I’ll admit, I’m not a crazy shopper.. I hate malls. I hate mall parking lots, mall crowds, mall food courts, and eeeeek mall restrooms.
I do love those small out of the way shops, independent stores that you know the owner has put their heart and soul into. And I love a good craft or antique fair of course. Last weekend, my good friend Julia of suburbansweetness.wordpress.com/ invited me to attend the Seasons Christmas Marketplace. She had tickets, I love Christmas… it was a match made in heaven.
Let the shopping begin.
Tons of Christmas decorations, I don’t really need any more.. I need more house to put the stuff in that I have, but there were some beautiful ideas to put me in the spirit. There were also some interesting vendors there. Here’s a list of my favorites…
I met Gail, she was a lovely lady. Came up with all these recipes herself. I purchased her Carrot Cake Jam… it was amazing!!! I’ve eaten it on toast a few times…LOVE IT. I need to get some cream cheese, I am thinking, toast, cream cheese and carrot cake jam. .. doesn’t that sound delish? She also had a caramelized onion jam that was amazing. We chatted a while about Bacon jam, she’s been working on the recipe for a while and I suggested she try caramelizing the bacon, a little trick I have been doing for years. Roll the bacon slices in brown sugar and bake in the oven. The result is like bacon candy. She’s going to give it a try, who knows, might be just the trick for perfect bacon jam. I’ll be back next year to try it.
I love chocolate..who doesn’t. I am always excited to hear of new exciting combinations of chocolate with things you wouldn’t normally think of. Thinking outside the “chocolate box”. Chocolate and Bacon has changed my life.. but that’s a whole other subject. Two friends are infidelity thinking out of the box, we sampled a lot.. They had a dark chocolate and chili that blew my socks off. Most chocolate/chili combo’s I have tried were subtle. Two friends don’t mess around. Their choco-chili had HEAT!! And if you like the heat, and I love the heat.. you’d love this. Jules bought the Dark Chocolate with Cardamom and Roasted Cashews. It was so flavorful.. a combination I would have never imagined. mmmmm I miss it. (we gobbled it all up before we left the show).
I bought the Madras Curry Masala with shredded coconut, I love coconut, and all things coconut, (see #3) and I love curry.. win win. I hoarded a little to share with my sister.. it was hard, I had uneaten chocolate in my purse for 24 hours, that is unheard of. The curry was subtle, which I think is wise. There was just a hint, and it was nice. I would have preferred the coconut toasted, but that’s just my preference. Maybe the toasted coconut would have been too powerful with the curry.. who know’s .. I’m a lover not a chocolatier.
Great job Two Friends!!
First let me say.. LOVE the name. Brilliant. We couldn’t walk by this booth without sticking our noses in. It smelt like heaven and the layout was inviting. There was a cute young Spanish guy working the booth, he was so helpful. Seemed to really know his stuff.
Coconut Blossum Green Tea. I just finished my first cup of this as I type. The scent is amazing. I want to make body wash with this blend. …incredible. It is a green tea, and the label says it’s blended with sweet coconut shreds, cornflower blossoms, rose petals and natural coconut flavoring.
They also featured a tea called “Hangover Helper” and their website describes it as “For those times we do a little too much celebrating, we offer a tea to help ease the symptoms. A tasty infusion of cinnamon, boldo leaves, spearmint, orange peel, black tea, chamomile flowers, rosehip and mallow flower.” I have to admit, it smelt nasty… not my cup of tea (haha). But if I was hungover.. and it offered to help, I’d certainly give it a try.
There it is my favorites from the Seasons Show….It was well worth the trip. Lots of fun.. lots of goodies.
Check out the etsy store to see new items we’ve added, including this gem.
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