It started with a cupcake...

Actually, it started with a chocolate chip cookie. My love for the Dessert Gallery, that is.

The Dessert Gallery is a local MBE/WBE (pronounced "Me-Be-We-Be", means a Minority or Woman-owned business enterprise) in Houston that makes the most divine chocolate chip cookies. They aren't really chocolate chip, but more like chocolate slivers. Don't let me fool you into thinking these cookies are skimpy on chocolate because I say they contain "chocolate slivers". In fact, I think the sliver allows for a higher ratio of Chocolate to Cookie than most ordinary chocolate chip cookies. Furthermore, these delights are half-dipped in chocolate for even more sinfulness.

In my 2+ years living in Houston, it's certainly a shame that I didn't try their cupcakes sooner. Well, probably not a shame for my waist or wallet. If you're in H-town and in the mood to satisfy a sweet tooth, check out the Dessert Gallery. If your conscience is too guilty to just have dessert, you can start with one of their sandwiches, which I can also vouch for.

Related Links:

• Dessert Gallery
  
• MBE/WBE Info

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the obligatory cupcake post for Valentine's Day. I actually decided against baking my own cupcakes this year due to the fact that most people I work with and otherwise associate myself with are trying to cut back on sweets and other goods that are not-so-good for their waistlines. Fortunately, my lack of baking cupcakes did not mean that I had to go without cupcakes on this February 14th.

While Valentine's Day is associated with so much commercialism in America today (think Hallmark cards, flower deliveries, and mass candy sales), I think there is still some merit to the holiday. I decided to use Valentine's Day to thank some of the people at work who frequently help me accomplish my day-to-day tasks. The four women who I sought Valentine's Day gifts would not appreciate flowers like many women (nor would I appreciate giving flowers, as I can't bear to spend so much money on something that dies in a couple days). Furthermore, they are all adverse to eating candy for reasons ranging from needing to lose weight, needing to monitor sugar, or being diabetic. If both candy and flowers are out, what else is left in terms of choices of Valentine's gifts for coworkers?

In a spur of random thinking, I ended deciding upon a hummingbird feeder and Crystal Light iced tea mix. They are all frequent iced tea drinkers, and Crystal Light seemed to be one of their indulgences for times when they wanted a switch from regular iced tea. The hummingbird feeder was a very unique blown-glass design, and I thought it went with the "sweet without being fattening" theme.

The gift actually went over *really* well with all of them. Not only were they pleasantly surprised to be receiving a Valentine's Day gift at work, they all appreciated both the Crystal Light and the Hummingbird Feeder and thought it was much more thoughtful than getting candy or flowers, which would not have been enjoyed as much. Proof that celebrating Valentine's Day well doesn't have to consist of falling for the usual consumer traps.