Royal

The apartment felt almost like a palace with this incredible bouquet of peonies showing off their stunning beauty and filling the room with their sweet scent.

In my dreams I might have a peony garden overflowing with blooms like these. 

But in real life, it is my neighbor friend's neighbor who has the most impressive peony patch in the neighborhood.

Oolala.

more chocolate chip tasting

I had some important chocolate tasting to complete last weekend: 

Inspired by a recent conversation with a friend, I made a visit Aldi for a little grocery shopping. While there, I passed through the baking aisle and added three bags of chocolate chips to my cart. 

Naomi wasn't here to participate in this tasting, so I had to conduct it solo (and opted out of blind tasting).

I've decided Weis store brand semi sweet chocolate chips are superior to Giant store brand semi sweet chocolate chips (although- I haven't yet tasted them side by side),

and

Aldi dark chocolate chips (larger and flatter than traditional semi-sweet chips) and premium dark chocolate chunks (which pack a major chocolate punch) both scored in the "would buy again" category.

Sadly, Aldi semi sweet chips scored very poorly. 

I tried, and then tried again, but found the morsels to have an almost gritty texture. Affordably priced or not, I don't plan to purchase semi sweet chocolate chips from Aldi.

PS- I have an extra (almost full) bag of Aldi semi sweet chocolate chips available... free to the highest bidder.

familiar

There's something comforting about familiar places along the trail.

They say you should...

...eat the rainbow.