Pinups For Pink!

Hello friends!

Did you have a fabulous weekend? I certainly hope so! I did! I had the pleasure of participating in a silent charity auction with the ladies at Pinups For Pink last Saturday at Ginger 62 here in Vancouver. It was such a great experience!

Pinups For Pink is a charity initiative led by 3 women whose goal was to add footprints on the road to finding a cure for breast cancer. They decided to create a calendar showcasing some of the rising stars in the community - women who are innovators and leaders when it comes to making change - women who I aspire to be like with every smile, every hug, and every move I make to better the lives of those around me.

I baked one of my famous cakes and 2 banana breads for the event, and passed out samples all night. I'm happy to report that they went over very well! I also auctioned off my very first private cooking class for 4 people. This marks my first business venture under Delectable You - a momentous occasion for me, to say the least!

Check out some video and pictures below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shoYbMHtDAM check out this link to another video from the end of the night!

Thank you to the ladies at Pinups For Pink for being amazing and inspiring those around you to stay positive, strive for excellence, and never give up.

And thank you, friends, for supporting me in my recent ventures! I couldn't do any of this without your well wishes. Even though most of you are far away, knowing you are in my life, rooting for me, keeps me motivated to keep on keeping on, and to be the change I want to see in the world. And on the days where I would rather not, you give me the strength to find a new set of eyes. So thanks :)

Have a lovely evening, and may you dream the sweetest dreams tonight!

Love always,
Lauren
xxx

Pastry School - Week 3!

Hello, friends!

This marks week 3 of pastry school – yahoo! I learned all about stocks and sauces (want a killer Hollandaise sauce? See me in my kitchen!), vegetables (I’m gonna make you LOVE spinach!), foodborne illnesses (and how NOT to give them to you), and employability skills in the industry. 

In addition to school, I have been focused on job hunting, starting Delectable You – the business (I am a portable bakery and private chef), building a website, creating a generic business card (yes, ladies and gents – I now have my very first business card….EVER! This is a momentous occasion! Check it out below!) and baking for a charity event I am participating in tomorrow called Pinups for Pink where I will be auctioning off a private cooking class for 4 people with yours truly! 

I learned a lot about balance this week. I just barely managed to fit my work outs and sleep time in. Hm…

This week, I needed to be reminded to slow down, to take time to stop, breathe, look around, and enjoy this wonderful life I have. Greenday was right: time grabs you by the wrists, and directs you where to go. If you let it, life will move at lighting speed. You risk missing out on the magical little things that make the big things worth it if you don’t take time to just stop and be. Feel the wind in your hair, experience the sensation of the blood rushing through your veins - so lucky to be alive!

Someone I love recently told me that the grass in greener where it’s watered. I’m going to take his advice, and do just that – I’m going to give my body some much needed sleep! Sweet dreams, friends. May your dreams and lives be filled with love, happiness and laughing until you pee!

Lauren

xoxo…

Pastry School - Week 2 - Salamander: 1, Lauren: 0

Hello friends!

I'm into my second week of pastry school, and I got my first war wound, baby! As I was taking out my french onion soup from the salamander, I burned my wrist. Note to self - the oven in HOT! That's why it COOKS things, Lauren! (I'm shaking my head at myself right now). Did I mention I'm klutzy? The good news? Chef George's critique was positive: he said overall, it was "quite good" - Yeah baby, YEAH! (by the way - I'm making french onion soup because one of my classes is about the fundamentals of cooking. So I get to nurture my cooking skills before I dive into all pastry - so great!)

Tomorrow is all lecture classes, so there will be no opportunity to burn myself, although I cannot promise I won't trip over something - perhaps it will be my shoe? I wouldn't put it past me :)

Well - I'm off to bed! I leave you with some photos of two masterpieces I created for dinner tonight: mango salsa and watermelon salad. Let me know if you want the recipes!

Goodnight, world :) Sweet dreams! xoxo

Lauren
xxx

My first day of Pastry School!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2gkJqGSphY

Hello loves!

