Last week I attended my first cake decorating class. I was so excited to go, and I actually learned a few new tricks (ok one is to help you smooth out a cake, and let me tell you, I wish I had known about it like 5 years ago when I was up literally all night making my friends daughters wedding cake, it would have taken me maybe an hour, instead of over 6 to smooth it).
The class was filled with the usual suspects, everyone from housewives, to professionals in the wedding business looking to expand their products. There was even one guy who works in two bakeries, and it was almost as if he was there to try and trip up the teacher. He kept finishing her sentences (incorrectly I might add) and giving us the scientific reasons behind using the cake bands, etc… (ok I will admit, that part was cool). Anyway, I was digging everything until we got to the part about the frosting.
I make buttercream frosting with actual butter (go figure) and it is really, really good (I get asked for the recipe all the time) I use it for everything from frosting brownies to cakes to cookies. So when the Wilton instructor said we would be using shortening instead of butter (gag me with an off set spatula) I tried convincing her that butter was so much better, and that I do NOT eat trans fats in any form, she told me politely that if I wished to continue with the class, I would have to use the wilton method, which includes butter flavoring and merengue powder. So not wanting to waste my long awaited opportunity, I sucked it up and accepted the inevitable, shortening was going to be a part of my life for a few weeks (according to her, real butter frosting is really hard to work with. It is?? Not so much). Which brings me to my next realization; I would certainly not be wasting my home cooking skills by baking a cake from scratch, only to be covered in congealed vegetable oil. SO I am using a cake mix , which after learning how to bake my own scrumptious cakes, taste rather like play dough to me. Which brings me to the actual frosting in class, when she added the merengue powder, I thought it would be a benign little ingredient, but not so much. It made the frosting taste like, well eggs, and the texture was more like a royal icing than a butter cream.
We made a torted cake with our appetizing frosting and chocolate pudding for the filling. We actually got to eat the cake (ok it was sort of tasty), and then this week we will bring our own unfrosted cake and decorate it ourselves. Then she told us what we would need for the next class, and well it is a good thing that the class was around my birthday, because I told my husband to think of it all as a sort of late birthday gift, the supplies were pricey (I think I spent my Christmas money too). I had actually purchased the class kit years ago, so I thought I could use it, but now they teach using different techniques, so my stuff is obsolete (except for my tips) I ended up getting a new kit, plus a lazy Susan, merengue powder, a cake transporter and gobs of other things I will probably never use after the class). But with all of that, I am still excited to learn new things, and hopefully make wicked cool cake designs for my kids.
Now what to do with my cake from this week. Anyone want a play dough flavored cake covered in trans fats and eggs? Anyone? Anyone?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Guilt schmilt
Oh no you say? Two posts in one day? I know, I know, I don’t post for a month then all of a sudden I have diarrhea of the computer. Well actually I wrote my earlier post days ago, but blogger wouldn’t let me post it, so I had to let it chill for a while, then lo and behold it let me post today, so I figured I would strike while the iron was hot.
I just thought I would update all on my earlier declarations of resolutions. I have officially and finally signed up for cake decorating classes and they start next week. Well the first one at least, we will be out of town for part of July so I will have to do the second course some time later in the fall, but at least I am whetting my whistle and taking that first step. I am super excited to learn techniques that will hopefully save me hours while decorating cakes and cupcakes.
I wonder sometimes if pursuing the art of cake decorating is frivolous, but then I think, I deserve to do something frivolous in my life. Usually it is filled with the needs and wants of others, so I am ignoring the niggling’s of guilt that are starting to creep in, and am planning to enjoy myself thoroughly.
Also I am going to my first official concert in 14 years; there will be dozens of bands, so it should make up for the dry years. This also at first brought on feelings of guilt, I almost cancelled because my poor husband has to take my boys to a charity bowling event for my sons teachers child,(did you catch all of that?) but then I realized that basically he gets to do something fun with his boys, and he hardly gets a chance to do that so again I am choosing to ignore the guilt, and plan to have a fantastic time, and guilt be damned!
I just thought I would update all on my earlier declarations of resolutions. I have officially and finally signed up for cake decorating classes and they start next week. Well the first one at least, we will be out of town for part of July so I will have to do the second course some time later in the fall, but at least I am whetting my whistle and taking that first step. I am super excited to learn techniques that will hopefully save me hours while decorating cakes and cupcakes.
I wonder sometimes if pursuing the art of cake decorating is frivolous, but then I think, I deserve to do something frivolous in my life. Usually it is filled with the needs and wants of others, so I am ignoring the niggling’s of guilt that are starting to creep in, and am planning to enjoy myself thoroughly.
Also I am going to my first official concert in 14 years; there will be dozens of bands, so it should make up for the dry years. This also at first brought on feelings of guilt, I almost cancelled because my poor husband has to take my boys to a charity bowling event for my sons teachers child,(did you catch all of that?) but then I realized that basically he gets to do something fun with his boys, and he hardly gets a chance to do that so again I am choosing to ignore the guilt, and plan to have a fantastic time, and guilt be damned!
Schools out for summer (almost)
It is the end of the school year around these parts (squeal!) And time to think of the ever pressing problem plaguing our nation today, what to buy my children’s teachers? I have 4 kids, and this is the first year that they have all been in school, so I have a lot of gift buying or making to do.
A friend called me the other day and asked for teacher gift ideas, and I shared a few gifts I have done in the past. Some successful some, well, you’ll see.
