More sweet goodness - cookies and toffee and brownies, oh my!

So this is a shot of downtown Boston yesterday. Note how dreary it is in the background? I wasn't able to capture just how much snow was coming down. The weather has been crazy.

Boston Public Garden

I guess it's not that surprising that we've been holed up indoors and I feel like I'm eating more. We enjoy watching Foodcrafters on the Cooking Channel. Aida Mollenkamp is adorable (as opposed to annoying/lame on her Food Network show "Ask Aida"), but more so we appreciate the way they feature the artisanal producers and open up a a whole new world of food options. I'm also highly suggestible and have been known to order foods featured on a show on a whim.

Here's the latest food order:

Toffee!

Crunchy buttery sweets get me every time. This is from the GoodyTwos Toffee Company, a mother-daughter duo from Arizona. I ordered traditional, sweet and salty, and 2-alarm peanut brittle. I liked their toffee options since they offered flavours without pecans or walnuts, my least liked nut products. The toffee arrived the same day that I made the TKOs, so they haven't gotten quite as much attention as they deserve, but I emailed the company and found out they can last for 30 days in the fridge. That means we have plenty of time to enjoy them. My first impression is that they're very good, but I wouldn't necessarily order them again as shipping from Arizona is rather expensive.

Instead, we have this lovely item making a repeat appearance:

Yes, that's a brownie from the Vermont Brownie Company. Recently we had a small box on our porch that the husband brought inside and left at the door. I assumed it was a non-perishable like a book, but when I walked by and took a closer look, I noticed a "refrigerate immediately upon receipt" sticker on the box and thought "what on earth is this, I didn't order anything". I had totally forgotten that my friend W had asked for food-related gift suggestions for Christmas, and that something would be arriving mid-January. It turns out she signed us up for the Brownie of the Month club with VBC! The box contained 6 squares of Espresso Dulce de Leche goodness. Those went into the freezer to try to make them last till the next shipment, though not until one was eaten. Unexpected brownies are an excellent surprise and thanks to W and the P family for the gift!

Finally, go check out my friend's blog Open to Grace where she learned how to make French macarons. I love macarons, but I'm particular and haven't found any in the US that are as good as the ones in Paris. I may have a new project on my hands... With all these sweets I've been eating, I'm high-tailing it into the gym to try and keep the butter weight off - or I guess I could just go outside and shovel snow...