Quatre - quarts aux pommes - Apple pound cake

I LOVE pound cake, especially apple pound cake. While being pregnant it was all I wanted for breakfast. Not only is this recipe very easy to make, it is also delicious and has a great presentation.
My grand mother knows that I love this cake so she gave me her recipe before I moved to Boston. Sadly I never get to make it taste like hers but it is definitely close.
Enough with the talking and let's move on to the recipe.

Ingredients:
• 3 Apples
• The flour, butter and sugar should be the same weight as the eggs
• 1/2 of an orange peel finely grated
• 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder

For the Caramel
• 15 sugar cubes
• 3 table spoons of water
• 1 drop of lemon juice

Tips:
For this recipe pick some apples that are not going to break while baking, I like to use apple gala.
For a lighter cake, beat the egg whites until stiff and incorporate them delicately to the egg yolk, sugar and butter mix.

{The ingredients}

{The caramel at the bottom of the cake mold}

1 - Prepare the caramel in a little pot. When the caramel gets to a nice blonde colour, pour it into your cake mold.

{Place the apples nicely in the baking mold}

2 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel the apple, remove the seeds and cut the apples in thick slices. {I used a mandoline to get even slices}. Arrange the apple slices over the bottom of the pan that is already covered by the caramel.

{I was lazy I did not beat the egg whites separately...}

3 - Prepare the dough. In a large bowl, mix the soften butter with the sugar and add the orange zest. Break the eggs, incorporate them to the butter and sugar and finally add the flour and the baking powder.

{The batter over the apple slices}

4 - Pour the dough over the apple slices and put in the oven for 40 minutes. When done, turn off the oven, leave the oven door open and allow for the cake to cool down a little.

{This is what it looks like right out of the oven}

{Bottom side up}

5 - Last step, turn the apple pound cake on a large dish and enjoy!

{Et voila!}

{SOOOO good! you can eat it with vanilla ice cream, it is divine}

I want to cuddle with you

Last night I could not sleep and thought about a lot of things, but mostly I though about what life would be like if my dear fiance would not be lying down next to me, sleeping calmly, breathing so nicely and letting my cold feet cuddle with his.

He is such a good guy and such a good cuddle friend.

I love him so much and I am so happy to spend the rest of my life with him.

Note to Jeremy : "oh! and I have been wearing your deodorant lately... sorry but it smells so good and somehow it makes me feel safe. love you :-)"

Driving to North Carolina

{At the Westin Georgetown}

Last weekend was Jeremy's family reunion, we drove from Boston to North Carolina and it was absolutely exhausting {I came back sick...} but I would do it again tomorrow if we could.
The party was taking place at Jeremy's grand mother's house and I am telling you, it is hard to find a women with a heart this big. Nani and I had some amazing conversations about life, love and beauty, it was great to see her again, I love her so much.
Somehow getting to know Jeremy's side of the family a little more makes me love Jeremy more too {I did not know I could}, his family is so happy, fun, loving and caring. To top this perfectness the weather could not have been better either.
I love to make memories together as a family. Love Love Love!
Here are some photos to share with you.
XO

PS: We stayed at the Westin Alexandria and the Westin Georgetown {Soooo Nice! I love the heavenly beds}, also we booked our rooms through Hotwire and got really good deals!

{Ready for the trip}

{Rest area}

{Westin Alexandria}

{Cute!}

{In the Lobby}

{Ready to take the road again!}

{My brother doing his morning jog in NC}

{M. all happy in Nani's harms}

{Passion fruit flower from Nani's and Poppa's backyard}

{Tub at the Westin Georgetown }

{We need a king bed}

{What I ate that night - it was raining all day ... so room service!}

{eating - lol}

{M. drinking his first bottle of the day}

{silly pic}

{Georgetown}

{Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast}

{I want food! I want food! - lol}

{What we ate - I had the organic riz au lait made of brown rice pudding, soy milk and agave. I also had this Cannelé but I have to tell you this is not how it should look or taste like...}

{Being fancy, lol}

Tuna Niçoise Sandwich

{The ingredients}

It is Jeremy's family reunion this weekend and we are driving to NC to attend the party. I made this Tuna Niçoise Sandwich for the trip.

Salade Niçoise is a very nice summer dish, it has so many different textures and the savours marry so well together.
Jeremy does not like anchovies so I do not make it often but in this recipe they replaced the anchovies by the Tuna. I have to admit... I did not wait overnight to taste the sandwich {I am not patient for those kind of things}.
It is so good! Now I know that I like olive tapenade which opens so many doors for gastronomic experiments. I am excited!
I will make some updates during the trip to NC but let me know if you know any cool restaurants or city to visit between Boston, Ma and Raleigh, NC.

I hope you are doing well,
XO

{The olive tapenade on the bread}

{Then the fresh basil}

{and the hard bowled eggs sliced}

{The tuna in white wine vinaigrette}

{The cucumber and red onion thinly sliced and coated with white wine vinegrette}

{Tightly wrapped and pressed with a heavy dish - In the fridge it goes...}

{And the degustation begins!}

From my phone lately

{Co-worker homemade cookies}

{With Dad}

{M. being cool}

{Lunch at Met Bar & Grill}

{Arugala salad with toasted pistachio goat cheese}

{Recipe for {Peanut butter ice cream}

{Playing with the AC - it is turned off of course}

{New sheets}

{With my Brother}

{Mini Rose}