Thank you Hello, Wonderful for the nice feature!

Chocolatine Boutique was featured on the really cool Web site "Hello, Wonderful."  The feature, entitled "French Inspired Style For Tots and Kids" shows a few items from the current collection and a link to the shop.  Very nice!

You can access the article by clicking here.

Thank you to Agnes Hsu, the founder of Hello, Wonderful for the nice write-up.

Please don't hesitate to visit her Web site, as it offers super cute DIY ideas, super delicious recipes and styling tips.

Hello, Wonderful

www.hellowonderful.co

The Chocolatine Sunny Veggie Soup

Today was a pretty cold day here in Brussels.  I am not complaining though as  winter has been pretty mild in Europe compare to last winter, and compare to the nasty frigid temperatures that have been hitting most of the US lately.  So soup was on the menu tonight (like pretty much any winter dinner meal in our household).  I have to admit that I absolutely LOVE soup.  Any soup, cold or hot, chunky or mixed, mild or spicy, you name it.  Both my girls love it too and as a matter of fact, my four-year-old daughter gets soup every day at her school.   Little ones in all  Belgian public schools enjoy a bowl of hot soup every morning.  I find it very good, especially for the little ones who don't eat breakfast.  Hot and nutritious, a good way to last until lunch time.

So tonight I decided to enhance one of my staple soup recipes (the healthy veggie soup recipe my Mom taught me to make and that my Grandmother passed onto her) to give it a little zing!  The result turned out to be great as both my daughters loved it and "ze man" was ecstatic! (he always found the base recipe to be a little blah).  I named it the Chocolatine Sunny Veggie Soup because of the nice and warm color of the soup. 

So here we go, here is the recipe!  

This recipe serves 6 people and is suitable for vegetarians.

Ingredients:

- 2 leeks

- 4 carrots

- 4 celeri branches (you can keep the leaves if you'd like)

- 2 tomatoes

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1-inch of ginger root

- 1 tsp of curry powder 

- 1 Tbsp of coconut oil

- water (approximately 4 cups) + 1/2 Tbsp of Kosher salt

- salt and pepper to taste

How to:

Chop the leeks and the celeri and put aside.  Peel the garlic and the ginger and crush.  

In a large pot, warm up the coconut oil on medium heat and throw the crushed garlic and ginger.  Stir with a wooden as the garlic cooks really fast and you don't want it to get brown or burn.  

Toss the leek and the celeri and cook until translucend.  Don't forget to stir so they don't attach to the bottom of the pot.

Meanwhile, chop the rest of the veggies and toss in the pot with the garlic and ginger mix.  Add the 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Once it starts boiling, turn the heat down and simmer until the veggies are cooked through.  As my Mom says when I ask her for a recipe: "when the carrots are cooked, your dish is cooked!"

Add the curry and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put everything in a blender or use an immersion hand mixer (be careful not to burn yourself!) and blend until all the "chunks" are gone and you obtain a smooth soup.

This very healthy soup will give you tons of nutrients and vitamins and keep your bodies warm on cold winter evenings.

Trend Alert! Be prepared for Spring and Dress Your Little One With Mood Booster Outfits!

Good news everyone, despite a gloomy economy and an extremely cold winter in most part of the US (looks like we are not over yet...), the forecast for Spring is bright and sunny, at least for kids fashion...  Trends for the new season have been announced a few months back already as the world of fashion moves very very fast, but for most moms, shopping for spring/summer 2014 is slowly starting.  Here are a few hints that will help the fashionistas in you pick and choose the right outfits for your little people.  

Dolce & Gabbana SS/2014

Plenty of yellow, aqua, hot pink, orange, turquoise, splashes of neon and touches of metallic.

Livly SS/2014

Bold graphics, special print fabrics, intricate embroideries, ethnic fabrics, you name it.  

Agatha Ruiz dela Prada SS/2014

Chocolatine Boutique SS/2014

Think vibrant, think bright, think polka dots and florals, think animal prints and sea creatures.  

Beau Loves SS/2014

Now of course, the shoe lover in me had to check what little feet were going to wear to complete those trendy summer outfits, and the verdict is... lots of fun with wingtips and oxfords, slip-ons and hi-tops, loafers, desert shoes, and sandals with a retro feel.  

Rachel Riley SS/2014

Castell SS/2014

Mini Boden SS/2014

And please, don't think that the shoes will be dull in comparison with the explosion of colors.  Nope. They will showcase their metallic and neon accents, shiny patent leather and their shimmer and glitter.  Sooo, what do you think? Aren't Spring and summer going to be fun and colorful for your little ones?!!!