Galettes at Cibo in Sausalito

Last night I was treated to a baking workshop at Cibo with the girls from Maison Reve!

Cibo is this wonderful bakery/eaterie in Sausalito that uses local organic ingredients and creates delicious seasonal pastries and more. Tara, who owns Cibo with her husband, was delightful! We learned how to make the best pie, tart, cookie and galette dough, then made 3 galettes to take home. I had so much fun!!!

The incredibly talented and wonderful women who make up Maison Reve. Yasmine, the owner, treated us all to this wonderful workshop to celebrate what a success the last year has been for MR and I was so happy to be included! Merci mille fois!!!

Summer Strawberry Lemonade

I lived abroad for a year while in school, and had a craving for my mom's homemade lemonade one hot summer day. Although lemonade is simple enough to make, I called my mom for her recipe and it has always been my favorite. What's great about making lemonade from scratch is that you can add the water glass by glass, keeping a jar of lemonade base in the fridge all summer long. 

I would make this often that summer in Bordauex. Alicia and I would eat the candied peel hot, straight from the pot, as she would mix a tart and sugary spoonful into her beer.  To make a strawberry version of this delicious drink, just add fresh strawberry puree. This is wonderful mixed with fizzy water instead of still. I also like to add sliced strawberries and fresh mint, making it extra fancy! 

Homemade Lemonade 

Boil the following for 5 minutes in a small pot...

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

Rind of 2 large lemons cut into strips

1/8 tsp. salt

Cook and add juice of 6 lemons

Strain and keep in fridge

To enjoy a glass of lemonade, 2 tblsp syrup and 1 glass water!

Yesterday we celebrated Mila's 4th birthday. Aaron and I made too much food!  Although the cupcakes were delicious, I'd have to say the most pleasing was the strawberry lemonade... 

Mila, the Mermaid Princess turns 4!

Apricot Jam & Buttermilk Biscuits

I spent my 4th of July making my first batch of Apricot Jam of the season. Last year I was lucky enough to pick my own apricots, but this year I purchased them from a produce stand in Sonoma. I tried leaving the skins on as removing them takes over an hour, and I have to say I like the jam better with the skins. The jam turned out beautifully!  It's rich orange glow looks amazing on the pantry shelf and it has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I finally had a chance today to make buttermilk biscuits. I have to say its one of my favorite pairings of food... homemade biscuits and jam. All I need now is a jar of ice tea and my Sunday is set!

Kiwi with a Hint of Mint

Made kiwifruit jam with a hint of mint. It turned out beautifully! I had reservations about making a tropical fruit preserve, but the tangy sweetness of this chunky preserve is delicious!  I also made a batch of buttermilk biscuits to complement although its wonderful on buttered toast...