A Beautiful Mess

Having Heroes: Our Mom + Grandmothers

We thought today might be the perfect day to talk about having heroes, since our mother is probably one of the most important heroes in our lives. And this year I am lucky enough to be adding another special mother into my life, Barbara (my soon to be mother-in-law). We spent the day celebrating our mothers! Here are a few quick thoughts on having heroes as well as some specific examples from the awesome women in our lives.

1. Heroes can inspire us. Sometimes life feels overwhelming and it can be easy to feel defeated or depressed by your current circumstances. Maybe you recently went through a major set back or painful situation? Or maybe you just aren't feeling very inspired lately, like your just going through the motions in life. These moments are a great opportunity to find inspiration from heroes. It could be someone in your life you know personally, someone famous in your industry or a historical figure. I love hearing how others have overcome hard times! It inspires me to keep going and take a note from them to be brave and stay strong during tough times.

2. Heroes give us a standards/goals to reach. There's a saying that goes "Tell me who you admire and I'll tell you who you are." And I think that can be SO true. It is good for us to surround ourselves with people who we admire and look up to. Having heroes can help make us better people. I love noticing all the awesome qualities of others and trying to cultivate those attributes in my life. Never be afraid to grow!

3. Heroes can remind us that being human is ok. Whether your hero is a historical figure, nationally known or a personal friend they will likely all have something in common: they are all human. And being human means we are not perfect, we make mistakes. And that's ok! I know sometimes I can get frustrated or feel down about myself when I've come up short of my goal or my ideal. But I think it's super comforting to remember that all the people I look up to, who I want to be more like, have made mistakes before too. It's ok to mess up. Why do we fall? So we can pick ourselves back up. (If you can guess where that quote is from let's high-five later. :)

I am SO thankful for my mother and grandmothers and the awesome example they have set in my life! They are my heroes and they inspire me to be better and stronger in so many ways. My mom, to me, is the perfect picture of a creative champion. Elsie and I mention here on the blog often how much we owe our creative upbringing to our mother and the example she has set for us. My mom let us make SO many messes growing up. She was patient and encouraging and always made us feel that whatever we are up to it was important and awesome. My mom makes me feel fearless. I have never been afraid to fail around my mom, and that is a precious gift she has given Elsie and I. If I am lucky enough to be a mother one day I hope to give my kids the same gift. 

I know it's mother's day but I can't think about heroes without also thinking of my grandmothers. It's funny because our grandmothers really couldn't be more different. They are both such amazing women whose lives inspire us in so many ways. My grandmother, Norma, is the picture of discipline and consistency. There is no one else I'd rather have on my team than her. If she says she will do something, she will, no matter the obstacle. She is tough as nails and I hope to be more like her as I grow up. My grandmother, Corina is my example of passion. There is never a dull moment with Corina. She lives large and loves fiercely. If she sets her mind to something you better just get out of her way! I hope I live as passionate a life as she has.

Do you have any special heroes in your life? Is it your mother, grandmother or maybe a mother figure? Take the time today to remind them how much they mean to you. And set goals in your life to have heroes and to let them inspire! xo. Emma (and Elsie)

Homemade Pop Tart Mixology

If you had to pick one flavor for like, forever what would it be? You know, like you're trapped on a desert island, and you can only grow one herb or have one case of a certain flavoring. It could be something fruity like: strawberry, coconut, blueberry, raspberry, rhubarb or mango. But no matter how much you love coconut I feel like at some point that might get old. For me, I'm leaning toward either lemon or chocolate. Two completely incompatible flavors I just adore.Wait, why am I talking about desert islands? Hmm... I don't know. I think you just have to be prepared for stuff in life. But let's talk about pop tarts. Homemade pop tarts, to be specific. All the pop tarts you see here are filled with all kinds of delicious flavors. And the fun part? I didn't "make" any of them, they are just things found in my refrigerator or pantry! I made six different flavors including: blueberry preserves, strawberry jam, peanut butter and (grape) jelly, lemon curd, honey nut cream cheese and Nutella. Each pop tart needed a heaping spoonful of whatever flavor you choose. I used puff pastry to make these pop tarts. The brand I used came in two sheets. I layed out the first sheet and spooned on the fillings, then covered them with the second puff pastry sheet. Cut into pop tarts. I cut the edges with a ravioli cutter, you could get a similar effect using the prongs of a fork. Brush on a little egg wash and bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes. Until golden and puffy.Like this. :)Now let's make some flavored glazes! Here's a basic glaze recipe you can customize easily:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Use a fork to whisk the ingredients together. If you want a thicker glaze add another 1/2 cup powered sugar. For vanilla glaze stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. For a fruit glaze stir in 1 tablespoon jam or jelly. For a lemon glaze stir in 1 tablespoon lemon curd. And for the chocolate glaze simply stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.Drizzle the glaze over the still warm pop tarts. Try not to mix up the flavors. :) Serve immediately. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Chocolate Chip + Granola Bagels

