I was asked to make tennis balls for an order for the bakery and I could have totally made them pretty simple/flat, but after watching SweetAmbs’ tutorial on making a fuzzy teddy bear I knew what I needed to do!

As a tennis player, I felt the need to make these look pretty real. Here’s how I did it!

What you’ll need:

• circle cutter
• yellow flooding icing
• white piping icing
• Size 1.5 PME tip
• Size 4 PME tip
• Food ready paint brush

1.  Make, cut and bake circle cookies.  Outline each circle in yellow icing and then use white icing add the seam of the tennis ball.

2.  Fill in the tennis ball in yellow.

3.  Let dry overnight or in front of a fan for a couple hours until completely dry.  Using a paintbrush and dab yellow icing all over the yellow flat of the cookie. The more you dab the more you get a fuzzy look.

4.  Let dry and go over the white seam with another layer of white.

5. Add you embellishments if needed.

I love the way these turned out.  My hubby wasn’t so sure about the fuzzy but once they dried they were exactly what I wanted.  So I guess what I’m saying is that a flat tennis ball cookie is fine, but to make it a little more real, fuzzy is the way to go!

Thanks for looking!

If you’ve been around the cookie blog/block you’ve probably seen or heard about Bo.  Bo was, in my opinion is, one of the most courageous kids I’ve ever read about.  I never met him, but I feel like I have through all I’ve learned from my friend Jill of Jill’s Funky Cookie Studio.

I missed last year’s bake sale due to injury and general lack of being able to do anything :)  This year would be different.  I started with a fun and cute set of Halloween cookies.  I had fun with them, but kept them simple.

But I had some cookie dough leftover and wanted to make some funky ones, so I made these:

Then I shipped them off to Jill.  My job here was done.  I felt good.  Then I saw some Halloween cards at Target and new I hade to turn them into cookies.  Before I could forget them I went home and made them.  I changed them a tiny bit but mostly stayed true to the original pictures.  I pulled out the airbrush and went to town.  They turned out better than expected.  So what to do with them.  I know.  Off they went!  I then posted them and I guess I wasn’t the only one who like them because they were my most successful cookies to date.  Having over 5000 hits and shared over 50 times.  That’s huge for me, I was on cloud nine!

I’m so proud of these cookies and I’m so proud to be apart of this amazing event. 

All 50 states are represented plus 8 countries.  Way to go Bo!!!  You’ve inspired the world :)

If you want to learn more about the bake sale or the foundation click the links below.

• Go Bo Foundation
• Go Bo Bake Sale

Thanks for looking!

I keep seeing these marshmallow roses all over Pinterest and since my girls LOVE marshmallows I thought it would be fun for treat day.  Plus most girls likes to get roses at the end of the day :)

What You Need:

• Large marshmallows
• confectioners sugar
• rolling pin
• sharp scissors
• food colour (optional)

1. Snip each marshmallow into six slices.
2. On your rolling surface, dust with confectioners sugar.
3. Roll each piece until thin. The side up may stick to your rolling pin.  Just gently pull off.
4. Take the smallest piece and roll tightly.  This will be your centre.
5. Then take rest of the pieces and one at a time wrap around the centre.  Each piece starts half way over the last piece.
6. Optional: to add colour, brush the tips with food colour gels.
7. You can also insert lollipop sticks for a little more panache!
8. Enjoy!

These were pretty simple and I know they will flip over them!

Thanks for looking!

It’s 3pm on Treat Day and I’ve got nothing.  I just finished decorating 163 monogrammed cookies for a wedding and really didn’t want to make anything.  I opened the fridge and glory be, there are Pillsbury crescent rolls in the fridge!  Think, think!!

I grab and apple, chop it up, throw it into the sauce pan with some butter and sugar.  I take the dough, unroll it and decide that pinwheel turnovers are perfect.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes until golden brown, remove let cook a bit and then dust with some icing sugar.  Sometimes the quickest ideas are the best.

I’ve always claimed that using my brain when creating in the kitchen sometimes doesn’t go my way.  I just proved that, no thought was involved in the making of these awesome little tidbits!

So go into the kitchen and don’t think.  Just have fun!

Thanks for looking!

I’ve been having fun lately since both girls are in school full time this year.  Also I’ve had lots of inspiration to make me go that extra mile.

I made these for my sister’s birthday as she’s a big halloweeny fan.  They also made it to #2 on Julia Usher’s Cookie Connection website this past week.  Super excited!

Then I made these for my dear friend Cindy’s bday.  She’s the biggest Pearl Jam fan I know.  We just spend a weekend in NYC.  I had planned to do NY themed cookies but then my husband suggested I do the album covers and I was super excited to give that a go.

Another friend Heather’s birthday was last week and I made her these fun flower cookies.

I got an email from a lady in Florida who had made cookies for her granddaughter but then their freezer died and the cookies were ruined, so I made her a quick fun flower cookie.

And then lastly I made these simple cookies to thank a friend’s mum who takes care of my kids.

These last ones show pretty much how I feel towards everyone who comes and reads my blog every day.  Because without you I wouldn’t be here!

Thanks for looking!!!!

Well, we are getting close to the big ole’ Halloween!  My kids are super excited. Rowan is going as a fairy and I’m working on that costume as we speak.  Abby wants to go as a zombie, so I need to work on that next.  I’ll probably have a few Halloween treats because they love this holiday probably above all others.

Today I made mummies on a stick.  Super easy and fun.  I used Crescent roll dough again and used my person cookie cutter and stacked two together with a popsicle stick between them.  I baked for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

I then took white candy bark that I melted and drizzled over the top of the mummies, to make them a little more realistic.  I added eyes.  I used black and white scull candies I had in the pantry.  Then for more fun I used Martha Stewart’s Halloween molds and airbrushed them a little to give some creepier looks.

