Hiyas!

So... I've been pretty quiet lately, and thought I'd post a couple of pictures! My brother just celebrated his 27th birthday and in his honour, I baked cupcakes and invited him and his gf and her adorable daughter over.

These were delicious! I baked frozen mini Reese peanut butter cups in the center of chocolate cupcakes. I iced them with peanut butter icing and topped them with either mini Reese peanut butter cups or a combo of Reese's Pieces ( I had to hide them or hubby would have eaten them before I had a chance to use them!)


Three days later, it was my son's 12th birthday. I had been looking for ideas online for a couple of weeks and thought I had settled on a Scout's cake for him, but they looked pretty boring, so I checked out some ideas for camping and blew his mind!

I saw an idea online that involved a candle as a campfire.. and I thought it was ingenious! That was the cake for Tyler, for sure!

I baked a white cake the night before. I really should have done more the first night because the night of was busy, with us getting our taxes filed and ordering out for dinner (something we rarely do but I was starving and it was getting late, plus it would be a nice treat for his birthday!). At any rate... I set my husband on mixing and forming rocks out of dark gray fondant, while I took care of filling, canvassing, trimming and decorating the cake.

I took a sugar cone and did green drop flowers all over it, and placed it as a pine tree. I mixed piping gel with blue colourant to create a river and had my husband line it with fondant rocks. I coated two graham crackers with yellow icing and placed them like a tent in the background. My husband made a log out of brown and white fondant, and I put two mini marshmallows on pretzel sticks. He placed the fondant rocks around the tea light and we finished it with writing and rocks on the front.

Once the cake was baked, it took about an hour to finish it, between the two of us, and although it was a little late in the evening by the time we got to present it to him, the reaction was well worth it!

The birthday boy was delighted, the cake was delicious and I am still getting the "Wow!"s from people I show the picture to. I was so happy that we made his day that special, and once again, thankful that I took the courses necessary to learn to do this! (And for the record, his actual gift was a bow and arrow set that he will be learning to use at Scouts!)

So, for anyone who thinks they might be interested in taking cake decorating classes.. it is worth it. Every birthday and special event just brings so much more joy to your heart, because you have helped to make someone happy!!! :)

I have a busy time coming up... a cake on May 24 weekend... and two cakes in June... one I am especially nervous about, because it involves cake flavours I have never done before and the pressure is on because it's for an actual venue. If there is anything to ever make you doubt your skills, it's something like that! However.. this is a repeat customer, and we're doing a cake tasting evening, and I know she trusts me... otherwise I'd be a lot more nervous! The other order is a Mermaid Barbie cake I've been wanting to do for over a year... and I am SO excited to do both of these cakes! Thankfully it's before the summer heat sets in, so that's even better! :)

That's it for me for now!
Stay sweet!
Denise

Slaaaaaacking!

So... I haven't baked nearly as much as I have wanted to! It's been all about the kids this week, hanging out with them, cooking for them, making sure they are entertained, and have a decent amount of quiet time. They are loving movie nights and camping out in the basement on the pull-out!

On the weekend, my husband and I went through our little guy's room, Caleb, and cleaned out all of his small clothes and junk toys that he never plays with. We cleaned out ALOT! Over a tote of clothes and a whole tote of toys.. mostly toy cars. He's never been into Hot Wheels cars, and we had this big collection... it was so nice to unload the clothes to my sister-in-law, who's little guy, Thomas, will be 1 on June 30th.

You really never can plan too far ahead... and both my sisters-in-law had pitched in and got us a ton of boys' clothes for Caleb when he was a baby, from eBay, which was awesome! So it's nice to return the favour.

I did bake chocolate chip cookies from a cake mix... it's so simple and they are so soft and delicious! I take a box of yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of oil and half a package of milk chocolate chips, and I mix it all up thoroughly. I have this awesome Pampered Chef scooper that is perfect for scooping dough so that the sizes of the cookies are pretty much the same.. so I use that, and pop 'em into the oven for 10-12 minutes at 350*C, and YUM! These cookies never last long in my house! I have also tried the same trick with chocolate cake mix and white chocolate chips! I was kind of in a rush that night so I didn't want to stand around and bake for the whole night... I scooped the dough into an ice cube tray, and froze it overnight... and the next day, I popped the frozen dough into a container and stored it back in the freezer. Perfect for the next time I want to bake some cookies in a flash! That ice cube tray idea was from Pinterest... my newest addiction! LOL We also had ham n cheese crescent rolls today... my husband's reaction to that was that I was clearly putting him to shame because he never is awake enough to make a lunch like that for them lol...


