life is funny. 

when i first heard my old studio was closing, my gut feeling was this closure was going to make space in my life for something else. and then for two weeks straight, everything was chaos, emotion and work.

and now, even though my days are still full and hectic, somehow things feel more settled and comfortable. just less hectic. i guess when you cut out a few VERY early mornings and hours and hours of working out that's what happens. whatever. i'll take it! 

even though our holiday catering and dessert season is in FULL swing, i'm using some of my extra moments to make more breakfasts. and i have been craving pancakes. 

toasted coconut & blackberry pancakes
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour. 2 tbs sugar. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. 1 egg. 1 cup milk. 4 tbs coconut oil, melted and divided. 10 blackberries, roughly chopped. .5 cup shredded coconut, divided  (sugar free, not the kind in the baking aisle coated in sugar, unless you are sugar fiend and like that kind of thing). true maple syrup for serving. electric pan, large pan or griddle for cooking.

start by preheating a hot pan on your stove or a griddle to about 350 degrees or a medium high heat, depending on your cook top. then, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the half of the melted coconut oil (make sure it isn't piping hot or it will scramble your egg) the egg and the milk. 

when everything is well combined, whisk in your dry ingredients. 

when you batter is well combined, mix in half the coconut shreds and the blackberries. mix till just combined. 

lightly brush your cook top with the remaining coconut oil and use a paper towel to lightly coat your surface completely. depending on the size of pancakes you like, pour out either a silver dollar sized dollop of batter (for smaller pancakes) up to a fist sized dollop of batter for a larger pancake. work in batches and be sure not to over crowed your pan or griddle. cook the pancakes until the side you see has lots of bubbles and most have popped. then flip the pancakes. cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on this side just till set completely. remove the pancakes to a plate. 

top with some more coconut shreds for garnish, drizzle with syrup and serve hot. 

xo, a

toasted coconut & blackberry pancakes
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour. 2 tbs sugar. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. 1 egg. 1 cup milk. 4 tbs coconut oil, melted and divided. 10 blackberries, roughly chopped. .5 cup shredded coconut, divided  (sugar free, not the kind in the baking aisle coated in sugar, unless you are sugar fiend and like that kind of thing). true maple syrup for serving. electric pan, large pan or griddle for cooking.
start by preheating a hot pan on your stove or a griddle to about 350 degrees or a medium high heat, depending on your cook top. then, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the half of the melted coconut oil (make sure it isn't piping hot or it will scramble your egg) the egg and the milk. when everything is well combined, whisk in your dry ingredients. when you batter is well combined, mix in half the coconut shreds and the blackberries. mix till just combined.  lightly brush your cook top with the remaining coconut oil and use a paper towel to lightly coat your surface completely. depending on the size of pancakes you like, pour out either a silver dollar sized dollop of batter (for smaller pancakes) up to a fist sized dollop of batter for a larger pancake. work in batches and be sure not to over crowed your pan or griddle. cook the pancakes until the side you see has lots of bubbles and most have popped. then flip the pancakes. cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on this side just till set completely. remove the pancakes to a plate. top with some more coconut shreds for garnish, drizzle with syrup and serve hot. 

it is amazing what a difference just twenty-four hours can make. sunday, wes and i catered for one of my besties lish. we were celebrating her daughter's first birthday and baptism. it has been in the works for months and we had a full plate (pun intended) as far as what we were handling. lunch for thirty-five, four cakes (all different flavors), and a few dozen painted and dipped cookie favors had us prepping for days in advance. 

after months of planning and days of prep, the morning of the party shit was hitting the fan. yeah i said it. nothing was cooperating. i was STRESSED. level 10 stressed. we were in the weeds. luckily, wes has MUCH more experience than i do and was able to calm and focus me to power through to the finish. the party was beautiful, the food delicious and our little birthday girl had a blast. 

twenty-four hours later (eleven of which were sleeping), i felt more calm, relaxed and rested than i had in months. thankfully, come thursday the cakes and catering ramp back up, but i'm soaking up every moment of calm before the storm. and i'm going to savor all the leftovers i have from one of sunday's best dishes. 

balsamic stewed berries & ricotta toast
serves: 12 toast
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 45 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: .5 cup ricotta (you can make your own HERE which i promise is worth it and very easy, OR you can purchase some at the store. it is worth it to spend a few extra dollars on a good quality ricotta for anything you will be eating it straight up.). 12 slices from your favorite baguette or other bread you like. 6 oz blueberries. 6 oz raspberries. 6 oz blackberries. .5 cup sugar. .25 cup balsamic vinegar. pinch of kosher salt. edible flower petals for garnish (i used geraniums from my garden). 

start by making your stewed berries. combine the berries, sugar, vinegar and salt in a medium sized sauce pot. cook the berries over medium, low heat until the berries have broken down to half their sizes and all the liquid has cooked down. 

the consistency should be similar to that of a jam. it should take about 45 minutes and you should stir it every 5-7 minutes to make sure it cooks evenly. while your berries stew, preheat your oven to 375 degrees f. 

when your berries are done and cooling, toast your bread. on a baking sheet, spread out the bread evenly and toast for 7-8 minutes till lightly toasted. 

remove the toasts and allow to cool till you can handle. 

spread each toast with a bit of the ricotta. 

top each with a spoonful of stewed berries. garnish with flower petals and serve warm. 

xo, a

balsamic stewed berries & ricotta toast
serves: 12 toast
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 45 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: .5 cup ricotta (you can make your own HERE which i promise is worth it and very easy, OR you can purchase some at the store. it is worth it to spend a few extra dollars on a good quality ricotta for anything you will be eating it straight up.). 12 slices from your favorite baguette or other bread you like. 6 oz blueberries. 6 oz raspberries. 6 oz blackberries. .5 cup sugar. .25 cup balsamic vinegar. pinch of kosher salt. edible flower petals for garnish (i used geraniums from my garden).
start by making your stewed berries. combine the berries, sugar, vinegar and salt in a medium sized sauce pot. cook the berries over medium, low heat until the berries have broken down to half their sizes and all the liquid has cooked down. the consistency should be similar to that of a jam. it should take about 45 minutes and you should stir it every 5-7 minutes to make sure it cooks evenly. while your berries stew, preheat your oven to 375 degrees f. when your berries are done and cooling, toast your bread. on a baking sheet, spread out the bread evenly and toast for 7-8 minutes till lightly toasted. remove the toasts and allow to cool till you can handle. spread each toast with a bit of the ricotta. top each with a spoonful of stewed berries. garnish with flower petals and serve warm.