Yes, the store is quite an adventure, whether the focus is on an international basis or the realistic consumer is just looking for something that has a gourmet flair without a gourmet price tag. Voilà, The I Love Trader Joe’s Around the World Cookbook by Cherie Mercer Twohy is the newest resource addition for those who have become TJ devotees. Devotees know who they are; they exclaim they were able to pull off a gourmet meal without incurring insane expenses.

Take the cheese department, so many choices, and the prices shriek “reasonable.” Even with a food item as simple as cheese that can be enjoyed with a slice of fruit or a basic cracker, the author has created numerous recipes to elevate the purchase into a more upscale cheese experience.

The cookbook has over 140 international recipes put together with the foods from TJ’s. Recipes are categorized by countries and are appealing for their understanding of our busy lifestyles: Good food, simple preparation. Many recipes fall into the new categories of major interest, Vegan and Gluten-Free. To make something as so-called exotic-sounding as Masala Lentil Chicken, the secret TJ solution is a 7-ounce container of Masala Lentil Dip. Pretty straightforward, but well worth the purchase price. Chicken dishes, for example, headline the tutorials as they span through almost all the nationalities.

So the store of mystery can be a focal point in your new recipe file. A simple jar of olive tapenade can turn an ordinary turkey slider sandwich into something with a bit more kick. The options abound.

Trader Joe’s does that for you. They have the ingredients and Twohy has put them to work with this panopoly of recipes.

When you stay at a mid-tier property, and you hear the restaurant server explain that the coffee is “a little better, a little stronger, more like Starbucks,” you know what to expect.  Actually, it’s a matter of what the hotel company has heard: Stop pouring the weak stuff. I can water it down if it’s too strong, but it can’t work the other way. Whether changes were made due to consumer response or survey responses or just plain common sense, the reason remains less important than the reality. Starting the day, or in my case at any point of the day, with a decent cup of coffee makes a difference.

Maybe this is all part of the renewed and improved market for business travelers. Now that they are back on the road, it seems each of the hotel brands is ready to do some upscaling to grab that important market segment. With smart work from a hotel’s sales staff, leisure travel, likewise, has all the appearances of getting a bounce. If there are few other signs of economic improvement, these are noteworthy.

Not just the coffee service but the whole breakfast scene is being revitalized. The days of a sweet roll and a cup of coffee are moving further into the annals of hotel hopping. Hyatt just announced they are reworking their Summerfield Suites and rebranding them as Hyatt House, a brand that will offer a variety of comforting selections including made-to-order breakfasts. That feature is a big drawing card for almost any guest. From a hotel perspective, it’s a newly vital component of the brand message. Look at how well the Bistro concept works for the Courtyard franchise.

If you are paying over $500 a night for a room, your concerns include a good quality restaurant with a menu that addresses a wide-range of tastes and allows for substitutions. Yet if your stay is more moderate as in the under $200 a night category, a made-to-order breakfast becomes a positive plus in overall decision-making. The word “complimentary” has a smart marketing ring to it!

A decent cup of coffee and a hot breakfast are two important trends making their way through the moderate, mid-priced hotel industry. All segments of the traveling public seem responsive to this type of positive change. Now just stop charging for wi-fi and you’ve got a friend!

What special benefits can hotels offer to distinguish themselves? That is an ongoing industry, marketing question. Hyatt jumped up to the plate with a Welcome Credit. Depending on the number of nights, the monetary reward could be as high as $150. A guest should have no problem enjoying spending the money on the property. Hello, steak dinner.

If you’re Vegas-bound, you have the universe of selections as hotels are tripping over each other with good deals as their economy still lags. Once you settle on a property, take a stroll down the Strip and dine to your heart’s content as a whole coterie of big-deal chefs continue to wine and dine the visitor. It seems no end is in sight as to the restaurant potential in Vegas. Corby Kummer finds that the food now matches the hype! Jose Andres followers take note: The famous chef continues to research and study the history of foods. His latest education turns his palate to Chinese food. Washington, DC, which feels a certain hometown national pride over Andres’s food empire, will readily welcome a good Chinese restaurant, or two.

Let’s not forget coffee. In-room coffee service has been heavily scrutinized, and criticized, for its questionable cleanliness standards. Hotels have fought back with lobby coffee partnerships that promise a respectable cup of coffee. Marriott Hotels have various coffee partnerships depending on the brand. Newer or refurbished Courtyards offer Starbucks in the Bistro, and the higher-end properties (JW Marriott, Renaissance) may have taken coffee to a new height: An Espressamente Illy., a true coffee experience. The logic is quite simple: Keep the money in the property rather than watch guests stroll down the block and return to the hotel with someone else’s cup.

