Lunch break! Noshing in Philadelphia

There are certain days that are absolutely made for open-air dining. You know the ones--blue skies, zero humidity, light breeze--when those friendly little street-side cafes just seem to call out, "Come! Stay awhile! We have wine!"

Okay, well maybe not always that last part. In any event, my boyfriend and I found ourselves in Philadelphia on just such a Saturday not long ago. We contemplated our dining options: Reading Terminal Market? Always a hit--no matter what you or your dining partner are in the mood for, you both can let the spirit move you until you find the cuisine you fancy. Margaret Kuo's? One of our favorites during undergrad, but alas, neither of us were having that very particular craving for Asian at the moment. The choice, it seemed, was clear:

Creperie Beau Monde.

Snickerdoodles: Sugar-Coated Nostalgia

This past weekend, I hopped a train and chugged down the Northeast Corridor to the City of Brotherly Love--Philadelphia, home of such illustrious denizens as the Liberty Bell and the cheesesteak. I was invited to a party given by a friend of mine who'd just graduated from college the week before, and as I welcome any excuse to return to Philly, I was more than happy to attend.

Cookies for a Cause! -- Share Our Strength Bake Sale

This weekend, I had the privilege of helping out at the Great American Bake Sale's New York City location. The event was organized by the nonprofit group Share Our Strength, which works to educate people about childhood hunger and, by increasing awareness, take steps to supply children with healthy, affordable food. I found out about the bake sale as I was perusing one of the other baking blogs I frequent, and I thought it sounded like a fantastic opportunity to give back (after volunteering became second nature to me during my undergrad years, it seems odd to me that it's so hard to get involved now).

If you give a Tara a cookie...

Well, clearly she'll want some milk to go with it, but the cookie is the only real non-negotiable part. On this, a gorgeous Mother's Day weekend, Middle Chip and a took a mid-morning jaunt to a lovely little mecca called Milk & Cookies. We oohed. We aahed. We got there 20 minutes after opening.

Cookie porn after the jump.

Throwback: The Boss

No, not Bruce Springsteen.

I'm talking about a far sweeter sort of boss...the Cake Boss. A few months ago, the Little Chips and I decided to make a journey--a pilgrimage, really--to the now-infamous Carlo's Bakery. We had seen too many delicious cookies and pastries and cannolis consumed on our TV screens to go another day without tasting them ourselves.