use real butter

more serious research
This week, our two additional research subjects are Lindt Swiss Bittersweet (cocoa content percentage unknown) and Chocolove Rich Dark Chocolate (65%).

Chocolove is hands down the best one we’ve tasted so far (at least for tasting). It is very smooth, slightly sweet, dark, good texture and long smooth finish, slight vanilla. The Lindt is also a good tasting chocolate, but very different from the Chocolove. It is better suited for eating straight. It is much sweeter, more caramel in flavor, smooth, good finish on caramel. Jeremy loves Chocolove. I heard from Joan on our hike yesterday that Chocolove was one of the best (and she and Fiona are chocolate fiends). Chocolove is $12.45/lb. for a 3.2 oz bar. Lindt is $10.47/lb. for a 3.5 oz bar. I got both of these from Ideal Market (Wild Oats).

Jeremy should be arriving home any minute now. I last saw him at 5:30 this morning on his way to do his astronomer thing. I bet he is hungry because I only sent him with a smidgen of brekkie and some lunch and three fun size butterfingers. I have dinner on the stove as I type… and then it’s off to bed because we are getting up even earlier tomorrow to summit (twice) before the storms roll in. They did their boom boom today and finally delivered rain around 6. At that time I was preparing sour cream coffee cake:

ready for the oven

ready for the tummy

**Jump for more butter**

Oh how I love…

fresh asparagus

I stir-fried chicken and asparagus tonight and added it to my photo recipes on my web site here.



My parents called today (again). When they travel, they want to let me know where they are at every waypoint and give me the play by play. They were in the parking lot of Trader Joes at Tyson’s Station in Falls Church, Virginia and wanted to know if I wanted anything. Oh boy, did I… but half of the goodness of Trader Joes is their fresh stuff. I thought I’d toss them a bone because they sounded so happy that they were at MY FAVORITE grocery store and could actually get something that they knew I liked.

dad: Do you like saffron? I like their saffron, I’m going to buy some for myself.
me: Well, how about some… chocolate?
dad: Chocolate? Are you going to eat it? It makes you fat.
me: It’s for Jeremy, he likes their dark chocolate.
dad: Sure, we can get you chocolate. Dark?! We will mail it to you.
mom: (shouting in background) It’s too hot! It will melt in the mail!
dad: Oh – this chocolate is a problem. Mommy says it will melt. Saffron will not melt. Do you want saffron?
me: I have a lot of saffron already, thanks. How about buying the chocolate and then waiting until October to send it?
dad: Ah – good idea, kid. Anything else you want? Just chocolate and saffron?