I have something special on its way for baking/kindness for a few good people -- COMING SOON!

In the meantime, here are a few tart photos (I need to bake some tarts with no streusel and just gorgeous fruit ontop). I am so good at entertaining myself taking picture though. I am really excited about my new waffle maker to the left.. FYI. After extra cake cash, I bought myself the pretty machine. Also, my friend thanked me for cakes with this lovely stand. She knows me well. She has the kindest soul, I admire her so much. Love her.

Cakes for Kind Folks

So if you really knew me, you'd know that I am a woman of strength and dignity. We all carry a heavy load, but we keep going and hold our head high. I am so blessed to have great people in my life to keep me enjoying the good things in life.

So while I worked hard outside of my full time plus some job in order to make some more natural/from scratch/full of flavor and specialty cakes for an old AMAZING friend, (check out my small freezer and fridge).. 

 


While trying to focus on how amazing my friend is and how I was creating cakes just for her. I had something secretly pulling at my leg. I won't even mention. But lets just say, I am a trooper. A total trooper every day. And you better bet I am damn proud of it. I finished some great cakes, watched one of the best people I know marry a great guy, shed some tears as she walked down the isle in the dress I helped her pick, shed some tears as people gave speeches, shed some tears as I thought about the amazing person she has created herself to be, and then I had one FUN time with friends. Many compliments on the cake, and it was one beautiful evening full of friends, happiness, and laughter, even though I had to face something of the past at the exact time. It was good to know that I could actually have the courage and finally be able to just live my own life and not let another person control my happiness. As much as it is important to ignore the folks who do no good for us as individuals, or those who bring us down, I often think of how we must all have compassion for others and think of how others may be feeling daily. Sometimes it is hard to do - like when some random stranger snaps at you in your apartment laundry room, or when that cashier doesn't even shed a smile or even look at you and say a word. As a matter of fact, sometimes I am really bothered when people bring their anger out on me.. but then I have to try to remember "Maybe, this person isn't feeling well today. Maybe they are sick," "Maybe they are having a bad day," "Maybe.... a family member is sick or their home-life isn't well." We must stand up for ourselves and only allow good people into our lives, not let those who continuously hurt even be a part of our life. Maybe be polite to such people, and be graceful about not getting to close. We create our own happiness. We have the ability to walk away from those who are damaging to us. We have the possibility to choose good and make good out of the bad. Always. Aside from the people that really could hurt and hinder our capability of success, it is important to be kind to people on a daily basis. And for that..

"In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load. When you go through your day expressing kindness and courtesy to all you meet, you leave behind a feeling of warmth and good cheer, and you help alleviate the burdens everyone is struggling with."

So in the end, I was extremely proud of pulling through making great cakes, having the time of my life, and walking away with nothing but being proud of myself. But also, getting into the moment of each and every one of the cakes and thinking "THIS IS THE MOMENT." I was able to be 100 percent me and feel my work. Play with chocolate, move my hands, and mix, and use great ingredients. It was a huge compliment when the place that held the event asked if I'd be interested in working for them. We must take time for what we believe in and always keep to our roots.

We must also remember to be a person that we always thought we were, aside from what anyone else has maybe told us or pushed us to believe, remember who we want to be.. and stick to it. Of the crappy people I've encountered in the past.. I am really glad to have the good ones in my life. Glad to have the kind ones. Life is pretty great. Be the type of people you want to meet - Be kind, be caring, be knowledgeable, be honest, be courteous, be polite, be selfless, be motivated, be creative, be gentle, be good.

