i scream.

Has anyone else been craving ice cream, like, every single day? Seriously, it's a problem.

It's also a serious problem that we have Cabot's, an old-fashioned diner/ice cream parlor just up the street from our house. I like to think the walk there burns some calories. But that's a lie when I'm eating monstrosities like this. (And yes, I ate the whole thing.)

Speaking of ice cream, some things I want to try:

Ritz cracker ice cream sandwiches.

Chocolate and salted caramel pudding pops. 

Giant ice cream sandwich.

Blueberry muffin ice cream.

speaking of sugar.

Stormy weather puts me in a baking mood, and in case you haven't heard, we're experiencing a bit of that here on the east coast. Luckily, we haven't experienced too much severe weather in Charleston yet, even though Irene is currently spinning a little too close to comfort.

I made sugar cookies last night. Despite being a close second to chocolate chip in my book, I've never actually tried to make them. Silly me. This recipe was ridiculously easy. And delicious. I would be gorging on them now if my stupid dog hadn't eaten all of the leftovers. Oh well, guess I'll have to bake some more, but tonight I'm trying my hand at chicken pot pie, another first. I'll let you know how it goes. 

happy easter.

via eclectic recipes.

I'm hosting a little last-minute brunch in the backyard. Wish me luck! What do you have planned this Easter Sunday?

foolproof banana bread.

I'm still honing my baking skills. The last time I tried something a little bit complicated (chocolate cupcakes with Nutella icing), they didn't turn out and I ended up throwing a cupcake across the room. And then my dog ate it, and I worried that he would die from the chocolate. But he didn't.

There are a few recipes that I just can't seem to screw up, though. This banana bread recipe, for example, is so incredible forgiving. Last time I made it, I only used two bananas instead of four. I didn't have enough sugar so I added brown sugar to make up for it. I didn't have butter so I used margarine. I completely forgot the egg. And I threw in a ton of chocolate chips for good measure. As always, it turned out delicious. Next time you have some overripe bananas, don't throw them away. Make this.

roots.

Some stories are just so much fun to write it doesn't even feel like work. For my article on Roots Ice Cream, a brand new Charleston company, I got to sample ice cream flavors like sweet tea, beet, hushpuppy brulee, strawberry cilantro, and "Coffee and Cigarettes" (coffee and tobacco).

If you're in Charleston, keep your eye out for them at local farmers markets and try the weirdest thing on the menu — and you won't be disappointed.

mochi mochi.

Inspired by a thorough perusing of Oh Joy's foodie blog, which I just discovered, I picked up some new items at H&L Asian Supermarket in North Charleston. My favorite? Mikawaya's mochi, a Japanese dessert consisting of ice cream wrapped in a chewy rice dough.

divine desserts.

Last week I stopped by Charleston's newest gourmet to-go restaurant. Owned by two chefs, Twenty Six Divine sells creative lunch items, vacuum sealed dinners for two, and some beautiful amazing, little desserts. Best of all: It's pretty dang affordable.


Check out their menu here. And if you're in the market for a personal chef, Chef Enan has his own company on the side. Read my full Charleston City Paper article here.