J’adore #57
It's been a while since I have done a straight-up old-school style J'adore (you have to go back to Dec 2013 for #56!) and in the spirit of the recently resurrected Saturday Six, I am returning to some classic Misadventures with Andi series posts!
Also since all my series badges have my old look and feel I will have to make do with playing around with Canva (I am totally addicted) until I have new badges made!
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For those of you who are new around these parts, J'adore is a series where I highlight products that I have either tried recently or want to. I hate shopping, so I do a lot of it online so I am always spotting things that I want to buy (although 90% of the time I am window shopping!) and want to share with you because I think they are cool!
Cascade Ice Sparkling Water
We all know we need to drink a ton of water. But knowing and doing it are two different things. I love sparkling water. Even so, I get bored with it and don't drink as much as I should. Then I discovered Cascade Ice sparkling water. It showed on my doorstep (okay it didn't, the kind folks of Cascade Ice sent me a box) and my life has not been the same.
The plan was to try them out, maybe get creative with them like what Kristina Vanni of Better Recipes did when she created a Sparkling Blueberry Mint cocktail. But sometimes plans change. And I drank them all. Straight from the bottle. Didn't even share them with my hubby. I even drank the blueberry one. I don't like blueberry. It was awesome.
My biggest problem now? Getting more. There aren't too many places in the San Francisco Bay Area that have them (oh, please change that situation). Luckily it seems I can get some in Fremont, which happens to be the town my best friend lives in.
So next time I am paying her a visit I am driving over to Sprouts with an empty trunk and I am going to get cases of this water! I have a new addiction, and given the fact that is zero additive – no fake sugar – water, I am thinking that is not necessarily a bad thing! Who's with me on that?
[Update: during the middle of writing this post my hubby sent me to the grocery store to get an item…he is currently making boeuf bourguignon…yes, I know…so lucky! And my beloved Berkeley Bowl carries the waters – they were on the top shelf above my line of sight which is why I never noticed them before!]
B. T. McElrath Chocolatier Salty Dog Chocolate Bar
While I was at Berkeley Bowl I picked up more of my latest obsession, the B. T. McElrath Chocolatier Salty Dog Chocolate Bar. I love salted caramel with dark chocolate (which is why I am a huge fan of Fran's) so this 70% dark chocolate bar with butter toffee pieces and sea salt a unique twist on salted caramel is awesome.
Whoever is the chocolate buyer at Berkeley Bowl does the best job of curating and there are always new chocolates to try!
Why yes, there are five bars in this photo…
Clearly Kombucha
When I am not drinking water (or wine), my preferred beverage of choice is kombucha. At home, my hubby and I drink a lot of Brew Dr. Kombucha, but with my commute, I don't necessarily want to lug the bottle in my already too heavy bag on Bart, so I buy kombucha once I am in the city.
My favorite is Clearly Kombucha, a recent discovery. Despite the fact that the two sisters who created Clearly Kombucha reached out to me in February, it was only in the past month while getting the best breakfast burrito in FiDi (Front Door Cafe) that I spotted them and picked up the black currant and ginger/raspberry ones and I have been purchasing them a couple of times a week now for my post-lunch drink.
San Francisco, Portrait of a City
Okay, just so you know that I think about things other than eating and drinking (barely, but I do) I am really enjoying this fantastic book by Fred Lyon called San Francisco, Portrait of a City 1940–1960. Mr. Lyons is an amazing photographer, native San Franciscan, and diligent chronicler of the city's history.
The photographs in this book are stunning. If you like San Francisco history (p.s. did you know this past Friday was the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake? I didn't. I'll never forget it….) then you will LOVE this book.
Charcutería: The Soul of Spain
While I am reading Fred Lyon's book, Mr. Misadventures has his nose buried in Charcutería: The Soul of Spain by American Chef and food writer Jeffrey Weiss. Despite the fact that Mr. Misadventures is French I find him to be more passionate about Spanish cooking and he loves making paellas (yes, plural), tapas, etc.
He reads cookbooks like I read novels and this one is his current favorite. It is chock full of meat curing and preparation techniques and if nothing else, it will make you (a) super hungry and (b) dying to visit Spain.
That’s it for this edition of J’adore, a few of my recent favorite finds as I travel the web!
How about you? What are you currently adoring?
Salt and chocolate together is a winning combination ALWAYS!
Stopping by from Grow Your Blog.
@Joanna, I couldn’t agree more! I am in search of a salted caramel mocha, every seen that?
These all sound delicious! Especially the Cascade Ice!
@Carly, thanks do you have a favorite water, chocolate or kombucha?
That San Francisco, Portrait of a City books seems lovely! I love travel/photo books <3
@Angelic, me too especially when it has to do with the history of places.