Sure small refrigerators and minibars stocked with a guest’s pre-ordered items (Hilton) are popular, but what’s better than good food and a great cup of coffee? OK, a lovely wine, but that’s not really been a hotel’s downfall. So pack your bags and take a hotel holiday or a mini-vacation. It is summer, after all.

I challenged Congress (the House) when they came up with the money-saving notion of switching to styrofoam cups in their cafeteria. It seemed like a backwards step then as environmental issues needed to be considered. Now several months later the formaldehyde/styrofoam study has come out, and it validates much of what many of us have believed for a long time. Skip the styrofoam.

The same goes for food on pesticide lists. For a number of years there have been lists of fruits and vegetables that should be considered safe and those that should by default move into the organic purchase pile. There have always been some obvious ones such as the berries which hug the soil. (If you crave strawberries, consider organic).  It was common knowledge that if you could peel it, you could remove many of the invading pesticides. Not so fast, Jones.

The report from The Environmental Working Group points a rather strict finger at a fruit that is readily available and well recognized by most: The Apple. It tops the latest list of fruit-invaded pesticides. Apples have had other issues in the past with spraying, but the common belief has been that you could wash the apple well and solve the problem. This report discredits that philosophy.

So what is one to do? It is true that organics have an increased presence in most grocers and markets, but as we well know, the price for switching from the regular produce aisle to the organic one can greatly increase one’s food bill. Not everyone is a candidate for organic shopping. We want variety, and the apple has often been the mainstay of packed lunches and a go-to snack.

According to the report, the apple has some company that gives pause to summer purchases: Cilantro was tested for the first time, and the herb ranked highest in overall pesticide infusion. Its position gives it the unenvious title of having the most unapproved pesticides in any product since the guide was first started in 1995! Not a good position to be in.

Here are the rankings of the 53 fruits and vegetables from the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. Celery is probably pretty happy as it no longer tops the Dirty Dozen; it dropped to 2nd place! Celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce and greens (kale and collards) are the vegetables most likely to retain pesticide contamination. As for those on the Clean Fifteen, (The vegetables least likely to test positive for pesticides), they found onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. As for the fruits that score the best, those with the least pesticide residue, think avocado, mango, pineapple, watermelon, and grapefruit.

Just a week or so ago, the USDA introduced The Plate and took the Food Pyramid out of our lexicon. The plate is stacked in favor of fruits and vegetables. A little irony there, as we need to put the safest fruits and vegetables on the plate; not just any fruits and vegetables!

Timing is everything. Don’t forget your reusable container for coffee!

With the increasing number of Vegan followers and those who subscribe to meatless days or think about healthier options, here’s a good primer: Color Me Vegan. What’s particularly enjoyable about this book is its color-coded emphasis on eating healthy; eating vegan. The recipes are easy to follow and attractive to lure you into trying something new. Those who just want the burst of color will be able to tweak the recipe to accommodate the omnivores.

Now that everyone has written about Gluten-Free and its mainstream numbers, the cookbooks are popping out of the printers.  Here’s one (125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes) that includes recipes for vegans although the combination of being G-F and V can be challenging at times. The highlight of this book is the straightforward approach from writer, Carol Fenster, who has an impressive history covering special diet needs including earlier gluten-free cookbooks: Would you believe her earlier 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipe cookbook! The 125 G-F recipe book will be available in July.

Neither a Vegan nor a Gluten-Free approach to vegetables, but one that considers how time starved we all are: The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes makes it easy to approach the summer heat with quick solutions to a healthy meal. Most of the 150 recipes are low in fat and in sugar. When the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are market ready or ready to be picked from your own garden, the Gazpacho recipe may prove a perfect summer favorite.

I have to leave the vegetable track for a moment and consider the importance of good bread to accompany all these veggie recipes. As we’ve watched foods come into vogue, we recognize the return of a once-popular piece of kitchen equipment: The Bread Machine. Prices have dropped on this handy kitchen accessory due to its formerly untrendy status so this is a perfect item to add now and awaken the family to the delicious morning aroma of  just-baked bread. The Artisan Bread Machine with its 250 recipes fits the ease-of-use bill. Nothing’s better than combining artisan techniques into the workhouse machine! Add to that the summertime availability of delicious tomatoes (atop a foccaccia) and the desire to serve a healthy pizza lets you add your fresh vegetable toppings to the wonderful crusts from the bread machine.

