Yes, that's a churro cabin, and yes I want to live in it. I want to sit atop the donut-rock while wiggling my toes in the chocolate milk river, daydreaming absentmindedly with powdered sugar fingers. Will Cotton's world is frothy and sweet--a billowy binge-world of swirly pink and melting cocoa--and, to me, it's what heaven looks like. Here's his take on Endless Winter.
Wouldn't these frigid temps feel better if spent in the shade of a giant cookie tree? Or how about curled up in the window of an ice cream cone and peppermint stick castle...
I'm not a massive sugar hound. If I had a choice between sweet and savory, the salty and crunchy would win every time. I can dig some dark chocolate and hang out with a lemon meringue pie now and then, but sugar's not my thing. "I'll take the cheese course," she says all European-like after her meal.
It took one trip to BabyCakes NYC--the delightful bakery owned by the lovely, talented, and always stylish Erin McKenna--to slay my sweet snobbery for good (and it had nothing to do with sugar). Erin's cupcakes, cookies, frosting shots, gingerbread, brownies, blueberry crumb cake (my faves), and ridiculously addictive Cinnamon Toasties are made without refined sugar, eggs, or dairy. We're talking all-natural, organic, and--dare I say it with the blood of 1,000 cows coursing through my Texas-bred veins--VEGAN. The sweets at BabyCakes NYC are so magically delicious that you find yourself exclaiming, "Nuh-uh-no-way!" when you find out they're actually good for you.
I have to pace myself when it comes to how often I rush to the Lower East Side for a Red Velvet fix. I wish I could go every day. I need to go every day. The BabyCakes Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf wants to live in my fridge permanently. Luckily, for all of us, Erin has decided to share her secrets with the new BabyCakes Cookbook, hittin' a bookshelf near you on May 5th. Chock-full of recipes for most of the items that have made her bakery famous, you can now bring BabyCakes into your home whenever you want. Find out what makes regulars like Mary-Louise Parker, Natalie Portman, Pamela Anderson, and Zooey Deschanel "fan club" members for life. Learn how to make Jason Schwartzman's favorite Triple-Chocolate Fat Pants Cake. It's all in there, and it's all good.
Plus, how can you resist this BabyCakes Cookbook video? Sweet Sensational!
A modern girl...
A master chef...
A culture clash...
"Begin by putting tears into your broth."
Ladies and gentlemen, here's my pick for Favorite Movie in 2009 (a prediction): The Ramen Girl starring Brittany Murphy and...ramen noodles. Need I say more?
A bunch of my talented, creative, and resourceful lady friends have started an awesome new blog called Recession This! to help us all "navigate the economic downturn with style and humor". Loaded with quick witted tips, delicious recipes, and freebies galore, Recession This will keep you from Dreading That which ails us in these trying times. "Cheap but Chic"!
One of the things I love most about England is Percy Pig. See him there, to the left? He is adorable, and he is delicious. Percy Pig (and sometimes his gaggle of barnyard friends) can be found at Marks & Spencer, usually near the checkout line. Or queue. Percy is not only the cutest gummi critter ever created (who wants to eat a cola bottle?), he smells like Japanese erasers and tastes like a raspberry marshmallow, if that raspberry had just frolicked with a strawberry in a cranberry bog. I'm assuming he's a pig because he's made out of gelatin, and gelatin comes from, y'know, pigs. Specifically, from the collagen extracted from pork skins or bones. I know. I've been trying really hard to stay away from the stuff. Then, Percy comes squealing back into my life with that cute little mug and that sweet, sweet smell, and I just find him so hard to resist! He was a gift, too. Gifts should be enjoyed, right?
What you see above is the very last Percy. I put him in a plastic bag and locked him in a cupboard because I took down the rest of his pig brethren in a swift and total masticating massacre earlier this afternoon (I figured I should chew them instead of my fingernails during the Great David Blaine Breath Stunt on Oprah--see below). Sadly, now Percy's time has come. To honor his great sacrifice, I'm making a pact with myself to steer clear from gelatin-skin-n-bones products from here on out. I'm doing it for the love of Percy.
