It all started with an old dollhouse. And possibly a back injury.

"I found my calling late in life and am so grateful I did. I can't wait to get to my studio\workshop every day so I can spend all day creating my miniature works of art. Truthfully, I'm grateful for so many things… too many to list," says Sandi Palesch, owner of Nature's Mini Harvest, where 1:12th scale food is "harvested" fresh from the clay every day just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.

"I make everything. Desserts, pastries and breads are probably my favorite (in real life too) and ANYTHING chocolate from lava cakes with the gooey filling flowing out to truffles, fudge and several-layers tall chocolate cake."

Palesch has her father to thank for her love of chocolate.

"My Dad and I used to dream about opening a chocolate shop. This was when I was about 5 years old and we'd talk about all our favorite candies (mostly chocolate) that we'd put in our shop. He'd say to me that when we filled the shop we'd put out the 'CLOSED' sign and eat all of our inventory!"

In memory of her chocolate buddy, Palesch created a miniature chocolate shop for an article in the magazine American Miniaturist.

"What a life saver it was for me those first weeks after losing my dad to be able to create a chocolate shop in his honor. I'll forever be grateful to Kelly Rud and the staff of American Miniaturist for allowing me to honor my dad in this way. I'm also glad my dad got to see my miniature food before his dementia robbed him of reality. He just lit up when I'd bring him my latest 'creations.' He really got a kick out of what I made."

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