These are just some of the many new cookbooks worth your summertime lolling pleasure. Relax with an iced coffee, and find the perfect solution to any meal period. Enjoy.

It was not that many months ago that women got a great pass on their coffee consumption. Now men have their day at the Java shops with a significant study detailing the benefits of 6 cups of coffee staving off prostate cancer. The specific details are worth stirring around:

–Study involved almost 50,000 men.

–Six (6) or more cups of coffee produced a 20% drop in prostate cancer (the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the US). When compared with men who avoided coffee all together, the risk decrease was 60%.

–Even those who drank only 1-3 cups daily demonstrated a 30% lower risk of getting prostate cancer.

Coffee, often maligned, has gained new respect in the health community. Do not lose sight of the fact that coffee, because of its antioxidant properties, has brought positive news to those with Parkinson’s and diabetes. Plenty of studies moving coffee into the plus column!

Coffee may prove to be the beverage darling of health studies! Hot or cold: Coffee rocks. Today I’ll deal with the humidity with my espresso over ice. Thank you.

It should be noted that the research indicates that women who do not drink coffee or have very limited coffee consumption are more likely to have a stroke. Other factors such as smoking, weight, and alcohol consumption did not affect the overall benefit women gain from daily, multiple cups of coffee. Researchers did not separate out the caffeinated from the decaffeinated drinkers, but Sweden is well known for its strong coffee brews so the authors doubt the number of decaf drinkers would significantly affect the data.

This study follows on the heels of an earlier one from Israel (The Heart Institute of Sheba) that found that 3 cups of coffee a day is good for you and protects against heart attacks and is good for the circulatory system. What is interesting about this study’s findings is that both individuals who have suffered heart conditions and those free of disease benefited from the caffeine dosage. People who have shied away from coffee for fear of a spike in their blood pressure and pulse rate might start to enjoy those multiple cups.

These studies support my overall philosophy that coffee has strong benefits and that days of diminished consumption help no one, especially those with whom you come into contact! Keep healthy, enjoy good coffee in beautiful cups.

The products will be widely available and not limited to a single retail outlet. Remember the coffee deal with Kraft expired so their reach with this partnership has expanded almost infinitesimally. Not just coffee, but the units will work well with their Tazo tea lineup.

Let’s think about the home use advantages: All those times when you don’t want to brew a whole pot could grab the top slot. How about one person favoring a decaf and another an espresso, that works. All of this brew technology rests with the success of the single-pod machines. For travelers, there could be an across-the-board in-room revolution: Hotels could throw out the in-room coffee pots and go for the more sanitary single-use approach. OK, how about the office where no one wants to clean the pot; so no one does! My personal travel and in-home list could continue, but most importantly the news comes at the same time everyone is reporting an insane spike in the cost of Arabica beans.

One issue to ponder: The environmental impact of these little containers. Last fall this was at the top of the radar pile; let’s see what news comes out on this fractious issue.

As coffee prices rise, a single cup solution may win over a whole new legion of followers. We’ll watch and taste.

The USDA started the flood of announcements a few weeks ago. Today the UN’s food body chimed in on the seriousness of the escalation. Record highs being reported. Hardly need major groups to create headlines as we have little difficulty making those personal pronouncements within the confines of our own houses. Yet, there are some good news stories that deserve shout-outs.

About the same time frame as the USDA headliner, Wegmans said enough. As in enough: They will not raise prices through 2011 on the 40 most precious foods that all families need and use. YES, we applauded.

Today Costco reported its earnings and announced it would hold prices as long as possible before having to pass them on to the consumers. Does this mean we’ll need to build extra storage space to contain products that will inevitably spike?

No, I think a simple round of applause to both these companies and a heads-up to others. Join the price-stabilization train. Now.

Everyone needs help.

Women do better with regular coffee than if they decaffeinate. We are talking about mental health, and the ability to handle stress. Yes, it’s true we can become overcaffeinated and be robotically productive, but in general drinking regular coffee means better situational responses for women than for men. OK, score another one for women and for coffee! Our brain power goes up with our consumption. Maybe we need to keep the numbers in check, but you get the point. The same UK study concludes that men do worse on memory tests after the coffee consumption than women. Slow down the inter-office friction and offer men decaffeinated coffee.

