Pokemon Cakes

A former co worker who I consider to be a timeless friend has twin boys who celebrated their birthdays this weekend. All of seven years under these boys' belts. I first met the boys years ago when they were shy and clung to mom's ankles, now these boys are as confident and friendly as their mom, eager to tell stories and expend limitless energy. It has been a pleasure to see these kids develop and grow through the years.

She asked me to do the boys' birthday cakes and of course I eagerly said that I would love two. They wanted Pokemon themed cakes and both drew me detailed pictures and descriptions of what they wanted. One wanted a round cake and the other wanted a square cake, they may be twins but they are very independent. It was my first time making and using modeling chocolate, I love the idea of using it rather than fondant for taste reasons and once I dial down the proper technique for making modeling chocolate I know that it cuts much nicer lines than fondant it capable of producing. I made a Swiss buttercream, which I can not get over how much I enjoy the texture and the taste is a bit lighter than a powdered sugar based icing. Note that weird things happen to Swiss buttercream when you try and use gel coloring to tint it after the butter has been incorporated. I am going to try and avoid tinting this frosting again until I figure out why this happens. Learning. Technocolor.

What really made my day was reading this email this morning...

 
"The cakes were a huge hit! We just enjoyed them again this evening. Absolutely stunning, delicious, and beautiful - the kids could not keep their eyes off them...loads of comments and 'wows'! And this is the first kid party I've been to that had totally empty plates after eating cake! Thank you so much for making them. As Tom said to the boys when we were looking at them at home before the party - "This is probably the nicest birthday cake you'll ever have in your life!" And Bryce responded, "Yeah, I guess you couldn't have had anything like this before or when you were a kid because there was no Michelle around then!". One of a kind."

Revisiting Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberries

Last year, I toted home grocery bags of rhubarb from my Dad's garden. Pounds and pounds. This year I harvested stalks in late Spring from my own little patch. Last year I decided to roast some rhubarb with strawberries in a unique little sauce, it was a hit.

Over at my favorite community cooking site, Food52, the recipe was unearthed from the abyss of archives, tested and won a wildcard contest. Humbled. Published!

 Visit the original post or see what Food52 thinks of the recipe.

PIE DAY

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
– Michael Jordan

My house may smell sweetly of freshly baked cakes and pies but that as far as the sweetness goes sometimes. A few bad days of mine turned into weeks and now months have passed. I just scrapped cake batter off the oven floor and my head pounds from sugar. It happens. I am not sure where my mood started to go haywire or when it will end but that is the truth and the truth hurts. Deep daggers.

When life isn't as easy as we imagine, it is easy to let the burdens pile up. The negativity feeds upon its self, creating a need for more and more. A simple task can be tedious and bothersome without a positive attitude. My new job has been a healthy step in challenging my inner creativity, resolve and accountability. I enjoy most aspects of the bakery and the idea that I am helping preserve a craft. Like with anything I question what I am doing, thoughts career paths, monetary burdens and perception cloud the fact that I enjoy what I am doing. At the end of the day, I am the one that has to fall asleep with the choices I have made. It is my battle.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill

But is piles up. It is just not as easy as it seems it should be. Insecurity. It just piles up. This notion of doubt is poisonous. I doubt one thing and then I start to question my ability to love and be loved, to maintain loyal friendships and my ability in general. This has to stop.

Letting go, freeing my mind of the heavy clouds that linger in the dark corners is the light at the end of the tunnel. I am striving to do good work, in my career, in my marriage, in my friendships. I want to hold up my end, as hard as it is sometimes and however bad at it I sometimes am guilty of.

In the mean time, I will be busy baking cakes, making pies and carrying on doing the things I enjoy and finding satisfaction in the things that I must do.  These are a few photos of some pies I made for a friend, eight total, something I am very proud of executing with confidence.

Hello Kitty Cake

My aunt, my dad's sister, spoiled me as a little girl, I was even the flower girl in her wedding. I am the oldest grand child on my dad's side of the family, my aunt had kids (twins) when I was nine or so, I remember that blondie twosome fondly. Before she had kids she would have me sleep over when her husband was gone. We would watch movies, eat dessert and just hang out. I thought she was pretty cool. When she had kids I spent even more time with them, I was the perfect age to keep the kids occupied while my aunt did what she needed to do and my mom worked. Family, it is nice to have around.

