Ballard Farmer's Market

I finally got to the Ballard Farmer's Market .  It is one of my favorites and I have been wanting to go for weeks now but we have been so busy that it took awhile to work it in to our weekend plans.  The assortment of goods is simply amazing.  Here, just a few shots of my take from the day.  

The $10 market bouquet

One of my big reasons for wanting to get there was to buy some "shrubs" from by far my FAVORITE vendor, Sweet Caroline's Jams and Jellies.  These aren't plants, they are drinking shrubs. (look them up on wiki for a detailed history. It's quite interesting) The flavor combinations are amazing and it was difficult to pick just one, so of course, I bought 3!  Mixed with a little Perrier and ice they are incredibly refreshing.  You can also use them for a mixer with alcohol....more on that later!  The jams also combine fruits and flavors that are unusual.   I'm sure before the summer is over I will have tried them all!

That's right, made with vinegar!  

Colonial Era...Don't you love it!?

I also bought a marionberry lime vanilla jam~ yum!

Do you have a farmer's market nearby?  What's your favorite thing about them? Besides all the produce, flowers, meat and baked goods, it's always fun to see the musicians, the people and of course the dogs!  There were so many dogs at the market today.  That would be a fun post in itself sometime.... 

MEOW

"Flame", one of the adoptable kitties. My daughter thought Flame looked like Jim Gaffigan....

What kind of people go to Cat Cafes??  People like US!  Back in March, my kids had spring break but we were very busy and didn't have a lot of time for a vacation.  Soooo, we did some local trips, including a visit to Seattle's first cat cafe, Meowtropolitan.  

What is a cat cafe?  Well, it combines coffee and cats.  Quite a simple formula really!  While they are very popular in Japan and other Asian countries, this is the first one to open in Seattle.  Appointments are made online and you have one hour, ten minutes or so to get your coffee and then 50 minutes to enjoy interacting with the cats.  The coffee house is separated from the cat room by double doors to prevent escapes, (and also because of health codes).  There were about 20 cats on the premises, half of which were available for adoption.  Overall, it was a wonderful experience!  The coffees and pastries are cat themed of course.  I had a "Meowcha" and an adorable chocolate macaron with a kitty face on it.  There were about 15 guests including us and you know what??  EVERYONE had a big smile on their face!  It was a very happy and relaxing experience!

Is there a cat in this basket??  Yes!

Lots of structures for cats to climb on, or just sleep!

If you ever get the opportunity to go to a cat cafe, do it!!  The cats are lovely and it's a terrific way to spend an hour of your day.  I will certainly go back and visit again!