tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34969003839132220402024-03-05T12:33:25.625-05:00Cake BlockedHurdling obstacles on my journey into the world of CAKE!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-40209771122984738902013-01-20T23:41:00.000-05:002013-01-20T23:41:19.242-05:00Silent SundaySome of my newest creations!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-26171313273713854032012-09-25T09:53:00.000-04:002012-09-25T09:53:30.994-04:00Why, oh why?So many things have happened since we last talked (read, wrote, you know what I mean). The Georgia Department of Agriculture finally passed the Cottage Food Law....YAY!!!!!!! Here's a link to the regulations....<br />
<a href="http://agr.georgia.gov/cottage-foods.aspx" target="_blank">Cottage Foods</a><br />
Click here for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaCottageFoodLaw?ref=ts" target="_blank">Georgia Cottage Food facebook page</a> . <br />
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Such a big step for Georgia bakers. This will seriously help out so many people who may not have been able to legally start their own businesses, which in turn will create revenue for the state. So many positives across the board. I absolutely love to read about the bakers who have already passed their kitchen inspections and are on their way. For me, well I've come to another brick wall. I live in Gwinnett Co, one of the largest counties in the state (second largest behind Fulton for population), and at this point in time the Water & Sewerage Dept will not allow a home-based food business in a residential area. Why? In order to have a food business, they require you to have a 1500 gallon (YES, you read that right) grease trap on site. That grease trap would have to be flushed regularly, meaning big trucks, nasty hoses, etc. So basically they won't even give me the time of day because I don't have this. <br />
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I spent most of the day yesterday doing research, making phone calls, waiting on return calls (which btw never happened), and hoping for some positive news. I spoke with "the guy with all the answers" at the Water & Sewerage Dept. He hated to be the barer of bad news, but he basically said there was nothing I could do. <br />
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Now, let me run this by you.... their main reason for this was because any grease put down a drain can start to cause buildup and thus back up the sewage into neighborhoods. Several years ago, there was a big problem with the water and Gwinnett was able to come up with a solution for theirs. This has created even more strict regulations from the top down at the water dept. Apparently some of the other big counties (Dekalb & Fulton) have some pretty bad problems and will eventually have to change their regulations as well. So....with all of the "underground bakers" across the county making cakes to supplement income that may or may not already put any grease down the drain, will it make any difference at all if the water dept does allow this Cottage Food Law? And there are limitations already on what you can even produce under the Cottage Food Law. We're talking things like cakes, fruit pies, cookies, pastries. You can't make anything that is considered perishable and needs refrigeration. No cream cheese frostings, cheesecakes, cream pies, etc. So how much "grease" would you really put down the drain? For me, any leftover frosting gets scraped in the trash. And I use disposable pastry bags because I really dislike washing them. We're talking MINIMAL amounts of grease, if any. No more than your average meal cooked at home for your family.<br />
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AND....the state of Georgia allows certain items to be produced and sold at state operated farmers' markets. Hence the reason I chose to participate in the Snellville Farmers' Market this summer. Which btw was a lot of fun! As long as you individually package your items and label them with ingredients, allergen information, and contact information, you were able to sell their approved list of items WITHOUT having a business license OR contacting the water dept for approval. So if a baker is allowed to participate in farmers' markets without pre-approval from the water dept, why won't they allow a variance for the Cottage Food Law? <br />
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Sara Rylander spoke up and made a change for the future of small business bakers across the state. Now it's time to help my fellow Gwinnett bakers get their businesses going. Spread the word, share your stories, talk to the media, etc. We can do this!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-87120482833996576782012-08-09T11:10:00.000-04:002012-08-09T11:10:59.884-04:00Seriously, where did the summer go?!?!<br />
I know! We're thinking the same thing! Seriously, where did the summer go???<br />
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It's been almost 2 months since my last entry. Time sure does slip away from us, doesn't it?<br />
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Well, let's see. So much has happened. I'll try to recap without boring you to tears.<br />
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Farmers' Market has been consistently successful. We have several people that stop by weekly to get cupcakes. LOVE that! And of course we hear about it when we're not at the market. Very, very thankful to those that have continued to support SDC. I love that the market is over at noon so I can get back to regularly scheduled weekend fun (although Fridays are a bit overwhelming at times). <br />
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Here are some fun pics of market stuff...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gPIouGL8joX3oA31J66-6mA_VtS3evwVrcqHJ35VcN61C6PKBNs-NPMGgAuTLuYuoFj-DdHRUW9cNr84YrF_szOvRVc_m93XC4OCDlcNM4IZgIPDRMDSZyIfxCumTbldQmtsNEeopNw/s1600/sand+bucket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gPIouGL8joX3oA31J66-6mA_VtS3evwVrcqHJ35VcN61C6PKBNs-NPMGgAuTLuYuoFj-DdHRUW9cNr84YrF_szOvRVc_m93XC4OCDlcNM4IZgIPDRMDSZyIfxCumTbldQmtsNEeopNw/s200/sand+bucket.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Bucket Cupcakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_NzXazBGL88CVRDc1oej3GG__T0mTveZwcUf7KIlyFjCv1k_1JKv13JKsrcZFOO2qvZJIxEtgoOLvvU2IKekvBUraQIMt-1CkzHPevV7ku46IzB1AjcHhUu2yKwV4ur0uhkBmAEy-3U/s1600/smores+cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_NzXazBGL88CVRDc1oej3GG__T0mTveZwcUf7KIlyFjCv1k_1JKv13JKsrcZFOO2qvZJIxEtgoOLvvU2IKekvBUraQIMt-1CkzHPevV7ku46IzB1AjcHhUu2yKwV4ur0uhkBmAEy-3U/s200/smores+cookie.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S'mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y_SKGJcTQvYSejaUBf2iLvtzDKZEnZ8Xd9mzRQ68nDzoH92uze8crFbT_YnW6nj243IZjEmO1TB__Q0gki5QB5zygq1eXIW8ir2PXfRudnM-bVK3__tEhnQXL0csbaE5YluP3l4MuvA/s1600/sundae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y_SKGJcTQvYSejaUBf2iLvtzDKZEnZ8Xd9mzRQ68nDzoH92uze8crFbT_YnW6nj243IZjEmO1TB__Q0gki5QB5zygq1eXIW8ir2PXfRudnM-bVK3__tEhnQXL0csbaE5YluP3l4MuvA/s320/sundae.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sundae" Cupakes</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge27Hq74mEwHxyxUvHTcTk5YOI6ShM15MrmxcpJPoAFzlOzGIPRltEO4crKDlfkQI8Lo5VEApYNZFWxkPRErF_Y3P3LQAQBaS1wKZoNkO9DXf_cCamFJ8WlItvoIHCBZjyUD5nspc1FAc/s1600/summer+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge27Hq74mEwHxyxUvHTcTk5YOI6ShM15MrmxcpJPoAFzlOzGIPRltEO4crKDlfkQI8Lo5VEApYNZFWxkPRErF_Y3P3LQAQBaS1wKZoNkO9DXf_cCamFJ8WlItvoIHCBZjyUD5nspc1FAc/s320/summer+cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And, we've had two big birthdays this summer....my littlest man turned
the big 4!! Yep, hard to believe. They grow up so fast! His party was
FANTASTIC, if I do say so myself. And our friends are STILL talking
about it. I created a drive-in theater, complete with snacks, cars for
the kids to sit in, and a movie of course. Best idea I've had yet! The
kids actually sat in their cars with their snacks for an ENTIRE
movie!!! Can you believe that? The parents actually had a chance to
sit, relax, and chat. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdQfj5nlbWmjzAzdbL6TH0aMfHYZGsj_g-O2RChIyPTSBBMWGeNwnIZEd_Hdc1qyF9upTpsKeQ1J2D5L0ot46jRfOn0GbuUkrFnhEemKxJJIc7Tmz8krK3LvOQBNpUzfVApUiJkMZalY/s1600/cullen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdQfj5nlbWmjzAzdbL6TH0aMfHYZGsj_g-O2RChIyPTSBBMWGeNwnIZEd_Hdc1qyF9upTpsKeQ1J2D5L0ot46jRfOn0GbuUkrFnhEemKxJJIc7Tmz8krK3LvOQBNpUzfVApUiJkMZalY/s200/cullen1.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We set up a photo booth with props for all of the kids!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" 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style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL1UYyFAIK53QwJLBW0-b6RBtJjzCCv5tjJv2gr_qa583XHHxDWlqHf1LeNdDp34iwpQQez1jyeNZZpfYXZgSAYpPgABAbpmAB39TEcMpNplT-x-rLqOen21pV7LvAF8o2rr2K2-yXOM/s1600/cullen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL1UYyFAIK53QwJLBW0-b6RBtJjzCCv5tjJv2gr_qa583XHHxDWlqHf1LeNdDp34iwpQQez1jyeNZZpfYXZgSAYpPgABAbpmAB39TEcMpNplT-x-rLqOen21pV7LvAF8o2rr2K2-yXOM/s200/cullen2.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birthday boy in his car!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3OXR2I_dDEQ3-BheHPCPlC55MtU07CBRcaFXvX_ADnD1ULtDzKFqswZWRdrU27xRQrItAfJnN8EH9S1qgVB4Ro1Gk4KC0Y1g_EHMY4ZpxcdJxnAJhjnCxIuZoZs4jWY-vtI1LPPxzGM/s1600/cullen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3OXR2I_dDEQ3-BheHPCPlC55MtU07CBRcaFXvX_ADnD1ULtDzKFqswZWRdrU27xRQrItAfJnN8EH9S1qgVB4Ro1Gk4KC0Y1g_EHMY4ZpxcdJxnAJhjnCxIuZoZs4jWY-vtI1LPPxzGM/s320/cullen3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The favors...a take home movie night with redbox gift certificate!