Savouring Summer this Season

image via here 

Fresh herbs are the true gem of summer recipes and part of what makes the season such a prize winner. Now that winter is on our heels it's time to shutdown those fading green gardens, and winterize up our homes. I fully admit that i shed a few tears whenever i have to see my edible garden come to an end, but many of the plants have already withered away, but the herb plants are still holding on by the skin of their leaves. So grab up those herbs and save them using any of these four suggestions to relish that sweet summer glory all winter long. 

 

images via here, here, here and here. Also, here and here 

1. Smaller pots inside - window sills are your best friends during the winter. Herbs love to grow on the sills or in areas of the home with lots of light. if you still have large herb plants still in your garden, divide and repot into small containers that can easily can be brought indoors. This will help sustain their growing cycle and in most cases you can even replanted them into the garden in the spring. say hello to new fresh indoor herb gardens with this one my friends.

2. Sweet sachets - nothing is better than the smell of fresh herbs like basil, rosemary. i find that they can be quite uplifting at the end of a long day actually. So why not harvest those end of season outdoor herbs, dry it in either a brown paper bag or by hanging, then crush up gently and place combinations into small sachets that can he placed around the home or in drawers. Combinations like rosemary and lavender are really good.

3. Herbed ice cubes - This is a culinary dream team is especially great for those busy nights when you wanna make that 5 star meal, but have like 1 start energy. Harvest the those last herbs, chop up and place them into ice cube trays. Then top with water or oil and freeze until needed. Add them as a quick boost to stir-frys, soups or dips. Try different herb mixes as well like basil with chopped garlic, or thyme and parsley with red pepper flakes.  

4. Scented fireside sticks - We are in the season of firing up the fireplaces. This year try take some of your harvested herbs and wrap into bunches with rope. On your next fireside movie night throw a one or two bunches on the roaring flames for a nice sweet smelling aroma. For this mix, try sage, rosemary and thyme!

Popping it while it is hot

with the summer season comes summer treats, and this year i finally got my act together and used these adorable popsicle molds i bought at the end of season last summer on clearance. by far popsicles are an easy cooling off treat to make and something you can really basically do with anything. more often than not i just grab what i have in the fridge and squeeze or blend it into liquid form, add flavour (if needed), water, give it a good mix in the blender and then into the molds they go. this method is also very friendly to the  "i'm almost going to kick the can" looking fruit you might have before they get too rough. 

on a side note, since i'm trying to keep things healthy, i find i avoid adding sugar or honey. that is not to say you can't, but i personally tend to find by using fresh local fruit the sweetness i like is already there, so i'd rather just enjoy that.

here are two of my favourite homemade popsicles that i'm loving this season.

Vanilla Raspberry

- 1/2 cup raspberries, cooked on the stovetop for a few minutes just to soften up, then     

   popped into the blender to smooth

- 1/2 tsp lemon juice

- 1 tsp vanilla extract 

- 1 - 1/2 cup water 

this image via here

Lemon Lime

- 1/2 of a lemon juiced 

- 1 lime juiced

- 2 cups water

- 4 tablespoons of lemon and lime rind grabbed from the ones you just juiced and 

  dropped into the molds before they hit the freezer. 

Bean crazy about beans

image via

in the dead of winter there is nothing like a good hearty soup to warm the soul. soups are also great because you can make anything with literally almost nothing. right now one of my favourite recipes is a hearty bean soup made from my all time fav, the fava bean.  fava beans are an old school pea, that has a creamy texture and wonderful flavour. you can easily find these beans at your local grocery store in a can, or fresh in the pod, which means all you have to do is shell them.

aren't they the cutest?

image via

this week, give this hearty fava bean soup recipe a try and i'm sure you will be hooked.

adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• dashes of salt and pepper 
• 2  cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups blanched, peeled fava beans 
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric

place all the ingredients in a pot, bring a boil and simmer on low for 20 mins. once the beans and broccoli are soft use an emulsion blender to puree until smooth.

