Sweet

The one thing I will always love about IKEA soft serve is how cheap and simple it is. It's like instant gratification that reminds me of childhood. And how no matter how horrible things get, everything's going to be ok.

I've been sorta taking some time off since returning from San Francisco. It's like recovering from a storm. Renegade Craft San Francisco was a fantastic show…in fact, it was the best show I have ever done! Starting next month, I'm going to start phasing out the knitwear. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but I decided it wasn't worth all the time I had invested in it. I hardly sell any online through Etsy, but almost always nearly sell out when I do a show like Unique LA or Renegade Craft. I need to move on to something that sells more consistently and something that I also enjoy making. Over the years, I've grown to dread making knitwear. What once was a hobby I loved is now a chore that I loathe. Also, just keeping a yarn stash around so I can fill orders when needed takes up a HUGE amount of space which I don't have. Yarn currently takes up about 50% of the real estate of my room.

I've also been thinking about my job situation, but also enjoying this time away from a day job. But the time is drawing near when I will need to make a decision and just stick with it for a bit…just long enough to afford to move out and get going in a direction.

I have a few things I'm working on right now which I'll talk about soon. But until then, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Farmers' Market Grub

Waking up early has been such a challenge since the semester ended. And today I was finally able to wake up early enough to make it over to the Alhambra Farmers' Market. Alhambra's Farmers' Market is fairly small but I can always rely on it to provide me with an awesome brunch. Well what I really mean is, I love going there just to get pupusas. If you've never had or heard of a pupusa, it's this El Salvadorean dish that's kinda like a flattened grilled pancake version of a tamale. It looks like a thick pancake made of masa but it's filled with pork, beans, and cheese. Then it's topped with curtido, which is a vinegar-based cabbage slaw, and some salsa.

The pupusas are made on the premises by the folks from Pupusa Y Mas. And if you eat them while they're still hot, they're oh so gooey. 

After devouring the pupusas, I had to head over to the Paradise Cookies truck which parks themselves at the market every week. Their cookies are so perfect. They're crunchy around the outside but gooey & soft in the inside. I love their peanut butter chocolate cookies (chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips). And unlike other gourmet/specialty food trucks (that are trendy right now), they're local to the San Gabriel Valley (they usually only stay in the Alhambra/South Pas area) and support other Alhambra business (i.e. Fosselman's). They serve up Fosselman's ice cream and they also make ice cream sandwiches with it. 

Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream with Peanut Butter Chocolate cookies

And anyone who knows me knows that I can't talk about ice cream without talking about Fosselman's. I went to high school in Alhambra and it was very common for girls from my school to get a summer job at Fosselman's. They're a little family owned place that's been in business for 91 years. And they've consistently been voted best ice cream in LA. Their ice cream is made with 60% butter fat and handmade using fresh ingredients. I mostly love they're fresh fruit ice creams. They have seasonal flavors that are just as seasonal as the fruit they're made with. My personal favs are the Peach ice cream and the Blueberry. The Peach ice cream is available now until (roughly) the end of August. So go get some! You won't regret it! But also don't blame me if you start craving it at all hours of the day.