Previous Posts

Rugelach Cookies

03/28/2012

This is a happy post. I promise.

Sometimes I feel bad about "unloading" my emotions here. But I think it's important to not let dark days remain hidden. Grief and fear become more powerful when you try to cloak them with feigned joy.

But the good news is that I am really happy today.

I'm thinking about wedding cakes and key lime tarts.

I'm planning our trip to Paris and allotting days for hikes in Colorado.

Margot and Cricket have become fast friends, and we're spending our evenings watching them wrestle on our living room rug.

72 Comments

Chocolate Nutella Cake

03/25/2012

47 Comments

What a week I've had. One of those weeks that makes you eager for an extra day off. I think I've cried more this week than I have this entire year. Sometimes grief catches up with you, and if you've been running from it...well, the impact can be strong.

But I'm heading back to work in the morning, and I imagine you are too. I know I'm not the only one in the world with struggles right now, and so I hope that this week, the universe will be a little kinder to us all.

One way to make our week brighter? Besides stopping to admire all the lovely spring blooms?

A chocolate cake.

With Nutella frosting.

47 Comments

Little Things Studio

03/22/2012

28 Comments

I know. I know.

I promised you a cake. With apples. Something naturally sweet and completely delicious.

But since I've been working/studying at a frenzied pace this week, my oven and my camera have been collecting dust (as well as a bunch of other inanimate objects in my house)

No worries, though.

This is so much better.

Yes, better than an apple cake.

28 Comments

Honeybees and Winnie the Pooh Cake

03/18/2012

56 Comments

Yikes!

I've been away from the blog all week.

And it has been one of those weeks you're eager to see done.

But it's Sunday morning, and I'm brewing a cup of coffee and planning my next recipe (another naturally sweetened cake....I'm on a roll).

But I thought I'd share a few pictures from a recent cake assignment.

These strawberry and vanilla cupcakes were topped with my FAVORITE buttercream. I've shared the recipe below in case you've been interested in abandoning those bags of powdered sugar.

56 Comments

Naturally Sweet Carrot Cake

03/11/2012

51 Comments

Do you have wishes?

Wishes like a little girl dreaming her parents would stop fighting?

Wishes like a mother praying for cancer to spare her son?

The type of wishes that make your stomach turn, your heart burn.

I've had a few of those wishes...

Situations that are impossibly frightening...like when my sister was in the hospital....like when baby Ryan drowned.

When you've had wishes like the ones I mentioned--life or death wishes--it can seem selfish to get caught in the little things. But I do.

I want to start my own family.

I want to be closer to my parents.

I want to not miss Pam, Jeremy, and Mike on spring mornings.

51 Comments

Blackberry Poppyseed Muffins

03/08/2012

32 Comments

I'm getting up early. My to-do list? Work by 8:00; a huge lunch bag to pack with mini- bagels, granola, fresh fruit, and a turkey sandwich; and animals--one cat and one dog, both demanding attention.

I don't know how you working moms do it.

The first thing I do is thrown on a baggy sweatshirt, slip on my shoes, and take Margot for a short walk. My street is quiet, it's early morning in a neighborhood overflowing with college students, and I feel like it's me, Margot and the birds.

I come back home and twist my hair into knots. My arms ache after ten minutes of pinning and twisting, but I keep them up by telling myself, "Hold on just five seconds more."

And then I spread a thin layer of oil on my face. I check the size of my pores and dot concealer beneath my eyes. The packing of lunch, the wiping of counters, the constant checking of time.

32 Comments

Cinnamon Sugar Scones

03/04/2012

46 Comments

Psst...Noelle's birthday is tomorrow.

My beautiful and talented sister is celebrating her day.

By beautiful I mean:

Big brown eyes that captivate anyone in the same room.

A smile wide and welcoming.

And an infectious laugh that makes me feel like I can do anything....like it's just the two of us again, conquering backyard villains and outsmarting the neighborhood boys.

I told you she was beautiful.

46 Comments

Vegan Flaxseed Cornbread

03/01/2012

32 Comments

Walking around today, arms bare and blushing from the sun, I thought about all the mistakes I had made. Choices that had hurt me or others. Beliefs that proved to harm me in ways not easily undone.

My chest felt heavy and my face flushed with embarrassment. What had I been thinking?

And then I thought of my family--after suicides and car accidents and drownings. I know that these thoughts of guilt and regret aren't floating around in my mind alone.

32 Comments

Vegan Marbled Banana Bread

02/26/2012

47 Comments

Driving home from work on Friday, I stopped at Austin Pets Alive.

Because dogs and cats have a way of making problems less scary.

I quickly walked through the dog shelter, my ears ringing from the yaps and growls of a few noisy discontents.

And then I saw her. Huddled in the back of the kennel, Margot and her little tail wagging fiercely despite an otherwise frightened demeanor.

All seven pounds of this little dog begged for my arms.

So I took her out.

And after an hour of running and snuggling, I called Ryan and told her I wanted to bring her home.

Margot, we're yours.

47 Comments

Whole-Grain Flaxseed Waffles

02/22/2012

38 Comments

I went to the dentist yesterday....after avoiding him for three years. As I sat in the chair, my back tensing with each swift scrape of the hygienist's pick, I told myself, "This will be over soon. You'll feel better in an hour."

But my gums had different plans. Severely provoked, they swelled and throbbed for the rest of the day.

My bagel with cream cheese? Forget about it. The chewy exterior of that golden round was not meant for sore gums or teeth.

Instead, I spent the morning sucking on ice-cubes, hoping that the solid cold would alleviate the pain enough for me to eat.

Because I eat a lot. Especially during a long work day.

38 Comments

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Monet MoutrieWriting and baking in Austin, TX. I'm currently pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing...with hopes of a pie shop and a book in the near future. Thank you for reading and sharing.

Monet Moutrie
Writing and baking in Austin, TX. I'm currently pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing...with hopes of a pie shop and a book in the near future. Thank you for reading and sharing.