3 Little Figs

After visiting Taza Chocolate, we stopped by 3 Little Figs for a bite to eat. I love the name of the shop! It's so cute. The decor is clean and simple. We tried (clockwise from top left) the Lil Figgy (almond butter, banana, and honey on 7-grain bread), Toast & Jam (fig jam on thick country sourdough), and the cinnamon donut muffin. Everything was delicious and so satisfying. James said that the coffee was good as well. If I'm ever in the area again, I would love to try their other baked goods too :)

I love their stenciled wall...so pretty with the little gold figs

So cute :)

Taza Chocolate

Plenty of chocolate to sample in their shop :) These are their Chocolate Mexicano Discs. Some of my favorite flavors are salted almond, cinnamon, and salt and pepper.

James and I had so much fun taking our family around Boston after our wedding. Diana and Brian came all the way from Vancouver and are big-time foodies so I thought it would be fun to go to the Taza Chocolate Factory Tour. Taza Chocolate is one of the few places in the country that makes their chocolate from bean to bar. I've seen their Chocolate Mexicano Discs in Whole Foods and local coffee shops and was very excited when I found out that they're made right in Somerville, MA.

Small version of the hand-carved granite millstones used to grind the cacao.

The tour is approximately 45 minutes and is only $5 per person. We get to see the various stages of chocolate making and taste many samples along the way.

The warm and welcoming shop

At first, I wasn't use to the gritty texture of their chocolate because it's stone-ground but I really love it now.  I also think it's wonderful that their chocolate only contains 3 to 4 ingredients! It's usually just organic roasted cacao beans, organic cane sugar, and a flavoring like organic cinnamon, organic salted almonds, etc. There is absolutely no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. I can really taste the difference. The chocolate has a bold flavor and I can taste every single ingredient that is in there.

 (left) Tasting roasted cacao nibs; (right) Hairnets are required for the tour hehe

James found a new job

Huge bags of cacao beans

Their packaging room. Everything is wrapped and packed by hand!

 (left) Grinding machines; (right) Catching the deposited chocolate into the disc molds

I think James is serious about working here lol

Taza's founder, Alex Whitmore, hand-carved these granite millstones himself after learning the craft from an authentic Oaxacan ‘molinero’

A real cacao pod

I love their store sign

I really enjoyed the tour. It was very informative. I appreciate the chocolate that Taza makes so much more because I get to see all the love that goes into making the product. I highly recommend a visit there if you love chocolate and is interested in seeing how it's made. You can also visit their website to learn more about the company :)

Little Kitty Surprise

My sister and I love to surprise each other with fun little gifts so I was so happy to find this just in time for her birthday this year. Isn't it too cute for words? The cat even has a top hat and a bow tie! This special limited edition makeup collection from Paul & Joe is just too too cute. I love the little cat faces printed on the tube as well. My sister almost died from the cuteness overload. Her reaction when she twisted up the tube was priceless. She told me she'll never be able to use it! I don't blame her. I wouldn't be able to either! :)

Paul & Joe have such fun and pretty packaging for their makeup. I can't wait to see their future collections :)

The Paint Bar

We signed up to paint "Back Bay in Spring". Here is my finished painting. I really love it and can't wait to find a spot for it at home :)

My girlfriends and I had a date at The Paint Bar back in May. I was so excited when Judy suggested that we sign up for a class. I've seen it on Chronicle before and thought that it was such a cool place. I've always wanted to learn how to paint (mainly because of watching Bob Ross as a child hehe) and this was the perfect opportunity.

Judy eagerly waiting to start her masterpiece.

We all have never painted before (well, maybe in elementary school lol) so we didn't know what to expect. The instructor was great. Everything was shown step by step. It felt great to get into that creative zone. It was also challenging for me at times because I tend to be a perfectionist. I wasn't ready to move onto the next step and had to play catch-up here and there but it was okay :)

My little artist palette

We had such a fun time laughing and painting together and we each got to go home with our own little masterpiece. I really love that each of our paintings reflect our own style even though we painted the same scene. This definitely started a painting bug in me. I can't wait to go again!

Brownie's New Bed

Brownie found himself a new napping spot this summer. These pictures were taken on three different days! Needless to say, our fresh parsley didn't make it too far lol.

Strawberry Delight

I'm craving a nice refreshing cup of frozen yogurt today. I love Pinkberry and local places like Berryline and Mixx. Unlike the first two, Mixx is self-serve and they offer Asian-inspired flavors such as taro and lychee in addition to other popular flavors. They also have an impressive toppings bar. One of my favorite combinations at Mixx is strawberry and cheesecake frozen yogurt with graham cracker crumbs, oreo crumbs, fresh strawberry, and strawberry moochi. Yum!

Matching Couple

We did not plan this...from the greyish tones to the cats, the red bows, and our sunglasses. Hard to believe but it's true. I almost changed my shirt because I didn't want people to think that we matched on purpose lol. It's annoyingly cute though, isn't it? :)