Tahini Confetti Cake

I’m going through old files, which have become a mess not only because they piled up for too long, but also because I suffered a computer crash last year and some things got irrevocably messed up along the way.

This tahini confetti cake (by Soom) is something that I asked the Engineer to make for my birthday the year before last, and it did not disappoint! I don’t even have a good photo, but it was so good that I wanted to share the recipe. Both the cake and the frosting have some tahini, and the taste comes through in a discrete, yet pleasant, way. Plus, I don’t think I’ve met a rainbow confetti cake I didn’t like!

In this recipe, you’ll want to use the oblong jimmies-type sprinkles, not the small round non-pareil ones, as the latter would bleed more.

For the tahini confetti cake
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 cup lactose-free butter, room temperature
¼ cup tahini
1 ¾ cups sugar
½ cup avocado or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup lactose-free sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup lactose-free buttermilk substitute, at room temperature
¾ cup rainbow sprinkles (see note above)

For the tahini buttercream
1 cup lactose-free butter, at room temperature
¼ cup tahini
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 Tbsp. lactose-free milk of choice
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
½ cup rainbow sprinkles, to decorate


For the tahini confetti cake
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease the bottom of three 9-inch cake rounds and line each with round parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add oil and mix on low to incorporate.

Mix in eggs one at a time on medium speed. Add vanilla and sour cream.

Begin adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to the batter, alternating between buttermilk and dry ingredients.

Add sprinkles and fold into batter with a spatula.

Pour cake batter evenly between three lined cake tins. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean.

Remove cake tins from oven and let cakes cool in tins for 30 minutes, before removing and placing on cooling rack to cool completely.

If frosting the cake that day, transfer cakes from cooling rack to the fridge to cool completely before assembling. If baking the day before, allow cakes to cool to room temperature before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in the refrigerator overnight.

For the tahini buttercream
Cream together butter and tahini until smooth and creamy. Begin to add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, adding the milk and vanilla as it begins to thicken. If the buttercream becomes too thick, add in another tablespoon of milk.

To assemble the cake, place one layer of the cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Add a thin layer of buttercream and repeat with remaining cake layers. Spread buttercream over cake and decorate with sprinkles. Enjoy!

Raw Broccoli Salad

 

This recipe is from Marco Borges’s book The Greenprint. I served it as a side to Hawaiian meatballs. I did like the salad, but the dressing skews heavily acidic and I think it could be balanced with some oil (the Little Prince emphatically agrees).

For the salad
6 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted (mine were salted as well)
½ cup finely chopped red onion

For the dressing (see note above)
1/3 cup stone-ground mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. water

In a large bowl, toss together the ingredients for the salad.

In a small bowl (I used a jar), whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat evenly.

Hawaii

I fully intend to catch up on most recipes since I last wrote (I’ve been busy with my career and am getting close to achieving an important goal, so it’s all good!). In the meantime, I decided to write a blog post about my recent trip to Hawaii, as both a place to keep the information for future reference and in the hopes that it could help shape someone else’s vacation.

I took the Engineer and the boys on a trip to Hawaii earlier this summer, and we had a great time! We split our time between Big Island and Oahu, with roughly five days on each island, and here’s how it went. (If you want a quick guide on the main islands, try this or that, and for more information on Big Island in French, this is great!)

We arrived in Kona at midday, picked up our rental car and made our way to our first stop, the Vanillerie, which is very close to the airport. I really wanted to see vanilla beans in various growth stages! We were lucky to get a quick tour, and Candee gave us tons of information about the plant itself and everything that goes into preparing vanilla for consumption. Did you know that the flower of the vanilla plant only blooms for 4 hours, and must be pollinated by hand if it is to produce a bean? We also got to see the inside of the humidor where the beans are matured, and it smelled just heavenly. We made some purchases at the gift shop, then went to a boba cafe for sustenance, a grocery store for the same, and spent the night at the Sea Village.

The next day, we started with a quick swim at Magic Sands Beach Park, then drove to the other side of the island, taking the northern route. Kona is relatively dry, but things get much greener and more humid as you make your way to the other side of the island! We stopped for lunch at Ippy’s Hawaiian BBQ in Waimea, where we got to try lots of local foods and everything was delicious!

