Seasons For Cake

From the monthly archives: February 2012

More Baby Love

By Hong On February 28, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Family, Favorites, Weekend

As I mentioned on Monday, I spent the weekend photographing a couple of sweet babies. This time my friend Lindsay wanted family portraits and it just so happened that her baby ended up being the center of attention.

Yeah, I know hard to fathom right?

I honestly just couldn’t help myself. I love this stage where their tiny baby teeth are just coming through.

Speaking of being the center attention….Baby M is the first grandchild for Lindsay’s parents. Can you tell?

What about with Grandpa? Can’t you just feel the adoration?

And of course there’s no attention shortage with Aunty Em.

I did manage to keep it somewhat professional and deliver what the clients wanted…

I couldn’t leave without photographing this little cutie:

Thank You Baby M, Lindsay & Family! I had such a wonderful time.

XXOO

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Baby Love

By Hong On February 26, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Family, Favorites, Weekend

I had an amazingly fantastic weekend with friends and babies (humans & chicks)! Our friends Anne and Nate came over for lunch on Saturday and we finally met their new Baby D!

It was so wonderful to hold a little baby in my arms again. Baby D was perfect the entire time! He has such a great disposition and you can tell he’s pretty easy on his parents.

Talk about love at first sight, right? Can’t you just stare at him forever?

And what about the baby rolls…my favorite! Actually….I think the smell of babies rivals the rolls.

Are you checking out that red hair? I have a feeling this kid is going to be quite the charmer (as if he isn’t already).

Yeah, this kid’s got his parents wrapped around his little fingers! There is no shortage of love for this one!

Speaking of being wrapped around one’s fingers…..we couldn’t let Baby D leave without a special gift.

I was lucky that Anne and Nate didn’t already receive these for Baby D. I was ecstatic because it’s my favorite gift to give new parents.

Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny are classics. Five Little Chicks was just appropriate as I’m on a Chick Kick!

Congratulations Anne & Nate! And Welcome to the World Baby D!

XXOO

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Chick Love

By Hong On February 24, 2012 · 2 Comments · In Favorites, Home

I’m so excited to welcome a few new chicks into our home! The Geek and I have been talking about raising chickens for awhile now and it usually stops short of us getting into an argument. So today I went to the feed store and decided I was going to raise chickens!

Here’s how I broke it to him.

It went on like this for a little longer and then I bit the bullet. I sent him a photograph….When he came home from work he had a little smile on. Although he won’t admit it, I think he’s secretly pleased. Besides how could you not love these little furry balls of cuteness?

We’ll keep them in the house for several more weeks and then it’s off to their coop. By the way, The Geek totally hooked them up with all the appropriate “nursery” stuff. He even rigged the brooder lamp so that they receive just the right amount of heat. He’s also been looking at coop plans…. I’m guessing he’s not upset.

We’ll come up with some names in the next few days but for now….I can completely understand why having animals around can be quite therapeutic.

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Happy Birthday My Love

By Hong On February 15, 2012 · 2 Comments · In Birthdays, Family, Inspiration

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”

One of the Loves of my life is celebrating is 14th birthday today. That’s him as a toddler. Isn’t he the most adorable thing? I absolutely love baby photos!

When he was inutero I kept a journal. I have yet to share the few pages with him but perhaps that will change today. When he was a baby I also wanted to write him a letter and give it to him on his 18th birthday. Unfortunately that didn’t happen 14 years ago but I’m glad that I’ve had the last several years to think about what I would say given the opportunity today. Here’s what that letter would say:

To My Dearest Love,

The past several years have brought so much love, joy and happiness into my life because of you. I am so utterly grateful for the lessons that you have taught me. It’s often the mistake that us parents do, to not take the opportunities to learn from our children. The compassion, determination, and strength that you have possessed in the 14 years of your life many people strive for in their entire life span. May you continue to teach and to share with the community around you what you have taught me in these few short years…the unequivocal essence and power of the human spirit. For that I Thank You. For choosing me to be your mother, I thank you. For bringing me into your world.

