Coffee Talk #5: a chance to catch up on the little things in life—both sweet and salty! 😉 August 2018
Hiya! It’s Demeter again. 🙂 In case you’re new to Beaming Baker, I’m the baker behind it all. All = the madness, the cookies, the no bake treats (funnily enough) and the stories. Once a month, we get together to chat about what’s new in our lives and share a little something sweet. You ready? Let’s do this!
Monica’s Visit… My sister, Monica, just came to visit! It was equal parts thrilling, heartwarming, nostalgia-inducing, and goofs-filled. My sisters and I are all super, super close. We even have a group text chain. Okay, everyone has a group text chain nowadays… but I really felt the need to say that since all of these TV/movie casts keep mentioning that like it’s a sure sign that they’re close. Hehe. Anyway, on any given day, our text chain includes anywhere from 55-175+ messages. That’s right, sometimes there are 175 messages in one day. And Jenny can’t be blamed for ALL of them. 😉
Me on the left, my big sis Monica on the right. Yes, I also can’t believe she’s older than me! 😉
Side note: after my mom and other sister (Jenny) made fun of Monstee and I for posing at the seriously sweltering T stop, guess what? We got this amazing shot above!! Well, Erik did. 😉 I mean, come on!! How unexpectedly gorgeous of a backdrop are these stylish turnstyles? .Also, how beautiful is my sister? ❤️
Anyway, point is, we’re tight. So it was just the BEST being able to see my sister. Jenny (who lives nearby) and my mom were over the moon to see her. We went out on the town, ate too many things, and had our mandatory semi-annual heart-to-heart chat about How Things Are Going in One’s Life. It definitely made me wish that Monica lived much closer, but I’m grateful for the chance to just see her and catch up.
Do you live close to your siblings? How do you stay in touch if you live far from each other?
Fitness Stuff… so lately I’ve been rediscovering all of my old favorite fitness YouTubers and discovering new ones! I was thinking of sharing a few of the videos I find most motivating (and fun!!) for next Coffee Talk. Would you be interested? Here a couple of my faves:
Dylan & Kai’s Bday party… Party of the Century here, folks!!! Haha. My nephews, Dylan and Kai both celebrated their birthdays in extreme, blocky style. Yep, their mama, my sister, Jenny, had their party at Legoland. They don’t share the same birthday, but the actual dates are super close, so their mama had the great idea to do a two-for-one. We had loads of fun, and honestly, Erik’s inner child really came out at this par-tay.
Let’s just say we were both seeing legos for days and days after that. 😉 The party was super cool because we finally got the chance to see inside of Legoland. Dylan talks about that place nonstop, so it was cool to see what the fuss was all about. There were so many amazing sights to see! Elaborate Lego structures with water, huge play structures and tons of Lego sculptures.
My sister Jenny and her two kiddos: Kai (the sweet little baby) and Dylan (the troublemaker posing with his crown). 🙂
Preparing for Fall!… It’s finally almost here!!! Forgive my excitement, but I’ve been preparing for Fall and thinking about the winter holidays for months and months! Sometimes the rest of the year feels almost like just a dry run for THE Holidays. Lol. I’m currently debating if I should hold back a bit on the pumpkin recipes, or just go all out and share 3 or more per month ’til the end of November. Thoughts?
A Sneak Peek of Fall…
European Vacation… I asked what recommendations folks had over on Instagram for our next vacation—in Europe, hopefully—and I got a wealth of responses:
- Scotland
- Paris
- Poland
- Places in Norway: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim
- Brighton
- Prague, Budapest
- And more!
What place do you suggest? My sister, Penny, has been nudging us towards taking a vacay in the EU. She said that we’re so close in Boston and it would be a waste not to. 😉 In terms of budget and time, we’re pretty much low on both. Lol. But one can hope… and at least do some recon!
