Meet Me at The Lanai

💚From The Lanai kitchen To Their Celebrations: August’s Birthday Cakes🎂 🌟 August has been one of those months where my kitchen feels less like a kitchen and more like a nonstop celebration. It seems half the world has birthdays in August — and honestly, I couldn’t be happier, because nothing makes me feel more at home than baking cakes that will become part of someone’s special day.🌟 This month, peanut butter and chocolate were the stars of the show. The first was for Sarah Stouffer , a dear friend of St. Denis Medical’s  star Kayhun Kim . Sarah also happens to be someone I had the joy of working with on a Christmas movie years ago (A Cinderella Christmas — what a cozy little full-circle moment!). The cake was a deep, rich chocolate base, layered with silky chocolate ganache that melts in your mouth, and then covered with the dreamiest peanut butter buttercream you can imagine — light, creamy, and just the right amount of nutty. I decorated it with dainty gold sugar pearls an...

While the St. Denis Medical crew gets back into the swing of TV magic, I’ve been cooking up my own set of plot twists — all starring butter, sugar, and a dash of summer mischief.  Strawberry Pretzel Rice Crispy Treat, Star Crunch Rice Crispy Treat This week’s menu is equal parts summer sunshine and “let’s try something new just because we can.” 💚Here’s what’s coming fresh from the Lanai cottage kitchen: 🍥 Jumbo Cinny Rolls Our signature cinnamon rolls, big enough to share… but let’s be real, you won’t. 🍑 Peach & Jumbo Cobbler Cinny Rolls Like summer and comfort food fell in love and eloped in my oven. 🍫 Rice Crispy Treat Variety (most GF) Cookies are taking a break, so I’m serving up six crispy, chewy stars instead: 🌟Brown Butter – Classic, but with a grown-up twist (and a nutty, toasty flavor that says “I’m sophisticated” while sticking to your fingers). 🌟 Strawberry Pretzel – Sweet, salty, and a little retro. 🌟 S’more – Campfire nostalgia without the mosquito bites. ...

When Amy’s husband reached out and asked me to bake her birthday cake, it was what I call a “say less” moment. You know—the kind where you’re already preheating the oven before the conversation ends. Amy runs the crafty department for the hit TV series St. Denis Medical and has been one of my biggest supporters—bringing my custom baked goods to set, featuring them for cast birthdays, and basically ensuring my treats have had their own behind-the-scenes career. She’s like the fairy godmother of snacks… but with a clipboard and production schedule. The request? A double chocolate cake with chocolate ganache icing and filling. In other words, the chocolate lover’s dream—rich, indulgent, and perfect for someone as thoughtful and hardworking as Amy. But the décor? That’s where the story takes a funny turn. The inspiration came from  an unforgettable chapter of St. Denis Medical lore: the squirrel saga.  Last season, the squirrels on the lot decided crafty was their personal all-yo...

One of the coolest parts of baking for TV productions? Knowing your baked goods are making an appearance during the table read—the moment when cast, writers, producers, and the director all come together to bring the script to life out loud for the first time. It’s a creative huddle with a lot of laughs, a little pressure, and (lucky for me!) a sweet snack break halfway through. The production office puts in the request (I never know what they’ll choose—except the mini cinnys. Those are non-negotiable by now 😂). Every now and then, someone at work will mention that “the NBC execs always light up when your treats hit the table.” A quiet compliment that made a big impact. Knowing that something I baked is part of a moment they genuinely look forward to? That kind of feedback keeps me smiling (and baking) through the late-night kitchen marathons. This week’s menu was extra fun: 🍪 Cookies Galore: 4 dozen in total, featuring a rotating lineup: Triple Chocolate Chip (GF & regular) – a...

When it came time to plan a birthday cake for St. Denis Medical star and all-around gem Josh Lawson, the brainstorming sesh felt like a mini “Snatch Game” of dessert ideas. There were laughs, opinions, and a whole lot of sweet deliberation. What would the flavor fantasy be? What décor would serve the most birthday realness? The top three cake contenders were: 1. Chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream and chocolate ganache (classic, rich, a little sultry), 2. Hostess cupcake-inspired cake (nostalgia queen vibes), and 3. Almond Joy-inspired sheet cake (tropical, decadent, and, dare I say, a little unexpected). 👑 Enter: Laura, my coworker and reigning Idea Queen Extraordinaire, who had her heart set on the Almond Joy. Why? Not-so-secretly, she had dreams of that coconut buttercream filling dancing on her tastebuds. Now, Josh had initially leaned toward a Reese’s-inspired option (can’t blame a man for loving peanut butter), but with a little sweet talk and flair, Laura lip-synced f...