Cake Decorating Tip of the Day

Ever make an amazing cake and go to frost it only to get crumbs all in the frosting?

Here are a few tricks...

1. Dust all loose crumbs off the cake before frosting it. (A pastry brush works great!)

2. Make sure the cake is cooled completely.

3. Stick the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes before frosting it. (I have been known to let it freeze overnight and then frost it the next morning. I haven't had any problems with cake flavor or texture. Just don't freeze it after frosting, because it will sweat.) 

4. Don't be afraid to use a lot of frosting. Put a clump of frosting on the cake and then smooth it out. (Not little bits at a time!)

5. Wipe your spatula if crumbs get on it! (Hint: Using the right kind of spatula will help too. I recommend the smaller metal ones like the one below.)

Have fun!

Simple Lunch that's healthy and tasty

This is a very simple lunch that takes about 10 minutes to make... Great if you work from home. It is also very healthy!

Chicken, Rice, and Vegetable... 

I use minute rice... About 1 cup rice, 1 cup water. That goes in the microwave for about 6 1/2 minutes. (Adjust time according to your microwave. You may want to stir it in the middle to make sure all the rice gets cooked thoroughly.)

Meanwhile, pull out a couple frozen/fresh chicken tenders (unbreaded) or a chicken breast. Put a little EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) in your pan and let it heat up for a minute. Place your chicken on the pan. This is where you can get your variety... I keep a few different kinds of marinade (I purchase when they're on sale and when I have coupons). You can use a marinade or just some seasonings. Be creative... Onion powder, garlic powder, and herbs are great choices! Cook your chicken thoroughly (no pink in the center).

For the veggies... Pick whatever kind you like and heat it in the microwave or on the stove. 

Sometimes I keep each part separate and sometimes I mix it all together. You could throw the rice in the pan with the chicken and get it covered in the marinade or just set the chicken on top. 

I eat this meal A LOT... Probably too much actually, but it is healthy and I can change it up every day. Yum! 

Cake Decorating

Cake decorating/making is one of my favorite hobbies. Here are some of the cakes I have done:

This one is one of my favorites, but unfortunately the good photos are corrupt. I made all the little flowers and such... They are edible!!! 

This is one of the "I threw this together for class" cakes. Not my best or favorite, but the roses turned out well. Roses are probably my favorite part of decorating!

This is the infamous Armadillo cake. I believe we named him Horton. Horton did not survive very long as he was eaten at a "1 year anniversary of dating" celebration. Yes, he was red and bled when you cut into him. (Reminiscent of the "Steel Magnolias" armadillo cake.)
Funny story... We had Horton in our fridge after the party. A couple days later one of our friends came over and was going to get a drink from the fridge when, "Ahhhh," she thought she saw a live dead creature in our fridge... Poor poor Horton.

(In case you're wondering... The head and feet were sculpted from fondant, an edible sticky dough like substance that dries hard. I wouldn't really recommend eating it, but you can!)

This one is one of my firsts and favorites. It reminds me of Dr. Seuss for some reason...

Recipes and decorating tips to come!!!

This new blog

I have decided to make an attempt at another blog. I want to share some of my cooking stories, experiences, and recipes and I feel as though that constitutes a place of its own.