We went to Waipi’o Valley Lookout, which is absolutely worth the drive. The scenery was breathtaking! We also got to learn about King Kamehameha, which would come in handy later in the trip. We then made our way south to Hilo, where we stayed at Arnott’s Lodge. Our room was very spacious, which was great, and we had the loveliest chorus of birds and frogs to go to sleep every night. In Hilo, we did most of our shopping at KTA (we ate our fill of poke and drank a lot of POG!), though I can also recommend Hilo Burger Joint and Tetsumen. We also went to the Hilo Farmers Market to buy tropical fruits we couldn’t try elsewhere.

Day 3 had us doing an activity I was *really* looking forward to – visiting a chocolate farm! We went to Lavaloha, where I had prebooked a tour. We were lucky to have good weather – tours go on rain or shine, and since Hilo is the rainiest city in the U.S., make sure you bring some kind of poncho just in case (though they do lend out umbrellas). We got to see cacao trees on the farm, we tasted fresh cacao beans with the pulp, and we had a chocolate tasting with five of their bars. (Full disclosure: I booked the tour in April, then in May their kitchen burned down, and we visited in June, when they were using other kitchens part-time to make their chocolate.) This was one of my favorite parts of the trip! The location itself was absolutely gorgeous, too, and remote enough that we saw wild pigs and mongooses on the way. We then spent the afternoon at Carlsmith Beach Park; we had to step down into a small lagoon to have access to the ocean, but once there, the water was clear and so comfortable for swimming! The Engineer lost his wedding ring, and the Little Prince managed to find it, so he wins the day. We then took a quick look at Onekahakaha Beach Park as well.

        

The next day was our visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and I will tell you right now, go there EARLY! We got there around 8am and first went to see the Nuhuku lava tube – we had the place almost to ourselves. We then made our way to the active site, stopping at scenic points along the way (don’t miss the steam vents!). We got to see an active lava eruption, which was fantastic, though of course conditions vary. Note also that it was a warm and sunny day, but we could have used a windbreaker up there. When we left, a bit after 10am, there was a line of cars waiting to get in! If you can go early or late, try to do that; otherwise, be patient with everyone, and understand that you may have to park and then hike to the point you want to see if there are no available spots close by.

We had lunch in Hilo, which has a really nice area with shops and restaurants. In the afternoon, we went to Richardson Ocean Park, which has a nice black sand beach. (There is actually some green sand in there too if you look closely!) Entering the water was easier than at Carlsmith, but there are still some rock formations to watch out for.

On our last day on the island, we drove back to Kona and stopped at Mauna Kea on the way. We did not attempt to make it past the visitors’ center (going higher is not recommended for children 12 and under, and we did not have the right type of vehicle), but it was a great experience nonetheless. We were higher than the clouds! And the scenery on the way up and down was beautiful. We had lunch in Kona, on the patio of Aloha Vibes, which was right on the ocean.

There’s so much more to see and do on Hawaii Island! We could have hiked to Akaka Falls, but I had seen them already and the rest of my crew wasn’t interested. I would have liked to go see the green sand at Mahana Beach on the southern tip of the island, but again, I was the only one interested, and it would have taken up hours, so we didn’t do it. It all depends on what your interests and limitations are.

After a short flight to Honolulu, we checked in to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Now, I stayed there once in 1994 (my parents paid) and once in 2007 (the Engineer’s university paid), and even though this place is much more expensive than what I normally book, we just decided to treat ourselves and be right on Waikiki Beach. And… I’m not saying I regret it, but the place had changed tremendously in the 19 years since I had been there – it’s like a small city now, and so crowded! The elevators certainly couldn’t keep up, so it was a blessing in disguise that we were only on the 4th floor. It was a nice hotel, but just wasn’t the experience I thought I was booking. That being said, Waikiki Beach is definitely the prototype of the sandy beach we wanted!

