Blogs That Are Stealing All of My Free Time

It is quite possible that I spend too much time on the Internet for my own good. Here are some of the baking blogs I've been reading for the last few weeks, making me not as productive as I could be. Gosh darnit, stop putting out so much amazing, quality food-related content, people!

1. Teeny Pies: This girl is worlds of cool. She's basically my hero right now. It's her goal to travel around to become a pie apprentice at dozens of famous shops around the country. She's calling it her "tour of pie", and I am going along for the ride. Her first stop is High Five in Seattle. Mini pies, big pies, pie pops, all vintage-inspired. Those are my kind of people.

2. Chocolate-Covered Katie: Low-fat vegan desserts like Four-Minute Coconut Macaroons.I will eat these foreverrr.

Photo and recipe on Chocolate-Covered Katie

3. Southern Lady Cooks: I'm pretty sure the name says it all. These recipes remind me of back home and my family and the holiday.

4. Some Kitchen Stories: a photographer and a writer have paired up for beautiful recipes and great stories. Each recipe comes with a tiny intro that sets the tone for what's to come. So original, you have to love it.

Honey-Scented Fig Granola on SKS

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Inspiration for Post-Race Baking

This is the week leading up to my half-marathon, so I will not actually be baking much of anything (unless I find some time between running, doing yoga, working, and volunteering). Instead, I'm looking to the next few weeks, when I will be hosting another pie party, traveling to Los Angeles, spending a week with one of my favorite people on earth, going to Portland, Yosemite, and finally finishing it off with a skydive. I'm thinking August will be pretty epic. Gotta have a cake to celebrate when it's all done!

Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy via Sprinkle Bakes

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Terrine, also via Sprinkle Bakes

Bourbon Peach Hand Pies via smitten kitchen

Bacon Pecan Pralines. Genius. Via Framed Cooks

Authentic Red Velvet Cake via Sweet Endingz

Coconut Cream Tart (a la Tartine) via Bay Area Bites

Pie pops (with a fantastic photo tutorial) via Luxirare

25 Southern Desserts to Conquer

Yesterday, I was browsing around a few of my favorite food blogs that I usually read on Bloglovin, and I happened upon a very cool feature on Brown Eyed Baker, called My 100. The author, Michelle, has a list of 100 recipes that she has vowed to try out at some point in her blogging career.

I found this particularly inspiring for my project for several reasons:

1. Though I've baked many a southern dessert in my time, I've never taken the time to work down the repertoire and really refine everything. I also don't have photos to document these past baking ventures. 
2. There are many southern desserts I've been putting off trying because either they look too time-consuming or expensive or difficult. And I need to stop making excuses.
3. I think this will be a great way to reconnect with my southern past, through looking up old cookbook archives and reading about the history of certain desserts. 

I am excited to start off on my own little venture here, called 25 Southern Desserts to Conquer. 

Anyway, kudos to you, Michelle, for the inspiration!

I'm thinking I'll do banana cream pie or banana pudding to start things off on the right foot. 

Inspirations for the Weekend

I've been baking all week, and I'm a bit tired of my standard fare. I'm dipping into my Pinterest pool for inspiration for recipe-testing this weekend.

I also just picked up the book Pie, and I'm pretty sure it's changing my life.

Apricot, Pistachio, and Lemon Shortbread Tart via Canelle et Vanille

Cake Batter Pancakes.... YESSSSS via Chez Knox

Bourbon Peach Hand Pies via smitten kitchen

Earl Grey Tea Cake with Rhubarb Cream Cheese Glaze via Raspberri Cupcakes

Well, those are just ridiculous. Now it's 10 AM and I'm in a sugar drought. 

Flour and Sugar,

Carrie Melissa

Currently

Wishing I Were Eating Warm Marion Berry Jam-Filled Donuts from Gruner in Portland, OR

Photo via Oh Joy!

Actually Eating Ice Cream for Dinner

The weather is only this nice here 3 days per year. What's your excuse?

Baking Paula Deen's Perfect Pie Crust

You can watch her in action or find the recipe on the Food Network website. I just thought I'd switch things up a bit.

Reading Madame Bovary and SF Food Blogs

I love this post Eat the Love did for San Francisco's Pride Week. Sexuality and cookies are more closely tied than you think. I'm balancing the food posts with an excellent translation of a French classic.


Watching Parks and Recreation

Photo via PopCrunch

The snakebite episode (a.k.a. The Fight) is one of my favorite episodes of any television show ever right now. I can't get over how hard this made me laugh. Props to Amy Poehler for being such a comedic badass. That's right, you keep ironically ironing that toast.


Listening to Bon Iver Covers Galore

I posted about these on my other blog today, so sorry for the repeat, but I really have been listening to this all day. 

02 I Can't Make You Love Me by carriemelissajones

Flour and Sugar,
Carrie Melissa