Sunday Favorites

Wow! Did you guys SEE that storm? What a crazy weekend, eh? For those of you lucky enough to be outside of the affected region, this article and this slideshow from Washington Post provide both visual and written documentation of recent events. According to the former, "The storm . . . took at least 13 lives across the eastern United States, caused widespread damage, and [left] more than 3 million people without power." We were out of power for about 24 hours (made especially miserable by the record-setting high temperatures) and even lost cell reception for several hours.

After 2010's "Snowpocalypse" and the microbursts of recent summers, we're not unused to our utilities going bust, but we could usually escape the effects previously by driving 5 or 10 miles away. But on Saturday morning we drove over 20 miles away on a major road and still failed to find a single building with power. Even worse, even the busiest intersections had neither working traffic lights nor authorized personnel guiding traffic. We quickly realized that venturing out was a bad idea and were grateful to see power come back that evening.

I know that many hit by the storm are still without power, struggling with fallen debris, or mourning loved ones. My thoughts remain with them, and if you have friends or acquaintances hit hard by the storm, I encourage you to offer your support until they can get everything up and running again.

Stunning Piano Wedding Cake by Legacy Cakes Bakery

High Tea Mini Cakes by Three Little Blackbirds

Summer Squash Tacos with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce from Cookie and Kate

Pinwheel Wedding Cake by Couture Cakery

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting from Hungry Girl Por Vida

Cherries for Cherry Tart from La Tartine Gourmande

Strawberry Muffins with Almond Streusel from Paulina Kolondra

Kouglof Cake from Manger

Cherries for Pie from Not Without Salt

Dark Chocolate Photograph from Sated Magazine

Chinese Tea Eggs from Hungry Ghost

Japanese Koi Fish Wedding Cake by Elizabeth Hodes