I love candles.  I love how they instantly help to make you feel relaxed.  I love how they come in so many colors and scents.  I love that they can be the perfect decoration or centerpiece on your table.  Most days, we avoid turning on the overhead lights in our apartment and stick to lamps and candles.

That’s why I was thrilled when I received a fragrant package with two beautiful candles and two sets of scented tarts from Soy Candles by Phebes! 

From the moment I opened the box, I could instantly smell each candle. I love when candles actually smell like what the label says and these definitely do that!   Soy Candles by Phebes have hand crafted, 100% soy wax candles in TONS of different scents!  They are earth friendly, vegan owned and operated, and have no chemicals or dyes.  The only ingredients: a heavy glass, cotton wick, 100% American made soybean wax.  Plus they are plant derived all natural scent oils, and use recycled content in glass and packaging.  Currently they are offering free shipping on all orders above 25 dollars and if you buy 5 candles you get 1 free!

I didn’t actually know what a “tart” was, other than something you eat, before receiving this package. I have since learned that they are to be melted in a “tart melter.”  The scented tarts from Soy Candles By Phebes come in packages with 6 “cubes;”  you can melt them all together or pop each one out to melt separately.

Guess what? The best news is they are offering one Simply Life reader 2 candles ($25 value)!

To enter do the following by March 1 and tell me in the comments (must have US address).
1.  Visit their website and tell me which scent you would pick (mandatory)

For extra entries:
1.  Friend Soy Candles By Phebes facebook page
2.  Follow Soy Candles By Phebes on twitter

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater.  There’s not much that I won’t at least try.

I’ve eaten octopus in northern Spain, wildebeest in Swaziland and paneer in India.

Sometimes the food is so exotic that I’m happy just to have the opportunity to taste something new.  Other times, I can’t get enough and need to figure out how recreate the flavors so I can enjoy them again at home.

Thai food is one cuisine that I can never get enough of.  There are endless options that always sound appealing and I love the bold, fresh and spicy flavors.

While I still have a lot to learn about Thai cooking, I do know that curry paste is a great accompaniment to any dish and rice noodles are the perfect way to soak-up those fabulous coconut flavors.

~Will you try new foods? What is the most exotic thing you’ve eaten?

I know, I know.  I’m a week + 3 days late for this post.  I’m sorry.

But! It’s NEVER the wrong time to make, eat or give truffles.

So! I’m right on time.

You’re welcome.

Yes, it’s true.  I made these chocolate cookie dough truffles on Valentine’s Day for my Valentine.  I thought about making them in advance so I could post it on the right day.  But no matter if I made them 1 week or 1 day ahead of time, I knew there would be zero left on the actual day.  These things are dangerous (in the most wonderful way).

And I needed to make my husband one of his favorite desserts on the day of love.  So love (and chocolate) won.

But you should still make these because it’s been a week + 3 days since you’ve stuffed yourself with chocolate.  And that means it’s a perfect day for chocolate cookie dough truffles.

Mmmm, k?

~Any fun plans for the weekend?

Remember how I told you about how my husband proposed making marshmallows from scratch?  Yeah, that was a fun.

Well the recipe made a lot of marshmallows.

And while we drank our hot chocolate we dunked marshmallow after marshmallow into our steaming cups.

It was a glorious thing.

And then we woke-up the next morning and somehow there were still a lot of marshmallows left.  And I realized they probably don’t stay good as long as the ones that come in perfect little sizes in perfect little bags.

And I wanted the sweet taste of hot chocolate again.  But I’m a food blogger and cannot repeat a recipe.

And I realized I am starting too many sentences with the And.  When I shouldn’t ever start a sentence with that word.  Sorry about that.

Sooo I couldn’t let my precious new creation go to waste.  I turned to my new favorite information source.

Pinterest.

Within seconds I had a recipe for Hot Chocolate Cookies and was baking away.

Within minutes we were biting into warm chocolate cookies with gooey marshmallows.

I can review cookbooks for a hobby.  Find recipes online in seconds.  And eat warm cookies with my husband.  Life is good.

~What is your favorite kind of cookie?

When did you first realize you were “an adult?”

Was it the first time someone asked to see your ID?

The first time you realized the person repeatedly saying “excuse me, ma’am” was talking to you?

Maybe it was the first time you sat down to pay all your own bills.

Or maybe it hasn’t happened yet?

For me, it was a combination of all of the above.  Including the one about not feeling like an adult quite yet.  There are moments I feel like an adult when I think about my marriage and my career, and then other times I feel way too young to be doing things like paying the heating bill and thinking about retirement accounts.