Have fun with it!

Thanks for looking!

Ok, I have a confession and for those of you who know me shouldn’t be shocked by this at all.  I’m a bit of an over achiever. There I said it! ;) From baking to quilting, I go big or I go home!

I feel much better but it doesn’t take from the fact that I’ve always wanted to make a haunted gingerbread house for Halloween.  I tried last year but my kids took over and well…

It was adorable but I need to do this on my own if I want it to look the way I want.

So this year, since they are both in school full time, I did it during the day.  I did a bit of research and found this really cool site that created the blueprints for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, CA.  She put it into her computer and broke it down and made up designs and then, above all, posted it on her website. 

Now if you’ve ever been to Disney and seen the haunted mansion, you know this isn’t a task to be taken lightly.  A challenge as it were and I love a good challenge.

Don’t worry, this house adventure isn’t just about me.  The girls will be making their own houses when they get home from school today.  As I type, their house pieces are cooling on my baking rack.

I also have to say that this adventure may have been a bit too ambitious for someone who’s only ever made a single floor, pre-made house before but where’s the fun in that, hehe.  I printed out the pdf file that Ray offers and then cut out and baked all the pieces.  My gingerbread dough makes a big batch but I was still short by two small pieces.  I had to use some sugar cookie dough that I had in the fridge for those pieces.

I wanted the house to have “glass” windows, so I used crushed Jolly Rancher candies and put the crushed pieces into the window holes and baked.  The candies melt down and create a beautiful glass look.

Once cooled I piped filigree, window and door outlines before I assembled because it’s easier, at least for me, to pipe that way.  Then I assembled the first floor and roof and let them dry over night.  I also piped some “wrought iron” fences onto pieces of parchment and let dry. Make many, they break really really easy.  This is how I had to dry the roof.  Angled pieces are evil!

Day two and I added the roof to the base, let it dry for an hour or two and then put the front portico, wrap around porch and side porch.  To the roof, I used black candy melts.  Only doing a couple rows at a time, let dry and continue.

To the roof, I then added the front spire but I couldn’t get the roof pieces to sit.  Remember I said I had to use sugar cookie for two pieces, well this is where they were for.  I finally got it to dry together, placed it on top and when I came back an hour later it had fallen off and broken into many pieces. UGH.  So after I composed myself, I improvised and made the roof flat :)

I then pulled out all the Halloween sprinkles I’d collected over the years and went to town.  Many of the edges have black skulls and the white skulls were used as the door handle and the front steps.  Now this is where my issues took place.  I couldn’t walk away.  I just wanted to keep adding and doing more things to it.  This was the hardest thing ever.  I still want to add things but have to realize that in two weeks it’s probably going into the bin. 

I had a blast and now I’m excited for the girls to come home and make theirs.  I’ve made grave stones and trees for them too!  so much fun.  For their houses, last year I found the Wilton Gingerbread house cutters at Joanns.  Click the picture to get yours!

They won’t be as elaborate but they will be just as fun!  I also made them out of sugar cookie dough, because I have no doubt they won’t make it to Halloween as they have already said they were going to eat them.

So although I may have been ambitious, I loved making this house.  I will definitely making one for Christmas and again next year.

Thanks for looking!

Link for the Gingerbread Haunted House template

Once the girls finish their houses I will post their pictures!  If you’ve made a haunted house this year, share it on my Facebook page!!

I’m on the band wagon!  I’ve seen these for months and finally decided I would give it a try. My girls are worth it right?

I was at Joann’s the other day and all of their Halloween stuff was on 70% off and that’s my kind of shopping.  I picked up the Oreo mold and the fun skeleton molds.  I had candy melts at home from last week’s gingerbread houses.  (If you missed that, take a look.  The girls and I made some pretty fun haunted houses. ) I then followed the instructions on the molds and made my treats.  Then I added some embellishments.

My girls love Oreos and they are a huge treat in this house, because why would I buy store bought when there is always cookies in our house ;)

Now I only used one colour, so they were super easy.  I’ve heard that as you add more and more layers of colour, they are very time consuming. Maybe in the future.  On the one, the decorations are Oreo’s cookie part crushed and then I put the chocolate bones on top.  The other is a split Oreo topped with a black candy melt with a pit of green to make it look like an eye. I went with super easy!

So there’s only one week left before Halloween and I can’t wait. Not for the fun and frivolity of it all but because it’ll be finally over.  My kids are over the top with excitement this year.  I’ll have made three costumes, numerous themed treats, decorated the front with even more stuff than possible and created my first haunted house.  I’m done!

I hope you’ve enjoyed all these spooky treats! 

Thanks for looking!

Have you heard of this awesome cake contest?  Threadless t-shirts has been having this cake decorating contest for a few years and allows cake decorators to create cakes using the designs from their massive t-shirt library.  Every year I’ve loved going through the entries and am amazed at the talent out there.  I’ve always wanted to take part but my cake skills aren’t quite there yet.  Here are the last 4 years winners, so as you can see, amaze balls!

So even though I’m not quite there, I decided to download the humungous image library for this years competition and pick a few I thought my kids would love.

I think my favourites are Monsters Inc and Ironman.  Threadless T-shirts are so much fun and if you want to look all the entries, click here.

This was a fun set to do!

Thanks for looking!

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

Lest We Forget

Guess what?  I’ve jumped on the salted caramel band wagon and I’m so glad I did!  I just decided to use my never fail brownies and then jazz them up a wee bit.  I blame Melissa at The Baked Equation.

