Ok, I'm Back with Some Yummy Things...

I got married. It is the only excuse I have for not blogging in 6 months!

I took some time off from baking and blogging while we planned and successfully executed our wedding!  It was the best day ever and we are still floating on cloud nine from it even two months later!  The planning was easy but still exhausting and so we took a nice, long two week honeymoon to Iceland and the Netherlands! I didn't want to come home... 

Now we are settled back into every day life and I am back baking like a feign.  

My first project back from my little hiatus was a 2nd birthday for my coworker's daughter.  He said "give me something girly with pink" -- easily done!! I decided on butterflies of different sorts with a pink and purple theme.  I individually wrapped them and they handed them out to their family and friends as a party favor!  

Next up were my favorite little baby heads for my friend Liz's gender reveal party! Every time I make these little things I can't help but smile.  Each one comes out with it's own personality...and I always add a few criers in there--gotta give the soon-to-be parents a taste of what they're in for, right!? 

Next was a delicious lumberjack cake for my cousin Nick's 29th birthday!  What I thought would be a major challenge ended up being pretty easy.  This was vanilla bean cake with brown butter vanilla butter cream (say that five times fast!). When I googled for inspiration for this cake, I saw a lot them had been done with fondant and I wanted to stay away from it.. but I ended up texturing the buttercream into bark with a butter knife and I was super happy with the results! I also ordered a super cute ax lollipop mold and used chocolate to make the ax for the top! The entire cake was devoured in about five minutes! 

Also thrown into the mix this month was a simple and pretty blue wedding sampler for a couple who I have the pleasure of catering for in two weeks!

Lastly, some delicious cupcakes for my friend Becky. I had fun with these and discovered that pulverizing Oreo cookies in the food processor and then folding them into fresh vanilla buttercream makes for the most delicious butter cream in the entire world!  These were ice cream sundae, cookie dough, cookies and cream, and peanut butter crunch.  YUM! 

Working on two orders this week that I am excited for and can't wait to share! 

Elena

3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes that Rule Over Any Other Protein Pancake Recipe

I've been on a bit of a hiatus. I purposely did not take on any dessert orders for the month of May because this month is insane for me! I just got back from vacation in Miami with my boyfriend visiting my brother which was awesome. Before that I had something to do each weekend.. this weekend is me and Louis' anniversary weekend plus Memorial Day, and next weekend my cousin gets married.. SO, I have not had any time for cooking or baking.. we've been eating a lot of salads!

Anyways I slept until 11am this morning because my body was yelling at me "you need sleeeeeep" so sleep is what I did and when I got up I was hungryyyyy! So, I whipped up these pancakes, which were just.. amazing. They are a muted banana flavor, so if you love banana these are for you. This is what my plate looks like now:

Yup.. gone. SO GOOD. So here is the recipe and I hope you create them and enjoy them! This made four little perfect pancakes for one person, at only 243 calories and 8 grams of protein.  It is the perfect dish to have when you're craving a fattening Friendly's breakfast, but know you just should NOT do that! Dont' do that!!

Start with your three ingredients (see I wasn't lying!)-- one banana, one egg, 1/4 scoop vanilla protein powder. I like baking with muscle milk, it's flavorful and there is sugar in it so it makes things sweet. I know a lot of people prefer other brands, so use what you got!

Mash your banana like so..

In a separate bowl, whisk your egg. Then add it to the mashed banana, and add your protein scoop on top.

Next, mix everything together! I added a bit of cinnamon at this stage, because I love it so much and I put it on everything. So I guess I lied when I said 3 ingredients... I used four! But this is why I love this recipe, it is a great base and you can add what you like! I suppose you could add chocolate chips at this point if you're feeling naughty!! 

Ok now add some oil to your pan. I prefer using coconut oil, but if olive oil or butter is what you have, go for it.  Then plop your batter into the pan.

Let these little babies cook for about 4 minutes on one side, until the tops start bubbling then flip.  They will be brown, but the are not burned! Remember, bananas have a lot of natural sugar, so they will caramelize and be SO YUMMY. Trust me. We're almost there.

Ok so most of the world loves maple syrup. I hate it. I prefer butter.... or brown sugar, but bad bad bad. So how do we makes these things delicious for only 40 calories more and 4 whole grams of protein!?? You make a protein glaze. 

One tablespoon protein powder goes into a bowl..

Followed by 1/2 tablespoon of almond milk. Mix, then add more milk until it reaches a glaze consistency. You don't want it watery! Think glazyyyy.

 

OH YEAAAAAA! 

 

Look at that! A delicious breakfast with only a sliver of the calories you'd get at your local breakfast joint.

