It’s that time of year when daycare closes for the summer and we party with a year-end celebration! This year’s theme was Scooby Doo, one of the kids’ all-time favorite cartoon characters. I was a bit surprised that the cowardly dog, who would rather have a snack than solve a mystery, would remain so wildly […]
baking
I was recently invited by a dear friend to spend the weekend at her summer cottage in the shoreline town of Old Saybrook, CT. There were four of us there to share the sunny private beach, local outlet shopping, a great girl’s night DVD (It’s Complicated), and way too many laughs! I brought along Ina Garten’s […]
A pretty pink cake for my little buddy Margaux’s 2nd Birthday party to test out my new antique stand mixer. Sprinkles Strawberry Frosting, you may be my new favorite…
Our happy houseguest, Corey, turned 22 the other day! Of course I would bake him his favorite cake, but Corey had a different idea. What’s his favorite cake?? Uh…uh…uh….Do you like cake??…uh…uh…uh….. Okay, then. After a brief, but productive, interrogation, Corey confessed that pecan pie is one of his two all-time favorite desserts (the other […]
I happily volunteered to bake cupcakes for my brother-in-law’s retirement party this past Saturday. The guest list included 55 adults and 15 children, so I decided to bake a variety that would appeal to kids of all ages! The choices included: Chocolate cake/buttercream frosting, Carrot cake/cream cheese frosting, White cake/chocolate ganache icing, Strawberry cake/strawberry frosting, […]
There was lots of internet hoopla about the unveiling of Cricut’s newest machine, Cricut Cake. It was introduced as a “Today’s Special” on HSN a few weeks ago, and my friend, Teresa, ordered it. I was very tempted to get one of my own, but Teresa offered me the opportunity to “play” with hers and […]
24
Mar
Mar
Without a doubt, this is one of the best-tasting cookies ever! Crispy on the outside; tender and soft on the inside. Just perfect. This cookie happens to be an all-time favorite of little a, who will be visiting on Friday to attend a family party. While she is here, my favorite little geek will help […]
I am fortunate to belong to the “Bayberry Babes”, a small group of lovely ladies who take time to care, share and celebrate each other’s birthday with dinner at a favorite restaurant, a little wine, and lots of laughs! We’re meeting tomorrow night, and it’s my turn to bake the cake. This was my very […]
Big mistake. I’m really a Dunkin’ Donuts kinda girl, but I stopped at Starbucks to try one of their “skinny” coffees (as if I really believe that). Without any warning, the words “I’ll take a slice of lemon pound cake” just flew out of my mouth. Nothing “skinny” about that. It was ever so moist, […]
06
Feb
Feb
I thought that Valentine’s Day would be the perfect time to say “thanks” to those special people who, without always knowing it, make some days a little brighter through their caring and kindness. I’m thinking about the school bus driver who patiently waits for my daycare kindergartener as he makes an urgent trip to the […]
15
Jan
Jan
My favorite fruit: banana. My favorite candy: banana Laffy Taffy (true). My favorite ice cream: Chunky Monkey. My favorite quick bread? Whenever I see a golden bunch ripening in the fruit basket, I’m thinking banana bread. The yummy aroma that fills the kitchen while it’s baking is heavenly, and I think it tastes great with […]
28
Dec
Dec
I’m not going to lie – baking doesn’t really appeal to me. I love baked goods. Love, love, LOVE to eat them. Look at those? How could you not love those cookies? And trust me – they taste just as good as they look. I should know. I ate enough of them in the past […]
21
Dec
Dec
Includes recipes for Snowflake cutouts, Butter Crisp spritz, Molasses sugar cookies, Italian Christmas Cookies, Nutella Sandwiches, Almond Macaroons, Cappucino Crinkles, Almond Drop, Cranberry, White Chocolate, Pistachio Biscotti, Almond Crescent Cookies, Apricot-Orange Shortbread Bars.
18
Dec
Dec
My “Christmas Baking Extravaganza” is this Saturday. You’ll hear all about this wonderful tradition, complete with photos and recipes, in my next post. In the meantime, I’ve been busy baking these: Print Nutella Sandwiches Ingredients 1 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour 1 cup butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/3 cup blanched almonds 1 tbsp. […]
10
Dec
Dec
No. The stockings are not hung by the chimney with care. Nor is my tree decorated. And the presents remain unwrapped. But I’m having fun baking holiday cookies! And this is probably my all-time favorite Christmas cookie, as it was one of two recipes that my mom would make to kick-off the holiday season. The […]