I Love Paris In The Springtime

What better place to spend Valentine's Day

than in Paris.

A few years ago we were invited by

friends, Paula and Craig to come to Paris and stay

with them while they were directors of the BYU study

abroad in Paris.  They invited us in February and we

were there over Valentine's Day.

Their apartment was just about two blocks from the

Eiffel Tower. This had to be the most

romantic Valentine's Day ever.

If you have read my profile you have read how it was my

goal to hit all of the wonderful chocolate shoppes there.

My sweetheart bought me this chocolate box filled with

chocolates there.  We were able to bring it all the

way home with us so that we could show it off to

the kids.

Paris in the springtime is my inspiration for this

tablescape today as I join

Susan

at

Between Naps On The Porch

for my favorite event of the week

Tablescapes Thursday.

While we were there we had the chance to visit

the castle country.

With my love for design and architecture, this was a

delight.

I think this fabulous castle out in the country was

famous for over 150 chimneys.

Here we are just before we entered the

Eiffel tower for lunch.

I had to include this gorgeous plate that I had at the

Eiffel Tower Restaurant.  It was a lobster salad.

Don't you love that plate?  Everything was so elegant.

Lunch is often a less expensive way to experience

a famous restaurant.

One last peek at the fabulous architecture before I

show you the table I constructed in remembrance

of my Paris Valentines.

All of my fun European inspired dishes come from Home Goods,

who by the way were kind enough to send me a gift certificate

to say thank you for using their dishes in my tablescapes.

What a surprise that was.

I love these salad plates that remind me of the

castle country.

I found four different ones.

I layered them over a square plate from Tai Pan.

I have this thing for square plates.  It probably

comes from eating off of them at great restaurants.

Black and white and taupe make up the table.

I love this taupe linen with French-inspired script covering it.

I brought in my garden sculpture of the Eiffel tower to

center the tablescape.

Don't you love the fancy butter knives on

the little roll plate and

mercury glass votives with a little crown on them?

The crown reminds me of the castles and

our trip to Versailles.

I threw in the iconic fleur de lys.

These great wooden chargers are from Pier 1.

They anchor the placesetting and give it a flourish.

The votives came from Tai Pan.

A closer detail on the butter knife.  I have had

these silver plated knives for years and they

came in 4 designs.  I bought them from Home Goods.

Black flatware, black goblets and black and white napkins

with a silver plated napkin ring.

Peek past the napkin to see a bowl with the

Eiffel tower.  The bowls feature different

famous European buildings on them.

I think it is time to light the candles to create a

romantic mood.

I love the look through the mercury glass.

The jeweled crown just pops out.

I can't leave Paris without including some more chocolate

One of our favorite stops was a little crepe and

waffle stand right outside of the Louvre.  Here

my hubby is gloriously enjoying a Belgian waffle topped

with hot Nutella and whipped cream.

Our final pastry shoppe indulgence.  Everything we

had in Paris was fabulous.  It was a food lover's heaven.

And to be really naughty, I am ending with our

favorite

BREAKFAST

while we were there in Paris.  These are a chocolate, chocolate

eclair and a chocolate napoleon that came from the bakery

just around the corner.

Other mornings we had fresh croissants, dipped in hot chocolate.

For you fellow chocoholics, Paris is heaven when it comes

to chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.

(Just a note, we walked everywhere so eating this

richly didn't kill us!!)

I will be sharing this with

Tablescapes Thursday

Foodie Friday

Feathered Nest

Favorite Things

French Obsession Party

Sources

Table Topper - Tai Pan

Large square plate - Tai Pan

Eiffel tower garden sculpture - Target

European architectural dishes - Home Goods

Flatware - Target

Goblets - Pier 1

Napkins - Home Goods

Napkin rings - Wal Mart

Butter knives - Home Goods

Votives - Tai Pan

Mission Impossible - Pick Your Favorite Kitchen Gadget

Lynn is having a Valentine's party

and she wants to

know our Favorite Kitchen Gadget.

What?  I have to pick my favorite - IMPOSSIBLE!

But - I will tell you some of my favorites!

If you follow

Purple Chocolat Home

 you have already

met a lot of my favorites!

My icon is my Purple Kitchenaid Mixer.

(She is much more svelte than I am!)

This special edition Kitchenaid sold at Williams Sonoma

a few years ago.  I just had to have it (you all can guess why!)

(Hint - it starts with purple...)

I think a Kitchenaid Mixer is a work of art,

so it sits on my counter year round and of course

it is a conversation starter too as most people have

never seen a purple one.  I haven't seen one since then

either.

My

 chocolate tempering machine

 has to come right

up there at the top of my list even though I only use it

a couple of times a year.  I just smile each time I use

it and can't believe I have such a wonderful device,

especially since the store that sold them went out

of business.

If you remember this post, I am not the only one

who loves this machine.  Click here if you missed

this post on this little elf helping me dip chocolates.