With Love and Gratitude,

Mom

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Happy Valentine’s Day

By Hong On February 14, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Holiday

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Valentine Pie Pops

By Hong On February 12, 2012 · 2 Comments · In DIY, Gift, Holiday

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Egg Roll Goodness

By Hong On February 9, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Favorites, Food

I have a special treat for you today! This is one of my favorite recipes to make as it brings me so many fond memories of my childhood. Egg rolls have been a part of our culinary culture as far as I can remember. It’s one of those food items that seem intimidating to make but is so very easy. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I practiced the techniques my mother taught me and I can now say that my egg rolls turn out just as good as hers! What an accomplishment!Many of the ingredients can be found at an Asian grocery store. If you don’t have one near by you can certainly make substitutions. I was able to find egg roll wrappers at Safeway. However, they are a little more doughy. I highly recommend the above brands. You can also make a vegetarian version. Here is the recipe:

1lb. ground pork

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup auricularia (dried fungus)

1 cup clear vermicelli noodle

1 egg

salt

pepper

Soak auricularia and noodles for 30 minutes, until soft. Using a food processor, chop all ingredients finely, except for ground pork and egg. If you don’t have a food processor you can manually chop all ingredients. Add the ground pork to the vegetable mixture. Beat egg and pour 3/4 of it into the mixture. The other 1/4 will be used to seal egg roll corner. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Peel apart the egg roll wrappers. The brand shown above is very delicate so be careful. Do move fairly quickly since the wrappers can dry out. Spoon a little bit of the mixture onto your wrapper. Shape into a log (it will be easier to roll). Fold the corner up and roll one and a half time. Fold over both sides.Continue rolling…Once you get to the tip, use your egg mixture and brush a little on the tip to seal your egg roll! Once I finish my first one I’ll heat up the fryer. I use vegetable oil and only use enough to cover the egg rolls (about 1-2 inches). If you are having a hard time remembering how to roll them, the back of each wrapper package has a cute diagram. You can also think about them like miniature burritos! Don’t worry if you can’t make them tight and perfect. You’ll forget all about that on your first bite! Fry each one for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce! Each mixture will be enough to make about 30 egg rolls. I had a little left over so I pan fried it with a little oyster sauce and made lettuce wraps for lunch!If you wanted to go vegetarian I would add either celery or cabbage to the mix. I have yet to try this version so let me know the outcome if you do!

Bon Appetit!

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DIY: Linen Covered Books

By Hong On February 8, 2012 · 1 Comment · In DIY, Home, Weddings

Remember in high school when your teachers made you cover the text books with brown grocery bags to “protect” them? Well, this project will yield a more sophisticated version of that. Start with some old hardback books. I snagged some up at the Goodwill for a really great price. Hint: the children’s book cost even less! You’ll also need some linen fabric. I purchased about a yard for less than $8.00. Start by cutting out the linen to accommodate the book size you have. Remember to leave about 1.2-2 inches around the perimeter of the book. Using a glue gun, put the glue on the linen and fold onto the book. It’s not necessary to glue as close to the edge as possible. You’ll want to fold over the corners when gluing the bottom part. It makes it easier and looks more finished. Cut two slits along the spine of the book. Trim the excess linen and glue along the spine. Use very minimal glue. A toothpick may be helpful to press the linen.And voila! Here is what your new linen covered book should look like. This would be a great center piece addition for a Vintage Chic wedding…or a decorative accent to your home!

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Currently:

By Hong On February 7, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Favorites, Food, Inspiration

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Weekend Recap

By Hong On February 5, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Favorites, Flowers, Food, Inspiration

What a wonderful weekend I had! It started off with a gathering to celebrate “International Eat Ice-Cream for Breakfast Day.” Did you even know such a day existed? My very creative friend LK has hosted this event two years in a row now. She has a knack for bringing together a community under the best circumstances! This was followed by my little soiree to celebrate the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received from this blog. Did I say it was a fantastic weekend? I had such a great time fine tuning all the details for my lovely guests. Don’t these mini strawberry champagne cupcakes look delectable?

I cheated and ordered them from a local bakery.I also made sure to have one fabulous assistant on hand. He was just as much of a hit as the decor and food! Here’s a great tip when throwing a party: add an assistant into your budget. This will allow for you to mingle with your guests. It is well worth it! There’s nothing more disappointing than not being able to converse with your guests because you are concerned with all the details. Our menu included Caprese Salad, Tuna Tartare, Shrimp Cocktail, Assorted Cheese’s, Assorted Cured Meats, and Mini Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. We also had on hand Chinese take out just in case there wasn’t enough food! A few of my lovely guests. A small token of my appreciation. Hoping they’ll think of Seasons For Cake when these lovelies sprout in a couple of months.I woke up to this the following morning. It’s always a great shindig when there are many empty bottles. This was after my assistant left. He was on top of the cleaning and kept the kitchen cleaned all night. Bless his sweet heart. And feeling so encouraged and supported with all the kind words and wonderful gifts. Thank you friendsWho knew that all this vulnerability would be so well received?