Juice It Up!

image via here

over the winter holidays, like many people, i allowed myself to indulge more than i typically might have. i love a good gingerbread cookie as much as the next girl, but i know my body should only have so many. now that it's january it's time to clean up my act, and refresh my minds and my body. looking back, i've had a few good gluttonous years of trying new things and drinking, but now it's hard time to take some ownership over my health and my health related goals.

over the break, i watched a couple food related documentaries on Netflix, something i love to do! here are a few that just might change your view of how you eat, Vegucated, Food Inc, More Than Honey and last but not least one of my favourites Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead – how can you not love Joe and his juicing. 

while i don't think living off juice only is the answer, i was amazed by the immediate health benefits he shared (under the supervision of a dr) and the difference in energy levels by all those that tried it. I think juicing is a great way to fuel you body with nutrients in a naturally beneficial form that is easy enough for anyone to do. so, it was off to the shop to pick up a juicer for me!

top reasons why juicing is awesome, now having tried it for a few weeks:

• because you can use all your leftover lonely fruits and veggies,
• because it's packed with macronutrients that help fuel your body in the best way possible,
• because it's cost effective,
• because it's quick and easy, and probably close to the fastest healthy meal you can make,
• because you actually can't screw it up, and
• because you will surprise yourself with just how much you love it.

image via My Wife Makes

i have fallen for juicing, and i mean hard. it's been a few weeks and i don't see myself getting sick of it anytime soon. now i should specify that outside of maybe a 2 or 3 day cleanse every few months, we personally don't eat juices as meal replacements for the entire day. instead we've often start our day with a freshly made green juice to help get us going, followed then by healthy well-balanced meals made from whole foods. now, if you are watching your protein intake in a day, you can add some protein powder to your juice. we've tried it using an all natural raw organic protein (unflavoured) and the combo is actually quiet nice! 

a few helpful hints when consuming:

• drink your juice within 15-20 minutes of making it
• don't forget to chew even though you are drinking, this helps activate your digestive enzymes 
• watch your fruit intake per juice bearing in mind healthy fruit servings per meal
• vary up your greens, too much of one thing isn't good for your body so mix it up!

this month give juicing a try! it's some of the most vibrate colours and tasty flavours your kitchen will ever see.

one of our fav combo's right now is (this makes enough for 2 people):

• 2 celery stocks
• 2 handfuls of raw spinach
• 2 carrots
• 1 orange
• 1 apple
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp ginger

Kale Pesto Margarita Pizza

 

both beautiful images via here

homemade pizza fridays have become somewhat of a tradition in my house. we look forward to it all week and often pair our tradition with a nice glass of vino! i personally really love pizza, and doing this has allowed us to play around with different combinations of seasonal toppings. here is one of our favourites that we can't get enough of right now. as you know, we participate in a CSA farm box, so once a week on Friday's we get tasty local produce delivered to our doorstep (nothing is better than groceries appearing for you!). This time of year we are seeing a lot of kale, so one of our favourite friday pizza's to make is our Kale Pesto Margarita!

The Dough:

• 3 cups all purpose flour (or 2 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 package of yeast 

combine your yeast and water in a small bowl and allow the yeast to activate and bubble for about 10 mins. while that is activating mix all your dry ingredients together in a big bowl. when the yeast is ready pour it into your dry mixture. now mix everything together with your hands and then roll it out onto a floured countertop. knead the dough until it comes out smooth and with a good elastic feel. when it's ready, place it in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel until it has doubled (about an hour). punch it down and let it rest for about 10 more minutes before it's ready to be rolled out and toppings applied. 

The Pesto Sauce Base:

• 2 cups freshly washed and de-stemed kale
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 glugs of extra virgin olive oil

if you have a food chopper or food processor this is the perfect time to bust that out. pesto is really the easiest thing to make, just throw in all your ingredients and blend, baby, blend. if you feel it is a little too thick you can add a little extra olive oil. if you find you don't use all the pesto for the pizza, you can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks in an air tight container. 

Toppings:

• sliced tomatoes
• thinly sliced mozzarella
• fresh basil

preheat your oven to 400 degrees. roll out your dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, or pizza stone (which i very highly recommend for a nice evenly cooked crust).  now cover your rolled out dough with a nice amount of pesto sauce base. next add your toppings, in this case tomato and mozzarella. Helpful Hint - I don't bake the basil on the pizza otherwise, i find it looses it's great fresh flavour and beautiful texture. bake your ready to go pizza for about 10-15 mins until the crust is nicely browned. take it out, drizzle with fresh olive oil – you can even add a little balsamic glaze – and top with some fresh basil leaves.

enjoy! xoxo.