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCet3p8FXbJ255Tp89HUqRUpC8PyvbYNeohZsBLZnHPBjFv_A0JR2A2hhJWBToTdFVJwV_Dq6_YY3ndZqmaRJ2oNEUirbDpZ1VmkqZ0ZaRfk3rewE-XA-uHTgJUJRonTIOVlDfOXARwg/s1600/cullen4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCet3p8FXbJ255Tp89HUqRUpC8PyvbYNeohZsBLZnHPBjFv_A0JR2A2hhJWBToTdFVJwV_Dq6_YY3ndZqmaRJ2oNEUirbDpZ1VmkqZ0ZaRfk3rewE-XA-uHTgJUJRonTIOVlDfOXARwg/s640/cullen4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The concession stand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHBQn5VS0UqZhXlzONC70zqBvSWxpQBe-mWlrTloZjH2RWkHkkYH5w096Fc0H7LiG8i0RvdkUP8juZzGLHq_0x7a3Audql78_PGL7-MSe9RFqFOqWOif6U_q2pI0Cnod7rYooOyNmuvQ/s1600/cullen5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHBQn5VS0UqZhXlzONC70zqBvSWxpQBe-mWlrTloZjH2RWkHkkYH5w096Fc0H7LiG8i0RvdkUP8juZzGLHq_0x7a3Audql78_PGL7-MSe9RFqFOqWOif6U_q2pI0Cnod7rYooOyNmuvQ/s320/cullen5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the kids got so comfy in their cars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKXG4_c1KhdJkVzQMcAA9rMPANn0OBNdI8g_5XgNF7biRmfBO6UxxQ2KND9Iu41OXEoXVzoxGTvCU8AIPy5iAfYpegGsjbRoUD2L9U4PZ95G3QOm2jxP0qJbJ4YUPzEwaOYIKSLueHbA/s1600/popcorn+cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKXG4_c1KhdJkVzQMcAA9rMPANn0OBNdI8g_5XgNF7biRmfBO6UxxQ2KND9Iu41OXEoXVzoxGTvCU8AIPy5iAfYpegGsjbRoUD2L9U4PZ95G3QOm2jxP0qJbJ4YUPzEwaOYIKSLueHbA/s320/popcorn+cupcakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Popcorn" Cupcakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And, yes, I turned 30 this summer. Yep, the big 3-0....THIRTY! Me?!?! Whew....hard to say. It's true. I threw myself an extraordinary party inspired by the great Jimmy Buffett. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTytayufoV6iO7Sn6A9kPlo3WqoKPllDVXK41aR0ubQ91B7p358y-pRYJg0AFKp_MALQ8tugAP0lGcGKoGAF1V9j3HNmbCvhO44NnZlWoWcNVje8mzGYlIXGTuLUiaSwSFFCdbM14WQt4/s1600/jenn1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTytayufoV6iO7Sn6A9kPlo3WqoKPllDVXK41aR0ubQ91B7p358y-pRYJg0AFKp_MALQ8tugAP0lGcGKoGAF1V9j3HNmbCvhO44NnZlWoWcNVje8mzGYlIXGTuLUiaSwSFFCdbM14WQt4/s320/jenn1.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiki bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP4fWPLTNo6xYqeMGAQQrHYQBRz3xGTt4v4kgFTHFzP-aUMyWMnjaKQOT2QBMhnFjwdPjvxl6-JqhQ8zBlyDHKBbL1N6iJ6ldtKNcGuujExqPU2QXg5VxOe4ylm1WJsNE6EI6u0S3dWQ/s1600/jenn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP4fWPLTNo6xYqeMGAQQrHYQBRz3xGTt4v4kgFTHFzP-aUMyWMnjaKQOT2QBMhnFjwdPjvxl6-JqhQ8zBlyDHKBbL1N6iJ6ldtKNcGuujExqPU2QXg5VxOe4ylm1WJsNE6EI6u0S3dWQ/s320/jenn2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpi-58r1tlpHxlm_OMmSKQyik47kFg8E4mWjOAjEvjymry9iF0hVYOL50EuE8OPIVcXoWSNywzKDJ2bsmRzLf2ZLU0KYxIapXbPYlpVxcSv6dH-PSBz_xbz-olaMmyFhfwSdPV6Kdqv9s/s1600/jenn3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpi-58r1tlpHxlm_OMmSKQyik47kFg8E4mWjOAjEvjymry9iF0hVYOL50EuE8OPIVcXoWSNywzKDJ2bsmRzLf2ZLU0KYxIapXbPYlpVxcSv6dH-PSBz_xbz-olaMmyFhfwSdPV6Kdqv9s/s320/jenn3.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil Station (All those tourists covered with oil!)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMYol_58juow45ekr7Wg0d-hNlMXquWCdmxSVju20MqC9W4G5vZ-Y_1uE3o4meXe9_7XVnas8XG4zCiS-lMSryyNRPYbZ-ep0O3US_wDrq942qWoQ_6_Bibi-4Zh0b7vgSObki7DSnNQ/s1600/jenn4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMYol_58juow45ekr7Wg0d-hNlMXquWCdmxSVju20MqC9W4G5vZ-Y_1uE3o4meXe9_7XVnas8XG4zCiS-lMSryyNRPYbZ-ep0O3US_wDrq942qWoQ_6_Bibi-4Zh0b7vgSObki7DSnNQ/s320/jenn4.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wastin' away again in Margaritaville Cupcakes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QQo7Rkyu8KfkTZ7_amyDq2vdSr_qXM_7g_shIj5mTQt2MluBJ5Va7sLGzdjlpJaoDFnHVgUvRgpLeQavRXJs_hvMn8hACjO6LY1SAHuDDlTmzNK4UBpzLDmUckIbr0MfsSIivFpvSQM/s1600/jenn7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QQo7Rkyu8KfkTZ7_amyDq2vdSr_qXM_7g_shIj5mTQt2MluBJ5Va7sLGzdjlpJaoDFnHVgUvRgpLeQavRXJs_hvMn8hACjO6LY1SAHuDDlTmzNK4UBpzLDmUckIbr0MfsSIivFpvSQM/s320/jenn7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The food table- each item had a reference to a Buffett song!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjcmBh1F6ZY9oXJjpfKOtFCS8dCZ2IBNxWNPT9tG1rOl0j0BD7XZvgGWzG1w7wpORPnDUiBYoc_pBN1VkvezU91vyOppdtfxbycVqJeS2Ss-IPKffsXvrsMPZFmNQjSb9OMoV1kspLAI/s1600/jenn8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjcmBh1F6ZY9oXJjpfKOtFCS8dCZ2IBNxWNPT9tG1rOl0j0BD7XZvgGWzG1w7wpORPnDUiBYoc_pBN1VkvezU91vyOppdtfxbycVqJeS2Ss-IPKffsXvrsMPZFmNQjSb9OMoV1kspLAI/s320/jenn8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course we used the photo booth as well....</td></tr>
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Ya know, if the whole cake thing doesn't work out...perhaps I could go into the party planning business. ;)<br />
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So, what's going on with the business side of me? The Dept of Agriculture posted the regulations for the cottage food law in July and opened a 30 day commentary period allowing people to write in and share why they think this would be beneficial or not to our state. Well, the 30 day period is over, and still no word on what the outcome will be. We are anxiously awaiting some news about it. Until then, we have a few more weeks scheduled at the farmers' market and will keep trucking along!<br />
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Some other projects this summer...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidB0-2tlgIHhM4kSuHodo7x-Se65uNBe-iV5RU7NpjWZTWrszLcfFlf6uzBbJ8LxJORcZYT6-UHqVcK7oDg1UBbD6AARh-_7D-kpcNLHB0SjAczX25cCdemls96kDm9SH-ijZoqzetPkQ/s1600/katys+cupcakes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidB0-2tlgIHhM4kSuHodo7x-Se65uNBe-iV5RU7NpjWZTWrszLcfFlf6uzBbJ8LxJORcZYT6-UHqVcK7oDg1UBbD6AARh-_7D-kpcNLHB0SjAczX25cCdemls96kDm9SH-ijZoqzetPkQ/s320/katys+cupcakes2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ Grill/Tailgating Cupcakes</td></tr>
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What about you? What have you been up to? How did you spend your summer???Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-33403879352358482892012-06-19T15:08:00.000-04:002012-06-19T15:08:21.301-04:00Market UpdatesSo, summer has finally set in. The weather has been strangely mild so far, although today felt like a heatwave came through. It is always a big adjustment for the first few weeks of summer... I have both boys AND the hubby home with me everyday, which can make for a hard time getting work done....thus is why I haven't updated my blog in some time. I started the Snellville Farmers' Market a few weeks ago and have been very welcomed by the community. Both weekends we nearly sold out of treats!!! I've featured an array of sweets, from Maple Bacon Cupcakes, to S'mores Stuffed Cookies and Chocolate Overload Push Ups. I picked up a box of peaches from Pearson Farms to make peach preserves that I served with samples of cream cheese poundcake and also used them in peach cobbler cupcakes! They were delish!!!<br />
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We are back at the Farmers' Market this Saturday, June 23 with more sweets and treats and then we will be off for two weeks. If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by Snellville City Hall. <br />
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I finally got around to putting my business info on my car and it turned out GREAT!!! What do you think?<br />
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I hope you're enjoying your summer!<br />
-JenniferAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-56631033607290641942012-05-30T15:37:00.000-04:002012-05-30T15:37:00.536-04:00UpdatesYes, I know...it has been forever! I promise to try better next time. I won't leave you for so long. It looks like we have a lot of catching up to do...<br />
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Well, I've had some VERY busy weeks lately with the school year ending, which means that I had to get gifts read for Nicholas' teachers and bus driver. I absolutely LOVE that Nicholas is taking advanced classes at school. He truly is very smart, but that also means triple the number of gifts to send in! But, it is all worth it. I came up with a really cute idea for his teachers, that "hopefully" they would be able to use over the summer. Since the hubby is a teacher and I worked at a private school back in the day, we really try to send in gifts that the teachers will appreciate and USE. I can't tell you how many bottles of Bath & Body Works lotions I received over the years that are still in my gift tote. I started to wonder if they thought I smelled bad, but then realized that smelly stuff just seems to be a typical gift. Haha. Here's a pic of what I sent in. Total cost per gift worked out to be around $11, plus the kids got to enjoy the leftover snacks (bonus!). <br />
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The buckets were filled with a personalized water bottle that had crystal light drink packets in it, a beach towel, snacks and candy.<br />
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The same week was filled with lots of cakes. My favorite one was made for my cousin's graduation. I haven't seen some of my extended family in 10 years or so, so when my aunt asked if I would make my cousin's cake, I was honored. We drove out to their house for a party and spent some time catching up with everyone. It was neat for my kids to meet a whole different side of the family! My cousin, the one I made the cake for, has been accepted into the Navy Seal program as a Navy Diver and leaves this fall. So, we only thought it was appropriate to make a Navy Ship Cake.<br />
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The hubby had to help guide me on this one because my ship looked like a cruise ship for a while. He said it needed more weapons! <br />
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I also made a graduation cake for a friend's sister. She is a huge Beatles fan.<br />
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And my neighbor was celebrating his 2nd birthday. Aren't these Blues Clues cupcakes adorable???<br />
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Oh, and I made the awesome BEATS headphones for a good friend. They were a lot of fun to make.<br />
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And, while I've been away, I purchased my new CUPCAKE MOBILE!!!! Yay!!!! Here she is.....<br />
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Do you like the little cupcake antenna topper? (Thanks Mom!)<br />
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Since then I have ordered some advertising for the back window and can't wait to put it on! I'll post pics hopefully next week. So, what's going on now??? Well, my first day at the Snellville Farmers' Market will be this weekend. I have made product lists, gone shopping, ordered promotional items, and I'm not even close to being ready yet. I am overwhelmed, stressed, nervous.... VERY nervous. What if people don't buy my treats? What if they don't like them? AHHH! But, at the same time, I am very excited to have this opportunity to share my sweet treats with the community. And, it will help by some time until we hopefully hear some good news about the Georgia Cottage Food Law!<br />
