Bake for Good

Growing up, my grandma lived right down the street from our house.  A half a mile to be precise.

King Arthur Sour Cream Coffee Cake 

We were always visiting, catching up on the latest family scoops. My grandma was a cook by trade and worked in a school cafeteria for the local school district.  

Visiting her at work was the best.  I loved seeing her in her own element, commanding the kitchen and introducing us to her comadres, or her work family.  Inevitably, we'd get to sample something leftover from lunch.  If we were lucky, a slice of pizza on a baguette with pepperoni bits half melted into the cheese.  Occasionally, we'd get a slice of coffee cake.  

I remember that coffee cake. Apparently, I'm not the only one.  The LA Times published a culinary SOS on school coffee cakes back in '94: http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-coffee-cake-requests-storygallery.html Good stuff.  

Recently, I stumbled across my own coffeecake recipe that is an absolute keeper.  

King Arthur Flour Favorite Sour Cream Coffeecake

King Arthur flour has this incredibly moist, cinnamon-y and delicious coffeecake recipe, which has become my go-to "breakfast" pastry dessert.  It's fittingly called, "Our favorite Sour Cream Coffeecake Recipe." 

Favorite, yes indeed:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/our-favorite-sour-cream-coffeecake-recipe

Well, the other day I found a container of sour cream hidden in the back of the fridge, just needing to be used up. Guess what came to mind?  Sour cream coffeecake.  

If you're lucky enough to discover your own sour cream hiding in the back of the fridge, go for it.  You won't be disappointed.  Not convinced?  Check out King Arthur Flour's Bake for Good pledge drive.  https://www.kingarthurflour.com/bakeforgood/

It's super simple.  Sign up and pledge to bake for someone else (anyone else!) and King Arthur Flour will donate a meal to Feeding America, the nation's 'largest organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger.'    

So get baking and #bakeforgood!

Happy Birthday Little Lovebug

Our daughter celebrated another year for the books this past weekend. 

Our 'I Survived' Collection

Recently, she's been hooked on the 'I Survived' series of books by Lauren Tarshis.  If you look closely at the picture above, you'll notice that the Sinking of the Titanic book has been well loved.    

For her birthday, she specifically requested a gingerbread cake with white frosting and a Titanic-themed motif.  This girl knows what she wants.  I like it.  

Not one to disappoint, I baked up this incredibly moist, old-fashioned gingerbread cake, packed with spices and reminiscent of the holidays (recipe here).  (I've made this cake twice in the last few weeks, with and without frosting. It's that good.)  

This cake is delicious with or without frosting!

For extra oomph, I topped it with a basic cream cheese frosting (recipe here ).

Whoa -- a new level of decadence.  Death by cream cheese.   

Could this pass as an iceberg?  Well, I thought so.  

"Oh they built the ship, Titanic, to sail the ocean blue..."

One happy birthday girl, eating her favorite cake ...

Only one new dress added to the shop last week and already it's a crowd favorite around here....

We present --the Snoopy and Friends super twirly dress!

Click here to learn more about dress!

This dress features a full circle skirt for maximum twirl power.    

It ties in the back with a sash...

 As my little Lovebug likes to say - ooh, la la. Faaaancy.  

We absolutely love the Peanuts Gang here and struggle over choosing a favorite character.  Snoopy?  Lucy? Woodstock? 

One thing we can all agree - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, along with the interactive sounds is one of our all-time favorite books.  It's a must-read every fall.  The sounds effects are the best!

To donate to the Farmers Guild, click here

As fires continue to ravage across our beautiful northern California, our hearts go out to all those affected by the fire devastation. Our Berkeley firefighters tell a harrowing account here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdk4d74j3p8 .  God bless them and all the first responders.    

Looking to help?  Consider a simple monetary donation to the Farmer's Guild Fire Recovery Fund, which will direct money straight to the victims of the fire.  Every little bit counts.  Link above.  

Peace.