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Category Archives: eats

Stroopies: Authentic Dutch Stroopwafels

 

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Strolling through the Pop-Up Christmas Village Shops in Prince Street Park, I stumbled upon the Dutch Stroopwafel. Walk into the cozy Stroopie shop and you watch a stroopwafel being freshly made.

What is a Stroopwafel? A cookie dough ball pressed thin with a waffle iron, sliced, and then filled with a reservoir of homemade caramel in the center. The purpose is to cover your hot beverage (tea or coffee) with the stroopwafel and let the heat and steam soften the entire cookie and caramel. They also have Wilbur-chocolate dipped, pecan topped and expresso variations. I can’t decide whether my favorite part of the shop is watching the homemade caramel being drizzled onto the stroopie, or the fact that you can sample the flavors before purchasing!

This delectable treat was made with locally sourced ingredients has a mission that is near and dear to my heart. Both of my parents were refugees and without the help and kindness of others, it would have been a lot harder for them to go to college and get the professional careers they have today. Stroopies offers meaningful employment opportunities to refugees with a focus on providing a safe place for them to break down social, linguistic, and cultural barriers.

Have a stroopie! Support local refugees to help build a better future for our little community.

Love, &annabelle

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Le Petite Patisserie

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As a brunch enthusiast, it is always exciting for me to find new places to brunch. La petite patisserie, a boutique bakery in Lancaster, PA is now offering light lunches and tea. The most difficult part will be which savories and sweets to choose from since they are all to die for! Pictured above is a macaron, carrot soup, egg salad with scallions, and spinach en croute. Details can be found on their website.

The idea of tea is darling to me because it is a chance to stretch lunch a little longer, chat, relax, and connect. Too often I whirl from one task to another without cherishing human connection.

Happy tea time! xx

&annabelle

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Mount Pepper Restaurant Review (Lancaster, PA)

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We dined at the new schezuan style Chinese restaurant this weekend and it was amazing! I expected a typical Chinese restaurant experience, however, was pleasantly surprised at how different Mount Pepper was. Everything we ordered tasted fresh, delicious, and far from the typical Americanized version of Chinese food that we are used to.

Pictured above is taro and thai milk tea. I have searched high and low for decent milk tea in Lancaster, and I can say this is the best milk tea I have ever tasted. Pictured below are Singapore mai fun noodles (thin rice noodles with pork, pork, chicken, shrimp and vegetables), steamed pork soup buns, and dan dan noodles with chili minced pork. The Singapore noodles were good, but the dan dan noodles and soup buns stole the show.

Hilariously, it took me halfway through the meal to figure out why the buns were called soup buns. They are filled with a little soup broth that keeps the dumpling soft and juicy, almost like a bite of wonton soup in every dumpling.

Thank you for joining me for my meal at Mount Pepper in Lancaster, PA!

Love, &annabelle

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Fall Apple Picking

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Fall is the season for apple picking! This was the first time I’ve been apple picking, so I wanted to share some tips that are helpful and will make my next time more efficient.

  1. Research which types of apples will be available and ripe when you are planning to go apple picking, and choose which types of apples you would like to pick.
  2. Choose a couple recipes and decide how many pounds of apples you will need.
  3. At my local orchard, 20 pounds of apples cost less than 19 pounds. This means if you buy more, you save more, so bring a friend and split a basket of apples to make things more cost friendly.
  4. Wear comfortable shoes! Stepping in decomposing apples is no fun in ballet flats.

Happy apple picking! xx, &annabelle

 

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Janice Shift Dress & J Crew Seville Espadrilles

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In the midst of trying to remember a million things to bring to a bridal shower, I walked out of the house in flip flops. J found a mall nearby and picked me up these wedges. Afterwards we walked to get oysters and lobster rolls because my vacation ended a month ago but my mind keeps telling me I need more seafood.

Lilly Pulitzer Janice Shift: $89 from the warehouse sale :)

J Crew Seville Wedge Espadrilles – Vintage Sandstone: $59.99

Prada Nylon Tote

 

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Oui Please Subscription Box Review

Oui Please is a luxury subscription box company where you receive full sized French products bimonthly. I was gifted a yearly subscription, probably because J kept hearing me say “one day, we’ll go to France and we’ll [insert a must see place or must eat food here]”. I have to share that I stayed in a quaint little apartment in the heart of Paris and when I walked in, I saw signs on the wall from Hollywood and New York City. Humorously beautiful isn’t it? Both sides of the world, admiring each other. People often ask me if I miss France. I would love to go back but I feel like there is so much more I need to see first! There are several destinations on the top of my list before I revisit any country. I will settle for presents from France for now. The Oui Please box is darling because it introduces carefully curated French brands I have never heard of, and I can trust that the brands are good quality. Below I listed the contents of my box since each box is different. I also included a short review for the items that I had time to test. Check out Toby helping me examine my present. I am already dying in anticipation of the next box!