So who’s been to Trader Joes?  If you can, go and buy their caramel sauce.  Why try to make it, when you can buy an uber tasty one from there or apparently from Amazon .  I mean, you could make your own but the point of treat day is for fun and EASY treats.  Plus I know my kids like it :)

Once baked and drizzled with caramel, I used this fancy sea salt my mother bought for me and have never used.

Salted Caramel Brownies:

• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• Caramel Sauce (Trader Joes)
• Course Sea Salt

1. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.
2. Add sugar and cocoa and mix until combined.
3. Stir in eggs.
4. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes in a 9” x 13” x 1” dish until tester comes out clean.
6. Heat up caramel sauce and then drizzle on brownies while still warm.  Sprinkle with salt.
7. Let cool and serve!
8. Enjoy!

These are divine!!! I had to have a quality control piece ;)

Did you see these, I mean really???  My quality control test subject didn’t last long.

I’m trying to be better about posting the treat day treats.  Life has been crazy.

We’ve lived in Cary, NC for three years now and up until a few weeks ago didn’t have a really good breakfast spot.  We had several favs in Ottawa but here, nada.

We were introduced to The Flying Biscuit and I am so glad we were.  But now I crave the bloody biscuits every weekend and since that’s a little ridiculous and expensive, I scoured the internet for the recipe.

Jackpot!!!! I found the recipe and then I changed it because that’s what I do :)  I took out the heavy cream and added buttermilk and then the half and half and added just 2% milk.  I think I like these even more.

Recipe: Adapted from Epi Curious on Food.com

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar plus 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cup buttercream
• 2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. This recipe can be done in one bowl (me likey that!!!)
3. In the bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
4. Cut the butter into the flour until it looks like oatmeal.
5. Add the buttercream and milk and fold until just combined.  You don’t want to over knead, nobody likes a heavy biscuit.
6. Roll the dough to an inch thickness and use a square cutter to cut out the biscuits.
7. You can re-roll the left over dough, but just once.  Again, you don’t want tough bickies.
8. Brush the biscuits with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
9. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until golden brown.
10. Let cool a bit and enjoy!!!

These are awesome and now requested every weekend.  They are flakey, buttery, and awesomesauce!!!!

Have a great rest of the weekend and thanks for looking!

Well hello everyone!  As you know I’ve done National Sugar Cookie Day Round Ups for the last three years and thought it was time to give cake it’s day in the sun as well.  I’m not all about cookies, I’ve made an odd cake here or there.

Enough about me :)  This year, since it’s my first time, I chose who I love about town in the cake world.  All of them uber talented and like cookie decorators not all cake decorators work in bakeries.  Many work from home or just do it for fun.  I was amazed when I sent out my original email that everyone I asked responded.  Not all could take part but they all knew who I was and so just with their response made my year!  I suspect that you all know these awesome decorators and if you don’t, I’m so glad I can introduce you.  I simply took the the questions I asked the cookiers and asked these amazing cakers ;)

Anne Heap - Pink Cake Box

I starting following Anne on Twitter back when I first started the social media thing three years ago and to my surprise she followed back.  I asked questions, she answered. It was very cool for someone just starting out.  Her cakes are just amazing and her tutorials and blogs are equally amazing.  Anne can be found on Facebook, Twitter and at her website.  I give you Anne…

When did you start baking? Since the age of six, I've had a love for baking that was first inspired by my mother. 

When did you start blogging/FB page? We started our blog back in 2005.  Back then blogging about cakes was not as common, but we felt it was a great opportunity to expose our customers to the wide variety of cakes, cupcakes and cookies that we were making on a weekly basis.  Since then, we've taken several of our best tutorials & recipes from our blog and moved them to an educational arm called Pink Cake Box University which includes cake decorating classes, tutorials, recipes and reviews of other online classes. (I.e. Craftsy and CakeMasters)

Sometime in the 2008 period we launched our FB page which has become another destination for us to share our creations along with additional tutorials, recipes, and classes.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Both our blog and Facebook page are named after our company - Pink Cake Box.  Both these channels our a means of reaching our customers through our Pink Cake Box brand.

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? Warm chocolate chip cookies right from the oven! I haven't posted a recipe yet for chocolate chip cookies, but some of my favorite recipes are available here.

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? The Cake Blog founded by Carrie Sellman is one of our favorites.  She is very supportive of the cake community and great to work with.  Marian from Sweetopia (http://sweetopia.net/) also does a fantastic job with her blog.

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? Yes I have and I'm all for it!! ;)

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? Well she wasn't just a baker- but would have loved to meet Julia Childs! 

My favorite cake is attached.  I made this cake for my mom's 70th birthday.  More info about the cake is available here --> http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/mama-khoobs-parrot-tulip-extravaganza-cake-2013-06-10.htm

Kathia Castro – Pink Little Cake

Meet Kathia, another twitter friend!  We just started chatting via twitter and then became Facebook friends.  I followed along as her cakes amazed me.  Kathia is a home baker and blogger and does the occasional cookie too!  You can find Kathia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Website.

When did you start baking? 6 years ago, when my oldest daughter was born.

When did you start blogging/FB page? Around December 2018, I notice everyone was blogging and I decided to jump in the wagon and share my cake decorating adventures

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Well, I love pink, cake and all things little. It was the perfect combination for me "Pink Little Cake"

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? A really goof chocolate cookie or pastry.

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Ohh man, this is a hard question, I can't really named one, I like and enjoy reading way to many blogs out there. 

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? Actually never, this is the first time.

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? I would love to meet Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, I have all of their books and I think their baking knowledge is amazing.

Thank you so much for including me, this was so much fan. Attached is the picture of one of my favorite cakes.