How about the diabetes and coffee link? That’s an important health discussion that seems to improve with coffee input: Lower diabetes numbers for those who drink coffee. That’s good news and again it seems women are the beneficiaries of this multiple cup approach to life. Men did not fare as well in being protected from diabetes. Women who had four cups of coffee daily were less likely to get Type 2 Diabetes, the most common form. The authors recognize that more research to uncover the complete causal relationship is still necessary, but the findings continue to support earlier reports.

No matter the report, one fact is certain: The morning cup of coffee works wonders especially in our frigid climes. Take out the china and treat yourself!

Yes, few people will notice the difference between a 5 or a 6 oz serving of a chicken breast, but will notice that the plate is filled with an assortment of other foods so the main protein does not look so lonely. A handful of lettuce, although its price has gone up handsomely, too, is still less expensive for a restaurant than sticking with the larger ounced protein.

Portion sizes are not the only items shrinking. At the grocery store, many companies have left a product’s price the same, but reduced its size. Tricky, eh! Add 10 minutes for additional label-reading.

Maybe food delivery services will continue to thrive (Amazon is planning a major new national program roll-out) as consumers  feel more secure trying to make that $4 a gallon gas last longer and take advantage of delivery specials! The program worked in Washington state so why not Washington, DC? The East Coast awaits.

Some of the obvious jumps are in foods from Florida or California and the end result, as in orange juice. Way up. Grain prices are way up so bread costs are higher which means your favorite sandwich will be a more precious commodity.

Every business is struggling to figure out how to make money and not raise prices too much. It’s kind of a good news-bad news scenario. As in hotels which have been holding prices down and offering lots of sales, but now that consumers are traveling more again, you guessed it: Prices are up.

The consumer is at the other end of the equation trying to figure out what to buy and what needs to be shelved. This equation has few easy answers. As some would say, time will tell or it’s time to make lemonade!

In the meantime, watch how the price of gas, the cost of products, and the sheer energy involved in production affect our bottom line! Not pretty.

January is after all, National Oatmeal Month. The reality is that more oatmeal is consumed during January than any other month of the year. Plenty of coffee shops have figured out how to get on the oatmeal bandwagon after last year’s successful rollouts. Quick, to-go and hot: Oatmeal helps little shops increase their breakfast volume and research has consumers thinking about all the health benefits of oatmeal! Genius.

For some places, oatmeal is now one of the many choice contendas. This week Starbucks wants to awaken you to the new year with a special one week promotion: $2 breakfast sandwich with any beverage. The promotion runs from 1/4-1/10 and introduces customers to the new veggie, egg and Monterey Jack sandwich in addition to the other artisan sandwich offerings. They have a simple cost-saving suggestion: A tall Pike Place Roast ($1.50) as an economical pour.

For another breakfast option, Dunkin’ Donuts has come up with two new breakfast wraps: Egg White Turkey Sausage and Egg White Veggie. This year, at least, the non-meat-eating breakfast options have increased. These items also are part of the DD Smart Menu which focuses on fewer calorie or less sugar food and beverage options.

We can resolve to do better this year!

This blog is after all named All Before Coffee, and I have explained that thoughts occur along that caffeinated highway at any time, day or night. Yes, I like my coffee strong, frequent, and made fresh. Seasonally, I love a triple over ice, no water, but when the temperature falls into single digits, coffee cures: Hot.

This has been the year of the ultimate fights among the giants. As Starbucks was down and many called it a vulnerable player of an earlier, sound economic era, the company responded with its own belt-tightening strategy and a remaking of its image. VIA came along and did so well that it spawned flavored single paks. Who woulda thunk it?

McDonalds refused to sit still and watch people return to Starbucks. They created a coffee strategy of possibilities and convinced their customers that a latte could be enjoyed at a McD’s. The consumer was the coffee winner. Possibilities abounded and other fast food chains responded with their own coffee selections. Coffee was hot and selling. Dunkin’, Caribou, and other big name players rolled out a laundry list of selections.

Then the sensibility quotient: This was the year that the coffee cup came into play as the enviro cups made a more lasting impression on customers. More people were purchasing their own carry around reusable mugs. Just don’t try to take your holiday thermos to an airport!

