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

A Brownie Loving Leprechaun!

On Tap Brownie
Feat: Guinness Extra Stout

Who could have imagined that little green men are sneaking overly indulgent brownies into their sacks, well if you've tried our Stout Brownies you'd would have.  This week we are debuting our On Tap brownie featuring Guinness Extra Stout.  Beer? Yes a beer brownie.

So what can you expect? Well this brownie is slightly cakey with a cocoa, oakey taste.  The Guinness comes through in the end and is even more evident if you slightly warm this Embrace Sweets brownie before enjoying.  Lastly we've drizzled Ghirardelli dark chocolate and caramel sauce on top.

This lucky fellow will be available till March 17th - so grab a pint, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and of course our On Tap brownie and you just mind find your pot of gold at the last bite!

Eat more sweets!

B + S

Sweet Dreams!

So what's a girl to do when she's got a killer sweet tooth and nothing in site to soothe it? Well, she has to pick up her britches and head out to find something, of course. My first choice is ALWAYS cupcakes, growing up in a house full of chocolate and having a parent who bakes brownies for a living, you realize pretty quickly that not just anything will do. I believe that I know good desserts when I taste them and I know GREAT desserts without a doubt; but when you can combine great taste and a great price, well that's just a recipe for success. 

So, first stop Hansen's Bakery. Before I begin I must say that I have been an advent Sprinkles lover for years and until now, no one and I mean NO ONE could come close. This is of course after trying just about every cupcake place I could find (and just fell into) from the top to the bottom of California.  Recently however, on the suggestion of my favorite Target Checkout boy, I was informed of a well kept secret cupcake location. I was told that these cupcakes were not only large, flavorful, had creamy frosting BUT (drum roll) were only $1.00 each. OMG, could this be? Something must be wrong with them? I think my Target Foodie bumped his head. 

No, Hansen's Bakery is just that and a bag of chips. The cupcakes were wonderful; mummie and I shared three delicious and as close to perfect cupcakes. My only mark is that the cupcakes are kept in a refrigerated case, which means they are cold and the frosting is stiff but after about five minutes in the sun they were chilled, slightly warming and ready to eat. 

We ordered the Lemon with Coconut, Red Velvet (because everyone claims to have the best) w/White Chocolate Chips and a Chocolate w/Chocolate sprinkles- flavors you can't really go wrong with and usually are always good. Hansen's doesn't get as creative with the flavors as say Sprinkles, Crumbs or Cupcake & Co, they stick to the basics. This is not a problem, like the old saying if it ain't broke don't fix it. Hansen's stays true to this. 

The cupcakes are only a $1.00 because they are made from the left over cake batter from cakes made that day. So there really isn't much *extra* work needed to go into the process; they're basically making use of what would have been wasted. Think of them as 'Green' or 'Eco' friendly Cupcakes. :-)

The cupcakes really are that good, and at a $1.00 a piece you really wonder how did we get so far from a cupcake just being a cupcake.  

P.S. You know what would really set this off? A cup of my Australian Cappuccino  (Longshot!).

Back Story: Hansen's Cakes is over seven generations old and has been continuously passed down from generation to generation within the family, currently Patrick Hansen runs this sweet joint. Hansen's Bakery has been a Los Angeles staple for many years and countless celebrities, athletes, people in high places and us commoners have depended on them for all our cake fulfilling needs. You may have even seen Patrick and his team making special appearances on the Tori & Dean show (Birthday cakes for the kids) and The Kardashians (Khloe + Omars Wedding).