Juanita Koo – SweetThings

I met Juanita two summers ago when I asked her to help me me create a cake for my daughter. She was up to the challenge of creating the non-traditional cake.  You can read about it here.  Juanita is from my home town of Toronto, Canada and once was on a home improvement show where she got her awesome cake kitchen built in her basement.  She’s also a personal trainer and mother to the cutest little girl.  I’m proud I can call her friend. Juanita can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and her blog.

When did you start baking? I have always dabbled with baking, but didn't get serious until I enrolled part-time at George Brown College for Cake Decorating in 2006.

When did you start blogging/FB page? I started blogging in 2008 - wow 5 years ago!  Then over the next year started to Tweet and started a Facebook page.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? I picked SweetThings because I could branch out into other sweets, like cake, cupcakes and sweet tables.  At one point I was working on a granola bar line.

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? Tiramisu!

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Sharon Wee Creations

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? Yes!  There is a day for everything - I love it!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? James Roselle of Elle Cakes, and he was just in Toronto and I missed him!

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your favourite cake! My new favorite cake that I made on the weekend!

Jacquee Stephens– I Sugar Coat It!

I virtually met Jacquee this year on Instagram.  I started following her amazing talents and felt she needed to be apart of this first round up.  She works from her home and can ganache a cake like no person I’ve ever seen!  You can find Jacquee on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blog.

When did you start baking? A little over two years ago, just out of interest.

When did you start blogging/FB page? I celebrated two years of blogging back in August of this year (2013). My FB page followed a couple months after.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? My original blog name reflected a few of my other interests - reading, fashion and travel. A couple months into blogging, I decided to focus on baking, as it was so new to me. I chose I Sugar Coat It! because as a child, I put a coat of brown sugar on everything I ate. Gross now that I think about it. It's a miracle I wasn't an obese child, and I am proud to say, I have never had a cavity!

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? I LOVE bittersweet, dark chocolate - a bar lasts me about a month, as it's best enjoyed a little at a time. I'd be happy with just that for dessert, or anything made from it!

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Oh, this is tough... too many to name just one and does it have to be about food? Hmmm... I just can't choose one, so I'll pass. Is that allowed? :)

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? No, I had not!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? Again, that's tough...but I will keep it close to home and in the blogging community. I think Paula from Vanilla Bean Baker is one of the sweetest people I've 'met' online and her support and encouragement has been instrumental in keeping me blogging. Even with our age difference, I feel so connected to her and consider her a friend. She is kind and very generous with her knowledge and, of course, very talented. I think she is the type of person, who, once you get an opportunity to hug, releasing her would be difficult. I am probably sounding a little stalker-ish, so I'll stop now - but I simply adore Paula!

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your favourite cake! This isn't my most complex, or best executed cake, but it holds more meaning to me than most. I made it to celebrate two very special birthdays - that of Taylor, who could only be with us for 10 short, but love-filled months and her mama, my friend Jess, who showed us all what it is to truly love, unconditionally. This was all buttercream decorated with cocoa powder using a giraffe stencil. http://www.isugarcoatit.com/2012/07/chocolate-espresso-giraffe-cake.html#.UokdKmTXR4U

Loren Ebert – The Baking Sheet

Loren was one of the first baking pages I stocked regularly when I started blogging.  Her ideas for cakes are amazing and the cake she creates are not exceptions, they are the rule.  Anytime I would share her work on my FB page she was always so gracious.  That’s what I love about all these cakers, they are more than happy to help!  Loren can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.

When did you start baking?  I started baking when I was 10 years old…coffee cake was my specialty!

When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my blog after my son was born (almost 8 years ago).  I was on maternity leave and was looking for a hobby so I started documenting my adventures as an amateur baker.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? I didn’t spend much time considering my blog/page name.  At the time I thought no one would be interested or pay attention.  Now I wish I put more thought into it! 

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? Crème brulee, key lime pie, cannolis

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? I have so many favorite cake pages that I love and visit on a regular basis it’s so hard to pick just one!  Callicious Cakes, Cakes by Raewyn, Peggy Does Cake, Royal Bakery, Man Bakes Cake, Cuteology, Bliss Pastry, Little Cherry Cake Company, Cakes by Kerrin, Tea Party Cakes, CorrieCakes, Sugar High, Inc., Mimicafe Union @New York

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today?  Yes!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be?  Calli from Callicious Cakes.  Calli is a true artist and her cakes are inspirational.  On her latest cake she hand-painted a gorgeous replica of the Mona Lisa using cocoa butter! 

Corrie Rasmussen – Corrie Cakes

I met Corrie two years ago when I was asked to join a small group of bakers on Facebook.  Her sense of humour was something I really enjoyed immediately.  Her cakes are a fabulous mix of buttercream with fondant embellishments.  What’s best is that she makes the most basic sheet cake look like it took forever and is worth a million bucks.  Love this lady!  Corrie can be found on Facebook.

When did you start baking? When I was about 12, Way back in the day when Jr High Schools still offered Home Economics classes- I loved having a class all about cooking and sewing. I didn't start decorating cakes or baking on a regular basis until I was 18 and was working at an Albertson's bakery.

When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my FB page in Oct.2011. Peggy Lee, (Peggy Does Cake) messaged me a few times on Cake Central and encouraged me to start a FB page, we soon got to be good FB friends she's one of my biggest cheerleaders in the cake world, love her to pieces!

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? In my small town there are actually quite a few cake decorators and at parties it's fairly common for people to ask, "Is that a Jackie-cake?" , "Is that a Paula-cake?"...."Is that a Corrie-cake?" So after lots of thought and asking for suggestions and what not, I just decided to go with CorrieCakes, It was simple and to the point and, at the time, there weren't other FB pages or websites with that name so I went with it.

