Success! Last weekend we threw a red egg and ginger party for Isabelle! This is a Chinese tradition where the new baby is officially introduced to relatives and family friends, and the baby’s name is revealed. Historically the red egg and ginger party was held when the baby was one month old, as high infant mortality rates meant that a baby surviving to one month of age was indeed a cause for celebration. Also, the mother was also typically kept at home to recover during the same month, so this party was also meant to mark her “return” to society.
A Red Egg and Ginger (Dessert) Party
May 2nd, 2013 · 9 Comments · Cakes, Personal, Recipes
Tags:baby·chocolate·cupcake·party·passionfruit·red egg and ginger
Making Do: Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Mini Cakes
April 9th, 2013 · 14 Comments · Cakes, Recipes
The days are starting to fall into some semblance of a schedule, albeit a very flexibly-written one. For example, baby is in her best mood in the morning, which means I usually spend that time interacting and playing with her, since she’s at her most adorable and responsive. Afternoons are more of a mixed bag: if she’s napping well I get some time to work on things, or, more usually, clean things up. If she decides she’s not into napping, the day kind of devolves into a cycle of rocking/walking/feeding/whatever quiets baby down. As with every parent before me, I’m sure, the importance of maximizing every scrap of free time becomes utterly paramount.
Tags:buttermilk·cake·cupcake·lemon
Happy Birthday to Snickers
March 8th, 2012 · 23 Comments · Cakes, Personal, Recipes
Note: this post is pretty much about my dog. If you’re not a dog lover, be forewarned. There is a recipe at the end of the post, but it’s for a dog birthday cake. Again, you’ve been warned!
It was just over a year ago that a little 20 pound ball of fluff came into our lives, and we’ve been the proud owners of a beautiful cockapoo ever since. I remember feeling super nervous at becoming a first-time pet owner – what if she’s not housebroken? what if she turns out mean? what if our house ends up reeking of dog? what if she’s high energy and needs ten walks a day? but it’s all turned out so well and been such a fun year, and can’t imagine our lives without Snickers now.
Tags:carrot·cupcake·dog birthday cake·peanut butter·snickers
{SF} All The Cupcakes You Can Handle: At The SF Cupcake Challenge
January 26th, 2012 · 11 Comments · San Francisco, SF Events, Sweet Spots
Is the cupcake craze over? Apparently not in the Bay Area, where new cupcakeries are still proliferating. A couple weeks ago DrinkEatPlay invited me to judge at the 2nd Annual Bay Area Cupcake Challenge, where 13 cupcake bakeries competed for Best Cupcake and Best Bakery. Two cupcakes from each competitor equaled a whole lot of cupcakes to taste!
Tags:cupcake·event·san francisco
A Winning Blackberry Lemon Cupcake
December 12th, 2011 · 14 Comments · Cakes, Recipes, San Francisco, SF Events
Photo courtesy of Driscoll’s
About a week ago I got to be part of an exciting event: Driscoll’s held a holiday cooking and food photography workshop in San Francisco and several local food bloggers, including yours truly, was invited to attend.
I had previously got to tour some of the farms that grow Driscoll’s berries, so another chance to sample their delicious product was most welcome.
A Busy Weekend Including Bake Sale for Japan
April 5th, 2011 · 17 Comments · Cakes, Recipes, San Francisco, SF Events
I had an over-the-top, amazingly full weekend, the kind that starts on Thursday afternoon and doesn’t end until you’re catching your breath on a wickedly warm Sunday evening. Too much to share, and some bits I’m saving for a future post, but I did want to talk about a big part of my Saturday: the Bake Sale for Japan.
A series of bake sales around the Bay Area organized to raise money for Japan, this event brought together amateur and professional bakers in a happy mashup of cookies, pies, jams, and all other forms of baked goods. I stopped by one of the San Francisco bake sales, located at Bi-Rite, with my contributions (more on them below) and snapped a few pictures of the bounty on display:
