On Saturday morning, I’m going to wake up at the crack of dawn, pack a bag with a brunch-appropriate get-up, and jump on the 8:15 Acela train from Back Bay to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Then hitch a ride back to Boston Sunday night. All for—you guessed it—my mom.

Because, in case you’ve forgotten, Sunday is Mother’s Day. And even living 300 miles away doesn’t excuse you from the responsibilities that come with the ultimate of Gold Crown holidays.

But, if for some reason you can’t make it home, there is a more convenient alternative: sending sugary wishes via the Harvard Sweet Boutique. Created by Harvard resident Sue George, this e-bakery will craft mom the melt-in-your-mouth cookies, brownies, and toffee you wish you had time to make yourself—then wrap them in adorable packaging and ship them off in less time than it will take you to travel home and back. (more…)

I love bran muffins. I always have. But all bran muffins are not created equal. Many are too sugary, and most are too dense. So when I moved to the South End and adopted Flour Bakery as my cafeteria a year and a half ago, it was love at first bite between me and their seed-covered bran offerings. They were light but hearty, with raisins inside, and a mix of seeds on top, which lent additional earthiness to the recipe. Even when it was snowing, I woke up early and trekked the four blocks to Flour to get my hands on a lovely bran muffin before they sold out—yes, they were very hot items.

But one day, I arrived at the bakery before 9 a.m., and not a single muffin was in sight. The bran fell off the map, only to be replaced by a cheap, less healthy substitute that tasted more like carrot cake and was called the Morning Glory. For a full year, I asked, I begged, I pleaded to the staff to please bring back the bran.

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