Did I tell you I started my own business recently? True. And no, it's not making lollipops. (Although that does sound like a pretty fun-filled way to spend the work day, doesn't it?) We'll talk about my new venture a bit more in the coming weeks, but long story short, it involves me finding the most scrumptious all-natural sweets and creating lovely dessert tables for special events. And despite all the hard work, it's pretty wonderful. Here's a peek at one of the tables I designed recently:
You can see more pics of my dessert table over at Amy Atlas' Blog!
So yeah... remember in my last post, how I promised to share some recipes from my Halloween dessert table in "a few days"? Do 90-something days count as "a few"? Probably not. What can I say? I've been busy. More on that later.
So I made a little Halloween Dessert Table for a Fall carnival at my children's school a couple weeks ago. Everything on the table, from the cake to the candies, was 100% natural. True! No artificial colors or flavors. It got a great reaction from the kids and parents, which made me so happy. Everyone just loved it, including...
Yes! The amazing Amy Atlas is featuring my design on her blog today! Can you believe it? I am overjoyed. What a wonderful way to start the weekend. Thank you, Amy! And for you, my lovely readers, I'll have recipes for desserts from the table up in the next few days.
Please drop by Amy's blog and leave a comment to let me know what you think of the dessert table. And if you are interested in having me style a dessert table for your upcoming party, contact me! I'd love to design something sweet for you and your guests.
Do you guys dream at night? I do. All the time. Some nights more than others, but my dormant mind is definitely on the active side of the dream scale. Sometimes my dreams are so vivid and wonderful, like the flying dreams from my childhood, or the dreams I sometimes have as an adult, in which I can jump reeeeeeaaaaalllly high and far. Other times, things are more random and/or just plain odd... like the night I kept dreaming about making juice. Juice? What does that say about me? Wait, don't answer that.
It's probably no secret that I really enjoy home canning, especially jams and curds.
I find the entire endeavor very fulfilling, in a terre à table kind of way. The bulk of my ingredients come from the local farmer's market, my yard, or as a result of my urban foraging efforts. Canning gets me outside and enables me to connect with the earth and the people who farm it. I like that.
Doesn't it seem like cupcakes have been popping up everywhere in the last few years? There are blogs, blogs, and more blogs, all about cupcakes. They show up at parties ranging from birthdays to baby showers. The Food Network regularly pits cupcake bakers against one another in the popular T.V. show, Cupcake Wars. Even the traditional wedding cake isn't safe from the cupcake craze. And you know what? All that is just fine by me. I love cupcakes, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Whew! I'm so glad I finally got that out in the open.
Stephanie is the talented voice, baker, and photographer behind 52 Kitchen Adventures. We first met at a blog-related dinner event where, about 20 minutes into our meal, we discovered that Stephanie and my husband work together. Small world... again.
Bonus: you can join the 3C Challenge, too! Click here for all the details, then head on over to 52 Kitchen Adventures and check out my guest post with my recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. I promise you'll want to run right home and bake some of your own! Because whether you're gluten-free or not, these cookies ROCK.
Turns out, it really is a small world, after all. About three years ago (wow, has it really been that long?), I was thinking of starting a food blog. Knowing nothing about blogging, I was intrigued when I read on line that BlogHer would be hosting a food blog event in San Francisco. Maybe I could learn a few things to get me started on the right track.
Sometimes, people just get it right. Such is the case with the GOOD: street food + design market, a new art and food event that premiered last Sunday afternoon in Sacramento.
When I first received the invitation to the GOOD event from Roshaun at Unseen Heroes, I thought it would be a great opportunity for my husband Randy and I to spend some time by ourselves. Like, on a date. But it was not to be. Our playdate plans for the twins fell through at the last minute, so we ended up taking them with us. On the upside, it was so nice to have some quality twin time, and any time girls can get a "tatoo" (aka: handstamp), it's a good thing.
If you've been following along for a while, you may have noticed a slight shift in my recipes over the last year. For example, I strive to use organic ingredients as much as possible. I have also made the switch to natural, plant-based food coloring, choosing to avoid artificial food coloring ever since an unsettling blue frosting incident (you don't want to know). Because one of my kids seems to have a strong sensitivity to granulated sugar, I've been experimenting with alternative sweeteners such as honey, brown rice syrup, and maple sugar.
There are many upsides to adopting a more natural diet. But, as you can imagine, organic foods can sometimes be more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. In my experience, this is especially true when it comes to kid-friendly items like crackers and snacks.
