50th

After half a century life, one shouldn't have to decide on cake flavors, so Peter got 4. Happy Birthday.

{chocolate, almond, carrot, vanilla with berries}

Wild Thing

Sienna is a "bit" of a wild child. She is a lady of course, but she has a mind of her own! So did her cake.....Happy 5th Birthday.

Penolope

Red and Pink were the colors of the day for Miss Penelope. She just turned 2 and this was the bit of whimsy she dined on. -red velvet cake, cream cheese filling, vanilla buttercream-

Juju

A rich chocolate cake with fresh strawberry buttercream topped with (yes I realize they are out of season but these berries were dipped in belgian chocolate so it's okay :) strawberries to celebrate the birthday of Juju, an elegant, loving woman who is an example to all. Happy birthday

Juju.

Snow!

Not that I like driving in it, or that I like the other people driving in it, but I love snow! I was beginning to think that the snow was going to pass DC all together! My fears were quieted when it snowed today, sadly it didn't come in time for Asher's 1st birthday party, which was snowflake themed. While the real snow didn't show, a few sugary snowflakes found there way to the party.

Charlotte

Charlotte, a big fan of cupcakes, just turned 7 and these are what I cooked up for her birthday...

Brent Elementary

I had a charming day helping out a kindergarten class at Brent Elementary today, ginger bread houses were the order of the day (graham crackers made a quick substitute). Sadly I don't have a picture of the finished products, but 36 little 5 year olds were busy at work and did an excellent job with their blank canvas'. I can hardly wait for the bakery so we can have little workshops like this that will become part of our tradition.

Quick Fix

Holidays are busy for us all, presents for friends and family, decorating, cooking, cleaning up after that blasted tree that keeps dropping needles! One dessert that impresses every time and is SO easy is peppermint bark. So if you have about 10 min before a holiday party or about 10 min before you need to give a gift, try this. You will need:

spatula, off set spatula, microwave safe bowl, knife, parchment paper, candy canes or mints

chocolate melts (these are NOT the same as chocolate chips, make sure you use these)

pulse candy canes in a blender or a food processor until they look like this:

melt dark chocolate first, spread using the off-set spatula on the parchment, allow to dry or pop in the fridge if you are really pressed for time.

when it has a matte finish and is hard to the touch, repeat with the white chocolate but this time work quick because the white will melt the dark and the layers will combine if you spread too much, top immediately with the crushed peppermint and put in the fridge or allow to harden.

Be careful to let it set all the way through but not too much because when you cut it you want to make sharp lines, if you don't care about sharp lines then it can sit as long as you want and you can just break it by hand.

Voila wrap and give or put on a plate and take it up to bed and enjoy it while watching a holiday movie.

Polka Dot Princess

Emilia just turned one, and a charming photo of her in a polka swimsuit at the beach served as inspiration for this little number....thanks Emilia for being darling!