Tiger in a Jar

There are thousands of cooking blogs -- we bring you highlights from the best. This week, a blog by where food, design, and quality of life comes to rest.

With a name like "Tiger in a Jar", you don't quite know what to expect. Sounds vicious, yet tame. And the blog of this title is exactly that: fierce but fun, serious but gentle. Tiger in a Jar -- the brainchild of couple Matt and Julie, who started running the blog full-time in 2011 -- is an ethereal place where they "document life through film and pictures, and enjoy spending time in the kitchen obsessing over food." Lifestyle envy, much?

The heart of their blog lies in a series of artistic videos sprinkled throughout their other content: on food, home design, music, and all in between. With a keen cinematographic eye and a dash of edge, they frolick with muffins (watch the video below) and explore their garden. A bit like where The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe meets Gourmet (may she rest in peace), Tiger in a Jar's overall aura is simulaneously interesting and zen. Watch a video or two and you'll forget what you were doing, eating, listening to before you started ...

Speaking of eating, how bout a sandwich? The fried egg, bacon, tomato and avocado number above embodies the kind of impromptu creativity you might find at home with this couple. From the beautiful photographs of their environment (don't even get us started on the furniture) to pine nut projects to shots of shoots past, the content is wonderfully varied and always compelling to some sense or another.

In a life fraught with the frantic, Tiger in a Jar furnishes an online space where you can go to calm down. So, why don't we all fancifully stack muffin papers, play indie tunes and call it fall? Here's to a season of whimsy, in the kitchen and beyond.