Parisian Easter Dessert Table

With only a couple of weeks until Easter, I thought I'd share this cute Parisian-themed Easter dessert table by Laura's Little Party.  Of course I love everything Paris, but I really like how the "Parisian" theme was incorporated into this Easter season! Aren't those pink chocolate Easter bunnies charming?

All  photos courtesy of thepartypressblog.com

xo Ceilidh

Eiffel Tower - Fleur de Lis - Toile - Wedding Cake

This cake is drop. dead. gorgeous!

Photo courtesy of brides.com

It was featured in Cake Central magazine...which, if you haven't had a chance to look at, you definitely should!  The Eiffel Tower is printed on edible fondant in a toile print.  Lace and fleur de lis embellishments were also used.  Stunning!

xo Ceilidh

Bread Baking Books

I've been a little bread obsessed recently, which may account for the fact that I have acquired 3 new bread baking cookbooks in the past couple of months.  I've attempted the croissant and the pain au chocolat...next on my list, the baguette.

I've actually only used the cookbooks for the croissant recipe (Fine Cooking) and haven't had a chance to make anything else, but I am really looking forward to it!  I've been eating a lot of baguettes lately (with goat cheese...drizzled in olive oil and rosemary...so good!) so I think the next step is to try to make them on my own. 

 

I took a flip through the three books, so here's what I have to say about them:

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I like this book just because of the concept behind it.  "Mix enough dough for several loves and store it in the refrigerator".  I know that I personally don't have time to mix and knead dough every morning.  This book gives you the flexibility of making the dough ahead of time and then refrigerating it for the next couple of weeks.  Then, when ready, you just take the dough and shape it into the loaf that you want (the "five minutes a day"), let it rise, then bake it.  It's perfect for the everyday person who may not have enough time to prepare home baked loaves chaque matin.

The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Next up, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, is a collection of "break breakthroughs" by a former apprentice at some of France's well-known boulangeries.  I'll be honest, this book is a bit more complex.  Measurements, timing and temperature are exact.  I think it is targeted towards the more skilled of bread bakers.  Perhaps I will keep it on my shelf until I'm more comfortable with my skills in the kitchen.  I find it a bit intimidating.

Fine Cooking Breads

I love looking through Fine Cooking for all of my recipes.  This book covers all of the basics...flatbreads, biscuits, yeast breads, quick breads...basically an all encompassing book.  Recipes are fun and easy.  It's actually more of a magazine-style "book" than an actual book, but it's covers are thicker making it a bit sturdier for kitchen-use. There are lots of photos, both of the steps involved in the preparation process and the finished product.  I love that.  I am a very visual person and like to see exactly what is involved, so it's good that way.

I'll keep you updated on all of my kitchen adventures :)

xo Ceilidh

Kate Moss -- Vogue Nippon -- April 2012

I am obsessed with the Vogue Nippon April 2012 spread featuring Kate Moss.  It is very Versaille/French Countryside with a little bit of Paris in the mix.  The haute couture spread features designs by the likes of Chanel, Dior & Miu Miu to name a few.  Breathtaking!

All photos courtesy of styleite.com

This is how I'd like to envision myself living in the era of Marie Antoinette.  Aren't all of these shots gorgeous?

xo Ceilidh

Pains au Chocolat

I made some pains au chocolat this morning for breakfast.  I have been craving them for a couple of weeks now, so I figured it was time to get my lazy butt up and give them a try! As you may remember, I made some croissants a little while back, which was quite the endeavour.  I wanted the pains au chocolat to be different.  I wanted to eat my breakfast by 10am this time instead of 2pm (which happened when I made the croissants -- so time consuming!).

I used this recipe from dinner with Julie to make them and the turned out quite nicely.  What I learned from making the croissants is that is essential to make the dough the day before.  It can be quite a process making these tasty little pastries, but if you divide the work over two days it doesn't seem nearly as bad.

I used Baker's Chocolate instead of the suggested Bernard Callebaut and brushed the tops of the pastries with egg before putting them in the oven.  They claimed to get about 36 pains au chocolat out of the recipe, but I ended up with 12 decent size flaky treats.

Needless to say, my craving is now satisfied.

xo Ceilidh

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

Photo courtesy of Hermès 

xo Ceilidh

Fashion Friday: Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2012/2013

Sorry I've been MIA for a while.  The trouble is, I've been completing some internships before I graduate and don't have internet access (..and the 3G on my iPhone just won't do!).  Luckily, however, I'm here today to share the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2012/2013 show with you.  It is almost up to par with the carrousel show that Marc Jacobs ingeniously came up with for the previous Louis Vuitton show...let me know what you think!

I'll tell you what I love! I was expecting the models to come off of the train, of course, but what I was not expecting were the porters carrying their LV bags.  What a great way to showcase the iconic Louis Vuitton purses and luggage.  I also love the shoes.  They look like they are immensely hard to walk in, but I love the high heels and the square toes.  And the hats are super posh.  Another magical show from Louis Vuitton!

xo Ceilidh