And of course, my pizza oven is probably my very

favorite gadget.  (Could this be called a gadget?)

I love having it for a fire for ambiance, I love cooking

pizzas and any other imaginable item in it, I love having

traveled to Italy to take a class for a week on how to

cook in it.  (I will have to do a whole post on that someday).

I love the idea that if we didn't have power, I could use it

for emergency cooking.  (We call that emergency preparedness

where I come from.)   I also love that when they

unearthed Pompeii, they found bread baking in ovens

just like this one with loaves preserved inside the ovens!

If you missed our pizza oven post, click here.  If you missed

the kitchen tour showing the wood burning pizza oven, click here.

Just one other little item that I wanted to mention,

my lemon and lime juicers.

(Oh, I better mention my Ego Digital Imaging Light that

lets me take an indoor photo like this at night and

even in the winter - find it on Amazon).

Anyway, back to the juicers.  I know they aren't spectacular,

but I just love them.  My first one I purchased

in Mexico, but it really was made for the smaller Mexican

limes.  You can buy these fabulous gadgets at Target and

many grocery stores.  One squeeze and you have tons of

juice and none of it on your hands.

I am one who loves kitchen stores, I can browse in

Sur La Table for hours. (Did you know they have

cooking classes?)  I love Williams Sonoma (hey, they have

cooking classes too.)  I love

kitchen catalogues and kitchen idea magazines. I love

cooking shows and cooking magazines.  I love

cooking blogs too!!!  I bet

you do too or you wouldn't be here reading this.

Oh, but what about...

my panini maker

my kitchen shears

my Belgian waffle maker

my tortilla press

my digital kitchen scale

my Le Creuset pans

my electric fondue pots

my pasta maker

my new cupcake corer

my BBQ grill

my grill pan

oh, oh, oh,

my propane smoker...

...wait ...

MY DIGITAL CAMERA & COMPUTER!!!

Go visit all of the other fun posts at

Happier Than A Pig In Mud's

Valentine's Day

Favorite Kitchen Gadget Party.

(Lynn is such a "party animal"! - the above photo is

courtesy of her blog.  You will meet all kinds of little

piggies on her blog and it is always fun and entertaining.)

I will be posting this with

Favorite Kitchen Gadget Party

Feathered Nest

Favorite Things

Fresh Chocolate Raspberry Cups

I have a friend who was telling me about a country where

they don't eat anything that they think would arouse

the senses.

I say then, don't let them eat raspberries!  And even more so -

don't let them have Chocolate Raspberry Cups!!!

One bite of these and my senses are going crazy!  The

tang of the sweet juicy raspberry with the meltingly smooth

chocolate in my mouth has all of my senses singing.

Perfect for a last minute Valentine's Day treat or just

about any time of year as we now have

 lucious raspberries

year round in the grocery stores.

These were made for my sweetheart (better make that

sweethearts as I shared them with all of my loved ones).

My sweetheart and I

 first had these on a shopping trip to an outdoor mall

one day.  What fun it was to sample these

fabulous treats while strolling outside on

a beautiful day.

Of course, one of my favorite pasttimes is to try

and recreate a fabulous food find. 

These were pretty pricey and terribly easy to recreate.

Chocolate Raspberry Cups Recipe

1 C. Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate (or semi-sweet) chips

(remember we did a blind chocolate chip taste test and

these won!)

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 pkg. fresh raspberries

candy cups

Place the chips and the oil in a microwave safe bowl.  Melt

in the microwave for one minute - stir even though it doesn't

look like it needs it - or it will scorch!!!  Melt another 20-30

seconds.  Stir again and keep stirring until all of the chips

are melted.  Place chocolate in a disposable frosting bag

(or a ziploc bag) and cut the tip (or corner) off with a

scissors.  Squeeze the chocolate into the bottom of the cup.

I filled it about 3/8 inch deep.  Place 3 fresh raspberries in

each cup (2 if they are huge, but 3 is prettier), pressing

down slightly into chocolate.  Drizzle chocolate onto the

tops of the berries.  Place in fridge to set the chocolate.

(The small amount of oil helps the chocolate from

blooming or getting white spots and streaks if it isn't

tempered correctly after melting it.  You could also

use couverture chocolate that you temper, but for

most people it is easier to not temper the chocolate.)

Couldn't be easier or more delicious.

Store  these little morsels covered

in the fridge.  They should be eaten within 24 hours as

the berries begin to weep.  They usually don't last 12 hours

at our house!

Is raspberry the love fruit?  I know they say it is

the strawberry, but I think in my book it is the raspberry.

Place them in a heart shaped box lined with tissue.  Then

go and share the love (Or eat them all by yourself!)

Either way, they are delicious.

From my heart to yours!

I will be posting this with

Seasonal Sundays

Made By You Mondays

Tasty Tuesdays

Raspberry Cream Love Cakes

Raspberries and cream

 (real heavy whipping cream)

are the stars of these lucious little dreams.

This is like biting into the most heavenly cloud of

perfect raspberry cream.

