A Stop at Yas Bakery

It’s that time of year again. Actually anytime we visit family in central Virginia we always stop by Yas Bakery in Vienna. They have the best Persian bakery products - especially baklava and cookies and honey doughnuts of sorts. But the best part is the pistachios - with saffron and without. And since my husband has tea every evening after dinner, we also need to pick up sugar cubes that are not exactly mass produced. They are smaller bits and pieces that don’t melt right away. He takes the sugar cube first and then sips the tea. The grocery store doesn’t stock sugar cubes anymore so this option is even better. He also loves a less sweet donut sort of cookie that reminds him of home. We found this place many years ago and used to drive in from

Capitol Hill. It’s the best treat to bring along to friends and acquaintances. There is also another Persian bakery in our neighborhood but it just doesn’t feel the same. If we are just going there for ourselves we usually pick up some

Flatbread or taftoun, Persian cucumbers and cherry jelly - and maybe some dried fruit. And for Christmas we have also found some fun tea cups. One of our friends reminds us every time we talk to him how much he loves them! Anyway, it’s a nice little shop and we love going there. And our relatives are really glad when we do. 

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Yas Bakery Cookies

There is a lovely Persian bakery in Vienna called Yas. We found it several years ago when we lived on Capitol Hill. It has some wonderful treats and other goodies that we oftentimes stop by to pick up when we are in the mood. My husband loves the vibe and the jellies and the pistachios and some particular cookies. We have also found some unusual Christmas and other gifts there when the occasion arises. We recently picked up some tea and pistachios for an after dinner visit with our neighbors that we just met. Last weekend our grandson and his mom were going to be passing through town on the way back from New York where he spent the summer giving white water rapid tours on the Hudson River. He was on his way back to college at UVA. They first stopped to visit her parents in Baltimore and we were next on the map. So before they arrived we took a ride to Yas Bakery and picked up baklava and some Persian cookies - enough for both to take home and school and share with our son. First we went out for a late lunch and then shared the treats before they left. It’s always so nice to have these delectables around. It’s also a great reminder of my husband’s background. We really appreciate having the bakery nearby - especially for times like this. 

52Frames Food Photography Weekly Challenge

The 52Frames photo challenge this week was food photography. I haven’t been very enamored by the subjects lately and this one didn’t do much for me either. But as the days passed I started to come up with some ideas. The first one was of the pear that is in a bottle. It’s actually pear brandy that we got many years ago. The object was cut out of the photo and a background was painted in to create a composite image. My husband didn’t like the colors. Then the cookie jar looked like a good option. The first few shots were of chocolate cookies alone. But then the lemon cookies were added in. The color was much improved and one of those photos ended up being the selected image. It was edited to look high key and it looked like an advertisement. Then later in the week my husband was making a spinach omelet of sorts and that looked pretty good. The bag filled with potato chips was quite colorful but not very artistic. Then we made some whiskey sours. All of the utensils and ingredients were interesting and the end result looked even better. In the end I enjoyed this challenge more than I thought I would. It’s been a while since my photo has been selected as a top 52, but in the end the idea is to just get you thinking and doing something. That’s a good enough reason to participate. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s nice to be remembered - not just on Valentine’s Day, but any day. But since it’s Valentine’s Day we received three special notes and treats. One was from our condo social committee. They spent a lot of time baking cookies and then assembling small packages of the cookies, along with a Hershey kiss and candy heart and placed them on the door handle. Our next door neighbor never forgets to leave a sweet treat by our door for every holiday. And then we received a text from my mom’s neighbor/caregiver who took such good care of my mom until the end. She and her husband now live in my mom’s home. It was a gift my mom left for them for being so kind. So it’s a good day to celebrate the people in our lives. A little chocolate and cookie goes a long way. But the more important thing is having people around that are so nice. 

Cookie Monster

I like cake. My husband likes cookies. We always have an angel food cake in the house. I have a slice after supper with a cup of tea. This has been going on for a very long time. We have a drawer full of treats plus three cookie and candy jars on the counter. Today at the grocery store my husband asked why we never get the fresh baked cookies? I really didn’t have a answer for that. We always get his favorite cookies in the cookie aisle. So when he had his eyes on the bucket of chocolate chip cookies we thought we should give them a try. They certainly are a lot cheaper than the Pepperidge Farms brands. But I like to have a variety of cookies to choose from when I get the plate prepared for him after dinner. Since he does all the cooking it’s the least I could do! So every night he gets a chocolate chip cookie, two Werther’s candies, some sort of strawberry or raspberry gel filled cookie, a plain cookie, and two Pizelle Waffle cookies. He says it’s the best part of the day. I like to see him enjoying himself! It doesn’t take much these days. 

Candy, Chocolate, Cookies and Apples?

