To mark our 32nd anniversary, we’re throwing a whimsical Cookie Decorating Party at our Mercer Island Café on Saturday, August 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We’ll provide freshly baked sugar cookies in playful shapes — snails, mushrooms, and butterflies — plus pastry bags filled with colorful icing and sprinkles galore.
There will be space at the decorating tables for six at a time, and staff to help kids of all ages. The event is free. It’s our way of saying thanks for 32 wonderful years of community support.
From August 11–17, the net proceeds from the sale of our special large Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookie will benefit the Adamâ Foundation and their bakery.
“I’m so grateful for the work of Adamâ,” said Florence Kayesu. “They came at a time I needed them most. I was almost giving up because of the conditions in Oruchinga.”
Located near the Oruchinga Settlement Camp in southwest Uganda, Adamâ Bakery serves more than 9,000 refugees from East Africa. Its goals are threefold: empower refugees — especially women — with skills to earn a livelihood. Create a focal point for the community. And feed the camp’s most vulnerable residents, the children.
December 2024, Friday giving at Adamâ Foundation
In 2022, Jeffrey Hamelman and Mitch Stamm were brought in to train the bakers, a connection that inspired Macrina’s annual support. “When the refugees arrive, they are given four eucalyptus poles and a tarp,” says Jeffrey. Mitch adds, “They’ve been stripped of everything except their dignity.”
The bakery welcomes twenty-four bakers each day. They not only earn a wage but also set aside part of the day’s bread for the camp’s children. “Three-fourths of the bakers are women,” notes Jeffrey.
This past February, with help from Macrina and many others, Adamâ finished a dedicated bakery building. The airy structure holds a full production line, cooling racks, and room for a small storefront that will one day help the bakery pay its own way. Running water, still rare in the settlement, now reaches the dough room and sanitation sinks. In June, a high-capacity diesel generator arrived to bridge frequent power outages, keeping the ovens hot as demand grows.
June 2025, Adamâ Foundation
Since late 2024, several international NGOs have left Oruchinga after deep cuts in foreign aid. Food deliveries fell sharply, and hunger worsened. Adamâ cannot replace the lost aid, but it has launched Adamâ Aid, a program that each month supplies fifty of the most vulnerable families with twenty kilos of corn flour (milled on-site) and five kilos of beans — enough to keep children nourished between bread distributions.
“We know the needs are endless, but even small contributions benefit a large number of people,” says Scott France, president and co-owner of Macrina Bakery. “We made a significant contribution last year and we hope to top that this year. The money goes directly to the bakery and it makes an incredible impact on the bakers’ lives.”
On a recent trip to Greece, I found myself putting tzatziki on nearly everything: bread, grilled lamb, gyros and more. The bright yogurt-based sauce is thick, garlicky and super versatile. It’s quick and easy to make, and it can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Keep it around, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll soon find yourself using it as a dip for crudités, serving it with roasted chicken or salmon, or with salads. In Greece, it’s traditionally served with pita bread. At Macrina, we make our own version, called Piadina. For a delightful summer meal, whip up some tzatziki, marinate some lamb — rack or chops — and fire up the grill. While the lamb is grilling, brush the pita with olive oil and throw it on to warm and get those caramelized grill marks. Serve the grilled lamb with cooling tzatziki, fresh garden tomatoes, and a chilled bottle of crisp, aromatic white wine.
In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk to combine well. I like to let this sit for 2 hours to marry the flavors, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s plenty good enjoyed immediately.
Summer grilling tip: If you are grilling lamb, I recommend marinating it in Advieh, a Persian spice available from World Spice in the Pike Place Market. It’s a lovely combination of cinnamon, cumin, coriander, roses, cardamom, and black pepper.
