Hey, Reader!

Summer is rapidly coming to an end, which means fall baking is just around the corner... 👀

But until then, I'm enjoying spending a little less time in the kitchen than usual—after all, it is still a million degrees outside!

I've been making lower-effort meals and desserts the last few weeks, and I thought I'd share some of them with you. They're ideal for both holding onto the last bits of summer and getting back into the swing of school :)

My Favorite Low-Fuss Recipes

My newest recipe, this honey almond cake comes together with almost no hands-on time if you use a stand mixer! It's also sweetened entirely with honey

Probably the least fussy yeasted bread recipe you'll ever make, this small batch focaccia just went viral on Facebook! It makes just 2-4 servings

This Cajun spinach pasta is what I make for dinner when it's just about dinner time and I still don't know what I'm making 😅 It's only five ingredients!

One of the easiest recipes on my website, my Aunt Deb's Special K bars are simply pressed into a pan after melting some peanut butter and chocolate in the microwave. Make this weekend feel special

Behind the Scenes

• Last month while visiting family in Southern California, I went to a screening of The Odyssey at the historic Westwood theatre with friends. The theatre actually had some of the costumes worn by the actors on display!
• I picked up another 20-lb box of local peaches, bringing my total to 40 lbs of peaches this summer! We shared about half of them with friends and family, but Austin and I ate an entire box on our own. It was glorious 😂
• I decided it was time to start a new hobby and bought a sewing machine (...partially because it was on sale at Costco). I've already successfully altered a dress that didn't fit quite right and repaired failing blind hems on two pairs of Austin's pants! My next project is proving a lot more difficult, though 😅
• Eight attempts later... I don't normally bake with honey, so it took me twice as many test batches as usual to get my new honey almond cake just right 🙈 but the end result was very much worth it!

May all your dishes wash up easily this month 🫧

Happy baking!
Alyssa

P.S. If you make any of these recipes, it would mean the world if you leave a review of how the recipe turned out! It goes a long way to let others know it's a tried and trusted recipe 💛