cake recipes

sweet talk with cakespy jessie oleson

~ jama ~ 4 Comments

                She’s here! She’s here! Let the sweetness begin!

 

When I decided to devote the month of March to Cupcakes and Bake Shop Treats, I immediately thought of Jessie Oleson, a.k.a., CakeSpy. After all, her sweet and scrumptious blog is where I get my daily sugar fix. There, I feast on delicious interviews with bakers and pastry chefs, read about fun baking experiments, learn about bakeries all over the country, and of course, drool over the neverending stream of recipes, stunning photographs, and whimsical Cuppie art.

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SOUP’S ON: Ellen Potter in the Kitchen Interview!

~ jama ~ 46 Comments

“Today, the girl in the dark glasses, whose name was Clara Frankofile, was sitting at her customary table with a tuna-fish sandwich, cut into four perfect triangles, and a tall glass of tomato juice with a straw.” ~ from Pish Posh by Ellen Potter       



Recently, while nibbling on a few tasty restaurant books, I stumbled upon a middle grade novel called Pish Posh by Ellen Potter. It’s about a rich 11-year-old snob, Clara Frankofile, who has the power to decide which of the celebrities, socialites, princesses and movie stars who frequent her family’s restaurant are important enough to stay.

It’s a great premise (especially in light of recent events), that sheds light on our ongoing obsession in this country with celebrity and the trappings of material wealth. Equal parts fantasy, reality, and mystery, Pish Posh is generously laced with Ellen Potter’s signature humor, razor-sharp wit, and boundless imagination, and contains lots of twists and turns to keep young readers intrigued.

How much do I love that this book is set in New York City and satirizes those who think they’re “Somebodies,” but who could instantly become “Nobodies,” at the whim of a child? Or that Clara teams up with a crafty, whip-smart jewel thief named Annabelle to solve a 200-year-old mystery revolving around an unassuming soup cook?

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friday feast: just call me strawberry girl

~ jama ~ 29 Comments

“He turn’d a fruit to an enchantment which cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young.” ~ Lord Byron


photo by sunshinesyrie

Did you know that May is National Strawberry Month?

Lots of sweet, juicy beauties have been appearing in the stores for a few weeks now, and I can’t get enough of them. I think they just might be the most beautiful, perfect fruit around — no peeling required, no pits or troublesome seeds, ounce for ounce, containing more Vitamin C than citrus fruits, and only about 50 calories per cup!


     photo by heatherkh

*bites into a dark red ripe berry and sighs with rapture*

My first bite of strawberry each spring instantly brings to mind three things that make me supremely happy: Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (still a sentimental favorite), “Strawberry Fields” by the Beatles (no explanation needed), and Wimbledon tennis.

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of bonnets and bunnies, carrots and cake

~ jama ~ 32 Comments

Warning: The following post contains photos of unbearably adorable rabbits capable of blatant emotional manipulation.

Emma, Madeline, Nancy Jane, Nettie, Eloise, and Sylvia don their bonnets and bows for Easter tea.

Well, it’s happening again.

My ears are growing, and my nose is twitching. That can only mean one thing.

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happy birthday, abe!

~ jama ~ 8 Comments

“My dream is of a place and a time where America will be seen as the last best hope of earth.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln with his son, Tad, as photographed by Matthew B. Brady (February, 1864)


Our greatest President is 200 years young today. 

Wherever he is, he’s probably thrilled about who’s occupying his former digs at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Lincoln would be especially pleased to see Malia and Sasha living there, since he was the first President to bring his own small children to live in the White House.

Abe was an indulgent parent, who loved to wrestle with his sons. They provided much needed relief from the tensions of the war, sometimes throwing strawberries around at Cabinet meetings, climbing on furniture, and scattering papers.

Strawberries? Hmmm. What else did our 16th President like to eat? He was our tallest at 6’4″, so it seems he would have had a large appetite, but most historians disagree.

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