CHOCOLATE MOCHA WITH CHOCOLATE COVERED ESPRESSO BEAN


At the O.C. tomorrow: Rich chocolate cupcakes with mocha icing topped with chocolate covered espresso bean. The fragrance is D I V I N E!!!!! I kept one aside for mr. jim to sample when he gets back from a crazy day at the cafe.

Crazy at the Cafe - reason 88: We were unaware that today was the day or chosen Sunday of celebration for the Persian community after 13 days of very special rituals. Today was Sizdah Bedar - The Day 13 Outing (note to selves-mark this down for next year, please so there are more than two people on the floor that day)
Seezdah Bedar is the last holiday of the long Norooz break and is a day filled with relaxation and fun outdoors. Seezdah means 13 and Bedar means away or out. Iranians consider 13 to be an unlucky number and so for this reason, they spend the 13th day of the New Year outside the home. Seezdah-Bedar is in essence a national picnic that is celebrated with everyone going to parks, hills and mountainsides to spend the day with nature, wishing the evil spirits away. This way one hopes to avoid any bad incidents that may occur. The chosen spot for several years has been Fountain Park. And it was a stunning day for it.

Family members rise early in the morning and prepare for the day long picnic. Iranians take their picnics very seriously and pack all the necessary items, leaving maybe the refrigerators behind. Supplies may include sandwiches, traditional polos, drinks, sweets, snacks such as ajil, carpets or rugs, the samavar, a ghalyan (water-pipe), backgammon, chess, cards, balls and other games for the children. Usually areas filled with nature, greenery and streams are chosen to commemorate this cultural holiday. More importantly, the sabzeh (sprouted wheat or lentils) is brought from the sofreh Haft-Sin to be thrown in a flowing stream or creek. It is believed that the sabzeh, which has by this time turned a little yellow, symbolizes sickness and problems. Therefore, it is thrown and carried away by the stream. The day is spent playing games, going for long walks in the fields, eating, drinking and enjoying each other’s company. In addition, Seezdah Bedar is a big day of hope, and people who wish for things follow the tradition of tying grass together. For example if a young girl wishes to find a husband in the coming year she will tie grass and chant “Seezdah Bedar Sale degar, khune-ye shuhar”. This rhyme literally means, “Next seezdah bedar, I will be at my husband’s home”. There are various chants for people who wish to get a job or be healthy or wealthy and so on. At the end of this day, the haft sin may be cleared away and families return to work.

So, there at the Fountain Park, Persians from all around the area gather and celebrate. Then, they need to use the restrooms..........but as many are business people, they feel badly if they use the bathroom without patronizing in some way (most anyhow) which made for much activity at the front of the cafe where the soft serve (vanilla, chocolate, and swirl) ice cream machine is located.

By jove, that many thousand dollar machine may actually pay for itself!!!

8 comments:

Kahshe Cottager said...

mmmmmmmmmm....yummy!! My sweet tooth is humming with desire after reading this post!

Chickenbells said...

Rella...the cupcake looks divine...lots of them going around blogworld lately drool...As you guessed it, I am indeed the missing Chickenbells from the One Heart giveaway, I am so sorry it's taken me this long to get back to you! I did just send you an email, and if you don't get it, please email me at sadiradas@yahoo.com

Thank you for being so patient...

Diane Duda said...

rella,
my poe has not yet made it's way here and i'm beginning to think some terrible tragedy has befallen him.
i know there was some address problem at first and just wanted to make sure that wasn't still and issue.
Maybe he's just seeing the world first. :)
di

zuzu said...

. . :: YUMMERS :: . .
yep. that about says it all.

This is a wonderful post of traditions I knew nothing of ... A day of Hope. What a grand thing to do ... pack a picnic (leaving "maybe the refrigerators behind") ::giggle:: Is that unusual? Thought that WAS a picnic ::giggle::sounds so enjoyable! Whew, I'm tired from reading of all that is planned on this day!

Um, no ... I think I would just stop by your cafe and stock up on those chocolate dreamy things! Two please!

Kisses for Miss Fifi and her SIr Fido ...
Happy Easter (hope the bunny brings you the best of his stash of puppy toys) ... and big HUGS to you Miss Rella! For always being there ... even when I am not.

Just discovered moments ago that my comment left the other day never showed ::sigh:: I bet you thought I'd lost you? No, just keep forgetting to type in those little codes after I click post ...

Oops :=^..^=:

Can't wait for the mail ::GRIN::
love, XX zU

Diane Duda said...

Rella, I'm relieved. No hurry, whatsoever. I just thought it may be lost.
Take your time.
Di

Dianne said...

Hey Rella. The cup cake must turn your taste buds into a termoil, yummy for your tummy..
Well we sometimes learn from our mistakes, you'll know better next year.. Thanks for all the info on the holiday it was really interesting to learn this...

Artifax said...

chococlate plus mocha ... well, that's pretty much the perfect cupcake :)

Sharon Tomlinson said...

I found this so interesting. Now I just want a choc mocha cupcake and also some of the vanilla soft serve please.