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<\/a><\/div>\n\u00a0 Yes, my grandma is amazing. She\u2019s subscribed to my blog\u2019s newsletter, opens all of my emails, and reads every blog post. She\u2019s so supportive and sweet!<\/p>\n And because grandmas are rarely wrong\u2026 I think that\u2019s a sign that it\u2019s time for another one!<\/p>\n So pour yourself a steaming mug of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate \u2014 or whatever drink you prefer, I won\u2019t judge! \u2014 and pretend like we\u2019re sitting across from each other at a local coffee shop, chatting and catching up about life. If we were\u2026<\/p>\n These are the delicious, exciting, and completely<\/em> unexpected stories that I\u2019d share. \u00a0<\/p>\n I love my kitchen. It\u2019s the main reason I bought my house! Very spacious, an oversized island, bright white cabinets, plenty of counter space\u2026 It\u2019s basically a baker\u2019s dream come true.<\/p>\n Yet within a couple of months of moving in, I realized there were a few small improvements that could make the kitchen even more perfect for me. I put in a new garbage disposal that didn\u2019t freeze every other day, replaced the temperamental oven five years ago with a fantastic upgrade, and finally\u2026<\/p>\n I installed pull-out shelves in all of my lower cabinets and pantry!<\/p>\n My parents included these in their kitchen remodel ten years ago, and I\u2019ve envied them ever since. Need a mixing bowl? The shelf rolls it right out. A cake pan? It presents you with your whole collection. A pot? A pan? Those cookie cutters hiding in the very back, where you almost scrape your hand or bang your head hunting around for the exact<\/em> one you need? The entire shelf simply glides right out.<\/p>\n With his expertise and passion for woodworking projects, I asked my dad six years ago if this was something we could build ourselves for my kitchen. He explained the pros and cons of the DIY route, and I shelved the idea (no pun intended!) when I realized how much of a headache it could become.<\/p>\n When I stumbled across a Black Friday deal for partially customizable pull-out shelves last fall, I talked to my dad again. He agreed that they seemed better than the options from our previous research, so I ordered a set\u2026 Only to realize, four weeks later, after the gigantic boxes completely filled half of my garage, that none of them would work for my particular cabinets and we\u2019d need to ship them back.<\/p>\n Ugh.<\/p>\n But then\u2026 Grandma to the rescue! (Yup, my same grandma from the Starbucks coffee date above!)<\/p>\n She passed along the contact information for a local business owner who had painted her kitchen cabinets a while ago. It turned out that he builds custom cabinets and shelves as well, including the exact kind that I wanted!<\/p>\n Two weeks later, his assistant stepped back from the last set of cabinets next to my fridge, brushed the sawdust from his knees, and asked what I thought. My eyes shone brighter than a child\u2019s on Christmas morning.<\/p>\n Perfect. Absolutely perfect<\/em>. \u00a0 Instead of bruising my elbow whenever I reach into the pantry for flaky sea salt<\/a> or bracing myself for loud crashes every time I try to finagle a large cake pan out from the very back of the lowest cabinet shelf\u2026 They instantly appear with just a teensy tiny tug.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like magic! And totally crazy\u2026 How that one little thing makes baking much easier and even more enjoyable.<\/p>\n Tip:<\/span> Although few people do, I asked for the shelves\u2019 fronts to be painted white to match my cabinets. Many folks leave theirs as the natural wood, so my dad and the business owner sounded skeptical\u2026 But after the install, everyone agreed \u2014 the white fronts looked so crisp, clean, and sharp. The craftsman even said he\u2019d start suggesting it to clients with a similar kitchen style!<\/p>\n As silly as it sounds, these pull-out shelves have really helped with the motivation that I\u2019ve needed to bake during this rainy winter. I\u2019ve been busier than usual testing new recipes to share with you! I\u2019m really excited about the treats coming your way in the upcoming months\u2026 So stay tuned! \u00a0<\/p>\n Even with how much I adore baking \u2014 and how many spreadsheets I\u2019ve filled with recipe brainstorming ideas! \u2014 I still love sampling other people\u2019s sweet treats for inspiration. This winter, I visited a few new-to-me bakeries in person, and I thoroughly enjoyed the items that I tried.<\/p>\n First, I met up with a friend for coffee at Chaupain Bakery<\/a> in San Clemente. The glass pastry cases facing the entrance looked so tempting, with their rows of flaky golden pastries, fruit custard tarts, and miniature loaves\u2026 So we each walked out with a steaming mug and<\/em> a little something sweet!<\/p>\n My friend immediately gravitated towards the strawberry envelope, a croissant cut in half and filled with Swiss cream and fresh sliced strawberries, but I requested the \u201cchocolate ganache\u201d pain au chocolat. The man behind the counter peered at me.