My aunt knew how to decorate cakes, I think she even did her own wedding cake, maybe even my parents. She made me a birthday cake, I am sure I can dig up a photo, one of those infamous 1980's dolls cakes. A doll cake complete with Barbie from the torso up coming out of a cake that resembles  her dress. I still remember the cake. Now that I think of it, I remember a few more cakes of hers. She was good to me.

A friend ordered this cake from me for a seven year old's birthday party. I was so excited to make this cake knowing that it is going to be part of a very special day for a very special little girl, a day that she might remember when she is nearly 30. She might remember one very pink Hello Kitty cake that someone who adored her picked out just for her. 

Graduation Cake

I made it through the first few weeks at the bakery without too many mistakes and humbled by the learning curve. For the first two weeks I came home barely able to keep my eyes open and my legs under me. I was exhausted to say the least. Mistakes and blunders scattered the week as did a burnt cake reminding me to always remember to set the timers. The first cake I had to decorate was for the owner's daughter. No pressure ;) I was only able to work with butter cream and a piping bag. As with most of the cakes that I have shown you here on the site, I lean to using fondant, modeling chocolate and gum paste for most of my projects. My strong suit is not buttercream.... yet.

I dig the location, there is a great view of the San Juan Islands with day light flooding the open work area. The bakery is a recycled pizza shop and nestled in the tourist town of Fairhaven. The standards are high, the owner has created a lasting business in a rough small town economy and the community has come to expect greatness from the scratch bakery.

In the free time that I once had an excess of a few weeks ago I have been busy making cakes for some friends and family. Here is a graduation cake that I made from scratch last weekend.

More cookies in the future

I am on the eve of something new, something exciting, something challenging. I talked the talk, now I must walk the walk. I got the interview then the job. It is a challenge I know I will succeed, for life is all about setting ourselves up for success. Setting up for successes takes preparation, work and a good dose of faith then follow through. Follow through. For the love of all things beautiful, make a habit of following through. People notice. Follow through is sexier than a mini skirt or that half buttoned blouse, people notice if you are late and lazy disguised in tight clothing. I digress. Back to the job that I just might have.

A wise friend turned my husband once told me never to settle. I strive never to settle, I can always push harder, further and higher. I have been hunting hunting and hunting for a job for months upon months with rarely a spark to follow. Recently, what seemed to be the golden ticket, the saving grace fell into my lap and just as fast past through my grip. Disappointment. I reeled, waxed, waned and like a good girl shed my fair share of tears. I wondered and questioned. Within the same week of hearing the humbling, I am offering my condolences speech and the glaring fact that there are always more qualified, I was offered an interview in very different career path. A job in which my heart lies firmly in the path. I smiled with confidence as I entered the restaurant, as I gazed at the walls and peered at the employees. I can do this, I will do this, I want to do this. As of now, this is it.

As I take a dream, passion, energy and turn it into reality, I know that I am headed in the right direction. This direction may not be the paycheck of my dreams or provide income to support a family but there are other benefits (no not the health ones) and they just might be of an equal importance. I am ever grateful for my supportive husband and the encouragement that he offers me almost every step of the way.

Here is to following a passion, new challenges, new people, lots more sugar and flour and a new beginning. And cookies, always more cookies.

Orange Ricotta Cookies

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

2-½ cups ap flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons orange Juice
Large orange, zested

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and the sugar, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each one is incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, juice, and zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Once pulled from the oven, let the cool for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack.
These are best the day they are made.

 

A special day

Happy birthday John!

Wishing you only the best on your birthday and each day that passes.

May you always have a joyful song near your heart and an adventure up your sleeve.

 

your birthday comes to tell me this

--each luckiest of lucky days

i've loved, shall love, do love you, was

and will be and my birthday is

e.e. cummings

 

 

Bright Flowered Cake

I told a friend that I started to dabble in cake decoration, by that afternoon she had called me and asked if I would make a cake for class that she thought. She dubbed it "cake day" for her class.

