Red roses look so beautiful with the snowy white New Hampshire scenery out the windows
I originally thought I would come here to my little space in the world, my ‘thyme’, and write about a romantic stroll through the streets of lovely winter time snowy Boston for a Valentine’s Day treat. And I will…but my mind keeps wandering over to a few snippets of unexpected happiness that might just define a day like Valentine’s Day in a bit of a different vein. I’m reflecting on the so tiny daily passings that make me stop, just for a minute, and smile at the world of human nature around us. So as all stories begin here in NH…it was a bitterly cold day…
Yes. It continues to be bitterly cold here in New Hampshire…it is February, I might add. Patrick stayed a little longer in Boston for work. Back here up in New Hampshire, I realized that one task he often does, without ever a complaint, of driving to the transfer station, shoveling buckets full of sand/salt mixtures, and covering our icy path to the barn with it so that we don’t slip on the icy driveway…was up to me to do this time.
I saw the shiny layer of ice shimmering in the teasingly frigid sunlight between the end of my porch and all the way to the big black barn doors which nest my car inside. I procrastinated. I waited a day thinking the ice would miraculously melt away. I wished for those cleat like rubber shoe fittings that go over winter boots and help one to walk on ice that we saw recently at LL Bean. Finally, the need to run errands and get things done pushed me out of the house. I crunched through knee high snow away from the slick ice path to get to the barn. I drove over to the transfer station (also known affectionately as “the dump”) where the village provides us with huge piles of sand/salt mixture to layer on our icy paths at home. I pulled up to the huge pile of sand/salt and began the first time task of shoveling it into the bins that I put in the back of my car. The sand mixture was much heavier than I expected. This wasn’t going to be a quick nor tidy task.
A truck pulled in behind me, waiting its turn, so I sped up my shoveling a bit, anxious not to take too long. But, the sand was really heavy. I brought a shovel that was more like a child’s toy (actually its an antique shovel that I thought was so quaint when I bought it) than anything that would be productive at this moment. Three burly men with more facial hair than can be described adequately sat peering through their very large pick up truck at me. I shoveled a little faster feeling 3 sets of impatient eyes. Without hesitation, however, the 3 burly men, all adorned with even longer amounts of facial hair once they jumped out of their truck, shovels in hand, came over to me and began shoveling scoopfuls of the mixture into my bins.
“Looks like you need a hand!” one man in his 60’s with a mass of curly red beard reaching down to his chest bellowed before his twinkling blue eyes crinkled into a toothy grin. “Thank you so much!” I replied in sincere relief. After failing to adequately get a good fire started in our hearth that morning, grumbling because I then had to haul more firewood from the outdoor pile than usual as a result, and errands piling up because I wouldn’t brave the icy drive…my fretting led me to have my own little self-indulgent pity party as I shoveled away and assumed the 3 men were having a good chuckle in their warm truck at my expense.
My thoughts that these 3 men would get so aggravated that I was using a rather toy-like shovel and would take forever to fill my bins with sand…was wrong. But, as I’ve mentioned before in previous stories, this is New Hampshire for you. I thought yet again to myself how surprisingly generous the people are when I least expect it. I experience moments like this all the time up here in New England and marvel at the sincerity and helpfulness of the people on frigid cold days like this one. It was freezing cold outside and I was diligently exercising the prescribed crankiness. They could have sat all warm and snug in their truck having their good chuckle into their burly beards. But, that’s not what happens here in the granite state.
“There you go, miss! All full and you’re on your way!” declared one of the men, garbed in nothing more than a thick flannel jacket covering blue jean overalls.
I was there all of about 5 minutes (instead of MUCH longer) and then I was indeed on my way, back in my toasty warm car! They jumped back into their truck, pulled it up after me, and got to work filling the back end with their portion of sand…working out there in the bitter cold.
So there you go. A tiny story of Valentine’s sweetness…nothing as grandiose as a tour through the streets of handsome Boston during a beautiful snowstorm…just everyday normal kind of sweet.
Every day normal kind of sweet…is so much sweeter. Thank you guys! Wish I had some of these chocolate thumbprint cookies with little mice on top to give you!
Now…on to a very romantic Valentine’s Day photo story in the heart of beautiful elegant Boston…
The Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts…everything elegant and beautiful as one imagines. A perfect place if looking for a romantic getaway stay in Boston, Massachusetts. Pushing through the gold revolving doors feels like stepping back in history.
