Recently in Notes from the Bakery Category

When we opened BabyCakes over 6 years ago I'd had it with vegan baked goods as I knew them. I couldn't find anything out there that tasted right and everything was too sweet, too dry or just flavorless. Because of this, I chose to shy away from labeling the goods "vegan" and opted for small notes by the desserts that said, "egg free, dairy free, soy free". In my mind, it wasn't necessary to toot a vegan horn because I wanted everyone to try it without preconceived notions. Our mission was bigger than vegan alone--I wanted to change the way people experienced allergy-free sweets and knew I had to begin with a clean slate. Some people like this, some do not.

Read the article in the Wall Street Journal here and weigh in. Do you wish we put more emphasis on traditional vegan labeling? Tell the truth! You're in a safe space here...

And they are amazing! This version is made with spelt flour but trying my hand at a gluten-free version this weekend. I feel a third cookbook on the horizon, oh heaven help me...

It's always extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing when the attention shifts from the sweets to me personally but I was still flattered to be featured in Refinery29's fashion story on stylish bakers. Refinery29 works overtime to make everything fun and gorgeous so I was not surprised to see the piece come out so beautifully.

Click here to check it out but before you do, a favor? Don't look at my cake caked clogs in the second shot! I was really working that day!

I'm lucky enough to take time out during the normal pressure of my day--from time to time-- to chat with great writers like Julia Gazdag about BabyCakes (my favorite subject besides Chanel lipgloss). I don't usually post every last thing that has been published about the bakery because that would be obnoxious but Julia tells the BabyCakes story in her usual charming way here and with many spoonfuls of sugar (humor, style) to help the medicine go down (the facts, boresville). Hello Giggles was the platform for this story and I couldn't be more flattered, honored and now beyond inflated. Thank you Julia! Call me!

With all the rumblings about the FDA imposing stricter guidelines on labeling products "gluten-free" CBS Early Show stopped by to check it out. Watch it here:

In 1996, I began experimenting with diets. From food combining to the handful-of-chocolate-chips-throughout-the-day meal plan, I exhausted every bone in my body to completely embrace each one. By 2008, my extremism led to severe burn out and I swore off diets all together. I chose a plan of eating, with the guidance of registered dietitian, that was balanced and all-inclusive.

Everything was smooth sailing until I found out I was pregnant. All sense of normal eating and table manners were thrown out the window. Desserts were de rigour and grazing was a given. "It's the baby. She's craving this ice cream cake," I would reason after I'd turned up my nose at a salad. Five months after pregnancy, I continued to embrace the pregnancy diet. I couldn't blame Darla for my funky eating habits anymore.

It was a sign that something needed to change when Erin asked me to review Mom Energy: a simple plan to live fully charged by the famed registered dietitian Ashley Koff and fitness guru Kathy Kaehler.

I anxiously opened up Mom Energy after Darla fell asleep one night. I was afraid I would have to throw the book across the room when the "cut-this-food-item-out" preaching began. I didn't think my sleep-deprived brain could handle such pressure. What I read, however, were balanced, thorough descriptions of healthy eating and living habits, coupled with complex nutrition concepts written in laymen's terms. I began to understand the mechanics of nutrition, which I had previously followed blindly.

What really caught my attention were Koff and Kahler's ability to take the guilt out of eating. This is extremely helpful for mothers, since we live, eat and breathe shame. They encourage us to change one or two things a week until we eventually reach a steady routine of healthier habits. We're even given the option to not do it perfectly.

While no amount of healthy eating can bring energy into my system that only a night with more than four hours of sleep can cure, it has helped me find the balance that my delirious brain just can't figure out on its own. Now, I make myself sit down for meals occupied by food groups other than "candy" or "donut," which helps clear my head. That's not to say, however, that sweets are banished. I just consume them in moderation. Luckily, I have unfettered access to the types of baked goods of which Koff and Kaehler approve. I'm eternally grateful that BabyCakes' is still allowed! Further, the book is a handy guide for when I shop. I've kept in mind some of the tips listed in the book and I have, already, become a much more conscious consumer who foregoes the supermarket for the farmer's market.

The exercises prescribed are very manageable, as well. I'm much more motivated to strap baby Darla into her Ergo backpack and walk her up and down the monstrous hills in my neighborhood twice a day. Once with the two of us in the afternoon and once in the evening with the husband/dad (Greg). Not only do I have more energy and a sense of calm afterwards, it has allowed me to kill time until Greg gets home, encourages Darla to go down for a nap and gives Greg and I a chance to talk.

