Like most of you, we are busy wrapping up our school year. My oldest, Drama Boy, just graduated last Sunday from high school and this morning, my high school freshman, Baker Boy, had his final jury. My two oldest have had an amazing opportunity attending an arts high school here in Baltimore. Baker Boy is in the stage production tract at the school. So, this morning he had to pull together all of his best projects from this year and make a 10 minute presentation in front of all of his teachers. He had to share how he grew as an … [Read more...]
Lemon Squares Made by Baker Boy
Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? What was it? Are you that person today? Raising 5 kids, I find that whole thing fascinating. As a parent, you see certain inclinations in your kids when they are young and you wonder, "Should I nurture that? Should I let it develop naturally?" I have kind of landed on doing both. My second son, AKA Baker Boy, loved food from day 1! How did I know when he was a nursing infant? Because, he wanted to nurse 24/7! My mom loves recalling the story when I called her in tears and … [Read more...]
Coffee Cake Bosses
I have two gingers, as they like to call themselves. The oldest, Baker, likes to refer to Little Man as "mini me". They are two peas in a pod separated by 9 years. They spent a few hours yesterday watching Cake Boss, one of their favorite shows, then decided to make their own coffee cake. Baker takes control in the kitchen. Like his dad, he loves it there. He's talked about going to culinary school and one day, opening his own bakery. He chose a Buttermilk Coffee Cake recipe out of the Advantium cookbook. I stood back and took … [Read more...]
Thoughtful Gifts, Fresh Eggs & House Guests
There is nothing like have house guests that think to pack fresh, farm eggs from their chickens into their carry on bags, for you. Thank you Mike & Terrill for bringing such a thoughtful gift! What is one of the most thoughtful gifts you've ever received? … [Read more...]
Sunday Morning Croissant Sandwiches
I don't know about you, but Sunday mornings are the one day of the week we linger over coffee in our jammies and we usually make an effort with breakfast. During the week, it's cereal, oatmeal, bagels...quick food. But, on Saturday mornings, we try a little harder. Today, I decided to bake off Pillsbury Crescent rolls to use for egg sandwiches with turkey pastrami, aged cheddar cheese and fresh arugula. The beautiful thing about Pillsbury Crescent rolls, is they are convenient. It took me less than 5 minutes to unroll … [Read more...]
Strawberry Heart Cups with Goat Cheese Whipped Cream
It was about 10 years ago on Valentine's evening. Our casual, artsy coffee shop had been open for over a year. We served a purely vegetarian menu with baked pita pizzas like the Bella Donna and Artist's Heart. The menu was creative and we were constantly thinking outside the box when bringing flavors and technique together. Devon had been classically French trained under an amazing chef. He brought those techniques to our quaint, three story cafe situated in a historic, antique shopping district. There were days he longed to … [Read more...]
Holiday Sangria & Savoring The Moment
I have two amazing sister-n-laws that I have made many wonderful memories with. My Colorado sister-n-law has taken me down treacherous 4-wheeling mountain trails in the pelting rain convincing me I could survive the elements and trail. My Chicago sister-n-law Kim, I had a chance to make different type of memory several years ago ~ a little less life threatening. This past Thanksgiving we were remembering one of our favorite Holiday memories together. Our Holiday Sangria Memory ~ A few years ago when Kim's family was … [Read more...]
Homemade Cinnamon Bun Tradition
Every Christmas morning, as my kids are unwrapping their gifts, cinnamon wafts through our house. Homemade Cinnamon Buns are a requirement, (according to my kids) for Christmas Morning. I remember one Christmas, our whole family was spending a couple of months in the Philippines. We were living with a team of people on a missions base in Baguio. Our family was there on a service project. We were volunteers, living on, next to nothing. My children remember that Christmas as one of their favorites. We made … [Read more...]
Apple Cake With Caramel Sauce
It is possible that you like I have more than a few extra apples rolling around the house right now. This is one of our favorites this time of year. Kristin got this recipe called Caramel Apple Cake recipe originally from our friend Amanda before she moved to Africa. (You can see our LoveFeast style going away party for Amanda and her family here.) The last time I made this cake was a couple of years ago. Kristin and Devon had rolled in for a long long drive from Maryland to Minnesota. It was around 10:30pm or so. … [Read more...]
Pizza On The Grill
Kristin and I have a little saying called "breathing the dust" -- and by this I don't mean flour dust...I mean more like pixie dust. Dust that when you breathe it in, makes you dream crazy things. Dust that makes you believe crazy things. Dust that makes you do crazy things. Things you barely have time to do because the laundry is piling up, and you drive in your van running kids all day long. This dust makes you dream things you are technologically underdeveloped to do. But, you do it anyway. But, sometimes it … [Read more...]