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d he asked suspiciously. \u201cIt has two big bars of Valrhona dark chocolate and a chocolate ganache inside, plus<\/em> a chocolate drizzle on top. It\u2019s a lot \u2014 really only for huge chocolate fans.\u201d<\/p>\n I tried so hard not to chuckle as I beamed and reassured him that I truly did<\/em> want that pastry, not a plain croissant instead.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing that could possibly make it even better was if the dough<\/u> was chocolate too!\u201d<\/em> I thought to myself as he picked one up with metal tongs and nestled it into a small cardboard box.<\/p>\n The verdict? \u00a0 Although located almost an hour drive from my house, I\u2019ve been trying to come up with an excuse to visit that bakery again and order another \u201cchocolate ganache\u201d pain au chocolat ever since!<\/p>\n (And if you\u2019re more of a fruit fan, my friend reported that the strawberry envelope was worth every bite too!) \u00a0 A friendly yet bustling atmosphere immediately greeted me upon pulling open the door. Although after the lunch rush, the place still hummed with activity, and multiple groups stood in front of me, waiting for their turn to order from the bakery counter. \u00a0 Instead, I left with merely one single item I had actually preordered the day before\u2026<\/p>\n A black-out fudge cake. \u00a0 The box weighed close to five pounds \u2014 from the cake alone!<\/p>\n It\u2019s my favorite<\/em> chocolate cake in all of San Diego and the one my grandma and her best friend buy for my birthday every year. But this time, I was buying it for someone else instead. And that leads me to the next thing\u2026<\/p>\n Side Note:<\/span> Yes, DZ Akin\u2019s was still a \u201cnew-to-me\u201d bakery \u2014 because it was my first time going there in person! I\u2019ve eaten plenty of their cookies, pastries, and black-out fudge cakes since moving to San Diego\u2026 But on every other occasion, my grandma, her best friend, or my parents have ordered takeout and brought it back to one of our houses to enjoy. So it was a real treat to finally set foot inside! \u00a0<\/p>\n My grandma and I pulled off a surprise retirement party!<\/p>\n Once every month or two, depending on everyone\u2019s schedules, my grandma hosts a girls\u2019 movie night. She sets out trays of snacks and sweets, and her best friend and I also bring a few things to share. We take turns picking the film, and they\u2019ve introduced me to plenty of fun ones from the decades before I was born.<\/p>\n When I found out my grandma\u2019s friend planned to finally retire at the end of January, I texted my grandma to suggest that we secretly turned our next movie night into a surprise retirement party. She immediately agreed \u2014 and it was a huge success! \u00a0 Mint moose tracks ice cream (the lovely lady\u2019s favorite flavor!) and that special black-out fudge cake.<\/p>\n I arrived a half hour early, and my jaw practically dropped when I walked through Grandma\u2019s front door. A bright red table cloth covered her dining room table, and a festive \u201cOfficially Retired!\u201d or \u201cOff the Clock!\u201d placemat sat in front of each chair. A matching \u201cHappy Retirement!\u201d banner adorned the head of the table, the place of honor, flanked by two small foil centerpieces with an appearance of starry firework displays. \u00a0 My grandma is the best hostess. She always outdoes herself!<\/p>\n We added my bouquet of red roses to the dining room table, and Grandma tied the set of colorful retirement-themed balloons to the piano in the entryway. I nestled the ice cream into the freezer, slipped the cake into the fridge, left a small gift on the counter, and\u2026<\/p>\n We sat in the family room to wait.<\/p>\n A little while later, I cheered as the dogs barked and a set of headlights appeared in the driveway. \u201cShe\u2019s here! She\u2019s here!\u201d<\/p>\n My grandma\u2019s friend poked her head through the front door moments later. She immediately began apologizing for arriving late, rather profusely, so\u2026 She missed the entire display of party decorations! \u00a0 The five-pound black-out fudge cake greeted her\u2026 Along with her name and \u201cCongratulations!\u201d piped across the top in white icing.<\/p>\n She insisted on cutting extra thick slices for us to say thank you, and we thoroughly enjoyed every last bite!<\/p>\n I\u2019m truly grateful for those two ladies. They\u2019re so welcoming and invite me along on their adventures, and despite our age gap, they\u2019re actually the ones keeping me<\/em> young! Their full agendas, appointments and errands, movies and shows, reading and learning, regular gym sessions, countless social obligations, cross-country travel and New York City vacations, late-night texts complete with GIFs and Bitmojis\u2026<\/p>\n I can\u2019t keep up with them! They inspire me in every way, and I hope I can be just as thoughtful, active, and kind as they are as I continue to grow older. \u00a0<\/p>\n Every year, my parents host an annual Super Bowl party. I look forward to attending each February, but I had to cancel my trip at the last possible second this year. My grandma figured I\u2019d be bummed to miss their fun event, so\u2026<\/p>\n She threw a Super Bowl party for just the two of us!