Catherine & Karl's Wedding

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted!  Sorry y'all!  I'm going to do my best to keep the sweets coming with a bit more frequency :)  I have some cakes to share from the past year; I'll be posting those soon!

Catherine, one of my dearest friends from college, married the love of her life, Karl, yesterday!  The ceremony was held at the gorgeous Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Pemaquid, ME, followed by an amazing reception at their house.  Great fun was had by all!

I was thrilled to be able to make Cat and Karl's wedding cake!  All three tiers were chocolate cake, filled with chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries.  The cake was enrobed with ivory fondant, and decorated with cascading gum paste hydrangeas.  I had a lot of fun creating this beauty, and particularly enjoyed making the hydrangeas.

Best wishes to Cat and Karl - I know that you'll have a life filled with happiness!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Once a month, my dad and his friends get together to play a friendly game of poker, and I usually provide some sweets!  Recently, I was asked to make whatever I wanted - and I decided that this was a great opportunity to try out something new.

I have TONS of all sorts of recipes pinned on Pinterest - and these Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars stood out.  Melt in your mouth shortbread, topped with a thick layer of rich, buttery, and perfectly chewy caramel, finished with a chocolate glaze and salt?  Delicious!  These bars got rave reviews; I'll certainly be making them again soon.  Enjoy!

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A Tribute to My Auntie

My Auntie (L) and my mom, September 2010

Three weeks ago today, the world lost an amazing woman - my Auntie - after a several year long battle with cancer.  It was absolutely heartbreaking and gut wrenching to see her in so much pain in the last several years, and excruciatingly sad to lose her.  She was much beloved by all us, and touched so many lives as a sister, aunt, friend, teacher ... she is truly missed.

My aunt lived her life in the healthiest way that she knew how, filled with vitamins and meditation, years of being a vegetarian, etc. I remember a conversation I had with her years ago, in which she exclaimed, "I wish I had eaten more cookies!!" Now, she meant this in the most literal sense possible, but it can also be translated as a statement to advise all of us to live life to the fullest.

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Caramel Apples

Fall is my favorite season here in New England.  The crisp, cool air, the changing leaves, and knowing that the holidays are just around the corner makes me one happy girl.  Last weekend, the Love Of My Life (LOML) and I went apple picking at a wonderful orchard in Amesbury, MA.  Though it was toward the end of apple picking season and many of the trees were bare, we still managed to harvest a whopping 14 pounds of apples!   Now, what to do with all of that fruit ... apple pie? Apple crisp? Eat them plain? Hmmmm....

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Brendan and Ilona's Wedding

My friends Brendan and Ilona recently tied the knot, and I was absolutely honored to make their wedding cake!  There were three different flavors offered: chocolate filled with chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries, carrot filled with cream cheese icing, and white cake filled with vanilla bean creme and fresh strawberries.  The cake was enrobed in white fondant, and embellished with cranberry ribbon and coordinating gumpaste flowers.

Congratulations to you both, and wishing you a long life of happiness, love, and health!