HoCho Fest Day 21: Winter Citrus

Today(yesterday)'s festival item was truly a blessing in how it soothed my very fragile mind from today (yesterday)! The day had felt overwhelming for no identifiable reason, so a kind offer to accompany me to my location for the day was very welcomed. Location of choice: The Last Crumb Cafe.

According to their website, The Last Crumb was started by two sisters who were/are "obsessed with food" - and it shows! It has an atmosphere that, to me, showed an expression of fun-loving passion for what they do. Evidence to further their food obsession claim is found in the pastry cabinets, full of scones and cookies and cookie sandwiches and pies and cakes that all look homemade. While I did not buy one, I would very much like to at some point.

Take a trip to Seville with this hot chocolate flavoured with orange blossom.
Served with a orange vanilla marshmallow.
($7.91)

 Note: Cost may be increased due to getting it with almond milk!
I was firstly impressed by the wonderful foam on this drink - almond milk is tough to get foamy sometimes! It immediately reminded me of a Christmas chocolate orange (the kind that you "whack and unwrap")! I personally enjoy those flavours together, so it was delicious for me. Not everyone is a fan of fruit and chocolate, though. 

Beyond the foam, the orange-chocolate flavour became more clearly its orange blossom-chocolate flavour - there was an added aroma to the flavour, as the milk was much more heavily infused with it than was the foam of the drink. It took a few sips to get used to, but once I did, it was lovely! A welcomed aftertaste that warmed me up on what was another very chilly day.

It was thicker and creamier than I had expected, perhaps this came from the type of chocolate used to make the drink; regardless, the almond milk turned out to be a nice choice. The nutty, chocolaty, and citrusy flavours all meshed well together for my liking! Personally, I believe it would make a good chocolate bar flavour.

The orange vanilla marshmallow was gigantic and covered in vanilla powder that blew across the table every time we took a breath near the cup, ha ha. It added a slight vanilla sweetness to the drink.

I loved the decorations inside the shop - plates and elegant tea cups all over the walls made it dainty and reminded me of a grandmother's collection, but presented in a younger and more modern way. Definitely inspiring for future decorating ideas!

Something is Growing

I cannot identify what it is, but every so often during the last few weeks I have felt this "something", and it seems to be expanding within me. It may simply be a sense of anticipation for the upcoming months that will determine what my involvement and living arrangements for the next academic year will be, but sometimes it occurs in the classroom - a context that makes me wonder if something I'm learning about is "clicking" and guiding me in a direction that I may choose to follow. 
While I remind myself that the path I choose is not the only path, or even the only realm that I will know (in my schooling, career, etc.), I am eager to find a short-term goal to pursue that will lead to longer term prosperity - until I find the next adventure, at least.

It is my hope that this "something" is a sense of what my first of these adventures will be.

HoCho Fest Day 20: Big Bad Wolf

Hallelujah, Friday has ARRIVED! In celebration of this, and with great fatigue, I made what turned out to be a somewhat lengthy journey east of UBC to indulge in hot chocolate today.

The journey took us to Schokolade Artisan Chocolates and Cafe. It is a not-too-small shop with a sweet aroma that contrasts the harsh vibe of the neighbourhood in which it resides.

A 38% milk chocolate flavoured with a blend of gingerbread spices and
steamed milk. Served with a gingerbread cookie.
($10.50)

$10.50?! That may seem unreasonable when you look at the description, but the chocolates accompanying the gingerbread man cookie are included with the purchase of one hot chocolate - one hot chocolate, one gingerbead man, and four fancy chocolates of your choice! Pricey, but quite the filling and tasty offer.

 Luckily, I had someone with me with whom to share what could have been a chocolate overdose if done alone. We selected: Two dark chocolate raspberry hearts, a dark chocolate nougat, and a salted caramel treat (the supernova-esque one in the photo). They all proved to be very delicious, and the gingerbread man was soft and chewy when dipped in the hot chocolate (may he rest peacefully in our tummies).


In terms of the drink itself, I did not find that I was particularly overwhelmed by it as a specialty drink for the festival, but it was delicious as a hot chocolate in its own right. We agreed that a darker chocolate would have provided more contrast with the ginger flavours to make it a bit more of a dynamic drinking experience. However, the way type of chocolate we had allowed for seamless blending of ginger and chocolate - the ginger was subtle but provided a little extra something that made it reminiscent of the season. What seemed to be missing was evidence to explain its given title - I sensed no "bad side" to this hot chocolate - it seemed quite tame, in fact, more like a "Big Friendly Golden Retriever" perhaps (ha-ha-ha)!

If I'm ever out in that direction again, I'd be happy to try something else,

as they do seem to have an interesting selection of special drinks and certainly

a delicious collection of crafted chocolates to choose from.