Today, I was working with my son Caleb in teaching him to ride his bike. He is hellbent on his tricycle and doesn't comprehend that he is too big for that thing. We bought a bike trailer a couple of years ago.. and even as amazing as that thing was, it's now too small. Last year, we had to leave it unzipped, because he is too tall for it... lol! Soooo, we had a chat today and I explained to him that he needed to be a big boy and ride a big boy bike like his older brother, Tyler. Our kids measure everything by when we go camping in August, so I also added that into the equation. I said, if he wanted to go for a bike ride when we go camping, we aren't bringing the trailer, so he either sits at the site by himself, or he learns to ride a bike! He is so stubborn, I really have NO idea where he gets it from (smirk)... So he whined and complained about his bum hurting and how much he hated his bike, and asked me if I had ever fallen off a bike.. My answer was MANY times.. we didn't do training wheels in my day... so scraped legs and bleeding ankles was the story of my life when I was bound and determined to learn to ride a bike! That seemed to give me a bit of status in his eyes, so he stuck it out and kept on...

He is not looking terribly thrilled here, but it's nearly the end of the ride home, so he was happy about THAT.

I am really loving my time off from work this week. We actually had a destination today, and it was... work. Ugh! I wanted to replenish some of the clothes we had upcycled (which reminds me, the reason Caleb's pants were so big when we were at that indoor playground yesterday is because they were a size 8, and he is a size 5-6!!! LMAO... I didn't want him to wear his brand new jeans and I knew these particular ones were bigger but I didn't check to see how MUCH bigger they were... LOL.). We did good... and the kids don't look like they are wearing floods anymore... instead, they look like they are about to drown in their new clothes :D Mom's work is done here!

Hope everyone else is enjoying our gorgeous weather/temperatures... savour it... never know how long it will last :)

Stay sweet,

Denise

What a fun weekend...

I am so thankful to my clients! Without them I'd be baking for myself and my family and I'd have a butt the size of Texas! :)

I had a request last weekend to do a cake for this weekend for my second cousin's birthday.. no problem! I could handle it! Then I checked on the deadline for another request I had already accepted, for a baby shower cake. They were for the same weekend, lol! No worries... when I was in the bakery, it wasn't unheard of to have 10-15 orders for one day, especially on holiday weekends... but it's different when you are making stuff from scratch, and working with fondant.

So I got to work baking and freezing and filling the cakes... and everything turned out beautifully. Both were picked up yesterday by some very happy clients.

Here is what I made for my second cousin, Jackson:

And this is the baby shower cake:

I was more worried about how I was going to do the Toy Story cake... I had no plan, really, except that it was a road scene with Woody and RC... but as soon as I had all my colours mixed, it was easy to whip together. I was surprised when I was done because it didn't take as long as I had thought it would!

The baby shower cake was time-consuming, only because of the fondant pieces. I was up late the night before working on them because the pieces for the bow had to dry. I hadn't done a bow since my cake classes, and I needed to pull out my books and make sure I was doing it right... but it all came back to me and turned out awesome :)

The cake was HEAVY too! Four layers of cake, with filling and icing and fondant... I am always surprised on cake shows when they say how much the cake weighs. Really? It's JUST a cake! I mean, okay, so it's the size of a body- building bouncer, but really... how can it be that heavy? But cakes can really weigh alot if they have multiple tiers.

So yes, it was a successful weekend, and even though I am still worried about the baby shower cake sinking (I need to rely more on dowels!!!), I am very proud of what I've done, and thankful to my clients for choosing me to make their special cake instead of going somewhere else. :)

Stay Sweet!

D

I'm lovin' it!

No... not McDonalds! I love that business is picking up again... and I knew it would happen. Check out my latest creation:

This is a chocolate 1/4 slab with whipped cream and strawberry jam mousse filling. I used chocolate buttercream and lightened it up with whipped cream. Trimmed and decorated with buttercream flowers, butterflies and hearts, not to mention silver dragees to make it extra fancy.

