Sweet & Savory ... Hospitality vs. Business

Balance.

It's important.

I'm not talking about the kind 

you can achieve by buying those strange lil (ugly) bracelets either.

I'm talking about juggling between family, friends, business, pleasure, service, & relaxation.

I'm talking about life.

The place I have the biggest difficulty finding balance in 

just so happens to be my gift & passion

for baking.

When do I bake for fun?

How do I bake for service?

What do I bake for business?

Feeding my family.

Well... that sounds lovely in theory

'Cept my dad is diabetic.

Pastry Chefs & Diabetics don't mix.

Feeding my Church family.

 Now there's a fantastic idea!

 Using a gift God has given me

& serving God's people with said gift.

I think it's time for a story...

with PICTURES!

 

A super fantastic mother of three needed some meals 

while her hubby was away.

So a few of us ladies signed up to help :)

I decided to make Chicken Pot Pie 

for the very first time.

This was such a crazy rewarding experience.

I loved this recipe from beginning...

To End...

It was a total blast to put together!

It was challenging

& turned out so tasty!  

I was thrilled.

To top it all off

I got to give the whole thing away

to someone who had a need.

Loving on people this way is 

such an immense joy

& I am thankful for those opportunities! 

But ...

God tells us all to be good stewards

of the gifts He has given us.

Sometimes

this actually means NOT giving things away for free.

Wait... What???

Totally true!

Here's another story... & another Picture :)

While I'm thrilled my Pot Pie turned out nicely

Savory is not my strength

So when another friend approached me 

requesting a Summer Berry Pie...

 mmmmm....

I said

"Absolutely!  I'll make you the best Berry Pie my Petite Hands can make!...

BUT... it'll cost you a small fee..."

I didn't feel guilty because God has given me a wondrous gift

& part of being responsible with that gift 

is to not let others take advantage or abuse that gift.

AKA ... expect to get things for free simply because they have a connection...

Whoa...

Right?!?!

 

I am naturally a highly confused individual.

Which can become rather confusing to well...

everyone else around me.

There is much in life that doesn't require much analysis.

What color underwear do I wear tomorrow?

Whether I should make PB&J or Chicken Salad for lunch...

Whether or NOT I should vote for Obama... (crazy liberal jerk-face... *cough cough*)

But... Some decisions take a lot of thought.

 Mostly because you know that they'll change the course

of your entire life

forever.

FOR-EEE-VR 

(Kudos to whoever gets the Sandlot reference...)

Striking a balance between Service & Building a working business 

with a gift God gave me

Is made up of nothing but tricky decisions.

But God continues to guide me

teach me

& encourage me.

& that's a balance in which I'm forever joyful! <3

Nutty Misadventures

Expectations can be lethal.

Sure...

No one has ever actually DIED of an unmet unexpectation

but I do believe that a rogue expectation is 

mighty capable of slaughtering determination, motivation, & even passion.

But Expectations will always be seen as innocent,

because they are... until they meet FAILURE.

Failure is forever seen as the evil culprit.

But I blame those dern expectations.

Let me tell you about Coconut Cream Pies.

Looks pretty glorious doesn't it?

You can say it ... 

I know it's true.

 But then you slice it open...

And it looks...

well....

slightly less glorious.

I had expectations for this pie.

Expectations that the custard would be silky.

...That it would hold up under the terrible heavy weight

of whipped cream.

My expectations were dashed.

 

But I'm not done.

Oh no.

Not by far.

Let me tell you about Pistachio Mousse.

 

Looks gourmet, yes?

 I know it does.

It's beautiful people! 

But once again...

Cut this sucker open & alas

 

You realize the mousse layer is

quite like a sponge rather than mousse!

I had such hopes for that mousse.

 I thought it would be 

fluffy

silky

so much less... firm..... and gelatinous.

*shudder*

In this instance, my expectations 

really really let me down.

But ...

whenever your expectations meet failure & 

they decide to have an unnatural, disturbing romance

all over your dreams

& you just want to sit on the floor of your destroyed kitchen & cry

You just have to persevere.

Salvage whatever you can of the failure.

Remember it's a learning experience

& it is not a horrendous waste.

... take a deep breath

disinfect your countertops of failure

scrape your pie plate of expectations

& wipe your dreams clean of their dirty dirty romance.

& Keep on trying :)

Classic Favorite -- Custard!

Cakes loaded with Chocolate...

Cupcakes topped with rich frostings...
Tarts stacked with fruit...
Morning pastries, cobblers, cookies, pies, muffins & mallows...

I often am asked what is my favorite sweet treat to make.
And I am just as often- totally stumped.

It's like asking an artist what is their favorite subject matter to paint.
Some days they might enjoy painting a posy field basking in sunlight.
Another day that week, they may just feel
like capturing the stunning beauty of a city on fire.

... Sometimes, it's all about the moment.

There is one thing in particular that I tend to keep coming back to though...

Creamy.
Rich.
Silky.
Oh so smooth.

Custard.