Lynn over at

 Happier Than A Pig In Mud is having

a party on Valentine's Day (posting the 13th).

  Come over and post

about your favorite kitchen gadget.

How am I going to pick?

Well, here is a new fun gadget.

Lynn inspired me to run to Williams Sonoma and buy

this cupcake corer.  She had posted a yummy chocolate

cupcake with cream filling.  That delicious image was

planted in my brain and now I had to have the 

corer too!

 I usually split my larger cupcakes

and fill them, but this way, you don't have to remove

the  cupcake wrapper.  I can't get enough frosting and

filling.

I love my cupcakes just a little larger than normal, so

I carefully place the jumbo cups into a regular muffin

pan and fill about half full - to the top of the metal

pan. 

I made my favorite chocolate cupcake but added 1/3 C.

raspberry jam in place of 1/3 C. of the liquid

to get a little raspberry goodness in the cake too.

Now the cupcakes are baking in the oven and I am

starting to make some fun roses for the cupcakes.

Place granulated sugar on your counter and begin to roll

out a jelly candy, like these hearts, turning to coat both

sides.  Roll until thin.

Pinch off a small piece of the outside edge of the rolled candy

and roll into a cone to make the center of the rosebud.  Continue

adding small pieces using only the outside edge of the rolled

candy so you get a nice edge on your petals, and pinch together

at the bottom.  Use about 2 the first time around the center and

then 3 for the next time.  You can make these as big as you

want.  These are sooooo easy as the candy just sticks at the

bottom and holds together so well.

Place 2 C. heavy whipping cream in a large mixer bowl and

using your whip attachment, begin whipping the cream.  When it

begins to start to set up add 1/2 C. thick raspberry jam. Continue

to beat until thick and fluffy.  Add a drop of pink food coloring

if desired to make it a pretty pink.

I found this beautiful jar at the store and it was thick and

perfect for the filling and frosting.

Now, the fun new gadget.  You just press it into the cupcake

and twist.  I found I got more out when I held the cupcake

upside down and twisted.  More out of the center means

more filling!

Pipe the raspberry whipped cream into the center.

My other inspiration came from all of these fun

Wilton products that I found at Wal Mart in the

Valentine's aisle.  They had these wonderful red and

pink foil wrappers, and the sanding sugar and sprinkles

and puffy heart picks.

I had fun experimenting, making a rose out of a small

white candy heart too.

No, they weren't too pretty to eat, I had no problems!

Wow, the raspberry cream with the moist chocolate

cupcake!  This spells love for me.

They didn't last long as they were whisked off to

neighbors for a little Valentine's treat.

These treats will be going to the following parties

Pink Saturday

Favorite Things

Sweets For A Saturday

Seasonal Sundays

Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

Made by You Mondays

Corner Table With a View For Two, Please

Valentine's Day started out as a romantic

celebration for two at Purple Chocolat Home,

but soon, when little ones joined our family,

they wanted in on the fun.

"Where's our box of chocolates?" they would ask.

"Where are we going to eat for Valentine's Day?"

Today's table is going back to those days when that special

dinner was just for two.

A beautiful table with a view set for two.

(Notice we have Chocolate Creme Brulee set on the table.

You can choose to eat it first, or set it aside and have it last.)

This is a pink and creme table inspired by the heart shaped

ramekins that holds the Chocolate Creme Brulee.  Cream

flatware goes perfectly

The stack begins with a silver charger, then a textured warm

toned pink plate, followed by a smaller cream textured

plate and finished with a warm pink textured salad plate.

The pale pink of the ramekin blends perfectly.

Heirloom pink depression glass from my late aunt

in two heights are the glassware.

This wonderful shabby heart shaped tray holds

two love birds.

The tray is scattered with pink heart crystals.

A feathery heart topiary adds height and airiness

to the centerpiece.

More pink heart crystals anchor the pearlized

candle.

Feathers are soooo romantic.

Notice the metal edge of the tray.  A two tone pink tissue is

placed under the tray.

Fanciful and feminine.

Pretty beaded napkin rings hold a pleated silky

pink napkin.

To finish the romance, a velvet pink box of

Sees Chocolates.

How thoughtful.

Tai Pan :

Plates

Ramekins

Tray

Feathered heart topiary

Heart crystals

Birds

Napkin rings - Home Goods

Cream flatware - Horchow

Speaking of getting in on the act -

my six year old granddaughter loves to

run around and say that she is a blogger

and a tablescaper.

While I was setting up my table, she was setting

up her own so I had to include some photos of hers.

She pulled things from both Valentine's Day tables that I

had set up, threw in a little bling and topped the settings

with Valentine's Day candy.  I loved her combination of

red and cream flatware. 

You wouldn't want to stop her creativity now would you?

I will be posting these tables with

Tablescape Thursday

Feathered Nest

Show and Tell Friday

Friday Pretties

Favorite Things

Pink Saturday

Seasonal Sundays