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? A pie from Village Inn, of all places! It's called French Silk Pecan Supreme Pie, it's so rich it kind of makes me a little ill after having a slice but that's seriously my favorite desert... and a close second is any generic brand ice cream sandwich- the cheaper and thinner the layer of ice cream (or more like ice milk) is, the better!

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? My favorite blog is Baker's Royale, It's mostly just straight up recipes, but presented beautifully, and the recipes have, so far, proven true and consistent in the real world. My Favorite FB page is Welcome to Nightvale 's FB page because I'm a huge fan of that podcast. As far as cake related FB pages, I'm probably like everyone else on the planet- Peggy Does Cake and Royal Bakery are favorites for sure.

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? No! I've never heard of it- but it's not surprising there is one, there seems to be a national day for just about anything you can think of anymore!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? I don't know that I could just pick one! Probably Peggy is a #1 choice but I'd love to meet up with all the bakers that worked on the Starry Night cake collaboration last March. There was lots of messaging and joking and getting to know one another during all the planning and preparation of it, I consider them all great "FB Friends" and would love to meet up with each one to give them all a hug!

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your favourite cake! That's a hard choice... I have a lot of favorites for different reasons but my latest favorite would be my Lisa Frankenstein cake I did recently for the Threadcakes contest- I like cakes with a sense of humor :D

Rachel Skvaril – The Fondant Flinger

Meet Rachel!  She flings fondant LOL.  I stumbled across her Facebook page just over a year ago and was blown away by the amazing cakes she did.  Her cake name says it all.  She’s super creative and imaginative!  You can find Rachel on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.

When did you start baking?  I’ve baked pretty much all my life.  When I was little, I was always my Mom’s little assistant in the kitchen.  She’s an incredible cook and baker. 

When did you start blogging/FB page?  I think the official start date of Fondant Flinger is May, 2011.  I’m definitely still a newbie in the sugar world.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name?  My mom’s nickname was always the “Queen of Fling”.  Since I basically started out with just a package of fondant and a toothpick, flinging things together, I just used her nickname as my inspiration.

What is your favorite dessert other than cake?  Hands down, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.  I really can’t be trusted when I know there’s a pint of it in the freezer.

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? I LOVE Carrie Sellman’s The Cake Blog.  Such great artists featured and even some tutorials.  Talk about being blown aways by all the inspiration!

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? No, every day in this house is Cake Day so I never thought about there being an official NATIONAL cake day in existence.    

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be?  I really have a long list so its hard to choose just one.  Right this very moment, I would say that a lesson from Maggie Austin is VERY high on my Cakey Wish List, a close second would be Ron Ben-Israel.  

Peggy Lee – Peggy Does Cake

What can I say here that won’t sound pathetic.  I, of course, know who Peggy is and if you don’t, you should.  When I sent out my invitations for this blog post and she responded I nearly fainted because she knew who I was.  That was a big moment for me :)  Peggy is so sweet and what amazes me most, other than that she’s only been doing this for a few years, is that she doesn’t sell her cakes.  I know… amazing right?????  Her Facebook page is a daily must see and I love it when she has her share days because then I get to see more great decorators share their work too!  Peggy can be found on Facebook, her webpage, and Twitter.

When did you start baking?  I started baking in January of 2010 and made my first "real" cake (to be seen and eaten by someone besides my husband) on 4/1/2010.

When did you start blogging/FB page?  I joined FB later than year, in November of 2010.  Three years ago this month!

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name?   I wanted my name to be something people would hear and immediately know what it meant.  I'm Peggy.  I do cake.  So there you have it.

What is your favorite dessert other than cake?  I actually much prefer apple pie over cake. I have a great recipe for my caramel apple pie on my blog that's the bomb.

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment?  I never miss a day of visiting Royal Bakery.  

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today?  I have done a feature on my page called "Celebrate the Day," so I'm in tune with all sorts of wacky holidays, including this one.

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be?  Oh there are so many friends I'd love to meet, but I'd have to say Lesley of the aforementioned Royal Bakery. Do I sound like a stalker?

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your favourite cake!  I'm attaching 3 cakes, I'll let you pick.  The pink princess cake was made about 15 months into decorating and was the first cake I ever was truly happy with and proud of.  The Lion King cake was made about 20 months in, and I was happy with it, but it's copyrighted characters, so you may have a problem with using it.  I'm a hobby baker and give my cakes away, so copyright isn't an issue for me.  The Minnie cake was just made this year and it's a super simple little butter cream cake, but it's my favorite cake of 2013.  

Lesley Wright – The Royal Bakery

Lesley is another one of those bakers who can do amazing things with cakes.  You look at her cake and you think, wow how does she come up with that?  Along with Peggy, Lesley is another cake decorator I stalk on a daily basis.  Her creations are just amazing and she’s also at the ready to help if you have any questions.  A hero of mine, for sure!!!  Lesley can be found on Facebook.

When did you start baking? I started baking in May 2011. Before that, I had decorated a couple of cakes for my son’s birthday, but not with any level of success!

When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my Facebook Page shortly after making my first cake. I was learning as I went along - especially as I was English baking American cakes - so wanted to be able to share what I was learning with others who might also be just starting out.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? I wanted the name of my business (and therefore my Facebook Page name) to reflect my Britishness. England doesn’t have much of a culinary reputation, so I chose the thing Americans can still get enthusiastic about, and that’s the royal family! I thought the name Royal Bakery conjured up something a little high class, and that’s what I aspired to be!

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? My favorite dessert would always be something fruity, and preferably citrusy. I would choose lemon tart or a marshmallowy pavlova - meringue covered in whipped cream and berries. Although I can always be tempted by something very chocolatey!

