zChocolat - One Way Ticket to the South of France

It's the end of June, end even though my body is here, in Bucharest, I can not help to admit that my mind is elsewhere, wandering through the stone pebbled villages of the South of France. 

I can hear the steps I take down the stairs, walking towards the market place. Looking to my right, there is a small local bistro - most of the guests there are known by the owner and, while they are waiting for the food, they exchange some news and gossip. Just in front of the bistro, in an earthy-sandy square, some men are playing a boules game (maybe petanque), cheering or getting angry about it, depending on what team they are on. The yellowish colour of the stone houses reflects the warm sun of the noon and my eyes are drawn to my left, where the colourful market is waiting for me to absorb all the local aromas - the spices, the flowers, the food...

Once I open my eyes, I am back to reality, back in Bucharest. Fortunately, I have received this week a one way ticket back to the South of France: the new collection from zChocolat, with LOVE from PROVENCE. Once I opened the basswood box I discovered, to my delight, the typical recipes from Provence. The chocolates from the traditional collection, some nutty, some flowery in their aroma, and some just pure chocolate, are accompanied by southern French delicacies such as nougats, calisson d'Aix or the pates de fruits. Reminding me of the boules, the men were using in their game of petanque, are the round, chocolate-coated Provencal hazelnuts. The latter I am tasting now for the first time made by zChocolat. The verdict is simple: I can not get enough of them! I close my eyes and take a bite - the crunchy-ness reminds me of the sturdy construction of the southern villages, and the chocolaty coating, which slowly melts to reveal its wonderful aroma, emphasises the mildness of the sun and how it perfectly covers those buildings. Another bite, and I am back there. Thanks to zChocolat I now have the perfect vacation in a box - the essence of a wonderful region of France, all inside the new collection, inside my Provence Zenith Box.

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You can now order the collection from here. The best thing about it - zChocolat orders are shipped anywhere, so you can soon receive your one way ticket to Provence as well! And zChocolat also has a summer packaging, which takes care that all their wonderful chocolates and delicacies arrive in perfect condition anywhere in the world.

Summer - Fun - Water - Yum

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

I cannot tell you this often enough! And it's not just me, it's also the health and beauty industry which tries to sell you all kind of products for hydration.  But then you know, the most healthy and natural of all methods, is to drink water! 

Did you know that, the moment you feel thirst, you are already dehydrated for several hours? This makes it even more important to have a bottle of water close to you and drink, drink drink! But still or even sparkling water can become dull. So why not take advantage of all the seasonal fruits or other aromatic plants that can make your water taste differently.

In the first picture, above, I have added some sour cherries, raspberries and basil for a sour yet fresh aroma.

The second bottle has lime in it. Both of them are made with sparkling water.

Also adored by my friends was a combination of lime, raspberries and fresh mint. And to add a bit of orient to one bottle, I mixed in 3 spoons of home-made strawberry syrup combined with rose-water. It was a hit! So let the fun in water-aroma-creation begin! And let your beauty shine from within!