I’m not sure how he does it, but my husband is a sugar monster. He drinks his coffee and tea with several sugar cubes. The kitchen cupboard is full of his favorite treats. There are chocolate chip cookies and other assorted types along with Werther candies. Candies are kept in his pockets and in the car. The refrigerator bin is filled with candy bars and Hershey kisses. The only chocolate I have is one Hershey kiss after dinner. My favorite dessert is angel food cake. The funny thing is that every evening we have fruit for a snack. The healthy fruit off sets the negative sugar. So we always have to have at least eight to ten Granny Smith apples stocked. The supple of apples dictates when we go to the grocery store. Along with the apples we always have mandarin oranges and seasonal fruit like watermelon or nectarines when they are in season. My husband’s blood sugar is always normal, whereas mine hovers close to and a little beyond the maximum range. I like to think it’s because of the hypertensive controlling meds I’ve been on for most of my life and nothing to do with what I eat. These days it’s worth having something that’s pleasant. So in this case it’s candy, cookies, and chocolate - mixed in with a bit of fruit. 

Chinese Fortunes

My husband is the roadrunner; I am Wiley Coyote. We are very different in just about every way. He likes sunrise; I like sunset. He prefers turkey dark meat; I like turkey white meat. He has to know the meaning of every word; I just need to have a vague understanding. He analyzes a problem to the nth degree; I would rather have someone else figure it out. He loves to cook; I hate it. He does all the talking; I do all the listening. He likes cookies; I prefer cake. He is happy go lucky; I am a worrier. He gets up very early; I like to stay up late and get up late. He is optimistic; I’m a cup half empty kind of mindset. He hardly sat through any class and aced every exam he ever took; I was studying in the library every night and was quite average. He can speak two languages fluently and another two quite well; I can hardly speak one. The list could go on and on. The only thing I can say is that we are extremely compatible - on all the big items. All the other stuff is essentially “complimentary” and makes life interesting. When we ordered in Chinese food the other day we got four fortune cookies. For whatever reason, the fortunes always match him perfectly. One said “a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,” and the other said “you are an exciting and inspiring person.” Both are very true. Mine said “the night life is for you,” and “you will receive a high prize or award.” If they meant I like to stay up late - okay. But I dislike being out at night. As for receiving a high prize or award? I doubt it. Maybe I will give that second one a couple of days to materialize. It’s too bad my husband didn’t get that fortune - it would have come true. 

Nips Chocolate Parfait Candy Monster

Whenever I order something from Amazon I always ask my husband if there’s something he might need. Usually the answer is no. But every once in a while he checks the candy bin and tells me he has a short supply of something. That was the case the other day when the Nips Chocolate Parfait were at an intolerably low volume. So rather than order one carton of twelve boxes, I ordered two. These aren’t the only candies in the house, car, and every pocket. And that’s on top of all the cookies that are well stocked - and also all the sugar cubes he has with coffee and tea. I think that’s why he is one of the healthiest people I know. And that’s why I always make sure he has a huge supply of whatever candy or cookies he likes. There’s always room in the cupboard for his treats because that’s what makes him so sweet. 

Cookie Monsters Everywhere

My husband is a Cookie Monster. The drawer is filled with Milano and other treats - he loves the chocolate chip ones. In fact, he likes anything chocolate. The cookie jar is replenished regularly. We oftentimes get Persian cookies at Yas in Vienna or Yekta in Rockville. Yesterday we got an assortment for our sister in law’s birthday, along with tea and sour cherry jam. Our handy man renovator once brought a package of Pizzelle cookies. He routinely brought treats from Viet Nam whenever he had a job to do, but these cookies had nothing to do with Viet Nam. They were just delicious. They are very light, round, and taste of vanilla - like sugar cones but much thinner. After that we searched for Pizzelle cookies but couldn’t find them anywhere so ended up ordering some through Amazon. We asked our friend where he got the cookies and he said Costco. We no longer have our Costco card, so that was a no go. Then last week out of the blue we got a call from our friend asking if we were home. Unfortunately we weren’t. He said he was going to drop something by the house and we told him he could leave it with the front desk. Guess what it was? Two big boxes of Pizelle cookies plus another coconut type to try. We had a feeling he might do something like that - and he did. My husband was thrilled. 

All Things Persian

Since we moved to northern Virginia almost six months ago we are starting to wean ourselves away from the appointments that require us to still go in to town. So I figured a new hair salon/stylist would be a good place to start. The goal is to have whatever it is close to our new address, walking distance preferred. I found Dolce Vita literally just down the street and searched the hair stylists. I picked the Persian name and liked what she did - a very short cut and a very interesting person. Today we went to Bloomingdales to find an updated pants and shirt that might be nice for travel/dinner with friends. We specifically went to Chevy Chase because we like the store better, but also the sales rep. She’s Persian too and has the patience of a saint. And for my sister in law’s birthday we thought Persian cookies and treats would be nice so we went to Yas in Vienna. It’s a place we’ve been going to for a few years now. They have the best desserts and such. Both my husband and I have a Persian cardiologist, and there is a Persian dentist just a block away. That may be the next change. All I know is that we are always treated with such kindness regardless of who we encounter. I should know - I’m married to one.