Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Orange Cake...without eggs

So its officially starting to get real around here.  I officially signed up for the DC Grey Market on May 20 and am SO pumped.  I figured my big meeting for spring is over, so why not sign up and have something to plan for and keep myself busy.  So, its time to go buy cupcake boxes, design a fun label, make a sign and get organized!

Guest Post #7: Margarita Cookies

Do you ever meet a girl and basically instantly know she is going to be fun and cool?  One of those girls you can joke with and not ever be too terribly serious.  Meet Molly or as the other Lauren in my office has coined her "Mols".  As a native Texan, she can bake and cook, and is full of personality.  We bonded over well food and clothes...she shares my mild obsession with Anthropologie and well shopping in general.  So, I was very excited that she agreed to do a guest post...she even penciled it in on her calendar.  

So, any who, when she walked in holding a container with these cookies at 9am, I grabbed one, took a bite and left wishing I had grabbed two...maybe three. (This was a small container, and basically I didn't want to share them with the rest of the office.)  They are light, fluffy and delicious and I might have to say the perfect cookie for summer.  You should definitely give these a try!

From Molly:

Yes… Yes I am one of those obnoxious people from TEXAS, where we think our state is the best and greatest… before you argue with me about the AWESOMENESS that is TEXAS let me remind you of one thing… FIESTA! Being from San Antonio, Fiesta was a holiday unlike any other, just as big as a Christmas, and bigger than 4th of July. 

Milky Way Cookies...2 ways

Sometimes you just need to chop up a candy bar and throw it in some cookies...

Throw them in the oven and take a breather...

Maybe read a book while these do their thing in the oven...

Some days its just easier to drag your self out of bed and go for that run that you have been saying you are going to every morning for the past week...

Other days you role over and say there is always tonight...

Andes Mint Brownies and 24 hours in North Carolina

This past weekend was nice and relaxing.  After enjoying some delicious strawberry infused vodka cocktails, Stephanie and I headed to our favorite hole in the wall Indian restaurant with James and Melissa...where we proceeded to stuff ourselves with delicious food.  (Quick interjection...have you ever been told your group was too loud in restaurant...as an adult?  Apparently we were a little to chatty and needed to be stuffing our faces more)

Saturday morning, I jumped in the car heading south to my favorite state, to see one of my oldest friends...seriously since daycare people.  Rachel and I grabbed some lunch, did a bit of window shopping and then went home to bake some cakey brownies.  It was a great debate when we were deciding what to make, but what came into play were some Andes mint pieces.  

Andes mints + cakey chocolate brownie = yum

Guest Post #6: Almost Vegan Almond Joy Cake

I am so excited to have Clare do her guest post.  I have to thank Stephanie for introducing us last fall....the day before we were doing a triathlon relay together...  Clare is an awesome baker and candy maker, plus basically just a kick ass athlete.  Unlike me, she really does complete triathlons and because of her awesome biking skills, along with Stephanie basically being a fish in the water, we pulled out a first in the women's relay.  Any who, I was very excited when Clare agreed to do a guest post, because she is a real deal baker and basically just needs a store front.  Seriously though, she could make you a wedding cake... So, if you like Almond Joy candy bars give this recipe a try, because its awesome!  Enjoy!

A semi-fancy dinner...Mushroom Asparagus Shallot Tart

This was my semi-fancy dinner that I made for my mom and I.  It was part of a serious baking weekend, but was a great dinner, made even better with a nice glass of white wine and great company.  Sometime we need to make ourselves a semi-fancy dinner...even if we just enjoy it in front of the TV, watching a movie.

Sometimes we just need to remember that we can be fancy without having to spend tons of money...

or putting on our fancy clothes...

Sometimes its the end of the month and I don't have the money to go out and be fancy...

For Easter there are of course Carrot Cake Cupcakes

So I could not be more excited to have my mom in town for Easter this year!  Last Easter Sunday I was hoping on an airplane and heading to Key Largo for work.  Where Meghan, Shanan and I proceeded to feel completely out of place in our jeans and cold weather clothes, when everyone around us was dawning there best Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines Easter outfits.

She arrived Friday, we we grabbed some lunch and headed into the city.  We walked around Union Station and then head to the National Postal Museum.  Saturday we headed back to Union Station and hopped in to one of the crazy World War II DUKW amphibious vehicles for the Duck Tour.  My mom's friend Jane has been recommending this tour since I moved to DC 3 1/2 years ago.  And I have to say and was super fun and I actually learned some new facts about DC...definitely a different kind of tour.  P.S. you get quackers on this tour...

Strawberry-Lemon Pound Cake...Um yeah that's right

This cake was the great debate.  I seriously could not decide what to make.  It was a nice long weekend since I took Friday off that was calling my get crap done weekend.  I had my to do list ready with all of my adult tasks...time to get my yard work done...Lowes here I come.  Oh and hey whats up taxes? I kind of hate you. 

So what does a girl do to make herself feel a little better after a "working" weekend...she bakes a cake or at least that's what I did.  This was originally going to be an orange chocolate chip pound cake.  Then I looked in the refrigerator and remembered I had bought strawberries earlier last week and had lemons left over that needed to be used ASAP.  Then I asked the boy aka Charles whether or not chocolate chips should go in...I was seriously having a hard time.