A(nother) New Beginning

OK so where to begin - it's been one heck of a year. A lot of UPS and a whole lot of DOWNS.  Have we emerged stronger, better, wiser??? I hope so.  Mum and I went through an emotional breakdown - we were so overwhelmed with Embrace Sweets (our baking company), with our lives and the lack there of, of a vacation that everything fell apart.  New York was a bust, a major learning experience in trusting our instincts, listening to the concerns of others and taking a leap of faith.  We came back to California to find that in three months all that we 'knew' had changed and where did that leave us.

After a minor depression (on both our parts) and a separation of business ties for a chance to try something new - we're back together and hoping that with the pieces we have we can create or rather re-create something beautiful, fulfilling and even more important to our biggest supporters than what we had before.

Now we're living in San Diego, beautiful San Diego and although we're just 90 minutes away from LA it feels like a world away.  Our lives are healthier - taking part in daily yoga classes, eating better (a little less brownies), and spending more time outside and meditating.  It's amazing what a shift in your daily routine can do - maybe in the end it took us traveling 6000+ miles to find where we were supposed to be in the first place.

If I've learned anything in these past eight years of Embrace Sweets and life it's that I want to be the example to all of you reading this that are searching for something to do, something to get into, something to create.  For those of you that are considering starting your own business and going off on your own - I can't tell you how important it is to know that NO it's not going to be easy. You will want to quit and there maybe times you will; and that's OK.  It doesn't make you a failure, it doesn't make you weak - sometimes the best thing you can do is just to STOP and stand still.  Let the dust around you settle so you can then see clearly.

Embrace Sweets is coming back - better, stronger and more focused.  We realized more than anything that we missed you, we missed what you gave to us every day and that we didn't have to travel around the country to find what we had here the whole time.

We look forward to hearing from you, seeing you at the markets and helping you create the sweetest gifts for the holidays and future celebrations.

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Bon Appetite!
B + S

Not Your Average Flour

Attention! Attention! Attention Los Angeleons, Magnolia Bakery has finally opened - please calmly take your place in line and wait patiently for your banana pudding, home style cakes, delicate cupcakes and sinfully rich cheesecakes. There will be more than enough to go around. Thank you.

Now if only all emergency drills sounded so sweet. Well my dears it's true, New York's famed Magnolia Bakery has finally made it's way to Los Angeles (it's only taken oh about, 14 years), but I have to say it might have been worth the wait. Magnolia (LA) opened July 17th and is situated on the corner of Orlando and 3rd St in West Hollywood.  The location is absolutely beautiful, reminiscent of a old time french bakery or country kitchen (I realize how totally different those two comparisons are) with it's pale blues, antique cake boxes and Lazy Suzy's. The space is actually quite large, in part because of the open floor plan allowing a full view of the kitchen including ovens, work space and it's sugar and flour coated workers.

You walk in and you can't help but smile, there's something about walking into a room filled with sugar, chocolate, puddings and sprinkles that make you get all giddy and childlike. Magnolia and places like it have become the new 'sweets shop' but for adults.

Magnolia Bakery

So, to get to the goods. Mum and I ordered a plethora of goods, we started with the famous caramel cupcake, ventured to the white chocolate macadamia cheesecake and ended with the famed banana pudding. A sugar coma would definitely have been in our sights had everything been as fabulous as I had hoped. I must say I was a little disappointed by the cupcake- the cupcake itself was dry and very dense, the frosting was more like whipped frosting (very light and a little bland), what saved it was the caramel sauce which I actually wish there was more of to add to the flavoring the cake lacked.   Jumping ahead the banana pudding was absolutely to die for, we ordered the small (about an 8 oz container) and mum and I were fighting over it to the last spoonful. The pudding was firm yet smooth, sweet, bananany (that's a new word) and of course had my favorite vanilla wafer cookies. It immediately brought back memories of my grandmothers banana pudding which I haven't had in over 20 years. The smell, the taste, the texture were a definite reincarnate of hers.

Banana Pudding

White Chocolate Macadamia Cheesecake

 Lastly, the White Chocolate Macadamia Cheesecake - talk about rich! It was delicious and perfect for sharing, in fact three to four people could easily share this 4'' size decadent dessert and probably still have some left over. Their cheesecake is exactly the way a cheesecake should be; dense, creamy and thick. Not only is the flavor excellent but it's topped high with white chocolate chunks and whole macadamias.  Oddly enough we didn't try the brownies but I figure that gives us one more reason to return and of course provide you with an update.

I have to say I am so proud of LA, we have really become a foodies paradise and thankfully more restaurants, desserteries and cool concept themed places are popping up everywhere. If I were getting paid for all the blogging and eating I could do, I'd be well on my way to some serious dough (no pun intended). OK that was cheesy but I couldn't resist.

So to wrap up this sweet rant, Magnolia's is wonderful; they've got some interesting things in the works, one being curbside pickup - so you can call ahead and someone will bring out your order to your car.  This is a great service idea especially in LA where parking in non existent (especially where they are located). 

I definitely intend on revisiting if for no other reason than just to see how everything is when they're not so 'new' and have settled into a routine. :-) That to me is when you can really gauge how good a place is. Throw in some raunchy, demanding customers, a dash of long hours in front of a hot oven six days a week, a pinch of sarcasm from the boss on why you're not working hard enough and you've got a recipe for either disaster or some damn good pastries!

On to my next craving. :-)

Magnolia Bakery
8389 West 3rd St., Los Angeles, 90048
(323) 951-0636

Check out these great articles about Magnolia Bakery
Laist.com
NYMag