If you also feel like you’re balancing both worlds I have just the thing!  This dish will satisfy the adult side of you that wants something warm and flavorful after a long day of work, and will also appeal to the child in you who just wants to spend all day playing outside and then try to use their grimy little fingers to eat dinner.  Except we’ll be much more adult and wash our hands before eating with our fingers.  Right?

Seriously though, this meal is so fun to make and even more fun to eat!  It’s perfect for an appetizer the next time you’re having your chic friends over for martinis or the neighborhood kids over for a backyard party.

~What (if ever) has made you feel like an adult?

I’ve been writing this blog for close to three years now (wow! how did this happen?).  In three years I have never written a photography post, other than when I got my new (lifesaving!) Lowel EGO light.

Do you want to know why?  I don’t have a DSLR camera and daily see pictures on other blogs that are far better than mine.  It seems I should be letting these posts go to the pros.

But then I attended a composition photography class and decided that no matter how good (or bad) my photos are, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned because I figured we can all learn together.  Plus, I realized that while I still have a long way to go, I’ve also come a long way since I first started taking pictures for this blog.

Why did I take a composition photography class?  Well, to be honest, the main reason was because  it’s the only class I’ve ever found that doesn’t require a DSLR camera.  I’m so glad I signed-up.  Before this class, I had taken one photography class in high school and loved it.  I still have the film SLR camera and just wish I could use that for the blog   The other students were as kind as could be, and one of the biggest things I learned is that is doesn’t require a DSLR camera to take good photos (although yes, that does help ).  It’s much more about what you can do with your camera than what you’re holding.

If you’re wondering, I use a Cannon PowerShot SX120IS for all my photos.  Although I would love a DSLR camera (anyone have one they want to send my way?) I am really happy with this camera.  It’s perfect for taking pictures of food as well as people and places, and it’s easy to carry around.

Picture source

The class had three sessions and we focused on several composition photography “rules.”  I actually see them less of “rules” and more of “helpful guidelines” when composing your shot.  You can use one, all, or none in your photos to produce an amazing shot.  While we went through several “rules,” here are the ones that really stood out to me:

1.  Rule of Thirds – I have a feeling if you’ve ever taken a photography class or researched it online, you’ve come across this one.  Basically it means that if you divide your photo into 9 equal sections your eye naturally falls into where the intersections are; this is where you want your focus of the photo to be.

photo source

2.  Leading Lines – Use “lines” such as a path, ribbon or spoon to direct the viewers eye of where it should be looking.  This gives movement to the picture and can help to create a story or mood.

Chickpea Pot Pie with Gouda Biscuit Topping

3.  Repetition – Having a repeating pattern can be a very powerful way of drawing someone into a picture.

French Onion Soup Tartines

However, sometimes having one “break” from the pattern can also be a way of really making a shot interesting.

Whole Wheat Cherry Zucchini Muffins/Bread

While none of these are ground-breaking tips that are going to get all my photos accepted into Tastespotting, they have helped me to take an extra step when looking through my lens and I hope they help you too!

~What do you prefer taking pictures of (events, people, food, etc)?

We just finished a week with one day in the 50′s, another day where the sun was shining brightly and another where I was able to drive with the windows cracked open.

Last weekend I saw shorts, capris and tank tops being sold in multiple stores.

Spring is really right around the corner.

Just thinking about the arrival of spring puts me in a better mood and makes me want to get closer to it however I can.

This meal was the perfect way to get a taste of spring and dream about the day when open-toes shoes and sunshine are in the daily forecast.

I love it because all of the ingredients are simple yet come together beautifully, with a wonderful mixture of  textures and flavors.  The arugula gives a peppery flavor that balances the salty parmesan, while the chickpeas give the perfect crunch to each bite.

~Have you been pleased or disappointed with the mild winter (or have you experienced a different severeness/season)?

Do you love granola but hate the big price-tag and unfamiliar ingredients that can often come with it?

Yeah, me too.  I always wonder how a giant container of oats can cost $2, but a small bag of granola can be close to $10.

Every time I see that price in the store I think to myself “Oh, I can just make that at home.”  Except I don’t. I look-up recipes and decide I don’t want to buy the multiple types of nuts and seeds, dried fruit and unique grains that many recipes have.

Not this time.  When I came across 5 (FIVE!!!) Ingredient Granola Bars  I knew I had struck gold.  Plus, the five ingredients are healthy, tasty and one of them is even optional…which makes them 4 (FOUR!!!) Ingredient Granola Bars.

