

I don't really consider myself to be a cocoa fan -
I'm more of a 'Team Vanilla' kind of girl, 
but recently I find myself a passenger of the chocolate train-
and not just a passive rider, but one screaming
ALL ABOARD!

So it all begins when my boss Ken
casually mentions that our savvy apps office 
(tucked away in a corner just outside Washington D.C)
 has recently been stocked with Coco Cafe in our mini fridge.
"What's that?" I ask, taking the bait-
even though I'm sure I know 
some of the ingredients given the name.
I am pretty sure Ken believes I live on coffee alone
since every time I announce my lunch break he tells me
"So basically you're grabbing a coffee?"
I'm confident he's aware of trigger words
that easily reel me in,
so non-chalantly mentioning a coffee drink
 that involves my two favvs -
coconut water + espresso
isn't going to fly.
I'm hook, line, and sinker going to ask 
for more details.

"Yes, you haven't heard about it? 
It's a cool new drink, 
half hydrating coconut water, half espresso fuel."
Umm, SIGN ME UP?!



So, like a psycho -
I start calling around retailers all over 
Long Island looking for the stuff.
Caffeine is a drug and I was like a crazy addict
looking for a fix.
It was a Friday afternoon 
and apparently the Coco Cafe website
just sends you to Amazon to get your hands on the stuff.
What? I'm gonna cut right to the chase.
I DON'T LIKE WAITING.
Not on lines, not for Christmas - not for 
a really chic new coffee drink.
So I called Stop and Shop (multiple locations)
and they said they didn't have it
(liars! I found it there the next day!)
I called 7-11, I called Target-
seriously I called all over the place... no dice.
So I sulked all the way to my Friday
night bartending shift without it.
The next morning - I woke up sick as a dog,
sneezing, coughing, congested on a
gloomy, rainy, damp Saturday morning.
You would think that would be enough
 to keep someone under the weather
 home and in bed, but no -
I trekked out in the pouring rain to go in search of Coco Cafe.
Sick, right?!?

And lo and behold, I found a few of the original flavor 
at the Stop and Shop in West Islip (those dirttty little liars!!!)
I was cold, damp, and miserable
but I am pretty sure I heard the Hallelujah Chorus
as I sipped it on the ride home.
I was a girl on a mission
...and mission accomplished!

Anyways, it's really delicious
 and if you love coffee
and are into coconut water,
 you've GOT to try this stuff.
Apparently, Madonna backs it
and is either part owner or has stock in the company
and how often is Madonna wrong? 
(Correct answer: She can do NO WRONG).



My brother says it tastes like the milk left over 
from a bowl of Cocoa Puffs cereal,
I say it tastes like caffeine Heaven.
Ken says "I'm cuckoo for Coco Cafe".
I won't fight him on this...I think he might be right.
I can't find the Mocha or Vanilla flavors,
so if you come across them - 
please drop me a note and let me know 
where you scoped them out please! =)

I am a HUGE fan,
a Coco Cafe endorser (if you will),
and they have my full seal of approval.

Next on my cocoa craze list- 
chocolate infused wine...
have you heard of this?

So I first came across ChocolatRouge
on Valentine's Day when I was looking for 
something festive to sip on to commemorate the day.

It's a dark chocolate infused wine.
I liked it very much, but found one I liked even better 

Suite of ChocolatRouge Selections

On a scale of 1-10 on the sweet scale,
Chocolate Rouge I rate at about a 5 - I wouldn't call it dry,
but it's definitely way dryer than Chocolate Shop, which I rate at about a 7 or 8.
I bought ChocolatRouge Dark Red (which is on the dryer side, 
apparently there is one called
ChocolatRouge Sweet Red which is
on the sweeter side, more like a dessert wine).
It's not as sweet as a Riesling or Moscato,
but would still fall within the dessert wine category
due to the chocolate notes and slightly sweet aftertaste
(more so in the Chocolate Shop than Chocolate Rouge).

Chocolate Shop is really, really amazing.
It's sweet without being overbearingly sweet.
It's a red wine with all the guiltless pleasure of chocolate
and half the calories. 
(Umm, my doctor recommends a glass of red wine a day
and I never disobey doctors orders.)
I had a girlfriend Rachel
 (no, not me silly - why would I refer to
 myself in the third person?)
do a taste test to gauge its sweetness
(she hates sweet wines and is into super dry Cabs)
 and she said it was delicious.
 'Just a tad sweet aftertaste', she reported!

They have a whole slew of flavors,
including their original chocolate red wine (this is the one I tried!)
creme de cocoa (more of a creamy based wine drink)
chocolate strawberry (need to try this!)
chocolate mint,
and sparkling chocolate red wine.
Yes, to all of that.

Suite of Chocolate Shop Wines




If you are a dark chocolate fan
or a wino just looking to try something new,
I highly recommend trying a chocolate infused wine.
Pair with fruit (strawberries) or serve alone 
to quench your sweet tooth! 
Dessert is served!


Just passing these recommendations along.
Don't shoot the messenger [!]


xo,
Rach