MPblog

Hot Chocolate

Nothing Like Hot Chocolate

Here comes the big winter storm. Why is it that the worst storms come during weekends? There is no other choice but to stay warm at home and enjoy a delicious hot chocolate. Be creative, there are many ways to prepare chocolate. Go and buy marshmallows, whip cream, milk and your favorite chocolate. Invite your friends, or just enjoy your family.

The best chocolate I’ve ever tasted is Valor. Valor is well known in several Spanish provinces, but can be imported into the United States by ordering it from their website. I know, is a bit late to order chocolate online, but perhaps it’s a good idea for the next storm.

Resources

• Valor Chocolate

Tags: chocolate, Christmas, drinks, hot, ideas, storm, valor, winter

Dining in Valencia, Spain

My Experience

During my trip to Valencia, Spain, I visited a restaurant that made my adventure more memorable than usual. Every time I passed that narrow street and saw rose petals on the floor, I wondered “what’s beyond there.” So I could not stand the temptation and decided to go down the dark alley. That’s when I discovered La Lola.

La Lola is a flamenco restaurant with retro decor. They serve delicious Spanish food cooked to perfection. The kindness of those working in the restaurant made my day. For the first time in my life I tasted a mistela Valenciana. The server said “you will not leave Valencia without first tasting our mistela.” They brought a very old bottle of mistela from their reserve and gave me 2 glasses of this excellent wine. DELICIOUS!

Mistela is a type of sweet wine that is made by mixing alcohol with non-fermented grape ingredients. The more alcohol, the more it stops the fermentation process and only a small portion of the grape sugars are converted to alcohol.

If you plan to visit Valencia, do not forget to visit La Lola. They are located in downtown Valencia. For your reference I have posted their website in this article. Enjoy the good life!

References

• La Lola
• Vivir Valencia

Tags: food, lola, mistela, nightlife, restaurants, retro, Spain, valencia, wine

Non-Traditional Ornaments

The Non-Traditional Christmas Ornament

During these festivities decorate your Christmas tree with something that truly reflects your personality. Move from traditional and surprise your friends and family with your own creativity. There is nothing more boring than the same typical Christmas tree with red and gold balls.

This year I have been looking for the strangest holiday decorations you can imagine. I found from mousetraps, teeth, ninjas, even pieces of coal. My favorite decoration is the ninja ornament.

Designed by artist Vicki Brown, this ornament, although it does not reflect my personality, attracted my attention. It is so simple and strange! Vicki Brown, as the other artists whose works have been placed in this article, sell their work on Etsy.com.

Images

Resources

• Etsy.com

Tags: cat, Christmas, coal, decorations, Holidays & Celebrations, lucha libre, ninja, non traditional, ornament, owls, pills, skates, tooth, tree, tv

Green Living

La Vie En Vert

Many people think that being “green” requires the use of purely natural materials, and that’s not true. Being “green” also requires the use of synthetic materials that were dismissed, and mold them to something more useful and durable. If it were true that being “green” means using purely natural materials we would be destroying the environment, rather than protecting it.

In this article we are showing several designs that were manufactured with synthetic materials, but symbolize natural objects, such as the Grass Ottoman. Originally designed for a contemporary pool setting in Menlo Park California by principal designer Nancy Favier, this Ottoman is made of durable plastic synthetic fiber. The ottoman can be used for both exteriors and interiors.

Another example of synthetic materials that symbolize natural objects is the Tazana Foliage pendant lamp. Designed by Mary-Ann, this lamp can transform the space into a real place for relaxation.

Being “green” energizes your body and mind. Even using synthetic materials, the simple fact of being surrounded by the green color is refreshing. For more information about how to start your “green” space, or to learn about other ideas to make your life more enjoyable, feel free to visit the references that we use to complete this article.

Images

Resources

• GH Design
• Livingstones
• Illu Stration
• La Chanh Nguyen

Tags: design, green, interior, living