A good problem to have…

Being crazy busy is one problem I have always been so very grateful to have! In the last few weeks you may have seen a few sneak peaks as to things that have been going on with us. We officially received and delivered on our first two orders ever! Aubie Cakes is a real thing now, y’all! I am so excited! And I am honored to have been chosen to be part of two such special events in two amazing couples’ lives! I have had a ton of fun and being too busy to update the blog is a problem I am willing to have, any day! So 200+ macarons and one very special surprise macaron cake later a wonderful couple got married yesterday and begin their journey as a family together. Day 1, today!

On the flip side a wonderful couple announced the gender of their second baby (currently in incubation phase) with one of my cakes!!! I honestly never knew or intended for this to turn into a bakery business, it just never really crossed my mind. But I will sure take it! Aubie Cakes – open for business! Specializing in French Macarons and proud to offer gluten free options!

 

can we talk about how cute the heart shaped ones are?!

Which brings me to the other side of this post. While things have been moving along at lightening speed, we have been dealing some pretty scary health issues with my daughter. The root cause is still under investigation but for now we are being asked to run some trial elimination diets. The first, Gluten Free. I will admit I have been highly skeptical of this whole G free craze and was viewing it as a money maker and a made up doctor diagnosis for when they didn’t have an answer, sort of like the medical equivalent of a Hallmark Holiday (yes, I am one of those people) …. however, I am slowly becoming a believer. We have seen an enormous difference in Aubie Cakes in the few days we have had her on this diet and I feel great  when I follow it, too. Hubby and I are mostly following this by default as it seems horribly unfair to eat things she can’t have in front of her. I understand this is a lesson and something we will eventually need to teach but this is all new and she is only just barely 5 years old. I don’t have the heart right now.

But this is not meant to be sad or woeful news friends, I am using this as an opportunity. I refuse to see this as anything but a unique challenge that is a wonderful opportunity. It is hard to find tasty meals and sweet treats that are gluten free, especially in my current, very small, hometown. So, it has become my goal to live gluten free, with Aubie Cakes and to make some damn tasty treats that laugh in the face of gluten and wheat flour… whhaaa haa haa haa haa….. too much? Okay, so I’m a Mama on a mission, what can I say. Look friends, I’ve been through some stuff in my life and all it has taught me, really, is to always be prepared for the next big change or challenge but to look it square in the eye and not only meet but exceed it’s demands. And if you can laugh all the way, well that’s just sprinkles on the top of my gluten free cupcake, y’all. And they are tasty!

(this was loving referred to as Macaron Madness rather than March Madness in the basketball sense, around our house)

 

So, now you know what’s been going on with me… I am thinking of putting my macarons up for sale. Local stores, farmers markets etc. so for now that is a top secret recipe! Sorry! But I can share pretty photos all day long, which I will do, shamelessly, taunting you with the deliciousness, here and on Instagram and on Facebook and well, anywhere really. The lovely bride has me quite obsessed! And – Hey! they are gluten free!! Whoot!!! Big score for our household!

So, enjoy the eye candy feast while I work on some other recipes to share that are tasty and gluten free. Working on converting my White Velvet (yes, you read that right and; yes, drool is the appropriate reaction, I won’t judge) cake recipe to Gluten free this afternoon. I promise I will share the success, when I achieve it!! Thanks for sticking with me friends, and if I can fulfill any macaron orders you, just say the word, my piping bag is never far from reach! Check out this surprise Macaron Cake I made the happy new couple… Nutella Buttercream frosting, fresh raspberries, whipped cream… oh yeah, yum!!!

The crowd pleaser…

A little more than a week ago I posted a photo on Instagram and promised I would share the recipe. The photo was of a delicious homemade bread that I had just served for dinner that night. The recipe has been on my “Must Try” list for a while and I finally did. Since I have made it several times now, I can safely say that it wasn’t a fluke! It is really easy and if I can do it, you can do it! And, it is amazingly good! So, no need to drag this one out folks. I just followed the recipe from over on AlexandraCooks.com that I found floating around on Pinterest. Here is the pin image, you may have seen it, if not I did add it to my “Breads” board for easy finding.  Take a moment and stay a while and check out her blog, it really is a wealth of amazing recipes.

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/

Doesn’t that look fantastic? I promise you it is. I have made the faux-focaccia version each time I have made it thus far, simply because I love focaccia bread. I am positive that the original recipe will be wonderful, in fact I plan to make that tomorrow since we are out of bread again.

I was always so intimidated by bread making. I have never in my life tried to make it before this. (confession: I had to look up ‘punching down dough’ to be sure I was doing it right the first time I made it. Total Rookie, here) But it really was so very simple and honest to goodness good bread!

I have now made this several times and I am confident enough in this recipe that I shared this at a dinner party! And let me tell you, this is in deed a crowd pleaser. There is just something so magical about fresh bread. And this is the kind you can smell baking before you even walk in the house, it’s that warm, cozy, ‘there’s no place like home’ kind of smell and feeling. It is the collective upturned noses, closed eyes, and deep inhale of the wonderful smell when you carry it in to share with guests. It is really something special, and it is so very easy.