Ever the nerd (I'll never change :) ), I put together some videos of me on my first day at pastry school (check out the youtube link for a video from my first day actually at school in the kitchen!!). I do hope you enjoy them, and I hope you remember this sentiment as you watch:

I was listening to a great song a while ago (the name escapes me), and one of the lines stuck with me:

She turned her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans.

I'd like to think that is how I live my life. I encourage you to do the same. Pastry school was a dream that I turned into a plan, and today, a reality. Pastry school was an I can't because I didn't have the money to do it, because how was I going to go to school and afford to live?, because how could I give up such a great career?, because it wasn't the kind of career I ever envisioned myself making a living in, because, because, because, bla, bla, bla...until finally I said, "Wait a minute: I can," and then I did. And now here I am - smiling in the light of I can :)

All we have is now, and if Buddha is right (which I believe he is) about all human suffering being rooted in desire, stop desiring. Find the peace and strength to see how amazing, wonderful and powerful you are, and go make that dream a reality before you even have a chance to desire it. As the legendary basketball mentor and coach, John Wooden would say, each day matters, so make each day your Masterpiece. I say you start with today :)

Love always,
Lauren
xxx

Lauren Lobley - eating dessert FIRST since 1983!

The day has finally come, friends! In T minus 15 hours, I will be taking my first steps into my very first class at Pastry School! I could not have done this without the love and support of you, friends and family, cheering me on with your, "mmm's" and "ah's" at my cake creations, banana bread, and hot meals shared over the buzz of excited conversation and laughter around my dinner tables in both Montreal and L.A. Your loving presence at those countless dinner parties warmed my heart, fed my soul, and gave me the strength and confidence I needed to close my eyes, trust, and take this leap into the next chapter of my life. I invited you into my living room, and you nestled your way into my heart, and I will be forever grateful to each and every one of you.

For those of you who don't know me, welcome! You are in for a treat - or rather - many treats (especially if you are close to me in proximity - seriously - I need taste testers!)!

I started my life as Lauren Ashley Lobley, the name my wonderful parents gave me at birth. Since then, I have become known as and respond to Lo, Lolo, L squared, LL, LAL, Lobster, Lobley, Laundry, Larry, Lobs, Lob and one other name that shall remain secret to all but for the small group of 5 people who know it (people who will vow to keep it to themselves forever and ever... right?). Anyhow, I’m open to new names (clearly), so if you have something you prefer to call me instead of Lauren or my other alias’, do let me know!

If I could sum me up in a sentence, well, I couldn’t! But I would say this: I am to Williams Sonoma (or any cooking/kitchen store) what a sugar addicted child is to a candy store. I have had a sweet tooth since my mother forced me to try chocolate (thanks, mama), and am now attempting to profit off this habit by becoming a pastry chef! I have lived in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Australia, Los Angeles, and now Vancouver. I have been to 4 universities, mulled over multiple career choices, followed some, and noticed something in the process: I love getting people together over food. 

It's hard to explain, but one of my favorite moments is when I'm standing in my kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner or dessert (or both). I can hear the conversation and laughter drifting from the living and dining room. I look out to see my friends' faces engaged in what someone is saying, or laughing so hard they are crying, all the while sitting around my dinner table (or coffee table if there isn't enough room around the dinner table, which in my small apartment, was often the case). Life is not about the amount of breaths we take. It's about the moments that take our breath away. This moment - this gathering of friends over food to celebrate each other - this is one of those moments that always takes my breath away. I know it's cheesy. But I'm cheesy. Take me or leave me (but I suggest you take me, because I'm kind of a big deal. Seriously. ... :) ).

So with that thought, I'm off to iron my pastry coat, get my pastry tools together, and pack my bag for my first day back at school in years. Thank you for believing in me - I couldn't have done this without you!

Don't be scared of what you cannot see. You're only fear is possibility. - Pete Murray

Love always,

Lauren

xxx