Pinkberry, I am Under Your Spell.

I was not having a great morning, and that not so great morning turned into an awful afternoon.  But lucky for me, the husband knew just how what would cheer me up: Cupcakes.
We drove to Arden, parked in the cramped lot, got out & started walking through the parking lot (and I mean through. This Sacramento heat & air is so thick that it feels like you have to physically push your way through it). That is when I saw it. The fabled Pinkberry.
On a whim we changed our minds and passed up the cupcake for some fro-yo.

The inside of Pinkberry on Arden Way gives off a really calm feel. All pale mossy green and white, with flooring that looks like it's made of a million tiny pebbles, with sunny orange & yellow accents.  Super inviting.You can tell by this choice of decor that it's based in SoCal- it reminds me of the beach in early Summer. The staff was really helpful & nice, taking time to explain everything to us & offering samples of their fro-yo flavors.

You can get fro-yo in a handful of flavors like original, pomegranate, coconut, mango chocolate, as well as flavors like watermelon than change depending on the season.

They've also got smoothies & parfaits, and you can even get your dessert in a cone if you'd like.

There are tons of toppings to choose from including fresh fruit, cereal, cookies, nuts & syrups.  

The Arden location is happy to give you as much as you'd like in the way of toppings and you still pay the advertised price.  

Jude & I both opted for the original flavor yogurt which tastes just like a creamy Greek yogurt that's been frozen. This is the real deal. I don't think I have ever had REAL fro-yo before. Whatever those other places are serving is NOT yogurt.  I got fresh raspberries & honey roasted sunflower seeds while Jude chose kiwi & strawberry.  It was so good, I don't think I can accurately describe how yummy it was.

Like the shop itself, the fro-yo was fresh, it was clean, & it was really, really inviting. I hope to be back very, very soon.

Pinkberry is located at 2100 Arden Way #195, Sacramento CA 95825
There's also a newly opened location in Loehmann's Plaza at 2441 Fair Oaks Blvd #120, Sacramento CA 95825

A Book Worth Reading

Earlier in the week, I visited our local library in search of a book about Sensory Processing Disorder, but when they didn't have it, I went searching for something else. Anything else.  It's against my personal beliefs to leave a library empty-handed.

2 years ago I picked up a copy of "She's Come Undone" at the Salvation Army.  I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I took it with me on a camping trip and by the time the 3 day weekend was over, I had finished it.  It was amazing.
Intense, no holds barred realism.
So, when I saw "I Know This Much is True" on the library shelf, I knew it was a book for me.Wally Lamb doesn't paint a pretty picture of his characters. They are flawed and not all of their imperfections are endearing.  But that's what I like about his books. People in real life are not perfect. We are more often jealous & antagonistic than we are altruist.
Yet, his characters do find some redemption in the end.
They don't all end up with flawless white picket fence lives but they end up with what they need, and isn't that the way it should be?  I'd rather have the things I need over the things I want.
"I Know This Much is True" is centered around the life of Dominick, a twin who's other half is a paranoid schizophrenic. He goes on a journey, both literally and within himself, to find answers to the questions of why he is living this life, and what decisions beyond his own have lead him here. He's not the selfless savior of his brother that one would expect from the hero in any other novel. He's got depth, and the story is sometimes almost too intense.  
Wally Lamb can get a little wordy, but I like that. I want all the details, I don't care how many paragraphs it takes to explain something- the more I can see it in my head, the better.
If you're looking for some Summer reading that's a bit darker than the usual paperback, this book is probably perfect for you.  It's one of those books that you can't read all at once, you have to stop and think about it for a bit before you're ready to pick it up again.
It's not going to leave your head immediately, it's a book that will stay with you for a long time, and that's the difference between a book you like and a book you love.

Give me cookies or give me death!

The Cookie Company, located at 710 Main St, Woodland, CA has HANDS DOWN the best cookies in the Universe (aside from mine, this is one thing I can brag about in good conscience). I usually hate store bought cookies. They are nasty and taste like chemicals and are made with Maude knows what.