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Until next time,<br />
Jennifer<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-80214624283192100442012-05-07T13:04:00.001-04:002012-05-07T13:04:42.012-04:00Long time, no see...No, I haven't been hiding under a rock. I'm in the process of getting all my little duckies in a row. And let me tell you, I wish it was a little easier! With the kickstarter project being funded, I have just received all of your wonderful donations. I have sent surveys to each of my backers to get some more info for their rewards. The projected start date for rewards to begin is June 4. If you haven't received your survey, contact me asap!<br />
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My amazing parents surprised me with a little bit of homework to help me get things in order. <br />
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The books have been very helpful thus far, but still have a good bit of reading to do!<br />
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I also took a trip to the shared kitchen to do a walk through. Here are a few pictures from the tour. I have to admit that it's not quite what I was expecting, and it is a LONG hike from my home, but it looks to be the best "next step". And, the manager of the place was really nice and very helpful. She's been in my shoes, just as many of the other members have. <br />
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Here's the outside of the building...<br />
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When you first walk in, they have a small table with chairs that could be used for consultations. Once you get back to the kitchen area, it sort of splits to a side more geared towards catering and a side mostly used for baking. These are on the catering side.<br />
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Around the corner was the wash room...<br />
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And ice/sink area...also had the walk in fridge/freezer (not pictured).<br />
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I didn't get a pic of the baking side because there were people working in the space, but it basically consisted of a double convection oven with stainless steel prep tables. There were two areas like that, and also another area with just big prep tables. They have large mixers that can be wheeled to your working station as well. <br />
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Here's the dry storage.<br />
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I have a good bit of work to do before I can get the membership there, as well as licensing, insurance, etc after I get the membership. But, I've made progress and now at least know what needs to be done next. <br />
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My other big business factor is getting another car! Kyle and I have been a one-car home for a few years now. When I decided to stay at home after C was born, it didn't make sense having two car payments since one vehicle was almost always parked in the driveway. So, we sold Kyle's truck and have managed pretty well without it. I am still at home with C on a daily basis, but the opportunity is there for the hubs to get a ride with a coworker if needed. But, in order for me to work in a shared kitchen an hour from my house, I need SOMETHING to drive. And, it needs to have enough room for some pretty big cakes in the back, have the seats lie completely flat, AND be an ultra smooth ride. I can't have cakes falling apart from a rugged riding vehicle. So, I'm on the hunt to find a vehicle that will do all of these things AND stay within my conservative budget. <br />
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Happy Monday!!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-62693469528870985152012-04-17T11:30:00.001-04:002012-04-17T11:30:11.397-04:00Oh happy day!!!For those of you that don't already know, my kickstarter project ended on Sunday. I was seriously stalking my page, watching as the donations kept climbing, and sure enough....I met my goal!!! My project was 102% funded!!!! It has taken a few days to sink in, but I am so incredibly excited. I am touched, honored, humbled, thankful, etc for all of you that shared my page, encouraged me, lifted my spirits, and made extremely generous donations, both big and small. Literally every single dollar counted! There was no donation too big or too small. It was a joint effort behind all of my backers that made this possible. In the coming months, I will be working on licensing, setting up the rental kitchen, and purchasing a delivery vehicle. I'll also be sending out rewards for all of my backers. And, be sure to mark your calendars for June 2, opening day of the <a href="http://www.snellvillefarmersmarket.com/" target="_blank">Snellville Farmers Market</a>! I'll have a booth set up that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth!!!<br />
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I also wanted to share this little guy with you...<br />
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Isn't he just adorable? I had a friend send a picture of her son's favorite stuffed animal and wanted me to make a cake that looked like him. I think he turned out great! The dog bowl is the smash cake!!!<br />
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I hope you have a terrific Tuesday!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-91714034506443463792012-04-09T11:20:00.000-04:002012-04-09T11:20:11.016-04:00Back to reality!It feels so weird to work on my laptop right now. I packed it up a week and a half ago to head down to Florida for spring break. BUT, I didn't even take it out of the bag the ENTIRE trip! I'm so proud of myself. So, now I have emails to respond to, updates to post, pictures to post, you know...all of that catching up we do when we return to reality. Not to mention getting the house reorganized, the loads and loads of laundry, and trying to stay motivated while you just want to plop down in a chair outside, bask in the sun, and take a little siesta. But no, there are more important things to do.<br />
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Our trip was great. Definitely not long enough. But when is it really long enough? We've had several vacations where I've just wanted to get back home, to my house, my space, and my bed. We spent the first few days at the in-law's in Florida. You may remember the two cakes that were getting packed up for their 7 hour journey. Well, they made it! And everyone loved them!!!<br />
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I absolutely LOVE these cake boxes. Unfortunately, the company I purchased them from just went out of business before I could order some more.<br />
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We had a great time with hubby's family, but were all very eager to get to the beach. We were only able to spend 2 nights at the beach since the hubby had to come back for a meeting, but we definitely made the most of our time there. The hubby even rented a kayak for Nicholas so they could do out in the ocean. And it was reported that Nicholas said it was the best thing a kid could ever do. We took a leisurely drive home and stopped in St.Augustine. It was very crowded walking through the historic district, but the kids had fun and it was a great way to stretch our legs before finishing our journey home. <br />
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Here's an update on my kickstarter!<br />
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I am currently at 28% of my goal which is GREAT, however, I only have 5 days left to reach my goal. With your help and support, this is still possible! PLease take a moment to read it, share with friends, etc. Every single dollar helps! There is no donation that is too big or too small.<br />
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http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-proAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-2230245422227945522012-03-26T10:21:00.000-04:002012-03-26T10:21:09.298-04:00I am still anxiously awaiting news about the Georgia Cottage Food Law. The last I heard was that there should be some sort of decision made in April. I can tell you this, waiting for things is not my area of expertise! On a similar note, my kickstarter project seems to be in a lull. I am so very thankful to those that have donated to my project and are continuing to share my page. However, with only 19 days left, and being so far from my goal, I will have to come up with a backup plan just in case. I know so many that are waiting until the end to see what happens and then make a contribution. Please don't wait too late!!!<br />
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I had a great weekend. Saturday morning my Nicholas scored his first goal in soccer!!!! I am VERY proud of him and all of his hard work. Then, hubby and I delivered a wedding cake. Now, I have to admit that I am not nearly as versed in buttercream cakes. I prefer using fondant to cover a cake and feel that it's just a better medium for me. But, once the flowers were added to the cake, it looked beautiful, and perfect for the chic rustic elegance at Tucker Plantation.<br />
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We had a great dinner with my parents Saturday evening! And spent some time outside enjoying the beautiful weather with the neighbors yesterday. <br />
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This week is filled with cleaning, packing and making cakes for my niece and nephew. Then, 7 hour drive WITH the cakes for their parties this weekend. Sounds fun right? Now to get my head wrapped around a concept for the cakes!<br />
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Happy Monday!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-68193812640903675412012-03-20T11:10:00.000-04:002012-03-20T11:10:02.411-04:00Happy Spring!!!It is the first day of Spring, and the pollen count is already at record highs. Today's count...9369!!!! We have completely skipped over that time of year when you can have the windows open and get a nice breeze blowing through. I mean, it practically feels like summertime outside! I almost got a sunburn sitting outside with the neighbors on Sunday...in March...really?!?!? <br />
