'Tis the Season...

BA  BANA  BA  BAA-BAAAA ::inhale:: BA  BANA  BA  BAAAAA  ::inhale::

Okay, I'll spare you the rest.  That was, obviously, not a crazed sheep, but rather my beautiful version of "Pomp and Circumstance" - better known as the seemingly never ending graduation tune.

Ahh, graduation time.  The season for yahoos, whipper snappers and porch monkeys to be out roaming the streets at all hours of the day and night.  At least for the next two-ish months or so...  

Cherish it kids, cuz it ain't gonna last forever.  Eventually you'll have to get a job and... work.  

Yuck.

Anywho, my post today focuses on one of our future leaders, a bright and talented young person who is one step closer to starting her very own "daily grind".  

I was asked to make her graduation cake for this evening and given this plate for inspiration:

 

The order was for a white 12"x18" sheet cake with white buttercream icing and colorful flowers.  It needed to say "Congratulations Erin" and "Class of 2011".  

The rest was up to me.

Now, some graduation cakes, especially sheet cakes, tend to fall into your typical "Walmart style" cake trap with the roses and flowers in the corner (no offense to Walmart, I'm just not a huge fan of that look)...

So, I decided to make this...

I kept it shabby-chic simple (try saying that 3 times fast) and just used candy clay and buttercream.  As always, everything was made by hand - no flower cutters, no fancy templates, nothing.  Just my hands, corn starch, a rolling pin, some piping tips and a knife.  

After making 101 flowers, I'm kinda rethinking my everything by hand business concept. :)

And in case you're wondering, I didn't freak out at any time with this cake either.  Woot Woot!!!  2 in a row!!!

 Happy Graduation and Friday Everyone!

Have a Wonderful and Safe Holiday Weekend!

It's ALIVE!!!

Just call me Dr. Frankenstein cuz I have harnessed the power of...

YEAST!!!

This may not seem like such a big deal to some of you, BUT, when your house is the same temperature as an iceberg, working with yeast is, well, put it this way, if you could get it to do anything it'd be a miracle.

Honestly, with a chilly temperature house it won't dissolve in warm water like it's supposed to, it won't rise like it's supposed to, and surprise, it won't bake like it's supposed to.  Not that I've ever had any of those issues before...  My kitchen experiences are all like Disney films: singing animals, dancing appliances, happily ever afters, you know, the normal stuff.

Anywho, back to task at hand.  I harnessed the power of yeast to make outrageously yummy Cinnamon-Raisin Soft Pretzels.  

 Oh my gosh, I know right. :)

Unfortunately, I can't take credit for this scrumptious concoction, I just happened upon it in my "Winning Recipes from Taste of Home" cookbook.

Here's the amazing recipe of Ms. Susie King in case your interested:

1 pkg active dry yeast

1-1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cake flour

2 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons baking soda

2 cups hot water (120-130 degrees)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in brown sugar and salt.  Add cake flour; stir well.  Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.  Stir in raisins.

Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough has risen slightly, about 30 minutes.

Punch dough down; divide into 14 balls.  Roll each ball into a 15-in. rope.

In a bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.  Dip each rope into baking soda mixture; drain on paper towels.  Form into pretzel shapes and place on grease baking sheets.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.  Brush pretzels with butter, then dip in cinnamon-sugar.  Serve warm.  Yield: 14 pretzels.

Have a G-Golly Wonderful Day Everyone!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I apologize for my absence lately.

And just so you know, it was not because I decided to wage an epic war against the sock monster who lives in my dryer.

No, my computer just was broken and I was boringly (is that a word?... hmm, I don't feel like looking another one up, so it's gonna be today) waiting for the new part to arrive.

I know right?  I should have stuck with the sock monster war - would have been soo much cooler.

Anyways, I have a cake!

Well not really here in my possession because it was an order and it's usually frowned upon if you don't give the customer their cake,...

but I do have memories... ahh, sweet memories... Memories and PICTURES!!!  

Sorry, I'm under the weather today and my or may not be highly medicated at the moment.  Please chalk up any unusual craziness to that fact. :)

Okay, so this cake is for a four year old's Thomas the Train themed birthday party.  It's a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.  The decorations are 99% edible (you can't eat the sign posts, unfortunately) and are made of candy clay, piping gel and royal icing.  As always, everything was done by hand and, BONUS, I didn't freak out this time!!!  :)

That's a duck crossing sign in the back, just fyi.  Hence the ducks and the tiny pond.  :)

Have a Tremendous Thursday Everyone!

To darn or not to darn, that is the question.

Lately, I've been feeling like I've lost touch with my roots.  I used to attempt to post a blog everyday and generally it's focus was centered around my strange love of obscure holidays.  

When was the last time I posted a blog about that???  I'll tell ya when it was: a long time ago.  

So, today, I'm kickin' it old school:

Happy Lost Sock Memorial Day!

I don't know about you, but I have a dresser drawer full of mismatched socks.  Yes, I know I should get rid of them since they no longer have a mate, but I also know the minute I throw them out, I'll find their match.  

