Showing posts with label caramel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label caramel. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice

"There's gonna be a new kid on the block."


Just so we're clear...

I am NOT pregnant.
.
.
.
But the hubby and I's best friends from college are!!!


They officially announced it on Facebook earlier this week, because, as everyone knows, ain't nothing official til you post it on Facebook. :)

So I thought I'd dedicate today's sweet treat creation to them and their soon-to-be baby girl!
They'll be such wonderful parents!



Sugar & Love Everyone!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Here We Come A-Waffling!

I'm feeling the need for a post based around an obscure holiday soooo....


HAPPY GO CAROLING DAY EVERYBODY!


Awesome right?!  

Well, maybe not so much if you "sing" like me, but it's still a pretty cool day!

I know, I know.
Who am I kidding?
It seems kinda lame.

BUT never you fear dear!
I'm here to :: claps and points to you :: pump this holiday up!

See?  It's better already! :)

Okay, so here's my thought.

Today is "Go Caroling" Day, which made me think of the classic holiday carol:
"Here We Come a-Wassailing"...

...Which obviously lead me to think of Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas Celebration.

hehe!



I'll wait while you watch my inspiration unfold.
Don't worry, it's only a minute and a half of your life you're wasting. :)


Ahhh!  It's so wonderful!!! :)

"We Three Kings" is pretty amazing too, just fyi.

Okay, down to business.

Side Note:  I'll have you know, I refrained from saying "bidnass"....
Okay, I lied.  But my urban skillz are mad hot yo!
.
.
.
.
.
Ugh, even I know that was unnecessary.



Okay, seriously.  

The photo for today.



Have a Wonderful Evening Everyone!
And stay warm out there if you do go caroling!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Charles Shultz is my hero!


Have you ever heard the song “College Kids” by Relient K?  If not, you should. 


The more I listen to it, the more I think it’s the story of adulthood for Charlie Brown.  Granted he’s changed a bit, I don’t think he was that into Dave Matthews Band as a kid, but that doesn’t typically happen until you’re a moody teenager anyway. 

The little red haired girl he was always fawning over totally fits the “girlfriend at another school” bit.  Thinking she’s cute because of her naturally curly hair…  Psht!

Sorry.  I got a little carried away. 

But you see it right?  I mean, even the “party scene is kinda mean, I think it’s sick and twisted” line.  It’s almost as if you’re there watching Lucy steal the metaphorical football from him again.

Anywho, the reason behind today’s post is to show you the miniature Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty (who I’m not even going to start on because we all know full well she’s a couple cookies short of a box) I made out of candy clay and caramel.



For those of you wondering, they’re each about the size of a D battery… sorry, that’s all I had close by for quick comparison.  I know, I know: "good grief".


Have a sweet Thursday day everyone!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

"Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it's tuna, but it says 'Chicken of the Sea.' "

I'm having a bit of a shaky day today.  Not that that's anything out of the ordinary for me being as I look like I'm doing the twist with my hands majority of the time.  Today's added a special kind of shake to my normal routine though because I'm nervous.  

I'm having my first cake decorating class tonight.
I know.  How I can be Ms. Shaky McGee and decorate cakes and mini treats is a mystery to me too.

I keep having people tell me the obvious things you say to folks who are nervous, but I know what they're really thinking... "try your best, but if you choke, at least I won't be there to watch it miserably unfold."  
You know it's true.  It's like watching someone who can't sing trying to screech, I mean sing, karaoke.  You want to root for them, but
it
is
painful. 
I always feel this horrible need to run up, put a blanket over them and hop 'em over my shoulder as I continue running towards safer ground, aka the exit.

At least they have courage though right?  I mean, maybe sometimes, even blind courage is better than none at all.  And in the grand scheme of things, crappy karaoke (seems like an oxymoron) or skiddish cake decorating are pretty small potatoes.


