Cake Weekends

Sometimes I go a month or two without baking/decorating a cake and I kind of hate those times because I start to feel out of practice.  Then I over-compensate and take on multiple projects.  I kind of hate those weekends, too.  Friday night and Saturday morning I spent gobs of time (and ingredients) on mini-cakes for a bridal event at work.  I started with a mini-cake pan that we sell because I was certain the little cakes would be perfect.  They weren't.  Not the first time (wrong batter, I decided).  Not the second time (should have beaten the pan on the floor to lose the bubbles, maybe?).  Not really the third time (though at that point, I was done and sprinkled the best ones with some powdered sugar).

In an effort to use the rest of the batter from my third attempt (and having had it with the cute pan), I made mini-cupcakes in a pan I already had.  After I took that batch out, I had a brainstorm--slice off the little cupcake tops, turn them over, and decortate them as little mini-cakes!  I quickly whipped up a batch of devils food cake batter and churned out four more dozen mini-cakes.

Saturday morning I had a devil of a time figuring out how to decorate the little things, but J saved the day with a quick trip to Kroger for sprinkles (did I mention he made a trip to Wal-Mart late Friday night for Pam and other non-stick sprays?).  Here's the end result:  mini-cakes glazed in royal icing, then topped with a bit more royal icing and a spattering of sprinkles.  How cute are these??

I went off to work with my mini-cakes in tow, then returned home to bake more.  Sunday morning, we said goodbye to our Youth Minister.  Lakeya is heading to Belgium for a year to serve as the youth minister at a church for American youth in Brussels.  After a quick brainstorming session, we decided that nothing says Belgium like waffles and chocolate!  Lakeya's favorite cake is traditional yellow birthday cake, so I did a three layer yellow cake with regular vanilla buttercream frosting.  In between the layers, I added chocolate shavings, then on top I placed a ton of chocolate shavings and waffle pieces.  Yum! 

After Friday night/Saturday morning, it was kind of a relief to just put together and frost a traditional layer cake Sunday morning.  As with any hobby, it is fun to immerse myself in it for the weekend, but it is also fun to finish the project and step back for a few days! 

Getting closer...

Thanks so much for your comments about the lighting fixture in the bathroom!  I've looked at several, and we've even managed to narrow down what we're looking for.  Cross your fingers on that one! 

In other bathroom related news, the artwork for above the toilet is at the framing shop and will be ready to pick up next week.  I've been back and forth on whether to hang a print we bought in San Francisco six years ago or to put up glass shelves in that space.  When I couldn't find shelf brackets I could live with for less than $50 per shelf (and of course I wanted two or three), not to mention that I didn't find any I really liked, I decided maybe it was a sign.  Since the print we're hanging is pretty much a sunk cost at this point, I just needed to find a framing option that cost less than the shelves to make it worthwhile.  Thanks to a half price sale on a frame (and one already with glass in it, too!), I've managed to get the artwork done for $50 total! 

We're almost there!

This, That and the Other

Part of the beauty of Free-Style Sunday is the option to write about whatever I want to write about.  Often, that is a great thing, but today I kept stumbling across new topic ideas before the last one had been fully developed.  Now, it's nearly 11:00 and I haven't managed to put together one solid blog post.  Instead, I've decided to toss out all of the under-developed ideas and thoughts.  Don't expect a common thread--it's been one of those days! :)

This morning, our priest's sermon addressed security blankets and items we use to bring comfort.  I don't think I ever had a security blanket (a la Linus' blanket) per se, but I did have Bawlmer, a teddy bear I received for Christmas when I was five or so.  I didn't go anywhere for long periods of time without Bawlmer (the hospital when I had surgery in eighth grade, the camp where I was a counselor, college, etc.), but I don't remember taking him with me everywhere.  Something I found interesting was a study Fr. Johnnie mentioned--one that found that children with security items were more confident, more likely to speak their minds than those who didn't have a security item.  Today, Bawlmer still has a place of honor in our guest room (I finally moved him off my bed when I got married).  Did you have a security blanket (or other item)?  What was it?  Do you have it still?

In another flashback to childhood, the tendonitis in my wrist and hand that started in eighth grade reared it's painfully ugly head again today.  For the back story, one afternoon in eighth grade, my friends and I were practicing hurdles at track practice.  I am not sure why I was, as I was never terribly good at them, but my brothers were hurdlers and I guess I thought I should be, too.  Well, apparently I shouldn't have been.  My girlfriends from college can confirm I am not the most graceful person and I managed to trip over one of the hurdles.  I caught most of my weight with my right hand, and sprained it pretty badly.  Periodically since then, if I overuse that hand (like painting a room by myself) it will flair up a bit and be particularly bothersome for a couple of days.  Recently, the pain has been more frequent (though still no more often than a few times a year), but this time I don't even know what set it off.  I do know that the firm handshakes during the passing of the Peace this morning did nothing to help! :)

Finally, I'm almost embarassed to admit this, but I recently rediscovered the awesomeness that is our public library system!  I used the local branch of our library often in grad school, but I guess I had not visited in several years.  One day last week I decided to drop by the branch closest to our house.  There are a couple of books out that I'd like to read but would prefer not to buy, and I've not really warmed to the electronic book craze.  First, I needed a lesson in the card catalog system (entirely on-line, not a wooden case in sight).  Then once I'd mastered that system and gone in search of my books, I had to go to a different computer to register for a library card.  At a third computer I checked my books out and was on my way.  What a difference from the old way!  The best part of the system is that I can go online and reserve books.  When they become available, the library will send me an email, and I can grab them from the hold shelf just inside the doors at my convenience. This may not be news to most of you, but I am thrilled with my "new" discovery.  This morning, I finished the second of the books I checked out and went online to reserve several more!