We spent a few days vegging there, because I think that an important part of beach vacations is to have days when your biggest decision is whether to swim in the pool or in the ocean. There are stores and restaurants nearby if you don’t want to be captive on the on-site places. And on our last day, since our plane was leaving in the evening, we rented a car and were much more active.

We started by going to Koko Crater Botanical Garden, which was free. My original plan had been to go to Little Plumeria Farm, but it was closed that day, and this allowed me to visit a grove of plumeria – one of my favorite flowers! It did not disappoint, and it’s a very short walkable loop directly at the entrance of the gardens. It had more kinds of plumeria than I had ever seen, and I realized that they even have different scents. It was amazing!

Then, we obliged the Fox, whose one request on this trip had been to go see the tallest statue in Hawaii, which is the one of King Kamehameha in Honolulu. We then drove north-west to Haleiwa, a scenic town that was much busier than I had anticipated. We had a delicious lunch at No7 Poke n’ Roll. I had a great poke bowl, and then it turned out they had lactose-free matcha swirl soft serve ice cream, so that was my dessert covered! It did mean that I no longer had room for a Haleiwa bowl further down the road, but that’s the way it goes. Before we left, we stopped at Laniakea Beach, where the Fox and I saw a sea turtle!

Finally, we started making our way back and stopped at the Dole Plantation – the Engineer called it Pineapple Buc-ee’s, and he’s not wrong! The gardens were beautiful and worth the admission price; the kids had fun in the maze (apparently the world’s largest); the souvenir shop as wild; Dole Whip is life. I hope to go again someday!

Bacon and Potato Quiche

 

I made another quiche – this one reminds me a bit of my very first quiche, the apple bacon quiche. This one is actually quite breakfasty! It’s a potato bacon quiche, which I made using leftover potatoes and bacon (instead of buying the brand-name prepared potatoes recommended). I served it with a rainbow fruit salad to make it more appealing to the Fox, and it worked. We all really liked it!

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ a (20-oz.) bag Simply Potatoes Diced (see note above)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1 refrigerated pie crust
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cup lactose-free half-and-half substitute
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded lactose-free Swiss cheese
½ cup shredded lactose-free cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add potatoes, cover, and cook for 8 minutes (or until they are almost done), stirring occasionally. Add onion and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.

Preheat oven to 425 °F.

Remove pie crust from refrigerator and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Cover with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place pie weights or dried beans on top. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights and bake another 5 minutes. Let cool and reduce oven temperature to 350 °F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Scatter half of potato/onion mixture and half of bacon over bottom of pie crust. Top with half of cheese. Repeat layers.

Pour egg mixture on top.

Place quiche in oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Fiji

 I went on this amazing trip to Fiji over spring break, basically because Fiji Airways was having a crazy sale on the direct flight to/from Dallas (I mean, I literally have paid the same for a ticket to Montreal, so this was too good to pass up!), plus it’s low season over there so accommodations were within my budget. And it was amazing!

I stuck to Viti Levu (the big island) partly for financial considerations and partly to make logistics easier, especially since it was also the rainy season and I didn’t know what to expect. (It turns out the weather was beautiful, but even the day before my departure, the forecast looked pretty bad!) But did you know that Fiji has a total of 333 islands? There is a lot to explore!

First, know that the Nadi airport has a room where you can store your luggage securely – it is located right next to the car rental counters, and you must pay in cash. The price was FJD 10.05 for my suitcase. So I left my checked bag there and took only my backpack with me for sightseeing.

I booked a tour from an agency that was directly in the airport lobby. Obviously, I’d recommend doing this ahead of time, but I hadn’t realized that for many travelers, Fiji is a connecting destination, so they often do a quick tour between flights and there are several agencies that accommodate it. I got lucky and got a spot! (This was one place where credit cards are the way to go, so make sure you know your PIN if your card requires one overseas.)

Our first stop was Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple, which is the biggest Hindu temple in the Pacific. I love how colorful it is! You must be dressed modestly, though they can lend you a sarong to cover up, and you will need to take off your shoes for the visit. You can only take photos on the outside, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that the inside, especially the paintings on the ceiling, is worth the visit! There are also coconut trees outside, which to me are always exotic.