Plus, I'm too cheap frugal to buy new socks.  

Anywho, today is all about attempting to find those legendary "forgotten lost socks".  

 

However, if after five minutes of searching has passed, the socks sadly remain lost, the only acceptable course of action is to take a moment and remember how soft, warm and comforting they had once been to our stinky feet...

Take a deep breathe...

And get on with your day, because really, they're just socks.  

And besides, everyone knows there's a sock monster living in the dryer.

***The sock monster, missing socks and dryer are all made of candy clay.***

Have a Candy Coated Monday Everyone!!!

Fried Chicken and Finals

I had another one of my pesky freak out moments Friday as I was making a graduation cake for one of my amazing sister-in-laws.

It was decided that I would make a full sheet cake and somehow incorporate a 3-D Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia, onto it.  No big deal.  I had an entire day to get it taken care of, plenty of time...

I started Friday morning off by, of course, watching the Royal Wedding and all the news afterwards about it.  Don't even start waggin' your finger at me.  I can't help that I was in love with Prince William and still felt a bit of a heart twinge when I saw how he looked at Kate.  (Sorry, I believe their new titles are Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, my bad.)  

...Sigh...

Anyways, so I watched that and then had it playing in the background as I made this ginormous cake.  Who cares that I had only ever made a full sheet cake once and that just happened to be on the previous day (my DOT retirement cake).  No big deal, plenty of time...

After taking the cake out of the oven, I set it on a wire rack to let it cool when I realized my lovely husband had sucked down the rest of the milk that I needed in order to make buttercream icing.  Grrr.  Okay, no big deal, I'll just go to the store and grab some, maybe get some lunch too, plenty of time...

Home from the store, milk in hand, lunch not eaten yet, I decided to go ahead and flip my cake out of the pan.

It wouldn't budge.

I laughed nervously, grabbed a knife and slide it around the sides of the pan to loosen things up and tried again.

It still wouldn't budge.

I started banging on the bottom of the pan, I guess thinking it might just be caught on something and my banging would loosen it's grip.

It still wouldn't budge.

I freaked and began trying the lift up the corners with the knife.  I flipped the pan over again and banged on the bottom like some crazed baboon.

It slide out.

Phew, a crisis had been narrowly averted.  I decided I was still good on time, I mean, it was only 1:00pm.  No big deal, plenty of time...

I flipped the cake back over and began to try to level the top.  

At this point, I should let you know that my cake leveler is 10in wide and my cake was 12in. wide.

I suddenly realized 12 is apparently bigger than 10, so my lifter wasn't going to work.

Minor set back, I laughed a bit more nervously.  I'll just use a serated knife.  No big deal, plenty of time...

10 Minutes Later...

MOM!!!  WHAT DO I DO???!!!!  I CAN'T SERVE THIS CAKE!!!!!  I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT IT'S GIANT ON ONE SIDE AND TINY ON THE OTHER!!!  I DON'T HAVE TIME TO START OVER!  I'M OUT OF TIME!!!!

My mom:  Just calm down, go to the store and buy the ingredients to make a new one.

I CAN'T MAKE A NEW ONE!!!!  I DON'T HAVE TIME TO MAKE A NEW ONE!!!!

My mom:  Well then just serve that one.  I'm sure it will be fine.  I bet no one will even notice.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE WILL NOTICE??!!!  IT'S HALF AN INCH ONE SIDE AND TWO GIANT FREAKIN' INCHES ON THE OTHER!!!!  IT LOOKS HORRIBLE!!!  I CAN'T SERVE THIS CAKE!!!

My mom:  Just calm down.  This is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  Just calm down and go to the store.  It will be fine.

At the store...

THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT I NEED!!!  THIS CAKE WAS JUST NOT MEANT TO BE!  WHAT AM I GONNA DO!!???  THEY'RE GONNA BE SO MAD!!!

My mom: Just calm down and try another store.

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRY ANOTHER STORE!!!  I SHOULD JUST SERVE THE ONE THAT'S AT HOME!!!  I SHOULD JUST BUY ONE ALREADY MADE!!!

At the next store...

THEY HAVE WHAT I NEED BUT IT'S CRAZY EXPENSIVE!!!   I CAN'T AFFORD THIS!!!  THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! WHO WOULD PAY THIS MUCH FOR THIS???!!!

My mom: How much is it?

$###

My mom:  Oh my gosh!  That is expensive.

...Should I go to another store?

My mom:  NO!  YOU DON'T HAVE TIME!  

Long story short, my husband and I were up until 4am finishing the cake that will from now on be refered to as the cake from H. E. Double hockey sticks.

We woke up an hour and a half later, drove two hours to the ceremony and smiled as she opened the box and loved on the cake. :)  Made it worth all the stress.

Aslan stepping out of the wardrobe.

Obviously this is just a close up shot. :)

The trees are waffle cones covered in green and white candy clay, the lamp post is candy clay and Aslan is made entirely from caramel.  All done by hand....  which I should realize by now, there's never enough time for, lol!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!