The Creative Challenge

As I look back over 2012, and all I was blessed to be able to create,  it very clear to me it was a HUGE learning curve of a year! NEVER in my now 21 years of creating cakes have I been asked to do so many challenging cakes!  My primary resume of experience resides mostly in pastry and wedding cakes. When it comes to sculpting and 3D designs, I literally have no experience.  But I love how God knows our desire to become "better" even when don't know how it would happen. It humbles me greatly that my customers have so much confidence in me when they come to order,they believe and trust that I can "deliver" their special cake! These designs i have posted here are they ones that kept me up at nights, STRESSING, worrying..  can I really do them? Now don't get me wrong, they are FAR from perfect and I cant wait to look back some day and them and see how much I have evolved..but I am truly grateful, every day that I get to wake up and do what I love and have the challenge to get better at it!

Has me thinking... Shouldn't we be like that in all areas of out lives? Shouldn't we take the challenging circumstances that God puts before us as  opportunities to become more of the person He has created us to be? I think so! So 2013, bring on the creative challenges, I will stress, but only become stronger because of it! :)

New year, new adventures!

Welcome 2013! I am so excited about this year, Im not even sure why. I guess 2012 was such amazing year for me personally that I feel like it was just the beginning of Gods promises coming to pass. I want to start blogging again, I want to share some of my cake adventures, and my personal journey of starting my cake business. So much that has happened.. in 1 year! Blows me away and its ALWAYS a learning adventure. No matter how much you THINK you know..you are sure to see that its not as much as you NEED to know. Isn't that true with everything in life though? I want to post pictures of my cakes,share things I've learned, and just have fun! I have no idea really how to blog...so its gonna be another learning curve for me! Hope it will bring a smile, encouragement, and even inspiration!

Emma turns 9
I know is sounds shallow, but what would I of done, if I didn"t have a girl? I know many women who did not have girls, and are fine with it. For me, having a girl makes me feel complete. There are the silly reasons..but there are the "deeper" reasons too!

For all the silly reasons I love having a daughter..birthdays are one! I love the feeling of being a little girl again, and being all excited about the neat things that make a birthdays fun and memorable. This year Emma wanted a Hello Kitty theme, and I could NOT deny that one. I had a love for her as a child, and I could not pass on the fun of making all neat Hello Kitty details. The cake, the cake pops, gift bags, pink..pink..and more pink! I wonder how many more years I will get to do PINK for Emma..until she decides she doesnt like it anymore? Well, for now she still likes it, and Im all happy inside..the little girl inside is, I mean!

Inspired..Finally!

Its Funny how this summer has slipped right on by..not sure where I was. I have actually gone through the whole summer without having a SINGLE URG to bake or cook something! To be honest, I have tried to figure out sneaky ways to NOT COOK. That is so not me..I am always looking for for a recipe to experiment with. In all the seasons, I am usually inspired..but it came real late for summer. I blame it on the intense heat and humity that started way too early..and the last thing I wanna do is heat up the kitchen more!
My husband inspired me the other day. He bought all this corn on the cobb and grilled it all up for us to eat. It was YUMMY! I mean I wanted to eat all of it. Fresh, sweet corn, takes me back to being a kid again. My father would grow 1/2 acre of corn, and we would harvest it in August,and it would be a corn feast almost every night for about 2 weeks. We never complained..it was a treat.
Compliments to my good friend, who suggested this corn chowder recipe. She was right, its YUMMY, and yes so easy. You can make this with frozen corn, but WHY? when it is so much better this time of year with fresh corn.
So husk some corn, and get the pot out and make a summer time chowder for dinner. A nice salad and crusty bread make this so complete. Oh, ok..a trip to Dairy Queen after would make it Totally complete! hee hee~
ENJOY!
Corn Chowder
1# mild sausage
1 cup fine dice onion
3 cups, med dice red potatoes
2 cans chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp oregano
1 can cream corn
3-4 large cobs of corn
1 can evaporates milk
1. Cook sausage and onion until meat is brown, drain off some of the fat.
2. Add potatoes, broth, corn on the cob, spices and can of cream of corn. Put lid on and cook 20-25 minutes. Take out cobs and carefully cut corn off cob ( use a towel to hold corn while you cut) and put that corn back in pot.
3. Add evaporated milk, and taste to see if you need to season more.
Turn heat off, or on low after you add milk. ITS DONE!

Simple pleasures

SIMPLE~
What to do you think of when you hear that word? I think it has one definition, and yet it can mean different things to different people. For me, the thought that always came to mind was BORING! I have never thought of myself as simple..my mind thinks detail all the time, never stopping. Its exhausting, when ya think of it.. I need to view simple differently.

