photo op: reliving baking memories

RER 3.14.17

There was a time when love was blind

And the world was a song

And the song was exciting

There was a time

Then it all went wrong…

No, I know. I’m being dramatic. And a Les Miz fan. Nothing has gone wrong. But…

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

 There was a time when I used to bake

And the kitchen smelled like cookies

And there was butter and sugar all over the place

There was a time

Then came adulting…

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RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

A lot has happened over the last few months: Life has just intensified in the most amazing ways from my job, to a status change, to looking forward to and toward the future. There has been little time for baking, but still plenty of time for eating well (pics or it didn’t happen).

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

The last time I baked, it was chocolates chip cookies and a foggy memory. Coconut, too. Something about a snow day— a rare occurrence when I was in school, the very same school where I am starting my third year as a teacher (!!).  When I was young, the school would stay open and the less-than-attractive floors would be slippery and squeak with the melted snow from boots and shoes. Classes would be diminished, but we would learn things that you can’t find in books. The snow would be like a silencer for the outside world, but inside school there would be palpable excitement and an ineffable feeling of security and comfort.

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RER 3.14.17

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Making those cookies back in March made me feel that sense of coziness, and thinking about the last time I truly baked, makes me feel the same on this humid August day. And maybe, I also feel a little inspired…..

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8.18.17

RER 3.14.17

photo op: BUDDAKAN

RER 3.8.15

A tasty happy hour at Buddakan in Caesars ended our Atlantic City adventures for Yelp’s Spring Break.

We slowly sipped full-bodied cocktails, some hot with jalapeno and gin, others smooth with an array of sweet fruit flavors, and others still, floral with lychee and sake.

RER 3.8.15

RER 3.8.15

We gorged on slippery dumplings bursting with spicy beef or gingered chicken or even pureed edamame with traces of truffle.

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RER 3.8.15

We had crunchy chicken and shrimp spring rolls and crunchy tempura vegetables, sweet, meaty and green.

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And we finished with cinnamon sugar dusting our lips, residual from tiny dough pockets filled with a light cream paired with tangy sweet banana sauce.

Thanks AC (and my plus one) for the amazing time per usual!

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3.8.15

RER 3.8.15

MangiaMore: APPLE cinnamon white cake

RER 11.11.14

Somehow apples always seem to get abandoned in my boyfriend’s fridge. He knows I love apples (they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away) so he buys me some and then they sit. He likes to get me my favorite varieties, so that means sometimes there’s a few Honeycrisp waiting for me or a plastic bag with gala apples inside. We like to pretend we use them for whole bunch of things, but in the end, those autumn jewels wait patiently in the refrigerator until their time is almost up.

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RER 11.10.14

RER 11.10.14

This time we had three pretty bright red and yellow green gala apples aging and getting tired. We were supposed to make something with them this weekend, something delicious to celebrate Fall. I gave up baking over the weekend but found the recipe I wanted (I was literally ready to eat it, just not too enthused to make it).  So, on Monday afternoon I got to work and ended up with this Apple Cinnamon White Cake.

RER 11.10.14

RER 11.11.14

The extremely easy recipe involved layering delicious vanilla intensive batter with fresh chopped apple(s) and the spicy sweet mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar. Easy as 1-2-3. The loaf cake is like a coffee cake with brown sugar and cinnamon crunchy and crumbly on its crown and a multitude of soft and tangy sweet apples inside. Despite having no spices in the cake, there is a lovely swirl of cinnamon throughout, making this a great autumn breakfast, especially with the apples. It’s buttery, spicy, fruity, fall-like and above all, super yum.

RER 11.11.14

RER 11.10.14

RER 11.10.14

What do you do when you have extra apples? 'Tis the season for apples, most def! Would love to hear about your favorite fall apple recipes!

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11.10.14

RER 11.11.14