The Sweet "16" Bash

How many people does it take to light 16 sparkler candles on a birthday cake? Two wasn't enough...LOL...they were starting to go out by the time we got the last one lit!  But it was a fabulous party none the less!  We had the best DJ around, Mike Brann, Magnificent Music, Dynamite Decorations, Fantastic Food, Fabulous Friends, and to top it all off Tiffany recieved the car she has had her eye on for quite some time....a Purple PT Cruiser!!  It was definately a night to remember.  I worked all week on the details.  From Sweet 16 lollipops and cookies, dips & brownies, to my BEST EVER cake it was all soooo worth everything!  I hope everyone had as good of a time as I did. 
The cake was an experiment.  I never really liked working with fondant, but I felt that I needed to keep up with the style.  I found a recipe for marshmallow fondant before I made Whitney's birthday cake and it turned out pretty good.  So, I decided to take the next level of difficulty with Tiffany's.  After searching for some ideas on how she wanted her cake, she decided a topsy turvy with zebra stripes using her theme colors, I could design it from there.  So I decided to make the bottom square and turn it so it looked like a diamond shape and put 2 topsy turvy cakes on top of that.  I will have to say it was a challenge but everyone loved it including the birthday girl!!  Here's to an AWESOME SWEET 16 BIRTHDAY BASH!!

Life is moving way too quickly!

Brittany, my middle daughter, had her braces removed last Wednesday.  She was so excited that she could finally eat those things she has been missing for the last 2 years.  I had to fix her corn on the cob with dinner, she said that cutting if off the cob and eating it just wasn't the same:)  She has a beautiful smile and I am so proud of her.
Whitney, my youngest daughter, is playing her first year in minor girls softball.  She started practices last week.  She has a determination and drive that the other 2 didn't have for ball at that age.  I hope it will make for a great season!
Tiffany, my oldest daughter, is having her "Sweet 16" birthday today.  My how time flies!  It just seems like yesterday that she was turning the big "1", now she is getting ready to get her driver's license.  Brings a tear to my eye how quickly they grow.  She has become a sweet, and beautiful young lady. I am so proud of her.

We are planning her BIG Birthday BASH for this coming weekend.  Stay tuned for some of the yummy treats I will be preparing for the big day.  I made "Sweet 16" molded chocolate pops to give out as party favors.  I plan on making cut out cookies and ice them to give out also.

Caramel Frosting

2 sticks butter
2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 tspn. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar
Melt butter, brown sugar, and evaporated milk in saucepan.  Cook 2 minutes (no longer) over medium heat.  Add vanilla and remove from heat.  Put into mixing bowl and beat in powdered sugar slowly, add more powdered sugar if needed to make consistency to your liking.  Note: This will thicken more as it cools so I wouldn't add too much more powdered sugar.  Also add some toasted pecans if you would like, it is good with or without them.

Butter Pecan Cake

1 1/4 c. butter
1 1/3 c. chopped pecans
3 c. all purpose flour
2 tspn. baking powder
1/2 tspn. salt
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. milk
2 tspn. vanilla extract
Grease & flour 9" pans.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add pecans and brown, be sure to stir so they won't burn.  In mixing bowl cream remaining butter and sugar until fluffly.  Blend in eggs, one at a time.  Add dry ingredients alternating with milk and vanilla extract, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Stir in pecans.  Pour batter into pans.  Bake for 30 - 35 min. check with cake tester to make sure it is done.  Cool completely before icing with Caramel Frosting.

Buttercream Icing

2 sticks crisco (2 cups)
2 tspn. clear vanilla flavoring
2 tspn. clear butter flavoring
2 lb. powdered sugar
5 tblspn. water
Cream crisco, add vanilla and butter flavoring; Slowly add 1 lb. of the powdered sugar and 3 tblspn. of the water, blend until creamy.  Scraping all of the excess powdered sugar from around the bowl.  Once creamy finish adding the powdered sugar and water.  Cream and scrape until smooth.  You can add a touch more water if needed.  Color and ice your cake.

Marshmallow Fondant

1 16oz bag of mini marshmallows
2 tablespoons of water
2 lbs. powdered sugar and optional flavoring
Put the marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl, add the water, and put it into the microwave for 2 minutes.
Stir marshmallows making sure it’s all melted.  At this point you can add flavoring and coloring if you like (I only add the coloring if its all going to be the same color).  Add powder sugar to form a dough type consistency knead dough on a powder sugared surface and keep adding powdered sugar to make dough less sticky and more workable.  Only add a little powdered sugar at a time, adding too much will make dough too stiff.

Hershey's Chocolate Frosting

1 stick margarine 2/3 c. cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cream butter, stir in cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med. speed to spreading consistency.  Add more milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. boiling water
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9" round baking pans.  Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on med. speed 2 min. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).  Pour into pans.  Bake 30 - 35 min. or until tester comes out clean.  Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to cool completely.  Frost with Hershey's Chocolate Frosting.

Busy Busy times:)

Sorry it has been over a week since my last post but I have been busy, busy, busy.  Had a new baby start daycare last week and I haven't had any computer time at all.  He is adjusting well though.  I also have been busy trying to compile some recipes to share with you.  I think I am going to start by sharing some of my cake recipes, because not only have I been busy with daycare but I have had lots of cake orders the last couple of weekends also.  I started the month of by decorating a long time friend of the family's 18th birthday cake.  I have been experimenting with marshmallow fondant.  So, i made the fondant and cut "polka dots" to put on the cake.  She loved it! Next, I had an order for a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (my all time favorite) and a butter pecan cake (a first, but turned out delicious).  I finished the first weekend of the month by decorating a Disney Tangled cake and a baby shower cake with a train on it.  Last week I was asked to decorate a cake for the Essex County Odyssey of the Mind teams, I had fun putting there mascott (a raccoon) on the full size sheet cake.  This past weekend was no different, I started of decorating a Disney Toy Story cake and a "Funky" cake for a Fancy Nancy party.  I finished the cake orders by creating a 3 tier wedding cake.  Check out my pictures and recipes. 

I Just LOVE to COOK!!

Even when I was young I was interested in the way my family cooked.  From my grandpop's fried chicken and turnip greens with cornbread dumplings (mmmm mmmm) to my mom letting me bake Nestle chocolate chip cookies whenever I wanted to.  I guess, you can say, that's how I learned to cook.  I don't think you have to learn to cook or know how to cook.  If you can follow a recipe you can cook!  I hate to hear people say, I can't cook or I don't know how to cook.  Really?? Just say it, you DON'T cook, that's all!  I not only love to cook but I love to eat!  I guess my love for eating has made my love to cook grow.  It's nothing like trying a new recipe, or an old one that is passed down, to give you that feeling of accomplishment when it turns out delicious.  The compliments give the satisfaction of a job well done!  Whenever I invite anyone over or have a get together, the first thing I am asked is..."What's on the menu?"...  What do you mean, what's on the menu?  Is that the only reason you are coming over?...  Yeah, pretty much:)...Well, at least if not the company they like the food! Ha Ha!  All this talk about food, i'm getting hungry.  What's for dinner?  I think i'm going to peel some potatoes and we will have potato soup...yummy!