Valentine's Dinner at Aromas Cafe

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone's week went well, regardless of your relationship status. It was such a cold weekend. We even saw some snow on Saturday. Unfortunately, my Valentine is away at school for another month, but he was sweet enough to send me some tulips. I forgot how awesome flowers are. It's been a while since I have had a bouquet in my room.

The weekend flew by like it always does. I worked all day Saturday, but I still wanted to get out and do something. My younger sister agreed to accompany me to dinner on Friday evening and my good friend was able to tag along as well. We met up and discussed where we would want to eat. We decided to treat ourselves at a little place called Aromas Cafe. Aromas serves high quality Mediterranean dishes. The owner has a Moroccan background and spent years cooking in France. I couldn't wait to try it out!

We were immediately greeted at the door and handed menus to look over. Despite the chilly climate outside, the cafe was warm and glowing with candle light. The art work on the walls created an amazing atmosphere.

We started our meal with the Zadjiki Yogurt Dip. If you are a sour cream or greek yogurt lover, you will enjoy this. It was light and refreshing. At a less fancy restaurant, I would have licked the bowl.

For my meal, I ordered the Beef Kafta. Rubina and Rylee each ordered a Chicken Shawarma. The sauces were so good, we had to order additional sides of them. The servings were perfect. They were enough to fill me up. If I wasn't so hungry when I first got there, I probably would have had leftovers.

The owner came over and chatted with us. He was very present in the restaurant and very kind to his wait staff. I was happy to be spending my money there.

After meeting Hassam, we ordered a dessert. The owner was kind enough to send us an additional dessert. I'm so glad he did. It gave me an opportunity to try something I wouldn't have usually ordered. Of course, we loved it!

Our girls night was a success. We left in smiles and with happy bellies. I will definitely be eating there again. Who wants to join me?



After exploring Aroma's website, I learned something new! We sell one of the owner's sauces called Habiba at Rebecca's. I will be buying a jar to try for myself. Come get it from aisle 7.

Hemp Hearts by Manitoba Harvest

Working at Rebecca's has introduced me to some new food items that I never would have considered before. I knew about flax and chia. They get stuck in my teeth but they are good for me and full of fiber, so down the hatch they go! I love using them for baking and adding Omega-3 fatty acids to my meals.

 And then, suddenly, a new item appeared on the shelf.

So, what is it?

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

Chia and flax have a third partner in crime. Meet the hemp seed. Full of protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and Omega 6s, these babies are a must-have. Unlike flax, they don't need to be grounded for you to reap the benefits. 

What do I do with them?

These little guys can go on anything. Because they are shelled, they aren't crunchy. To me, the taste is comparable to an unsalted, raw sunflower seed. Here's some ways to incorporate them into your diet.

• Sprinkle on a salad, bowl of cereal, oatmeal, or quinoa salad
• Mix into your yogurt
• Bake them into your cookies
• Throw a tablespoon into your pancake mix
• Put them in your smoothie

I prefer to sprinkle them right into my smoothie glass rather than adding them into the blender. I find that they end up getting stuck to the blades and sides of my blender pitcher rather than going into my cup.

Aren't they beautiful? I hope you will go pick up a bag for yourself. You can learn more by coming into Rebecca's or visiting Manitoba Harvest's site here.

About Me

About Me

Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog! My name is Morgan and I am 22 years old. I am currently going to school and working part time. I work in the grocery department of an awesome health food store called Rebecca's Natural Foods in Charlottesville, Virginia. While I am there, I get to learn lots of cool things! I hope to share that knowledge with you. When I'm not at work or studying, I love to create. I'm big into DIY projects. I will be sharing those as well.

Why is your blog called Island Kissed?

You're probably wondering why some girl living in the Blue Ridge Mountains would title her blog so tropically. I've been on a cruise ONCE and it changed my life. I was able to visit some islands in the Western Caribbean and it made me a different person. I was born in Southern California, so I guess my heart missed the warm air and blue water. Ever since that trip, I've been a big make-believer. I go to the beach whenever I can. I barely buy clothes during the winter so that I can have the most amazing summer wardrobe, and it is never too cold to have a smoothie for breakfast. The great thing about where I work is that the walls are bright, the people are happy, and the fruit is beautiful. No matter the weather outside, the store feels sunny and calm. I hope that in the near future I will be taking a few more trips to some place tropical, but for now, I have to brave through the cold, sleet, and lack of beach. This blog is to help me cope, and I hope you find some tropical inspiration from me as well.

My Day Trip to the Greenbrier

What is the Greenbrier?

Find out HERE.


This last weekend I was able to take a short trip to West Virginia and White Sulphur Springs, Virginia. One of my best friends lives in Athens, West Virginia, so I took up the opportunity and caught a ride with her mama to visit for a few days. Our first stop was Olive Garden in Beckley, West Virginia. That was a treat because we don't have one in Charlottesville! We met Brooke there and then drove back to her house for the night.
The next morning we took our time getting ready. The Greenbrier Inn is only an hour and a half from her home. Lucky for us, the weather was almost 60 degrees and sunny. Perfect conditions for a Saturday trip.
We arrived at the Greenbrier around 2pm. There was no parking to be found within the actual gates, so we had to park across the street at the Christmas store. Luckily, there is a shuttle that drives back and forth all day to bring guests from across the street.

My jaw dropped when we finally pulled up the the main entrance. This place is HUGE. 

We hopped off the shuttle and were immediately greeted by the staff who held the doors open as we entered. The entry has this huge metal light fixture. The decor seems a little tacky and absurd, but screams,"this is all very expensive." 

Down from the entrance is a huge open floor with large windows.  There are live plants everywhere and the decor is very springy. There are maybe close to 100 different comfortable seating options where you can relax and chat. To our surprise, the second you sit down, a server eagerly comes to try to bring us a drink. Next time, I plan on doing a tea break in this room.


We were getting hungry so we decided to grab a late lunch. They have several restaurant options, but we decided on The Forum. It took us a while to walk down because there were tons of little shops we had to stop by as we made our way over. The Forum is fancy but not over the top. There was no wait for lunch, so we got seated right away. The colors of the room were yellow and blue. The menu was mostly Italian (fancy pizzas, paninis, soups, and salad). The other restaurant (Drapper's) was closed for renovations, so some of their food items were available as well. The meals were around $15 a person, but the portions were huge. Unfortunately, I was too hungry to remember to take pictures.

After lunch, we stopped at the little cafe and grabbed some chai lattes. We took a shuttle to the car to put away our leftovers before we continued exploring.

There are so many rooms. I quickly fell in love with the light fixtures.

I also found a ginormous Baldwin piano with real ivory keys.

We explored this slightly spooky, unlit room.

 As the sun began to set, the light from the chandeliers became even more magnificent. I loved this room. I felt like I was in the castle from Beauty and the Beast. After hours of exploration, we were tired. We took the shuttle back to the car. This was one of the best day trips I have ever had. I highly recommend it for anyone passing by or living within 3 hours of the Inn. Next time I hope I get to go in the spring when everything is a bit more colorful.