New Chocolate Shop Find and Quick Christmas Re-Cap

Being a chocoholic and confessed chocolate snob, I am always on the lookout for new chocolate experiences. Recently I met a friend for dinner at True Food Kitchen in the Mosaic District in Fairfax (Virginia), and in that area I discovered Artisan Confections. The shop itself was sophisticated yet welcoming, and we could sample a dark chocolate cinnamon truffle, plus ooh-and-aah over the attractive colorful truffles, gourmet candy bars, and chocolate barks. I picked up a crispy peanut butter bar as a gift, and treated myself to a box of four truffles. The confections I enjoyed most were the salted butter caramel bonbon, which was just sinful, and the raspberry and chai tea truffles.

(Source: Artisan Confections)

Probably best to look back at the big family Christmas 2014 through pictures. We'll see if there is any fallout regarding the posting of these photos...!

Christmas Eve dinner featured, among other things, mom's homemade Latvian bread and her famous marinated mushroom salad, as well as some very Latvian cucumbers with sour cream and dill, and a great beet dish.

Getting ready for dinner!

Wow, this crowd is excited to eat!

New spin on traditional poem - song with movements!

Loving their gifts.

The big kid is happy about fun clock from gift exchange.

Later: vodka and caviar.

Meanwhile....

And the next morning.

Christmas has come and gone, but it will live on in our memories of the first annual meringue cookie bake-off, the Christmas Eve food and drink extravaganza, fantastic gifts such as matching hats, a much desired monkey alarm clock and beloved bike with much history, the Christmas Day poker and Scrabble tournaments,  and some great photos. Thanks, by the way, to all the family photographers who unknowingly participated. If you have copyright issues, please contact my lawyer!