I have a bagel story I need to get off my chest. I love bagels! I don't know what it is. Maybe it's all the carbs. Those are supposed to be addictive, right? I really do get excited, when I walk into a bakery and see baskets or trays filled with different bagel options. And I'd like to say the best bagel I ever had was from some artisan bakery in San Francisco (or something equally as cool sounding), but the truth is the best bagel I ever had was from Panera Bread Co. It was a peanut butter and banana bagel that they immediately discontinued. Ah! I've asked many Panera employees over the years if they will ever bring this flavor back. But so far the answer is a very polite and vague no.Of course I plan to make my own homemade version someday. It turns out that peanut butter banana is a difficult flavor to make because it involves adding two very moist ingredients into your bread dough. Dough can be so finicky. Anyway, I digress. This week my bagel journey continues with a concoction involving chocolate chips and granola. This bagel is almost like a dessert. And if you think chocolate has no place in a breakfast food might I point out the number one offender: donuts! Get angry at donuts, not me. Also, why are you so mad about chocolate? :)Chocolate Chip + Granola Bagels

1 1/3 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup granola
1 egg

In a bowl, combine the water and sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour in the yeast and allow this to sit for 6-8 minutes, it should bubble/fizz slightly. In a larger bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, chocolate chips and salt. Once the yeast mixture has had time to activate, pour it in to the flour mixture and stir until a crumbly dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 6-7 minutes until the dough begins to become elastic-like. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into eight equal pieces. Shape into a ball and press your finger through to form the center hole. Once you have shaped all the bagels, allow them to rest for 10 minutes or so. Now place them into a pot of boiling water. They should float. Let them cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, then remove to your prepared baking sheet.Whisk the egg plus 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush this over each bagel. Sprinkle on the granola. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Enjoy warm with a little peanut butter, cream cheese or (dare I say it) Nutella! xo. Emma

Peanut Butter Cupcakes + Black Coffee Frosting

Over the weekend Elsie threw Trey and I a peanut butter themed wedding shower. We are both BIG peanut butter fans so it only seemed appropriate. My favorite detail from the shower was a handmade tablecloth with some of the lyrics from Selena Gomez's single "I Love You Like a Love Song." That's one of our songs. We only listen to classics. 

Anyway. I love baking, so I asked if I could make the cupcakes for the shower. I knew there would be plenty of other delicious treats around, so I wanted to try something a little different. I've been wanting to try and create a frosting that embodies all the goodness of black coffee and dark chocolate. I thought this would be delicious with peanut butter filled cupcakes, if not maybe a little on the decadent side. :) I loved how they turned out.Peanut Butter Cupcakes, makes 22. Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup greek yogurt

In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly incorporate the flour into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the peanut butter and greek yogurt.

Fill a prepared muffin pan each 1/2 full with batter. Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes until cooked through and brown around the edges. Allow to cool.Totally optional, but, you should do this. Once the cupcakes are cool use a sharp knife to cut out a small inverted pyramid, and remove. Fill the whole with creamy peanut butter! The easiest way to do this is to pipe the peanut butter into the hole. You can use a pastry bag or, if you find that you are once again out, use a zip lock bag. :)For the frosting you are going to need 9 ounces of good, dark chocolate. I used Askinoise chocolate bars, one of their collaboration bars infused with Intelligentsia coffee.Black Coffee Frosting, makes enough to frost 22 cupcakes. Loosely adapted from Ready for Dessert.

9 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup black coffee
10 tablespoons butter
2-4 tablespoons powered sugar

In a double boiler or a glass bowl set over simmering water, stir together the chocolate and coffee until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until well incorporated. Taste the frosting. And if a little too bitter, take the edge off by whisking in a few tablespoons powdered sugar. After all, this is frosting. :) Allow to cool until the frosting is spreadable but firm. I topped these cupcakes with candied peanuts, but you could also try sprinkles, sanding sugar or just a little bit of sea salt. Enjoy! xo. Emma