New Years Eve: Loveday Kitchen+ Reads of 2021
Eating dessert for breakfast is probably my favorite part of the holiday season.
It seems just after Thanksgiving Day, when the refrigerator is packed with leftovers, including pumpkin pie, I give myself permission to eat dessert for breakfast. This tradition continues through December with frosted sugar cookies, slices of cake, peppermint bark, and the gobs of fudge given to us as gifts.
It’s gluttony, but with a cup of coffee and I’m here for it.
This New Year’s Eve I was lucky to have a bounty of sweets from local Los Angeles baker Courtney Ellis, aka, The Loveday Kitchen who created a sweet/tart menu of desserts made from Meyer and Eureka Lemons.
Lemon desserts are hands down my favorite type of dessert. I love the sweet and tartness of a great lemon pie with a complementary buttery crust or the simplicity of a lemon sugar cookie that can taste like lemonade with each bite.
There’s so much to love about lemons!
Which is why when I heard about Loveday Kitchen needing taste testers for her recipe development, I selflessly drove down to her house in the middle of a Los Angeles rainstorm to pick up a box of goodies. Thank goodness I did, because there was a three-hour power outage in my neighborhood, and the only thing I could eat for dinner, was lemon cake.
What else could I do?
Desserts from LoveDay Kitchen
I decided to pair my favorite desserts from the LoveDay Kitchen menu with some of my favorite reads from 2021, because reading and eating dessert is one of my favorite things to do. Right?
Happy New Year to everyone, let’s hope for continued kindness and dessert in the New Year!
Reads of 2021:
1. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I was unexpectedly smitten by the story of the Riva family. I loved the Malibu backdrop for this book, the seafood diner and how I could smell the salty air and hear the ocean waves. A familial legacy story full of secrets, drama and surprises. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Dessert Recommended: Hot Toddy Lemon Bar, a perfect blend of sweet, tart and a splash of bourbon you can taste in each bite. Impossible to stop eating!
2. A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss: This book was an unexpected gem I found in a Little Free Library. I didn’t know what to expect and I ended up completely enamored by the main character Annie who has to rebuild her life after the ending of a 20-year marriage. She finds herself spending the winter in a seaside town where the people become a part of her life. Such a gem of a book! Dessert recommended: Lemon Cake with Lemon Frosting, because cake is the perfect complement to a cup of tea, which everyone seems to love in this charming little town.
3. Beach Read by Emily Henry: One of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers, and while the two main characters didn’t technically HATE one another, they were opposing personalities who learned to well … love each other. I thought this was an amazing premise, the verbal jousting incredibly fun, and I adored how the two characters made each other grow. Dessert Recommended: Lemon Cookie, a sweet and chewy classic, that you can hold while you quickly flip through the pages of this read.
3. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave: Laura Dave’s latest suspense novel is smart, entertaining and keeps you on your toes. I had no idea how this book was going to end, and that’s half the fun, right? I’ve recommended this book to all of my friends who love a juicy crime podcasts. Dessert recommended: Lemon Buttermilk Pie, a curd like filling, but creamy texture makes this pie a perfect partner-in-crime for this novel.
5. Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush: Coffee and murder? Sign me up. This book introduces you to Lana Lewis, a barista, coffeeshop owner and former newspaper reporter from Devil’s Beach Florida. She lands in the middle of a murder mystery and her years of the newspaper biz means she can’t stop asking questions and getting herself in trouble. Dessert recommended: Lemon Loaf, because what goes better with a cafe latte than a simple slice of lemon loaf.