{Wednesday Wisdom} with Warsan Shire

{MONDAY MOJO} Making cakies!

What a delicious and fun way to end an exhausting week! After drooling over Jonathan's The Candid Appetite blog, I thought it would be nice to make something yummy for my end of year party, so I made my not-so-own version of his Strawberry Shortcake under the supervision and with the help of baker extraordinaire Dewbien of Bailey Ana Cakes.

A creamy and delightful cake for the sweet palates...

2 layers of strawberries goodness, dark rum, whipped cream and a side chopped almonds... Delish!

The cake is a 2-tier vanilla sponge with strawberry and whipped cream, imbibed with a dark rum syrup and a side of almonds... It's hard to describe how tasty it was! And if I get into more deets (not to show off, of course), there more fresh strawberries and more whipped cream inbetween the tiers giving the whole cake a rich and creamy texture without overpowering flavours. My advice is that if you want that amazing recipe, you better ask somebody nicely!

In the meantime, I'm going to find the next best recipe and try it out. I definitely need more yumminess in my life!

{Friday finds} 1 blog I loved this week... (and every single week!)

I've had a lot of fun browsing the web this week, something I don't do enough as my little phone device is usually my weapon of choice when it comes to surfing and I don't tend to read blog posts as much. Instagram and Pinterest literally rock my world! It's all about the visuals they say...

Well this week, after much consideration and thinking, I've decided to feature my 3 favourite blog finds. 

 The Candid Appetite is one my favourite blogs! 

Also probably one of the most gorgeous food blogs out there! I'm often skeptical about food blogs as my attention span is very limited and I do sometimes find them a tad boring (often not enough good quality visuals). However, Jonathan, founder of The Candid Appetite, has got my full attention at every single of his creations! The guy is an actual genius and manages to capture his prowessed baked goodies  with such beauty and sharpness I can't seem to stay away. Check for yourself... One of his latest posts is about this gorgeous Strawberry Shortcake, need I say more?

GET TO KNOW!
Find out more about Jonathan and his blog:

Website: www.thecandidappetite.com

Tumblr: http://candidappetite.tumblr.com

Instagram: @Jonjon33

{Tuesday TIP} Lusting over LesBInTheKitchen

A few weeks ago, I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with the lovely Aarum from LesBInTheKitchen. If you don't know Aarum, she's a gorgeous ball of super energetic vibes who can rustle up the tastiest American-style dishes! Thanks to the magic of Skype, we entered a world of creativity and storytelling and through her eyes, I was able to catch a glimpse of her own creative mind - it didn't fail to impress me. Now, it's widely known that I have a soft spot for sister friends who are doing it, but her story was so passionately told that it had to be shared.

Her tag line? 'Just a person who loves to cook / Self taught'

I stumbled upon the lady via the channels of Instagram (don't ask me how!) and I have been curious to find out about her craft and how she came up with the idea of LesBInTheKitchen - I digged deep! Through Aarum's story, I saw a woman who is fiercely committed to creating the most delicious and authentic dishes (with her own little twist, needless to say) - an homage to her own heritage and experience of homely Southern comfort and her family surroundings. It's as real as it can get. I listened to the deep but sweet words of a woman who wants to reach out to a wide audience and share her passion of good old home made cooking, whilst creating that same welcoming feeling amongst her audience.
Check that smile out! I'm glad we got to connect and I'll be sure to pay her a visit next time I'm in California (hint, hint!).

For more juicy food inspiration, check out Aarum's Instagram feed at LesBInTheKitchen or holla on the Twitterverse @LBITK. And a little tip... She's got an e-book coming out soon! If you're about that life, GET TO KNOW!

{Wednesday Wisdom} with Audre Lorde

{MONDAY MOJO} Caribbean conversations, connections, & cupcakes with Chantal Miller

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being invited by Chantal Miller, founder of ChantiMedia, to be a panellist, cater for and style her event, a filmed interview about 'Carribbean style'.
I was slightly nervous about being on camera, all the while excited with the prospect of doing something I hardly ever do! Now, I can't reveal much about the event itself but I was delighted to be part of this experience and I'm very much looking forward to the interview being published - hurry up, Chantal!

Before the video is revealed, I wanted to share a few snaps of the work I produced for Chantal, a flashy decor with vibrant hues of gold and a hint of tradition with my madras table runner - an ode to my beloved Guadeloupe. The scrumptious banana cupcakes were also a treat that complemented the event perfectly... Needless to say they went down quickly!

The beautiful panel (including myself) involved two other Caribbean sisters and we had a really interesting conversation about what 'Caribbean style' means to us that we could have elaborated for ages! Unfortunately, we had to wrap up the conversation at some point but the connections are still buzzing...

Behind the scenes, the golden transformation...

I had a lot of fun delving into my props and getting my hands on my can of gold spray paint to transform the centrepieces! I do have a little obsession with all things gold and thought it would add a nice touch to the tablescape arrangement. Top it up with colourful pink and white roses, and you get a nice medley of colours that complement each other and clash in a nice and colourful way. Vibrancy was a necessary element to my interpretation of 'Caribbean style'.

Delish concoctions: banana-flavoured cupcakes with a rich vanilla buttercream, decorated with sugar flowers and sprinkled with gold edible glitter... A real treat for everyone! Made with love with the help of my Dewbien from Bailey Ana Cakes (honestly, she did most of the job!)

What a great day we all had! There are other projects on the talks so keep your eyes peeled. Chantal's energy gets everyone going and I can't wait to brainstorm and work with her again... Island girls truly rocks!

If you want to holla at Ms Miller, do reach out via Facebook where you can find more information about her and new projects with ChantiMedia, mind-blowance guaranteed!