Now, one thing I have learned is not to expose it to rapid temperature changes. I took a loaf to a dinner party last week. Straight out of the oven to the car and then back into a warm house after a 25 minute car ride. This didn’t affect the flavor, just the texture. Instead of being spongy and delicate, it just made it a bit more chewy. Other than that this one is a win every time.

 Now, I know that we are all health conscious these days, as are we. And while this may be carb and white flour heavy, this is chemical and preservative free. In fact, it will only last about a week, depending on how you store it. What this is is simple, real, honest ingredients; this is knowing exactly what is going into your food and your body. And so in my book, that qualifies as good for you food.

Monday Quick Fix – dessert in a jar…for your coffee

Oh man you guys, I just couldn’t wait to share this. Just a short little quick fix to cure your case of the Mondays! (Or Tuesdays depending on when you are reading this.)

Recently, I began making my own liquid coffee creamer. It’s my own concoction of several different recipes and suggestions I found all over the web, with my own spin on it. It is incredibly good, you can make it for pennies on the dollar, it’s healthier than the store bought creamers, and it lasts approximately 2 weeks… if you can keep it around that long, that is! My last batch – (“Va-nin-a” – Aubie Cakes) – lasted almost 2 weeks and I only made about 3/4 of a 1 quart mason jar full.

Well, it ran out. Boo. On a Monday. Double boo. . And if you know me at all, you know I have a serious coffee problem. I just lurve it – and I don’t use the ‘lurve’ lightly, y’all.  But I do love my flavored creamers. I don’t take sugar or anything just a little bit of some tasty flavor and I am good. to. go. But without it… well, let’s just not even go there, it’s ugly. Needless to say, Tuesday is just around the corner and there will be coffee so there must be creamer.

Now, I don’t know about the rest of you out there in blog-land but around here I cannot escape Girl Scout Cookies. I have yet to cave, I am doing good so far (side bar: girl scout cookies have become pricy little buggers,  I have at least come close enough to know what they cost) but I do love me some Thin Mints. Which got me to thinking about one of my favorite seasonal creamers, peppermint mocha. And that led me to think about how could I make a Thin Mint creamer. Guys I am here to tell you, I am nothing if not determined, but it only took one try. I made my very own Mint Chocolate Creamer with ingredients from my pantry (read: FREE DOLLARS, y’all) that is to die for and tastes like Thin Mint Cookies… craving satisfied. I could just eat it by the spoon full. Truth be told, I did just that a few times. Don’t judge me, you’ll see! Just try it! Besides, I can’t have coffee after 2 pm or I am a total insomniac. Sad but true. So a spoonful will have to do until morning.

Just look at that little heart that my spill made. It’s a sign, it is just that good you guys!

Let’s just get right down to it:

Mint Chocolate Coffee Creamer

Ingredient List:

(1) 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

(2) cans full of vanilla soy milk (refill your condensed milk can) *If you only have milk, that is fine too, it will just be slightly less thick and your jar may be too full for two cans full.

(2) tsp mint extract (more or less to your liking)

(1) tsp Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

(1) tsp Unsweetened Cocoa powder

(1) quart sized Mason jar with screw on lid

Directions:

Add condensed milk and soy (or regular) milk in jar, shake well

Add mint and both cocoa powders, shake well

Open jar, stir. The cocoa will take a while to be absorbed so re-seal it, pop it in the fridge, and just give it a shake any time you get int the fridge and before use.

Trust me on this, it is desert in a jar … for your morning coffee. ‘Till next time, enjoy babies.

*ps. I am thinking of making the quick fix a permanent fixture around here, pun intented. What do you think? The main difference is the length and complexity. But, you might have noticed, it’s shot completely on my iPhone. Which does make it quicker and easier to publish for me… so ‘quick fix’ is really fitting in so many ways. What do you think? Fun feature or miss the good quality photos and longer text?

Let the adventure begin…

Lately, I have been doing a lot of thinking about starting this little blog. It is not something I just wanted to jump into, as I feel the web is inundated with blogs. What did I really have to offer? What was my message? I wanted to make sure I had content and ideas worth sharing. Something that would better my life by giving me a creative outlet to share my love of photography, writing, and all of the crazy projects me and my favorite little helper take on; and just maybe, inspire a few people along the way too. That would be amazing! So, with that goal in mind, I decided to give this a go! Over the past few weeks I have been making a conscious effort to document our projects and adventures. I have a number of things I am looking forward to sharing. Things like home-made gum drops (yummy!) Our favorite go to Muddie Buddy/Puppy Chow recipe (always a hit) and some amazing cupcakes (spoiler alert, I found a copycat that is to die for!!). A lot of the projects that we take on are things we see on the web, other blogs, and Pinterest and decide to try for ourselves. Many others are things that are traditions in my family or things that we dream up and create. Most recently a snow fortress with some serious style! So, without further ado: Hi, I am Mama Bakes and my best little helper is Aubie Cakes and we are very happy to meet you and share our adventures with you. Cheers!