Another spring, another rhubarb recipe. Every March I see the little red shoots poking through the dead leaves and I get a bit excited knowing that winter is finally on its way out. It’s a sign of hope, and a promise of all the other fresh produce that’s to come.
I’ve celebrated with many great rhubarb recipes over the years— everything from coffee cake to crisps— but this year I went back to my favorite strawberry rhubarb pie, with a twist. I swapped out one pie dish for four little tart pans and ditched the top crust in favor of a pillow of toasted meringue.
This weekend my darling baby boy turned one year old. It’s a big milestone for any mom and I was no exception. I had been planning the celebration in the back of my mind since John was a newborn and when it came time to put it into motion, I got a little emotional. How could he be a year old already?
The party was simple, just a backyard barbecue with family. And of course, there was cake. No birthday party would be complete without one. I kept it traditional, a yellow vanilla layer cake iced with an easy fudge buttercream frosting.
Today was one of those days where you feel how close summer is. Sure, it’s only April, but here in Utah there’s a very fine line (and short amount of time) between chilly jacket weather and hot tank top weather. One week the furnace is going, and the next the AC. Today we needed neither, it was ideal middle ground. All the windows were wide open, the birds were singing, and lawn mowers hummed in the background.
Today was perfect.
Today also got me very excited for homemade ice cream season, and I’m happy that I had jumped the gun earlier in the week when I made a batch of vanilla bean olive oil ice cream.
What happens when you cross a light and airy meringue with an intensely sweet coconut macaroon? You get these little snowballs.
It begins with a beautiful Italian meringue— hot sugar poured over whipped egg whites and beaten until thick and glossy. Add to that an insane amount of shredded coconut and you’re on your way. All that’s left is to scoop and bake them just until they’ve turned golden brown.
I mentioned in a post last week that I’m doing a bit of a diet regimen in order to lose the last bit of baby weight that’s clinging on for dear life. I’ve cut back on a lot of things and it’s been a little tough, but I’m finally seeing results. Which is both exciting and very motivating. Swimsuit season, here I come!
All that being said, while I’m avoiding sweets for the most part, I haven’t cut them out completely. In my opinion, life is just better with a little butter and sugar. And so I indulge every now and again in something homemade and worthwhile, and I feel really good about it. This last weekend I made a batch of these whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars and loved every single bite.
about me
Hi, I'm Annalise and I love to bake. Welcome to my blog! Follow along as I try new recipes, share baking tips and tricks, and overindulge my sweet tooth.Current Favorites
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