eight.

It's been awhile I know! S's 1st Birthday was a total success, big turn out and she seemed to have a great time. Her cake turned out PERFECTLY, I was very happy with the results and I highly recommend it....

I sent out a few emails to wedding planners in the area asking if anyone was looking for an assistant or junior planner, I did get a response from one who is based in Canmore and is willing to work primarily virtually! It sounds like a great situation but I sadly have not heard back from her in almost a week :( I'm hoping she'll get back to me this week and maybe has just been busy leading up to the weekend... I'm just really longing for a job that feels more satisying than my current position. *sigh*

seven.

I can't believe that 'S' is turning 1 on Monday!! Where did the time go? It has come up on me so silently that aside from the cake I have done virtually no planning! Time to really step it up I suppose....

I do have the princess doll mini cakes but aside from that I don't think that I want to go overboard with a princess theme. My initial thought was perhaps a spring color themed party but as I am buying party supplies there is alot of pink showing up.... I am also having a hard time finding a baby girls birthday party theme that isn't surrounded in pink so it looks like it will be up to my own creativity to come up with something spectacular for her special day!

'G' seems to be handling the idea of her party coming up very well, we went shopping for birthday presents today and he was picking out all sorts of toys and aside from suggesting she might like a tool set he seemed to be interested in celebrating her birthday! He picked out a little piano for her from him it was very sweet.

I'm really looking forward to her birthday but a big part of me is kind of sad that it is already here! She is getting so big and just doesn't look like a baby anymore, she is really growing into a toddler now. Which reminds me how much 'G' is growing from a toddler into a little boy. I am so thankful for my beautiful children, I just want to appreciate every flying moment that we have with them.

~K

six.

Sadly as nice as the last cake looked it was not a crowd pleaser, so back to the drawing board (a.k.a internet) and I found a great recipe on http://www.sweetapolita.com/ if you like to bake I really suggest checking out her site! I'm not going copy and paste the whole recipe because there was alot to it... Essentially it is a Neopolitan Cake, you can look that up on the link above if you're really curious. It has 5 layers in it: 2 chocolate, 2 vanilla and 1 strawberry. In bewteen the layers is a strawberry raspberry jam and it is covered with Buttercream icing.

For the jam filling I took a jar of unsweetened raspberry jam and heated it on the stove in a small saucepan, I then added about a cup of frozen strawberries and brought the mixture to a boil. I then strained the sauce and re-jarred the jam and set it in the fridge overnight. It was tastey!!


Here is the first vanilla layer, fluffy egg whites and almond extract really made a difference here!

 After the vanilla was chocolate, with coffee as a wet ingredient! Need I say more?

Third was the strawberry cake with strawberry Jello and strawberry puree.... Yum!

The cake was so tall I ended up taking out one of the strawberry layers to make it a more reasonable height. 

I stacked the cake layers with the jam filling between each in the following order;

• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Strawberry
• Chocolate
• Vanilla

And this was the result.....

I then applied the crumb coat,

It went in the fridge like this for about an hour. Then I took it out and iced it,



And I couldn't have done it without my little kitchen helper....

 

 

"Mom can we please have the cake now?"



I just love the way this one looks when you cut into it! And it was much better received by the critics.

~K

five.

Practice cakes for 'S's birthday party have begun! Let me share with you the steps I have taken so far....

Vanilla Cake

• 5 large (150 grams) egg whites
• 1 cup (240 ml) room temperature milk, divided
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups (300 grams) sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
• 12 tablespoons (170 grams) room temperature unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Spray two 9-inch x 1 1/2 inch (23 x 4 cm) cake pans with a non stick vegetable/flour spray, line bottoms with parchment paper, then spray again with the non stick vegetable/flour spray. Can also butter and flour the pans instead of using the spray.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg whites, 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, and vanilla extract.

In the bowl of your electric mixer combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the butter and remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the egg mixture, in 3 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to fully incorporate the egg.

Divide the batter and pour into the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. (Pans will be about half full.) Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in center.

Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool, in their pans, for about 10 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto a greased rack. To prevent splitting, re-invert cakes so that tops are right side up. Cool completely before frosting.

This Vanilla Cake recipe comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible and it uses a slightly different method to mix the cake batter.
Instead of the more common 'creaming' method where the butter and sugar are creamed together first and then the eggs, followed by the flour and milk are added, this recipe uses what we call the 'one bowl' or 'quick method'. This means all the dry ingredients are first put into a mixing bowl and then room temperature butter, along with room temperature milk, are added. (It is very important that the butter be at room temperature, so it is blends into the batter.) These ingredients are beaten together and then egg whites, vanilla extract, and the remaining milk are beaten into the batter. The reason for adding the liquid 'after' the butter and flour have been combined, (instead of 'with' the flour) is to reduce the gluten formation in the flour. This can only happen if the butter has first had the chance to coat all of the flour before the liquid is added which has a toughening affect. This method produces a cake that literally seems to melt-in-your-mouth and it has a very moist, dense, and velvety texture.