Kitchen Basics Series - What Does That Mean?

illustration via here.

sometimes we can get tripped up or intimidated to try new recipes by all the lingo we see before us. here are some common terms to familiarize yourself with to help make any recipe you come across that much easier to understand.

chopped vs. diced vs. minced

• chopped: cutting your vegetables into large pieces. typically you will see this for larger vegetables  like squash or potatoes.
• diced: similar to chopping, dicing means cutting into smaller sized pieces. You likely will see this term used with ingredients like onions or celery.
• minced: this means cutting the item into the smallest pieces you can. in the case of garlic, a garlic press minces perfectly.

blanching: cooking a vegetable very slightly and then immediately stopping the cooking process by rinsing under cold water. blanching is great if you are planning a big dinner party and you want to precook a vegetable dish to get a jump on your preparation. you can then quickly finish cooking just before serving to ensure the dish is nice and warm.

bouquet garni: this is a tied bunch of fresh herbs that is added to stews, or pots of simmering food for a little while and then taken out before serving.

dash: who has ever really measured a dash? well it turns out someone has and it is equivalent to about 1/16^th of a teaspoon. this is a very small amount that is a little more than a pinch.

dust: this term appears often in baking recipes and it refers to lightly spreading a small about of a spice or sugar over the baked dish. most often this is part of a finishing step before serving.

julienne: this means to cut your vegetable or item into very thin slices, kinda like a very skinny french fry.

puree: to mash up or mix together your food until it's completely smooth, ideally in a food processor is easiest.

thin: if you see this term is means adding more liquid to thin out what you are cooking.

sauté: cooking your food in a frying pan with a little oil.

steep: you might often see this term if you are making a tea, or a simple syrup. it means to soak something (like tea leaves) in a liquid almost until boiling for a set amount of time until the flavours come out.

zest: pulling off small sections of the skin of a citrus fruit, in many cases a lemon, lime or orange. This is most often done with a fine grater called a zester so the pieces remain small.

A Seasonal Canning Calendar

image via here

this year i've done a much better job at getting myself way more organized for the current canning season. sometimes i swear i was born in the wrong era, because i relish and look forward to these old traditions. the feeling of accomplishment i get when i pack up fresh jars of jam or salsa into my cellar pantry space, the smell of cooking and the excitement for fresh ripe fruit in the middle of winter – nothing beats it.

i've only been really going hard at canning for a few years now, but i've learned a lot between when i started and now (with my fair share of mistakes too!). this year i got a good jump start on some varieties of jams already, and have taken the time to learn about what seasons are best time for what produce. i spent the last few years searching on the inter-webs for sample canning calendars, but sadly to no avail,  so this year I nipped that need in the butt and created my own seasonal canning calendar.

while it may not hit everything that you could possibly can in peak season, i've made sure to hit the highlights and the things i see as being the most popular items to consume!

* DOWNLOAD THIS CALENDAR HERE
**charted based on your average growing season in Ontario, Canada 

i hope this visual resource will give you a month-to-month guide to canning season considerations. there are so many options and ideas for things you can make and then store to enjoy through the winter months.  i've included a number of links below to some of my favourite recipes and helpful tips and resources for anyone looking to give this a shot, or just try a new take on an old recipe this time around.

Jam & Jelly

• Pear Vanilla Jam
• Blueberry Jam 
• Strawberry Basil Jam
• Peach Jelly 

Salsa

• Basic Salsa
• Roasted Corn Salsa
• Avocado Salsa Verde
• Peach Salsa
• Smokey Salsa

Pickles

• Bread and Butter Pickles
• Dill Pickles
• Vegetable Pickles

Vegetables

• Sweet Pepper Jelly
• Sauerkraut
• Pickled Beets

Resource Guides & Getting Started

• Canning 101 - The Basics
• Learning How to Can - Tips
• Canning Recipe Books
• Canning Starter Kit

Shock Grandma & Make Mom Proud Vegan Mac & Cheese

i highly suggest you get your bookmark button ready or get up right now and grab a pen and paper.  

thanks to the creative minds behind The Minimalist Baker, this is likely the best healthy Mac & Cheese you can whip up on a weeknight or weekend. it is literally mouthwatering and believe it or not, it's made with eggplant. i swear if you have kids they might not even be able to tell! with my recent change to a healthier lifestyle i've been on the hunt for clever meals and comfort foods that have been, or easily can be adapted into much healthier options. this search lead me to the the fine folks behind The Minimalist Baker and their unreal, oh so good Vegan Mac & Cheese with Caramelized Onions. 