Have a great week!

Saturday Smells Like . . . Cauliflower Low-Carb Pizza

Hello all, J. here. JE has gotten herself into another sticky wicket with Time. I have repeatedly asked that she mend her differences with him, but the two continue to banter back and forth like two school children playing the dozens. Time always complains when
I intercede. He protests that two against one is not square, until I remind him that, by the very rules of the game, he will win in the end and, as such, it is only sporting to let JE win some battles along the way, by hook or by crook.

Time then typically responds by sharing new euphemisms for "lawyer" that he has learned since we last met.

Taking Time's example, I hope to share with you a new dish I recently made: pizza with a low-carb cauliflower crust. Now, I know what you're thinking: "That sounds like the worst idea I've heard since letting your kids sleep over at Neverland Ranch." Hear me out.

If you've been following the blog, you know I've been trying to lose some weight. Actually, about half of me, give or take a few stones. I focused on Atkins, because (a) it involves bacon; (b) it involves cheese; and (c) the whole insulin/glycemic index angle kind of makes sense to me from a evolutionary perspective (yeah. It's really more (a) and (b).). Also, I know that I'm not a "sweets" guy, so I figured that temptation would be minimal.

I neglected, however, to consider my love of bread.

I love me some bread. My mother will tell you that there was a period in my life, from about 12 to 18, when, if given the option, I would put whatever meat you gave me between two pieces of bread, and would likely add a slice of some sort of cheese. Since then, my mixing of bread with meat and cheese has only expanded from the basic sandwich. From bacon tomato cups to homemade pizza, bread + meat + cheese is, to steal a phrase, "Good Eats" in my book.

My biggest struggle in this regard has been pizza. If I love me some bread, I would marry me some pizza (For my more conservative readers, please read "civil union" if you feel that pizza marriage would threaten the institution.). My and JE's recent experiments with homemade pizza only fed the grade-school kid in me that loved pizza day in the school cafeteria.

Given my predicament, I did what any modern man would do: I consulted the interwebs.

And what I found was awesome. You can make pizza dough out of riced cauliflower, which is both nutrition dense and Atkins friendly. Now, I will not bother setting forth the recipes for the following reasons: (a) others have done it superbly; (b) in fairness, I should drive some traffic to their blogs; and (c) have I mentioned I'm lazy?

My first attempt went fairly well. It tasted great. The cauliflower browned a bit and added a nutty tilt that creates a layer of flavor absent from regular pizza. My only problems were (a) I added cream cheese, because I thought it would help the crust bind (I was wrong); and (b) I probably didn't cook it long enough for it to firm. So, be patient and don't add cream cheese, and I'm sure you will enjoy cauliflower pizza as much as I did.

I'd like to share the pictures of my attempts, but JE has them. I'm sure she will come behind me and add them. (hint, hint)

All that said, I will leave you now, as I'm writing this after a run, and my body is ordering me to turn my brain off and just lie in cool dark of the basement, marinading in a mixture of my pain, sweat and self-loathing.

Enjoy the pizza and your holiday weekend.

Update: I was hungry and had some cauliflower left over, so I took another run. Here's what the mixture looks like spread onto a pan. I've taken a few liberties, adding garlic, basil and a light coat of butter for browning purposes.

This is what it looks like straight out of the oven:

After that, you just add the sauce (make your own. Seriously, it's cheap and easy. Just simmer some diced tomatoes, some tomato paste and some tomato sauce and add seasonings as you like.) and toppings. Then pop it back in the oven for around 5 minutes under the broiler.

Then, take it out, let it cool and enjoy.

Friday again? So soon?

Oops!  I almost missed a Friday post, didn't I?  I'm not quite sure what it is about Friday posts, but they have such a knack for sneaking up on me!  In this case, we joined friends for dinner last night (well, I did; J was still making his way back from EKY), and I developed a splitting headache just after leaving.  I went home, curled up in bed, and was zonked out long before my normal bedtime.  It was after work today before I realized that I had not prepped a post.  What does this mean for you?  More time to weigh in on the new Friday theme.  Maybe we'll debut that next week with the new month!

Thankful Thursday--May 26

This week, perhaps more than anything, I'm thankful for our basement (and air mattresses).  It's such a relief when storms come through overnight to just move our little family into the basement. 

I'm thankful, too, for husbands (well, a certain husband) who take the grocery budget to heart and find more affordable options (which left enough change to pick up roses for the kitchen table this week, too!).  It's been years since I was in a grocery store as small as Aldi, but it felt good to get almost as many groceries for half the price!

Finally, I'm thankful for friends and co-workers who give me the opportunity to practice my baking/decorating.  May has been a busy month for cakes and I have two more opportunities to share this talent this weekend!

What are you thankful for this week?

Outside looking in

I love driving down our street (any residential street, really) at night when you can peak inside other people's homes and, in a way, their lives.  Yesterday, one of my new favorite bloggers posted a picture of her dining room from outside, and it inspired me to do the same.  Forgive the awful quality--I just grabbed my phone and ran outside--and the clearly visible eggs on the mantel--it's still Spring and I think they're pretty!