New Trick

My Bible study leader in Bowling Green suggested that I check out a bakers blog that she found.  I spent the morning learning new tricks and cool ways of putting cakes together.  After looking at everything I became inspired to try something new on a cake.  Not sure where it is going to go but I am sure we will find it a home by the end of the day today!

Spelling Error

Some volunteers in the Junior High at church asked if I would make their daughters 23rd birthday cake.  This cake was to be made pretty quickly and was an opportunity to use a different type of icing.  This cake was a new challenge that I was ready to take on.  Being so caught up  in getting the cake done and beautiful, I made a spelling error in birthday.  When I called Donna and told her about my mistake she was not worried about it at all.  When she came and saw the cake she informed me that it was not a big mistake and she was not worried about it because it was not very noticeable. 

In making this mistake this was a great learning experience in teaching me to move slowly and pay close attention to each detail.  The family was pleased with the cake and enjoyed it very much along with the servers at the restaurant. 

Sugar Free Challenge

My Aunt Katie's birthday celebration is a wonderful thing because the whole family gets together to enjoy each other through laughter and fun.  Recently my grandma has been diagnosed with diabetes.  Because of this she is unable to enjoy the normal sugar filled birthday cake.  This brought a challenge to make a separate sugar free and fat free cake for her to enjoy while everyone eats birthday cake.  Katie is also one who enjoys eating healthier and will enjoy eating a cake like this.  It is very exciting for me to make a cake that Katie will enjoy because she always puts others ahead of her own and on her birthday she should be able to enjoy something for herself! Happy Birthday Aunt Katie!!

80th Birthday Cupcakes

While on our vacation, Eric's grandpa turned 80 years old.  To celebrate my in-laws had a party to celebrate his birthday.  My mother in law asked if I would make some cupcakes for everyone to enjoy.  She asked for me to use blue and green and then the purple was added in as an extra color.  I think the colors turned out nice.  I heard that one of the cousin's ate 4 of them in the time that we were there!!  I think it would be safe to say that he left as a happy boy!

Happy Birthday Carol

This summer Eric and I joined in with his family on a vacation to Holden Beach, North Carolina.  We had a wonderful time with the family and relaxing on the beach.  During our vacation, my mother in law celebrated her birthday.  Unfortunately, her actual birthday was on the way back home.  So her birthday was spent riding in a car all day.  After spending so much time decorating cakes, I feel that it is only necessary for everyone to have a birthday cake on their birthday!  Later that week Eric and I invited his parents and sister over for dinner and I had a birthday cake waiting for Carol so that she could enjoy her very own birthday cake!

Colorful and Fun

These cupcakes were very exciting for me to do because it was something that was out of the ordinary and a new challenge to take on.  Jill Brown and I went to youth group together but did not formally connect or meet until Eric began working with the Junior High students at church, where Jill volunteers.  Jill called me with a new challenge to create cupcakes that would be very colorful and each cupcake was to be different.  She gave me the freedom to play with them and her words were, "Just have fun with them".  Jill said to have fun and be colorful so the ending product was as such. 

Later that evening, after Jill picked up the cupcakes, I received the most wonderful voice mail from Jill's mother complementing my creativity in the cupcakes.  She was so sweet and encouraging to me and she was pleased with them.  After saving the voice mail so I could listen to it when I have a bad day I realized that this is why I want to decorate cakes and cupcakes for people.  They are so happy with something that seems so small to me.  I love doing this but it seems that the receiving end is more pleased that I am.  Making people smile and enjoy something that I did for them makes the hard work so worth it!

The Schrieners

As stated in a previous blog John and Brooke Schriener were married this past June.  John and Eric have been great friends which has given Brooke and I time to get to know each other as well.  For their engagement I made cookies after John's proposal at a surprise party for Brooke.  After a proposal at Dinosaur World only dinosaur cookies would be appropriate for an occasion like this.

I had the honor and privilege to make the wedding cake for John and Brooke's wedding.  Brooke was so easy to please for this which made it a great first wedding cake for me to do.  I was so honored to be a part of their special day in this way.  Once we watched them enjoy their wedding cake, it made the hard work so worth it for me.  

As for the groom's cake, this cake was a little different.  This couple is one that we could call a household divided, same as Eric and I.  John is huge UL fan and Brooke is a huge UK fan.  Therefore, a cake symbolizing their differences was chosen to be displayed.  Due to the large amount of left over cake they are freezing this cake and saving it for next years UK vs UL game!

Ophia Showers

In light of wedding season I was asked to make a wedding shower cake for two of my sorority sisters.  I spent 3 of my years in Omega Phi Alpha and met so many wonderful girls.  I was honored to be able to make a cake for these girls because the three of us spent many hours together in OPA. 

This cake, I thought, was going to be a little difficult to make because these girls have different looks for their wedding.  One was doing a baseball theme while the other was using burlap and daisies. Both weddings were beautiful but being so different, I found it a challenge that I was willing to take on.  After completing this cake Eric said that he thought this one was one of the best so far!

This cake was a success with all of the sisters that were able to make it to the shower.  This was another cake that successfully made a long distance trip from Louisville to Bowling Green!  It was a relief to arrive in Bowling Green all in one piece and not collapsed!

Hannah's 16th Birthday

My little sister Hannah turned 16 years old in May.  In celebration of this big day she wanted to have a karaoke party.  Hannah loves music and enjoys to rock out.  Only a guitar cake would be appropriate for a party such as this.  I wanted to make sure that I made the cake to her liking by only using colors that she loves and cake flavors that are her favorite.  One half of the cake is done in strawberry and vanilla flavors, the other half is completed with rice crispy treats. 