What isn't pictured on the cake is:

Yup! Cake pops! Chocolate cake mixed with buttercream, rolled into balls and a lollipop stick inserted. Dipped in chocolate candy melts, cooled, then decorated with more candy melts. Unfortunately, I couldn't put them altogether because it still needed to fit into the box... so they were delivered separately.

I figured it was time to delve into the world of cake pops because I've been seeing them everywhere, and knew that sooner or later, people would be asking me to make them :) Gotta keep up, right?

Some of you may know that I used to work in a bakery department, and I was recently asked if I missed it. Truth be told, not at all. I had little desire to spend quality time on a personal cake order when I got home from decorating cakes all day. Now when I am asked to make a cake at home, I look forward to spending time on it. Definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made, to step out of that department.

Anyway, things to do, so I must go. Until next time, stay sweet!

Denise



Happy Valentines Day!

I know it's a bit early, but I'm planning ahead :D

How's it going with you? Life is quiet for me and the fam right now... The only baking I've been doing lately is cookies and such for my kids so there haven't been any updates on the Facebook page, but it's coming! I have some cupcakes to do for Cubs this week, and a special surprise cake for a family member who is a chocoholic like me! :) It's going to be so yummy! I'm also going to do strawberry shortcake for my sweetheart, since he's not as much into the whole chocolate aspect as I am :( Talk about depriving a girl!

I talked in my last post about the break I've had after Christmas and looks like it's continued. I'm sure it's mostly because of New Year's resolutions... but it's a good thing! :) I want to lose a few pounds myself and have been watching what I eat lately. It gives me a great opportunity to scope out new ideas!

The break is short-lived though, I think. I've had a lot of orders for the next few months coming my way. Two in March so far, one for June and one for July... I like people who plan ahead! I have a gender cake to do, a baby shower cake to do... one is a 40th birthday and another birthday cake.. and that's not including my own kids!

One thing I've been doing in my spare time is checking out Pinterest! Have you checked it out? It's by invitation only (I can invite you if you are interested) and there are sooo many amazing ideas out there! One really cool idea that I can't wait to try is making a garden out of a skid! I know it's sounds bizarre but since I live in a townhouse, and we want to eventually build a deck, this space-saving idea is right up my alley! You really DO have to see it to understand how cool it is lol!!! Great ideas for hair, gardening, home, cooking and baking.. totally amazing! It's a site that 'pins' great ideas up from it's members, people who have scoured the internet for great ideas, and it's all in one place! Definitely worth a gander!

Well, that's it for me for now... take care and stay sweet!

Happy New Year! Better Late Than Never!

How was your New Year? It was good here... but I have to admit, I am so glad the holidays are over and my house is back to normal, with normal routines! The chaos of the season is incredible and I am thankful for time with family, but it's just SO much!

I realized I didn't post a picture here of the cake I talked about in my previous post... so here it is!

Looking back on the entire disastrous evening... I am darn proud of this cake and think that even though it sucked going through all that, it was worth it :D


So things have settled down all around... including the cake-making. It's been a nice break, I have to admit... but I think I am ready to get back into it again. A few birthdays are coming up, and of course Valentine's Day! I am planning a special cake for my valentine! I am pretty excited about it! And a baby shower cake in March (yes, people are planning that far in advance and I LOVE it!)

So, if you have a special day coming up, let's talk! I can help you plan the cake that will keep your guests talking for months!

Stay sweet!
D

I. AM. EXHAUSTED.

I have no idea if it is the season, the weather, or what, but I am tired. All of the time. I could sleep at the drop of a hat and have to make an effort to stay awake at work. I take vitamins and supplements. I eat healthy. I could probably use more sleep but I do get 6-7 hours a night. On weekends, I can't seem to sleep past 8. I don't think I am depressed, but wow... something is definitely up!

Busy, busy week. Let me tell you about it. So, I was figuring on 3 orders for this weekend. One for a co-worker's family Christmas party. Another for a family birthday party. And another 'cold call'... someone who liked my page and was planning to order a cake for her birthday.