The batter made 4 mini cake pans used for the dresses of the dolls and one 9" round layer.

 I'm thinking I'll make one layer vanilla and the other one chocolate...

Here are the dolls that I will be using...

This is how the "skirts" turned out, I was very happy with them!

Here is how they looked after the crumb coat, apparently not only used for fondant! I have never used one before and I would highly reccomend it! Basically you ice a layer to thinly cover the cakes and scrape them smooth. I found a great technique, you simply take a strip of ordinary paper 
and make a U shape with it, you then place the bottom of the U opposite from you on the cake starting at the bottom gently pull it towards the top of the cake. I couldn't believe how smooth the result was! I hope that made sense, if it didn't and you would like to see how it's done let me know and I will find the video and post it. Once you have smoothed the icing out you place it in the fridge to 45 minutes or so and then proceed to ice the cake as usual, it makes it so much easier to decorate!

Crumb coat for the cake.

The final result to the doll...

Final result for the cake...



 I hope you enjoyed these, please leave me a note and let me know what you think!

~K

four.

Job status update: I am actually quite happy working there now! I have really settled in and have adjusted to being out of the house a few nights a week and I'm really starting to enjoy it again. I am making good tip percentages and bringing home more money that I did the last time I worked there. I'm hoping the volume will pick up a bit and I can maintain the same averages, then I will be clear sailing! The next big step will be finding a new routine for the housework to make it work with the new schedule... any suggestions?

'S' will be turning 1 in a few weeks which I am really not prepared for at all. I don't know how it happened already!! I thought it was fast with 'G' but this was no comparison.... I really have to start the planning process, I am an event planner after all! And she is my darling baby girl who deserves nothing but the best!! I'm so excited for the party, can you tell?

Well that's it for tonight, have to get to bed and prepare for tomorrow!

~K

three.

So I made, or tried making, Lemon Meringue Pie from scratch today... It was less than successful. It tastes great but it doesn't quite hold it's shape in the filling, sadly I don't really care enough about Lemon Meringue Pie to perfect the recipe... It was enough to meet my craving haha.

I had my first serving shift last night and did very well! I only had 4 tables but I took home 20% so I was very happy with that, I can only hope my tips stay around that average and I can make some very decent money! I am definately struggling to get into a good groove of maintaining the house and kids with the new schedule, I'm hoping that it will get easier with time but it is a big adjustment for everybody.

Well this has been a short entry but the news distracted me and it is now my bed time! Work tomorrow :s

~K

two.

Post number 2 here we go!

So I started my new job, it was absolutely awful the first night... Less awful the second night. I am hoping that trend continues and I end up maybe slightly enjoying it, I think it really comes down to me not wanting to go back to work at all. We shall see...

I am dedicating today's blog to the best recipe for cinnamon buns ever! They are fool-proof and amazing! I should take this time to warn you that you may make and eat more batches that you wish.....

I stumbled upon the recipe online on a great sight http://www.sweetapolita.com/ I strongly urge you to check it out if you are into baking. Anyways, here it is:

Cinnabon-Style Gourmet Cinnamon Buns
Yield: 12 large bungs

Dough:

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
• 1 cup warm whole milk
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup bread flour

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl
2. Add sugar, margarine, salt, eggs and flour. Mix well.
3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour (I used my kitchen-aide attachment)
4. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Filling:

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup margarine

1. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 21" x 16".
2. It should be about 1/4" thick.
3. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
4. Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the filling evenly over the surface, leaving about 1" untouched around the edges.
5. Gently roll into a fairly tight roll, trying to keep the filling inside.
6. With a sharp knife, slice into 12 pieces.
7. Place in parchment lined 9 x 12 cake pan about 2" apart, cover with lint-free cloth and let rise for another hour.
8. Bake at 400 degree F on the rack just above centre, for about 10 minutes, or until light golden brown.
9. Cool on cooling rack and gently place into an airtight container when cool.

Cream Cheese Icing (oh my gooood)

• 4oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon flavor

1. Remove cream cheese and margarine from refridgerator and place into mixing bowl and let warm up for 30 minutes.
2. Use the paddle attachment to blend the cream cheese and margarine for 6 minutes on slow. #2 on Kitchen-aide.
3. Switch to steel whip attachment and whip cream cheese and margarine for 10 minutes on med-high. #6 on Kitchen-aide.
4. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix for 1 minute on slow. #2 on Kitchen-Aide. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of powdered sugar and mix for an additional minute.
5. Add vanilla and lemon flavor and whip for 1 minute on medium. #5 on Kitchen-Aide.

So there it is... Trust me sooo good! Hope you enjoy!

~K