saturday marketing, chicago-style.

This past weekend I was in Chicago visiting my sister for a short weekend away. Though it started out with horrendous traffic and what felt like the longest drive of my life, the rest of the weekend was low-key and casual: just the way I like my work-free weekends! While there, Emma took me to the Green City Market where I came face-to-face with the fact that summer is nearly over! Once the most hated time of year,

with the emminent demise of the carefree summer, I now delight in the heat of August with the thought of all the juicy and plump tomatoes soon to be plucked from their vines and popped in my mouth. Nearly every bin at the market was spilling over with tomatoes of every variety, shape, color, and size. I could hardly keep my hands from grabbing every last one.

At the market we came across the Snooklefritz booth. Now, when I see ice cream, I stop. I'm like a moth to a flame. I love ice cream. I heart it, in fact. And this summer I've been making it a lot (probably because it's about a ba-gillion degrees here), including creating my own ice cream cake! So of course I had to check 'em out. Packed in some plain beverage coolers under an unassuming tent, lay the best dang ice cream I've EVER tasted. Emma was a little skeptical at first, but when we got to the "counter" we decided on 2 scoops: 1 sour cherry and goat cheese ball and 1 blackberry and creme fraiche. The blackberry was a deep, reddish-purple beet-colored ball and the sour cherry was a pale pink with red flecks and creamier texture.

Unbelievable. Not only did they taste flipping amazing separately, but together it was like all the happiness in the world was flooding to my mouth. By the time we finished the bowl I wanted another. I so desperately wanted to run back to the booth and shake the scooper's hand, but I thought that might freak her, and the rest of Chicago, out. So instead I decided to sing their praises here.

I also got to catch up with my dear friend Nicole, the proud owner and creator of Truffle Truffle. She showed me the ins and outs of her little truffle factory and I got to see what life is like up to your arms in chocolate!

Though short, my getaway was much needed and a great way to revive after a long summer.