Current Popular Recipes…
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- 5 Ingredient Homemade KIND Nut Bars
- Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe – this makes me SO happy!!! I absolutely love this recipe and it holds a special place in my heart. Have you tried it yet?
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – a NEW recipe. Woohoo!
- Mini Vegan Brownie Bites – I definitely did not expect this recipe to be so popular! They’re soft, fudgy and decadent. I have some tentative plans to make more brownie bites with exciting flavor twists. Let me know if you’re interested! 🙂
Current Popular Recipes from the Archives…
- 1) 4 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Peanut Bars (December 2016)
- 2) Gluten Free Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (March 2017)
- 3) Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (April 2017)
That’s all for this month! How was your month? Any new developments or plans (hopefully vacay-related) in place? What recipes are you excited or hoping to see? It’s been lovely chatting with you. I can’t wait to catch up with you next time!
Here are a few older Coffee Talks, in case you’re interested: July, June, May, April, Catching Up 2, Catching Up 1.
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
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I could not be more excited for fall! Those muffins look totally delish!
I know, fall can’t come soon enough! .
I have made your vegan brownie bites twice now, and they don’t last long around here . Thank you for supplying us with such great recipes! As I live in England I would definitely recommend a trip to Europe, and don’t forget the beautiful south coast where I live x
That’s so wonderful to hear, Katherine! 🙂 I’m so pleased that you’re enjoying my recipes. .☺️ I definitely will make a note about the gorgeous south coast! Thanks for the recommendation. 🙂
Mini vegan brownie bites…I am seriously drooling now. They have moved to the top of my “to-bake-immediately” list! And your sneak peek fall muffins look so delicious. Can’t wait!
Oh you’re definitely gonna love them Jenny! ☺️
Those muffins love incredible! I can’t wait for fall!
Yay! I know, it can come soon enough! ☺️
I know for sure these Mini Vegan Brownie Bites would be a huge hit in my house!
Oh YES!!! Hope you get to try! 🙂
Hi, just returned from European vacation with my husband, celebrating our 30th anniversary. I would highly recommend Krakow, Poland for a few days. We just loved it, so affordable and everyone was super friendly. From there we took a train to Prague, which was also very lovely. Once you get an airfare to Europe, flights out of the major cities (Rome/London) are super affordable. Wherever you go will be wonderful, traveling is just the best! Love your recipes.
Maria, congratulations on celebrating your 30th anniversary!!! What a wonderful milestone! 🙂 I’ve been getting so many recommendations for Poland. Love the sound of it being affordable. Prague is one of Erik’s dream destinations, so we’re going to put that at the top of the list. Thank you so much for your travel tips! Happy baking, xo 🙂
Howdy,
I just got home from a coffee chat with my Aunt and came home to read your Coffee talk! There’s not much better than a good cup of coffee and a fun conversation. 🙂
Planning a trip to Europe is so much fun. Where you go can depend a lot on the time of year, how you plan to travel (car, or train), your budget, how much time you have, and what will make you smile when you see “it” in person. Every destination can offer something quite special but for me Spain and Portugal were a delightful surprise and fairly affordable compared to some of the other countries right now. There was so many things to choose from, white washed villages in the Andalusia region of Spain, Sevilla, which smells like Oranges, and lots of hiking all over. Portugal was similar, and both countries had such welcoming people. I know where ever you guys decide to go will be such a great experience. Have fun planning!! 🙂
Hi Heidi! Completely agreed! What could be better than good conversation & good coffee with the people you love? 🙂 I loved reading your advice on finding a good destination to visit in Europe. Especially: “what will make you smile when you see “it” in person.” Erik and I’ve been trying to figure that out for ages! Spain and Portugal sound absolutely AMAZING! Your descriptions truly got me excited about planning. Big hugs! 🙂 P.S. I hope you get to visit Spain & Portugal again soon!
I want to go to Paris too!