The theme and flavor was completely my decision. I chose a Neapolitan cake, a layer of chocolate, strawberry and white with a butter cream icing. The small cake was just two layers of chocolate.

I made the flowers out of fondant and will never do that again, they were incredibly fragile and I was not able to get them as thin and smooth as I like to see. I am learning, each cake is better than the one previously.

Red Velvet Birthday Cupcakes

I had a cakery orders this week, including three dozen red velvet cup cakes. The cake recipe was from the Flour cookbook and was a winner sporting a hefty slug of buttermilk. The butter cream is my new go to recipe for all my cakes. It is a keeper as well.

 

I am just smitten that I have filled each order using home made fondant. Believe it or not the stuff is rather tasty compared to the gross store bought variety. I feel good about the product that goes out the door.

I always use organic cane sugar and organic eggs for the cake and they are ALWAYS from scratch.

 Have a great weekend and if you ever need cake you know where to find me, the caker.

All in a day's time

How does an average day for me look like? I know you are wondering...... OR you are as equally nosy as I and get a kick out of how other worlds rotate day to day.

Here is me, a Tuesday. A particular fantastic Tuesday.

No big deal.

First sight as I walk out the door, just shy of 6am. Tulips. I am glad I took the time last fall to plant hundreds of tulips and daffodils. The first step out the door I am charmed by sweet blooms of color and Spring comes into bloom.

The sun rise has a particular flare to it this morning. Being up to experience the sun rise always has a breath taking feel. I am a morning person when I mind my P's and Q's the night before. 

Our sweet little town early in the morning.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I get up at the crack of dawn and climb at our local climbing wall. I meet three of my very good friends, we climb, laugh at each other, watch and encourage as each one progresses and fantasizes about the looming summer climbing adventures together.

I love this climbing wall, I have spent countless hours here and made life long friends while playing on the plastic.

I try and run a few times a week. This morning I was feeling particularly spunky and got a few miles in and had the company of a good friend to make the time fly.
 

I usually have breakfast and coffee while thumbing through cook books or scouring Pinterest for cake inspiration.

These eyes get me every time. Every time.

 I have plans this day to meet a friend at my Dad's house on the shores of Birch Bay to dig clams. We miss the low tide. You can't win them all.

I find ways to entertain myself, like make feet with rocks. 

 

Natasha looks perfectly content walking the beach with me. Really she is desperately looking for the foulest dead sea creature to roll and mask her freshly shampooed scent.

My Dad took us for a hike in the woods across the street from his house and we looked for mushrooms together. The forest is beautiful this time of year, lush green. He knows a lot about the forest and we soak up the wealth of knowledge.

Morels grow is forested areas, usually under cotton wood trees. They are masters of disguise and like to hide in plain sight. We had fun tromping through the woods and beamed with excitement as we scurried to the mushroom that we spotted in the distance.

 Morels and fiddle heads. We are successful scavengers.

My friend just got the sweetest puppy, Zealand. Of course he went on the adventure.  He fell asleep in my arms on the walk home, big day for the little guy.

Puppy's first experience with water.  This dog is going to do it all before he is ten weeks old. 

My dad has the most incredible greenhouse anyone could dream of, overflowing with flowers and vegetables. Beautiful. We planted a few hanging baskets together.

A full day, leaving me hungry and little time to get something ready for dinner before the other half got home from work. We venture down town to one of our favorite inexpensive burrito joints, Casa Que Pasa.

Since we were close to Mallards and the fact that we consumed uncomfortably healthy dinners at a dive bar, we had ice cream to round out the days events. I love Mallards Ice Cream, I love the hot fudge sauce even more, I threaten to order a bowl of chocolate sauce and sit down with a spoon. If you come to Bellingham, you must go to Mallards.

I came home to my first bin of produce from Dandelion Organic. Fresh produce on my door step once a week. I am gladly about to up our fruit and vegetable intake by ten fold.

There it is, a day in the life. I have a wonderful life and feel blessed to have the opportunities that I do and create.