Sunday Brunch...This may be the best thing I have EVAH made!

     I thought it was high time I did a what's cooking, because let's face it I haven't posted one in the longest time, and let me tell you right now like I told Big D, this may be the best thing I have EVAH made...for real.  Maybe it's because I've just  been longing for something homemade that I dare to make this bold and somewhat hyperbolic statement, but there is something completely perfect about this little coffee cake, which is technically not a coffee cake at all; it's a dessert.  But who cares, I wanted it for Sunday brunch!  Pardon me whilst I cut another slice...this may end badly...for my ass.

     Anyhoo it's called Gâteau Fondant Aux Poires, well doesn't that sound fancy, why yes, yes it does.  In other words people, it's Pear Cake, but I suggest perfecting the French pronunciation that way not only will you sound like you actually know French, but that you in fact are one of those people who walk around making fancy schmancy French stuff like this all the time while listening to La Vie En Rose like you were snatched straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie...no biggie.  Also, just so you know, our Sunday breakfasts usually look more like Pillsbury cinnamon rolls slapped with some of that supa tasty crack icing, so I too went all nuts with my Sunday Brunch situation.  I assure you that no, I don't normally pull out my transferware for Sunday anything, but it's way more photo worthy and looks so perfectly purty on the plate!

May I present the most delicious and totally staged photo op of...Gâtau Fondant Aux Poires...

 She's a star!



So this recipe came from where else, Pinterest, but it is from a blog called My Kitchen in the Rockies, and I don't even know how long ago I pinned this, but like everything else I hoard...I mean pin on Pinterest, I usually never get around to doing anything with it.   I'm pretty proud of myself if I do say so myself!

Ingredients
3-4 small pears peeled and cut into chunks (I used Bosc, but use whatever you think)
1 cup butter at room temp
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs room temp
1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
2 cups flour sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

-Preheat oven to 350
-Grease a 9 inch spring form pan
-Place butter and sugar in bowl with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth
-Mix in eggs slowly one at a time
-Add lemon zest and vanilla
-In another bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking powder
-Add to butter egg mixture
-Place half the batter into springform pan
-Place chopped pears on top
-Add remaining batter
-Bake until golden or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (my cake took about 40-45 min, but the original recipe says 60 min.  Make sure you keep an eye on it with the difference in ovens)
-Dust with powdered sugar before serving
Butter the pan...

Mix, mix, mix...
 Sift, sift, sift...
 Time to grate...

 Wash and chop the pears...

This is where the magic happens...
Ta da!!!!!!


Pair it with eggs and the ever tasty oven baked bacon...

Easiest ever oven baked bacon...
-place bacon on a foil lined cookie sheet on top of a wire rack
-place in a cold oven and then turn it on 350 degrees
-bake until golden and crispy!

Ta da!!!!

 My youngest snatched the supa tasty bacon!
Eat up!


Life changes and additions...

     I spent an incredibly joyous and emotional weekend in Chicago dropping off my baby girl to college .  We had the most wonderful time filled with a roller coaster full of emotions and I'm so excited to see what the world has in store for her.  Chicago is one of the greatest cities!  The city is known for their art and architecture and we were able to take an architectural boat tour to check out the city...








And then up to the top of the John Hancock Building for cocktails while watching the sunset!


Spectacular!

Friends for lunch...

     One of the most highly underrated experiences known to man is lunch.  Lunch with friends.  Lunch with friends with wine. Lunch where people bring you yummy salads, and soup, and butter laden grilled multi-cheese fabulousness.  Lunch where you can vent, and laugh, and say everything unfiltered.  These should be required once a month like an oil change, a wax, or actually cooking a proper meal with a green vegetable.  Lunch once a month should be thought of as a not to miss event, because that is how great they can be.
     I say this knowing full well it will probably only be the birthdays that we get together for, like today, where we promise we are going to do this more often and then proceed to plan the girl's weekend that we keep planning, but never seem to finally get to.
One thing I know for sure, there will be another lunch coming in October when I turn...29.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Here's to lunch with friends...

 
   

Beach Cheeky updates!!!

     Big D flew over to Beach Cheeky to check out the momentum of the house and he took a gazillion pics thank you very much!  Everything is moving along great and hopefully we should be done late November to early December.  Apparently it was a perfect day, although extremely hot, but it's Florida so what else is new.  In other news, I've changed my mind on lighting again!! Because, well, I can't decide people...

Get outta the way...
k


 Back of house still waiting to be finished and painted...
The pier is in!
The mantle is being built...
Cypress beams are in!  This will be my view from the kitchen, love this room!


Kitchen nook seating...
 Ann Sacks Lucian blue tile in master looks pretty amazing, especially after saving 2000 big ones...

White marble in downstairs master...
 Laundry/mudroom... 

Upstairs landing...
Remember the oh crap window situation in the upstairs master?  Now it's fixed!



And the view!!