HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY! (for the rest of you...A Cake, a Card and a Recipe!)

My husband is an avid hunter, and his birthday is tomorrow! (OK, you asked...he's 44) I was going to make one of those 3D deer head mount cakes, but I was a little pressed for time and I was trying to do this all on the sly while he was out. So, I made my very first FBCT cake! (Frozen Butter Cream Transfer for those who want to know...it took me forever to figure out what that meant on the cake sites) If you're wondering, it's an Elk to commemorate his first successful elk hunt this year.  For my first FBCT attempt, I think it turned out pretty good.  He requested a black forest cake, but I wanted to dress it up a bit more...! So I made this
3-layer German sour cream chocolate cake with Kirsch liquor-soaked cherries between each layer. Yum! The white part is real whipped cream, (Stabilized with gelatin and icing sugar so it doesn't go all runny).  Can't tell what's under all that frosting, but I think he'll be surprised when he cuts into it! Now I just have to keep him out of the pantry fridge until tomorrow...I want it to be a surprise. The kids made a "Dad, Keep Out" sign for it :)

Rich Chocolate Frosting

(All I want for my birthday is a bowl of this frosting. Yes, it's THAT good!)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (no substitutes!), softened

4 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 1/4 cups baking cocoa, sifted

1 tsp real vanilla

1 tbsp Kahlua Liquor (I use 2 tbsp and reduce the cream :)

1/2 cup (give or take) cream or evaporated milk

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl (I use my stand mixer) cream butter until fluffy, add vanilla and Kahlua. Gradually add icing sugar and cocoa until all mixed in. (will be dry and stiff).  Gradually add cream (may need more or less) until it reaches soft spreading consistency. 

This isn't the best chocolate frosting for decorators, but it holds basic borders and decorations quite well,
and it's so yummy no one will care if the decorations aren't perfectly smooth. 
Keep iced cake in the fridge, but warm it to room temp before serving.

There is no lower calorie version of this.
It's frosting, it's supposed to be bad for you. 
 Have another glass of wine with it and you won't care.
Enjoy!

And...I just had to make a hunting-themed card to go with it. This card was inspired/CASEd (Copy And Share Everything in SCS lingo) by a card I found on SCS by labullard, I've had it in my faves forever to make one for my husband. All card supplies (except for the deer stamp, it's from SU, I've had it for a while:) are from CTMH.  The images were stamped in Cocoa ink, colored with chalks and watercolor pencils. The main image was stamped, cut in a circle, the rifle scope lines were done with a fine black marker, then the image was popped up with a 3D foam square. I tied hemp along the bottom for some "guy ribbon", then mounted it to a camo pattern background. He'll love this!

If you're curious, his gift is from Cabelas, of course. My 8 yr old son random stamped deer and bear images all over plain brown paper gift wrap. He had fun, and wants to "scrapbook" again with me.

I tried to tell him we were stamping, not scrapbooking, but he didn't care. According to him,"If it happens in the scrapbook room, then it's all scrapbooking!" 

Yeah, he's a little smart ass.

An inky one :)

I think it's time to send him hunting with Dad... 

Thanks for checking out my blog!

The Cakewalk....an Olympic event?

I was asked again this year to make a decorated cake for the school bazaar's cakewalk. All I could think of for a theme is the Olympics! Since it is a big deal for Canadians this year, I wonder how many other Olympic cakes there will be? This is all buttercream icing.

Tri-Shutter Mini Album

I made this Tri-Shutter Mini Album for my parents for Valentine's Day, but I left it pretty generic so they can leave it out all year if they want to. Mom likes to have photos of her grandkids at her desk, maybe this accordian-style album will fit the bill! I tacked the photos on with removeable adhesive so she can update the photos if she wants to each year.

I used all CTMH products, That's Amore paper pack, various stamp sets, and handmade paper flowers.
I apologize for the washed out pictures, I was having lighting difficulties! It is really more vibrant, and what looks like plain paper is actually a linen texture and print.

Front of album:

Front cover opened:

Here is the entire album opened:

Close up of left side: (this is my family)

Close up of right side: (my sisters, BIL and niece and nephew)

The first one I made took a while, but this is the second one I've done and it came together pretty quickly.

If you'd like to try one for yourself, the tutorial for this project can be found here .

I hope my parents like it, I'm giving it to them when we go out for supper tonight.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just a quick post of the card I gave hubby. Made with CTMH That's Amore papers, February word puzzle and Key to my heart stamps, and copper embossing.

Happy Birthday Jenna!

My daughter wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up, and it's all she ever thinks about. She's constantly drawing, designing, and creating custom mini clothing. All she wanted for her 11th birthday cake was a designer dress. Not asking too much! So, I came up with this cake. A dress designer I am not, but I think it turned out OK as a cake. It is a 2 layer chocolate cake covered in buttercream icing, then marshmallow fondant. The bottom layer is a 9" round cake, the top layer was done in a stainless steel bowl to get the round shape. The dress mannequin is from one of Jenna's craft kits, the flowers are cut from fondant and stuck on the cake.  Jenna and her friends loved it, they even ate the fondant!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Happy Birthday Jenna!  It's my daughter's birthday on Groundhog Day! (When she was born the doctor said "I hope we don't see her shadow or she might have to go back in!" yeah, so not funny at the time.)  Every year we make these little treats for her classmates. OK, so we won't win any decorating contests with these, but the kids have a blast making them. They are so easy...a little pile of oreo crumbs and a teddy graham groundhog poking out to see his shadow, or not. Which will it be this year?