Tag Archives: Rachel’s Sugar Shop

Fun Friday: To warm your heart and soul

10 Feb
We have had blizzard conditions for most of the day today, but we're warm and safe and all together.

We have had blizzard conditions for most of the day today, but we’re warm and safe and all together.

Today (Thursday, as I type this) was our first snow day of the school year, and tomorrow (Friday) will be our second. We had quite a storm today, with about a foot of snow falling throughout the day. It was cold and windy and snowy, but inside we had a lazy day for much of the day, and we were warm, safe and together, which is really what matters on a day like today.

I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some recipes with you for some nice, warm, delicious treats, since it’s so cold and snowy here. Even if it’s not snowy where you are, there’s nothing like something warm and delicious to warm your heart and soul in the winter months.

DIY crepes in both the regular and gluten free varieties.

DIY crepes in both the regular and gluten free varieties.

Early in the day we had crepes, which is one of our favorite special breakfasts. They are labor intensive, so we don’t do them often, but they’re so delicious when we do. They can be made gluten free, so we make both kinds. My husband does the majority of the cooking for these, but today I did the hot bananas with the maple-brown sugar sauce and Elizabeth made the scrambled eggs, so he had some help. We put out many filling options for our crepes: scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, cheese, peanut butter, Nutella or a Hershey’s chocolate spread, bananas, and today the maple-brown sugar bananas. Everyone can fill them as they wish.

The recipe we use is the same for both gluten free and not, but we use gluten free all-purpose flour for our gluten free crepes, specifically Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All-Purpose Flour. This is the recipe we use:

Thanks to the New Betty Crocker Cookbook!

Thanks to the “New Betty Crocker Cookbook!”

Warm chocolate pudding is soothing on a sore throat, especially on a snowy day.

Warm chocolate pudding is soothing on a sore throat, especially on a snowy day.

Tonight, my youngest daughter requested homemade chocolate pudding, which is a relatively new recipe for us, but I have posted it on the blog before. You can find it here. She’s had a sore throat and cough, and prefers the pudding to be warm, which would soothe her throat. I didn’t have a sore throat myself, but that pudding sounded good to me too, especially on a day like today, so I obliged. Another warm and soothing recipe that I make often in the winter months is homemade hot chocolate. Although I didn’t make it today, I will re-share it here anyway, since it’s been a long time since I originally posted it. It’s an absolute favorite for my family.

Finally, I had some great new articles in this week’s paper to share with you too, and they will warm your heart and soul also. You can find my latest feature from this week’s Providence Journal here, about Rachel’s Sugar Shop in Cranston. She’s got lots of great Valentine’s Day treats on deck, and she does amazing wedding, birthday and all kinds of occasion cakes, so stop by and see her if you’re local.

I have lots of stories in this week’s Cranston Herald, but this one about a family who immigrated to the United States is one of my favorites, especially with all that is in the news currently about immigration to America. I also loved doing this one about Janet Tanury, the owner of Botticelli’s, which is a local store whose tagline is “Generous clothing for the curvaceous woman.” Janet is working hard to make plus-size shopping a whole new experience for women of all ages, especially when it comes to formal wear, and her shop is wonderful, as is she. If you have a prom or formal event on the horizon, stop in and visit her in North Providence, RI or visit her website here. She’s hosting a special prom shopping event on President’s Day from 10-5pm.

You can view all of this week’s Cranston Herald stories by visiting their website, and there you will see all of my work for this week. It’s certainly been a busy one!

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It was a banner day!

30 Jan
My very first piece for the Providence Journal's Food section!

My very first piece for the Providence Journal’s Food section!

Last Wednesday was an exciting day for me, and I’m so happy to be able to share the excitement with you!

I have been working very hard over the past month or so on some great projects. Recently, I was asked to be a freelance contributor for our state newspaper, The Providence Journal. Specifically, I have been asked to write for their Food section. I have been a fan of this section for a long time now, and in past years both of my grandmothers’ recipes have been featured in it, as have my daughters’ accomplishments in various cooking competitions. The section contains great recipes, restaurant reviews and features, as well as tips and tricks for your kitchen cooking adventures, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

On Wednesday, my first piece, “Vive la France at Cranston’s Caffe Bon-Ami” appeared on the front page of the section. You can read the feature here. I’m so proud of this piece, and if you’re local, I highly encourage to pay a visit to Malcolm over at Caffe Bon-Ami, you’ll be glad you did! If you’re not within driving distance, be sure to check out his Facebook page!

This was such a fun project to work on!

This was such a fun project to work on!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I also recently agreed to take on a different sort of project for the Beacon Communications newspapers I have worked for, the Cranston Herald, the Johnston SunRise and the Warwick Beacon. I volunteered to take on this month’s special RhodyLife section, which was a bridal feature. I visited local bridal gown vendors, I spoke to brides, photographers, bakers, and explored local and widespread wedding trends. I interviewed a friend who had recently had a Harry Potter themed wedding, and their wedding story was featured in the section, front and center, so I was thrilled to see her smiling face, alongside her husband, when I opened up my paper Wednesday morning. You can read my three wedding articles here, here and here.

All in all, it was a banner day!