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As of today, my kickstarter project is 8% funded. There are only 25 days left to donate, so please continue to share the word!!! <br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro</a><br />
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This was a pretty eventful weekend. Friday night was the St.Patty's day party with the neighbors. SOOO much yummy food! I made these fun treats for the adults. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Guinness cake layered with a Guinness reduction and Bailey's Irish Cream Buttercream and topped with a white chocolate shamrock.</td></tr>
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I also had two friends that asked if I could make cakes for their girls this weekend. I LOVE the way this one turned out! The only request was that her daughter could easily recognize it as Tangled. The most tedious task of the cake was making all of the shingles. <br />
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I had some challenges with this one. One of my BFFs asks that I make cakes for her kids every year. She sent me a pic of the paper products they were using and asked if I could use that as an inspiration. BUT...she didn't want fondant on the cake. I don't do buttercream covered cakes as well as I do fondant ones. Fondant is just my "thing" I suppose. Traditional bakers, well... I give them props because it just doesn't come as naturally to me. And my piping skills are not fantastic, although I don't spend a lot of time practicing. You can see that most of my cakes have a simple bead border around the bottom just to give a finish on the cake. <br />
<br />This was my inspiration...<br />
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And this is the cake. <br />
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The colors were a little more vibrant in person. I will be the first to admit that I am not the best photographer. I airbrushed the cake using the different colors from the plates and the black center. The stars are the ONLY fondant pieces on the cake. The peace signs are white chocolate. Oh, and there is black edible glitter on the cake too!<br />
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The weather outside lately has been absolutely beautiful, but on the verge of being HOT. It was so warm on Sunday, that the hubby pulled out the slip-n-slide and sprinklers for the boys to play in. Which meant that all of the neighbors came to play too. It was so funny watching the kids splash through the water.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy Spring Everyone! </span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-63829734698787471512012-03-15T10:28:00.002-04:002012-03-15T10:28:51.064-04:00Welcome the newest member of my family!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am sooo excited to share with you the newest member of my family! After the shocking (literally) retirement of old yellar, I convinced the hubby that I needed a second, bigger mixer. It actually didn't take much convincing at all. Well, she arrived yesterday, and boy is she FANCY! Just look at her brushed nickle die cast exterior. And that mixing bowl... 7 qts! This is a workhorse of a machine and I can't wait to break her in.<br />
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I have to admit that I feel like I'm cheating on my KitchenAid though. I looked into another KA, a larger one...but the fact is, that they just didn't compare to the 1000 watts of power, the warranty, the size, and the reviews of this one. Oh, and I got a FANTASTIC deal on it that I just couldn't pass up. And, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but this is the same mixer that they use on Cupcake Wars!<br />
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Here is an updated kickstarter report in case you haven't checked lately...<br />
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I currently have 17 backers (YAY!!!!) and am almost to 8% funded. With only 30 days left, I still have a LONG way to go. I know so many people are probably getting tired of seeing my posts on facebook, but I know several people that will put it off until the end and forget about it unless reminded. You know who you are. ;) <br />
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Please take a moment to watch the video, read my story, check out the sweet rewards I am offering, and make a donation. And, if you could pass the site along to friends and family, that would make it even better! <br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro</a><br />
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I hope you have a beautiful day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-69100257816760516152012-03-14T11:56:00.002-04:002012-03-14T11:56:17.757-04:00Medieval Shield and Gettin' CraftyHappy Pi Day!!! 3.14<br />
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I forgot to share the the cake I made over the weekend. A friend of mine was taking her son to see Medieval Times for his birthday and wanted a cake to look like a Medieval Shield. She sent a picture of one she found on the computer that was great, but didn't look very realistic. Thankfully, she let me have some artistic freedom, and I came up with something a little more intricate. Here you go!<br />
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And yes, it is all completely edible. All of the pieces are carved/sculpted by hand. It took a little while to get the color right, but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out! <br />
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So, I was feeling pretty crafty yesterday. It happens on occasion. Mostly with cakes, but when I've got a burr in my saddle who knows what will happen. I have to tell you that I am completely addicted to pinterest. If you haven't joined pinterest yet, beware! If you have, then you know exactly what I'm talking about!!!<br />
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I've seen so many of these yarn balls all over the internet, and everyone seems to have a different method of creating them. I read so many good reviews about a particular method and then so many bad ones, so I decided to give it a go, and see what happens. I based my method off <a href="http://keytoflow.blogspot.com/2011/07/yarn-eggsballs.html" target="_blank">keytoflow</a>. She uses a paper mache base for making her yarn balls. I've also seen them made with an Elmer's Craft Glue/water mixture and some made with liquid fabric starch. They didn't quite seem as successful to me. I made my yarn balls for spring decorations, but had originally "pinned" it to use in the fall, and then I think I "pinned" it again at Christmas. You can see how much I procrastinated.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgbbV03ifR-loosoRjO2p5VKD2vawxFh_h49F0-xxzrv8v59YEWW-IA-JzkfV_2qVjkRM6o4iVMWu4idHGw25ypMs4QALzhwjZYaMSCtLTvida0fsrnVxvx2ogs5x9xmpedE7uIA10yU/s1600/yarn1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgbbV03ifR-loosoRjO2p5VKD2vawxFh_h49F0-xxzrv8v59YEWW-IA-JzkfV_2qVjkRM6o4iVMWu4idHGw25ypMs4QALzhwjZYaMSCtLTvida0fsrnVxvx2ogs5x9xmpedE7uIA10yU/s320/yarn1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll need various colors of yarn, balloons, wax paper, flour & sugar.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a medium sized pot, bring 1C water to a boil.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNxzZrwYnJS3vxB9LckNxwmzzWoCgAu-lEvvMJ3wiH3RPycdF64bd2tL-Kxb4NYrDih5kM556oK9TzI7XHpHSamAkftXPMnz3babUBV1Q4KkffTtSpFkUE93fCuKeaSRg01zgxNqIGh0/s1600/yarn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNxzZrwYnJS3vxB9LckNxwmzzWoCgAu-lEvvMJ3wiH3RPycdF64bd2tL-Kxb4NYrDih5kM556oK9TzI7XHpHSamAkftXPMnz3babUBV1Q4KkffTtSpFkUE93fCuKeaSRg01zgxNqIGh0/s320/yarn2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a separate bowl, mix 1C cold water with 1/4 C flour.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L5YthLoTyflXq7vfIDCly24kZapCUxqpEfINJpbXHm-IsDnsnGAfcpCG-wJeTahPgg2xJieC9tw4JF_GpsESs0DED1TszVpaylDBqhSxeGojlwJ_Buacw0KnRMyv92jArCO8bd0dFVA/s1600/yarn5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L5YthLoTyflXq7vfIDCly24kZapCUxqpEfINJpbXHm-IsDnsnGAfcpCG-wJeTahPgg2xJieC9tw4JF_GpsESs0DED1TszVpaylDBqhSxeGojlwJ_Buacw0KnRMyv92jArCO8bd0dFVA/s320/yarn5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add flour mixture to boiling water, stirring until smooth. Bring back to boil.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVb0eu_-0BK6hYs3v9xTGqDVjC2gRCuUTmW1K2wbtm0zTP-8I9jJSvSlPUOWwZNmrF_jyAjX4nncnwFm-htAA_LcdM0Psc1XJ0QE3TLrju_-DSUyQLNTadcqMS_8GxhGi2AetR6PVEuU/s1600/yarn6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVb0eu_-0BK6hYs3v9xTGqDVjC2gRCuUTmW1K2wbtm0zTP-8I9jJSvSlPUOWwZNmrF_jyAjX4nncnwFm-htAA_LcdM0Psc1XJ0QE3TLrju_-DSUyQLNTadcqMS_8GxhGi2AetR6PVEuU/s320/yarn6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remove from heat and add 1 1/2T sugar. Allow mixture to cool.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmDFNmkF-F1RC7hWee7TIGOkloyPjvAsVxjwrJEYhTTc4yYTfE6IA8S3TNfxHBcx_9cKXQa_FdRStm_fiP3CDy12JeiRZDtTIaKCuem42eKeP9mGeNgtQD8Ht8BpFED-vuEUc2iKrw3c/s1600/yarn8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmDFNmkF-F1RC7hWee7TIGOkloyPjvAsVxjwrJEYhTTc4yYTfE6IA8S3TNfxHBcx_9cKXQa_FdRStm_fiP3CDy12JeiRZDtTIaKCuem42eKeP9mGeNgtQD8Ht8BpFED-vuEUc2iKrw3c/s320/yarn8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's where it gets tricky! I tried several methods here and the best seemed to be piling a really long section of yarn in the pot covering yarn completely, then pulling yarn through my fingers to get excess mix off and loosely piling on wax covered counter. I don't have a picture of this method because you can imagine what my fingers looked like at the time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7pA4HZCXk9zgNPdBBGKnWJkZ5MFfurNAbgkl2niuQI3blv1xhYUfgtC1nefwZgpw7ZOnVsln1l31WfQleNe-k1uLMHklrfWAA131y74lcmSGomjJKWqI2-eZkN-yitx5NZ9z4nCXq_o/s1600/yarn9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7pA4HZCXk9zgNPdBBGKnWJkZ5MFfurNAbgkl2niuQI3blv1xhYUfgtC1nefwZgpw7ZOnVsln1l31WfQleNe-k1uLMHklrfWAA131y74lcmSGomjJKWqI2-eZkN-yitx5NZ9z4nCXq_o/s320/yarn9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once yarn is coated with paper mache mixture, begin wrapping it around the balloon. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do this. For me, I wanted my balloons to be pretty covered, so it took a good bit of yarn. Make sure to tuck ends in.</td></tr>