So, I'm determined to "go all in" and really celebrate today's obscure holiday:  
Go For Broke Day
Hence my sweet mini treat...
So this guy is playing craps.  He's made of fondant, a nilla wafer and caramel.  His chips are made of hot tamales.  His die are made of fondant and actually both landed on 6's.  The puller thing (technical term of course) is caramel and the red sprinkles are supposed to represent the markings on the craps table.

Have a Courageous Tuesday Everyone!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Super Monday

I've been looking for something otterific... 

Nope, sorry.  
I thought I'd give that word another go after the weekend passed to see if maybe it was just a fluke, but it's still not working for me.

So anyways, lately I've been looking for something to add a bit of spice to the normal humdrum that is Monday.
Therefore, I decided today should be Super Monday!
Day of all things,... well,... super.

To get today off to a, shall we say, "super" start and because I know you are all crazy interested in my personal opinions and such, my favorite super hero is

Peyton Manning.

I'm serious.  
For Dress like a Super Hero Day at my hubby's school, I wore a Manning jersey, football pants and aluminum foil down my right arm.  
HA!
I'm awesome, I know. :)
Although I was informed his laser rocket arm unfortunately does not qualify him as a super hero. 


Hmmm...  
Okay, fine.  
I'll pick someone else.


Batman.
 

Late '80s, early '90s Batman, that is.
NOT George Clooney or Val Kilmer.
George was waaaaay too pretty and Val... well, I just didn't like it him as much.
No offense.
I'm just partial to the socially awkward Michael Keaton Batman.

Although I really like the new ones and may or may not be counting down the days until "The Dark Knight Rises" comes out... 
472.  
Just saying.

Alright, so I could have made a sweet treat Peyton or Batman, but it's been done.


So instead, on the first official Super Monday I made...


Captain Underpants.

Capt. Underpants is made of caramel, white fondant and a cherry heart sucker.


Does anyone else find it hard to say "underpants" without thinking of Cory from "Boy Meets World"?

Have a SUPER Monday everyone!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

It's hip to be a square!

Little known fact about me:

A few years ago, I wrote a children's book.

Good grief, don't look so shocked.  Contrary to popular belief, I actually use to have a pretty productive life.

Anyways, back to my book.
I just found it!
And who cares that I was denied by Highlights because it wasn't what they were looking for did not have it published?!
That just means more exciting new stuff for you!  EEEeeee!!! :)

Don't worry, I'll give you a heads up before the story's about to begin if you wanna make a run for it.  It's pretty fan... nope, I'm not gonna say it.  I'll say it's "otterific".

Ugh.
I know.
It doesn't quite have the right ring to it.  I mean, yeah for otters that they were included in a word trend last year, but it's just not working for me.  Although, my story does have animals in it...

Okay, enough mumbo jumbo,
here's the story.
If you make it through, there's a picture at the end!!!

A Giraffe Named Purcello
By: Little 'Ol Me

(I will apologize now because it looks kinda long.  Sorry.
It rhymes though, so it should read pretty fast.
Btw, it's pronounce "per-cello", like the instrument.
Okay.  I'm done.  Read on good people.)

There was once a little giraffe named Purcello

Who certainly was an intelligent fellow.

He loved reading and writing, arithmetic too,

But poor young Purcello did not know what to do.

His classmates would tease him day in and day out,

But he’d try to forget the mean names they would shout.

They’d call him a dweeb, a geek and a fool

For choosing to read and stay after school.

Purcello was sad, he liked learning stuff,

But he finally decided that he’d had enough.

He changed who he was and made himself new,

But there was still that sad feeling inside making him blue.

“I know I was different, but I liked who I was.

I don’t like to do what everyone else does.”

“Then you should be you,” a small voice said one day

“And forget the mean things that those animals do say.”

Purcello looked down to see whose words were so kind

And was startled to see the mouse Caroline.

“You’re right Caroline, who cares what they say?

After all, they’re not me at the end of the day.

Each one of us has something special to share,

All it takes is one person to listen, to care.”

