Puttin' on the Ritz: Godiva Bakery Dessert Truffles

I adore this image from
http://www.entertainingindallas.com/photos/sweets_chocolate_bundt.jpg.

I am a proud member of the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club. So once a month, I can walk up to the register in a Godiva boutique and choose a free truffle. Since I usually don't have my membership card on me, the nice cashier looks me up using my email address--that way, she can also check that I'm not double-dipping on my monthly freebie.


Godiva Bakery Dessert Truffles

Price*: Box of 12 [8.3 oz.], $25. Box of 6 [4.1 oz], $15.

Looks: As you know by now, I am a chocolate snob. So Godiva is not, for me, on the level with boutique brands like Vosges, Pure Dark, MarieBelle, Lillie Belle Farms, Li-Lac Chocolates or La Maison du Chocolat. Nor does it aspire to be. This is Godiva, not a pretender to the throne--it's the brand we know for its gold ballotins with fancy ribbons and trim. This is the one we want for Valentine's Day [I will always remember the February that H. got me a Godiva red velvet heart box.] But the chocolate is pretty good, too. This truffle packaging is not really special, like the company's shiny gold ballotins. The box is rather ordinary. [Unlike Vosges, which even sells little purple libraries of its bars. Here's the link to a Mini Dark Exotic Candy Bar Library: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/mini_dark_chocolate_bar_gift_set/exotic_candy_bars. But those bars are really small. Sorry, I digress].

Company's website copy: Chocolate lovers will swoon at our newest creations, inspired by favorite bakery treats. The Limited Edition collection includes rich, dark, Chocolate Lava Cake with a spectacular molten fondant center; spicy Carrot Cake "frosted" in milk chocolate and rolled in chopped pecans; Southern-style Red Velvet Cake in white chocolate with a heart of sweet chocolate ganache; all American Cheesecake ganache in milk chocolate, topped with crust-like crumbs; white chocolate Tiramisu, an ethereal blend of mascarpone and espresso ganache; and Strawberry Tarte swirling sweet berries and tart rhubarb through vanilla mousse, enrobed in milk chocolate. When it's time for dessert, forego the cake and go straight to the truffles. 


Intriguing ingredients: Please see above.


My vote: Well.....I'm on the fence. When I got my Red Velvet Cake truffle freebie for October at the Godiva boutique in the Time Warner Center, it was really good. Fresh and delicious. But part of me wants to say that if you have about $15 to spend on nice chocolate for someone, buy two Vosges bars at Whole Foods and tie some lovely purple satin ribbon around them. On the other hand, I would never turn down Godiva and would always consider it an indulgent gift for any occasion. I served these Saturday night along with my homemade cake when we had friends over for dinner, and it felt very special. Everyone seemed to love them [except the first grader; the dark rich truffle she chose was not to her liking]. The teenage girl and the man in my household were big fans. In fact, I had to wrap the unopened box in foil and hide it in the fridge to save it for the dinner party, because they both wanted to taste them pronto. That's what I mean about the Godiva name.


Link: http://www.godiva.com/subcategory/chocolate-collections-treats/chocolate-assortments/id/221.gdv.

Other things I love @ Godiva shop: The blended cold drinks, especially the raspberry-dark chocolate one. I haven't tried the Chocolate Cupcakes, Caramel Pecan Brownies, Chocolate-Dipped Madelines or Flourless Chocolate Belgian Cake that I've seen on the website, but they're on my list for the near or distant future.


*Full disclosure: I have a contact at the PR firm that represents Godiva, and I requested a sample so I could blog about these. Also, I've written often about online shopping for Good Housekeeping Magazine and others, and like to keep on top of these things. :) And that's the truth.

Puttin' on the Ritz: Domestic Diva

A breath of fresh air.

Ritzy things don't have to be glamorous. They can just be colorful and fresh and add pop to your life. The one defining factor is that they cost more than their ordinary stepsisters.

Kitchen Chic
H. and I visited our friends overnight at their lovely country home in Taghkanic, NY [Columbia County] and on Sunday, Cara led me around the town of Hudson for some shopping. Am going to blog separately about Hudson, because I loved it. But we happened upon Casa Urbana Apothecary & Salon, a store I could get lost in for an hour, and I discovered the Cucina line of biodegradable, delicious-smelling household cleaning products. www.cuhudson.com, www.fruits-passion.com. 