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Now, there are several different things you can do at this point. Most methods have you sit the covered balloon on a wax covered cookie sheet and let sit for a day or two. Some hung the balloons up overnight to dry, making sure there was paper underneath to catch any drippage. I am not nearly patient enough for either of those ideas....ESPECIALLY if my method failed and I had wasted time and yarn that I bought just for this. SO, I turned my oven on the lowest setting. For me, it was 170 degrees. I placed covered balloons on a wax covered cookie sheet in the oven with the door cracked open. I was hesitant about shutting the door all the way in case the balloon decided to burst. You will hear a little crackling and see the balloons expanding a bit. I let them sit in the oven for about 20 minutes and then went back to check. They were already getting hard, but areas with a lot of paper mache took longer. I rotated the balloons a few times and tried to make sure they were as dry as possible. Once firm, I pulled them from the oven and you could almost immediately see the balloon shrinking a bit from the temp change. I used my finger to push the balloon away from the yarn. <br />
Now, gently pop the balloon and cut it away from the yarn ball. A few of mine were still a little damp, so I put them back in the oven at this point without the balloon. They held shape well. <br />
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Here is my finished product. I wish I had made a few more to fill it out better. This was a VERY inexpensive project, costing me just some yarn since I had everything else. They would look beautiful on a table, in apothecary jars, or a vase. You can play with different sized balloons, maybe add some glitter, and create different ones for each season!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy Crafting!!</span></span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-74963530555530141892012-03-06T09:10:00.000-05:002012-03-06T09:10:25.707-05:00The BRACEI get asked all the time if I went to culinary school to learn how to decorate cakes. Truth of the matter is no. I was actually a music major, played in various advanced orchestras and symphonies throughout high school and college, attended one of the best music camps in the east, and took lessons from an amazing teacher. It was a LOT of work, required way more practice than I ever wanted to put into it, and realized that it was just not the path I wanted to stay on forever. Somewhere down the road, like many musicians, I began having problems with my wrists, I wore special gloves when I practiced, and used some heat therapy for relief. When I ended my musical career, the pain became obsolete. Over the course of the past few months, it has returned, back in full force. Some days are certainly better than others, but when I have days of rolling fondant and doing a lot of piping, I clench my teeth and push through the pain. Perhaps not the best idea, but mind over matter has to work at times, right?<br />
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One day I'm sure I will have to go see an orthopedic, but for now my wonderful mom found some awesome braces for me to wear. I have one that I can wear during the daytime while I'm working on the computer around the house, etc. I don't wear it all the time, but it is really comfortable. It offers pretty free range of movement on my fingers and has a flexible splint for support. And, this is my nighttime brace...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3cXr7LGllAq_CMXAtKWgPtfHa_GuvM7f5_4Vv4LkGnJhyGCv0AuLgbny92NYfnTWZVpLO_o0fKQMvR1w4onlM1BZzz5jssKM8dU824USnE3yGVokylgiLOdodCTy5OO95_RbKOx-evU/s1600/brace.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3cXr7LGllAq_CMXAtKWgPtfHa_GuvM7f5_4Vv4LkGnJhyGCv0AuLgbny92NYfnTWZVpLO_o0fKQMvR1w4onlM1BZzz5jssKM8dU824USnE3yGVokylgiLOdodCTy5OO95_RbKOx-evU/s1600/brace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
As you can see, not a whole lot of movement there. It stabilizes my wrist more. It was a bit challenging to get used to. The first night was fine. The next several nights I woke up to find it lying half way across my room. I'm guessing I probably pulled it off and threw it! Anyway, today I will be spending a bit of time in the big one in hopes that I might get some relief from last week. <br />
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So, what was so crazy about last week??? It just so happened that several friends had asked me to make cakes for them, and crazy me, said yes to all of them! I ended up making cakes for a baby shower,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5-_lagoqiGcbNQyhwieuq7Zb4Uei4sH4ekQ5_7Qx1AlxaE2vXRUoy7hDtnbZq1njZW1BSoB2NMwwvRXodF-256pnD1cYlD_89CC5IwXxNfMhTi2DSYy3sXZT7FNDiiyA1WA5V4Uv5iA/s1600/owl+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5-_lagoqiGcbNQyhwieuq7Zb4Uei4sH4ekQ5_7Qx1AlxaE2vXRUoy7hDtnbZq1njZW1BSoB2NMwwvRXodF-256pnD1cYlD_89CC5IwXxNfMhTi2DSYy3sXZT7FNDiiyA1WA5V4Uv5iA/s200/owl+cake.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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a birthday,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgignlnrQolEGtMfZwDfmtNMgtE7if78iPeEavFpKnYH7mpP7I5Ecl4AtVD5gAqHLiWg8HTge8k7jhwtyVjydVWE_a8pa4Q7ecu4KGXkOA-igpWGy2MM0zj9avBhgyHlPgTIkrZo1RhPlc/s1600/candy+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgignlnrQolEGtMfZwDfmtNMgtE7if78iPeEavFpKnYH7mpP7I5Ecl4AtVD5gAqHLiWg8HTge8k7jhwtyVjydVWE_a8pa4Q7ecu4KGXkOA-igpWGy2MM0zj9avBhgyHlPgTIkrZo1RhPlc/s200/candy+cake.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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and yes, a wedding! I was so honored to make this cake for Matt & Traci. It looks pretty awesome on that piano, right?!? <br />
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Here's is Matt's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup groom's cake. I'm pretty happy with how the sweat beads turned out. <br />
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We were unable to make it to the actual ceremony because, well, the loading zone was blocked by other trucks, as were the the walkways to get the cake in the building. Even though we had a cart to put the cake tiers on, my hubby had to carry each of them at an odd angle, with tree branches practically in his face. Not an easy task. Oh, and did I mention that there were these crazy kids like running all through the cars in the parking lot? It was so frustrating. Reception was great, food was yummy, and everyone enjoyed the cake. There were several people that went back for second and third pieces!!! <br />
<br />Congrats to Matt & Traci!!!<br />
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I didn't get any good pics of them cutting the cake, but this was during the best man toast.<br />
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And, just so you know, my kickstarter project is at $680 as of last night!!! I still have a long way to go, so please keep sharing the info with friends and family. <br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-89450454451213125902012-02-29T11:22:00.000-05:002012-02-29T11:22:11.788-05:00What a day!I am excited to say that I have reached over $500 in my kickstarter project, It is so true that every single dollar counts. I am so anxious to see how this will turn out! There's still time to support my business venture. Just go to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro</a>. <br />
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I told you the other day that I was expecting more packages....and they arrived!!! Here's the last box of stuff. <br />
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And I needed more fondant... you'd be surprised how fast 40 lbs goes. Thankfully, my hubby moved the fondant box for me so I didn't hurt my wrist any more than it already is. <br />
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I was busy getting everything in order and trying to entertain my 3 year old at the same time. We made a game out of unloading my boxes. He was such a big help! We sorted, organized, cleaned, and repackaged. And at the end of the day, everything had a home. Such a good feeling. <br />
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Those of you that have been in my kitchen may have seen my vintage yellow KitchenAid mixer. It was given to me a few years ago and I love it. I love KA mixers. I also have the classic white one that the hubby bought me. Any eventually I want the Swarovski crystal hot pink one....but that will be a while down the road. Maybe once I have a shop! Anyways, I was using both the yellow and white mixers on a regular basis for quite some time without any problems. Several months ago, however, the yellow one started having issues with the speed control. I would put it on the first setting (stir) and it would spin like it was on one of the high settings. Let's just say that I may have had some issues with flour/powdered sugar ALL over my kitchen. Can you even imagine that mess? It got to the point that it wasn't worth trying to use and I switched to using the white one exclusively. Yesterday I thought I'd pull the yellow one out and try to see if I could fix it. As a kid, my dad had a box of old doorknobs and locks that I would take apart and put back together, interchanging them, so I thought I'd give this a shot. I mean, I am pretty handy (or so I thought). After a bit of tightening screws and jiggling wires I put it back together and turned it on. To my surprise it was working the way it was supposed to. I was ecstatic!!! I even texted the hubby to let him know I fixed it. I cleaned it all up and started making buttercream. I was so excited that I took this picture.<br />
