Sarah Jackson: Food, flowers and family: a weekend list

Today I have five random things to tell you:

1. This paleo "fudge" is my kryptonite.

Some days, I eat it for every meal. It goes especially well with berries in the early morning hours. It also goes well with whipped cream. And waffles. And tea. And coffee.

I ate this fudge for breakfast before I took the GRE last week, along with waffles and eggs, because it caffeinates me in all the right ways. It makes me focused and energized without giving me jitters. Tea and coffee cannot caffeinate me to perfection like this fudge can. Hey, just consider me a master caffeiniologist, Jack. In the same way an anesthesiologist creates an anesthesia plan for his patients, I create caffeine plans by calculating an exact ratio of caffeine to bodily mass and then prescribing the amount of caffeine necessary to conquer the day. It's a precise science that saves lives.

I'd like to take a moment to prescribe you three doses of this fudge. You can thank me later. Also, I accept payment in all forms, as long as those forms are some sort of chocolate.

I figured I should pack some fudge for my 10-minute break halfway through the GRE, so I did. When my 10-minute break arrived, I rushed out to my locker, reached for my fudge, and noticed it was no longer in recognizable little discs. Instead, it was an oozing, melted blob. So I reached my fingers in the container, swiped a glob of the delightful mess, and stuffed it in my mouth. I swiped and stuffed at a rapid speed, until the proctor came in, kindly overlooked the chocolate that was all over my hands, and called me back in to finish the test. I can't say for sure, but I imagine any favorable test results were at least in part due to this fudge's ample gift of caffeine.

2. Brussel sprouts are my other kryptonite. I have no self control when I'm around brussel sprouts. I eat them all —every single fairy-sized cabbage—until there are no more brussel sprouts to be found in my house.

This is probably because I tend to cook brussel sprouts with bacon.

I really know how to make vegetables go down easy here at Ristorante Jackson. You're welcome to eat with me anytime.

3. These roses have been my steady companions for three years.

When I first bought them, they were rainbow roses, each sporting ribbons of red, orange and yellow. They reminded me of the sticky wad of Starbursts I liked to moosh together and gnaw on when I was a kid. I couldn't look at my rainbow roses without salivating. But now, their rainbow colors have faded and they're mellow yellow. They still bring me loads of pleasure, though.

4. There's a tree beyond my deck that sprouts fairy bells every November.

Can you spot the bumble bee looking for the best entrance to this nectar cup?

I imagine that, in fairy land, when a breeze comes and shakes this tree, it sounds like a tinkling symphony of wind chimes.

5. This week I've missed the chilly fall weather I enjoyed last weekend in Washington.

But you know what I haven't missed? My dad! He's in town visiting for awhile, so I've gotten to enjoy his company, all to myself.

Whenever he comes down we like to go to Laguna Beach where we soak up the sun and enjoy the beauty of Laguna's many turquoise coves. We often pack a picnic and munch till our hearts' content under the smiling sky.