But not these cookies. These cookies are baked fresh every morning by people who love what they do.

This place has been around for as long as I can remember.  

My mom used to go to the Cookie Company once a month on a Wednesday to buy the frosted sugar cookies for my sister, brother & I, and whenever we were having some kind of special day she'd take us there & buy us our favorite cookie. Mine was always the Chocolate Crackle. Oh my god, you have not eaten a cookie until you've tried one of those!

Recently, I had been visiting some folks in Woodland and as I was heading down Main Street on my way to the freeway, I spotted the sign and pulled over on a whim.  It had been years since I'd been in there but I HAD to go.  It was pretty much the same as I remembered it: clean, friendly with a  nice display of their cookies and a couple of tables inside.

Shrinky was with me & with her help we bought 6 cookies for $1.10 each- plus it was buy 6 get one FREE, (yay! we love FREE!) so we were able to take some home to the boys.

I had a Rascal: peanut butter dough mixed with chocolate dough baked together to create what I can only assume Heaven tastes like.  Look at that cookie. I know you want a bite. Sorry, that baby is long gone! 

Shrinky enjoyed her Oatmeal Raisin cookie while sitting on the cute little bench perched just in front of the store.

The Cookie Company is well worth the drive to Woodland from anywhere in the Greater Sacramento area.
They do have a few other locations but be sure to stop into this one. 

Main Street, Woodland is a nice place to take a stroll while eating a giant snickerdoodle. 

You can enjoy the site of the beautiful Historic Opera House and peruse the many Antique shops or an of the other locally owned small businesses that are once again nestled along Woodland's one-time main thoroughfare. 

Give them a try!

New York Bagel & Cafe- Rancho Cordova

I have recently been on a crusade to patronize local businesses as often as my bank account will allow.
 I drive past this place on an almost daily basis and have been wanting to give it a try for quite some time.

New York Bagel & Cafe is located in a shopping center on Olson Drive, right near the Michael's & newly remodeled Target store.

The cafe has outdoor seating and the atmosphere inside is very inviting.  

It's slightly dim, but not dark, which makes me think it'd be a great place for a first date. Cozy but not too romantic. It's very clean and you can tell the owner's take pride in their business. 

They have a good selection of sandwiches, including Vegetarian options, yummy salads, fresh fruit, soups, breakfast fare, and of course bagels.
Lot's of bagels. In every flavor you can think of.

Now, this might sound silly, but I was really impressed with their drink selection.  

They serve Java City coffee (yay! local coffee!) and can make you any fancy shmancy coffee concoction you desire.  But it doesn't end there- they have the usual fountain sodas, but they also make smoothies, have a ton of juice options and the thing that got my kids really excited- Apple Cider in mini bottles.  

There were two people working when I came in with 3 of my kids in tow.  

The 20-something guy taking orders was really nice & very patient w/o being patronizing, as I struggled to order while trying to keep my Aspie son from flapping & running in circles.  

We ordered 2 sandwich specials, 2 extra drinks & 2 bagels with cream cheese.

My total was a mere $25.05- sandwich combos being just $6.70 a piece & including chips & a fountain drink.

Food was prepared & ready within 5 minutes.

I got the hummus sandwich on dutch crunch w/all the veggies (lettuce, peppers, tomato, sprouts) and provolone cheese. 

The sandwich was really flavorful which surprised me because usually when I get a sandwich with hummus, it's pasty & bland. 

This one was not. I was impressed.

The kid's bagels were toasty & had a generous slathering of warm cream cheese.  

This is where I think most bagel places get it wrong- they usually slop some cold cream cheese on top of their bagels and it just ruins it.  New York Bagel & Cafe makes no mistakes here, though. 

The bagels are fresh and made in-house. You don't have to worry about getting a rock hard bagel. 

These are delicious! 

This is by far my new favorite local place and I'll be back soon!

New York Bagel & Cafe is located at 10929 Olson Drive, rancho Cordova, CA.

They are open 5:30am-6pm Mon-Sat and 6:00am-4:00pm Sunday.

Stop by & try them out, you won't regret it!