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I should've stopped at that point...because when I increased the speed to finish off my frosting it messed the whole thing up. I turned it off and started it again, only fast, faster, and fastest...I was bummed. So, I took the back off again, checked the screws, jiggled some wires. Apparently when I did that I hit the screwdriver (which was thankfully plastic handled) to a live wire and POP followed by flying sparks and a shock through my body. And I blew the circuit. Needless to say, the mixer has been put aside and will need to be fixed by someone other that myself. Moral of the story- I am a BAKER, NOT a MECHANIC! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-67052716532676311662012-02-27T11:23:00.000-05:002012-02-27T11:23:24.148-05:00Packages!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrQIqW_g06GmI7fhq-GhGgElg72jj4RPQ75fO5vdunYRZ0DVPfU9PF_4yYNUZJkeMNW-jSZt7V-Ft7be3mL7ZukeaIeJUII4J4_Q-XU-nRriX79NN9uWxkRKzoW695TtaBgCbCe8wjMs/s1600/box+order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrQIqW_g06GmI7fhq-GhGgElg72jj4RPQ75fO5vdunYRZ0DVPfU9PF_4yYNUZJkeMNW-jSZt7V-Ft7be3mL7ZukeaIeJUII4J4_Q-XU-nRriX79NN9uWxkRKzoW695TtaBgCbCe8wjMs/s320/box+order.jpg" width="240" /></a>Remember all those things I told you that I ordered for the upcoming farmers market??? Guess what arrived at my doorstep Friday afternoon? I was working on a cake for a girlfriend of mine and heard this loud noise outside. I peeked out the window to see that the UPS driver had backed down my driveway to get closer to the door so he could drop off these packages! It's like Christmas in February!!! And what is even more exciting is that I should have another delivery TODAY!!!!! I'm super excited....can you tell? <br />
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<br />So, for those of you that have been keeping track of my kickstarter project, I only have 48 days left. To most of you, 48 days is a super long time. And yes, I would normally agree with you. BUT, realizing that I started this project with 60 days, and only have 48 left is making me go crazy. So many people have said that they are planning to donate at the end, but please don't wait too late. Anything can happen. Every dollar counts, so if you only have a dollar available, that single dollar is like gold to me! I am so grateful to those of you that are sharing this on your facebook pages, telling friends and family, and even sharing at your places of business and worship!!!! In order to donate, you must first register with kickstarter and then with amazon. Remember that you will not be charged until the end of the project....so why wait? AND, you will ONLY be charged if I reach my goal. There are fabulous rewards and every level to sweeten the deal, so be sure to check them out.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">HOBBY BAKER WANTS TO GO PRO!</a><br />
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Here's a pic of the cake I made last week... <br />
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This week is one of those weeks that will either make or break me. I have so much on my plate that I will find out exactly how good my organizing skills are. I'm feeling pretty confident thus far.... reminds me of the story of The Little Engine That Could. I will spend the week with "I think I can, I think I can..." in the back of my head. I'll have a full writeup next week about what is keeping me so busy! I hope you have a pretty sweet week!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-11440078586023757152012-02-24T09:39:00.001-05:002012-02-24T09:39:08.680-05:00I have 9 BACKERS!After a few days without an action on my kickstarter project, I already have 3 more this morning!!!! That makes a grand total of 9 backers that have donated $495! I am so excited...like Christmas morning excited! I'm pretty much giddy about it. Can you tell? That feeling could be partially due to my coffee this morning, but either way. I am SO grateful to everyone that has passed my project on to friends and family. The word is getting out and this project WILL BE FUNDED! 51 days to go!!!<br />
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Here's the link! Check it out!!! <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro</a> <br />
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Other exciting news... I have been making my list of sweets to sell at the Snellville Farmers Market this summer. And they are pretty fantastic if I do say so. I just ordered new boxes, a ton of "cake up" containers, and lots of other goodies to use for this summer! It is going to be GREAT!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-87511502462162736782012-02-21T12:35:00.001-05:002012-02-21T12:35:59.225-05:00Happy Fat Tuesday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLSvjeJlPXkSkLuImXYh2Hfw_XiC7J-rplR22l4ECTibOlFGFYPu4-0BaCIBoiwV8ab4QpG2Twz4GLH5LPaSFFKzXO3ir7RZKZvyZ_Moe365ZkycjWZauA2cWDJXOZzjAw5BgwtlRbyE/s1600/baby+shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLSvjeJlPXkSkLuImXYh2Hfw_XiC7J-rplR22l4ECTibOlFGFYPu4-0BaCIBoiwV8ab4QpG2Twz4GLH5LPaSFFKzXO3ir7RZKZvyZ_Moe365ZkycjWZauA2cWDJXOZzjAw5BgwtlRbyE/s320/baby+shower.jpg" width="320" /></a>I have to say that a 4 day weekend was just what the doctor ordered! I got all of my work (cake stuff) done on Friday. To be honest, I can barely remember what all I had to do!!! Is it crazy that I had to look at my facebook page to see what pictures I uploaded? Oh, I made these adorable cupcakes for a friend who was hosting a baby shower. There wasn't a specific theme to the shower, they just wanted to stick with the blues, browns,and greens.<br />
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And, my adorable neighbor Beau was celebrating his 3rd birthday. He has to be the happiest kid I have ever met... he always has the biggest smile on his face! He wanted a cookie cake for his birthday. Now, those of you that know me, know that I LOVE COOKIE CAKES!!! You know that place at the mall that sells them, well... I seriously have to convince myself that I don't need something from there when we do rarely go out to the mall. The double doozie is my favorite... two chocolate chip cookies with frosting sandwiched in between. YUM! My hubby, knowing how much I love them, had a lady that works with my mother-in-law make a giant one for me last year. Um, it was fantastic! Anyways, back to my story... I didn't want to make a plain cookie cake for Beau. This was a chance to do something a little different. I decided to make a 3 layer cookie cake, but too much frosting could make it unbearable...so I filled one layer with buttercream, and the other with chocolate ganache, decorated the top a bit, and VOILA.... <br />
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<b>On another note.... my kickstarter project already has 6 backers and $345 in generous donations!!!! There is still plenty of time to check it out, pass it along to friends, and help support my "sweet dream". </b><br />
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<b>Here's the link... <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank">KICKSTARTER- HOBBY BAKER WANTS TO GO PRO!</a></b><br />
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Happy Fat Tuesday y'all!!! <br />
<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro" target="_blank"><br />KICKSTARTER- HOBBY BAKER WANTS TO GO PRO!</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-88974732642079057972012-02-16T11:25:00.000-05:002012-02-16T11:25:23.438-05:00BIG NEWS!!!!!I FINALLY LAUNCHED MY <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro?ref=live" target="_blank">KICKSTARTER</a> PROJECT to get my business up and running!!!!! I am super excited about this and hope you will check it out. With the way the economy has been, I haven't been able to get anyone to even think twice about loaning/giving me money. I've done countless hours of research trying to find ways to start a business, get funding, etc. Hopefully in 58 days it will all be worth it!<br />
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Here's how the program works. If you have an idea that needs funding (be it recording a new album, making a movie, publishing a book, etc), you submit your idea to kickstarter and wait to see if your project is approved. It took an very nerve-wracking 3-4 days. Once approved, you create a page with all of your information, make a video, create a rewards program for people donating, explain what you will use the money for, how much money you need, and set your deadline. Here's the catch....it's ALL OR NOTHING! If at the end of your deadline, you have reached your goal, you get your money (less a percentage) and fulfill your rewards to backers. If however, you don't reach your goal, no money is sent, backers do not owe anything, and no rewards are sent.<br />
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Here's my project! <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920130639/hobby-baker-wants-to-go-pro?ref=live" target="_blank"> KICKSTARTER</a><br />
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I'm trying to reach a goal of $10,000 by April 15. With that money I will be able to file all documents for licensing and permits, rent a commercial kitchen space, and purchase a delivery vehicle. <br />
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My rewards are pretty fantastic, and start at the $5 level. Every single dollar counts and will definitely be appreciated. I have rewards from cookies to push up cakes, and all the way to tiered cakes. If you have an event that needs a fabulous cake, maybe a wedding or corporate event, you might want to consider the $1000 donation and you will receive a fabulous 3 tiered cake made just for your occasion. There is something for everyone. And you don't have to be local to the Atlanta area to receive the rewards. There are substitutions for some levels depending on your area.<br />
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This is a HUGE project and could literally make or break my business
venture. The next two months will probably be a very emotional time for
me as I have literally put everything I have out on a line in hopes
that people will believe enough in me. <br />
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I need as much help as I can get. Please share this with friends and family, post on facebook or twitter. <br />
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Thank you SOOOO MUCH!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-755297008141582032012-02-15T11:55:00.000-05:002012-02-15T11:55:08.655-05:00Love Is In The Air!I spent the better part of the day yesterday trying to get my video finished for my kickstarter business project. I'm sure I could've just broken out my hubby's old video camera and tried to film myself, but any one that knows me knows that I REALLY dislike being on camera...video or otherwise. I thought, what better way to show people what I do, than to make a slideshow of my work. Simple, right?!? HAHA. I've made powerpoint presentations for classes before. It's been a while, but I could figure it out. Anyways, I'm not going to bore you with details, but after hours of frustrations with file extensions and types, etc I finally put it aside to enjoy time with my family for Valentine's Day. This whole blog should've been uploaded yesterday, but I hope you will enjoy it a little late. <br />