<\/p>\n If my previous retirement party story was any indication, I\u2019m sure you can already guess what happened.<\/p>\n Grandma went all out! \u00a0 She positively spoils me!<\/p>\n I arrived a half hour before kickoff, dressed in a neutral red hoodie (thank goodness for the teams\u2019 similar colors!), and we settled into her comfy armchairs for the pregame festivities. For the next five hours, we cheered, nibbled, gasped, and cheered some more \u2014 and laughed at many of the fun new commercials too, of course! We snapped some selfies at halftime to send to my parents, and my mom texted back a handful of photos from their gathering too. As the game clock dwindled down, we leaned forward, right on the edge of our seats\u2026 And we almost started stress eating from the drama during overtime. (That\u2019s what happens when you\u2019re a big sports fan!) \u00a0 I love and truly cherish those special moments spent with my grandma, the ones we share as the two of us, where the boundaries of generations and roles and ages disappear, leaving behind only the joys of adoration, friendship, and love. \u00a0<\/p>\n One of the most spontaneous and impromptu moments of my life\u2026 I was a bridesmaid \u2014 with just three days\u2019 notice!<\/p>\n Earlier that week, I received a text from one of my best friends from high school. She mentioned that she planned to visit Los Angeles over the weekend. She and her husband needed to pick up a marriage-related form during their trip, so I offered to pop up and see them in the afternoon before their Friday appointment. Although she felt awful because of the long drive, I managed to convince her it wasn\u2019t a problem at all\u2026<\/p>\n And then I got to work.<\/p>\n Because of its overseas location and travel logistics, I wasn\u2019t able to attend their wedding last fall. I felt so bummed to miss it, so I was determined to turn this low-key appointment into a pseudo American \u201cwedding\u201d \u2014 as a surprise!<\/p>\n I spent a full day brainstorming ideas for a simple yet chic celebration along with that classic wedding tradition \u2014 something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue \u2014 and another day dashing all over town to locate everything. Somehow, three stores and five freeways later, I managed to pull it off! \u00a0 Because all of the roses looked rather droopy and tired, I opted for a classy assortment of lilies, dahlias, and gerbera daisies in white, pastel and bright pink, and soft purple. I secured their stems with a black silicone hair tie (\u201csomething borrowed\u201d), which I hid underneath a gauzy white wrap. I wove blue bakers\u2019 twine around that (\u201csomething blue\u201d \u2014 can\u2019t help being a baker!), tied it in a bow, and slipped a laminated white heart with the date written in the center using a pink pen (\u201csomething old\u201d) I had in high school when the two of us first met.<\/p>\n Whew\u2026 But not done yet! \u00a0 How perfect are those heart shapes for a wedding?? Truly\u2026 I lucked out!<\/p>\n On Friday morning, I carefully loaded everything into my trunk. After slipping the glasses and earrings into a glittery gold gift bag, I put the chocolate treats into a cooler crammed with ice packs. I placed a giant pitcher of water into another insulated bag, packed beach towels around its sides and top, and gently slipped the bouquet inside \u2014 while crossing my fingers (and toes!) that none of the water would slosh out as I drove 95 miles north to meet them.<\/p>\n And what a meeting it was! \u00a0 We spent the next two hours catching up and sipping coffee, and the two of them looked at me in surprise when I handed them the gold gift bag.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t need to get us anything!\u201d my friend exclaimed.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did! I missed your first wedding,\u201d I replied. \u201cAnd the rest of your wedding surprises are in my trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes widened.<\/p>\n Eventually, we drove over to the office building in our separate cars. They decided to pay for a brief wedding ceremony (or vow renewal, in this case \u2014 seeing as they had already gotten married five months earlier!) and invited me along\u2026 Which made my secret plan even better!<\/p>\n I arrived first and waited at the building\u2019s entrance, holding the flower bouquet. Shock spread across her face as they raced towards the door, only two minutes before their appointment time, in a lace cream-colored dress.<\/p>\n \u201cWha\u2026 What\u2019s this??\u201d she asked, although she already knew the answer. \u201cAmy \u2014 you think of everything!\u201d
Earlier this month, I realized how long it had been since I last published a Coffee Break post<\/a>. The very next day, during our afternoon coffee date at Starbucks, my grandma brought it up too, basically out of the blue, by mentioning, \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve seen one of your coffee chat posts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\nMINI KITCHEN RENOVATION<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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They\u2019re just as nice and quiet as the set in my parents\u2019 kitchen, and they seamlessly glide in and out. They even have a soft-close mechanism, so I can nudge them with my hand or knee and know that they\u2019ll gently roll back into place.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\nVISITING NEW BAKERIES<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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Heavenly.<\/em><\/p>\n
