dessert. again.

I love baking. Especially with friends, and especially when it turns out perfectly.

We couldn't wait for the chocolate to set up so it started leaking out, until I blocked it.

Surprise under-layer + walnut crust.

Yum.

Hazelnut Ice Cream

My first attempt at making homemade ice cream. This is the 'cooling the custard' step:

It was helpful to have a freezer outside the kitchen door, especially since there was zero room in the fridge due to Thanksgiving leftovers.

I ground up some roasted hazelnuts and added them to the custard base before spinning it around in the ice cream maker. It was delicious and so fast. Well I should explain, the churning part was fast, but overall it was absolutely not quick because I messed up each step a minimum of one time. However, I learned how to make ice cream just right and next time it will be fast. This batch took me 4 hours!

Summer and Fall

Here's what the weather is like these days,

but I wish it was this time again:

Mom and I at the beach

Dad and Ian chatting it up with Roger

I miss California

Can you guess what this is?

It lives in a mason jar...

...it's not preserved fruit, but you can eat it...

...and it's delicious!

It's jarred banana bread! Yum.

Pretty Amazing

can you guess what this is?

there's my pretty car in the background

the skinny tree finally busted out the top!

the beautified sign

I love it!

Summer Sisters

i may never get used to this blogging thing, but i'm gonna try.

let's just pretend this was posted in early august because that's when i intended to post it.

here's some of my summer-time loveliness:

concerts in the park

with massive throngs of people

tons of yoga

the most adorable snow vehicle

and a moose enjoying the wildflowers in albion basin

amusement of the day, a kiwi inside of a kiwi

the farmer's market (nanny job- not hers)

catching babies

it's been a good summer.

Love of my life

This is the best photo I've ever taken of John. It captures something wonderfully beautiful which is not always easy to get into picture form. John says he looks terribly exhausted (which he was).

As you may know, I love chocolate croissants and tea. It was a really good morning.

Dreaming

I've had my eye on this pretty thing since it came out last year, I would love to pass along my clanking clunky old mixer to a deserving little sister and get a shiny red one!

Donna of Fab Frugal Food, is having a giveaway and I aim to win it. Check out her blog, there are tons of tips and suggestions for great food on a budget as well as millions of recipes.