Nov 23, 2012 |
Turkey Hangover? Eggnog nipping and sipping? Black Friday basket filling?
What does the day after Thanksgiving look like where you’re at?
Here’s a glimpse of the fun we’ve had today!
Favorite Snack and Favorite Mug
Instagrammed!
Souvenirs from the Big Feast
Decorating Party Feast
Dot’s Decorated Tree
Knick Knacks
We slept in, cleaned this morning, and spent all afternoon decorating. When we were done, we settled in with our plates of goodies and watched MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. The original.
And now it’s time to watch HOOPS & YO-YO RUIN CHRISTMAS.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, have a wonderful weekend.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jul 31, 2012 |
Well, we did it. We finished our Wilton Cake Decorating Course. As has been the standard for the last four weeks, Dot’s cake, well, took the cake. She always has the other students and the instructor oohing and ahhing over her gifted artistry.
In the four-week course, we learned
How to properly bake a cake and how to level a cake
How to fill cupcakes and how to fill a layer cake
How to make out own icing in stiff, medium, and thin consistencies and when to use each one. We learned how to color icing
How to ice a cake and how to later smooth it
And we learned how to decorate. Did you see me smile when you read that? Try again:
We learned how to decorate!
We learned tips and icing bags and angled spatulas and piping gel and color and consistencies and flowers and leaves and pom poms and writing and roses and more.
And these are our Final Projects.
Dot had a plan, but when we got to class she scrapped it and went freestyle. Have I mentioned how gifted she is? I couldn’t toss out a plan and come up with something this gorgeous on the spur of the moment!
I thought up a Summer Garden. I’m disappointed that I didn’t color enough icing for the cake; it’s a bit thin in places. But I forgave myself: I’m a beginner. And it turned out well for a beginner.
Dot’s cake was German Chocolate with a coconut-pecan filling
Mine was a lemon cake with a raspberry preserve filling
And we’re not sorry we cut into them.
Not.
One.
Bite.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jul 17, 2012 |
As some of you know, Dot and I are in the middle of the Wilton Cake Decorating Basics Class.
Last week we learned how to level a cake, and how to cut, fill, and frost it.
You’ll recall that for as much as I love being in the kitchen, I’d never baked a cake until a few months ago. It turned out all right for my first attempt.
This week, our homework was to bake and ice a cake before coming to class. My first two cake attempts failed miserably. I neglected to let the first cake cool before trying to remove it from the pan. I think needing the hot pads before turning it over onto the cooling rack should have been a clue. The second cake decided it wanted to stay in the pan as well… or at least, half of it did.
Finally, with Cake Round No. 3, I was greeted with near-perfect, 8-inch, round French Vanilla cakes. We iced them the day before and took them to class with us.
After a little instruction and demonstration from the instructor, we were basically told to do our own thing.
The icing colorant I brought was unusable. Apparently, when the directions say “use a clean toothpick each time” to pull the gel from the tiny jar, they mean it! Also apparently, the last time I used my reds and greens, I didn’t pay attention. Because my colorant was unusable. So I was relegated to using the coloring that Dot chose.
I’m proud of my efforts:
I intentionally left part of the outline transfer showing. I liked the red gel underneath. I also intentionally blended the blue and white icings to look like a Frost-ee or Icee.
I’ve no intentions of eating the cake; as we have enough in the house with just Dot’s cake. So I promised this one to my friend’s son whom I affectionately refer to as my Un-Son Number One. His sister is taking the class with us. When we took her home, we showed the family all our cakes, and USNO said he liked mine so I told him after I show it to my family, he can have it. Hey, at least I know it won’t go to waste!
Dot has never decorated a cake before (other than the cupcakes we practiced on last year). The instructor was ah-mazed! Dot has a gift for artistry. Instead of family photos in my house, I hang some of her artwork. So it was no surprise when, at the end of class, everyone ~ and yes, I do mean everyone ~ gaped and gasped and questioned whether she’d actually taken a decorating class before.
Her cake, as you see, was the Piece de Resistance.
Which is just one more reason I’m so proud of her. This Girl’s Got Talent!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