I love baskets, and things that go in baskets. If my husband ever wants to win brownie points, he just has to assemble a few of my favorite things toss them in a basket, and I am happier than a kid at Christmas. So I love to give gift baskets, hoping the recipient will be at least half as thrilled as I am to give it. One year I bought small pots and seeds for herbs you would typically eat on a pizza, found some red checked napkins, and put boxed pizza dough in it, and some pizza sauce and shelf stable pepperoni for a lovely dinner (3 or 4 months down the road). Another year, I made muffin mixes and homemade jam, that was a huge hit. Last year my kids and I went strawberry picking (in the rain) the Saturday before school was out, and picked over 20 lbs. of berries, then hurried home to make jam. The teachers loved it, and it was a neat way to spend time together. (We still have 2 jars left). I would in fact be using the same idea this year, but alas the berry farm is not available for picking until the 10th and we are out on the 8th. So we will get jam just not the teachers. A few years ago, I thought I would be so clever and make the teachers soaps. We added dried herbs, and soap scents. We made extra for my husband for fathers day. We carefully put the soap in a paper sack, and put it in the closet until the big day. When he unwrapped it we discovered that all the soap had turned black from the herbs!! I was very embarrassed, and even more so when my Son’s teacher sent us a gracious thank you note for the soap. Hopefully she used it before it went bad? I have also given out sugar cookie dough, with cookie cutters, and store bought icing, and sprinkles. And my favorite was homemade salsa I canned using veggies from my garden. (some of these were Christmas gifts)
But this year, I want to do something different, but also something affordable. I looked into making my own bath bombs but couldn’t find one of the ingredients. Then I thought about just giving Starbucks gift cards, but with all of the teachers, we are talking several hundred dollars. So I am doing a couple of different things.
My older two boys are in middle school, and normally I don’t do the middle school gift thing, but they have had such amazing teachers this year, that I feel it only appropriate to thank them for their dedication. So they will be easy, each one is getting a 9x9 cake pan with my “famous” crème de menthe brownies. And so far between the 2 boys the total is 10 teachers, yikes! I will be baking all day Sunday.
My third child has a teacher that one of my older boys had, so I already know that she loves nothing more in this world than diet coke, she will be getting a 2 liter of that, and possibly one of these babies, hopefully she likes cherry...
My youngest is in preschool, and this year two amazing ladies were courageous enough to drive the preschool bus. My youngest gets dropped off at the end of my driveway, and he has caused his share of problems on the bus, so these ladies should be commended for not turning tail and running. So they are definitely getting gifts as well, nothing too swanky, because I am on a budget, but something to say thank you for not strangling my child, and not drinking on the job. But I have to be careful with their gifts because my little guy has to tote them to school. So in all likelihood his teachers and bus drivers will be getting one of THESE. Well not those exactly, but cupcakes in a jar made by yours truly.
Now to find some jars...
A friend called me the other day and asked for teacher gift ideas, and I shared a few gifts I have done in the past. Some successful some, well, you’ll see.
I love baskets, and things that go in baskets. If my husband ever wants to win brownie points, he just has to assemble a few of my favorite things toss them in a basket, and I am happier than a kid at Christmas. So I love to give gift baskets, hoping the recipient will be at least half as thrilled as I am to give it. One year I bought small pots and seeds for herbs you would typically eat on a pizza, found some red checked napkins, and put boxed pizza dough in it, and some pizza sauce and shelf stable pepperoni for a lovely dinner (3 or 4 months down the road). Another year, I made muffin mixes and homemade jam, that was a huge hit. Last year my kids and I went strawberry picking (in the rain) the Saturday before school was out, and picked over 20 lbs. of berries, then hurried home to make jam. The teachers loved it, and it was a neat way to spend time together. (We still have 2 jars left). I would in fact be using the same idea this year, but alas the berry farm is not available for picking until the 10th and we are out on the 8th. So we will get jam just not the teachers. A few years ago, I thought I would be so clever and make the teachers soaps. We added dried herbs, and soap scents. We made extra for my husband for fathers day. We carefully put the soap in a paper sack, and put it in the closet until the big day. When he unwrapped it we discovered that all the soap had turned black from the herbs!! I was very embarrassed, and even more so when my Son’s teacher sent us a gracious thank you note for the soap. Hopefully she used it before it went bad? I have also given out sugar cookie dough, with cookie cutters, and store bought icing, and sprinkles. And my favorite was homemade salsa I canned using veggies from my garden. (some of these were Christmas gifts)
But this year, I want to do something different, but also something affordable. I looked into making my own bath bombs but couldn’t find one of the ingredients. Then I thought about just giving Starbucks gift cards, but with all of the teachers, we are talking several hundred dollars. So I am doing a couple of different things.
My older two boys are in middle school, and normally I don’t do the middle school gift thing, but they have had such amazing teachers this year, that I feel it only appropriate to thank them for their dedication. So they will be easy, each one is getting a 9x9 cake pan with my “famous” crème de menthe brownies. And so far between the 2 boys the total is 10 teachers, yikes! I will be baking all day Sunday.
My third child has a teacher that one of my older boys had, so I already know that she loves nothing more in this world than diet coke, she will be getting a 2 liter of that, and possibly one of these babies, hopefully she likes cherry...
My youngest is in preschool, and this year two amazing ladies were courageous enough to drive the preschool bus. My youngest gets dropped off at the end of my driveway, and he has caused his share of problems on the bus, so these ladies should be commended for not turning tail and running. So they are definitely getting gifts as well, nothing too swanky, because I am on a budget, but something to say thank you for not strangling my child, and not drinking on the job. But I have to be careful with their gifts because my little guy has to tote them to school. So in all likelihood his teachers and bus drivers will be getting one of THESE. Well not those exactly, but cupcakes in a jar made by yours truly.
Now to find some jars...
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