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The other noteworthy bakery was another local place called DZ Akin\u2019s<\/a>. It\u2019s part restaurant, part deli, part bakery \u2014 and all<\/u><\/em> parts absolutely incredible!<\/p>\n
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Doughy bagels, braided challah, iced buns, cream horns, jumbo muffins, frosted cupcakes, spiraled rugelach, crunchy biscotti, coconut macaroons, sprinkled spritz cookies, rosette butter cookies, loaves of freshly baked bread\u2026 And at least two dozen other types of treats piled high on their trays and threatening to spill out of the glass display cases. I wanted to walk out with one of almost everything!<\/p>\n
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Two large layers of moist chocolate cake covered with the richest, silkiest, smoothest chocolate ganache, basically reminiscent of fudge, with more swirls of that same ganache generously piped around the rim and bottom, then carefully tucked into a bright pink bakery box and sealed with tape to keep its precious contents intact.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\nSURPRISE RETIREMENT PARTY<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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We divvied up the party prep. My grandma handled the decorations and snacks (sweet, salty, and lots of chocolate!), and I took care of the balloons, roses, and celebratory dessert\u2026<\/p>\n
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In the kitchen, more \u201cHappy Retirement!\u201d signs and polka dot paper fans stood on either side of the snack tray. She paired them with colorful patterned napkins, and a matching garland with dangling big stars and more \u201cOff the Clock!\u201d cut-outs draped from the cabinets directly above her large TV.<\/p>\n
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When she registered the balloons and dining table, the sweetest smile started spreading across her face. She admired everything \u2014 the signs, the bouquet, the balloons, the chocolaty snacks \u2014 and after watching the movie, we gathered in the kitchen. I insisted that she opened the bright pink bakery box, and she nearly gasped as she raised the lid.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\nSUPER BOWL SUNDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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She filled her kitchen table with veggies and dip, fresh sushi rolls, and plenty of chocolate-flavored snacks. Dark chocolate covered pretzels, trail mix with M&Ms, crunchy Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies\u2026 Plus popcorn, crisp pretzel thins (from Trader Joe\u2019s \u2014 I hadn\u2019t seen them before!), and chocolate drizzled pretzel thins. She also bought little bottles of my favorite soda and my favorite crumb-topped apple pie from the local Julian Pie Company<\/a> for dessert.<\/p>\n
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As the confetti rained down on the players and cameras followed them through the massive crowd of people on the field, Grandma cut us each an extra big slice of pie. We ended up chatting for over two hours after switching off the TV, covering everything from the football game and upcoming baseball season (our favorite sport!) to blogging and local businesses to my parents\u2019 next vacation and her spring trip to New York\u2026 And anything and everything in between.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\nTHE UNEXPECTED WEDDING<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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For my friend, I condensed the bride\u2019s four requirements into two main items. I purchased a pair of dainty earrings as the \u201csomething new,\u201d and\u2026 I grouped everything<\/em> else into the flower bouquet.<\/p>\n
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Every wedding (or pseudo wedding, in this case!) needs a toast and dessert, so I bought a set of stemless champagne glasses with \u201cbride\u201d and \u201cgroom\u201d scripted across their sides in gold and a big bottle of Martinelli\u2019s sparkling apple cider. I ran out of time to make anything, but I found the cutest jam sandwich cookies and decadent chocolate mousse cake at Trader Joe\u2019s \u2014 along with chocolate truffles!<\/p>\n
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After finally locating a parking spot, I walked a short distance to the downtown area. My friend spotted me first, and she nearly tackled me when she sprinted over and wrapped me in a huge bear hug. It must have looked like we were teenagers all over again to the random strangers on the sidewalk\u2026 We were smiling and laughing and hugging on repeat for ages!<\/p>\n
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