Adventures in Cake Baking

It has been a busy season of birthdays for our friends and family around here, and it is not over yet.  Dad is next, then my good friend Christi (who won't get a cake because she doesn't live nearby) and Frank.  Those are just the April birthdays.
Our awesome buddy Alley's birthday was last weekend and though she share's a birthday with Saint Patrick's day I decided against a green cake. Instead I opted for a springy, girlie cake.  I tested another Vanilla cake recipe, this time from Smitten Kitchen.  I made the cake ahead, froze it and thawed the night before, which worked beautifully.

Since I was feeling very ambitious I also made homemade Marshmallow Fondant flowers.


As well as raspberry filling, lemon curd and cream cheese frosting in advance. 


Here is the final result.  This is pre Cake Decorating class, which I took last night.
I think this one is cute but the "polka dots" that I was going for look more like hershey kisses.  


Mmmm, Vanilla layer cake with lemon curd and raspberry filling and cream cheese icing.


I also practiced my flower arranging skills and made a pretty for Alley.


And a few bud vases for myself. 


All this baking has served as practice for a baby shower cake that I am to make next week.
I have learned quite a bit from these last two cakes and my class last night.
Some things I have learned:

*Marshmallow fondant is messy to make but much cheaper and tastier than store bought.

*Wear latex gloves when kneading colors into fondant!

*Cake flour (like any other flour) should be measured using the scoop and sweep method, not packed in with the side of the cake box.  I knew better when I did it, and both cakes had a courser and drier texture than they should have.  Now I need to retest both recipes with correct measuring techniques and get a canister for my cake flour.

*Putting your cake in the freezer after crumb coating for about 15 minutes will make frosting the cake much easier.

*Pipe your lettering in the same color as your cake first, then trace over with another color.  This helps tremendously!

*Cake decoration, like any other craft, requires practice to master.

*Cream Cheese Icing pipes beautifully.  So glad, since it is so much tastier, in my opinion.

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring!

We had a lovely day and beautiful sunset after a night and morning of heavy rain and wind.


The ground was so wet from the rain that I was able to pull my nemesis, the dandelions, from the front beds. I still need to do lots of work out there but at least those guys are gone.

There are signs of Spring.
The Mexican Bird of Paradise is budding.


My Euphorbias blooms are past their peak.  They are always the first thing to bloom in my garden.


Perennials are growing and greening.


I wish I could say that these ranunculus are from my garden, but they are from work.  The pink and green leaves are from one of my house plants though.


There is lots of work yet to do in the yard. Tomato seedlings to plant, perennials and shrubs to trim, weeds to pull, leaves to pick up and volunteers to transplant. I better get to it before the heat gets the best of us all. This is the time to be in the garden.

Happy Birthday Granny and Pawpaw

I mentioned last week that my Granny and Pawpaw's birthdays had inspired me to finally scan old family photos.  There are tons more, but they are packed away with my parent's stuff in storage.  My mom is definitely the family photo keeper and I always enjoy going through old photos.

I wish I had access to pictures from the big family celebrations that we would have each year for Granny and Pawpaw's birthdays.  I miss those gatherings.  After Granny passed away in 2000 we continued to celebrate and gather for Pawpaw, who lived to be 93.  I miss both of my maternal grandparents a lot.  I was not as close with my paternal grandparents, though I did become close with my Amma in adulthood.  Pawpaw lived the longest of all of my grandparents, so I felt the closest to him and have the most recent memories of him.

Pawpaw was ten years older than Granny and they bickered so much that it became a family joke.  You can see from these photos that they had fun times too though.

Granny age 13


Granny in Little Rock 1946
Recognize that lawn chair?  We have a set like that one.


Granny and Pawpaw traveled around the Western US in the late 70's and early 80's.
I love these pictures! They went to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and all through New Mexico, Arizona and California.  They camped, explored and Pawpaw collected rocks, many of which I have and hope to someday make jewelry from.  In their backyard in Houston they had set of cement steps covered with an amazing rock collection that I so wish I had.




Pawpaw and I in their backyard.


Granny and I at my College Graduation party, May 1999.


Pawpaw in his garage in Houston.  It was truly packed to the gills and this picture really doesn't do it justice.  There was just so much stuff.  Amazing.  They lived in that house for almost fifty years.


Pawpaw, Elliott and I in my parent's backyard. 


