Baby Jake's First Birthday

So sorry it's been a while since I've updated the blog. Life and work are both SO busy right now, which leaves little time for inspiration and creativity... Luckily, I've been asked to do some desserts here and there, which always makes for some good content :) Read on and scroll on to see one of the more recent events I got to help out with!

I was asked if I could make some fun desserts and a cake for this precious baby's first birthday. Jake recently turned one! It was a great privilege to be able to contribute to this celebration for this sweet family.

For this event, Jake's family had requested some strawberry and blueberry champagne tarts, a two tier funfetti and lemon cake, and the cutest "1" shaped rice krispies for the kids. It was a perfect choice for the season- so refreshing and summery! 

A huge thank you to Tiny Atlas Photography (link to the website here), who took these amazing photos. Esther and I have actually worked a few events together, and I am always amazed at how stunning the results are. When I got to the venue, the lighting was pretty difficult to work with, but somehow Esther and her team worked magic! I would highly recommend Tiny Atlas for any photography needs. 

Also a big thank you to Julie, James, and baby Jake for letting me be a part of the celebration. I hope you all loved it!

Summer Berry Bread Pudding

I am so sorry for the late post! I am moving away from Providence to Atlanta this weekend, and I have been attempting to prepare by spending time with friends, packing, and of course getting ready for graduation on Saturday! But first, I have to get through finals...

I recently made some delicious bread pudding with summer berries! It's a great, simple treat for summer, and quick and easy to make! I used Portuguese sweet buns from a local bakery. Croissants would also work well with this recipe.

Summer Berry Bread Pudding (Makes 1 9x13" pan)
Portuguese Sweet Buns (enough to overfill a 9x13" pan)
1 cup Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Dried Orange Peel
1/2 tsp Dried Lemon Peel
9 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the bread into large cubes.
3. In a pot, heat milk, cream, ginger, cinnamon, lemon peel, and orange peel to a boil.
4. In the meantime, whisk eggs, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.
5. Once the milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and gently pour into the bowl with the eggs, whisking the eggs the entire time.
6. Once incorporated, add the bread into the bowl and move the bread around to soak in the mixture.
7. Put the bread into the casserole dish after it has soaked slightly. As you do this, place sliced berries throughout.
8. Pour any remaining batter over the bread, and place into the oven. You do not want berries to exposed at the top because they may burn.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the bread pudding is set.
10. Remove from oven and serve warm.

I like to serve this bread pudding with a scoop of delicious ice cream :) The ice cream will melt slightly, creating a cream that soaks into the bread pudding. It's a refreshing, comforting summer dessert!

Stay tuned for my goodbye Providence post on Sunday! I will do my best to be on time!

Blueberry Picking

It's blueberry season! There are several farms in Georgia that allow you to go to the fields and pick your own blueberries! Although it takes some work to find the freshest, plumpest blueberries, the hard work yields amazing results. Not only are the blueberries cheap ($1.99/lb), but you can sample along the way! It's a great experience and tons of fun. They are cheap, delicious, and they are organically grown!

There are tons of things you can do with blueberries! Eat them fresh, use them in a smoothie, decorate cakes/tarts, make blueberry muffins, make some pancakes... There are so many options! I used the blueberries to make blueberry muffins. Use this recipe to make brunch for the family or have a breakfast on the go. It's easy, quick, and you don't need a mixer!

Blueberry Muffins (makes 18 muffins)
1 Stick Softened Butter
1.5 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar

1 tsp Salt
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1.5 cups Blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Use your hand to mix butter, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together. Do this by squeezing/rubbing the mixture between your fingers repeatedly.
3. Stop mixing just before it becomes a dough. It will have a crumbly texture.
4. Whisk together milk and eggs.
5. Add liquid slowly to the dry as you mix with your hand to incorporate.
6. Fold in about 1 cup of blueberries.
7. Scoop about 3/4 of the way up in muffin tins lined with paper muffin cups.
8. Put a small handful of blueberries on top of each muffin.

Oat Topping
1 cups Oats
1/4 cup Brown Sugar 
1 tbsp Butter

1. Melt butter.
2. Use your hands to mix brown sugar and oats with the melted butter until completely incorporated.
3. Top each muffin with a small handful of topping.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, until the center springs back when pressed and the color is golden.


Unfortunately, blueberry season's almost over. So make your way to a local blueberry patch and get them before they're gone!