Seasons For Cake

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Backyard Chicken Update

By Hong On July 16, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Favorites, Home

It’s been awhile since I’ve last posted about our girls. We’ve since named them Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert. (I was out voted) Several weeks ago, we woke up to the sound of crowing and realized that our girls actually included a rooster. Needless to say we had to find a new home as I was not happy with a 5AM alarm and neither were our neighbors. Dessert ended up at a lovely 10 acre farm on the peninsula though so we’re not too sadden by his departure.

The Geek built a beautiful coop over the course of several weekends.

He still amazes me with all of his handy work and that BRAIN! There were no plans involved. Impressive right?

It wasn’t until recently that we needed the nesting box.

Several hours after our arrival from the Hood Canal last week, we noticed that Lunch was acting very strange. She isolated herself from the other girls and kept making these awful cries. The Geek found an egg shortly after. Talk about the parallels of nature.

It was so very exciting that I actually shrieked and scared the boys!

I can’t believe that raising chickens have been so therapeutic. I’m sure that the amount of money we’ve invested into the girls have far out numbered the amount we’d save on purchasing organic eggs but the joy it has brought to us has been priceless. My yard will never be the same and I constantly step in chicken poop but I think it’s well worth it. If you are a pet lover, you know exactly what I mean! So if you are thinking of raising back yard chickens and have the space for it, I say go for it!

How could you not?! Look at those cute little girls!

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Weekend Getaway: Denver and Beyond

By Hong On April 22, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Favorites, Places

This past weekend I was lucky enough to spend some girl time with a couple of my besties and their families in Denver. Rachel and I spent the day in nearby Boulder, Louisville and Lafayette. I was also able to photograph Robin’s miracle baby and will be posting some baby love later this week!

Here’s my guide to Denver. First stop: Snooze for brunch. Must have the Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes.

That’s Rach. Isn’t she adorbs?

dBar is also a must. Although known for their desserts, lunch was absolutely divine at Keegan Gerhard & Lisa Bailey’s culinary sanctuary. I had the Southernfried waffle. Yup, chicken and waffles never tasted or looked so blissful.

And we couldn’t leave without dessert. Molten cake with valrhona manjari 64% chocolate, summer cherries, and sicilian pistachio ice cream. WOW. WOW. WOW.

We rounded off our culinary experience in Denver at Steuben’s for dinner.

Talk about a local hang out. Our wait was 45mins and well worth every second. I had the lobster roll with some of the most delicious fries ever. Follow up dinner with the wacky apples. It will make you feel like you’ve entered heaven.

What’s food without shopping? I’ll round out my visit to Denver with some great hotspots in Boulder, Louisville and Lafayette in the next couple of days!

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A Field Trip to the Zoo

By Hong On March 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Favorites, Places, Weekend

My Friday was spent with 30 third graders and a trip to the zoo. We were fortunate enough to experience some Spring weather for a change, and to be honest I only had five kids in my group. So the day wasn’t so bad…

We started off petting the goats.

Paused at the beauty of the flamingos.

Giggled to the cuteness of the Penguins. They were being camera shy.

In awe of the Bears.

Basked in the colors of the birds.

By the way, this was my favorite exhibit.

We even walked through an African Village.

It was so wonderful to finally soak up some Vitamin D. It turned out to be a great day with many parents taking the opportunity to enjoy a day at the Zoo. PS. Did you know that you can plan an event at the zoo? How fun would it be to have a child’s birthday party or even a wedding there?!

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, Have a Happy One!

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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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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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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?

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Mission Statement

By Hong On February 3, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Favorites, Inspiration

The boys have had a hard time understanding why I’m throwing a party for Seasons For Cake. I’ve tried to explain that it’s to celebrate the successes but I think it’s to no avail. Evidently I have some work to do when it comes to leading by example. After all if “You” don’t celebrate your own success and accomplishments, who will? And why does one really need an excuse to bring friends and family together? As many of you remember my personal mission for 2012 is see more and do more. I think Erma Bombeck summed it up quite well in her personal mission statement:

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television – and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more “I love you’s”.. More “I’m sorrys” … But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it … live it…and never give it back.

Well said Erma.

Make sure to check back with us on Monday as I’ll post our weekend party. I also have a DIY next week that will be sure to add a “vintage” feel to your home decor.

Happy Weekend!

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Backyard Chicken Update

Weekend Getaway: Denver and Beyond

A Field Trip to the Zoo

More Baby Love

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Chick Love

Egg Roll Goodness

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Weekend Recap

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