Yet, the biggest news was probably that the consumer had become educated and wanted more for his money. “Don’t just hand me a cup and expect me to go to the pump machine: Make it. And make it they did with an impressive list of new equipment vying for customer attention and loyalty. The list goes on (walk down a Manhattan or Brooklyn neighborhood and see the little coffee guy’s new piece of high-end equipment) as we move into the new year as the home consumer wants to duplicate the coffee shop experience and several manufacturers are ready to accommodate. No, you do not need the $1,000 machine, but it’s great if you can have it. There are plenty of new approaches that promise to give the home user a coffee shop experience, a hand-brewed special of the house!

Whether before the first cup or from the smell of the in-home fresh-brewed awakens your sensibilities, one fact remains: Coffee’s vitality kicks it up a notch. The story goes on.

Let us hope that 2011 gives us numerous coffee pleasures.

The news of their apparent breakup means Starbucks products would not be distributed by Kraft to grocery stores, nor would Seattle’s Best, a brand of the Starbucks family. This has been a back-and-forth discussion about who would make certain the shelves were properly stocked with the coffees. The plan was for Starbucks to exit the grocery aisles by March 1. Yet, yesterday, the conversation escalated into a loud crush of responsibility when Kraft announced its coffee prices for its mainstay products, Maxwell House and Yuban Coffee, would  increase again. Starbucks countered with the comment that the new prices would exceed what had been previously agreed upon for the coffee company’s strong presence in the grocery aisles.

Confused? No need. The issue is quite simple: Where can a consumer purchase Starbucks coffee? Kraft says no problem–it plans to continue to offer the products in grocers’ coffee aisles. Starbucks says its stores can easily handle the requests.

What is a consumer to do? Wait it out and hope this escalates into a price war that sees coffee price reductions rather than the current upward trend. That type of lowered pricing may be part of a coffee drinker’s dream chest!

This week produced a bevy of such announcements starting with the current Campbell soup brouhaha. The launch occurred in the summer, see few noticed, but the rhetoric spewed out this week. I’m talking about the Halal-branded soups. Although the soups are currently only available in Canada, the outcry is about the certifying agency, a group a blogger identified as one whose support has helped fund terrorist activities. Under the radar; maybe not.

At the other end of the spectrum are the other news of the week which by Wednesday we can safely categorize as, A Starbucks Week. They are making announcements all over the place and nothing secretive about them. So far the response has been quite positive and look we are just at hump day. Wonder what tomorrow will bring? In the meantime, here are the morsels to digest:

–The Seattle small format cafe concept with beer and wine appears to be a success. The major change is the company wants its name on the logo; no more clever names that has people digging around wondering if this is a Starbucks concept. It is. Drink up in multiple cups. Isn’t this what a coffee house should offer? The new Olive Way store is an example of environmental leadership with its locally sourced materials making it the company’s 21st LEED-certified store! Coffee, beer, wine, and the environment–quite a combination.

–The company attacked waste this week on the other coast with its participation in New York’s recycling program. This effort to see how the cups fare in the recycling bin will greatly improve the company’s green commitment and may help accelerate its recycling goals. After all there are plenty of enviro cups, but their current hot coffee cup makes few inroads in avoiding the landfill. This test, which continues into November, has its limitations as the onus rests with the user inside a Starbucks store as that’s currently the only collection point. Small steps can make a big impact. Let’s study the results after the effort!

–How about your own Starbucks channel? OK, 6 channels to keep you focused. That’s the idea behind signing in to the company’s free Wi-Fi and today’s rollout of Starbucks Digital News, SDN. News, lifestyle, and business pieces should entertain you as you can scan the site while waiting for your drink; you’ll be less impatient. This news is so good you may never leave.

The power of a brand!

I’m ready. They’ve got a good lineup.

Did I mention that this promotion has a great price point: $1.50. Hard to beat and certainly not one that should cause any pricing complaints. If this is the new Starbucks, then this is another example of a company that has spent time listening to consumers and responding to purchasing patterns. Until March 14, you can get a passport and each week when you purchase the featured beverage, you get a sticker stamp. A completed passport, 8 stamps, gets you a free pound of your favorite blend. This is my kind of brew.

For a complete list of the featured weekly coffees, visit the website. Before you worry that they’ve eliminated Pike’s Place Roast, allay your anxiety. That pour will be available during the promotion.

In the meantime, shake off the winter blues and get ready to lose the jackets and enjoy your bold blend in the outside shine of a warm spring. I’m hoping.