Hope we both get to go in the future!! Hehe. 🙂
Don’t remember if I commented on your last post about feeling down from all the haters, and the many reasons social media can be a bad thing – so going to do it here: I commend you on being brave enough to have a blog and put yourself out there, I have considered doing the same many times – and this is the very reason I have yet to try it. The internet and social media are such amazing things – but like all things, have a dark side as well. Haters are rampant because it’s so easy to judge and say nasty things from afar. Like you mentioned, people who don’t like your site should just move on and find something else they can relate to, instead of having to feel more important by tearing you down. IMHO, I love your posts and recipes and completely respect that you bare your soul “in front of” thousands of strangers. Don’t let those few judge-y people with too much time on their hands make you doubt what you do. I’m sure the VAST majority enjoy your stories, your silliness (you make me L-O-L), and your recipes as much as I do! (sorry, didn’t mean to write a book about the subject, lol!)
As far as this post goes, love the stories. My summer has been full of getting ready to have a High School Senior who is about to dive into college applications, etc. Trying to mentally prepare for the rush and stress of it all. We did manage to combine a college tour with a vacation to San Francisco, so that was really fun. I, too, love Fall and the holidays – and live in SoCal, so definitely waiting for whatever “Fall” we manage to get- to finally get here! Thanks for sharing your passions, keep on doing what you do!
Rhonda, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. I hope that one day you start a blog—as I absolutely love reading your comments and would love reading anything else you wrote. 🙂 I finally, finally realized that I can’t hold myself back for what I feared might happen—but let myself be free and enjoy what *could* happen. Despite the negativity, it’s WORTH it. After all, how would I have the chance, the pleasure, to connect with readers like you?
No need to ever apologize for “writing me a book.” I think we both know I love to go on and on about things… hehe.
I’m gonna to take a screenshot of your comment and refer to it when things get a bit tough or negative on the blogosphere. <3
Meanwhile, how exciting & nerve-wracking and wonderful for you and your soon-to-be adult! 🙂 The college tour and visit sounds like so much fun. Erik and I used to live in SF—in fact, he went to SF State and had a blast (while also making *some* time for “studying.”) 😉 Wishing you some wonderful, truly-fall-esque weather! Big hugs. xo P.S. see, you inspired me to write a “book” back to you!! ..
Looks like such a good time! Glad you had so much fun!
Thanks Amanda!
Love these coffee talks! I have to agree that fall is such an amazing time of year, I love pumpkin so much!!
Woohoo!! We can both look forward to this fantastic season together! Get ready for all the pumpkin recipes I’ll be sharing. 😉
Hi Demeter!
Sorry I keep forgetting to leave a review but I made your pumpkin muffins and they were to die for! What I did this summer – I’m extra excited to make more of your recipes because I got a new kitchen.
My dream European vacay – touring (and sampling!) chocolate shops in Brussels, Paris, wherever there’s chocolate!
Hi Cindy! Oh no worries. 🙂 I’m SO pleased to hear that you enjoyed them! Omigosh, I have to hear more about this kitchen of yours!
WOW. That’s all I have to say about that. Also, I’m gonna need to tell Erik about your idea so he can immediately start drooling (and dreaming)!!
Enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look into your life! Wow, a party at Legoland sounds so fun! My girls would love that!
Omigosh, it’s incredible! Very cool and a huge hit with the kids. 🙂
When in Europe, Lisbon (Portugal) and Vienna (Austria) are both fab places to see!
Ohh!!! Thank you for your recommendations!! I always look forward to your comments. 🙂
I really enjoyed this post! Now I am off to check out the recipes you mentioned! I have a feeling I am going to be in the mood to bake!
Woohoo!!! Sounds great. Happy baking!
Jumping over to check out those Mini Vegan Brownie Bites right now! They look amazing!
Yay!!! Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy!
Sounds like you had a busy August! I bet a European vacation would be so fun! Hubby and I are looking at one ourselves 🙂
It totally was!! Oh yes, erik and I will be dreaming of that vacay for ages to come! Hehe. Hope you guys have a great trip!