The next stop was the Nadi farmers’ market, where you can buy souvenirs (including honey, tamarind paste, and kava powder). I loved seeing the tropical flowers as well as all the exotic produce! I tasted the most amazing lady finger banana – I mean, it was so much sweeter and more flavorful than any banana I’d ever had before! I also tasted kava, a local drink, which… might be an acquired taste, to be honest.

The third stop was Viseisei Village, the first settlement in Fiji, founded some 3,000 years ago by people who sailed in from what is now Tanzania. We encouraged the local economy a bit by purchasing some souvenirs (jewelry in my case, which is definitely plastic instead of the pearl and coral promised, but I really like what I bought!), then I donned a sarong (women must wear one at the village), and we visited the village square and the church. Our guide told us that the locals are very happy they were converted to Christianity! The highlight for me was that they built the whole church themselves, so that they would have a place of worship that didn’t get blown down by every hurricane. The dome was particularly impressive, especially given that they built that part in only a day! We also saw the chief’s house, which isn’t actually where he lives, but where he hosts official visitors (like the British Royal Family).

The last stop on the tour was the one I really wanted to see, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. There is a collection of orchids, as well as more expansive grounds with lots of native plants which you can take more time to explore. Upon returning to the reception area, we were given a glass of fresh fruit juice, and it was fabulous!

I really liked doing this tour because it allowed me to see a lot of things in the area, and it was affordable. I also learned things about Fiji; I knew that its main industry is tourism, but I learned that the next three are exports: in order, sugar cane, wood (especially mahogany), and Fiji water. Plus, the people are very friendly! You can expect to hear “Bula!” many, many times a day (it is a greeting, the equivalent of both “hello” and “welcome”).

Another thing I would have liked to do in the area is visit the hot springs and mud baths; however, logistics seemed a bit complicated for me given that I was still in transit between the airport and my hotel. But it’s one of the top things to do in Fiji!

My hotel was on the Coral Coast, which is known for its beaches and clear water. While it was a really nice hotel, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the waterfront – I had not realized that the whole thing was on a lagoon, not a sandy beach like I had pictured. And there were a few problems with the billing, but that’s another story! The grounds were really nice, though, and there was a fruit bat colony right there are the hotel, which provided endless entertainment for me.

The next day, I took a cab to Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, which was wonderful. The guide who greeted me showed me the map (of which I took a photo, because they don’t have paper copies) and told me about the two trail options. Since it was already hot at 9:00am, I opted for the shorter trail. I couldn’t tell you how long it is, though, because even though the guide said it was 1.5 km (0.93 miles), I started walking uphill and after 5 minutes or so, cursed under my breath because I had forgotten to start my Strava counter. I started it right then, and by the time I came back to my starting point (the trail is a loop), my Strava indicated I had walked 2.9 miles! Is it possible that the trail is 1.5 km as seen from above, but with the many hills (Strava says elevation is 182 feet, though I didn’t start from the very beginning), it actually comes out to be more? For what it’s worth, it certainly felt closer to 3 miles than to 1 mile.

Anyway, the hike starts out in the jungle; you get incredible views of the dunes and ocean, then walk down to the beach. Swimming would be ill-advised, because the waves and currents are really strong, but of course I dipped my feet in for the part of the hike! Once I had dried off, I went back into the jungle, passing birds and a fruit bat colony, then made it back to the welcome counter. I looked at the exhibits they had, which I hadn’t taken the time to do before. There’s a lot there about artefacts that were found on site, as well as explanations about traditional Fijian culture. This was a great visit – I highly recommend it!

I spent the rest of my vacation at my hotel, wading in the lagoon or in the pool and reading, and really just enjoying the surroundings. Oh, and I tried local chocolate! There’s Vanua Chocolate, near the Nadi airport, which offers tours of their chocolate factory, but only for groups of four or more people (I asked). So I ended up buying some of their chocolate at the airport instead of going in person. I also got some Fijiana Cacao chocolate, including two types of white chocolate. In all honesty, both brands of dark chocolate had bloomed and seemed bland, as well as dry and brittle. I actually noticed that on the package of Vanua dark chocolate labeled “60% cocoa,” the first ingredient was actually sugar…

Egg Tortilla Pizza

I had leftover vegetables (and bacon) from this recipe and , so I decided to make some egg tortilla pizzas for school lunches! It was a great way to use up those leftovers.