“Exactly!” Caroline exclaimed as she smiled ear to ear

“That’s certainly nice to finally hear!”

Then Caroline and Purcello walked back to the school

Where classmates had teased him for not being cool.

But this time Purcello walked proudly and said

“Yes it’s true; I’m the geek that reads before bed,

But I’d rather be me who reads quite a lot,

Than someone I know I definitely am not.”

His classmates were silent as he spoke every word.

They could not believe what they had just heard.

Here was the same little giraffe they had teased

Standing up for himself with the greateast of ease.

Then, as Purcello walked away from the crowd,

He could hear a cheer starting, first soft and then loud!

“Purcello, you’re great for just being you!

That’s definitely the coolest thing we’ve seen someone do!”

And from that moment on Purcello love school,

For being himself, he was finally cool.


Awww...  ::gags a bit:: okay, now as I promised, Picture Time!


*Purcello is made of caramel, tootsie rolls and butterscotch chips.  And he's reading The Great Gatsby, in case you were curious.

Alright, that's all I've got.
Show's over.
You can get on with your awesomeness now.

Have an Otterific Thursday Everybody!
...nope, still not feelin' it, sorry...

Later!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Rubber Duckie, you're the one!

We've spoken of my love of anything Jim Henson right?  Well, I watched some episodes of "The Storyteller" last week and they completely freaked me out, so I almost started to rethink that love.  
 
Please keep in mind however, this is coming from the girl who, 17 chapters in, had to stop reading The Historian because she was afraid Dracula would come after her too.  
 
Okay, I realize you probably think that's dumb especially since there's no such thing as vampires, but chew on this for a minute.  My mom had two spots that looked eerily similar to bite marks suddenly appear on her arm and I burned the side of my neck with a curling iron... all in the same day.  
I think it's best I not take my chances.

Anyways, I decided "The Storyteller" was just a momentary lapse in judgment and will continue sharing my love for all things muppet.  
Which brings me to today.  
I started my process for this post as more of a soap opera thing, but decided it would be better suited under the Sesame Street genre.
They're kinda the same right?  I mean, both have main story lines that are frequently interrupted by other, more minor story lines...  Okay, that's a stretch, but once you see these pictures, it will make much more sense.
 
 


It's more Sesame Street right?  
*BTW, tub dude is made of caramel, tootsie rolls and a nilla wafer, his bubble bath is made up of mini marshmallows and his rubber duckie is just fondant.  (If you've seen my first ever fondant cake, the duck's my lone keepsake.)

Happy Wednesday Everybody!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Beware the Ides of March

Welcome to Playwithyourfood Theater. 
I'm your host, Argyle S. Ock.


Today's story takes us back...  ahem...
Back to Ancient Rome in, hmm, let's see here...  What year was it?  

Ah yes, 44 B.C.

 So, as I was saying, our story today takes us to the ominous 15th day of March, in the year 44 B.C., in Ancient Rome.

Suddenly, an older gentleman by the name of Julius Caesar walks into a room filled with members of the Roman Senate and says "Wazzup?!"

THE END.
 (* Due to the graphic nature of the rest of this story we thought it best to end things here.*
By the way, Mr. Caesar is made of caramel, chocolate fancies and tree shaped sprinkles)


Join us next week for our exciting version of The Great Gatsby.

Monday, February 28, 2011

We represent the workers in all magical industries, both evil and benign.

I am not a fan of Mondays.
To be completely honest, I do feel kind of bad about that because I know Monday can't help being the first day of the work week, but I don't feel bad enough to actually like it.

Although, today is kinda special... 
it's 
National Tooth Fairy Day!!!
You know, there's just nothing quite as wonderful as teaching kids that they can sell their body parts for money to some random stranger who's broken into their homes.  ::sigh::  It's just precious! 

All creepiness aside, after discovering the holiday, I began thinking of the classic fairy tales which, of course, led me to Cinderella.  