I made it ... I ate it ... I craved for seriously more bowls, it was that dang good. 

I highly suggest you check out the full recipes here with glorious pictures to boot.

Health Hint! for the next little while i am going gluten free, dairy and egg, so because of that i substituted the recipes bread crumbs for almond flour and used quinoa pasta (or you can also use rice pasta) rather than whole wheat. easy, fast and simple! 

Easy Bake Granola

since the new year i have been focusing hard on getting my health in check. not that anything was wrong with me to begin with, but more so that it just felt high time to spend a little more effort focusing on good health habits and routine for the future. after a few months into it i also started to see a naturopath recommended by a good friend, and i can't say enough about naturopaths in general now. while i still see a regular MD for lots of things, i like the time and one-on-one preventative health attention i get from my naturopath. seriously check one out if you can, because i cannot say enough about them. along with some great tips and suggestions from her, she's really taught me the value and positive health benefits of whole well-rounded meals, and more specifically just what that looks like. one of those meals is homemade granola and over time i've adapted what i like into this very yummy nutrient packed recipe below.

this recipe is great to make on a sunday morning or evening, ready then for the week.

You will need//

• 1 tbsp organic honey (melted if in the solid form)
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup macadamian nuts
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats (remove for a gluten free granola and replace with green lentils)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes 
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp cardamom (you can add more for taste)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

The how too//

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. throw all your dry ingredients excluding the spices and coconut flakes into a large bowl and mix well. next take your spices and sprinkle them over your dry ingredients and again mix well so everything is nicely covered. on the stove top slowly melt your honey and coconut oil. once they are melted drizzle it over your bowl of ingredients. mix all together and then spread your mixture out onto a baking sheet.  pop it into the oven and bake the mix for 30 mins, making sure to turn the mixture every 10 minutes or so just to make sure it doesn't burn. after 30 mins add your coconut flakes and then bake for another 10 minutes. take out, let cool and enjoy! i love to eat my granola in the mornings with a little almond milk and some fresh berries, or as late afternoon snack!

**homemade granola is best stored in a glass jar in the fridge**

Kitchen Basics Series – Simple Sweet Potato Fries

i am happy to announce the start of a new element of the blog called the Kitchen Basics Series! in this exciting new section i will showcase some of the best tips and suggestions i've come across for those just starting out and hoping to master some basic culinary skills, or those looking to get a better handle on some classics that they can build upon. while i am by no means a formal teacher (although i do have one sister who works as a chef and offers up lots of good tips), i have a ton of tried and true experiences. this series is also open to anyone of you who wishes to send in good tips to be featured. blogs are all about sharing!

sweet potatoes are a staple in my house when it comes to starchy treats, and one the most basic ways to cook up these potatoes is as tasty sweet potato fries. this kitchen basic is a simple, no fuss, no muss, crowd pleaser that you can easily handle on a busy weeknight or weekend.

the how:

preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

peel and rinse one large sweet potato (typically one is a serving size for two people). square off your potato into a long rectangular cube. now chop into evenly sized strips. the key here is evenly sized. if you want them to bake consistently they must be the same size. now grab an egg and separate so you only use the egg white, and give that white whisk before rolling your chopped fries through the mix. the egg will help make them crispy and not soggy when cooking. you can bake them without the egg, but for better crunch i recommend using the egg white mixture. now throw some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place them on top spreading them out with space between, or at least so they aren't overlapping. bake for 10 mins on one side, then flip and bake for another 10-15 mins on the other side. just watch out for burning ends but allow them to get a little brown before pulling them out.

a perfectly yummy sweet potato side dish is a wonderful kitchen basic.

if you wanna get more exciting here are some of my tried and true spices combos we to dress our fries in fresh out of the oven.