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I wanted to create something different for my son's teacher than sending
in a cupcake. I've been teetering on these personal mini pies for the
longest time. I've seen ones on sticks, ones in jars, handheld ones,
etc. These ones needed to be special. I mean, they are for Valentine's
Day after all. So what better pie for VD than strawberry pie? I took a
few pics along the way... <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOalq36VAXQwLt8WXeLZmxNDNiwDHB7VZRvrDTwjADTMzw4ggzCe8IU_kgIpdaIi4EIvSn60lyFJL-TvQkhrWUNyt3qsht0-SUI33UMuhwyReR9d2JqNcjfTpi9K4P1mHBQA3jxv08xYM/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOalq36VAXQwLt8WXeLZmxNDNiwDHB7VZRvrDTwjADTMzw4ggzCe8IU_kgIpdaIi4EIvSn60lyFJL-TvQkhrWUNyt3qsht0-SUI33UMuhwyReR9d2JqNcjfTpi9K4P1mHBQA3jxv08xYM/s320/blog1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started with some very sweet Florida strawberries and cooked half of them with a cornstarch/water mixture and sugar, The other half were sliced and mixed in with the cooked mixture. I wanted to make sure you tasted the strawberry pieces and not just a mush.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtADqoeYlNipDqFfKsu3JUizOlKB_6vGGq71T9nWd5X9Qn8HLQEGoYp0cPoLkm9fXzQrHcCP4vcCaKbBF_Z-Jc92UV4H5QWxybBoRW_ShvsGezJ4V5UArPOZh66JCLlEAaio2BPA7-e9g/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtADqoeYlNipDqFfKsu3JUizOlKB_6vGGq71T9nWd5X9Qn8HLQEGoYp0cPoLkm9fXzQrHcCP4vcCaKbBF_Z-Jc92UV4H5QWxybBoRW_ShvsGezJ4V5UArPOZh66JCLlEAaio2BPA7-e9g/s320/blog2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then I made my dough. I used a crisco based pie crust this time, but for future will stick with my trusty butter crust.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFisV6na4Beq5IUYJzrcrRo35f0MvYFrF8A0NU5WKFzTuKCn9FutHuSmpCh0mUOXJt3agjA0q9wpuA2XIg7UYO4B2aoi07_Aq4WnxEgM-vVK_qQnXXI4yT7i8DNWKJInK-EWJMJv7xVI/s1600/blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFisV6na4Beq5IUYJzrcrRo35f0MvYFrF8A0NU5WKFzTuKCn9FutHuSmpCh0mUOXJt3agjA0q9wpuA2XIg7UYO4B2aoi07_Aq4WnxEgM-vVK_qQnXXI4yT7i8DNWKJInK-EWJMJv7xVI/s320/blog3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hearts were filled with strawberries, sealed, and brushed with butter. I also added a sprinkle of strawberry sugar. The sugar is ABSOLUTELY fantastic. I found it on our last trip to Disney World and can't wait to use it for some other treats. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt8c2upW75jqXT_ts3_YfkzUxV-0U9phOuHFqn1gAQCQb_Zfwt7mrcnJKo6bvyAH8-hB6QaqbJHh05U2b5AjszHDNG9SPyrZvn31tR-YgzlvwW1YJgW7U8m7uqLCN0KuiCT2xsTt8j-Q/s1600/blog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt8c2upW75jqXT_ts3_YfkzUxV-0U9phOuHFqn1gAQCQb_Zfwt7mrcnJKo6bvyAH8-hB6QaqbJHh05U2b5AjszHDNG9SPyrZvn31tR-YgzlvwW1YJgW7U8m7uqLCN0KuiCT2xsTt8j-Q/s320/blog4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are my yummy "pocket pies". Nicholas took one as a snack for school yesterday and the consensus was that all the other kids wanted one! Ha! With this type of pie crust, it fares more like a homemade poptart than pie. Delicious either way!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And, my day wasn't over with the pies. I also baked and decorated sugar cookies for my neighbor's class.<br />
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I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!!! I am so thankful for my Valentine's... and was so happy to be able to spend the evening with them. And in case you're wondering what sweets my sweet and I shared last night.... I dipped strawberries in dark chocolate, dressed some with white chocolate, and the others sprinkled with espresso sugar (also from our last trip to Disney World). I also made Irish Cream Creme Brulee topped with the espresso sugar and torched until crusty. My hubby loves creme brulee and I don't think I've ever really made it before, so I think he was pretty happy. And of course we paired our desserts with Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco, which was delicious!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-3557436561807913772012-02-13T22:07:00.001-05:002012-02-13T22:43:49.263-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrttmaj-0AEHxQ1uin8-8gFvSXA81kPW_eADEk54caSmVTvMlOapVkbUKJkM3wOlCQ6v_rHbdtGfGgZU4gq85UpvODCz1dshZUOoKnmkjYYPke7Kcj6mLO6Z5q3N6m4_I_fMc6Gwnxfm8/s1600/431513_10151290148280451_550230450_23249524_24204232_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrttmaj-0AEHxQ1uin8-8gFvSXA81kPW_eADEk54caSmVTvMlOapVkbUKJkM3wOlCQ6v_rHbdtGfGgZU4gq85UpvODCz1dshZUOoKnmkjYYPke7Kcj6mLO6Z5q3N6m4_I_fMc6Gwnxfm8/s200/431513_10151290148280451_550230450_23249524_24204232_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I had such a busy weekend...and pictures to prove it! My neighbor asked if I could make beautiful cupcakes for a friend's birthday, no specifics, just wanted them to be beautiful. So I came up with these.... 2 Strawberries & Cream, 2 Chocolate Overload, 1 Red Velvet, and 1 Maple Bacon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_CWzARemWizML_0Cndm1gFZBFAT95zr-0kG74g4cHA6DtuXRY27Zsg5PuJTEHN9DP0AX-BD9htck4pk-W16zo0TDproBYggTl0WAGSnpEmgNdiEixporDdYlnnTcjjtk34KARYsbYts/s1600/431335_10151290138025451_550230450_23249469_1044535933_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_CWzARemWizML_0Cndm1gFZBFAT95zr-0kG74g4cHA6DtuXRY27Zsg5PuJTEHN9DP0AX-BD9htck4pk-W16zo0TDproBYggTl0WAGSnpEmgNdiEixporDdYlnnTcjjtk34KARYsbYts/s320/431335_10151290138025451_550230450_23249469_1044535933_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>And not only did she want beautiful cupcakes, but she wanted them packaged pretty too! So....I stayed up pondering all of the ways I could box them up to look nice.... a basket, a bouquet, a box with a ribbon...those are are too typical. And then it hit me... I had ordered these fantastic cupcake boxes a few months ago and never had a chance to use them. They are so adorably cute and can be decorated for any theme or occasion. I just added some ribbon and a made a felt flower and voila!<br />
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Cupcakes were picked up Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, I was busy working on 3 cakes that needed to be ready for Saturday. The first was for my son's bus driver that was celebrating her 40th birthday. She wanted a red velvet cake with a red lily. The second was an Angry Birds cake! I had to do lots of research for this one. I wanted to make sure that all of the birds looked as close to the real thing as possible. I had my husband and 8 year old double checking all of my characters and giving input. Perhaps I should've tried playing the game prior to doing the cake, lol!<br />
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My last cake Saturday was for my neighbor. I was super excited to do a Cat In The Hat cake for him. The thing about doing cakes for parties that your kids will be attending...is that every time my 3 year old walked in the kitchen and saw me working on Caleb's cake, he wanted to know if it was time to go to the party. (Sigh) The cake was not originally going to be a topsy turvy cake, but the more I thought about it, it seemed like it would be more fun and a little more fitting than a standard stacked cake. <br />
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The kids had a great time at the party and everyone loved the cake! It is such a good feeling to know that people truly enjoy what I create.<br />
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Tomorrow...Valentine's Day!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-84750310521454358272012-02-06T11:48:00.001-05:002012-02-06T11:48:20.577-05:00PUSH UP CAKES!I had such a fun weekend! My son won his soccer game on Saturday!!! Only one more left in his regular season before they go to playoffs. And then comes spring soccer. It's a never ending cycle, but he loves it and is getting pretty good at it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeOsLNBOLHjpuc23GItT6AfZKT91OJixHZ5KNI0PZUvoONlrTrKb8WZUpPMahLzduHaVznQjBqqGmJph8O9IUapQYP9o23biX8D3PeZjNW6iSRyfYm86VtUsKVy2be0jcmMn3JYRLlLw/s1600/tinkerbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeOsLNBOLHjpuc23GItT6AfZKT91OJixHZ5KNI0PZUvoONlrTrKb8WZUpPMahLzduHaVznQjBqqGmJph8O9IUapQYP9o23biX8D3PeZjNW6iSRyfYm86VtUsKVy2be0jcmMn3JYRLlLw/s200/tinkerbell.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Then, I waited for someone to pick up a cake. Here's Hayden's Tinkerbell cake... <br />
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I have to admit, that I am a little disappointed in myself with this cake. I do like the finished look of it, BUT it was a very last minute request and I didn't even get started on it until late Friday. I had originally planned to sculpt Tinkerbell myself. The first try, which took way too long, ended up going in the trash. The second one was really looking good until I started painting her face. I didn't realize that I had black food color on my hands and ended up smearing it all over her. Ugh! At nearly 11pm, that one went in the trash, I covered the cake in fondant, airbrushed it, and made all the vines, leaves, and flowers, and well... the toy Tinkerbell went on top. Hayden didn't mind at all because she got a new toy to play with!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8ezMW83iMHT0dtH1iSTMZtlYY0fN7xvhIC4vg842rkrmPBRvc2uXd-jAz7GJ-yM_dIeYa3j5JAn_Glot5U5gGiPBr1FnARy4oovqFHsofEHgBQirPq-8kNUDxdiy_DcaM3oHjYfFAxs/s1600/cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8ezMW83iMHT0dtH1iSTMZtlYY0fN7xvhIC4vg842rkrmPBRvc2uXd-jAz7GJ-yM_dIeYa3j5JAn_Glot5U5gGiPBr1FnARy4oovqFHsofEHgBQirPq-8kNUDxdiy_DcaM3oHjYfFAxs/s320/cupcakes.jpg" width="320" /></a>The weather was absolutely beautiful, both Saturday and Sunday. We spent the afternoon outside both days, soaking up the sunshine while all the cul-de-sac kids played. Saturday night was my neighbor's birthday...girls only! All the guys stayed home with the kids while we sipped on cosmos, sangria, and ate all of Dori's favorite foods. She asked me to make cupcakes for the ladies...no specifics, just pretty and purple. I love opportunities like this because it gives me a little freedom to experiment. So I created a little sampler. Here you've got (from back to front) Almond Pound Cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream, Maple Bacon Cake with Maple Buttercream topped with more bacon, Red Velvet Cake, and Chocolate Overload- chocolate cake, filled with chocolate ganache, topped with chocolate buttercream. They were a huge hit. The Maple Bacon was a new one. If you've never had bacon and cake together, you must try it! The combination of the salty bacon and sweetness from the cupcake pairs so well together. It was like breakfast. