Happy Day

Well, I've had a wonderful spring day. Kendall, Will, and I went to Glacier Ridge Metro Park for some walking and playtime (and I didn't think I had my camera, so no pictures). It was a nice time; if you are in the area, it has a nice playground and a short trial which I'm sure will be much more impressive in the summer.

Then, to bribe the boy to leave, we went to Jeni's for some Splendid ice cream. Today, I had the Gooey Butter Cake (with these huge chunks of almost caramelized brown sugar - amazing!). Kendall tried the Brown Butter Almond Brittle. I am hard pressed to select a favorite, because everything there is so incredible!

They did this cute bunting made of brown paper bags in the window. The other side said "Bake Shop" in stenciled letters. A creative, economical way to dress up a window for a party, perhaps.

A few steps from Jeni's is my LYS, Temptations. It wasn't opened, but we wandered around and found a cozy little outside nook that was so photo-worthy, I had to take a few snaps.

The porch is decorated with huge mill ends of yarn - yes, they were tempting, but a little dirty!

Just to the right of this . . .

Is this pretty old door

Turn around and you'll see this fantastic bench . . .

by this ivy covered tree

Around a corner, and you are by the entrance and this well-loved bench

And this was waiting on the steps. A little piece of nature.

Hope your day was lovely!

An Ode to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

If you have read the Ravelry blog, The Yarn Harlot, or any foodie blog in existence, you most likely have heard of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, the most magnificent ice cream EVER created. Jeni's was founded in 2002 by Jeni Britton Bauer with the goal of creating artisinal ice creams that were high on flavor (goal met) and low on super-sweetness (again, perfection achieved). The ice creams are made with "fresh ingredients found in the Ohio countryside as well as responsibly-raised exotics from around the world"; all of the sauces, pralines, and additional toppings are created in Jeni's kitchen in Columbus, OH.



I was skeptical at first. I could not get my mind wrapped around Salty Caramel and Thai Chili (peanut butter and coconut with just the right am out of spice to remind one of Thai peanut sauce)ice cream. Then I tasted it. And the Gods sang and the angels descended from heaven. Truly, as an ice cream aficionado, I have never experienced pure nirvana as that first bite of Jeni's.



This is a Black and Tan sundae (this is not related, but they make stout ice cream; it's a favorite). Salty Caramel Ice cream, salted almonds, hot fudge, caramel, and fresh whipped cream with a waffle cone wedge (home made that day, of course). I think manna from heaven possibly tasted like this sundae.



The Dublin location is a study in white and blond wood. The light fixtures are reclaimed milk bottles.

Floats are made with Dry Brand sodas, in flavors like Lavender, Juniper Berry, and Kumquat. I've been a bit of a chicken about these sodas, being a Coke Zero maniac, but they make nice pictures, like here:



And here (along with part of the sundae menu):



Please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and visit Jeni's on your next trip to the Columbus area. You can find locations here. If you can't even imagine visiting Columbus (why you wouldn't want to is beyond me; High Street alone is worth the trip), then you can order pints from Jeni's website or Dean and Deluca (if that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is!).



Jeni's Festive Holiday Cheer