• Cinnamon & Nutmeg
• Paprika & Chipotle Powder
• Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar
• Rosemary & Garlic Powder

That Time I Took A Fondant Class

last week a close friend and i signed up for a fondant class at Sugartiers, just north of the city. so here is a little secret about me. i actually dislike cake. i know, i know. unless it's an ice cream cake, or that Betty Crocker confetti batter kind, you'll often find me gracefully declining a piece. I don't know what it is, but i've just never been a big cake eater. a classic sprinkle donut... now that's another story. regardless of my taste buds, i have always admired the art of cake decorating, especially after seeing the works of them, them and them.  i do enjoy baking and more so i love making beautiful treats for others to eat, so i saw this as an opportunity to expand my currently very small skill set. i also highly recommend taking a class with a close pal, who will laugh with you as you photograph your food repeatedly and cover yourself head to toe with flour. bella your my best baking pal!

so after a fast 3 hour session, here is my masterpiece. not the best i've ever seen (please disregard the tissue used to hold up the bow until it hardens), but i'm happy to say it isn't the worst i could have done! I definitely need a lot more practice and have a lot more to learn, but what surprised me the most was just how easy fondant is to work with. in fact, incredibly so. i'd even argue that if you wanted to really impress guests and you didn't feel overly confident, go with fondant. I wouldn't say you could master it perfectly in one go, but i think you would very much surprise yourself at how good you are, like we did!

here is the coles notes version for those of you who might want to give this a whirl. start by baking your cake of choice. once it has cooled, shave off any rough edges or bubbles on the top to make your working surface as nice as straight as possible. mix up a basic butter cream recipe (like this one) and apply a quick thin coating of buttercream all over the cake to create your crumb coat, which will hold your fondant in place. next make sure your work surface for fondant is super clean (no crumbs to get stuck). then take some icing sugar and dust your work surface. grab your premixed and coloured fondant (use a brand like Satin Ice) and gently roll it out making sure not to flip it over, or allow it to stick to your surface. because of the gum in fondant it will roll crazy easy so all you need to do is make sure it's big enough for your cake. next drape it over your cake and lightly pat it into place, watching out for finger or nail marks as you press, and cut off any excess. quickly using your your left over fondant before it dries, you can cut out shapes, or roll into braids, or molds etc and attach these decorations using small dabs of water.

now i'm jazzed to find a pipping class as our next challenge and i'm pretty certain it is going to knock us off our chairs!

Broccoli & Orecchiette

this past holiday i put aside some extra time to test out a few new culinary dishes to mix things up. this broccoli orecchiette one is slightly adapted (based on what i had) from Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes. i will say, it's an excellent cookbook once you get the hang of it. i do promise to write-up a full review after I have tested a few more dishes from it. This orecchiette pasta meal is super easy, so great for busy evenings. but what i like even more about it is the use of the broccoli. aside from steaming it up, or chopping down into a salad, i'm always at a loss for creativity when it comes to broccoli, and i'm always looking for new ways to include more vegetables in my meals. This recipe will feed about 4 people, so serve i recommend serving it up with a simple kale salad on the side.

The What:

• 1 bag of orecchiette pasta
• 2 heads of broccoli
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• the juice from one lemon 
• 1 tbsp red pepper chili flakes (more can be added before eating)
• olive oil

The How:

de-stem and wash your 2 heads of broccoli. if you like to "de-hair or de-vain" the stems and eat them like i do, then clean then up, chop and throw them and one head of broccoli into a food processor or blender. add in two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and a glug of olive oil. next blend that all up into what looks like a paste and transfer it to a pan. heat it up on medium heat and add your lemon juice and chili flakes to the mix. allow that to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. next put a large pot water on the stove and bring it to a boil. while that heats chop up your other head of broccoli into small chunks and throw it into the pan, allowing it to steam and soften with your mixture. once the pot of boiling water is ready, salt the water and throw in that pasta. allow it to cook for the recommended time as identified on the package. once the pasta is done, strain it and throw it back in the pot. next take your pan of broccoli goodness and your left over parmesan and throw that over the pasta in the pot. mix it all together and serve it up! at this point eaters can add more parmesan, black pepper or more chili flakes to the bowl! enjoy!

