Puffs of Doom

Quite a while ago at Big Star I met my friend Sara’s friends Rebecca and Luke. I found out that they were in the cream puff making business and their company is called Puffs of Doom. When I found out they were at the Logan Square indoor farmers market every week, we headed over to pay them a visit. I think that they’re onto something with this idea. The cream puff pastry, itself, is not super flavorful and Puffs of Doom has been very creative about the fillings they use. The pastry is a vehicle for whatever they want to put inside. When we visited them, they were serving:

  • Hot Puffs n’ Gravy (made with Mint Creek sausage)
  • Loaded Baked Potato (another hot puff)
  • Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate
  • Irish Creme
  • Blueberry Cheesecake

Jess and I split a loaded baked potato puff. It was so rich and savory. It tasted just like a loaded baked potato. And since I love Irish Creme, I could not resist that puff. The dessert puffs were smaller, which was a good thing because it was just the right amount of sweetness. Very good.

Puffs of Doom is constantly changing their menu for the season and the calendar. I remember talking to Rebecca about the special puffs they were making for Superbowl weekend and other events. I regularly check out their Facebook to see what kind of interesting combos they’re coming up with (you can also check Twitter if that is your thing). They’re super accommodating to people who have dietary restrictions, as seen above with the gluten-free puff. Watch for Puffs of Doom to continue to be at the Logan Square farmers market. They also regularly have puffs at Melt Sandwich Shop and do a lot of catering, so remember them for your next event!

Tessa Takes on Chicago


Tessa’s first CTA ride.


Tessa going to the American Girl store.


Tessa at the American Girl Beauty Salon. Her doll has the red dress on.


Tessa with her doll, Rebecca (or Becky), after the doll’s hair was styled by the experts.


Tessa and Becky on the mega-tron inside American Girl.


Tessa with Woody, who is made of Legos.


Tessa with the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups outside the Hershey’s store.


Weighing in at 5 pounds, this candy bar at the Hershey’s store was pretty difficult for Tessa to hold up!


Tessa was drawn to the horse-drawn carriages. She got to pet this horse.


Uh, she was also drawn to shoes in every store.


Kelly is in trouble with this one!


Such a diva!


She loved the tackiest, sparkliest, highest-heeled shoes!


Tessa’s first taxi ride. (She was talking on the phone to her dad and sisters.)

Over the weekend my cousin Kelly, her 6-year-old daughter Tessa, and friend Misty came from Green Bay to visit me in Chicago. Tessa got an American Girl doll for her birthday recently and wanted to visit the store to get some accessories and things for her doll. She had saved up her money and gift certificates and everything to do this!

To get to Water Tower Place, where American Girl is located, we took the Blue Line to the Red Line. This was Tessa’s first train ride in Chicago. She was born in Washington DC and I have been on the Metro with her there, but she was very young. I wondered if this was the first big-city mass-transit train ride she could remember and enjoy.

Once we got to Water Tower, Kelly and Tessa were kind of on their own. Instead of going to American Girl, I opted to get a relaxing manicure and pedicure and Misty decided to do some shopping on her own. We met back up and did some more shopping. Then picked up Tessa’s doll at the American Girl Beauty Salon where she was getting her ears pierced and her hair styled (I’m not even joking about this). Then we did more shopping. And then Kelly called me into the American Store again because Tessa’s photo was appearing on the big screen in the store! And then we did more shopping. And then we did more shopping. And then we went to dinner. Long day, but fun day! Tessa had a great time, I think we all did. We sure did crash when we got home, though! We had grand plans of wine for us and a bath in the jacuzzi for Tessa and we all ended up just going to bed!

The next day we made a trip to the Lincoln Park Whole Foods (3rd largest in the world) and then Kelly, Tessa and Misty were off for their long drive home. What a fun weekend! Thanks for visiting me, Tessa! (And Kelly and Misty.)

Which Costume Do You Like Best?

We had a Halloween costume contest in the Google office yesterday. About a third to a half of the people I work with dressed up. I didn’t dress up*, but was asked to be the office photographer. I took tons of photos of Halloween decorations, celebration, and costumes. Here are a few of my favorites. By the way, the Swedish Chef and SNL Pat tied for the best costume.

* As an adult, the only times I’ve dressed up on Halloween were in 2000 in San Diego and once in the Village Halloween Parade.

Nuns
Zach, Arnold, Victor as beer-swilling nuns

Clowns
Clowns: Receptionist, Patricia, Leisa

Gorilla
Paul Baker Gorilla Ping Pong

Hans & Frans
Sales girls as Hans & Frans

Pilot
Matt the pilot

Pirate & Swedish Chef
A pirate and Fitz as the Swedish Chef

rachel_vampire.jpg
Vampires?

SNL Pat
Rebecca & Danielle

Vodka Lemonade = The Death of Me

Life at Sea
Life at Sea, Wicker Park Summerfest, Wicker Park, Chicago

Down the Line
Down the Line, Wicker Park Summerfest, Wicker Park, Chicago

Rebecca at Pontiac Cafe
Rebecca at Pontiac Cafe, Wicker Park Summerfest, Wicker Park, Chicago

Kristin and Rachelle at Pontiac Cafe
Kristin and Rachelle at Pontiac Cafe, Wicker Park Summerfest, Wicker Park, Chicago

One minute I was at Wicker Park Summerfest sitting in the sun, drinking vodka lemonades and feeling hunkee doree.. and the next minute.. not so much. Not to get into gory details but that fair food I started eating right that moment probably wasn’t the best idea I’ve had in my life.