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2DV6jUyTLQz7lcUONxhuNSuy5BLe4EqZSjjP5HSnCIFUFIgbAu5LF653hx59XwnVATH9upoVV3t_iftrEDEB1yrmxc_5LukuFg6XPVzqi7XPcJt7BdB8_-cLEGW7QWtvuLvCySNtlxc/s1600/cake+push+ups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2DV6jUyTLQz7lcUONxhuNSuy5BLe4EqZSjjP5HSnCIFUFIgbAu5LF653hx59XwnVATH9upoVV3t_iftrEDEB1yrmxc_5LukuFg6XPVzqi7XPcJt7BdB8_-cLEGW7QWtvuLvCySNtlxc/s640/cake+push+ups.jpg" width="640" /></a>I also created something new for Dori's party.... PUSH UP CAKES!!! Remember those orange sherbet push ups that you could get from the ice cream lady at school??? These are the same concept, but filled with layers of cake and frosting. They are perfectly portioned, mess-free, and so much fun. And, since they're made out of plastic, they're reusable. They can also be filled with cookies, brownies, candies, and even ice cream. I can't wait to try out some other things in them. I will be ordering a large quantity of them soon! They can be personalized for any event or party. Aren't they fun?!?! And a special thank you to the hubs for helping me make this awesome stand for them to sit in. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-44675900328862446762012-02-04T09:10:00.002-05:002012-02-04T09:10:12.763-05:00Thanks to those that have stopped by my blog and a HUGE THANK YOU to those that signed the petition for the <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/georgia-state-legislature-enact-a-cottage-food-law-in-the-state-of-georgia" target="_blank">Georgia Cottage Food Law</a>. You can also find more info about it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaCottageFoodLaw" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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So, I'm definitely new to this whole "blogging" thing. I'm sure there are rules about the way you are supposed to do it, but please bare with me. <br />
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I've been doing TONS of research on funding options and trying to find venues where the state will allow me to sell cakes. I've submitted my application for the Snellville Farmers Market again this year. I got accepted last year, had my dates selected, and was pretty excited about doing it, but once I sat and thought about how much work was going to go into it each week, I was a little turned off. I've sold cookies and cupcakes at craft shows in the past. I put items in a countertop display case, people would pick the ones they wanted, and I would either serve with a napkin or I would box it up and put it in a bag. That was easy! Farmers Markets are a little different. They do allow non-perishable items (cakes, breads, pies, cookies, etc) to be baked at home and sold at the markets. But, all items have to be individually packaged with name of item, common name for ingredients, allergy information, and contact information from baker. So then I would have to create all of these labels, plan in advance for what I was going to sell, and so on, and so forth. My more tedious than just selling from a display case. BUT, since I'm sort of out of options right now, it looks like my best bet. Now, I'm just waiting to see if they'll accept me. <br />
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I am pretty excited to tell you that I submitted an application for <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">kickstarter</a>. It is a cool way to get funding for new ideas, business ventures, etc. Basically, you come up with an idea for funding, wait to see if you get approved, then create a page all about what you want the money for. You set a goal for yourself...however much you need, but you only have 60 days max to reach your goal. Say I ask for $500. I could set up a rewards system at different levels for people who wanted to donate to my project. Once I reached the goal, the people would be charged, I would get my money for the project, and I would send out rewards. However, if I don't meet my goal by the deadline, no money is charged from people donating, I don't get a dime, and no one gets rewards. They did accept my application and I've been in the process of working on all the details. I've set my rewards already...and THEY ARE GOOD ONES!!! I'm struggling with the video part of it. I really don't like having pictures taken, so making a video of myself is just not going to happen. Perhaps a powerpoint presentation will work.<br />
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Oh, and I have some other new things in the works... last night I made maple bacon cupcakes.... the sweetness of the pure maple syrup and the saltiness of the bacon is fantastic. AND, I'm debuting Cake Push Pops tonight at a birthday party! I'll have pictures of all of that later.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496900383913222040.post-51948383877501900142012-02-02T11:24:00.001-05:002012-02-02T12:03:52.916-05:00I've been CAKE BLOCKED! Welcome to my blog!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7820SoExtPABhzOStwiddE_h9LdtfM8TNHD-lXckqODKP2cZURuO01CDLrZA5vriwzno0OGKHfhOwWVGt34oZbIZlS5fUsoXxxVsvQgcHnsco8hu4HDJz2A3G9AQBIkdYFVrRRhoO5M/s1600/card3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7820SoExtPABhzOStwiddE_h9LdtfM8TNHD-lXckqODKP2cZURuO01CDLrZA5vriwzno0OGKHfhOwWVGt34oZbIZlS5fUsoXxxVsvQgcHnsco8hu4HDJz2A3G9AQBIkdYFVrRRhoO5M/s320/card3.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: black;">Hi! My name is Jennifer and yes, I have been CAKE BLOCKED!!! (More on that in a minute). First, a little about me. My husband is a teacher, middle school in fact. I'm still not sure how he does it. I have two sweet boys...okay, most of the time they're sweet...sometimes MONSTROUS. But aren't they adorable?!?! Nicholas is 8 and in 2nd grade, Cullen is 3 and stays at home with me every day of the week. Well, until he goes to pre-k next year. I decided to stay at home with my kids when Cullen was born. Gas prices were $4 a gallon, I was driving almost an hour each way to and from work. Plus, my paycheck would barely cover the expense of daycare. So, we took a pay cut, changed our lifestyle, sold our second car, and I decided to stay at home. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being at home every day for my kids, but some days I wish I had a car, or some conversation that didn't include legos, cars, and Caillou. </span><br />
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I am a hobby baker with a passion for more! I absolutely love to bake, love to create new desserts, and love to watch baking shows on tv. And I spend hours on my laptop looking for cake inspirations, editing my cake pictures, and doing research on cake stuff-sounds technical, I know. I am self-taught...no classes at all. I do think that skills are genetic. You see, my Grandma was an amazing baker and created beautiful cakes. And then there's my Mom- I think she took a Wilton class back in the day, but she is amazing! She taught me how to make buttercream roses when I was little (although I'm not sure I could make one now, lol). She made my oldest brother's wedding cake almost 20 years ago, and I still remember what it tasted like! One day I'll find a picture of it to post for you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpZMB_pDmF86OTFsR8Fb65xdcYSoeVXGdQe9mLxwqnGkXRY7Rs8ti3NfFWli3DeMMbJAD3_aBjwwFgqkKFPXxeOwTqK8XSk9vVRdNS17PPPge_65d1k3M6JeLWmX5G1k6o349UVc-P_4/s1600/logo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpZMB_pDmF86OTFsR8Fb65xdcYSoeVXGdQe9mLxwqnGkXRY7Rs8ti3NfFWli3DeMMbJAD3_aBjwwFgqkKFPXxeOwTqK8XSk9vVRdNS17PPPge_65d1k3M6JeLWmX5G1k6o349UVc-P_4/s200/logo2.jpg" width="192" /></a>So, on to cakes... My love for baking was increasing with each birthday cake made for my kids. (Side note: I LOVE to throw parties! If you've ever been to one of my kids parties, you know how crazy I get. And yes, I've already planned out parties for the boys and their birthdays are not until July and September.) Each year was bigger and better than the last, which led to friends asking for cakes for their kids, and then their friends, and so on and so on. And, well, <a href="http://www.sweetdreamsboutique.net/" target="_blank">Sweet Dreams Cakery</a> was born (well, not that easy, but you get the idea). Orders were flooding my inbox and my skills were getting better with each cake. It was a win win situation...or so I thought. In the state of GA, like many others, you are not allowed to sell baked goods from your home. You must use a commercial kitchen, separate from your main kitchen. Seriously? I mean, food is probably more safe coming out of my kitchen, than some commercial ones, but whatever. How did I find this out you ask? I received a phone call one morning from the Dept of Agriculture. I was too scared to talk to the guy, so the hubs called for me. Turns out he was very nice and helpful. Someone had reported an unlicensed bakery to the Health Dept. And whoever it was, went straight to the top, and minutes after they received notice, I was contacted. NICE! And so I have officially been CAKE BLOCKED!!! They offered suggestions for me to convert our kitchen, get a mobile unit, use a shared kitchen, or open a storefront. Unfortunately, the quickest solution, the garage conversion is a no go from the Water Dept. </div>
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<span style="color: black;">Since October, I have contacted banks, done countless hours of research, and have set my goals for my future business. It seems that I keep coming up short. There is a petition in the state of GA to pass a </span><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/georgia-state-legislature-enact-a-cottage-food-law-in-the-state-of-georgia" style="color: black;" target="_blank">Cottage Food Law</a><span style="color: black;"> allowing bakers like myself to be able to sell items baked from their home. Please check it out and sign! The more signatures, the better. But for now, I'm just trying to spread the word and hopefully gain support from viewers across the globe. I love what I do. I love to watch the reactions when people see my cakes. I would love it even more if I could jump over these hurdles. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08676272108663114401noreply@blogger.com5