Tuesday, April 15, 2014

On the Road


We are using the month of April for some much needed R&R with some food research sprinkled in. Here are some photos of my finds, some pre-panned and some spontaneous. 

In the Mission district, by far one of the best bakeries in the country. Not because they are fancy but because they do things right

My youngest drooling over the Eclair, knowing him he would just scrape off the chocolate and leave the rest. 

I really love tree tables!!






frangipane croissant 


pain au chocolat
Morning bun. Buttery, delicate with a hint of orange. 


An entire vacation can be spent in the mission alone. In SF there is such an abundance of interesting stores in every district.

Dandelion 



Got to sample single source origin chocolates. I was amazed at the difference in flavor tastes. The Venezuelan chocolate actually has a little kick to it. I wonder where the spice flavor comes from. 
Pods for decoration

Instead of reading from a Menu...


Shortbread cookie with scrapes of chocolate and nibs (complimentary with coffee). My Decaf Coffee was made individually with a French Press. 

If you choose to have European Style Hot chocolate 


 More Mission….It is considered a hipster area. There are a lot of great parks in the area too.

Dolores Park
Police shirt from his police uncle :) 

This park is super fun for parents too :) 

 California loves their parks, it reminded me of when I lived in the Bronx as a child.  As people say Virginia is for lovers, California is for kids.




When little boys (including my own) weren't chasing after them screeming we were hand feeding them lucky charms.  
 Mission Playground
Red beads acquired at a Ceaser Chavez festival we found ourselves a part of. Native American dancing followed by an elementary school band followed by trolleys followed by low riders…Interesting stuff.

Craftsman and Wolves

Modern & Fresh


















This one left an impression on me as it is such a clever dessert. I will be going back for this again. Jasmine infused Almond Panna Cotta. There is a blueberry sphere inside with a  white chocolate crunch element. The mix of textures and flavors was beyond perfect. 




Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Bonn Boni Creative Space


Every time I mention it I always change the name. I like calling it a pastry studio rather than cake studio. I also like calling it the cake space but these days I'm also leaning towards the lab. I will not be focusing on sweets only. My goal with this renovation is to be inspired in a creative space where there are no crayons on the walls or in my case chewed up gum, no toys on the floor (impossible I know) and everything is in its place, you know like my version of Fantasy Island. 

Now that 90% of the contractor work is finished it is my turn to put my personal touch. Just like a well executed cake, it's the details in a space that mater. This lead me down the DIY path for the beautification process. It really is quite nice to just take charge and handle things yourself even if it takes hours, days, weeks or months to complete. So just as I have been documenting my world of cakes I will also be including my projects & progression in the DIY world. I feel if you can handle the technicality's of a cake then it should translate into being a good DIY'er. Let's see if my hypothesis is right :) 


First project Custom Stair Risers

I saw this design over 5 years ago from Peacock Pavilions, it was instant LOVE. You should check out the other stenciling jobs done there, it is absolutely incredible. This one is another fav


I knew when I had the chance I would do it. That when is now. Some people do not have the luxury of painting the stencils before the risers are installed. I do not think I would have the patience to do it on the stair itself. 

I noticed in the photo that these ladies are painting on a thin veneer. That could be a good option to update your risers. All you would need to do is glue them on. 


So here is what I completed so far. I am really learning as I go along, reading online if I have any questions. The stair stencils were purchased from creative cutters. It has taken anywhere from 2-4hrs to complete a riser. It really depends if I am focused or getting busy in between.


Trial Run
Pattern #1; Fish Scales



Pattern #2. If the stencil has small details,
skip the roller brush. It will need 5-6 coats using a stencil brush.
13 steps, this pattern will start and end the stairs.

I love it!

I hope you guys enjoy. When all is said and done I will post more specific details such as sealing the acyclic paint, brushes used & fun stuff like that.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014



Now that the holidays are just about over it's time to reflect and think about how I want my 2014 to look like. I have had long term and short term goals that sometimes get delayed or modified but I promise myself to keep on, as I know persistence always wins. One thing I learned in 2013 (better late than never) is that I need to make lists. If I do not write a task down it will be forgotten or delayed. Another thing I learned very late in the year is that Vacations are necessary and should not be put off. Why a vacation? Because rest and time; away from the distractions of Internet, cell phones and computers really puts things in perspective. I have also learned that I need to spend more free time with my kids doing activities or just chatting with them. Staying home now I am easily busied with all the tasks of maintaining a household and time flies more than I anticipated. I hope to have a healthy and positive 2014 for myself, family & friends. Whatever your barometer of success is I hope you all achieve it or at least work towards it.