Celebrate Baby!!

We are baby-crazed on the Central Coast these days! Expectant moms are looking so darn cute and the enthusiasm for what's about to happen is evident on their young faces.   I am, of course, going to be the MOST excited grandmom when that day comes for our family!   With three daughters of my own, it surely will happen one day.  So for now,  I am content to keep bakin' away and living vicariously through these young women's beautifully big bellies.   

This super cute mom is due in two short weeks and has decided not to know if baby is a future ballerina or  a linebacker.  So I chose the colors of baby's room for the palette.   I start bonding with these li'l creations and like my own girls, it would be impossible to pick a favorite.  (Yes, girls, it's true!)  But in this case, I think the li'l blue onesie stole my heart.   Or maybe the lambie.   - S

Happy Bridal Shower

We were so lucky to make these bridal shower cookies for a new friend.  She had a combined bridal/ bachelorette party locally and the boys traveled out of town for the bachelor party. The boys were begging to take along a few of these cookies for themselves, but I don't think the girls gave in :) ~K 

Life is better at the coast...

My very good friend turned 30 on Earth day! She has always loved the ocean. She was a graduate in Marine Biology, has always lived on the coast whether in Maui or California, and teaches children about the creatures of the sea. These cookies were a perfect fit for her. 

We celebrated her birthday in Avila Beach with a mountain bike ride, a hike, lunch by the beach and we topped it off with some wine tasting.  As we sat at lunch and talked, the girls commented that they didn't want to eat the cookies because they were too pretty.   With this statement, my friend's husband reached over, ripped the head off the sea horse and threw it in his mouth!  She looked at him with shock as he chewed his bite and calmly said, "See?  They are just cookies!"  :)  -K

Happy Birthday, friend!

Birthday flowers

This edible bouquet was made with love for a co-worker of mine. Her birthday was coming up and a few of the girls at work decided to surprise her with a little something special. She spends her work day surrounded by plants and wildlife so it was very fitting to send her flowers with a little frog in the mix. We also put pictures of an endangered plant that she helps protect on a few extra cookies. You can never have too many cookies, especially at our worksite. -K 

Food Safety Certified!!

After a few days of reading through the food safety manual, we drove south for a day to participate in the Food Safety Class.  We learned just about everything you would want to know about food safety. At the end of the class, we took the exam.  My mom neatly and confidently filled in each bubble with her number two pencil.  I, on the other hand, started second-guessing most of my answers. . .  the correct temps to cook beef versus pork. . .  The temperature you are allowed to receive frozen shrimp started swimming through my head.  

A few weeks later we both received the certificate stating that we passed our food safety class and are now able to legally prepare food.  I think I will stick to cookies and cakes and leave that shrimp to the OTHER professionals.  - K

Wildflowers!

The wildflowers were amazing last year, but with the El Nino conditions of this winter, our county's floral display is even more specatular this Spring!  We have been scoping out the areas north of the Cuesta Ridge, and south of us, in the hills of Santa Barbara County.  The afternoon treks have become somewhat of an annual family ritual.  I love being able to enjoy some quiet  meandering on my own,  only to be drawn back by the silly antics of the people I know as 'family'.  The good food is always a welcomed passenger, too!  -S

 

Kiska is so fun to watch on any day, but seeing her amongst this beautiful display of color makes me smile.  Can't you just see the excitement on her face?  Awww... li'l doodle bug - we love you. -S

It almost looks fake, doesn't it?

I wish we had smell-o-vision so you could enjoy the fragrance of these sparkling blue lupine. -S

And (one of) my most favorite flowers of all.... the blazing color of the California Poppy!  Am I right?  Spectacular! -S

On my day off  I grabbed the dog, the camera, packed a lunch, and tried to beat the crowds to get a sneak peak of the spring display. Since it was in the middle of the week and before the news broke that the flowers were among us, we were only accompanied by a few people painting the beautiful landscape. By the next weekend the whole family was in tow in search of more flowers.  -K