This cake was such a frustration to make because I wanted it to be perfect but the end product did turn out to be pretty good.  I had some wonderful help from my mom, mother in law and sister in law to finish this which was a wonderful treat.  We were able to enjoy company and learn how to create such a crazy cake! 

One of my favorite parts of this cake is the 16th notes that surround the cake.  All of the kids loved the look of the cake and I was so pleased that I could do something for Hannah on such a big day!

A WKU Graduate

After four long and hard years as a Biology major and Chemistry minor, Eric finally became a college graduate!  We were pleased to have a large part of the family join us to celebrate from E-town, Louisville, and Lexington.  Before graduation that evening, the family drove in and I was able to put together a meal for us to have in our apartment before we moved.  Although the space was very tight, it was a joy to have everyone together to celebrate.

And what kind of celebration would this be without a BIG RED cake?!

Wedding Showers

As students, Eric and I attended Richpond Baptist Church where we were blessed to meet so many wonderful people.  We were also blessed with friends getting engaged and married during our time there.  Two of the couples from Richpond were engaged and I was asked to create the desserts for these showers.  Josh and Alyna Bloecher were the first to have a wedding shower at the church.  Alyna chose to use blue, yellow and green in here wedding so I decided to make a cake with these colors for her as well. 

The second couple to celebrate at the church was John and Brooke Schriener.  John has been a great friend to Eric for many years.  John and Brooke met during our time at WKU and were married this past June.  To celebrate their wedding shower Pink roses on cupcakes were chosen as the dessert.  This was convenient because the Kentucky Derby was the same day and the leftover cupcakes were taken to Brooke's house for a party later that evening.

Elementary Education

My major at WKU is Elementary Education.  If you don't know anything about the education program at this school one thing to note is that it is a large amount of work and some things within that are not very exciting.  A few of these assignments that are long and tedious are the Teacher Work Samples and the KTIPs. 

As an extra credit assignment our class could design a fun way to display the Teacher Work Sample and KTIP assignments to share with the class.  What would be better than to create a cake as an extra credit assignment?!

The final extra credit recipe was as follows:

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of contextual factors

6 Sprinkles of Student Characteristics

2 drops of Learning Goals

10 teaspoons of assessment

2 Handfuls of standards addressed

3 KTIP garnish

1. In a large document add in contextual factors and student characteristics.  Stir together with general school information. 
2. Add in 2 drops of learning goals and 10 teaspoons of assessment.  Mix with 2 handfuls of standards addressed.
3. Add in a squirt of Blooms taxonomy and give 5 giant stirs of design instruction.
4. Bake for 2 instructional strategies.
5. When finished add a garnish of three KTIPS.

Happy 22nd Birthday Eric

My wonderful husband turned 22 years old this year and I wanted to be a good wife and make him a cake that he really would enjoy.  When processing the options for making this perfect birthday cake for Eric only one thing came to mind...Batman!  Eric has always loved Batman and on his 22nd birthday the two of us and his family enjoyed eating his Batman cake with a Batman candle to top it off!

CRU Cupcakes

Throughout our WKU experience, Eric and I were active in Campus Crusade for Christ.  During the semester CRU would have different parties on Thursday nights for students to gather together and enjoy each others company.  In a gathering of a large amount of college students there must be food of any kind present.  What would a college party be without cupcakes to enjoy?!

Superbowl XLV

When Eric and I started at WKU I began to get to know his guy friends much better.  In spending time with these boys I noticed that the amount of food intake that they have during the day is significantly more that myself and my girlfriends.  If Jessica is cooking the guys will be over to lick their plates.  Since beginning my decorating cookies and cakes the guys have enjoyed the taste of what I bring more so than the actual look of the cake.  In celebration of the Superbowl 45 at the guys house this was the treat they enjoyed...

Cake Class

Cake Classes begin and the first weeks assignment is to learn the different tips and how to hold your icing bag correctly.  After many mistakes and hand cramps the understanding and excitement of decorating began to take place.   

And the first cake decorating assignment...Fishy Business

This cake was particularly difficult at first even though there was a picture located in the student hand book.  Although it may look easy...as a second cake ever made, this one was difficult.

Second cake assignment...Rough Roses

Although these roses may look beautiful on cakes, they are not so easy without a steady hand!  A steady hand is key in creating a beautiful butter-cream rose!  After practicing many many roses they began to look better and better. 

First Cake...Grandma's Birthday

Mamaw's 76 birthday was this year and to celebrate her big day I had the opportunity to create her birthday cake!  This was my first cake creation and I wanted to do something that was full of color and would not be really difficult (being so new to the cake world).

I decided that I would use fondant because I had not had much experience with butter-cream icing.  After playing around with cookie cutters, fondant and powered sugar for several hours this became the completed product.

It seemed to be a hit with the family and somehow made the travel safely from Bowling Green to Louisville!  
 

Let the Cake Blogging Begin...

Over the past few months I have taken a new journey to explore the means of cake decorating.  Since my first decorating course in May 2011 I have fallen in love with decorating cakes and making another person smile by the fun designs that they see.  As a soon to be graduate of WKU I have decided to continue my cake decorating as an on the side hobby that can be done along with my teaching. 

I have now taken the advice of friends to set up a blog to show the creations that I have made thus far and those that will be made in the future.  I will soon post prices and contact information. 

Hope you enjoy what you see!!  Try to not get to hungry!!