Deep Dish Lemon Meringue Cream Pie + Thoughts from Nashville

Hello, friend.

This recipe for deep dish lemon meringue cream pie is everything. The crust is warm, buttery, and flaky while the filling is chilled with the perfect balance of creaminess and lemony flavor. With a lightly toasted Italian meringue on top, it makes for a delectable summertime dessert. Truth be told, I made this pie a while back (ie. around the end of June) and have finally gotten around to posting it. Lemon meringue pie is one of my Grandma Cooley’s favorite desserts ever. Her lemon meringue pies are to die for. When she made hers, the crust is warm and flaky while the curd filling is silky smooth and finished off with a dollop of meringue that seems to float on top of the pie like little edible clouds. I knew I wanted to develop a version of my own. I had aspirations of making mine deep dish because…why not? 

Grandma Crawford's Butternut Pound Cake

Hello, friend. 

I am really excited about this recipe, not because it’s of a pound cake (my favorite type of cake) or the fact that it’s been turned into a parfait, rather because it’s a family recipe. This butternut pound cake belonged to my Grandma Crawford. Growing up, Father would tell of friends and family members coming to the door with ingredients in hand, begging Grandma Crawford to make them her cake. I’m lucky enough to have two incredible bakers on both sides of my family. My Grandma Cooley was known for her pies and breads, along with her spaghetti and meatballs, and my Grandma Crawford was known for her cakes. That may explain why I have an obsession with all three! 

Banana chutney & toasted walnut no-churn ice cream

So I'm obsessed with this band. They're a Chicago-based rock band and, thanks to Penny, I can't stop listening to them. Check them out . ↷ 

Hi, friends.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written to you. What have I been up to you ask? Besides from school being an all-consuming monster which strives to devour my joy and my bank account, I have been doing a bunch of really exciting stuff on and off the blog! I’ve been photographing products for the brand Rosalynne Love, which has been an incredible experience. I have deliciously sweet recipes on both Breadsense, where I made strawberry compote & honeyed mascarpone on toast, and on Clabber Girls Baker's Blog, where I made chocolate chip cookie no churn ice cream sandwiches. Also, my first food column, Food for the Starving Artist, got published in this month’s issue of Local Wolves Magazine. Then outside the blog, I have just finalized a deal to photograph my first food event ever!! Oh yeah! I couldn’t be more excited. More details to come on that, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s all about soda.

Carrot Pound Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting + Thoughts from KC

Hello, friend. 

Back at it again with another cake recipe! That’s number 2 for 2016?? I would apologize, but I have no shame. What’s wrong with posting a few too many cake recipes? I see no issues here. This past weekend was Easter (hence the carrot cake recipe). I never knew that carrot cake was a typical Easter dessert. Then I started thinking “well maybe it’s because rabbits eat carrots. Rabbits are comparable to bunnies. The Easter Bunny, maybe?” Is that true? I really would like to know. I hate being an Uninformed Umberto when it comes to festive figures. Anywho, I was able to head home for the weekend and spend time with family and celebrate the holiday. The holiday was filled with honey glazed ham and double decker brownies. So good!

On a more serious note, let’s talk barbeque, shall we?