Love simple recipes, and who doesn’t?! You know the kind just a few ingredients and voila! Yumminess innovations time flat, even desserts!

Take for example the affogato… yes, it is super simple but a whole lot of yummy!

It’s comprised of espresso, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Of course, it’s always much more fun in your favorite mug!

So, you begin with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream in your mug.

Put on a good drizzle of your caramel sauce. If I may, my caramel sauce is from Chocolates by Kelly, located in Richmond VA. Has great texture and taste! The label comes with great recipe ideas too!!

Get your espresso ready and into the mug it goes on top of your caramel and ice cream. As the hot espresso hits the other ingredients, it marries all the flavors together. Forming a wonderful dessert !

You can find the caramel sauce and other yummy finds at :

http://www.chocolatesbykelly.com

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Gift shopping can be a rough ride. Sometimes you know just the perfect item and it is smooth sailing. Then there are the times that you’ve completed your steps for the week just by going to the many stores of the malls to find the perfect gift.

There’s items out there, don’t get me wrong. But amidst all the tech gadgets there has to be something more, something unique and unexpected.

In comes a classic music box. I ordered one for my daughter to usher in the new school year. Where? At https://feriwola.com/products/exclusive-hand-crank-music-box

When it arrived I couldn’t wait to see it!

I loved the artwork carved in it. It seemed very dainty, and petite. There is a magical, some what nostalgic feel when you open the box.

The music is delicate and sweet.

I’ll admit I was a little anxious when I gave it to my daughter. Let’s face it, you don’t have to plug it in, no need to hook up a charger, and it doesn’t need internet.

The minute she opened the music box and turned the crank her eyes lit up!!

The classic gift was a winner. Maybe they say what’s old is new, all I know it’s something that can be treasured!

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Fests are great fun and a great way to make new discoveries!! And the Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest is no exception.!!

It is year two for the Fest in the Richmond area. By the crowds and those I spoke to- they were very happy to have them back!!

The fun begins right outside the exhibit hall doors! Time for some “photo booth” creativity!

You walk in and let the discovery and learning begin

Enjoy Life has a unique set-up in, not only sharing samples, but learning ire about them and their products

I love discovering new flavors and food products, and yes- the Fest was the best venue to. We, like many families love almonds and the almond flavor. But there are times that the almond is an almond and it needs a “refresher”. That’s where a new discovery, called deliciousness (don’t you live the name?) come in. Their flavored almonds really wake up the everyday almond. Flavors such as nacho, and the Lakeshore trail mix that blends the cheddar and caramel flavors.

Oh! They have chips too!!! They maybe based out of Chicago- but they have a website!!!! (www.deliciousness.com). There you can find Mozaics, a flavor chip that can tackle the snack craving without being bogged down with preservatives.

What did I learn besides yummy food?? There’s were cooking demos and lectures to choose from. What made it hard to decide on which to attend was the topic. They were all about practical living when you live with gluten free needs and/or food allergies.

Take for example today’s first demo- baking bread. Do you love baking like me? Though, I’ve never baked bread before, and I’ve always been hesitant- now we’re going to throw in making it gluten free, YIKES!!

Well, Jules Shepard takes out all the fear and even shows how to bake gluten free bread in both the oven and bread maker machine.

She also directed her to her website should we have additional questions after the Fest.

Other demos included easy vegan recipes, increasing the protein for lunch boxes – just in time for back to school, and using the fresh herbs around us.

Lectures? Yup, but again practical use.. how about dealing with allergies when your traveling. And yes, it can be daunting and even frustrating, that was one of today’s topics- don’t you love topics that help answer many questions and hurdles we can encounter everyday.

When it’s time for you to take your lunch break in all of the activities, it’s good to see that the Greater Richmond Convention Center was ready.

And, yes…. that is a steak and cheese sandwich on gluten free bread!!

There’s so much more! But that’ll have to wait for tomorrow “day two”.

There are two more Fest locations, (Indianapolis,IN and Portland,OR) if the Richmond one is not near you.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with the Fest wrap-up

Summer means fun, family, and road trips. So, you pack up the devices so no one gets bored; and you pack the snacks! All sorts, from chips to cookies and even candy, drinks too!! But as time passes by, you sometimes crave for something a little different to snack on….. cake or a brownie! I know it gets so hot you think you could bake inside your car, but aside from attempting to buy a slice of cake at the next rest stop…… you’ll just have to wait until you get to your destination.

Wait no more!! Miss Jones Baking Company knows how we feel. You’ve probably tried their bake and cookie mixes- but now they have “dessert in a cup”!!

What a great variety, has something for everyone…. Hard to choose but none will disappoint. The instructions are super easy, so easy that I can get these ready minutes before we leave. Who doesn’t love a warm brownie or double chocolate cake??

Just a few tablespoons of water to create chocolatey goodness in just a few minutes.

Looks just like the batter you made from scratch

 There it goes baking away in the microwave

The only difference with making the brownie is a smidge of vegetable oil.

And voila! Fresh baked goodness in no time flat! 

Craving fulfilled… It’s made by Miss Jones Baking Co. so its like baking it from scratch- but in less time!

To see all their products and learn a little more about them, go to:

http://www.missjones.co

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The Summer beckons for road trips, trips to discover new places or visit family. The thrill of packing and the excitement of hitting the road. The time in the road can be a challenge that boredom takes over. So we all charge up our devices before we leave and pack our chargers.

Depending on the length of the trip the devices may or may not last. Everyone has their cords, but can we connect them all? We need a car charger that can handle it all.

With a little research, I found it!

There it is- petite but yet big enough to solve our dilemma

This small item is a Car Charger for Nintendo Switch, MacBook Pro, Camera, iPhone, iPad, and Notebook.

So, let’s give it a try…

Simple enough…. but you said you have a port to charge your phone. Yes, I do too.

But, it sure comes in handy when there’s more than one of you that needs to “plug in”.

As part of an experiment, I wanted to try it on one of our older model vehicle that didn’t have a USB port.

Sits just right and charges perfectly.

Now we’ll never have to worry about not being able to charge our devices when we are on the road!!

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Can’t believe “back to school” is already under way! If you’re like me….. I’m not ready!!!

I do know of a class that I’m geared up to take- a chocolate making class!!! Yes, I know chocolate is in a class all it’s own. But, here’s an opportunity to make it yourself!

Where you say? I am fortunate enough to have a “Chocolates by Kelly” in my neighborhood. Kelly, herself, teaches this fun experience!

So what are we making?? Truffles of course!

When you arrive for your class, everything is ready.

Should you get parched…. I know, chocolate is a huge distraction- but if you haven’t heard it enough, hydrate!!

So why truffles?? There is a simplicity and a complexity to them. You don’t need a truckload of ingredients to make them and super fun to make.

Want to take it to the next level? Give it some complexity? Maybe add some flavor and “personality “…. Kelly can show you how

Now to help prep you for this class, Kelly is ready. Especially if you’re like me and need to carry a lobster bib in my back pocket! Yup, I’m the one that wears the white shirt guaranteed to have something on it by the end of the day- hahahaha!!!

Now chocolate classes aren’t just all about fun, you learn more than just yummy chocolate making.

Kelly offers classes that are STEM inspired. Which is great for the kiddos. Why? Because like baking, chocolate (and candy) making is a science. Where temperatures and amounts can throw off an entire recipe.

With Kelly leading the way it’s easier to learn when you’re having fun, and with it being hands on makes it even better.

With August upon us, there is still some room at Chocolates by Kelly so book now for some fun, learning and memories!! Just go to for more details and to schedule your class

http://new.chocolatesbykelly.com/