Except those extra toppings I added in.  Oops.

~What’s in your favorite granola mix?

For the past three weeks I’ve been taking a composition photography class.

For the past three weeks, I’ve sat in a room with seven other “students,” looked at photos, learned about composition “rules” (more on that in another post) and discussed small techniques that can make a big difference.

For the past three weeks I’ve realized that not everyone takes pictures of food.

As we shuffled through the slideshow of pictures we each sent in prior to class, it was 100% obvious which pictures were mine.  It went something like this: beach at sunset, kids playing, playground scene, muffins, marshmallows, soup, race cars, subway stations.

Yeah, when I take pictures of food almost everyday and look at pictures of food multiple times a day, I easily forget this isn’t normal.

And then when you sit with seven strangers who not only realize that you take pictures of food all the time but that you also just made marshmallows from scratch, you really start to realize you’re going off the deep-end.

Maybe I like sitting behind this computer screen for more reasons than I realized.

Either way, I’m glad I took the class and the other students couldn’t have been kinder.  It was a great way to step out of my comfort zone and learn some photography tips.

I’m also glad I made these bite-size Black Bean Phyllo Cups.  They’re easy to make, fun to eat and the perfect appetizer for your next party!

~Have you ever taken a photography class?  What are some of your most-used photography tips?

As I approached my car, I couldn’t help but notice a single bright flower attached to my windshield.  I removed the flower and my eyes quickly darted to the card beside it. My heart quickened as I read, “today I want to show you how thankful I am for you. Come home straight after work, you’ll have more instructions at that time…”

My hour-long work meeting felt like a day but when I finally got home I found more of the same flowers and an envelope outside my apartment door.   The envelope included directions to a running store and a gas card (yes, I was a broke social worker working for a group home so that gas card was to make sure that I needn’t worry about driving around the city). When I arrived at the running store I was handed another envelope.  Inside the envelope was a gift card towards shoes for our first marathon along with a list of “26 things he’s excited to do with me.”

The next set of directions led me to a spa.  After checking in at the front desk, I was taken to a tranquil room for an hour long massage.  As I left the room, relaxed and over-joyed, the massage therapist handed me another envelope that led to several other clues in the form of crossword puzzles, word searches and fill in the blanks taking me to Barnes & Noble, a “Paint Your Own Pottery Store,” and more.  My final destination: home.

When I got to my apartment, there was an envelope outside my door with instructions to go straight into my room and call him when I was ready.  After excitedly getting dressed, I dialed his number.  He knocked on the door and I opened it to find him standing in chef’s attire; white jacket, pinstriped pants, dishtowl.  He led me to the couch and he cooked dinner after handing me a bouquet of roses.  As I looked closer, I noticed that little notes had been tied to each rose. The notes were  from my family and closest friends, each had one sentence about why  they love me.  I cried, he changed into dress clothes and we ate a delicious meal together.

After dinner, he had me count the roses: 11.  ”Hmmm…he said, that’s odd.  I’ve never heard of only 11 roses.  Why don’t I go check for the 12th…”  He came out, however not with a rose, but with a guitar.  I sat next to him as he sang me a song he had written.

“Strange though,” he said.  ”We still haven’t found that 12th rose. Let me go check again.   Why don’t you close your eyes this time.”  With my eyes closed, he placed the 12th rose in my hand, there was a long red ribbon attached and at the end of the ribbon instead of a note, there was a box.  I felt the box with my eyes still closed, and when I opened it…

it was empty.

Instead of a note, was the greatest man I’ve ever known on his knee, asking me to marry him.

If you’re wondering, I said yes  and then we went for a delicious dessert at the Melting Pot, and the last 5+ years since have been wedded bliss

Valentine’s Day is coming.  And while you don’t have to plan an extravagant scavenger hunt for your love (although I highly recommend it ) you may be searching for the perfectly sweetened dessert to share after dinner.

Don’t be fooled.  This decadent hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows is much more than just a warm drink, it is a complete dessert.  I was sent Marshmallow Madness! to review, and after questioning my ability to actually make marshmallows from scratch, I quickly realized that the instructions were easy to follow and the entire process was clearly explained.  And the best part?  Making these was fun!

This book is filled with tons of creative ways to make and use marshmallows and it’s definitely one of the most approachable cookbooks I’ve seen!

Happy Valentine’s Day

~What is your favorite way to eat marshmallows?