New project - Cake Bites

I wanted to expand my horizons and found out about cupcake bites!!! They are adorable and really tasty....Here is my first completed project:








My kids and co-workers were the Ginny Pigs and the results are in:

Amazing!
Hmmm, oh Mom! These are great!
Don't share these with anyone!
Great!
Can I take some home to the kids?




What I learned is that I need the propert equipment, supplies and time! Definitely need better chocolate (Almond Bark) which is hard to find. I went to Target, Safeway, Raleys, nothing. So, I tried to improvise and it didn't work out looking great. All in all they tasted great and were fun to make and to eat.

More to come.....

More cupcakes......

My first big cupcake job was for a 50th birthday. The order was for 60 cupcakes, yellow and green were to be colors and there was no specific theme. Well, I felt so much like a real cupcake queen...I had to get boxes and everything. The only thing I couldn't afford was a professional cupcake stand.

The cupcakes were chocolate with chocolate chips and yellow cake with chocolate chips!!

One of the party goers ate eleven (11) of them. It must have been Martha Stewart's favorite "Swiss Merinque Buttercream frosting"!!

What I learned is that I need a cupcake stand or display. Something that I can interchange to fit any theme.......hmmmmm.

Cupcakes, Cakes and Fun!

Here are a few of my recent attempts at cake decorating.

These are my first ever cupcakes. They were really, really pretty but it did take a long time and it was very messy! My husband has been kind enough to clean up while I create.

What I learned? That good things don't last. My husband's gesture was sweet but it didn't last very long.























My next attempt at cupcakes were for valentines day. I absolutely love these! It was more fun to make and less time and mess. The chocolate hearts are of my own design. Okay, hubby was slacking off a little at this point with the cleaning promises :)


What I learned? Although the cupcake holders looked elegant, it was hard to get the cupcake out!
















These are a great attempt at "Bird Nests" for Easter. These cupcakes were really time consuming and it gave me a backache! Angel food cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and roasted coconut. The little birds are buttercream frosting also. Now, I must tell you they tasted just like Easter! Sweet! After this I have made a vow that, less is best!

What I learned? Go simpler.
























Now, my attempt at Fondant! For my Dad's birthday I asked him what he wanted for his birthday cake. He said he wanted a crossword puzzle and that is what he got! Mike and I had so much fun doing this cake. He was rolling fondant balls and making the squares for the puzzle. The cake was delicious and my Dad was really happy.


What I learned? I did learn that fondant wasn't that hard to do, but it really doesn't taste that good.




















We made these cupcakes for cousin Danny. It was his birthday on the same day as my Dad's. Sam helped with the chocolate designs so they would match the plate. She did have fun and it was nice having her around the house.



What I learned? Have Sam around so she can create too! She has an eye for things and it is fun to watch!























Here is one of Sam's creations!



I love it because it reminds me of her...


pink, sweet and always embracing life!




More to come!

The little princess

Here are some updated photos of Riley.

What a cutie and we are still having fun with her even though we can't have her outside at all!!! Parvo is really bad in Lodi. says the vet. So...three more weeks in the house on the pee pads.

The new puppy

Introducing, Riley! Our new little teacup Chihuahua. She is 1lb, 5 ozs and adorable. So sweet and lovable. We find that all we do is giggle and smile when she is around.

Progress

It has been 187 days since Mike's accident at The Rose's camp out! His wrist is healing nicely but he had to have surgery to repair his rotator cuff.



The surgery for the shoulder went really well but the recovery was extremely difficult. I couldn't believe how much pain Mike was going through. It was unbearable for him and stressful to watch. He couldn't sleep or sit still for even a minute!! After a few days of misery, I couldn't take it anymore and I called the doctor crying and demanding we get a stronger medication. It worked, he was given Darvocet!! Yippee, now we can both rest....I gave him the dosage and watched him drift into la la land. Ahhhhhh!

After a couple of months he has finally been able to sleep for a full night in bed. His therapy sessions proved that he was a man to be reckoned with and that he was strong and could take it.....he was at 70% mobility. The only thing he can't do which is what he worried about from the VERY FIRST DAY, was being able to wipe...HA!






Okay, we had to get a treadmill!! 187 days of laying around causes havoc to the body and belly. We are both excited and ready to get in shape (Oh geez, I need a prayer)! We have stopped drinking alcohol and are eating healthy, which is a great start.





We will keep you posted on the progress..... I will not, however, show pictures or give out our weight :)

Revelation

I realize that I don't finish anything I start. I have so many ideas and they never get to the point of fruition! I found a blog today that did make me feel better about "my problem" though.




Just a bit of the blog that struck me:




Part of the time it's just due to having good intentions and lacking the resources or talent necessary to finish. Rather than do a poor job and admit defeat, I'd rather just allow the project to collect dust. Rather than admit I will never have the money, I prefer to keep hoping.




I do believe this. I do believe I have several assets, I am creative and I have many ideas (too many), I just lack the funds and possibly time to make it all happen. For instance; being a clown, making balloon animals, creating greeting cards, cake decorating, party planning, painting the shed like the seven dwarfs house, painting rolling waves on my bathroom wall, making a redwood arbor to cover our BBQ and then planting wysteria to grow over it, painting my patio floor, hanging curtains on the patio to create a gazebo spa effect, tearing down the small fence in the front yard and then using that wood to create a fence for the garden, Oh, and plant a garden, create and build a studio in the garage.... Now, these are all fun things to do, right?. Well, I think so!




I do finish things sometimes, like.......uh oh!..........planting flowers in the front yard, cleaning out the junk drawer, going through my closet and getting the fat clothes out for Goodwill, sorting socks, looking for a new cowgirl shirt (too expensive to buy), buying a "love glove" (not what you think) to take the cat and dog hair off the animals!!! Oh geez, these are so boring but it is my life.




Today, I set my sites on writing a book. Can you believe that? Well, I Googled "How to write a Book" and it was all over after that. I chose the topic of "How to Write a Book in 60 days" , clicked on the site it said; "Oops, the link appears to be broken!".



There you have it and me in a nut shell!