a busy week of baking!

i am so behind on everything (as usual, again).

last week was crazy busy with out of town visitors and multiple appointments with the kid's docs. all on the same day. so it was basically take kid to doc (in distant corner of city), drop him off at school after, pick up a few things, go home, prepare buffet dinner for seven (poached trout with mayonnaise verte, green salad, potato salad, roasted asparagus, rolls, cake), pick up kid again, drive to other doc (in same distant corner of city as before, except farther, and at rush hour), come home to house full of dinner guests.

and it worked!

key was planning a menu of cold/room temperature items, and getting things done ahead of time where possible. the rolls were made the night before, using a recipe from the amazing amazing woks of life:

i made a loaf of bread, too!

also made ahead, was the clemetine cake from smitten kitchen. tastes better on the second day indeed!

note: the pattern on top was done by sifting icing sugar over a paper snowflake. if you are doing this, do it moments before serving - or the sugar will completely dissolve!