Villars Dark Chocolate with Absinthe

When we go to ABC to pick up beers, I’m always tempted to buy all their fancy snacks.  This time I splurged and bought bar of dark chocolate filled with absinthe.  It is made by Villars, which is based out of Switzerland, so I figured it had to be good. 

The writing on the bar was in Swiss, but there was a sticker over the back showing the nutritional facts in English.  We broke it open when we got home – the bar is divided in sections and each piece has a liquid center. 

It is very rich dark chocolate.  The center has a little bit of the licorice flavor from the anise spice in the absinthe, but not so much that you can’t appreciate the dark chocolate.  It actually only has 5% alcohol so it isn’t too strong (doubt you’d feel tipsy even if you ate the whole bar).  Nice to try something different every once in awhile. 

Fall is almost here…and that means Pumpkin Everything!

We stopped by ABC last night to pick up some beers.  By the way, if you haven’t been to the ABC on Kennedy just east of MacDill you need to check it out!  Its exterior has been updated with a beautiful stone facade, and the interior feels more like a Whole Foods than a liquor store.  They also have a “Brew Stop” station where you can fill up growlers with a constantly changing selection of craft beers.  

I got overly excited yesterday because while browsing the beers, I noticed that they had already set up a whole section for fall themed beers!  Autumn is my favorite time of year – the start of the holiday season and pumpkin flavored everything! 

We picked up a variety pack of the Sam Adam’s Harvest Collection – which includes their October Fest, Harvest Pumpkin, Harvest Saison, and traditional Boston Lager.  So last night we escaped the summer heat and enjoyed some fall flavors (and we lit fall candles too!)

I really do enjoy Sam Adam’s Beers of Summer variety pack (especially Porch Rocker), but if I do have to trade in my fruity summer beers, I’m glad it’s for beers spiced with cinnamon & caramel.  

It seems that I’m not the only one anxious for fall to start – Starbucks recently announced they will be releasing their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte August 25^th this year – a month earlier than normal. 

This probably just means that retailers will start abusing the holiday season even more and start selling Christmas decorations before Halloween is even over. Crazy…

Anyways, to prepare for the months ahead, here are some pumpkin recipes to try out.  I’ve made all of these in the past so I know they’re quality recipes!  

Pumpkin 7 Layer Magic Bars (from Bakers Royale).  OMG these are one of the best desserts you will ever eat!  So many yummy ingredients in each bite – I’ve made these a few times and they always turn out super moist and delicious: 

Sweet Pumpkin Butter (from Oh She Glows).  I made this a few years ago and it was great to dip apples or pretzels, or to spread on toast: 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake (from Sprinkle Bakes).  I made this for Easter in 2013 (more on my tradition of making cheesecakes for Easter another time…) If you plan to top it with powdered sugar stripes, make sure to do it right before you serve it, otherwise it will just soak into the cheesecake and disappear: 

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Ribbon (from Crafter Baker Says…)  I made this for Thanksgiving in 2012:

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (from Undressed Skeleton).  This is a healthy way to get your pumpkin fix:

Happy fall everyone! (a month early…)

Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crispbreads, Spanish Dry-Cured Meats & Smoked Gouda

I bought Doctor Kracker’s Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crispbreads at Publix last week as an impulse buy.  I had never heard of the company, but they looked like a tasty snack.  They are organic and a great source of protein, fiber, and whole grains.  I love that they have so many whole pumpkin seeds – they are very hearty crackers. 

Then while picking up some beers from ABC, we noticed their Campofrio Tapas were on sale for $1.75 so we decided to give it a try.  It contained a trio of traditional Spanish dry-cured meats: ham, pork loin, and chorizo sausage seasoned with smoked paprika.  I especially liked the chorizo. 

And yesterday, we stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up a few snacks.  We always get some sort of cheese while we are there – they have a huge selection and the prices are amazing for such gourmet cheeses.  This time we chose the Dutch Smoked Gouda – which is one of our favorites.  It has a smoky flavor and creamy texture. 

We put all these products together for a fancy cheese, meat, and cracker spread…probably the first time all 3 of these were combined on one plate, but they paired perfectly together!