My mom is the first to say she doesn’t like to bake. I’m still not sure where my love obsession came from. Somehow my sister picked up the habit too—proof. But despite my mom’s distaste for baking, she makes a mean cobbler. In the summers it’s filled with the ripest of peaches. And through the winters it’s filled with the blackest of blackberries. Always topped with ice cream of course. This tastes like home to me. Read more
I had grand plans of posting twice this week. While on vacation. Ha! It’s now Thursday. And only by a Christmas miracle is this post live. I’ve been living it up responsibility-free for two weeks straight. Making these bracelets. And these cowls. Sitting by the fire with the A/C on (only in Texas). Sheer bliss. But it’s going to be a rough adjustment back into real life next Monday. Pray for me. Read more
Icebox cookies are some of my faves this time of year. There’s no two ways about it figuratively speaking. But literally speaking, there’s two ways about it. Dueling ways. Cranberry Orange vs. Rosemary Orange ways. Read more
If there’s one thing I’m known for at work, it’s not for my inability to carry on an intelligent conversation before 9 am, or for my uncanny knack to memorize all the key strokes in Illustrator and InDesign, or for working chaotically on 5 projects simultaneously. No. I’m best known for Christmas in a Bowl. She makes her annual appearance at my work Christmas party. Her birth name is Triple Chocolate Peppermint Trifle. But after one bite, a coworker renamed her Christmas in a Bowl. Rightly so. With layers of white chocolate peppermint mousse topped with fudgy brownies and dark chocolate pudding she tastes like Christmas. She’s rich and dense, however, not the prettiest thing you ever did see. But don’t judge her book by the cover. You wont be able to put her down. And when you’re done, you’ll wish there was more. Read more
Christmas cookie season is alive and well. Speaking of, have you seen the holiday cookie spread in the new Foodie Crush Magazine? While you’re at it, you should start from the top and read it cover to cover. Pages filled with beautiful stories matched with jaw dropping images, not to mention the impeccably set type. (I’m a typography geek at heart.) Some of my favorite food bloggers like Two Peas & Their Pod, Bev Cooks, Turntable Kitchen, and With Style and Grace make the headlines. You can find my (world peace) cookie contribution on page 51. Take my word, this debut magazine is a beauty. Go. Read it now. Read more
I’m a dreamer. As I child, I dreamt I would play in the World Cup, like Mia Hamm. As a teenager, I dreamt I would drive around in a brand new VW Bug, with a fresh flower occupying its interior vase. As an adult, I dreamt I would be a baker. A baker who made a really good carrot cake. Read more
Thanksgiving is next week. And pie is kind of a must. (Apple for me!) So now that we’ve got the pie basics covered, it’s time to kick it up a notch, and show that crust some love. Sure you can throw another rolled out crust on top and call it a day, as seen here. Or you can impress your guests with a fancy crust. If you choose option B, don’t fear. Perfection is not the name of the game with these two techniques. Perfectly imperfect, aka rustic, is more like it. People will think you slaved away all day on the pie. Go ahead, let them think what they want. Read more
Pie Crust. It’s your kryptonite. It’s your Achilles’ heel. It’s the painful thorn in your side.
You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all been there. After failed attempts at home, we shamefully head to the grocery store, pause to make sure no one’s looking, and hide a box of store bought pie crust in the cart. Hours later only to find out the filling we paid careful attention to isn’t quite as good when surrounded by this boxed stuff. Looking around the room, dessert plates are sprinkled with leftover crust, and it’s not because people were too full. Read more
