Philadelphia Portrait & Pet Photographer | April Ziegler Photography

Sometimes, particularly on Mondays, we need reminders…

I’m a huge fan of chocolate (who isn’t… really??). But my mother-in-law’s love of chocolate trumps all. She’s a chocoholic. She’s been know to celebrate her birthday in the sweetest place on earth… Hershey, Pennsylvania (home of the Chocolate Spa!), indulging in chocolate manicures and pedicures and maybe even a chocolate martini or two. And being the enablers that we are, we got her a basket full of chocolate goodness for her birthday. In the basket was some chocolate covered cashews and pretzels, hot chocolate mix, a chocolate cookbook, and tickets to the Philadelphia Chocolate Tour. We chose a date in December, and anxiously awaited our tour.

The tour started in Reading Terminal Market, and though the market houses many options for a chocolate-seeker, our first stop was the Famous 4th Street Cookie Company where we were treated to chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven. A good start.

Then we headed to a hip boutique shop on 13th Street called Verde, which houses Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. Through a glass window in the back of the boutique, you can see the chocolate masterpieces being made. We tried some chocolate bark and grabbed a box of various chocolates and truffles to go.

We headed on to the Bellevue on Broad Street to try the champagne truffles at Teuscher Chocolates. Amazing. My favorite, no question. The chocolate there is flown in fresh each week from Switzerland.

Next stop… an adorable little pasty shop on 17th Street called Miel Patissiere. I don’t remember the name of the pastry we tried there but it was delish. And Kev couldn’t resist downing an espresso before we left.

We walked on to Harry & David. Now, I don’t consider Harry & David to be a specialty chocolate store, especially since there is a Harry & David outlet store 10 minutes from our house, so I would have preferred to stop at something a little smaller and more exclusive on the tour. But I’ve proclaimed my love of Harry & David in the past… their Moose Munch coffee is my very favorite! The had an abundance of chocolates available for us to taste (I love the truffles!), so for anyone that was not already familiar with Harry & David, I’m sure it was a wonderful introduction.

Lastly, we stopped at Capogiro Gelato Artisans, near Rittenhouse Square, where we were given quite a few different flavors of gelato to taste test. The fact that they offer Nutella gelato makes it as close to heaven as you’ll find on this earth. And we finished with some thick and delicious italian hot chocolate… a great contrast to the gelato and much appreciated on a chilly December day.

We had a great time on the tour, and most importantly, my mother-in-law loved the experience. It was fun to walk around the city and get to try different chocolate treats and our tour guide, Jaylene, provided many interesting facts, stories, and historical information about chocolate that kept us entertained. But be warned, this tour is not for the amateur chocolate lover. By the end we were so FULL of chocolate that I don’t think I could have taken another bite. Unless there were more champagne truffles. Surely I could make room for truffles…

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s day?

Not so much. We’ll usually put some cheesy stuff out the day of. We don’t fight crowds to go out on Valentine’s Day, we always cook a nice meal at home. We celebrate Valentine’s Day more for the fact that it’s the day that we met. Though it’s usually pretty low-key since our anniversary is only two weeks before, on February 2.
2. Does your desktop have a picture or computer graphic? Is it organized?

It is a wallpaper that was given away somewhere online with the words: Celebrate each day.
3. Do you use a paper planner, electric planner or no planner at all?

I use iCal on my phone and Tave.com, a studio management program.
4. Do you change purses or bags often or stick with a good thing?

I stick with one big purse. I collect too much stuff in that thing to worry about switching to different bags very often. Kev often jokes that if I were to get stranded somewhere, I could live for two weeks off of my purse.
5. What’s your favorite YouTube Video?

Well, my favorite YouTube video of a guilty Boston Terrier that was busted for destroying a couch has since been removed, so I will include this video. Though it’s technically a commercial, I could watch it over and over again. And dance along…

6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?

A real person. I don’t mess around.
7. How many states have you set foot (or tire) in? Which ones?

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, California. I think that’s all? That makes 17.
8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?

Germany, England, France, Holland, Spain {we got engaged!}, Italy, Costa Rica, Mexico {we got married!}, Jamaica, Aruba. 10.

9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)

2 on our bed, 3 decorative. Guess we’re not big pillow people.
10. How cold is too cold for flip flops?

I love flip flops but hate chilly feet. I wouldn’t dare to rock flip flops under 70 degrees.