July flowers

Here's a handful of flowers from my yard. I don't have much time for gardening these days, but thanks to my mom and mother-in-law - who have shared cuttings from their own gorgeous gardens and in most cases, even planted them for me - I have some really stunning plants that are bursting into bloom now. I really like my garden to be filled with plants in shades of pink, white and green and this bouquet showcases some favourites: hydrangea, hosta, ivy, lily, and some foliage from my bleeding heart bush that blooms in spring, and whose flowers have now faded. Beautiful!

Mom's birthday: White Chocolate Cloud Cake

Sometimes we want a classic chocolate cake for a birthday celebration, but sometimes it's nice to go with something a little lighter. Last week we celebrated my mom's birthday and she asked for something with strawberries. So of course I went on a hunt for the Perfect Cake.

This White Chocolate Cloud Cake turned out fabulous. It's from one of my favourite dessert cookbooks, Another Cup of Sugar by Anna Olsen. I swear I have never been disappointed by this book. Every recipe turns out great. The Lemon Ice Cream from that book is TO DIE FOR if you are a diehard lemon gelato lover, as I am. I made it to go with this fluffy cake and they were both delicious. The cake is flourless and is made of mostly egg whites and melted white chocolate, which causes it to rise dramatically(kind of like a souffle) and then fall down, leaving a nice hollow which is then filled with vanilla whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and white chocolate curls. It was light and sweet - just right for a hot summer day.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Let's definitely keep this recipe on hand with our other favourites.