In the Kitchen: French Pound Cake

I first met Mardi Michels at a Food Bloggers of Canada conference back in 2013, and have had the pleasure of bumping into her at least once every year since then. Not only does she write her popular food blog Eat.Live.Travel.Write. she's also a full-time French elementary school teacher, and she runs cooking classes for boys aged 7-14. Fun Fact: Mardi never took any time off to write her gorgeous debut cookbook In the French Kitchen with Kids. What a woman. After days spent teaching the boys, she would go home and work on the cookbook. As someone who has written a cookbook, I pretty much locked myself in the house for five months, and the thought of working full time while doing so terrifies me. Mardi is a powerhouse of creative energy and culinary skill, and I'm so happy that she has birthed the most gorgeous book baby!

On the Cusp: Grapefruit & Olive Oil Pound Cake

"Just say yes and you'll figure it out afterwards."  ~ Tina Fey

Cusp.  I like that word.  It's defined as the point of a crescent, like the moon, and a point that marks the beginning of a change.  Like, Renée is on the cusp of a new era.  Holy shit.  The past couple of weeks, well, the past month really, have been really terrifying and exciting.  I did something either totally brave or bonkers, though I'm leaning towards the former:  I left my job without another full time job to replace it.  Bold, ballsy, bad ass.  I did it.  Not a decision that came easily or quickly - impulsiveness isn't quite my style - but one I brewed over the past few months especially.  I won't bemoan the reasons for leaving, though I know we've all been in situations that aren't working, be they professional or personal, and the time comes when a departure is required, if for nothing else than our happiness.