What do you call a 31-ounce drink if its not a Venti Plus? OK, a Trenta. First, we had to learn Starbucks lingo as in short, tall, grande, and venti instead of the tiny, small, medium, and large standards. Now we need to add another word to our vocabulary: Trenta. Super Size Me is accurate. The iced tea and iced coffee size is being tested in just a few markets, one on each coast, Tampa and Phoenix. That’s almost 8-oz larger than their venti!

This is all part of a trend toward bigger sizes in the belief that bigger is better, cheaper, and a deal. Price wars are already in place for the ginormous drink market.

The unsweetened route is the way to go, as it’s reported at less than 5 calories; the sweetened version just under 200.

If this becomes a national rollout, the competitive, super-sized drink market will create one cool summer beverage war.

Iced coffee drinks rock.

–Taxing junk food. The discussion goes on as it does with the soda tax. Some new studies indicate that people would pay attention if there were an additional charge placed on this “select” group of items. If that’d be the case, then we might have scored a victory in the obesity battle. At least a first round offensive.

–Memory loss. Now I’ve got your attention! Even though the study was funded by Welch’s Grape Juice, it bears watching. Findings from the British Journal of Nutrition say that Concord grape juice may help individuals with early memory changes. This is not the first such study, or I doubt the last, linking the benefits derived from grape products. If it works with wine, why not the basic grape juice beverage?

–Prices rising. Some grocery stores have decided enough with the reduced prices and multiple offers to get you in the door. They are increasing prices where they can. This is in response to some hopeful signs that companies are noting in terms of inflation numbers. One of the big problems will remain: Will national brands continue to suffer at the expense of in-house labels? Maybe we are just different consumers now, and the stores need to acknowledge that.

–Gluten-Free. The newest entrant in the gluten-free flour aisle is none other than King Arthur Flour, one of the oldest companies selling whole wheat flour. Do you need many more signals how strong and growing the G-F market is? When the big guys get in the space, someone has clearly done his homework. The market definitely expects to see more products. The company’s line includes multi-purpose flour, and seven mixes including chocolate cake.

–Food Rules. Michael Pollan owns the space of for elevating our food knowledge and thinking. His latest book, Food Rules, is literally a thumb-thru guide of quirky observations (“It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car”) and logical comments (“Buy your snacks at the farmers’ market). His thought-provoking comments should  help us select better foods and eat healthier. We’re talking a fast read and a fun purchase for you and those you love. You will have lots to think about and most likely make some lifestyle adjustments.

–Tomatoes. Now is the time to start your seeds. The Florida crop, as the markets can easily attest, has been hard hit. Prices are high and selection is unimpressive. Think spring.

–Coffee. Always a little news to perk you up. Coffee’s benefits are in line to help lessen diabetes (assuming you do not add a cup of sugar to each consumed cup). This latest study focused on Native Americans and uncovered a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes from those drinking multiple cups of coffee.

That’s the way I like to end a week!

Now for the complexity part of the equation: It was instant coffee that was studied. the trial included 9 people–do 9 people constitute a trial?? The conclusion is sweet: Adding milk or cream does not affect the antioxidant benefits from the coffee.

Time to get serious. Coffee has a long list of benefits and, of course, some negatives. Nothing’s perfect! Yet a study with so few people and one that uses instant coffee grabs my attention just for the sheer joy of another eventual positive coffee report. Nothing else; nothing further.

Time to do a larger milk trial. Nestle sponsored this one: Think they should consider a bigger one as the teaser info works in their favor!

Me, I drink it black. The stronger, the better.

Piling up the antioxidants!

Besides the giant heart-shaped boxes of candy, this is the year you might consider designing your own specialized candy bar for your love. The German company Chocri has figured out that Americans, too, have a sweet tooth and are offering us the opportunity to personalize a chocolate gift with Fair Trade, organic, Belgium chocolate. This has real possibilities, especially the Marzipan rose!

There’s also time to go the personalized M&M route, and the almost limitless array of other candies already dolled up in special V-Day boxes. Sweet choices.

Besides chocolate, which I have few complaints about unless it is milk chocolate rather than higher concentrations of cocoa, there are other wonderful food and beverage options. How about coffee or tea? Plenty of those already packaged up and ready to go. Don’t forget wine–so many choices. So many winning opportunities: Maybe this is the time of the year to think of a wine club, a lovely possibility!

Or just purchase a special wine for the final touch to a beautiful evening. How about a Late Harvest Riesling or a true Ice Wine to warm your spirit.

So many wonderful food choices for a special Valentine’s Day.