My grandparents qualities are living on through their children and grandchildren, and I'm sure now, great grandchildren who they never met.  I know my Granny's love of cooking and baking for family, her crafting and generosity have been carried down from mother to daughter to grandaughter and now to Karlie who also loves to be in the kitchen. They both loved gardening and being outside and obviously had a sense of adventure and love of travel.  These too have carried on in us.  Pawpaw whittled and Granny sewed, crocheted and did all kinds of handwork.  I'm confidently carrying on that tradition as is my mother.  Though our grandparents don't live forever they do live on in our hearts. Happy Birthday Granny and Pawpaw, love you always.

* I am baking another cake for a friend with a Saint Patrick's Day Birthday.  Vanilla Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Raspberry filling and Cream Cheese frosting.  I also made fondant flowers for the first time.  This cake will be small and definitely a labor of love.  I may have to do a repeat for Easter so that my family can taste.  Oh, and I signed up for my cake decorating class at work.  I got the last spot!

Birthday Shout Outs

Today is my sister in law's birthday.
Yesterday would have been my Pawpaw's 97th and this coming Sunday would have been Granny's 87th. We always had a big family celebration for my grandparents.
I would have probably made them a tall layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, or whichever cake they preferred.
My cousin's daughter was born yesterday on her great grandfather's birthday. How cool is that?!
I miss my grandparents everyday, more now that I reminisce on family gatherings.

While I couldn't make that carrot cake for Granny and Pawpaw I could and did make a cake for my sweet sister in law.  We decided on Vanilla Cake with Chocolate icing.


I used Glorious Treat's Vanilla Cupcake recipe as well as her American Buttercream (with the addition of 4 oz of cream cheese and 1/2 cup cocoa powder). I have been extremely pleased with every recipe I have used from Glorious treats and these are no exception. I can't wait to enjoy a slice of this cake tonight!

I have also been asked to make cake or cupcakes for an upcoming baby shower being given for a friend.  I don't know what flavor yet, but I really want it to be cute.  The theme is Owls.  I did spy a cake decorating class in a couple of weeks at work.  Perfect timing!

Happy Birthday Natalie, Granny, Pawpaw and new cousin Emily!
Happy Weekend to you all.
xoxo

ps, I finally got around to scanning a bunch of old pictures of my grandparents and will share them soon.  I've been meaning to do that forever.

Dreaming and Working

In typical Spring fashion I'm obsessed with my yard at the moment and have been putting in some serious effort to whip it into shape. I do realize it isn't truly Spring yet, but we didn't really have a Winter and it has felt like Spring for some time. Sunday and Monday were perfect, but of course I was at work. It turned windy and gray the last couple of days but I haven't let that keep me inside.

The plum tree is blooming










Larkspur and poppies are shooting up like weeds.


And I'm daydreaming of sprucing up my cute furniture with fresh paint and cushions.


I don't even know if I can find out door fabric like this, but I'm picturing cushions in yellow and white chevron stripe.  Doesn't that look cheery and fresh?!

Source: jenniferdelonge.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Those aren't weeds  by the way, they are larkspur and mexican feather grass that I can't bear to pull out of the patio.  I'm thinking Navy or Teal for my sad metal chair.  It is in desperate need of paint!




My poor hands and arms are looking worse for wear from both this work and my work in floral.  I'll survive and I'm sure I will keep on working in the yard sans gloves until opressive heat drives me inside.

*How cool is this?!  My Polymer Bead Pendants are featured on Daily Art Muse today. 

Snapshots from my days off

I had the last couple of days off. I worked in the yard, enjoying this warm weather and whipping my yard into shape little by little. We helped a dear friend celebrate a birthday. I met mom and Karlie for some play time yesterday afternoon. We shopped for groceries at the HEB in Burleson (my stores' parent company) and really wished they would open one here. I almost finished a dress and a skirt.  I'm so close on both but each need some finishing touches.

I made Robin a Succulent planter for her birthday.
I love shopping for plants, and want so many for our yard and home.
Too bad our budget doesn't allow me to go on a plant shopping spree.


Check out my Cowgirl Ballerina niece and her confident walk.
I love the pig tails in the shadow!!


I'm almost done with this quick and easy skirt, just have to add a hook to the waistband.
It is very simple with a twist that I love, the curved hemline. 
I'm pretty proud of my zipper success on this one after a mess up the day before.
It fits loose, but I will wear it.  I will make another more fitted one soon as I love the style.
More details soon.


I'm back to work in a bit.
Have a great day!