{MONDAY MOJO} Baking 'Blueberry bites'

Good morning, friends!

I had so much fun getting in the zone and baking on Sunday, I thought I would share my baking prowess. I stumbled upon this recipe via my favourite website Pinterest (of course) and I thought I'd give it a go because it's very simple and requires a little skill with the pie crust and cookie cutter. 

So, I am now happily presenting you my 'Blueberry bites'! They are basically impossible to mess up and really delicious, and I think that everyone should try. I had the most fun baking them and was really proud of the final product.

If you don't try, you don't get, right? Although when I saw the ease of this recipe I almost immediately set my intention on making it a reality, I always get second thoughts about trying something new. I'm my biggest judge and I'm harsh at myself. But every opportunity for me to outdo myself and battle an inner fear is a victory!

Bottom line, if you want to make people (and yourself) happy, try this:

• Pre-heat your oven at 225 degrees
• Roll out a refrigerated pie crust
• Cut out 1 and half inch circles
• Place a blueberry in middle, sprinkle with brown sugar
• Fold your circle in a half moon shape
• Egg wash your parcel thoroughly on both sides (mix 1 egg with a teaspoon of water for your mix)
• Place on a baking parchment and bake for 10 minutes
• serve warm with ice cream, custard, or simply on its own

Voila!

I was also able to relax in the middle of planning weddings, baking, and hosting, and it's been a real bliss! I live in a peaceful area of London which my introvert soul is grateful for everyday. 

And I hope everyone had a lovely weekend as much as I did!

{MONDAY MOJO} Catching up on my blogging + chocolate macarons!

It's been a while since I last put words on Blogger! Life gets her way sometimes and the best you can do is live it. I have been taking care of a few things in the meantime, got a new job, a new home, turned 30 (!) and also been through a lot personally. I have missed writing despite not being your typical regular blogger, and sharing my thoughts and work is very cathartic to me... let's get the ball rolling!

We have entered a brand new year and I have concocted a few things to keep me afloat and let my creative juices do the work. To start off, I was really excited to jump on a train and get to my favourite city in the world to spend some quality family time for a few days -Paris has my heart the way no other cities does!

 

After a day of catching up with my beautiful nieces and keeping up with my sister's stories, we decided to get in the kitchen and do what we love doing most: get creative. She's herself an amazing artist and baker and it was our first time trying to make macarons, in fact baking altogether! We had seen a few recipes online and we decided to go for the one we already had all the ingredients for, a simple way to avoid going out in the freezing cold! The issue with our delicious treats is that there are so many recipes out there that it's very difficult pointing at the one that will give you smooth biscuits with a rich ganache in the middle. We clearly failed at our attempt but it was really fun working together, and it actually tasted really yummy! Neither of us were really bothered about the way they looked in the end, it was all about making the most out of the little time we had together. And to be fair, they still tasted delish.

Disclaimer: this, by no means, reflects our talents as bakers! There's always a time when things just don't work out and you have to be OK with that. And also, if you have a recipe that works, holla!

 

... and on to the next recipe! (or the nearest boulangerie?)

 

 

 

Family time is SO important. I haven't been lucky to start off with but I have managed to build my own and so fortunate for the people who make it. I have basking in my baby niece's smile for 3 days straight and it was a pure delight -the overload of selfies can prove it! I really look forward to my family getting bigger, hopefully soon!

Until the next time, friends...

{MONDAY MOJO} The chocolate diaries

                

If you ask me to make you a birthday cake, chances are, I won't say no. I don't consider myself a baker but I can make something decent when I put my mind into it, especially if it involves creativity!

I made this cake for a special birthday: a layered chocolate & Guinness cake with hazelnuts, finished with a chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles, and chocolate flakes. My take is that if balanced enough and not too heavy, one can never indulge in too much chocolate!

I adapted this recipe to my own liking and you can also add a bit of dark rum in the ganache if that's what you like! Hazelnuts can also be replaced by pretty much any nuts you feel like having, and decoration is up to the artist! In my opinion, it's a pretty delish addition to any meals or celebrations (not just because I made but because I made it!) and quite easy to bake... So go for it, why don't ya?!

{MONDAY MOJO} My Easter story! (Special feature: Bailey Ana Cakes)

 

Last week's 4 day Easter weekend break was as sweet as the biscuits I made to celebrate the date! My weekends are getting more scarce as weddings are in high demands at the moment, so any occasions to have fun and relax at the same time is welcome with open arms. I also had the opportunity to get a proper Easter dinner this year. I'm talking steamed fish, rice & peas, veggies, mac and cheese, and, of course, a chocolate cinnamon layer cake with white chocolate cream and summer berries topped with lashings of chocolate fudge cake, courtesy of Bailey Ana Cakes - can a girl ask for more?!

 

  

So to mark the occasion, what better idea than to bake some iced Easter biscuits? I have literally been drooling over Pinterest photos of everything biscuit-y, Easter-y related (in between table designs, wedding inspiration, baking projects, style shoots, food styling, and tattoo ideas) since I had a charity event to bake for and I had wanted to make something a little different. The cake was taken care of anyway and my mission was more of an accompaniment to the vibe! And to be fair, I had been shown the fine art of biscuiteering and was ready to put my skills into practice once again.

