Thursday, February 14, 2013
The cooking store appeals to local foodies.
Salt & Pepper Books owner Christine Myskowski half-jokingly recommends everything in her store as a Valentine's Day gift. "Any book is always a good gift," she said. "It just depends who you're buying for." Myskowski's store appeals to foodies, and she offered a few specific gift suggestions when buying for a foodie. If someone likes wine, the aerating pourer is a perfect gift. "You know how you're supposed to open red wine and let it sit and breathe?" she said. "This does it by the glass, immediately." The store also offers pairing cookbooks for appetizers or dinners. If buying for a chocolate foodie, the hot chocolate gift set may be ideal. It includes a mug, small whisk, and hot chocolate recipe book. The store also offers a wide …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ben Rasmussen operates a tiny chocolate workshop in his local home.
Potomac Chocolate owner Ben Rasmussen says he's probably the smallest chocolatier who is actually making and selling chocolate. He works out of two back rooms in his house, and has created much of his own equipment. He gave Patch a tour of his equipment and the chocolate making process. Sorting One room is for sorting and roasting the cacao beans and one room is for the liquid chocolate phase. Rasmussen often works with Costa Rican beans , particularly the Upala variety. When sorting the beans, he discards foreign materials, small beans, cracked beans, and clusters of beans, until he's built up enough for a roast. Roasting Rasmussen doesn't have a cacao bean roaster, so he's rigged a convection oven with a removable rotating drum made …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
The shop has specialty food and beauty items.
Customization is key at Gourmet Cottage in Occoquan, where you can pick up a ready-made gift basket, request a themed basket, or create your own basket from items in the store. The store recently switched places with Willow Street Decor next door, and now has more space to display all its merchandise. In preparation for Valentine's Day, a whole table is stacked with chocolate, candy, truffles, and other Valentine's Day items to fill your gift basket. If your significant other is a foodie, employee Gabrielle Penner suggests one of the Stonewall brand jellies or salsas. Premade gift baskets include a tea themed basket with a tea pot and tea bags, a honey themed gift basket with honey and more tea, and a Stonewall pancake gift bag, with …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Artisan chocolate maker Ben Rasmussen will also present a history of chocolate.
When tasting chocolate, one of the first things you should do is snap off a small piece, and listen to the sound it makes when it snaps. Good chocolate has a clean, crisp snap, Woodbridge chocolatier Ben Rasmussen said. Bad chocolate has a muffled or crumbly sound as it snaps. On Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. at 9246 Lee Avenue in Manassas, Potomac Chocolate owner Rasmussen will guide chocolate tasters through an edible history of chocolate. "In the approximately 1.5 hour program, I talk about cacao and chocolate production from its earliest known uses in Meso-America up to modern day," Rasmussen wrote in a recent blog post. Humans have been making and enjoying chocolate for almost 2,000 years, and tasters can try the wide varieties of gourmet …
The popular lunch destination is partnering with Details to offer a sweet treat.
After visiting any of the 39 Occoquan businesses taking part in the chocolate walk, be sure to stop by Blue Arbor Café for a little boost. The sandwich shop is offering a special hot chocolate to those participating in the chocolate walk, and a chocolate cheesecake, made by a local German baker. Sample the cheesecake for free at Details. "Then come on over here if you want the whole thing," manager Sherry Mangas said. Mangas has worked at Blue Arbor for over five of the nearly nine years it's been in business. "I like creating food, I like decorating, and I like coming up with specials," Mangas said. As a small restaurant, Blue Arbor is able to frequently go off menu to accommodate customers' needs. "If they're frequent, we tend to …
The old-fashioned shop serves up a side of nostalgia.
If your sweetheart loves classic Americana decor, stop by Glory Be during the Occoquan Chocolate Walk. "We're going to have some chocolate; I'm not sure what," employee Cathy Burnett said. She said the store might serve chocolate brittle or something similar. The store has a Valentine's section upstairs, displayed on a bookshelf. Burnett suggested a guy might like to get a wall hanging with a vintage style sentiment for his sweetheart. A pillow with a sentiment might also be a cozy way to say, "I love you." As in the rest of the store, genuine vintage items are interspersed with items in a vintage style. Burnett said the store drew largely from a 20s or 30s aesthetic. Vintage valentines are displayed next to figurines and old books. "…
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Find a romantic gift with personality.
Down at the end of Mill Street in Occoquan, the Polka Dot Divas like to have a little fun, and Valentine's Day is no exception. The store steers away from the traditional Valentine's Day roses and chocolate. "We just incorporated a lot of the fun, red, sassy stuff," co-owner Julie Marshall said. She had a few suggestions for customers wanting to find that special gift. The Lollia line of lotions and perfumes might be an ideal gift for a significant other or friend. "That's a nice, loving gift," Marshall said. The magnetic scrapbook "pages" are a quirky, no-stress gift for anyone of any age. "This year, scarves are really big," Marshall said. "We have a color, a style for every person." Young girls might enjoy giving each other the store…
Friday, February 1, 2013
Visit one of the 39 participating shops on Feb. 9.
Your next trip to Occoquan might be a little bit sweeter. Take your friend, family member, or significant other to the small town on Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. for Occoquan's Chocolate Walk. Nearly 40 shops in Historic Occoquan are participating, and will offer anything from a chocolate fountain to a chocolate wine tasting to chocolate truffles. Register to win some eye candy in the form of a string of dyed chocolate freshwater pearls worth $250. No purchase is necessary to register, and you don't have to be in town to win. The event will run through 4 p.m., so make an afternoon of it. If you need more substantial refreshment, stop by the Occoquan Coffee House, the Blue Arbor Cafe, the Garden Kitchen, Madigan's Waterfront, Cock & Bowl, or wrap up…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Her husband and a box of tissues made this mom's Valentine's Day great.
Valentine's Day, tangled in marketing hoopla, is THE day to show someone you love them. I had forewarned my hubby that I did not want the usual chocolates and roses dog and pony show; a simple card would suffice. I, however, don't do things small; I make over-the-top, channeling-Martha-Stewart-type plans and wreck the house and myself in the process. We've been married ten years, so he knows that's how I roll. So, it probably was no surprise for him to walk in the front door after work to the sight of his children having a sugar-induced brawl in the living room whilst their mother was cooking in the kitchen, surrounded by piles of what could have in fact been every pot and pan that we own, dirty. About halfway through our "very special" …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Are you set for today?
- VALENTINE'S DAY GUIDE
- Rachel Leon
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Keri Goodfriend wrote a column about the Five Love Languages, and how they apply to Valentine's Day. Did you attend any of these Valentine events? Let us know in the comments. The Polka Dot Divas have a 25 percent off sale on their Valentine's Day merchandise, and Quinn's Goldsmith also has a special offer. Are you a local merchant with a last minute Valentine's Day deal? Post it in the comments. If you prefer to shop for Valentine's Day merchandise after the big day, check out the Woodbridge section of merchants on Etsy, many of whom are selling Valentine's Day merchandise right now. Finally, are you spending tonight at home or going out? Because we have old souls, my husband and I are probably going to make dinner and then eat ice cream …
criston002
9:40 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Before we even start looking at Valentines gifts lets stop and see why were even buying Valentines. According to Wikipedia "'Valentines Day... is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery." and "Romance is...the attempt to express love with words or deeds... romance usually...an expression of … more ›