Here is an easy recipe for dark chocolate flavored with candied ginger and orange peel. The flavors of orange and ginger are so good together in a ginger vanilla orange pound cake that I figured this flavor combination would taste awesome in dark chocolate as well. It’s delicious 😋. Then to add some fall color I sprinkled chrysanthemum petals which really transformed the chocolates into something beautiful. Try it! Continue reading Orange Ginger Dark Chocolate Drops with Chrysanthemum Petals
Category Archives: Flower Power
October in the Garden
Fall has begun in October! Leaves, leaves and more leaves are changing color and falling in slow motion in my garden.
September in the Garden
September has been a beautiful month here in the Bay Area. Though we had a few days of high temps in the 80s, mostly in our little town of Los Gatos it has been pleasant and very fall-like with partly cloudy skies, cool temperatures, and chilly nights. The leaves have already started falling – this is going to go on especially with my cottonwood trees for the next 3 months! Three months of non-stop falling leaves – the garden is going to look messy for a while. I’ve started sweeping the yard every day and people just look at me perplexed – “Why do you bother?” they are wondering. Well, for one I get a little arm-exercise, two – I get some fresh air, and three – I just can’t stand a messy garden. So I sweep what little areas I have control over – my front balcony, kitchen patio and my courtyard. The rest of the garden is just too big to bother. On the plus side, flowers are still blooming and looking beautiful as ever. Continue reading September in the Garden
August in the Garden & Summer Harvest Pics
Our summer this year has been beautiful and my garden is loving it. I’ve been enjoying gardening this summer because surprisingly the weather has been pleasant where I live in our Bay Area microclimate – with temperatures in the 70s, 80, and sometimes in the low 90s. Flowers have been blooming nonstop and I have been getting a good supply of garden herbs, tomatoes, plums, and apples. Not as many as many other superstar veggie gardeners out there, but we are happy with our modest bounty. Here is a look at what we have been harvesting this summer and enjoying in pastas, pies, and salads. Continue reading August in the Garden & Summer Harvest Pics
Vancouver EATS
For all you foodies out there, this one is for you! I’ve heard from so many folks that Vancouver, Canada has an outstanding food scene. Restaurants, food trucks, and cafes with an international flair. So naturally when heading to Vancouver on holiday this summer I was looking forward to trying out some great food places in this Pacific Northwest Canadian city. We got recommendations from many people familiar with Vancouver; from friends, from Hitesh’s office colleague who vacations in Vancouver often, from Hitesh’s friend John who lives in Vancouver, from our hotel concierge, and even our shuttle-bus driver; when you mix them all together what we ended up with was a smorgasbord of food places that were all awesome. Here is a look at where we ate and highly recommend for any of you planning on visiting Vancouver, Canada. Continue reading Vancouver EATS
In Flower Heaven at Butchart Gardens. Victoria, Canada
If there was a heaven for flowers Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada would be it. Butchart Gardens is flower heaven on earth. I visited Butchart Gardens over 25 years ago and it left an indelible impression on me. I had never in my life seen such a beautiful place. That visit was way before Hitesh and I had kids and became a family of five. That trip stuck with me forever and I have wanted to share that awe-inspiring feeling I had when walking though flower heaven with my girls. One of my ulterior motives for going to Vancouver on a family holiday this summer was so I could take the kids to Butchart Gardens. Did it look as spectacularly beautiful as the first time I saw it? YES! YES! YES! Continue reading In Flower Heaven at Butchart Gardens. Victoria, Canada
Summer Holiday in Vancouver, Canada
Hello everyone! Hope you are having an awesome August! Our August has been great. We just returned from a fun one week summer family holiday in Vancouver, Canada. This holiday is exactly what the family wanted for a summer vacation this year. The twins had already been on a itinerary-packed school trip to Italy, Sri and I had already been on a fun Yoga and Art inspired trip to Paris, and Hitesh had been on a couple of international business trips this summer as well – we were all looking forward to a family vacation that was going to be relaxing while giving us enough things to do to keep it interesting and fun. Vancouver fit this criteria perfectly!! A short 2-hour flight from San Francisco to Vancouver made this our fastest airplane ride for a family vacation. Continue reading Summer Holiday in Vancouver, Canada
Dahlia Love ❤️
There is something magical when dahlias are in bloom in the summer garden. With their vibrant in-your-face colors, intricate petal formations, and stately presence it is hard to gaze away from the glamorous dahlia. It only seems fitting that these spectacular flowers should look so ethereal especially given how their origins can be the makings of a fairytale story complete with villains, heroes, espionage, and even deadly sacrifices. Continue reading Dahlia Love ❤️
July in the garden. Lillies, dahlias and other stuff.
July arrived with a big bang of summer heat in our area. Temperatures went up into the 80s and even in the high 90s. But surprisingly my garden held up well, I only guess it’s because of all the giant trees in our garden that provide welcome shade to plants and people alike. The summer heat enticed all my lilies and dahlias to burst into bloom. I did have lots of other perennials blooming but my eyes and camera kept gravitating towards dahlias and lilies. When lilies and dahlias are in bloom it’s hard to focus on anything else – sorry other beautiful perennials. Here is a look at how my garden did in July. Continue reading July in the garden. Lillies, dahlias and other stuff.
Rose Petal Ice Cream
Rose petal ice cream is an exotic flavor that will transport you to the bazars of the Middle East with every spoonful. For the ice cream to get that strong rose floral scent and a dreamy mauve color it helps to use dark colored fragrant rose petals. I find the best fragrance and deep intense rose colors are on my David Austin English roses. In this recipe I used petals from Wise Portia and Bishop’s Castle. Continue reading Rose Petal Ice Cream