 

 

 My charity bake sale iced biscuits for Richard House, London's first children's hospice

 

We quickly squeezed in a photo shoot session of the notorious cake that was so delish that I ate 2 slices! The way chocolate has its way to my heart...

 

I'm really enjoying to spending more time doing work I enjoy the most: creating. Immersing myself in any kind of creative activity is what liberates my mind from my daily bustle and I'm really grateful for those impromptu moments I get to explore the depths of my dexterity. 

{MONDAY MOJO} Kung Hei Fat Choy!

 

I felt that this year hadn't started properly for me as I had been ill for quite some time and felt robbed off celebrating the arrival of 2014. So to set the tone right and give myself a second chance (illness is gone!), a Chinese New Year dinner was organised. It was not only an opportunity for new connections and new beginnings, but also one to embrace what I love doing (amongst many other things): dinner partying. I love using my creative skills whenever I can and I love showing people a good time with delish food in lush surroundings. 

The dinner party took place in the gorgeous front room of sweet treat maker Dewbien of Bailey Ana Cakes. We co-hosted an intimate affair and invited our sister friends for an evening of festive shenanigans. I'm talking about a 3 course Chinese-style banquet with home made desserts (by her, and while we're at it can we also talk about her fortune cookies made from scratch?) and home made cocktails (by moi) - the whole shebang! What a blissfully relaxed meal we all had, I had an excellent time at last. 

The conversation was flowing and the food swiftly making its way through our palates, washed down by exotic flavoured drinks (jasmine, honey, cayenne pepper, dark rum). I stopped counting how many I had after the 3rd one!

Prosecco & pomegranate jelly shots topped with gold glitter, courtesy of the sweet treat maker...

She also blessed us with a banana and passion fruit treat with coconut & lime ice cream... Sweetness on a plate!

The affair ended naturally as guests were satisfied and all made their way home with big smiles on their faces and sweet memories. We made sure our personalised invitations communicated the whole vibe of the evening accordingly and hope they knew what they were in for...

At last the year is starting for me and I feel refreshed and ready for new beginnings. Cheers to that!

{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

{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!

{MONDAY MOJO} Tea Party time!

HAPPY MONDAY!

I had a lot of fun tea-partying with my lovely sister friends last week-end! I had been planning a gathering for a little while and was pleasantly surprised by how the day unfolded. We started the afternoon in style and we ended the shindig on the rim of debauchery!

A vibrant tropical setting embellished with colourful lilies and a heavenly vanilla sponge with summer berries & lemon cream, courtesy of Bailey Ana Cakes

Love in abundance was at the party...

I couldn't have asked for better surroundings to celebrate love & friendship: in the comfort of my home, we proclaimed sisterhood in the most organic way. I had an idea of how I wanted the day to turn out when I sent out my invites, but I had no idea it would be such an enriching experience: an overwhelming medley of powerful energies.

Fatima & Astrid, my fellow Frenchies!

Delish chocolate & ginger mini loafs by Bailey Ana Cakes

For this tablescape, I went for a bright decor that completely overturned London's grey skies and temperamental winds. It was warm and welcoming, with an abundance of tea lights, gorgeous gems, potent tea cocktails with sweet & minty flavours, a lot of laughs, and a lot of love. We partied until the sun came down, wrapping up the day with a couple of dance moves and a lot of fond memories.

A big cheer to my sister friends for a beautiful day.

{MONDAY MOJO} Work + fun with 'Bailey Ana Cakes'

I love working with fellow creatives and develop new skills. Last week end I had the opportunity to delve into the whimsical world of Bailey Ana Cakes, ran by baker extraordinaire Dewbien, for cupcake decoration sessions. It's interesting to enter someone else's world and witness the well-known intricacies of running a creative business while juggling life and its trials - props to all who do it and do it well. Behind-the-scenes moments were made of brainstorming, props sourcing, shopping, baby-sitting, preparing, baking, decorating, glittering (my ultimate favourite task pastime!), sugar-coating edible flowers for crystallizing (real flowers!), making sure every single cupcake looks a million dollar, while documenting the action! You can't imagine how much work goes into the process until you're part of the adventure. 

photo credits

While it was a lot of fun, the work that Dewbien puts into her craft is laborious, admirable, and inspirational. As creative souls, we must be able to multitask without crumbling under a mountain of distractions and she does that with a certain class. What I saw was an eagerness to execute her work to perfection, motivated by the love of making her clients happy. She's got it going on! The picture below is a proof of it and I'm glad I was part of the design process, I've learned so much! 

Photo credits

If you want to know more about Dewbien's work and her business Bailey Ana Cakes, get at her now! You can find a plethora of cake and cupcake inspiration (including those fabulous ones), super pretty designs, and learn more about the lady herself. Design drool guaranteed!

You can also give her a buzz on Facebook & Twitter.