I have come to believe that God delights in us being simple. He can create people to have detailed minds, but you can use the detail in a simple matter. I know..where am I going with this, right? Well,I am under the conviction that we are so caught up the rat race of existing, that we dont ever slow down to enjoy all the SIMPLE things God has given us that really bring joy. It has been something that God has been speaking more and more to me about lately. Why do I waste so much mental energy of worry, fear and trying to make things happen..that I miss what is free and a gift right in front of me? How wonderful to sit and relax in the hammock and listen to the birds sing, walks in the neighborhood to admire other people beautiful landscapes, packing picnic lunches and going to the park and watch the geese, and the see the butterflys. My favorite lately is sitting and having tea and a cookie with my kids. We just sit and sip on tea..and talk, talk about random things. Tea has a way of relaxing you..has a soothing affect on ones mind. Now, I wont lie, I love having a fancy mug or cup..but the kids arent really concerned about that. They just like the fact that mom has slowed down long enough to just sit and reflect with them.

I was blessed to have special friends come and visit me last month. Well, when you come to see me..yes, you will have tea. I did not know that for a few of my my little guests, they had never had tea time. So it was fun to share with them. They did not care for tea...but hey, lemonade works just as good in a tea cup! I decided to not over do the tea time..take it easy..SIMPLIFY! The thought hurts me for a moment, but I must make the life change, so I make chicken salad, egg salad and scones. Ya know what? I didnt miss all the extras I usually do. I enjoyed it just as much and I know my little guests enjoyed it too. ( I even got a hug from one of them after:) ) I did the table in my holiday fare, pretty, colorful, but simple!It does work! Yeah!

So..today..do something SIMPLE and see how enjoyable it can be. For those of you who do simple well..God bless you, its a gift! Encourage someone in your life that isnt "simple" to become more of it! I know God smiles when we "stop to smell the roses!"

Taste of Spring

For every hobby or career, there is always someone who is considered most qualified at it. It might even be one whom you could "idolize" for being so successful at it. I mean of you sing or play an instrument, that would be various artists. In our house, my 8 year old thinks she needs to aspire to be like Taylor Swift..(then again what woman wouldnt want to be! )

Well, for me I have always followed the culinary world of "leaders." I have always loved Martha Stewart..since I was a teenager. I mean I lOVED how she did everything with great detail and did everything with "the finest ingredients" and made it from scratch. I was a true follower. But I got news people..I have a new hospitality hero..her name is SANDRA LEE! Ok..she "rocks" people! I mean she has brought the same wonderful elliments to cooking, baking and entertainment..but without loosing your mind doing it! If you do not know who she is..she is aired on Food TV, and has several cook books out. But my most favorite is her magazine called Semi homemade with SANDRA LEE. It is a wonderful read and it makes you believe you CAN make things that pretty! So, in the excitement of spring...I have tried one of her cookie recipes that sounded yummy. You all will love them! They taste like lemonade sugar cookies and they "wake" up your taste buds! You can make them as pretty as you want, use any kind of cookie cutter. I used a flower shape. Tint the icing if you'd like and I added sugar flakes and a icing flower. They will be fun to make for Easter too. So This is a definate Debbie recommends! Let me know if you try them and like! Happy Spring!

Lemonade Sugar Cookies:

1 cup soft butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup pink lemonade drink mix

2 eggs

2 tsps lemon zest

6 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

Icing:

3 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons soft butter

6 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed.

1. Cream butter , sugar and lemonade mix, beat until fluffy, add eggs.

2. Sift all dry ingredients and add to mix. At the end, fold in sour cream.

3. Chill few hours, then roll out and cut shaped cookies.

4. Bake 350, approx 10 minutes.

5. Cool, cookies and ice as desired.

ICING:

Blend all ingredients together until fluffy.

Out of every difficult time in our lives, there is always a choice we must make. Do we let it take away something from us, or do we see it as an opportunity to greatness? I guess the real question to ask is: Are we going to be a stronger person because of it? I would like to say that is always the case for me. I mean I know all things happen for a reason and I trust God to direct the path in my life. Sadly enough, no I dont always turn the bad and turn it into good...guess Im human, huh? Well, I have decided that its time to stop being pitiful, and just find the ME that I know is still lurking around somewhere. You see I have had a gradual loss of the things I have always been passionate about since I moved 4 years ago. You must know that since I was a teenager, I had to make beautiful food. Pastry, cake, salads, dinner entrees and even drinks! I have always had a heart for entertaining, nothing excites me more! The planning process is so much fun! I love to think of a theme to do the whole menu in. I love to have everything be an experience for my guests. I put lots on love in it, and I enjoy to see it received with smiling faces, and happy bellies!

This blog spot is an attempt to bring back the girl that creates, experiments and expresses the gift God has given. This by no means is my idea...me blog, kinda funny huh? My God has a sense of humor for sure and I hope this will be a neat journey that can be enjoyed by many!

The "plan" is to post ideas and pictures of things that people can experiment with and have fun with too. I love to inspire people to not be afraid of the kitchen, and to find the enjoyment out of entertaining and cooking/baking. I also want to experiment with cake ideas. I have so many techniques I want to do..so you can see how to do them with me.

May God be glorified as I do this "crazy" thing...and start sharing again. Its gonna be fun!