It can be a tricky little bugger...
if you don't treat it juuuuuuust right.

But it can be the most blissful treat in all the world
when you do it right.

So...
Be sure to start with a good quality recipe
& remember these tips :)

Scald the milk...
you can tell you've done it right if there's a film in the bottom of your pan.

There's something so appealing about foamy milk to me...
Probably why I have a love affair with Lattes...


Be sure to temper your eggs.
First time I attempted custard
I was in fifth grade
& I had no idea I was supposed to gradually introduce my eggs
to the insane heat of the scalded milk.
What happened?

Scrambled eggs.
Lumpy Custard.
Totally gross.

So... temper those eggs.

As the custard thickens in the pan
be sure to keep a hand on off-switch for the burner.

A few extra seconds of heat can mean the difference
between silky smooth...

And slightly lumpy.

You can always strain your custard after thickening-
Most recipes list it as a step....
But...
Pros don't need to strain ;)

Pros also add extra fat.

Like Peanut Butter.

Well... I do anyways.

I also add Bourbon Vanilla.



Every great custard deserves an epic crust.

Epic.

It also deserves a hefty dollop of equally epic Whipped Cream.

I made this one chocolate.

And added extra chocolate... & Bourbon Vanilla
Just to ensure it's epic-ness.

And there you have it.

Three layers of Personal-Sized Bliss.

All thanks to Custard.

Creamy Custard & Nutty Nutrition

I have a confession...
I've gained 8 pounds
somewhere between August 2010 & Now.

Well....

Actually....

Somewhere between my belly button & my butt.
In that general region anyhow.

I used to be so carefree.
So unintentional.
So blissfully ignorant.

About carbs...
sugar...
fat...

& CALORIES.

Now I find myself checking labels!
Cutting out carbs!

&
Counting all those damn Calories!!

So I got an opportunity to attend the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim.

& It was very enlightening.

But, apparently, I made a way to make it ...
fattening.

I tasted every kind of almond milk, organic ice cream, & natural energy bar
that they threw my direction.
After 5 hours of walking...
I found a way to gain 2 more pounds.

Perhaps my diet needs extra tweaking...

On another note...

I made a new & totally blissful treat for a lovely lady!

It was packed with wondrous Blackberries...
Which are always healthy ;)

Too bad the Vanilla Bean Custard & the Lemon Almond Tart Crust
was slightly ... fattening.

I'll figure it out someday.

Just not today...

Observance & Facing Truth

No silliness this time.
I'm baffled.

SIX teachers have been arrested for sexual misconduct in LAUSD.
SIX.
And the number continues to climb each week.
These are not simple allegations either.
One teacher spoon-fed his own semen to his students.
Another video-taped his sexual assault of a 2nd grade girl.

I speak out to my generation most loudly...

Why are so many remaining silent??

When you glance around at your brothers and sisters
and you come to realize that at least 1/3 of the people you know
have been sexually assaulted or molested
do you not feel for them?

Do you not realize the percentage has already gone up for the up and coming generation?

These children are our legacy.
They are God's children first.

And they have been damaged.

I am furious over this... sickened... mournful.

We must speak up.

God never intended us to have such hearts of apathy.

First Fruits & Sweet Offerings

Tithing.

Did you know Tithing is different from Offering?

I think I kind of considered them one and the same...
Until today that is :)

Tithe means 10%.
A tithe is also holy.
Therefore- 10% of our earnings belong to God...
As in, they are to be set apart (HOLY).

AW Pink says:
You cannot give a tithe,
because tithes are not OURS to give.
They are God's.
You have not yet begun to give,
until after you tithe.

Love that.
LOVE.THAT.

So... an Offering can be just about anything
that we feel compelled to give...
AFTER we have given our tenth.

Which means...


I can give



CUPCAKES.

With adorable lil Chocolate Hearts & Soft Pink Pearls!

If only those fit in Offering Baskets....

<3

How To Win Friends & Influence People....

Let me preface this blog

by telling all of you
that I have no idea
how to win friends...

nor how to influence people.

What I do know how to do
is make an insanely delicious Chocolate Espresso Mousse Pie.

I told myself that I would start taking more "stage" photos.
By "stage" - I mean photos of the various processes involved in Baking
vs. just simply taking a single shot of the finished product.

So... without further procrastination!
My photo journal of my very first attempt (& Success) at making Mousse...

Which is not to be confused with Moose.
Sadly.

I love to measure a recipe's level of difficulty by the number of bowls
I must use from start to finish.

About halfway through my recipe
I was already up to six bowls...

By the end
I had topped nine.

Nine Bowls of Tasty, Tasty Goodness.

Like a Double-Boiler full of melting Dark Chocolate.
Who doesn't like that?!

Then I broke out the White Chocolate

...And added a Butter Pecan Twist!

Of course, no pie is complete
Without whipped cream!


And who wants just ONE flavor of whipped cream?!
pff...
Not me....

Finally
After nine bowls...
it came time to cut the first slice
& taste test.

My Mom & I were pretty eager...