Chocolaty Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies topped with little truffle mice from L.A. Burdick’s Chocolate shop in Boston, Massachusetts. The store is right off of Newbury Street and is so lovely inside. I realized that this is the L.A. Burdick’s chocolates made in our little village of Walpole, New Hampshire.
The Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. The lobby, front desk, and dining room. These are all cell phone photos but next time, I am going to bring my big camera to capture its elegance better.
L.A. Burdick’s little chocolate mice truffles to top off my Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Marliave Restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts is only a few blocks from the Omni Parker House and tucked down a sweet little private street. The Beef Wellington was the star dish of the night and I had to declare it better than mine. The views out the window of the restaurant frame all of the twinkling light of downtown Boston at night.
Beacon Hill neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts is a wonderful quiet residential neighborhood just on the other side of the Boston Common. Strolling through the streets in winter, just as huge snowflakes began to fall, was a delight!
Chocolates, Cookies, and Roses…as romantic a combination as strolling through Boston’s Public Gardens, Beacon Hill, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Beacon Hill neighborhood and their beautiful window boxes is a great stroll to take while working up an appetite and getting ready for the beautiful shops of Charles Street and Newbury Street. I particularly enjoyed chatting with Jennifer, owner of Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill gift shop on Charles St…a stone’s throw away from the Boston Commons. Her shop was full of charming gifts and I picked up some lovely hand cream and Caspari cards.
The snow started to drift down lazily and covered the Public Gardens with a light blanket of white. My favorite part of the stay in Boston was walking with a handful of other visitors through the park as the snow flakes transformed the city into a magnificent snow globe. Several stops were in order to warm up… into L.A. Burdick’s Chocolate for their little Mice Truffles, DeLuca’s Deli on Charles St for their tea biscuits, and several Churches of Boston for their sheer quiet and beauty.
Walking right through the middle of the Boston Public Garden spills you onto Newbury Street. As always, the Ralph Lauren window display was my favorite stop along this high end attractive shopping street. With the snow turning the city to white, that lovely pale blue flowing dress was a perfect match.
L.A. Burdick’s in Boston, Massachusetts but the shops originates not far from us in Walpole, New Hampshire. Their Valentine’s Day little mice truffles are so sweet.
Turning off of Newbury Street, the Boston Public Library was a complete surprise stop…beautiful and alluring…a must see! Fortunately, someone in passing kindly mentioned that I should stop there and walk inside…glad I listened.
Right across the street from The Boston Public Library is The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel…majestic…elegant…a true gem in the Back Bay area right across from Trinity Church.
L.A. Burdick’s Chocolate shop in Boston, Massachusetts…a wonderfully beautiful shop off of Newbury Street
Flowers in the middle of winter at the Boston T train station; Trinity Church in Back Bay; the Boston Public Library staircase; the Boston T train which I took to get to The Isabella Stewart Garner Museum
(L to R) One of the many statues gracing The Boston Common; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum portrait of Isabella; one of the many handsome rooms filled with her global collection of artwork; the striking courtyard at the center of the museum filled with lush green plants
Chocolaty Chocolate Thumbprint cookies with L.A. Burdick’s Chocolate Mice truffles
(L to R) Back home in New Hampshire, we’re hearing that a foot of snow has fallen but in Boston we got only about an inch. Surprising since we were only 1.5 hours away; Old fashioned phone in the Omni Parker House hotel; The Parker House lobby; another lovely room of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
(L to R) A day of walking miles and miles calls for a treat from “Sweet” Cupcake Shop with its charming pink decor; a white out snowstorm covering the Old City Hall which is directly across from the Omni Parker House; Dig Inn eatery, which is a terrific stop for healthy bowls of food, sourced regionally, that they will bundle up to go if too tired to cook wholesome food.
Planning a romantic getaway to Boston? Here are links to where I visited:
The Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts
The Old City Hall in downtown Boston
Dig Inn…healthy quick food bowls locally sourced ingredients
Beacon Hill Neighborhood, Boston
Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill – wonderful charming gift shop
DeLuca’s Market on Charles Street
The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch process or unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup nonpareil sprinkles
- 25 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
- Pour the sprinkles into a small bowl. Roll the balls of dough, about 3 teaspoons of dough per cookie, then roll each ball into the sprinkles to coat. (**My red sprinkles would stick very well. Possibly they were too big for the cookie. I melted a little butter and brushed it on the dough and they stuck just fine) Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Press the chocolate kisses into the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.