I am posting these cakes late, and now today is Father's Day and as I thought of my own father and my brothers which I am proud of, I thought of those maybe less fortunate who aren't as lucky as me who maybe didn't grow up with a father. Maybe their father died, or maybe they just didn't grow up in as healthy of a home as I -- I think of how we can better such situations. What can we do to make the world a better place? How can we create good out of bad and help any situation from the base of the issue? There are solutions. Maybe small, but anything can make a difference. How can we help children see that they have the possibility to create their own life and have a good attitude, to focus on the good, and to make better decisions to actually have the opportunity to create a better life for themselves. How can we help those see the good men and that they could also be that. To make another person happy, be kind to them. To make yourself happy, be kind to others. As I thought of those in worse situations, I also thought of how I really want to be able to depend on people. I like people who aren't selfish - But if I look for that in others.. am I ever selfish? This goes back to the fact that we must be the person we want to meet. And after cakes for my friends wedding and facing pain, I realize who I was before I met anyone damaging. I realize the person I want to be and the type of person that I look for in others. It is my duty to always be this person. No matter what. We have the possibility to create good.

As my friend who got married once said, "Be a person to Admire."

Also this is always important to remember and it makes me think of how I've gotten through hard times and how it's important to remind others of this in time of need, and maybe just maybe someone needs to be reminded of this now:

There are times in life
When you feel as if the earth
Has opened up
And swallowed you whole . . .
And you seriously doubt
If you'll ever stop hurting.
And it's then that you need
To realize you can't
“Make everything all right.”
All you can do is survive,
One hour at a time,
Then one day at a time.
But you are not alone.
There are many who care about you
And are ready to lend you their strength
When yours is all gone.

So hang on, because the sun
Will rise again . . .
And though you'll
Never forget,
You will survive this
And go on.

And here is a fun video of the wedding by Studio Blu Photography --

http://vimeo.com/67021306

Quinoa Flour in baking - A NOTE

Due to Quinoa's bitter/soapy, earthy, and grassy flavor, it easily overpowers other ingredients in a recipe. This is partially due to saponin, a toxic glycoside (a compound formed from a simple sugar and another compound by replacement of a hydroxyl group in the sugar molecule. Many drugs and poisons derived from plants are glycosides) that coats the outer layer of the quinoa seed. Saponin can be either washed off or removed by abrasion. It is usually rinsed before it is sold commercially, but not thorough enough. Some trace of saponin still remains. There's also phytic acid, which gets in the way of the absorption of minerals in the digestive tract - this is removed partially by heat treating but requires fermentation and sprouting to more thoroughly break it down.

The saponin isn't a problem if you are buying quinoa seeds to cook. You just rinse the quinoa well before cooking to get rid of soapy flavor. But milled as flour and included in a recipe, the saponin becomes a problem. The grains soapy/bitter flavor will spoil everything. It can be a gatecrasher and ruin the recipe.

There's a simple solution to this, a solution that not only takes care of the bitterness and grassy flavors, but also inactivates trypsin inhibitor, a compound that reduces the bio-availability of trypsin, an enzyme which helps hydrolyse proteins (this is especially important for lysine, an amino acid that is vital to human health and is most commonly found in beans and dairy but occurs in quinoa in high levels).

You're oven is the solution. 

* Toasting quinoa flour does away with its strong smell, saponin flavor and brings out its rich nutty flavor. To toast, place the flour on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread into a layer no more than 1/4 inch. Bake at 220 degrees for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. OR to bake quicker, this is a good test of results it seems - http://parttimehealthnut.com/2013/01/15/how-to-make-fast-and-good-quinoa-flour/

Quinoa is worth it. Its protein and fiber content is higher than wheat. It has fewer carbs than wheat and it is packed with vitamins and minerals. It works like pastry flour in baked goods and works well combined with other flours. Baking the quinoa may be an extra step, but it is easy and will make your baked goods better tasting and better for you. And it is that nutty flavor that is most loved anyway, so it must be brought out and complement a dessert!

I wonder if pairing Quinoa flour with Spelt flour would be good for an extra nutty flavored tart crust --- two better digestible forms of flour.

Using Quinoa flour for tarts sounds like a perfect fit. Especially pairing it with cream cheese or maybe even Mascarpone. Also... using the seeds for Quinoa Pudding with fruit is a healthy dessert!

SUMMER. HEALTHIER. ALLERGY FRIENDLY. DIGESTIBLE.