I have the worst sore throat today. The only thing that is keeping me going at the office is cup after cup of this peppermint and licorice infused “Comforting” tea that I impulse shopped at Aveda a few months ago. It’s absolutely lovely. Wincing in pain every time I attempt to swallow a sip — not so much.

How cute are these organic alphabet pasta shapes from Trader Joe’s?! I’m 28 years old and I still couldn’t resist adding the package to my cart. I’m trying to decide what scrumptious dish I should make with them. So many possibilities…so little time. So what do you guys think? Any special recipe suggestions for the most adorable pasta shapes to ever grace my kitchen?

For the record I have been so incredibly impressed with all of the Tovolo products I’ve been using over the last few weeks. The molds I used for Popsicle Week were all distributed by Tovolo and the ice cream sandwich molds I tested for this post were no exception. With the assistance of these cute contraptions making ice cream sandwiches becomes incredibly easy. You begin by baking your favorite soft and chewy cookie recipe. I made a batch of Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, of course. Next, you allow them to cool slightly before cutting out the cookies with whichever shape you decide to use. This kit comes with a heart, star, and a squircle. I’m not making that up. They actually refer to the odd shaped mold as a “squircle.”  There’s also a kit that comes with animal shapes (a chicken, cow, and pig) if that’s more your style. After cutting out your cookie shapes let them cool completely on a wire rack. Finally, assemble the cookies by placing one cookie in the mold, adding a scoop of ice cream, topping with an additional cookie, and firmly applying pressure with the cookie press. Voila! A cute ice cream sandwich is born. If you aren’t going to eat the treats immediately you’ll definitely want to place them in the freezer as they start to melt quickly.

I can definitely imagine using something like this for a child’s slumber party, birthday party, or even as an interactive end to a grown-up dinner party. Just bake the cookie shapes ahead of time and set out the molds, ice cream, and bowls of sprinkles for your guests to use.

Note: There’s actually an “xoxo” engraved on the cookie press. I was really excited about this because it made me think of that show Gossip Girl. It’s hard to see in my photos, probably because of the type of cookie I baked, but I believe if you used a lighter colored sugar cookie or peanut butter cookie you’d be able to see the detail much more clearly.

PS: Many thanks to Anna D for giving me these as a birthday gift last month! Do my friends know me well, or what?

CK works from home now. I’ll give you a moment to digest that. Believe me I’m jealous on a daily basis as I drag myself out the door and he happily waves goodbye from the comfort of his Herman Miller Mirra chair in the new home office (formerly our guest bedroom). His new work day does have some perks. For example I can now ask him to fetch things at Whole Foods on an almost daily basis. Last week he filled our fridge with soda pop though.

I’m very anti calories in beverages that don’t come “shaken or stirred” so I was a little annoyed at this new caloric clutter, but than I figured “what the heck” and opened a bottle. I was quite surprised to discover that it was outstanding! “Grown-Up Soda” or “Gus” as its name has affectionately been shortened to is 100% natural and not super sweet like so many other sodas and colas. In fact Gus is actually sweetened with natural cane sugar. It’s also kosher and doesn’t contain preservatives or caffeine and at only 90 - 98 calories in each 12oz. bottle you wont completely ruin those morning runs if you occasionally treat yourself. And believe me, you’re going to want to indulge.

So far I’ve fallen in love with the Ginger Ale (I may never buy Schweppes again) and CK is gaga over the Dry Cola. The Cranberry Lime is probably my second favorite choice since it tastes like a Cosmo minus the vodka. Note to self: try with booze! There are other flavors too such as Dry Pomegranate, Meyer Lemon, and Crimson Grape. Ready to sample this soda for yourself? To find out where you can buy Gus in your area please check out the Grown-Up Soda map.

I’m an impulse shopper, especially when it comes to kitchen gadgets and products.  If you show me something pretty, shiny, or god forbid pink and it somehow relates to cooking than I absolutely have to possess it.  So when I got a new product email from Williams-Sonoma last week featuring animal crackers on parade and the promise of making them in my own home I went temporarily insane and made a beeline straight to the store to pick up the cookie cutters and a mix to try at home.

In some ways these purchases remind me of the way it used to feel when I was a kid and I would successfully talk my mom into buying me yet another She-Ra doll even though someone really should have put up a “no vacancy” sign at the Crystal Castle long ago.  The fictional inhabitants of the Whispering Woods were already experiencing some serious overflow into my Victorian dollhouse, and the dollhouse dwellers were unimpressed cohabiting with a group of buxom, pastel haired gladiators.  Or so I would imagine… but I had to have more!

Today I decided to test out the animal cracker kit so I mixed up the dough, chilled it, and cut out the cute little circus shapes.  I had a hard time at first.  The lions were being stubborn and I broke a lot of the giraffes’ necks, but somehow via some miracle I didn’t have a fit and I got everything cut out, chilled again, and properly baked.  The cookie mix was very good.  It almost tastes exactly like animal crackers from the store.  The clerk at Williams-Sonoma told me that he had tested the mix as well and he thought the baked cookies tasted like the animal crackers he ate as a kid, which apparently are not how animal crackers taste now.  While I can remember copious details about She-Ra, I’m at a loss when it comes to flavor memory so I’ll take his word for it.

I think that kids would love making these!  I don’t have any, but I have a CK and he happily munched a small plate with a glass of milk.  So now I own animal cracker cookie cutters forever and ever.  Who thinks I’ll ever use them again?

Note: Just so that you’re aware, if you purchase the cookie cutters the back of the circus car shaped box has a recipe on it so you don’t necessarily have to purchase a pre-made mix.

CK brought this Rachel’s Yogurt home for me. Do you think he’s trying to tell me something? “Relax” you say? What’s that?! If it really did chill me out I’d buy a case. Maybe two. Sadly, this definitely didn’t do anything of the sort as it unfortunately had a very unpleasant almost chalky taste to it. I couldn’t even finish it.

In addition to the Vanilla Chai, CK also bought a selection of other flavors and I haven’t heard any complaints. I had a bite of the Pomegranate Blueberry and it was excellent. I guess the moral of the story is that you can’t eat your feelings away. My Wheat Thins addiction might have something to say about that but we’ll tackle those issues another day. In the meantime I’ll be sticking with my Maple flavored Wallaby.

[PS: We originally discovered the existence of this yogurt via Rachel's Bite].