Back to business...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted anything here! 

Did you miss me? 

I had decided to take some time off this summer because we were crazy busy with summer activities and a complete kitchen reno, but then found that sending the kids back to school did not revive my crafty mojo as I had hoped. 

Our home was a mess after the construction, and as I tried to stay on top of the drywall dust I realized that we just have too much stuff!  I've been busy cleaning out closets and storage boxes, trying to simplify and de-clutter.  Why do I hang on to so much crap? It's starting to look and feel better but I still have more to do.

My new kitchen is almost finished, but still needs some trim and window coverings before I'll have the "after" pictures to share. 

I miss you all!  I have been in my craft room this week, and will soon have some new projects ready for my blog.   For now I have some tasty photos to share!

 My talented daughter did this for Thanksgiving:

Best. Veggie. Tray. EVER! Jenna rocks!!

My hubby did an 18 lb turkey outside in the turkey fryer, and stupid me forgot to take a picture. But I will say that it was awesome!  Sit down supper for 12 was a good way to break in the new kitchen!  Why, oh why, did I not get any photos of Thanksgiving dinner this year!? (Hey gang, if anyone took any photos please email them to me!)

For dessert, I made a 4 layer Pumpkin cake with

whipped cream cheese filling

topped with pecans and drizzled with caramel...

 can you believe there was none left over??!! 

Nothing beats Thanksgiving leftovers, and I made an extra large cake on purpose so now what am I supposed to have for breakfast this week? Huh?

I am so glad that sugar doesn't soak in by osmosis,

because I also made this cake last week:

This one was made for my friend Shirley. 

She has 5 family birthdays in fall, and they were all together at her home last weekend for Thanksgiving. She ordered a fall birthday cake for 5. Notice the 5 little turkeys? 

This one is a 2 layer pumpkin cake with a caramel/pecan filling and all cream cheese frosting. The figures are made of sugar gumpaste.

So, I've had enough sugar for a while. I am suffering from paper and glue withdrawal though, so hope to get my fingers sticky and inky this weekend!

Thanks for not un-following me in my blogging absence,

I will try to get back to posting more regularly now that I've had a break!

Lorrinda

Happy Birthday Jenna!

My baby girl Jenna is turning 12 this week.  12!!! When did that happen? She's growing up way too fast.
Her official birthday is on Wednesday (Groundhog Day!), but we have to go to the city to visit the orthodontist (really should have planned that better-braces on her birthday! I'm a terrible mother), so we had cake and a slumber party this weekend.  To make up for the orthodontist, I baked her cake by request. She asked for chocolate fudge layer cake and even found a pic on the internet of the cherry blossom decorating she wanted.  This is as close as I could get...

The curly one is my Jenna, with her BFF Cara.

They like blue, can you tell? 

Jenna wants me to straighten her hair like Cara's,

and Cara wishes she had curls...

Girls, you're beautiful just the way you are!!

They were happy with the cake though, check out those smiles!

Jenna got an iPod Touch for her birthday, they are in her room texting each other right now. I won't pretend to understand it.

I think I may have to break in with some nail polish and force a mani/pedi on them.

White Russian Anniversary Cake

I was asked by a friend to make a cake for her parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary. It is the "Ruby" anniversary, so I went with red accents/roses. 

I was a little nervous, since this is only my second real cake order, and the anniversary couple are also my husband's Uncle and Aunt.  I wanted it to be special. The only request was that it be a white kahlua cake (I couldn't find any recipes that appealed to me, so I had to invent one myself.)  This 4-layer "White Russian" cake is filled with a Kahlua cream cheese filling, and covered with butercream fondant, accented with buttercream piping and gumpaste calla lillies, roses and leaves. I've been wanting to try this quilting technique for a long time, I used a palate knife and a ruler. Next time I'll get an impression mat!

LORRINDA'S WHITE RUSSIAN CAKE

1 box white cake mix

1 cup sour cream

1 pkg. instant white chocolate pudding (4 serving size)

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup Kahlua

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 -  9" round cake pans.

Mix all ingredients together on low speed until moistened, scrape bowl, then mix on med speed for 2 minutes.

Pour evenly into 2 - 9" round pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.Remove from the oven.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert pans onto a parchment paper covered board and gently lift the pans off the cakes. Let cakes cool completely.

When completely cool, slice cakes horizontally in half, giving you four cake layers.

WHITE RUSSIAN FILLING

1 bar (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 box instant white chocolate pudding (4 serving size)

4 tablespoons Kahlua

Cream together the cream cheese and whipping cream until smooth. Add the dry pudding mix and beat until incorporated. Add theKahlua and keep beating until smooth. Divide into 3 portions.

ASSEMBLE CAKE: Place 1 cake layer onto cake platter, top with one portion of filling, repeat 2 more times. Place nicest (smoothest) cake layer on the top. Level sides and frost as desired.

Instead of fancy decorations like I did, you could drizzle with a white chocolate frosting, letting it run down the sides for a showy dessert!

Note: you could probably substitute strong coffee for the Kahlua, but I haven't tried it. I like the booze:)

Flower girl!

I have a couple of special cakes to do in the next few days and need some flowers. Since the flowers have to dry before I use them, I have time to play. Now, I am new to sugarpaste. I have watched a few tutorials and am ready to dive in, but  please don't ask me for advice...I won't pretend to know what I am doing!

First I wanted to make some calla lillies.  I watched a terrific tutorial by Edna de La Cruz of "Design me a Cake" fame on you tube. (If you are interested in gumpaste flowers, you have to watch her videos!)  Apparently, I already had everything I needed right in my kitchen! No need to buy any special tools, yay!

No, these are not hats! I don't have flower cones to dry the flowers on, so I wrapped some cling wrap over some ice cream cones. (Please excuse the nasty pan, it's been well loved! It has been retired from actual food duty.)

Here is one almost finished! The stamen was done with a "sausage" of gumpaste fondant rolled in cornmeal. Looks real doesn't it? Wait until I color it a bit, I'll post the cake when it's done.

******************

Now for the best part! My 11 year old daughter Jenna, wanted to try some flowers too. I let her watch a rose making video by David Cakes of "CAKINCRAZY" on you tube, and off she went!

Her very first try!  She is a natural! See that perfect rose? No tools used, no rolling pin, no cutters...just her talented little fingers. And, it only took her about 3 minutes. Guess who's making my roses from now on?

I'm so proud of her I could burst!