I would love to try the Cascade Ice. I do drink alot of water because I do not especially like it. I will look for this next time I am at the store. Thank you for sharing
@Linda, definitely do, I feel the same and I love this stuff!
I didn’t realize you were in SF! I’m in Sacramento and frequent The Mission for blog/food related events/PR. Well, I will say, we are lucky to live here! I love kombucha!
@Amby, so lucky in the Bay Area to have so many kombucha choices, I even have a friend in SacTown who brews it as well. I love Sacramento – especially the restaurants in Midtown – and can you say Ginger Elizabeth chocolate or Three Rivers pomegranate cider?
I am not a big fan of drinking water unless flavoured but you gat me at 0% calories lol.
@Miranda, these ones give you the best of both worlds!
Those chocolate bars look soooo good! Trader Joe’s has a sea salt, caramel and dark chocolate bar that I just can’t get enough of.
@Jenna, so dangerous isn’t it!?
I loooove sparkling water!
@Julianne, plain, flavored or with a slice of some fruit.
I can’t mix salty with sweet! Can’t do it – if a chocolate bar has salt in it, I have to turn it away. Sad, I know.
@Nancy, that’s okay….more for me! But I hear ya, sometimes there are combos that just don’t work for ya!
Yumm.. that Kombucha looks great! I will have to try it!
@Lindsay, I like it a lot because it has a really crisp flavor, I perfer more “carbonated” kombuchas over other that tended to taste “flat.”
You know I love this series! The photos in that book are stunning. I love it. And, I love the ads on the Clearly Kombucha. I keep seeing silver hair on young women — in ads with bright lipstick. I bet it’s going to be a trend. Weird and wild – if you’re young. HA! Also, I want to know about this best friend you have in Fremont. Tell her she has competition. haha!! Love ya, Andi.
@Jen, I know the grey hair think is so interesting! I wonder what I would look like with it. There is always room in my heart for you!
I was adoring a new camera but I fixed my camera. So now I want some cute boots.
@Beth, sounds good to me, I love boots!
I’m adoring lots of boots right now! I’m so ready for fall to start here in Southern California!
@Angela, me to, me too! Love boots!
Love posts like this! I’ve heard such great stuff about Canva, will have to try it!
@Kristine, let me know if you need an invite, I have a few extras!
You’re somewhat local to me! You know, if the whole Bay Area counts as local. 😉 Anyway, I’m very intrigued by the Cascade Ice water. Is the Fremont Sprouts the only Sprouts location that carries it? The Whole Foods I normally shop at isn’t too far from Sprouts. I may have to make a special detour. 🙂
@Joy, there’s one in Walnut Creek (Sprouts), Whole Foods may carry it, but I haven’t been into one in awhile (although there is a brand new one opening in Albany next week! but love the Oakland one too!). I am in Berkeley so we are definitely neighbors!
That flavored water looks fantastic! What a cool list!
I absolutely adore salted chocolate, salted caramel takes it to a whole new level. This sounds heavenly! That’s such a coincidence that your local shop started selling the water! I’m not a huge drinker of sparkling water (the only bubbles I like are in Champagne!) but I do like a bit of an addition to a cocktail, I’m sure these would taste fab in them!
Katie <3
@Katie, given the amazing champagne event you went to I don’t blame you, I was absolutely green with envy on that post!
I am all about the bubbly water! I always have a giant stockpile in the house!
@Brenda, us too, my hubby and I can’t get enough!
I need some of that chocolate in my life!
Seems like you encountered some great stuff on your travels. I’m in love with that chocolate bar.
@Amanda, it is pretty awesome, kind of the best one I’ve had yet!
Looks like great finds! I wish I had that chocolate bar right now!
Great list! I especially like that SF book. I’m just a little partial. 😉
@Jessica, it is pretty gorgeous, I have it on my coffee table and keep going back to it to look at the photos! I want to see more decades too, San Francisco has such rich history.
Great list. I’m enjoying being on vacation right now.
@Karissa, oh how fun….enjoy!
You know, I JUST posted on Twitter about how I used to think the whole salted chocolate and caramel thing sounded so gross, and now I just can’t get enough!
@Megan, I hear you! The fact is, I am not a big fan of caramel, never really ate much of it, but when you add salt (and in my book dark chocolate) it is transformed and I can’t get enough either!
Such an interesting collection. The water looks really good.
@Tammi, thanks! I have been drinking it all week!
Loving it all. The San Fran book is making me feel a bit nostalgic for home though.
@Frenchell, are you from SF? What part?
Salted Chocolate! Yes please!!!!
So glad to see a J’Adore post again….it’s how I get cool gift ideas (or ideas for things I don’t need but love!)
@Sharon, ahh thanks! Drooling over the Hawaii food photos! I will be back there in a few weeks!
Pinning those two books. I love a good travel/photography/etc book.
@Lana, hope you like them, they are a hit in our house!