Your eyes do not deceive you. That my friends is a jar full o’ pie. Actually there are three little jars full of pie in this picture. Funny story, there used to be four all lined up in front of the camera, but odd number are always better than even so I ate one jar and photographed the rest. (true confessions of a sometimes food blogger) Anyway, baking pie in mason jars is actually quite simple and makes for the perfect individual desserts. I am sure this sweet and tart pie with its buttery graham cracker crust and light as air meringue will be making many appearances at barbeques and parties this summer! After all, I need another excuse to make this recipe. It’s only one of my favorites.
For recipe read more…
It’s been a while since I’ve shared my recent Pinterest picks! Lately my boards are filling up with recipes and photos reminiscent of lazy summer days. Can you smell the barbeque already? I’m dying to try this recipe for Grilled Sour Cream–Marinated Shrimp while sipping on an Agave Margarita. Ah, summer…
{Photo sources & recipes can be found via Pinterest: One, Two, Three, Four}
*For more inspiration follow my boards on Pinterest right here! – xo Leah
I get asked lots of food questions, and not the kind you might guess like, “Do you mean all-purpose or cake flour”. I am constantly asked, “How do you eat all of those sweets and stay thin?” While the whole “staying thin” question is still up for debate, I do feel a bit responsible for attracting these sorts of inquiries. You see friends; blog land can be a bit misleading. It’s a world of cake and pie daily followed by bikinis and skinny jeans. How is that anyone’s reality? The truth is, my blog is a place to share all of my favorite things like my love for baking. What I don’t share is the stuff in between. Like anyone, I struggle to have the self-control not to eat everything I bake! Believe me, it’s tough when I bake once to twice a week! Finding a balance between my love for food and my body takes constant effort on my part.
On Monday I posted a summer swimwear giveaway and was surprised to hear many of you mention how hard you’re working to eat healthy and stay in shape for summer. My readers are struggling with healthy eating and I am giving them butter cream frosting? What kind of person am I? Well ladies & gents, you have inspired me! Over the next few weeks, in addition to the regular sweet posts, I plan to share some of my favorite healthy summer recipes. I’m posting my recipe for a delicious green smoothie, my secret hydrating beach drink, and lots of waist friendly snacks in hopes of bringing a little balance to Freutcake. So, what are some of your favorite healthy recipes? What do you do to stay balanced?
{Photo of Rita Hayworth via Life Magazine 1941)
Today’s manicure was inspired by the whimsical spring party featured in the May/June issue of Rue Magazine. I love the use of bright pink florals, light blue accents, and gilded dinner ware that makes this feminine party pop. This manicure would be the perfect look for any spring or summer fete!
Polish available here: Base Coat, Polish 1, Polish 2, Polish 3, Martha Stewart Glitter, Top Coat
Summer is on its way. Can you feel it in the air? It won’t be long before we are enjoying long sunny days on the beach followed by warm nights spent outdoors sitting around bonfires and barbeques. What better way to welcome summer than with a swim wear giveaway? This week the lovely ladies of Cali Dreaming are giving one lucky Freutcake reader this totally cute diagonal striped Bra Back Bikini. A girl can never have too many stripes, am I right? Here’s how to enter…
To enter, leave a comment below telling us why you would like to win this Cali Dreaming bikini. It’s that simple! Entries must be posted by this Friday, May 18th at 8am PST, and one winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!
{Sorry, limited to US & Canada residents only. $182 total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post. Photos by Melissa Keller}
Happy Friday! It must be the combination of the lovely sunny weather and the quickly advancing summer months that has me in the mood for shopping! When the retail mood strikes I like to have a inventory of the key pieces I have and need for the season. Here some of my favorite must have items for summer (just to name a few) and a couple that I still need to add to my closet. So, what are some of your summer essentials?
Shop my essentials: Sunglasses | Denim Jacket | Maxi | Wedge Sandal | Chambray Shirt | Bikini | Shorts | Basket Weave Sandal
Yesterday was filled with meetings, lots of driving, and little time to enjoy the beautiful 80-degree weather in Los Angeles. To give ourselves a break, Jason and I stopped by Simplethings Sandwich & Pie Shop on 3rd for an afternoon treat. We each ordered three flavors in “cutie pie” size. His and hers pies you might say. The winning flavors…Salted Caramel & Banoffee. It was the perfect sweet break on a busy workday!
When a vicious craving for peanut butter hits, as it did for me last week, there is only one option…Browned Butter Brownies with creamy Peanut Butter Frosting. These rich, fudgy, and nutty brownies were gone in no time flat! Want to really indulge? Serve one of these brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can thank my husband the ice cream nut for that little tip. The result was dangerously good.
For the recipe read more…
This Sunday is all about the Mothers in our lives and I for one believe that they deserve to be spoiled! Here are a few gift ideas perfect for the Mom on your list. That being said, not all spoiling comes with a high price tag. For a homemade Mother’s day gift, try making a batch of this Ginger Coconut body scrub, and package it in a decorative jar. Your Mom is sure to feel the love.
1| Madewell Sandals 2| Jo Malone Cologne 3| Carmela Ice Cream Making Class 4| Tory Burch Bangles 5| Kate Spade iPhone case
This past weekend was all about food, and I loved every moment of it! On Saturday, Jason and I got in (a very long) line at South Coast Plaza to meet Giada De Laurentiis at the book signing of her new cookbook Weeknights with Giada. We chatted with other food lovers and sampled Giada’s asparagus soup with herbed goat cheese while we waited. Finally the time came to meet Giada; not only was she gorgeous in person (just a tiny little thing), she was also just as friendly, warm and inviting as you might imagine. After all the book signing excitement, we headed over to our friends house for a Cinco de Mayo party extraordinaire. We feasted on marinated grilled flank steak, mango salsa, spicy jalapeno cilantro margaritas & my margarita cupcakes. It turned out to be a weekend of friends, good food, and cooking idols at it’s very best.
For more photos from my weekend follow me on Instagram
