no recipe today. i did make buttered pecan ice cream last week. i gave most of it to a friend and kept a bit aside to blog, but…

i ate it. all.

it didn’ stand a chance. no way. salty, buttered pecans, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and makers mark…all together. in ice cream.

yeah, not a chance.

instead, some pictures of a few of my favorite items: a chair i rescued from the roadside, some of my favorite jewels…including my bonbons, and a pair of long-coveted boots found on sale :)

last night we threw a birthday party…for me. whoo! big 2-5! haha. usually we partake in these sorts of festivities at my best pal brooke’s house. however, as she is currently dog sitting her parents 4 dogs in addition to her 2, we decided that a party + 6 pups might be a bit overwhelming for all involved.

i made my own cakes :) a very small chocolate cake with oreo fluff frosting and this beauty. it is chocolate meringue layered with Vietnamese coffee ice cream, topped with freshly whipped cream and grated chocolate. i think the photo below speaks for itself…

i’ve been watching and reading the news as much as i can the last few days, having a party seemed a little innapropriate. but, in the end, having my friends around was perfect…it reminded me of why my priorities are what they are.

so, i briefly mentioned this swap i am participating in and one of the requirements was to post a photo on the ol’ blog…so here it is.

included in my basket for a certain lovely lady (who i serendipitously share a first initial with…and then some…shhh, identity is still a secret…)

that’s what i think every time i think of cantaloupe…it’s from some corny joke, like: why was the groom so sad before the wedding? because he can’t elope (cantaloupe…ah-hahaha!)!!!! or something like that…

lame jokes aside, i wanted some sorbet in a bad way because it’s pretty much almost summer…except we’ve been having some strange weather out here in the great northwest of nevada. afternoon thunder storms have been gracing us since the beginning of last week (love the stormy weather…it’s scarce ’round these parts). very strange, but very nice. as you can see, i made sorbet anyway, because i do what i want…

the sorbet was quite cantaloupey, as to be expected. it tasted pretty much like frozen cantaloupe, no complaints, but i think some mint or other herb would have added a little something. i have watermelon sorbet planned later this week and i picked up some mint to go with, should be delightful if the cantaloupe sorbet is any gauge for other melony frozen treats.

i also have a non-food realted post coming up soon for this amazing swap i am participating in. i am assembling my box of goods soonly and i am so excited! it was organized by the always inspiring, lovely lady nadia of la porte rouge. her blog is where i go to soak in all things pretty…go there, bask in the loveliness…

cantaloupe sorbet
i looked at one recipe, then i decided to just go for it.

peeled, seeded and chopped cantaloupe from a 3.5 (ish) lb. melon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup water

heat sugar with water and juice in a medium saucepan until sugar dissolves completely. bring to a simmer and simmer for about a minute. remove from heat and allow to cool while you peel, seed and chop melon.

puree cantaloupe in blender or processor with syrup until smooth. chill completely in the refrigerator. freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

as i mentioned in my last post, my preschool class graduated on tuesday. very exciting for them. they all think their big now, going off to kindergarten and honestly, they are big now! i’ve been working at that school since some of them were squishy little 2-year-olds, so to see them grown and learn and develop has been amazing. i made them some chocolate, graham and marshmallow cupcakes that i have been wanting to make forever…any excuse to bust out the torch…

the cupcakes went over well with the kiddlets…they all scurried straight toward the refreshments as soon as the ceremony ended…bypassing parents and grandparents with cameras. however, marshmallows all over their faces is always a good sign, and a good photo op too. i don’t know how well the treats went over with the parents as they had to cart their sugar-high kids home and try to get them to bed afterward, but it was a special occasion…so, i guess i don’t feel bad at all ;) hopefully running around the classroom during the reception burnt off some of that excited energy.

i should mention that the cake batter overflowed…a lot…i only filled the cups 3/4 of the way up, but i think that maybe my oven was too hot…i don’t know, but that was the only disapointment i had with this recipe and it was probably error on my end. they have all the goodness of a s’more in cupcake form, so i don’t really know how anyone wouldn’t like these…unless they don’t like s’mores, in which case i really don’t know what to say to that… :)

chocolate graham and marshmallow cupcakes
the recipe can be found here. i didn’t deviate at all from the original recipe so, i thought i just post the link…plus i’m being lazy and you know, typing just takes it out of me. happy weekend!