Good Things Utah, Easley Edition

If you're not from Utah, you won't get the reference. (Good Things Utah is a show on tv in the mornings here, which features a bunch of really thin, heavily make-up'd, jewelery adorned, boob jobbed women talking in thick Utah accents about things that are good. Kind of like Martha Stewart...Utah style)

Anyway, Mike and I are always on the lookout for things that we enjoy, things that go overlooked, things that don't make it onto the shelves of Vons or that get tons of traffic, things that are locally grown/made or imported. Mike used to drink coffee, his mom made it every morning, it was just part of life, and I will totally admit that coffee is one of my favorite flavors. While we both love it, we also have taken that "oath", and that means no coffee. A couple of years ago, while trying to find an alternative for him, I discovered Drinking Chocolates, and fell in love. While difficult to find, we still began to try different brands, most often buying them online. So the other night, while we were shopping in Sugarhouse, we found the most amazing thing... People. Honestly. Heaven in a cup. We make it with milk, but in a pinch, it can be made with water. We've even used soy milk, and it STILL tastes amazing. If you like dark chocolates, try the higher numbered additions, but we fell in love with (click!) Allegro's Organic Peruvian 68. Not too sweet, it smells just as good as it tastes, and while it is bold in it's real chocolate flavor, it's still subtle. IT's not thick, or dark, it's really light. Kind of weird because when you order hot chocolate from Starbucks or wherever, it's always thick and really syrupy sweet. This is light and nothing like that.

Anyway, we use about 2 Tbsp. for each 1 cup of hot milk, but if you want it stronger, you can use 1/2 the milk and it's almost like a chocolate espresso. You can order it online, but since it's now at Whole Foods, we can get it everytime we shop now! It retails for about $12 per box, but it lasts a loooong time. It kicks "Stephens" right square in the butt.





Another thing that I love is sugar cookies. I'm probably the most picky person when it comes to the right "recipe" and I think my sisters/cousins are the same way. I rarely find a store bought version that I like at all, as a matter of fact. Anyway, while shopping the other night, Harper grabbed a box of something he called "Princess Cookies"





and tossed them into the cart. It was 10:00 at night and I was just too dang tired to argue, so I purchased the pink, purple and white sugared hearts. We got home and unloaded our grocery bags and I popped one of these tiny cookies into my mouth and stopped in my tracks. Guys, we had to hide the box. Not because they were terrible, but because they were heartbreaking. I died. So. Effing. Good. K, so not only are they thick, but they are iced and then sprinkled with HUGE sugar granules. And the fact that they are pink and purple and white!, just makes me happy. Oh and they're organic/all natural. Sooooooooooo, I justify eating 5 of them because I pretend they're good for me. Go see all the yummy stuff they sell at the (click for the online store) online store (Gianna's!!!) or you can probably go into your Whole Foods and see if they carry them there. I bet they do! Oh and they're called Sweet Hearts. (how apropos, right?)

Now...I'm going to make myself a cup of chocolate and eat the last cookie before my people wake up and start the craziness of a typical "Sunday Morning".