One of the best ways to figure out the season in East Point is by the special flavors Kupcakerie has to offer.
Outside of their core cupcakes, Kascha and Henry Adeleye’s Main Street bakery has an endless list of fun holiday and seasonal flavor combinations (with great names to match), from Cupid Truffle in February to Winter Wonderland to October’s Into the Woods.
The Kupcakerie team has a system down for baking up something fresh every season after nearly seven years in business. It starts with brainstorming in December, where the team develops monthly flavor ideas. A few friends help taste test new flavors before they hit the market and even help come up with new ideas.
“We try to keep it seasonal and really take inspiration from our favorite desserts, themes, songs or pop culture references,” said Kascha Adeleye. “We're always worried that something may not be a new favorite for our customers, but we haven't failed yet.”
The Adeleyes have dozens of flavors on their resume now, and their favorites showcase that versatility. Kascha leans toward Jazzy Jane, a classic vanilla bean cupcake topped with vanilla bean buttercream and sprinkles that reminds her of birthdays past.
Henry’s favorite is tied to his favorite cookie: Oreos. The Cookies and Dreams cupcake has those Oreos baked right inside rich chocolate cake with with dreamy cream cheese frosting and even more Oreos on top.
One big fan favorite arrives every spring: Living Lavish. The lemon cupcake with lavender cream cheese frosting is a risk, because floral flavors can impart a bathwater taste.
But, no complaints so far.
“Surprisingly enough, people are angry when the month of May ends and it falls off the menu,” Kascha said. “It often sneaks up on special orders throughout the year.”
Staying Centered in the Morning
Mornings look radically different in my house from a year ago before the pandemic began.
It’s easy now to jump from bed straight into work every day, which is why I wanted to hear what tips Chandra Fowler, owner of Hapeville’s Sanskrit Moon Yoga Studio, has for a more healthy and balanced start to the day.
“First tip is not to make it so overwhelming for yourself,” Fowler told me this week. “Give yourself grace. There’s a list of things I do but I kind of built up to that. If you do something, just stretching for five minutes, that’s good! You’re doing something great for yourself.”
Fowler starts her days with a cup of tea after waking up a little before 6 a.m. She does a little bit of yoga - about 15 minutes - and scrapes her tongue, a traditional element of Ayurvedic self-care. Next is a 15-minute meditation while her household is still asleep.
She joins her family for breakfast before beginning another Ayurvedic practice, self-massage, to help get her body moving.
“It would be wonderful to have unlimited time in the morning but it’s not the case for most of us,” she said. “You need to try to find little things to make your body feel better or center your mind, little tiny rituals to get you right for the day.”
Friday To-Do List
If you’re a plane nerd like me, you’re pumped that the Delta Flight Museum Surplus Sale is back! This is a can’t-miss each month for everything from in-flight blankets to full-size airplane seats. Friday’s event is the first such sale in a year.
Get fueled up for your shopping binge at Drip Coffee Shop, open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. just a few blocks from Delta’s campus on Central Avenue.
You can wrap up your day on Central Avenue, too, where Beer Girl Growlers and Bottleshop debuts its first new slushy flavor of the year - pineapple! Grab your favorites on tap in the Arts Alley while munching on Good Azz Food’s special oxtail nachos. Both are open from 3 to 7 p.m.
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