One of Rachel's latest adventures is the debut of her adorable shop called Mignon Kitchen Co., a curated (and handmade) shop of minature kitchen tools, pantry goods, and packaging and table accessories. All items are tastefully curated, down to the cutest little sprinkles and sporks.

All I can say is, Congrats Rachel, and I am so excited for this new endeavor of yours!

...like this deliciously-sounding one, nicknamed Crack Pie, from Becky at Vintage Mixer.

And have a delightful Thanksgiving y'all!

Hello lovelies, hope you all had a nice weekend. And for those on the East Coast, hope you guys are all safe from Irene!

Mine was both productive and relaxing. Sunday was productive. I did a few loads of laundry, cleaned my bathroom, and fixed up some vintage drawers that will be used in my work space. Saturday was relaxing. I started on Jane Erye, and enjoyed the afternoon at Gasworks with mom and Charlie, where we did a bit of boat watching and napping. Ok, we didn't nap. I napped.

And the blackberries? They were picked by my mom. She couldn't resist bringing a box home after I showed her the handful that I harvested. These guys were grown in abundance along the edge of Lake Union at the bottom of the park.

I like eating them when they're unripe and sour, dipped in salt (and sometimes mixed with grind up red chili pepper). Actually, I will dip any sour fruits in salt—strawberries, Granny Smith apples, pineapples, grapefruits, you name it. I know, it sounds crazy but I absolutely LOVE the sour and salty combination. Try it out if you're curious. But be warned, it's not for everyone. One of those, love/hate things.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! (And to my people in the states, a wonderful 4th of July.) I pretty much surrounded myself with restaurant food all weekend, accompanied by great friends, of course.

Speaking of food, isn't this Cooking with Photoshop video by Maya Rota Klein neat? If only Photoshop could really bake, it would make the novice-baker me look like a pro! Haha. 

(Thanks for the link, Pamela.)

Have you been to Elephantine's blog lately? Uhm, okay, you need to if you haven't. Rachel recently added a new section called Food + Recipes where she documents all her cooking adventures with gorgeous photos complemented with witty captions. I mean, just look at that key lime pie! I'm not a fan of key lime pies, but even I want a piece of that.

Hey guys! Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

I'm a year older today.

So I celebrated by making Sunday brunch and sharing it with my dearest gals. It was small and intimate , but filled with great moments and big laughs.

And I ended the night eating leftover desserts from Bakery Nouveau while watching the new, remastered in HD edition of Beauty and the Beast (thanks Hanh). And you know what? It was still as good as the last time I saw it.

All of Michelle's recipes look delightful, as with her photography sense. (Spicy Chai Latte, Sweet Basil Gimlets, Raspberry Cream Pie Macarons, and Matcha Custard Eclairs.)

Flavors: maple, rose vanilla, espresso, and chocolate.

. . . . .

Okay, I'm sure all of you readers have heard of Whimsy & Spice before. And if you haven't, you just did. But have you guys actually had anything from their shop? If not, you should order something right after you read this.

Whimsy & Spice, a Brooklyn-based confectionery run by Mark, Jenna, and their two adorable little girls, concocts the best homemade marshmallows I've ever tasted. Each cube is as fun to play with as it is to eat, but the best part about them is that they smell incredible! No, really. I sometimes feel torn between popping one in my mouth or sniffing the life out of them. But in the end, my sense of smell succumbs to my taste buds, and the next thing I know, each little guy is dissolving in my mouth. And yes, I said dissolving, because they're just that fluffy and soft. 

Are you salivating yet? Yes? Okay, good. But hang tight, there's more...

The mallows come in six different flavors and I've tried three—espresso, caramel, and cardamom. (They're all tasty, but espresso's my favorite so far). And the remaining three flavors—rose vanilla, chocolate, and maple—are en route to my house right now along with an extra pack of espresso. I just couldn't resist.

The shop also carries other delectable-looking treats that I have yet to try, like these Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies. But I gave myself a little pep talk and said to save it for later. 'Cause you know, sometimes you just need to do that to yourself.

And if you want more goodness from this talented family, you can read their blog, or visit their Sweet Fine Day photography shop. It's all amazing I tell ya.

I am soo excited to try Parfait (sent over from a friend)! It's a mobile ice cream venue that travels around Seattle selling handmade, organic goodness. The truck comes out in spring, which is only a few days away, so I will definitely be on the lookout when it makes its rounds.

The menu sounds delectable and I'm sure I will try everything, eventually. But I think my first two scoops (that's right, I said two) will have to be Caffè Fiorè and Northwest Hazelnut. Yum!

BTW, I know I've been a bit out of touch with the blog lately. I'm working on some projects that I hope to wrap up in the next few days. I promise to share once they're done..so stay tuned.

In the mean time, happy Friday! I'm taking Monday off so this will be a 3-day weekend for me, and oh boy do I really need it.

Photos by Hugh.

. . . . .

Ice cream is definitely my Achilles' heel. If you're not an ice cream person, I don't think we should be friends. (Haha. I kid.)

But seriously, how can anyone not like ice cream?! Every bite into the cold, creamy, rich taste puts me in a state of bliss right as the flavor hits my tongue, and then quickly dissipates as it melts away. The taste is such a tease; it's there one second, and gone the next, literally. And there are so many different types and flavors, too.

I'm not a seasonal ice cream eater. I am an any-time-of-day-or-season-or-types-of-weather ice cream eater. And it's one of those desserts that I will always make room for, even after an over-stuffed meal. So imagine my reaction when I recently discovered this Greek Yogurt Ice Cream recipe from Sprouted Kitchen. The recipe looks like a cinch and the photos make the dessert all the more tasty and delectable. Now, I just need to get myself an ice-cream maker.

By the way, if you haven't already been to Sprouted Kitchen, it is a food blog maintained by the talented Sara. She shares simple recipes of (mainly) vegetarian dishes and desserts that she cooks on a daily basis. And the neat thing? Sara's been around organic foods for a good part of her life, therefore, she's all about using natural and healthy ingredients. So, I'm sure her food tastes as delicious as the photos make them out to be.