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...

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...