Hello hello! And welcome back to the Weekend Review.
This weekend I unintentionally became a professional baker. And I loved it.
Who Doesn't Love Nutter Butters?
As you all know I love baking. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I find it to be incredibly soothing, therapeutic and rewarding. There's nothing better than having a hobby where you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor through sweet, delectable treats.
Well anyway, remember that cake I made for my friend's birthday last month? She loved it so much, that she and her husband were raving about it to her mother-in-law, who then asked me to bake the cake for her father-in-law's 60th birthday party.
I very willingly said yes, and got to work figuring out what kind of cake to make this man that I've never had a conversation with. My best friend told me he loves nutter butters and chocolate, so I decided to make a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and let me tell you, it was a hit!!!
I had people coming up to me all night complimenting me on how amazing it tasted, and asking me if this was my full time job. To which I could only chuckle because if they only knew how far away from being a full time job this was for me! People started giving me their business cards and telling me to reach out to them once I decided to become a professional. It was flattering and hilarious at the same time.
The cake was a recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction, though I altered it just a bit to fit the amount of people it was going to need to feed. The cake is originally meant to be a three layer cake, but I baked an extra layer to make it four tiers and used the rest of the batter and buttercream for cupcakes. I got edible gold leaf off of Amazon to make the cake and cupcakes extra festive and the sparkle and shine of it impressed all of the guests.
My friend's brother in law came up to me and said, "I don't really eat cake that much, or like it that much, but this is amazing." And another woman asked me, "How did you get it to really taste like a nutter butter?!" Did it all look professionally done? No. But it tasted good, and that's all that really matters.
I was truly just happy that everyone enjoyed it but I have no real plans to go into business as a baker anytime soon. Though I will have my flower shop/bakery/book store in the next 10 years, mark my words.
The Library is Underrated
On Saturday, we randomly decided to take a trip to our local library and sign up for library cards. I have been a card holding member of my local library since around 2016, but I had lost my card and wanted to get a new one.
We were so excited to hear about the various perks and benefits that come along with having a library card! Free access to local museums and national parks, the ability to take out 100 items at a time!?, access to audiobooks, movies, and so much more. I'm surprised more people don't have library cards after hearing all the perks!
We spent the morning wandering around the library, reading the backs of books and picking which ones to take home. I opted for this cookbook called The Sweet Polish Kitchen, so I can start learning how to make some of the desserts of my husband's heritage. I'm still reading Evelyn Hugo so I didn't want to pick up another novel until I finish that one. My husband on the other hand checked out every single book he found remotely interesting. Books on capitalism, business, poetry...a real renaissance man!
After the library, we went on a mini shopping spree and I grabbed some goodies from the local thrift store and Anthropologie.
Anthro's new Spring home collection is truly what dreams are made of, and I simply couldn't resist getting the Faye mug, plate and pie dish! Which I will be making peach cobbler in all Summer.
Hearty Winter Breakfasts Still on the Menu
I don't know about where y'all live, but it is still so chilly here. Which means hearty, warming breakfasts are still 100% on the menu.
On Sunday, I decided to make a delicious meal of polenta with fried eggs, pesto and kale. It was so simple but so delicious.
Polenta is one of those things that just takes a good amount of practice to get right. I follow this video on YouTube, every time I want to make it, and it comes out perfectly every time.
A few tips for my perfect polenta:
Use water to cook it through for the first 30 minutes
I used to use chicken broth and cream, but I've found that it cooks a lot better and softer using plain old water and salt.
Wait until the last 5 minutes to add cream and other herbs.
I love adding fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, heavy cream, butter and parmesan. And waiting until it's fully cooked ensures that it will all melt together nice and smooth.
Make sure to cover your pot!
Polenta cooks by steaming though. So make sure you have a lid to cover the pot so the polenta gets nice and soft and not gritty.
Even though it was cold, it was sunny for the first time in a week, so we enjoyed breakfast outside and it was so cozy.
I hope your weekend was refreshing and you're ready to kickstart a new week!
Thanks for reading!
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