**Pair this with a nice dry white wine like a Pino Grigo from Italy!

Hot Toddy to the Rescue

image via

this past week i was so sick, and I don't mean like the light sniffles sick. i mean brutally sick. two trips to the walk-in clinic and a wack of meds sick. it's been over a week that i have been off work with this very nasty flu, fever, congestion and bad cough. now that i am finally seeing the light at the end of this dark tunnel i am back to blogging. most times when i'm sick i really like to stay away from meds if i can avoid it. i strongly believe that the body should try and heal naturally with lots of healthy vitamin rich foods. when it comes to the common cold there is one thing that i find really does the trick - a warm hot toddy. Hot toddy recipes were traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet or cold weather. They are in many cases said to relieve the symptoms of your common cold and flu. Since yes, alcohol can dehydrate, i always follow up my hot toddy with two glasses of water (which also helps release any bad toxins in your body).

Here is my tried and true recipe 

• 50 ml of Whiskey or Bourbon (i personally love Bourbon) 
• 25 ml lemon juice and a wedge of lemon thrown in
• 3 cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 tsp honey

In a mug add in your whiskey, lemon juice and honey. Then take your three cloves and push them into your lemon wedge and add to the mug. Top up with boiling water and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Give it all a good stir and serve immediately to drink while hot. Follow up with two glasses of water to rehydrate the body.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

this week while cleaning out my pantry i noticed i had an extra can of ED Smith 100% pure pumpkin puree. I haven't made a single pumpkin cake before but decided why not give it a go, and actually, it was really good. so good in fact that I will definitely save this recipe to make again. when i was looking for a recipe to follow i noticed that they all had a basic standard mix of ingredients. so i took a list of those items and made a few modifications to suit what I already had handy at home. this pumpkin cake has such a lovely range of rich flavours that it's perfect for this time of year. it also makes a great dessert with a little added homemade cream cheese icing on top should you ever need a quick dinner party option. the next time I make this I think I might try substituting the cinnamon out for a dash of cardamom, just to mix it up.
what you will need:

• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
• ½ cup cooking oil
• 1 2/3 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp each salt, ginger, & ground cloves
• 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

the how to:
preheat your oven to 350 F. then beat together 1 cup of your brown sugar with your oil, canned pumpkin & eggs. separately mix together your flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cloves, and 1 tsp cinnamon (or other spices you choose). then take your wet pumpkin mixture and mix it with your  dry ingredients just enough to moisten all ingredients. spoon the mixture into a small greased cake pan. mix remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ tsp cinnamon and spread it over the top of the mixture before baking. bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Bakerbots Baking

on a quiet street, sitting peacefully beside Ossington station there is a teeny-tiny shop, with teeny-tiny treats, called Bakerbots Baking (@bakerbotsbaking) in toronto. if you haven't heard of Bakerbots you should. if you haven't been to toronto and want some of the best sweets in town, go here. this designer shop is a world unto itself and i'm so glad to have recently paid it a visit.  owner Rosanne Pezzelli from what I understand trained as an artist AND a baker. I know, right? Talk about a killer combo in the kitchen. specializing in non-traditional designer cakes, anything you can imagine Pezzelli can bring to life. this beautiful tiny shop is jam packed with some of the best looking sweets your mind can imagine, and it's cozy atmosphere will make you never want to leave. so don't. get yourself a london fog and an ice cream sandwich immediately. a friend had informed my husband and I that this shop created "the best ice cream sandwiches you will ever find" and omg. have they ever. the pictures here just do not do it justice. the concept is simple, you pick your fresh ice cream (i choose toffee) and your choice of homemade cookie (all dressed cookie for me), then they shape it all up into a halfmoon a few inches thick and hand it over to you in a perfect little french fry looking basket, which you then devour in the best messy fashion (asldkfnalsdn... oops sorry that was drool hitting my keyboard just thinking about it).  a good piece of advice if you go to the shop is ask for any ice cream sandwich pairing recommendations. i know it's the fall and some of you might think i'm crazy to still be eating ice cream but honestly, it's never too cold. anything you could want as a treat to eat or drink is always in season at Bakerbots. besides who doesn't love a shop that gives you a spaghetti noodle for a coffee/tea stir stick. I sure as heck do.

go here.

your taste buds will thank you.