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? I actually read very few blogs and the only ones I can say that I visit with any regularity are Cake Wrecks and the Craftsy blog! I write for Craftsy, so I might be a little bit biased. My favorite Facebook Pages are Peggy Does Cake because, yes, she’s my best friend, but also because she gives out so many tips and recipes and always finds wonderful new cake decorators to share with us. I also visit the Page of Little Cherry Cake Company every week because her work always inspires me. She has such wonderful, original talent!

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? I have heard of National Cake Day because I love looking up obscure holidays to help me write my blog posts for Craftsy. I’ve done cake round ups based on World UFO Day, National Junk Food Day, National Donut and Chocolate Ice Cream Day and Golf Day! We have a lot to celebrate!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? The baker I would most like to meet is, naturally, Peggy from Peggy Does Cake. After my husband and my mother, she’s the person I run to tell all my news to, but we’ve never actually met. We have promised to make 2014 When Peggy Met Lesley year, so I’ll let you know how it goes!

Here is my favorite cake:

Rick & Sasha Reichart – cakelava

I first came across cakelava through my constant scouring of Facebook and Twitter for awesome treats!  I’d share their cakes and always got a response.  Rick’s always so gracious and boy does the man have skills. (Just see cake below).  Sasha is the business side of this amazing little business. Now I haven’t met Rick or Sasha but just chatting back and forth with them for this, I love them.  So super nice.  Have I mentioned they are from Hawaii, just like my hubby!  You can find cakelava on Facebook, Twitter, blog, and their website.

When did you start baking? I started in 1991 after I graduated culinary school in Baltimore, MD. 

When did you start blogging/FB page? We started the cakelava blog and Facebook page in 2008. 

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Originally, our blog was called "Musings from Cakeland", and was later changed to "cake 5-0". We changed it to "cake 5-0" as a nod to our making cakes in Hawaii, the 50th State, and a reference to one of flavors, Hawaii Five-O. We had that flavor on the menu before the new Hawaii Five-O show. 

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? My favorite dessert is cheesecake, and donuts. Any kind will do... I just love that stuff!!! 

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? I love so many Facebook pages, but of course, my favorite is the cakelava page!

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? No, but I have heard of National Donut Day!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? Michelle Wibowo - Michelle Sugar Art in the UK, and Jane Zubova - Artcake.ru | Unique handmade cakes by Jane Zubova - in Russia. 

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your favourite cake!

Kerrin Dunbar – Cakes by Kerrin

I virtually met Kerrin two years ago when I was making the Rapunzel tower cake for Rowan.  Kerrin had made one and I bugged her for how-to’s and advice.  She was very supportive and to be honest, couldn’t have done it without her.  Her cakes are gravity defying, I mean seriously amazing.  (pic attached is crazy). Kerrin can be found on Facebook.

When did you start baking? I've enjoyed baking for as long as I can remember, but I made my first decorated birthday cake completely covered with Wilton tip #16 for my husband's 25th birthday.  Classy, right?! 

When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my FB page a few years ago with the primary purpose of having a central location for family and close friends to see my little hobby.  FB has been a great outlet to meet so many others who share my sugar obsession!  :)  

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? If I had known when I chose the name that it would be one that stuck, I might have spent a little longer on it!  Seems kind of pointless to change it now- but who knows- maybe if I open a shop!

What is your favorite dessert other than cake?  I love tiramisu and homemade cheesecake with fresh berries

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Oh dear.... I honestly don't know if I can pick a favorite.... I'll try to narrow it down!  One of my favorite pages is Sugar High- anything Brenda posts is sure to put a smile on my face. I also love to gawk at anything Jaqueline Butler posts on Petalsweet.  

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? Honestly can't remember- but guessing no!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be?  If meeting any baker would also mean watching them in action, it would be Karen Portaleo.  There truly are no words to describe what she can do with cake- jaw-dropping, indeed!

My favorite cake:  I've done several that rank up there for me but my son's 4th birthday cake is still my favorite.  Not the best staged picture because it was taller than anything I use for a backdrop and I didn't dare pick it up and move it!  

Melissa Diamond – MyCakeSchool.com

I stumbled across Melissa’s web school after I moved to North Carolina and didn’t think twice about joining to learn all I could without leaving my house.  Melissa has such an easy quality and her cakes are just adorable. I haven’t met Melissa even though she’s a fellow NC’er but we have become virtual friends.  If you have a question, Melissa will help you in any way she can.  Melissa can be found on Facebook, Twitter and her website/blog

When did you start baking? I became interested in baking cakes & really learning how to decorate about 8 years ago when I decided to start a home based cake business.

When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my site and blog about 3 ½ years ago.

Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? I chose MyCakeSchool.com because I wanted people to know just from reading the name that our site is a place for cake decorating instruction.

What is your favorite dessert other than cake? Banana Pudding!!

What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? I have SO many favorites! I do love Carrie Sellman’s TheCakeBlog.com though, because she does an amazing job of highlighting inspiring cake trends and artists!

Had you heard of National Cake Day before today? No, I had no idea!

If you could meet any of baker, who would it be? Ron Ben-Israel

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your favourite cake!

WOW, what can I say.  Aren’t they all amazing?????  So go and visit and then come back and look around.

Thanks for looking!

You can find me also on  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and here at Trilogy Edibles!

Around this time last year I was asked to make a cake for Icing Smiles, the charity who puts together families who have a sick child and volunteer bakers, so these sick kids and their siblings can have a cake for their birthday.  I mean who needs to worry about a cake when their baby is sick.  Here enters Icing Smiles!  So when I got the call to duty, I jumped (very gingerly as it was the start of all my back issues but didn’t know it) and said yes and then ended up in the hospital myself.  I felt awful as I had to cancel just a week before the cake was due.

