Sunday, September 11, 2011

2011 September: Vegan Chocolates, Who knew they would be so great

Divine Treasures is a chocolate shop specializing in organic Belgian chocolates.
Besides the utter divine nature of the tastes and sensations that come from eating this delectable chocolate
They have a few things that set them apart.
They are Vegan, dairy and gluten free.

Here are just a few of the fantastic chocolate treats.  A little scuffed from the journey.

 I measured them to give a basic scale referance.

 buddha is a new truffle with a fantastic eastern mystic about the filling
The elephant is filled with a nut from Africa. delicious
Next is a white tea extraction that was sublime and sensual.
The indian head is filled with a garam masala style flavor profile, really great.


 The pyamid is called Egyptian Jewel: cardamon, nutmeg and cinnamon with orange peel.  
Pecan Picante is next:cayenne pepper, cinnamon and pecan- really fantastic


 Hot and Smoky caramel is my favorite: chili on the inside and salt on the outside.
Next to that is a heath crunch and a Spanish Turona.
The triangle is a ship and is spiked with a warm rum concoction reminiscent of the Islands

Lastly a Grand Mariner truffle

Overall I tried roughly a third of her total selections and only a few made it home to be photographed.  If you find yourself in or near Manchester Ct. This chocolatier is a must see.

divinetreasurechocolates.com

I give credit to this great find to my wife, Karin

Saturday, August 27, 2011

2011 August: Calm before the Storm

As hurricane Irene approaches the New York seaboard, The grey skies and clouds begin to close in around the CIA campus in Hyde Park.  I decided to walk the grounds and get pictures of what was happening waith regards to nature in the woods around campus.

mushrooms abound

reaching up for sunshine

old bridge located above the stream

rocky outcropping

moss covered tree
surprise

heads up

peeking through the grass
growing at the base of a shrub

dense moss along path

a barge is coming down the Hudson

lonely student

wild berries

mr. groundhogs home

orange bloom

walking bridge across Hudson
tugboat pushing a barge

tugboat
The rain is coming and the skies are turning grey and gloomy.  The humidity is up and the temperature is dropping fast.  The stores are out of bottled water and the lower part of Manhattan has been evacuated.  We shall see what is to come.