Bought the generous 16.9-ounce pump bottle of Cucina Glass Cleaner in Sanguinelli Orange and Fennel; used it just now on the glam black granite countertops here in our condo and they look better than ever, way shinier than when I clean them with the special, pricey granite spray cleaner I bought. This spritz leaves them glossy and pretty. If it's possible for a clean countertop to look somehow sexy, this one does. [And now I'm thinking of that steamy Glenn Close/Michael Douglas kitchen-counter sex scene in 1987's  Fatal Attraction, but that's not what I really meant.]

The price was $10 but 25% off sale, so $7.50. Casa Urbana had this fabulous fig perfume too, completely intoxicating but out of my budget Sunday at $50-plus. Should I be sad or glad that I could get a cleaning product to make my grungy kitchen look good but not a fragrance to make my tired skin smell good? Both kitchen and skin work hard and deserve a treat.

Paper Chase
My other domestic diva find is the beautiful Lilly Pulitzer square paper plates and reusable tumblers I got for Figgy's impromptu birthday party last week. Eight tumblers, $14.95. Pack of large dinner-size paper plates, $6.50.

So lovely and cheery, it's impossible to be depressed when drinking water from the cups or eating crumbs off the plates; http://www.lillypulitzer.com/. [Search Accessories & Gifts, then Stationery, but much cheaper to buy in a store so you don't pay shipping. I got mine at Paper Boutique on Bellevue Avenue in Montclair. I can't find any other Lilly Pulitzer in town--though my eagle-eyed friends Anne and Elly can, in clothing thrift stores--so thank God for the stationery line.] I put the tumblers in the dishwasher, top rack. This tableware says party in a sweet pink way.

Good night.

Puttin' on the Ritz

Sexy packaging sells. 

Nope, by the Ritz title, I'm not talking about round crackers in a red box. I'm starting a new weekly blog post reporting on a luxury item or experience--as much to lift my spirits as yours. [Ideas welcome.] Today I spent more time than I would have liked crying again to Moey and Sis over my Dad, and even talking long-distance a bit to H., Figgy and others about it. He is eating very little and getting very frail. But, but--in the midst of all that, I found a dollop of luxury.

Oribe Signature Moisture Masque [Masque Hydratant Signature]

Price*: 5.9-ounce jar, $59 at http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod99570081&parentId=cat23290734. So about $10 per ounce.

Looks: The sleek black jar is sexy and beautiful. Looks good on granite bathroom counter. Reminds you that you're taking care of yourself. Transports me back to my mother's Arpège and My Sin bottles, dark and mysterious on her mirrored perfume tray.

Package Copy: A super-rich indulgence--for you and your hair. This crème de la crème deep hydrating masque transforms even the driest, most over-it hair, leaving it supremely soft and irresistibly touchable. Thick hair may splurge daily; others will love as a weekly soak. Massage, indulge (for as long as you want), rinse. Paraben free. UV Protection for hair. This box sourced from well-managed forests.

Intriguing Ingredients+: Sunflower seed oil, macadamia seed oil, glycerin, sunflower seed extract, keratin, lychee extract, watermelon extract, edelweiss flower/extract, amber extract, rice protein, jojoba protein, wheat protein, castor oil. [Yes, that is edelweiss, as in the Sound of Music song.]

My Vote: Yes, if you can afford it, buy it. [But go to a site like Neiman Marcus, linked above, where at least right now, it's free shipping at any price.] I shampooed and rinsed, then combed this through and left in while I finished showering. Then, rinsed off and sealed with final cool rinse. Maybe part of it is in my head, but I think my hair looks softer, sexier and smells good. The curls took shape in a more alluring way. I think I can get at least 7 treatments from the jar. Next time I take a nice long bath, I'm puttin' on the Ritz--and the hair masque--before I step into the tub.

Here's what the elegant black jar evokes for me.

*Disclaimer: As a freelance writer, part of my job is calling in beauty samples to test--not only because I love to try luxe pampering products but also because I can write much more clearly and descriptively about a brand after I've seen its packaging, smelled and felt the potion, and tried it. I don't want to lie and tell readers to try something before I have. I requested a sample of this masque for an article about post-summer beauty treatments.
+Very long list of complicated names. You need a magnifying glass. These are the ingredients that a.) I recognize and b.) sound appealing.