Joy the Baker

Is it just me, or are there butterflies everywhere?  

Maybe it’s butterfly hatching season…. that’s a technical term: butterfly hatching.  Obviously.  

Exhibit A:  On a particularly rough day at work, a butterfly just about the size of my hand fluttered around me showing off its black, yellow and red wings.  Absolutely gorgeous.  

Exhibit B:  Just this morning a butterfly whizzed past my nose as I rode a bike through the Oakland hills.  High speed butterflying.  

I don’t even need an Exhibit C, I’m tellin’ you… there’s something in the air:  butterflies.  

So, all of this beautiful fluttering action has lead me to, well… look for a little meaning in all of it. 

I know… totally cheese ball, right?  It’s just that I feel something in the air.  Maybe it’s the change of season, or maybe it’s my sun sign doing God knows what to my moon sign.  Who knows?  I just feel a flood of change coming my way.  I think that’s what all these butterflies are trying to tell me.  Change is a’comin’, in more ways than I might already think.  That… or it’s just butterfly hatching season.  I don’t know.

In other news:  I have a fridge full of zucchini and I made zucchini pancakes.  

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This little bee sure is living large in my one pot spring garden!

But enough about spring.  Spring is so… um, last season?  No… not exactly.

Let’s talk about summer!  What’s your favorite way to kick off summer?

Me?  My favorite way to greet summer is to have a rip roarin’ good time Memorial Day Weekend!

I’m diving into this one, two, THREE day weekend by celebrating my birthday and throwing down with my family in the kitchen.  My Dad is making chicken and waffles.  Holy heck!  Chicken and waffles will be  followed promptly by family board games and… nap time.  What could be better?  A pool!?  You’re right!  How is it that I don’t have a friend with a pool in this town!?

My weekend will be full of family, fun and loads of kitchen time.

I hope that you’re able to take time this weekend to enjoy your families.  Maybe you’ll even have a moment to hop in the kitchen and throw together a late breakfast or gorgeous cake.  Do it… it’s important.

Here’s some inspiration.

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I feel like there’s food everywhere.  Literally everywhere.  Let’s see… it all started when someone sent a fairly innocent fruit basket.  Then the neighbor dropped by with a pound of chocolate candy.  Then I somehow thought it a good idea to whip up some fudge.  Then there was the five course holiday party, and the debauchery at a bar after.  Milk Chocolate Chip Pancakes were thrown in the mix, and right now all I can think about is tacos.  

See, there’s food exactly EVERYWHERE.  

It’s not that I’m complaining.  Oooooh no.  I think I’m just looking forward to a little after holiday broccoli.  For the sake of my tummy.  That’s all.

It would seem that people in blog land are bringing out the big guns.  

Mike of Mike’s Table whips up some Hazelnut Brittle.  Um… yes please!

Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody sets the world ablaze with Butterscotch Banana Chocolate Swirl Cake.  She also admits to having a very sneaky way with Christmas presents.  I’m glad I’m not the only one.

Nicole of Baking Bites makes Mexican Hot Chocolate Linzer Cookies and I love her for it.  

When did Gingerbread Popcorn enter the world?  I’m glad it did!

Linda is obviously trying to get me to move to Australia for her Churros with Dulce de Leche Sauce.  Her plan might just work.

See?  Food everywhere!  Good food too!  

Enjoy the links.  I’m going to go find some tacos.  It feels like the right thing to do.

Oh and one more thing.  Yes, that’s a random picture of my morning coffee up top.

I feel like I’ve been haunted by the three bags of fresh cranberries I bought about a month ago.

You’d think I’ve baked enough cranberry filled goodies to make these cranberries a thing of the past. Nope. Between the Banana Cranberry Bread, the All Purpose Cranberry Apple Cake and the Cranberry Sauce, how did I still have a lone back of cranberries dancing around in my fridge?

I’m happy to say, that with this deliciously moist and golden Cranberry Coffee Cake, my days of withering cranberries in the fridge are over. But… um… I kinda miss them. I’m thinking numerous Prosecco and Cranberry Cocktails are in my future, which means… more fresh cranberries! I hope you’re not sick of cranberry recipes yet. It ain’t over, this baker would really like a cocktail.

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Pumpkin is upon us.

It’s a fact friends.  Deal with it.

I went a little pumpkin crazy at the store this week.  Something comes over me when the seasons change.  Because I live in a city where the weather insists on staying virtually the same temperature all year round, and the palm trees know nothing of seasonal changes, I feel like I’m forced to express the change of season in very outward, often very expensive ways.

When early October hits, and the hint of a cool night beckons me to turn my bedroom fan off, inevitably, the next day I’m out shopping for scarves, tights, knee high boots, and yes….. pumpkin.

We had a chilly night this past weekend (I’m talking low 60’s) which prompted me to take out my winter coat (yes I have one, and it’s fantastic).  This also prompted me to go on a pumpkin bender at the grocery store.

I’m giving you the heads up.  It’s pumpkin time people.  Are you with me?

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