Chocolate Hazelnut Toffee Cake

Ahhh March is upon us, which means paczkis, Mardi Gras, leprechauns, green wine, corn beef and hash and so many more fabulous things. It also  means the beginning of the Lenten Season. I for one, do not give anything up for lent and instead focus my attention on trying to be even more gracious, kind and giving to those around me. As far as no meat on Friday's, no big deal here. We eat very little meat in my house, and I for one am actually a Flexitarian (vegetarian most days, but eating meat on occasion). We do not eat a lot of fish in my house, I do, however, very much like it, as well as the many health benefits it provides. So we will be eating a lot of meatless rice dishes, vegetable soups and nutty pestos, which I very much look forward to.

As far as paczkis, you cannot beat homemade. I have yet to dig up and find my Polish Great Grandmother's recipe so I can make a batch myself. The paczkis at the supermarkets and bakeries around my house, just do not compare to a one hundred percent Polish Great Grandmother's recipe, and don't get me started on potato rolls. I actually started this blog off with a recipe of my Great Grandmother's and another one will be soon to come. 

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I have been a very busy bee in the recipe creation process; which is an obviously long, tedious process. As we all know, baking is chemistry and well lets just say, sometimes the chemistry process does not always work. I spent a couple of weeks working on new dessert ideas for work and formulating, so I apologize for the lack in posts. I will also admit, that with this winter weather I have not had my normal energy level. More or less, I have been reading and watching television shows here and there, quite more than I normally do. However, it has been quite lovely catching up on all of my reading and increasing my knowledge and improving my brain in the process. I will also admit, that my Christmas decorations are still up. I think Valentine's day is the official sign that those need to come down too. Regardless to say, I cannot wait for Spring. My energy will be back, evening walks will be more possible, and the sun will be shining for a longer period of each beautiful day.

Dark Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

Happy Monday to you! Well it's almost Tuesday now, but Happy Monday and Happy New Work/School week to you all! I for one had a lovely weekend and a lovely past two days off full of beautiful people and absolutely fabulous food and drinks. I enjoyed some lovely coffee and desserts and delightful conversation with my mom. Something we do weekly, as we both thoroughly enjoy it and it is truly wonderful mother daughter time. Chocolate and coffee are medicine to us both. Physical, mental and emotional medicine. Medicine for the body and soul. Happiness medicine. Stress relief medicine. Medicine medicine. Coffee and chocolate therapy. It was really nice time spent with my mom. We even did a little walking and light local shopping, taking advantage of the somewhat warmer weather before another cold front comes in.

Cardamom Pistachio Cake with Coffee Glaze

Well firstly, Happy New Year!! 2014! I am so truly excited for this new year. New goals, new experiences, new memories, and new recipes. This year I did not make a New Year's resolution, but instead made a list of very achievable goals to complete throughout the year. Goals that I have been meaning to work on or complete for some time, and what better time than a New Year. One goal of course is more blog posts. And to enhance this blog further, another goal is to invest in a very nice quality camera. So expect some beautiful pictures very soon, wink wink. I want to use the camera for this blog, but also to invest some time into photography. Snapping photos of things that I find most beautiful, intriguing, inspiring and then using these photos as inspiration for my pastries and cake designs. This photo above was taken simply. A rustic photo of a rustic cake on a rustic table, no background scene, icing drizzles and pistachio crumbs on the cake board. But with this new year and a new camera, the photography will be so much more in depth. New backgrounds, new scenes, new inspiration.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Alas I have included Christmas cookies to this sweet blog. I mean, it's a must. I made sure of this too: I baked them in the morning before work and finished them late at night after a busy day. Despite the hard work involved, there is something truly magical about baking and decorating Christmas cookies. To me Christmas cookies are such a part of Christmas joy. They are such a part of Christmas traditions. That is the wonder of food. It brings people together and makes them truly happy. In my family, we long for my mom's cookies, which she starts baking about a week before Christmas because there are so many types. These cookies are a part of breakfast and a huge part of dessert. They are dessert on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas. I eat about eight to ten cookies both days (I have to be honest with you). And I do not feel bad about that in any way. Eating the buttery, sugary little cookies brings me happiness. You should not limit yourself from happiness. Every day is an occasion, so we must treat each day just as that.

Chocolate Candy Cane Loaves

Count down to Christmas is here. I am so excited and trying to enjoy every minute of it, minus the stress of course. The holiday's are about spending time with the ones you love most and celebrating the joys and blessings in your life. I can truly say that I am blessed for everything and everyone in my life. I give thanks every morning of every day, and I write ten things I am thankful for each day in my happiness journal every night. I cannot help but smile at this time of year, looking at the beautiful lights and decorations, and watching my most favorite movies, especially my all time favorite It's a Wonderful Life.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Firstly, I sincerely apologize for the lack of posts. I have been so busy with the holidays and working. And very busy making pies for Thanksgiving. But I am back and ready to tackle all of the Christmas recipes that I have been longing to make. After Thanksgiving, Christmas is in full swing. In my home however, the Christmas trees go up the week of Halloween, but that is besides the point here. My goals for the Christmas sweets season are as follows: something gingerbread, something peppermint, something white and snowy (perhaps coconut or white chocolate), homemade baked gifts, and a vast amount of cookies. I am going to bake as much as I possibly can this month, and I will be sharing it with all of you. Lucky you are...