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Tassia Canellis – Way Ring ($60) I am a lover of simple dainty jewelry and this is most certainly dainty. This ring is different from any rings I own (because I own maybe 3 rings) and it adorably compliments my pretty diamond promise ring when stacked.

Oliv’ La Claree – Radiance Elixer 0.5 Fl. Oz. ($50) I was so skeptical of putting oil on my face! It seems a little counter productive. Directions say 5 drops before using moisturizer but I felt that 3 was plenty! I would do 1 or 2 drops next time. My foundation seems to blend more easily but we will see if it causes break outs. Also the glass container and dropper are GORGEOUS.

Oliv’ La Claree – Beauty Oil 2.5 Fl. Oz. ($35) This beauty oil smells like bubblegum and comes in a cute little can package. It is initially a little greasy but then absorbs leaving skin very smooth and silky feeling.

La Fare 1789 – Succulent Foot Cream ($15) I just had to laugh at the description reading “for succulent feet”. The two definitions of succulent I found for succulent refer to succulent plants, or food (tender, juicy and tasty). I can’t wait to have tender juicy feet (insert crying laughing emoji).

Panier Des Sens – Hand Cream, Energizing Verbana ($15) A thick rich cream with a pleasant scent. The packaging reminds me of L’Occitane but I like the texture of Panier des Sens better.

Rose et Marius – L’Eau de Mademoiselle Rose Fleurie ($15)

Rose et Marius – L’Eau de Marius Brune ($15) Both Rose et Marius soaps are a little too earthy for me, but will make cute decorative hand soaps as the pattern imprinted on top is very beautiful.

Plantes et Parfums – Ventoux Collection – Provence Lavender Flower Sachet 1.8 Oz ($15) Unfortunately my sachet was broken, undone at the seam when I received it. I opened my Oui Please box and the fragrance of lavender burst all around me like I had stepped into a field with lovely rows of lavender.

Epicerie de Provence – Honey From Provence Candy Jar ($15) Tastes like honey at first, then it kind of tastes like caramel.

Pop-Up Paris Candle – Flashing Meadow ($35) The scent is okay, but the prospect of finding a diamond in my candle is so exciting (1 in 50 candles has a diamond hidden in the wax)!

Atelier Cologne – Vanille Insensee ($25) A strong vanilla scent, a little too strong for me.

Southys Paris – Gommage Exfoliant Biological Skin Peeling ($34)

Southys Paris – Matt Eyeshadow 20 Taupe This eyeshadow is encased in super luxurious packaging, wrapped in a felt pouch similar to how Chanel products are packaged. ($16?)

Southys Paris – Nail Polish ($16)

Southys Paris – Mascara ($30)

Total Estimated Value: $391 (The Southys products didn’t include prices and were difficult to find online)

I am so glad I don’t hate anything in my box. Initially I planned to give away the things that weren’t my style as little gift “stocking stuffers” but it looks like I’m going to keep mostly everything for myself.

I don’t mind that my box included items from previous boxes because I was really hoping to try some Southys products and I also wanted the candle because diamonds are my best friend. The thing that disappointed me was that Oui Please had “trouble with receiving their shipment of products due to a delay in US customs” which in turn caused a delay of receiving my box. I wouldn’t have been so disappointed if I were notified of the delay of shipping, but the company never notified me of any such thing. I had to email them to find out. I wished they could have been more up front and sent out notices, so people knew what was going on. I was very offended not because of the shipping delay, but because the company didn’t trust that I could be understanding of such a circumstance and chose to pretend nothing was wrong.

bisous, mais à l’heure la prochaine fois!

&annabelle, xx

 

 

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David’s Tea & Salted Caramel Tea Review

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Salted caramel, the perfect marriage of savory and sweet, is my weakness. I had to try the salted caramel flavored tea after being introduced to David’s Tea brand at an event for Kate Spade.

This smooth blend of black tea, caramel, sea salt, english toffee, sugar, and coconut steaming in my monogram anthropologie mug made for a relaxing evening treat. I usually drink my teas without any extras. The caramel flavor of this tea was delicious but I didn’t really taste the salt.  I can’t wait to try my next flavor!

Happy tea time!

&annabelle, xx

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Paris & Shopping

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Givenchy, Jimmy Choo, and Dior in Paris

Hello darlings,

It’s time to share my lovely shopping experience in Paris. I had a lot of preconceptions about shopping overseas. I planned to go and buy a ton of well priced unique clothing items and come back with a European wardrobe. The joke was on me. Along Champs Elysees, excluding high end stores, I saw the mostly the same brands we had at home at higher price points. Cheaper prices could be found in lower quality boutiques but I’m not into low quality, especially when suitcase room was preciously limited. I’m sure there were gems that I missed in the city but I had limited time to search (for deals) and destroy (my budget).

So where would I go shopping in Paris? The little flea markets of course, and Chanel. Let’s be honest. I blew most of my shopping budget at Chanel. I’ve always wanted a Chanel purse but I don’t live in an area where I can just go and look at a wide selection of Chanel purses. We spent four magical hours in the store, looking at jewelry, sunglasses, bags and scarves. The associate that helped me was super darling and gorgeous. I walked out with my first Chanel, and two pairs of earrings. Success!

Where I live, flea markets are only open maybe once or twice a week, but Paris had several flea markets open every day of the week. I was advised by a Parisian friend that the best flea markets are in Paris and the ones outside are mostly junk.

It is my recommendation that you learn some basic French before you travel only because it definitely made my time in Paris easier and more comfortable. Being typical me, I got lost on the way to the markets and had to ask several people the name of the street and market I wanted to go to. I went into a Gap store and none of the employees knew. I was only maybe four blocks away! I went outside a stared at the map directory on the corner of the street. I heard a voice behind me asking if I was lost. I turned around and found a kind old man asked me if I needed help. I told him where I was looking for the market. After he corrected me on the words I mispronounced and we practiced the name of the street I was trying to find, he gave me instructions and had me repeat them back to him. Luckily, I speak a little French because he spoke no English! It’s true. The French care about their language and culture, and protect it fervently. I rarely felt like anyone was being rude or snobby as the stereotype suggest, it was more to me like a parent correcting a child because they want the best for him/her.

I got lucky at the markets and picked up a couple treasures including a leather purse for about $20 USD, a Christian Dior dress $100 USD, and a Longchamp Le Pliage red backpack $20 USD. I checked to make sure the Longchamp was authentic by comparing it to the one I happened to be carrying along. While my girlfriend I was traveling with sifted through pretty jewelry stands, I used my limited French to haggle successfully. I asked for money off the purse because it was my first time in Paris, I asked for money off the dress because it was raining, and I asked for money off the backpack and a young man came to my rescue saying give it to her, its just a plastic bag! He was right, nylon is plastic! So I chimed in “C’est plastique! C’est plastique!”. I came back to my friend who was still browsing jewelry. She whispered to me that the eager young stall owner kept running up to her and suggesting the ugliest pieces and she kept having to tell him no. On queue, he comes up and and shows her ugly earrings. We giggle and politely decline and he rang her up for the pretty pieces she picked out, a couple delicate silver rings. 

Below is a photo of the duck from Le Campanella restaurant. The service was excellent, very American friendly, and it quickly became our favorite place to grab dinner. The food was amazing and I swear french fries taste different in France. French fries are one of my favorite foods, and after having really delicious fries in Paris, I came home, ate fries and thought they tasted very sub par. Thanks for ruining the ability to eat my favorite food in my own country Paris.

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Happy shopping,

&annabelle, xx

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Strawberry & Banana Green Smoothie Recipe

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Greetings! After pinning a lot of recipes on my Pinterest board but never actually making them, I decided I would finally make a green smoothie. It took combining a couple recipes before I found one that I liked enough to make again (and again and again!). I was skeptical about adding spinach to a drink, but the allure of sneaking extra veggies in gave me the courage to try it out. Now I can’t drink my smoothies without it! Just kidding, of course I can. I feel like spinach gives the smoothie a subtle bubblegum flavor but I have yet to find anyone who agrees with me on that one. Ingredients are listed below.

150 g Fresh Strawberries

1/2 Chobani Simply 100 Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 1/2 Banana

43 g Spinach

1/2 cup Water (add extra as needed)

1 cup ice (add extra as needed)

Simply add all the ingredients except spinach and blend well. Add spinach last and blend until mixed in. Add more water and ice if needed.

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Don’t be afraid to experiment and add a little more of this or a little less of that. The recipe adds no additional sugar but if you desire a more sweetness you can add more banana or honey. I’m sure other fruits would be delicious as well, but this simple strawberry banana combo is hands down my favorite.

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Now go make this green smoothie and drink your spinach like a champion!

Bottoms up :)

&annabelle, xx

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