In the Kitchen With...Erica Courtney, Designer by Day, Baker by Night

Aside from being a glitzy Hollywood jewelry designer and rubbing elbows with glamorous celebrities, Erica Courtney is also a regular mother and grandmother (she's still trying to get used to being called a granny!). Along with her love for jewelry designing, her other life passions include: her family, baking and, her newest obsession, babysitting her grandbaby Brooklyn. In her own words, Erica shares with us her love of baking:
 

I absolutely LOVE to bake---it’s so therapeutic. I decided that my next baking project was going to be a vanilla pound cake for my company staff. I wanted to steer clear of chocolate per the request of my assistant, Holly, who is allergic to all things chocolate. With my trusty hot pink KitchenAid mixer, I attempted to bake my first ever pound cake with REAL vanilla. How hard could it be, right? Surprisingly, there were some tricks to the trade but the end result, according to my staff, was deliciously successful!  And for the chocolate lovers in the office, I even made a special chocolate butter spread for that extra sweet touch.

(of course Erica Courtney has a Drop Dead Gorgeous KitchenAid!)

To top it all off, I used the empty vanilla bean in my morning tea that I make in a French press. It was sensational!!!