The gist of it is this: place a tortilla in a cake pan; cook your fillings of choice (vegetables and/or meat: I had bell peppers, mushrooms, green onions, and bacon) and place them in the pan; whisk some eggs and pour them on top of the filling; add cheese if desired; bake until set, then slice like a pie.

To me, the key is making sure that the egg doesn’t touch the pan, because it would stick and be impossible to get off. I used large tortillas set in 6-inch cake pans, and in addition to the filling, I used two eggs per tortilla, and I baked the “pizzas” for 20 minutes at 350 °F.

Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

 

My kids love breakfast sandwiches (the Egg McMuffin type), and I figured there should be a way to make them at home with decent ingredients and for less money than the ones in the freezer section of the grocery store. Enter these microwave prep breakfast sandwiches, which you can make with sausage, bacon, or ham. The quantities below make 5 sandwiches, but I ended up making a dozen sausage sandwiches, since they keep so well in the freezer.

I made some changes, since I didn’t actually want to prep everything in the microwave (I’ll warm up the frozen sandwiches in the microwave, but I won’t cook eggs and meat in there!). So for my version, I used a greased silicone muffin tin for the eggs and baked them at 350 °F for 20 minutes. I left some of them whole and stirred the others right in the tin to mix the whites and yolks, because the Fox doesn’t like egg yolks if he can see them clearly. My sausage patties were already cooked.

2 sausage patties
2 slices ham, quartered
5 eggs
1 splash milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 slices of bacon, sliced in half width-wise
5 English muffins, halved
5 slices lactose-free cheddar cheese
fresh spinach

On a large plate, arrange the sausage and the ham in a circle, then place a microwaveable mug in the center. (See the note on prep above – I cannot, in good conscience, recommend cooking eggs in a mug.)

Crack the eggs into the mug, season with salt, pepper, and add a splash of milk. Stir until evenly mixed. Microwave the entire plate for about 2 minutes until the egg is cooked through, making sure it does not bubble over.

Remove the plate and microwave the bacon strips on a separate plate for about 4-7 minutes. Check the bacon at 4 minutes, then every minute or so to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Drain the bacon of its fat, then set aside.

Invert the mug with the egg, then slice the egg cylinder into 5 equal rounds. You may have to run a knife around the mug first to ensure that the egg comes loose in one solid piece.

To assemble, layer your sandwich as you’d like with the meat, egg, cheese, and spinach. Wrap each sandwich in a damp paper towel, then with parchment paper. Place the sandwiches in a large zip top bag, then freeze for up to 1 month.

When ready to eat, remove a sandwich from the freezer, unwrap the parchment, and microwave for about 2 minutes (my microwave is pretty powerful, and 60 to 90 seconds does the trick for me). Cool for 1 minute, then unwrap the paper towel. Enjoy! [Update: The Engineer recommends microwaving the sandwich for 60 seconds, then taking out the egg and microwaving it an extra 20 seconds before reassembling the sandwich.] [Updated update: I came across a slightly different recipe on <a href="https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/freezer-breakfast-sandwiches">Tastes Better From Scratch</a> and it has great reheating instructions: “Thaw in fridge overnight, for best results. Remove paper and wrap sandwich in a paper towel.  Microwave for 40 seconds - 1 minute on defrost (or 50% power). Flip the sandwich over and microwave for 10-30 seconds on high power, until warmed through. You can also reheat the sandwiches in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or in the toaster oven.”]

Turkey Taco Bowls

I made this turkey taco bowl to take on the plane with me in January. It was the first time I was taking a meal with me, but I loved it! The meal itself was great, the avocados were still green, and I also liked being able to have a leisurely connection during which I wasn’t running around looking for, and overpaying for, fast food. This makes about 4 servings. (My dessert was Belvita sandwich cookies with chocolate filling.)

