magical pink lake

Must get a pink boat to sail here, stat!

Situated north of the Cap Vert Peninsula in Senegal, northeast of Dakar, Lake Retba, is pinker than any milkshake you’ve ever come face to straw with.

Experts say the lake gives off its pink hue due to cyanobacteria, a harmless halophilic bacteria found in the water.

If the color weren’t enough to make you smile, it should be known that Lake Retba has a high salt content, much like that of the Dead Sea, allowing people to float effortlessly in the massive pink water. In fact, Lake Retba has an almost one and a half times higher salt content than the Dead Sea.

(via bangstyle)

what's for dessert? a miracle!

Want to mix things up a bit the next time you serve dessert?

Pass out some Miracle Fruit first!

Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is an awesome West African berry that temporarily modifies taste perception. Once it binds to your taste buds, you are only able to perceive sweet tastes. 

You can order it as tablets from Amazon: Miracle Frooties

The effects can last anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, so I recommend preparing a selection of foods for your guests before taking the tablets. 

I recently had a Miracle Fruit party and we served an assortment of fruits, dark chocolate, baker's chocolate, black coffee and unsweetened 100% cranberry juice. 

It takes a few minutes for the tablet to dissolve on your tongue before the "miracle" takes effect. We were unsure how we would know when it had started working, so we began by drinking the unsweetened cranberry juice. With the first sip, there was no question it was miracle time. This juice is usually so sour it is almost undrinkable, but under the magic spell of miracle fruit, it tasted sweeter than Ocean Spray!

By far the most interesting things to taste are the foods that are usually the most sour. Lemons, limes, and grapefruits were incredible. Slightly sour early summer blackberries were transformed into the ripest, most delicious berries you've ever tasted. Some of the naturally sweet fruits like oranges were almost too sweet to eat. The chocolate and coffee were interesting, but everyone agreed they were not as delicious as the fruit. At my next miracle fruit party, I want to try goat cheese or some dark beer (apparently it tastes like a milkshake!). 

[Photos courtesy of Michael Pieracci]

watercolor ombre

The watercolor effect on these vintage crepe paper balls is gorgeous! Why do I always find things on etsy after they've been sold?

[were available from ethanollie. via Frolic]

a floral take on ombre

I don't know about you, but I can't seem to get enough of ombre everything these days. I recently helped my friends at Oakland Bakes develop this cake using flowers to create a romantic ombre effect. We used ranunculus and cyclamen in shades ranging from white to bright pink. 

This cake makes me want to get married all over again!

top that cake

Need a special cake topper for your next celebration? My good friend Sarah is making these gorgeous gum paste letters.

She also does mini diplomas and numbers that are perfect for a graduation party!

Her glittery numbers are featured in the May issue of Martha Stewart Living.

[cake and cupcake photo from Signe Sugar, brownie photo from Martha Stewart]

go for the gold!

Let's say you are hosting a competition (like maybe a burger cook-off?) and you need a trophy. Let's say you forgot about it until the day before. So now you need it on the quick and preferably on the cheap. "Impossible!" you might say.

Nonsense! Just make one out of crap around your house (or crap you find in the clearance section of Target).

Now before I get your hopes up too high, you may be wondering, "Will this look as official as the trophy I got in second grade for playing soccer? Will people believe I spent a lot of money on this solid gold trophy?". The answer is no.

But stop right there. When was the last time someone made you a trophy? The question you should be asking is, "will it make someone's day to receive a handmade trophy even if it is a little crappy?". 

Of course it will!

There are many things you can use to make a trophy. The most important elements are:

1. A sturdy base (I've found empty yogurt containers work great for this)

2. A fun shape for the top (In this tutorial I'm using magic wands I found in the kid's party section of Target. For past cooking competitions, I've also used cheap-o spatulas I found at the dollar store)

3. Gold spray paint. This is non-negotiable. A trophy isn't a trophy if it isn't gold. 

Click below to see how easy it is:

mini flag garland

I've always loved Papel Picado (Mexican wedding flags), so I really flipped when I found a mini version while shopping in the Mission. These little flags were the perfect size for decorating a cake table, but I think they'd also be great in a window or on a mantel.

Now I want to hang them all over my house. 

Available in a whole rainbow of colors at Casa Bonampack. 

[cakes by Oakland Bakes]