Now fast forward to this past October and again I received another call to duty.  I wasn’t going to say no.  I was so excited and nervous.  I haven’t made a cake in forever.  My back felt pretty strong and was ready to get started.  I got a wonderful email from the parents of the soon-to-be three year old boy, Jordon,  who would be receiving my cake.  His theme was a fire truck, so the colours were black, red, yellow and white and he also wanted buttercream not fondant…damn.

Buttercream cakes and I have never gotten along.  I prefer them to fondant too, but I’ve never successfully been able to give it that uber smooth look that some cake decorators can do. I also don’t have the skills to give it the look of a professional uber expensive baker and then realized I don’t have too. I can make pretty awesome cookies, so I decided I would combine the two!

Another request was for chocolate cake and chocolate ganache filling.  I used our family favourite chocolate cake recipe and a simple chocolate ganache recipe.

I baked them off on the first day.  Sadly two of my cakes cratered in the middle so we got testers.  The girls were super excited and I got to do quality control. The perks :)

Day two I made ganache then filled and crumb coated all three tiers.  Gotta say I love ganache.  So easy to spread and make “smooth”.  Not knife edge smooth but pretty darn close.  I also decorated the cookies I was going to use on the cake and the topper cookie.

Day three I buttercreamed the three layers and then stacked them whilst holding my breath.  My heart was beating pretty strong, I could hear it in my head.  Once assembled and standing straight I added the cookies and some buttercream accents.  I wanted to take a picture outside for the good lighting and walked very slowly as I carried it out the back door.  No I didn’t drop it.

I then packaged it up and waited for it to be picked up.  So stressful. Plus I got a picture of the ladders going up the side of the cake. I don’t normally do cakes for other people outside family and friend, so delivery boxes aren’t something I have lying around.  So I had to make-shift a box to allow for three tiers.

And here it is all complete and ready for it’s party.

I’d like to tell you there’s an awesome happy ending at this point.  About 3 hours after dad picked up the cake I got an email from mom telling me that the cake had shifted and collapsed in the fridge.  I was devastated.  I felt hopeless because at this point there wasn’t much I could do for them.  I responded with my absolute apologies and didn’t know how it could have happened.  When placed in the their car it was a bit off level but nothing to be concerned about but I guess I was wrong.  I’m no professional, clearly, but sadly accidents happened.  In my response I also asked if all the tiers were ruined or if it had just crushed the bottom level.  If so, then remove it and use the top two. I also offered to whip up some cupcakes and deliver them myself before the party started.  She emailed me back and thanked me for all my help and upon a second look the suggestions I made would work and she could save the cake.  Relief poured over me but was still sad that the cake wouldn’t be exactly as I had intended for him, at least there will be cake.  Maybe when the Raleigh Fire Department arrives with an actual truck he won’t care that the cake wasn’t perfect or at least as intended.

So, would I do this again?  Absolutely!  I will, however, never NOT deliver it myself.

Thank you Icing Smiles for letting me take part. If you are interested in volunteering, click here and find out how!

Happy Birthday Jordan, I hope your day was amazing!

Thanks for looking!

Here are the most recent cookies since my last post.

Little People Farm  - cookie cupcake toppers

For a friend of the girls who broke her arm.

Avenger Minions for my friend’s son who loves the Minions and the Avengers.

Threadcakes at cookies.

Happy birthday for a friend who turned 60 and loves pigs and flowers!

Expecting cookies!

The beginning of the Christmas cookies!

Lots of cookies that are always so much to do.  If interested send me an email!

Thanks for looking!

I’m feeling like Oprah today, not sure why, just am.  So I thought I’d share some of my favourite things, some baking related, some just because, some are mine but most are not! 

Today will be my last post for 2013.  We head up to the Great White North for Christmas to spend the holidays with Rob’s parents.  The girls wanted to see snow for Christmas and they will not be disappointed this year.  They’ve already got a foot of snow, yay!  I miss the snow just not the shoveling of it :)

On to the my favourites!

My Favourite Recipes:

• English Muffins
  
• Chocolate Cake
  
• Cinnamon Rolls by Something Swanky
  
• Fudgey Oreo Brownies by Crazy for Crust
  

My Favourite Blogs:(if I list them all we’d be here a while, these are the ones the first come to mind)

• Crazy For Crust
• Something Swanky
• The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle
• The Vanilla Bean Baker
• One Tough Cookie
• The Bearfoot Baker
• The Baked Equation
• SemiSweet Design
• Bake at 350

My Favourite Cookie/Cake Stuff Sites:

• Cheap Cookie Cutters
• Copper Gifts
• Karen’s Cookies
• Global Sugar Arts
• Americolor
• Amazon.com

My Favourite Quilting Sites:

• Fat Quarter Shop
• Marti Mitchell
• Oh Fransson!
• Don’t Look Now
• Joann.com
• Etsy.com

My Favourite TV Shows: I don’t watch a ton of TV but the ones on the DVR include:

My Favourite Movie:

No one should be surprised by this one!

But most of all my Favourite People:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my family to yours.  Thank you for a great year here at Trilogy Edibles and I hope you come back and visit with me next year!

Hugs!

Karen

Happy New Year.  I’m a little behind the eight ball already in the blogging department.  I’ve decided to make a couple changes, or more precisely bring back the savory side since I’m attempting to go gluten free for a month.  However, I made a few cookies for the holiday season, so I thought I’d share them as I work on recipes both sweet and savory.  Don’t worry, the treats you’ve come to expect will be going no where, but I’m always thankful for new savory recipes, so I’ll be sharing them too!