Never has there been a more tyrannical dictator right?!  I mean, did you see the size of those mice she had working for her in the Disney version??  There's no way she followed labor laws with them!  I'm surprised no one's notified the Better Business Bureau!  It's time someone stood up for those poor unfortunate souls... oh, wait, wrong movie.  
Still though, someone should do something about this injustice...


So I made a completely edible replica of Gus Gus.

Power to the Mice Folk!



Gus Gus is made out of caramel, piping gel and fondant.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

It's No Coincidence that Man's Best Friend Can't Talk.

Today is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
I know this because I'm one of those crazy folks that likes obscure holidays.  It's true.  You probably have nightmares about meeting me in the supermarket, knowing that a large portion of our small talk will most likely revolve around this.  The thing is though, these wacky holidays make me happy, so I don't mind if you dread seeing me - I'm gonna like 'em anyways.  


So back to today, International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day, in addition to making my two cutie patootie pooches some homemade dog biscuits (here's the website for the recipe if you're interested: http://www.dogtreatkitchen.com/peanut-butter-dog-biscuit-recipe.html ), I decided to make dirt pudding.
::Sighs:: Dirt pudding... so deliciously simple.

As I was mashing the begeezus out of my oreo cookies, I began thinking of my grandmother.  (That sounds much worse than what it actually is, I PROMISE.)  I tend to think about her quite a bit when I'm working in the kitchen; it's my way of staying connected with her.

Anyways, there was one day when I was growing up that I will remember for the rest of my life.  I was hanging out in the family room of my grandparent's old farmhouse while my grandma was baking something in the kitchen.  Suddenly, a delicious aroma drifted my way.  I peered out from my wicked awesome fort I had just made with their two lazyboys and a couple of blankets, and watched as my grandma put, what looked to me, to be five little cookies on the window sill to cool.  She said something to me (looking back, I probably should have paid more attention to what it was) and then left the room.  Being the sneaky little scamp that I was, I went to investigate.  The cookies were warm and smelled like peanut butter,... my favorite!  I quickly popped three of the tiny yummies in my mouth and began to chew.  At that moment, my cheeks looking like I was a chipmunk storing up for the winter, my grandma walked back into the room and saw me.  She stopped dead in her tracks and began laughing until she teared up.  Once she regained her composure and I had managed to swallow my stolen goodies, she informed me that I had just consumed, not three wonderfully delicious peanut butter cookies, but rather three wonderfully delicious peanut butter flavored dog biscuits.
Ahh childhood.

So, with that delightful memory lingering in my mind, I decided to make dog-themed dirt pudding.


The dog is made out of caramel, the bone is made out of white chocolate and the grass is buttercream icing - all of which are human food, just fyi. :)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

You Just Died of Dysentery...

Okay, so that's a little much, but it felt that way.
Well, actually, that's a lie too since I don't know what dysentery feels like, but I can imagine it's not good.
While we're on the subject, did you know that approximately 600,000 people still die from dysentery every year?!  Crazy right?

Okay, sorry, anywho...
Long story short, the evil Schooloan Kid and his Thrill-Kill Bandits took my happy and I want it back.

My treacherous journey today leads me to, well, a Chinese restaurant.  Maybe it was the fact that my husband and I just watched Shanghai Noon or maybe it was just my hankerin' for some Pa Pa Chicken... WAIT, I'm sorry.  I just said "hankerin"... I'm Midwestern, not Podunk, I apologize.  Let's try this again.
Maybe it was the fact that my husband and I just watched Shanghai Noon or maybe it was just my stomach craving (MUCH better) some Pa Pa Chicken, but whatever it was, there, in China Super Buffet (with help from Karen Tack and Alan Richardson's "What's New Cupcake"), I found my inspiration.  I would make fortune cookie cupcakes.   Not with real fortune cookies, mind you, because that would just be dumb.

The fortune cookie would really be a caramel molded to look like a fortune cookie.  Sneaky... very sneaky.

Ancient Chinese Secret:  fortune cookie make you happy, and fat if eat too much.