Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Ta-Da! or, My Cake Project

As those of you who have been following my blog, I'm venturing into new and unknown territory this year, all in the name of not being the hermit everyone accuses me of being. Yoga. Cake decorating. And I have to say, I'm so very glad I have.

And, as promised, I'm posting photos of my "grand finale" cake. Now to truly appreciate this miracle, you must check my past blog featuring the "birthday blob."

First, this cake uses Royal frosting for flowers -- that's the stuff that they make the stick on letters and candle holders that you find in the baking aisle in every grocery store. When set, it's very hard. So the Sunday before our final class, my daughter (heretofore referred to as Skinny Me, you'll see why when you see her photo) and I embarked upon flower making.








Dear lord in heaven, I never thought I'd get all of the mess cleaned up.



While we were creating our beautiful spring gardens, our cakes were in the oven. Let me say, I have never in all of my years of cooking (and I do like to cook, even though my cake expertise says otherwise), had a cake fall in the oven. Sunday was my first. One layer came out looking like a sagging mattress used by a hippo. I was ready to scrap the thing (ie. eat it) and bake a new one. But Skinny Me had faith that it could be salvaged. She got out her cake leveler (a wonderful tool that, had I know about it, just might have saved me years of embarrassment). My cake turned out kinda short, but who would have known it was initially a disaster. Ready?

Ta-da!






Can you believe it??










Now here's Skinny Me's


Of course, no one will eat either of them because they don't want to "ruin" them. We may still have these things sitting around when I'm 90.

Might be just as well, I'm not sure what mine will taste like, might be kinda rubbery since it collapsed!


We've committed to Class 3. Stay tuned for tier cakes and fondant!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Life in the Fast Lane?

Really? Fast lane? That's hardly how I see my life. But lately I seem to be meeting myself coming and going. So here's an update from my previous blogs:

I had a great brainstorming week with my writer buddy Karen White (The Lost Hours and The Girl on Legare Street -- FYI pronounced Legree Street) a few weeks ago. We worked out a few kinks (and added a few intended ones) to my current work in progress. We also brainstormed two books for her. I can't wait to read them!

I'm still dithering on a title for my newest project, but I'm leaning toward The Last Good Man.

Yoga class (ultra-beginners) is going well for both me and my mom. We still spend a lot of time laughing at ourselves. Let's just say ridiculously bad balance must be inherited. But always walk out of there feeling so much better and with more energy. You'd think that increased energy would make me more productive. Ha!

Cake class. Hummm, what can I say about cake class? I love the woman teaching it, she has such a wry sense of humor. I get to spend an evening with my daughter, always a plus. Just wish we'd been able to get my daughter-in-law to join us! This session we're only making one cake, instead of one a week. Good thing 'cause my jeans are getting way too tight. We're making flowers out of Royal Frosting (it's the kind that turns nearly rock hard when dried). The last week of class we're supposed to assemble all of our flowers on a "Grand Finale" cake. I'm sure y'all can't wait for that photo. I promise I'll post it, no matter how pathetic it is. I'll also post my daughter's so you'll be able to see what it's supposed to look like.

My book signing that benefited Best Buddies was such a success, I'm doing another benefit signing -- even did a little TV interview about it! Tomorrow I'm having a signing at a great little boutique shop in Noblesville called The Linden Tree. The shop owner and I are donating a percentage of my book sales as well as store merchandise sales to the Noblesville Education Foundation. With budget cutbacks, the teachers can use all of the help we can give them!

Today, the sun is shining -- such a wonderful sight after the long dismal winter we've experienced. I'm headed out to prune my knock-out roses and pick up what will probably be a truckload of sticks and limbs that the winter battered off our trees. I'd better get to it, winter is due back in town by Monday. Sigh.

The good news is I have managed to keep my feet in matching footwear.

Until next time,
Susan