I’m also still trying to work through my back issues from last year.  I’m mending but very very slowly.  Please bare with me as I continue to heal.

So on to the cookies!

No just imagine 700 of these.  Yup, that’s a lot of cookies!!!

Happy New Years!!!

and thanks for looking :)

Ok, so have you heard the term Paleo before?  I heard it for the first time about two years ago but just kind of shrugged and went about my way.  As the last two years have gone by the term has popped up more and more. 

So what is it?  As defined by thepaleodiet.com: The Paleo diet is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, the time period from about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. These foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game meat, if you can get it), fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu.

I like to describe it as the back to basics diet.  The “if you made it from scratch” you can eat it diet, provided you don’t use ready made items, dairy, white or brown sugar or legumes (beans).  Yes, I know that’s an over simplification but I’m overly simple when it comes to food.  Too many rules makes me want to walk away because, if anything, food should be easy.  Anyone should be able to eat healthy.

At the grocery store, the best way to stay in the “zone” of healthy eating is to stay to the outside aisle.  The moment I go down the other aisles, that’s where I get in trouble.  I do love a good processed food :) Crackers are my biggest downfall.

As we enter into 2014 with all the possibilities available, my only goal is to be pain free and to not have to have another surgery.  Sadly there is a possibility there, so I’ve hired a personal trainer who specializes in back trauma to help me strengthen pretty much every muscle I have and to eat healthy consistently.  I mean we all try to eat healthy but who doesn’t like to indulge now and again.

I have no plan to go completely paleo, but I am going to try limit my intake of all things processed.  Now saying this; the month of January is going to be gluten free-ish.  I’m a baker after all and therefore I taste all things I bake.  I just need to gain back control after the gluttony that was the holiday season.  I was so so bad.

My first recipe I’m sharing in the savory department is this crockpot chili.  I must confess, this wouldn’t be the way I would eat chili but when you have a husband who doesn’t do beans or onions, you kind of have to roll with it.  Without knowing it, this actually falls into the category of being paleo.  It’s also a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal, which I do so love.

Crockpot Chili

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup homemade tomato sauce or favourite organic sauce
• 1 chopped red pepper
• 1 roasted pablano pepper chopped, seeds removed
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. Put all ingredients into crockpot, mix well and set on high for 6 hours.
2. Enjoy!

My mother, in all honesty, makes the best chili.  However, this is darn good.  Even Abby gave it a thumbs up and that, right there, speaks volumes!!!

So over the next month, why don’t you join me while I attempt to stay on the straight and narrow!  Don’t worry, lots of sweet treats will be shared as well. Fun cookies as well as taking some old favourites and giving them a new twist.  It’s also my birthday month followed closely behind by Rowan’s 6th birthday.  Lots to celebrate!

Thanks for looking!

Happy Treat Day everyone, sorry I missed last weeks edition but the girls got their treats, I just didn’t have time to post about it.  They also weren’t very exciting either.  Nilla wafers sandwiches with chocolate ganache.  Simple and delicious.

Now this week I had to make up for it.

Have you seen Frozen yet?  We saw it twice in the theater and then got an advanced copy of it and have watched it about 10 times in 5 days.  Even I know all the words now.  It truly is a fabulous movie and stands up to my favourite, the Lion King.

The music is so well done and they inspired me to make cookies.  I tried to make Sven the reindeer but alas, he was just too hard but I think the rest of them turned out ok.

Thanks for looking!

I’d like to say that week two was easier than week one but I’d be lying through my bread eating lips :)  I may have cheated a wee bit, not a lot, but the cravings were crazy.  When you love bread, just the smell makes me want to have some.  Ok, must stop talking about it…

I also had some good reasons, starting when I got a good scare caused by my youngest.  She asked if we could do carpool Wednesday and I just assumed that meant drop off in the morning.  What I didn’t realize was that she meant end of day pick up as well.  So when Abby got home and asked if Rowan was there because she wasn’t on the bus my heart rate escalated to dangerously high levels.  I tried not to panic, too much.  Abby and I got back into the car and called the school as we drove towards it (slightly above the limit).  The school located her and when we got there she was in the front office surrounded by four teachers having no idea what she did was wrong.  Once my pulse got back to almost normal… I required a drink and a cookie.

Then the last nail in my proverbial coffin was while I was working out.  As you know I haven’t exactly had the best year in the physical department.  Three herniated discs, two ruptures with surgeries and a partridge in a pear tree.  Just kidding about the last one.  Anyway, I’ve started with a personal trainer who works with people with back trauma.  She’s great and I am doing very small movements but at least I can now engage my abdominals all by myself.  Not bad after a year and half.  Now that’s the good side, the bad side happened when I went to stretch or extend my leg after my 30 minute walk on the treadmill.  When I did, it went numb (pins and needles).  Which, to be honest, is the strangest feeling on the planet.  I know it’s not going to buckle but it still caused a pause of concern.  So I had a slice of pizza as I was just not motivated to make dinner that night. I’m heading back to see the doc this week.

So you may think I cheated three times but there were fairly good reasons, if any.

But I also made some super yummy GF items.  Lots of really tasty salads and this amazing soup.

I bought a bag of pre-cut butternut squash and roasted it with garlic.  I then added some low sodium stock and pureed until I got the right consistency.  Voila soup!  Simple and delicious.

You can also not be lazy like me and peel and chop your squash.

Roast at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown

Put into medium saucepan and add low sodium stock, about two cups.  Start with 1 cup and add until desired consistency.

Get to the right consistency.  I like mine a little thicker.

and last but certainly not least…enjoy!

So week two is behind me and I head into this upcoming week in a more positive frame of mind.  At least that’s what I’m planning.

Thanks for looking!