This "choose your own adventure" book allows the exhausted mother to slowly reenter the atmosphere of saner, healthier living. Already, I feel slightly less dumb and a lot less lethargic. I'm excited to see how much better I'll continue to feel as I gradually absorb more of these lessons. Hopefully, baby Darla will start sleeping through the night soon so I can put into practice some of the ideas discussed in the sleep chapter!

Never Forget Aaliyah! from BabyCakes NYC on Vimeo.

Director: Crystal Moselle / Producer: Vivan Thi Tang / Director of Photography: Dave McGrath / Editor: Mariana Martin Capriles / Hair and Make-up: Courtney Perkins

We can't believe this Saturday will mark 6 years since we opened the doors at BabyCakes NYC with 4 recipes and just 3 girls: me, Sabrina Wells and my sister Elizabeth. It's so emotional looking back at what started as a small neighborhood specialty bakery and has turned into quite the big project! Thanks to everyone who have supported us through thick and thin over the years. We love you guys!!!

Pop Sugar had a massive contest to see who was the biggest Anne Hathaway fan. The winner scored a trip to NYC to tour all of Anne's favorite spots. Check out the BabyCakes cameo. This is so sweet!

Today you will officially be able to find our Downtown Disney shop in Orlando much easier! Look at our new gorgeous sign, it's so glowey and magical.

Every day, I find numerous reasons to say, "Sorry, it's my stupid mom brain." Asinine comments are unavoidable landmines and thoughtless actions are the norm. A few days ago, I even left Darla inside to grab the groceries from the driveway (don't worry, it was only about three feet from the house). I heard the door slam behind me and I thought, "oh no! What if I accidentally locked it?" I calmed down a second later when I thought; "don't worry, I can figure out a way to get Roy (dog) and Darla (5 month old baby) to coax it open." I stopped walking, frozen by my own stupidity. Luckily, the door wasn't locked. I didn't want to have to test my dumb theory.

I know I'm not the only one who has such absurd thoughts. Every mother I've come in contact with has had those moments where, after they pay a bill, they wonder how the hell they could've thought that 3 + 8 =12. Some even say it's a scientific fact that a woman's brain shrinks by 20% after she gives birth. More recent research has found that a woman's intelligence may expand after, but factors such as sleep deprivation and distraction might lead her to act with a certain amount of idiocy.

As you can tell, lack of sleep has led me to behave thoughtlessly, which is why I worried over how I would handle my first day back at the bakery. Would the customer's have to witness my "mom brain" first hand? Could I maintain my cool? Of course not!

I started the day off great. I frosted cakes in record time and helped customers with very little problems. I had hit my stride. Then, everything changed when a man and two women came to the counter.

The man asked how Tom Colicchio was involved in the bakery. I said he was Erin's mentor. He said he knew his wife. I asked if she had her baby, yet. He said she had about five months prior.

"Like me!" I exclaimed.

"We had one three months ago!" said the man's wife.

It was all over after that. When two new moms meet, we only know how to talk about babies. We compare sleeping habits. We exchange soothing techniques. And, most importantly, we ask to see pictures. We do this with the secret hopes that the other mother will ask to see our pictures. All we really want to do is show how truly adorable our babies are.

I asked to see her son. She showed me her cutie pie and I gushed over his full head of hair. I was thoroughly impressed. After she put her phone away, the transaction was complete. I handed over their baked goods. They were about to leave when her husband said something that sealed my fate. He whispered, "Ask to see a picture of hers."

The woman asked hesitantly, knowing that I probably didn't have them at the counter with me. She was right!

In a flash, I ran to the kitchen and grabbed my iPhone to show her Baby Darla. I made the mistake of unplugging my phone, which was also the bakery's iPod at the moment. There was nothing but silence. In a bakery, nothing sounds louder than that. Then, my phone froze. I looked up to see the couple giving me nervous glances as the other counter girl finished wrapping up the next order for me to ring up. My time for this transaction had run out.

"You don't need to see a picture," I yelled over the silence. "Just envision a fat balding man and you've got the gist of it."

The customers left and I turned the music back on using my (now unfrozen) phone. I decided then and there that I needed to practice some restraint when it came to showing off pictures of Darla. I resolve to do that just as soon as I show you this super cute video of her!

Written by my super-smart sister Elizabeth and featuring Cults front woman (my niece AND former BabyCakes girl) Madeline--Refinery 29 gets a glimpse of what it's like to be the chanteuse of the radically adored band here. Read up on how she copes when cooped up in a tour bus full of boisterous dudes, how she achieves that hair and which dresses have reached security-blanket status in her suitcase (note: that green one she's wearing is mine. GIVE IT BACK, MADDIE). Does it sound like I'm bragging? I am!!