I started the co-worker's cake Wednesday. Baked the cake, and while it was in the oven, I did all the fondant decorations for it. I was giddy about being so on top of this order. Froze the cake, stored the fondant pieces in the oven, at my husband's suggestion, to keep the cat away from it. Thursday, I found out my co-worker didn't want it for Saturday, she wanted it for Friday. Ha! No problem! I am SET! The gingerbread man cookies had been baked, it was just a matter of decorating them with icing. I did that, let the icing harden, boxed them, stored them in the fridge. Half the order done! I start to fill and ice the cake... as I am efficiently starting dinner for myself and the kids. We are having meatball subs.

So I'm working away.. preheating the oven for the meatballs to cook, while getting the sauce ready and adding spices. I smell something sweet, but I don't give it a second thought... I'm working on a cake after all.

5 minutes later, it's smelling very strong, like burning sugar.

Light bulb goes on. OMG!

In a complete panic, I whip the oven open, to find that it's too late. My fondant pieces for my coworker's cake are melted, resembling burnt sugar and smoking. What do I do?

Cry.

And I continued crying. For at least 20 minutes.

So much for being ahead of the game. This is what I get for getting cocky about this side-business.

I sat in the living room, across from my 5 year old, Caleb. He's playing on his DS, and he knows I'm upset, but he is really, really not sure what to do. Mommy is crying, and I am SOOOO not used to this... he keeps looking over at me, until I ask him for a hug. When he does, I'm sobbing. Whole chest-heaving sobbing. Somehow, he makes me feel better.

I pull myself together. Focus on dinner again. I call my 11 year old Tyler downstairs. He comes down, asks me, "Yeah???" in that 11-year-old way. He stops. Says, "Oh noooooo!". He's spotted my idiocy. I start sobbing again, and he hugs me. I feel better... but dinner is bubbling and I have things to do. I get dinner on the table, with Tyler's help. I asked him if he could help me.. he wholeheartedly said he would help me in any way he could. Bless his heart.

I post a status update... although I am embarrassed to admit how BAD I screwed this up... hey, I'm human, it's gonna happen.

My husband gets up from his sleep in preparation for working his overnight shift.. I ask if he's seen my status. He says yes.. and there go the waterworks again. I just can't fathom how retarded I was! He comes over and hugs me. I feel better. Again.

Tyler worked tirelessly with me, helping me cut out shapes, set pieces aside on trays, washing dishes and helping me clean as we went along... and within an hour, we had all the decorations redone. Problem was, they weren't hardened like the first batch, which was how they were supposed to be, for stacking the star-shaped fondant into a tree-shape. I went ahead and put it all together anyway... I was too drained and emotionally charged to spend any more time on it... and there is no way I could get up an hour earlier to put it all together. It was finally complete.

So there went the personal family baking I was planning on doing. There goes the second cake I was going to start. There goes the rest and relaxation I so desperately needed. And I totally, completely slept like the dead, only to get up... on time, instead of hitting snooze 3 times... to have the order picked up, well before I was usually ready for work.

But this is where the story changes, friends.

When the clients showed up to pick up her order at that ungodly hour, the reaction from her and her husband was, "Holy CRAP!"

Being professional, I kept my mouth shut except to say "Thank you!".

Those words, that reaction was worth every tear I shed over this cake.

Too dramatic? Maybe. But I put my heart into every cake, every order, every time. Being a perfectionist is difficult, but if I think it looks okay, everyone else seems to be wowed by it... and THAT makes me appreciate ever single second I put into it. I made someone's day! Go ME! Go family.. I could NOT have done it without Tyler... omg... he was a total lifesaver. <3

The second cake, for family, turned out amazing, with no mishaps. It's presently boxed in the spare fridge we bought just for this reason.

The third order fell through. I never received a confirmation from her and I was already crunched for time, not to mention EXHAUSTED! I couldn't do another cake this weekend if I wanted to. It might be different if I had tubs of icing sitting around, waiting to be used... or an abundance of fondant waiting for me... but that's not the case... but DAMN, how it could make things easier lol!

Anyway, this is turning into one of my novels... Two glasses of sauv-blanc and a shower, I'm going to pass out into a coma.

Goodnight friends... Hope you all have a great weekend!

Stay sweet!

D