2 Tbsp. oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 lb. ground turkey
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (I use this recipe)
28 oz. diced tomato, drained
2 cups rice, cooked
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 jar salsa
1 lime, sliced into wedges
lactose-free sharp cheddar cheese, grated
fresh cilantro, for garnish
(I added an avocado, cubed and tossed in lemon juice)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened. Remove from pan, set aside.

Add ground turkey to hot skillet. Break apart with a wooden spoon to separate.

Season with taco seasoning, stir, cooking until meat has browned and cooked through.

Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

To assemble the taco bowls, add a base of rice to 4 food storage containers. Top each with a scoop of black beans, corn, salsa, cheddar cheese, cooked peppers and onions, and taco meat. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Store in the refrigerator (and enjoy any extras immediately). Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Miscellaneous product reviews

 Hebel & Co’s peanut butter chocolate crisp halva, which they made in collaboration with Molly Yeh, is fantastic. 10/10, no notes, go buy some and thank me later.

I really like these new protein granolas: Nature Valley Protein Granola (I tried Oats & Honey as well as Oats & Dark Chocolate) and Sola granola (I tried the Maple Pecan Chocolate and the Double Chocolate). They are very good, and one serving of granola plus one serving of Greek yogurt gets me to about 30 grams of protein, which my nutritionist told me is what I should aim for at breakfast. It does help me get to lunch without hunger pangs!

I tried some ramen noodles from immi – the black garlic “chicken” flavor, which I found in a brick-and-mortar store. They are vegan and made from pumpkin seeds, so they are high in protein and low in carbs. As you can see, I did not “get creative” with toppings, but I should have! It was a bit plain on its own (I was expecting something more like a Cup-a-Noodles, which doesn’t need add-ins). That being said, the noodles were good, and this would be a great substitute if I planned it out better!

I also tried IQ Bars, after getting a discount code on a podcast. I originally got a sampler of all their protein bars, and while the Little Prince liked them, I wasn’t crazy about some of the flavors. I’ve since reordered a chocolate lovers variety box, which has peanut butter chip, almond butter chip, and chocolate sea salt. They now have new packaging, too! So, the ingredients overall are good for someone with a metabolic disorder like mine, even though I don’t really enjoy pea protein. Obviously, they contain nuts, so I never put them in the Little Prince’s lunch box, but he has them at home on occasion. It’s probably my favorite protein bar, to be honest, and I like them much more than No Cow.

Trader Joe’s chocolate passport was absolutely delightful! It’s essentially a flight of single-origin dark chocolate bars, and what’s not to love? 10/10, would buy again.

I finally got around to trying Egg Life Wraps, which are made with egg whites and are gluten-free. They are a really great substitute for tortillas! I enjoyed the plain ones with chicken breakfast sausage and sharp cheddar cheese, while the cinnamon ones were good with chocolate hummus. I’ll buy them more often!

Cacao & Cardamom’s Lunar New Year chocolate selection was superb! I just love this company’s confections. The flavors in that box included strawberry Szechuan and black sesame ginger – I unfortunately don’t have a record of the others, because the company stopped printing out the flavors and just sends a QR code now, and since that box was seasonal, there’s no way to access that info anymore. I believe there was a sesame brittle and a green matcha in there. On the bright side, they changed the glue they use for their stickers to make them more easily removable, so the boxes are now reusable! Also, the chocolates were as delicious as ever.

Finally, and this is more of a public service announcement than a recommendation: Cornerstone Wellness has whey protein shakes that are lactose-free, because the whey is micronized! I didn’t really believe it at first, but it turns out I can have them without discomfort. (It is actually normal to have some discomfort the first time you try a new type of protein, but everything should be fine the second time.) This is very convenient for me, since I don’t like the taste of most vegan protein shakes! I tried the Dutch cocoa and the vanilla, and have since bought a small canister of the latter.

[Updated later the same day to add: I forgot to mention Bokksu! My sister gave me the Kawaii Gift Box for my birthday, and it was glorious! What a great way to eat delicious snacks I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise!]