Parcels in the post
I’ve always loved getting parcels in the post (hence my involvement with Blogging by Mail 2!) and this year in New Zealand has only accentuated that fact. When you’re far away, it’s always nice to know that your friends and family at home are thinking of you, something which is even more appreciated when there’s chocolate involved! My mother is great for sending on bars of Butler’s Irish Chocolate and chocolate Santys at Christmas time – I even got a (very squashed) box of Black Magic for my birthday and a slab of Bournville (especially useful for bach hot chocolates).
But a recent package from my Monaghan friend really hit the spot combining, as it did, my love of chocolate and books with my current interest in all things Fair Trade. Her Italian boyfriend works with Amnesty International in Dublin and he’s behind their range of Amnesty chocolate which is made using fair-trade cocoa. Three bars of that (two plain, one praline) plus a yummy looking book called Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran – is it any wonder that I feel spoilt! Now I just have to find an evening at home so I can curl up in the armchair with my new book and do some taste tests on all that lovely chocolate…
I used to LOVE Bourville as a kid — Give us the results of those taste tests –And — you guys have Starbucks in New Zealand, right? Take the Starbucks Challenge!
CH,I just had a nice piece of my mother’s chocolate cake with some vanilla ice cream. I’m getting a huge ass. Can I say that here?I just spent three months touring America and had some amazing food. Sorry to say, no Irish smoked salmon.See you back in Dublin?JP
green LA girl: challenge accepted! I haven’t been into Starbucks in New Zealand yet so this should be interesting. As regards chocolate, Bournville bars are great in hot chocolate but are a little one-dimensional otherwise.
JP: You just can’t beat the Irish smoked salmon, can you?! Glad to hear that you didn’t starve on your way around the States – and that you’re doing so well on the home-baking front now! See you back in Dublin.
Caroline – This week I saw pomegranates in the shops for the first time ever in New Zealand. Could not bring myself to pay $5.99 for one when I used to get them free from my Grandfathers garden.
Regards from NY. Enjoy the chocolate and the book.P.S Read “Pomegranate Soup” and its amazing. Try the Lentil Soup..Its Ballykissangel and Chocolat all in one!!!
Barbara: I saw pomegranates for sale here as well – and also blanched at the price, even though they were a dollar cheaper here in Christchurch. I’m certainly not going to be investing!Tash: I just came across the Red Lentil Soup that you mentioned. Spicy and lentilly – it sounds like something right up my street!
Pomegranate Soup is great and so is Red Lentil Soup. The Book is brill. Love the BlogChris
Thanks Chris! I’m just started the book and, although it is warm and summery here in NZ at the moment, I figure that the lentil soup is going to be very useful when I get back to the Irish winter. I’m really enjoying the book and you can tell Marsha that I’m loving her mouthwatering descriptions of the food!
Enjoy and look forward to reading your reviewChris