Ah these were so good. Banana and vanilla and a little cinnamon and it's a great way to get my protein from egg too without having to cook eggs (ew). 

Try these and let me know what you think! You won't be sorry! Don't forget to double the recipe (2 eggs, 2 bananas, 1/2 cup protein powder) to make them for two!

For 1 serving (4 little cakes):
243 Calories, 27 Carbs, 12 Fat, 8 Protein, 71 Sodium, 14 Sugar

-Elena

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Well isn't that the truth! The cold has found us up here in New England, along with the snow, icy roads, and of course the Christmas music! The holidays are in the air and everyone can feel it.  I cut down my shopping a ton this year, but I still enjoy heading over to Barnes and Noble with Louis, grabbing a skinny peppermint mocha and browsing the mall, mostly people watching and just soaking in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season! I also enjoy baking for it which I have started.  Last year, I did snowmen--but this year I introduce the new and improved. Yes my skills have definitely been taken to the next level. These little guys (or gals, you choose!) are warm and cozy and iced with pearled perfection!  

 

Then I added them with a bunch of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

Yes they are quite cute! They are actually for a little girl I know who is celebrating her birthday this weekend.  Perfect little treats to share with her friends! 

Hope you're all getting into the holiday spirit as much as I am! Much more to come--- my brother returns next week for a couple of weeks and with him comes all my "brothers" from college who love these desserts more than anyone I know, so I need to get baking! Enjoy the snow everyone... not fun to drive it but it sure is beautiful! There is absolutely nothing like New England in the wintertime :)

-Elena

Baby Girls, So Cute You Want to Take a Bite!

I love when I get asked to do baby shower treats. I always envision how the couple's baby will turn out based on how I know them! The possibilities are endless! Recently I did a shower for my best friend's sister Megan who is having a baby girl! She is going to be such a blessing and I was so happy to share their special day.

Finished display was too precious..

And there had to be baby chicks!

And the gorgeous mom to be!

Remember, take each day one sweet bite at a time!

My First Bite

I don't remember my first bite of chocolate cake.  I wish I did, because I bet it was delicious. It was probably for my second or third birthday, when my parents made me a chocolate cake with The Little Mermaid on top.  Or maybe it was a cake my Yia Yia made for Easter, shaped and frosted as a bunny.  All I know is that I am a chocolate cake-aholic. I have no shame.

Growing up, my grandma and my mom made the best chocolate chip cookies imaginable. Gooey and chocolatey and just delicious.  My friends would come over and eat them all up.  My brother's friends would take them from the freezer and polish off the entire tin.  Friends from Massachusetts still talk about them, and friends in Connecticut still ask for them.  They're famous in three states. It's a fact.

I have been cooking and baking my way through life for three full years now.  I grew up around food-- grandparents are Greek and French and always stuck to their roots in terms of food, and I always loved eating it all but never really knew how much I loved creating it until after college.  It started with cooking, then it grew into baking.  Then I decided to take my passion for color coordinating, scrap booking and event planning and mix it with my baking.  So I made a few cake pops for my brother's graduation party. They were messy and as I look back on them, they were ugly. But wow... they tasted like heaven. Moist, chocolate heaven. And so it began...

I got my Bachelor's Degree in Communications with a focus on Marketing, and though I work full time, something was missing.  I found myself dreaming of my next edible creation while sitting at my desk creating spreadsheets.  I had to immerse myself in my new found passion. So I enrolled in culinary school, and though I am taking it slow, I will be fully accredited when I finish.  No rush though, I have no concrete plans.

My dream would be to open a catering business. I want to create gorgeous baked goods for parties.  I want to make dessert tables for little girls' Princess themed parties. I want to make gorgeous cakes for a bridal shower... and I want to make people smile when they see something beautiful created JUST for them.. 

And that's why I've created this blog. So many people ask why I don't write a blog to share my photos and passion, and I've never had an answer as to why I haven't created one.  Writing was always another passion of mine, and I think I need an outlet.  A place to write to the world about what it's like being a "twenty-something" young woman of the "Generation Y"... broke, buried in college debt, living at home, and trying to find where I fit in this giant world of craziness.  I have no idea what I am doing yet, but I do know that when I am in the kitchen, whipping three pounds of butter into delicious butter cream frosting, I feel content. When I touch the top of a double chocolate cake, fresh out of the oven and it springs back, I feel satisfaction.  When I deliver a tray of cake pops with small baby faces on them and see the expectant mother almost in tears, I no longer feel like that lost twenty-something girl...I feel like I am right where I need to be.  It snaps be back to reality and reminds me that I need to take this life "one sweet bite at a time."