Happy Birthday Lorelle

Happy Birthday to my sister in law Lorelle.  Lorelle and I have been sister in laws for the last 8 years but have known each other since grade 6.  In Grade 6 I switched schools and Lorelle was the first person who was nice to me in my new school.  We sat beside each other in Mr. Epp's class, volunteered together in the kindergarten room and even did a project on Japanese Food where we cooked food for our class.  Who would have ever thought that we would marry brothers one day and become sisters in law but I am happy to have her in my life and be the auntie to her 3.5 kids who I love...a lot :)
Happy Birthday Lorelle, have a wonderful day.


This is the cake I whipped up for Lorelle for her special day.  Simple cake with a layer of butter pecan cake, a layer of chocolate cake with vanilla pudding for filling.  Covered in Vanilla icing and fondant and decorated with gum paste flowers and letters.  I also gave her some fondant tools and we will be baking together soon!

Comments now enabled!!!

The comments section is now enabled so you don't need to be a member to post comments! Have a fantastic day!
Michelle

Sometimes you just got to keep it simple

Last week I noticed that I had a tub of fresh strawberries in the fridge that were going to go bad soon....so of course I needed to bake something with them! I decided it was about time to make some cupcakes or ShortCakes.  Using my new food processor that my parents got me for Christmas....well actually the one they got me for Christmas came broken and I didn't try it out right away so they could not return it but my mom found a really good deal on another one and picked it up for me...long story short I am spoiled....back to the story...using my new food processor I pureed the strawberries.  Then I mixed up a batch of boxed white cake mix (something everyone should always have on hand).  I put a spoonful of batter in the cupcake liners then a spoonful of the pureed strawberries.  I then filled the rest of the liners with the rest of the batter.  While the cupcakes cooked I mixed up a batch of butter cream.  I love the recipe that comes on the back of the Roger Icing Sugar bag, but of course I had thrown the bag out and could not find the recipe online anywhere so I improvised and just mixed what I thought was the right measurements.  I then mixed the rest of the strawberry puree into my butter cream.  I didn't account for the extra moisture the strawberries would have so my icing was a bit runny and I had to use more icing sugar which=very sweet icing.  Now I am one for sweet icing but even this was pushing the envelope for me.  Next time I would not have added as much milk if using the strawberries again.  The final product was sweet but the tartness of the strawberry filling in the ShortCake balanced it out perfectly and I loved loved loved the pink color the strawberries turned the buttercream. They were eaten at work within minutes of being put out ...which is always the best test. The lesson in all this was use what you have, you don't always need to make a cake from scratch for it to be a hit, and it doesn't matter if it looks pretty or not if it tastes great that is all anyone will remember!!
Michelle

Whats your favorite Blog?

I love exploring the blog world and reading and gaining inspiration for being creative, and sometimes just looking at other people's creativeness when I just can't find the time to commit to my own.  One of my favorite blogs is Craftomaniac. I have found many fun and creative posts on her blog as well links to a ton of various blogs through her Monday link parties.

http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/

And unlike me, she somehow finds the time to post often so visit often and you won't be disappointed. 

Also I wanted to mention another of my favorite blogs, this one reaches my crazy organizational side it is Delightful Order http://www.delightfulorder.blogspot.com/
Some how she makes any organizing challenge look fun and beautiful!

M

Wheww a piece of paper sure makes me happy!

As I mentioned previously and for those of you who don't know I have been studying Business for the last while.  I always thought that I would have a career that had something to do with Psychology or Counselling and went to college and completed my certificate in Applied Psychology with the hopes of moving away and completing my degree. 

Life decided that I would meet Ty that spring, get married that fall and become a responsible adult who needed to get a real job.  Fortunately I was blessed by finding work with an organization that I love who continually push me to do better, do things I never dreamed I would be doing and encourage and support me to build my capacity.  So for the last while they have supported me(by paying for my courses and allowing me time off to write exams) to take Business Courses, and through part time studies in addition to my full and part time jobs this semester I finished enough credits to earn my Certificate in Business Administration and I am eligible to graduate on May 27th.  Although I plan to continue on to my Diploma and eventually my bachelor's degree it is exciting to know that through my hard work, long evenings of studying and letting my school take priority over my other more fun crafty pursuits I have accomplished something and I am proud and have a new piece of paper for my office wall.

I am not sure if I will walk in the Ceremony as it is in the middle of the day and interferes with a very important day at work I am still thinking about it as I never have participated at a post secondary level before.

Thanks to all those who are always supporting me and telling me why my sacrifices would be worth it. My family, my husband, my friends, my supervisors and to my friend Michelle aka MZ ( for building me a school spread sheet to keep me on track and tell me Economics is fun!) I could not have done it without any of you.  Michelle

Michelle and Michelle aka MZ and Shelly or Number 1 and Number 2

Cupcakes are the new cakes and mini pies are the new cupcakes!

Well I have been addicted to baking since...well forever but my hectic schedule and crazy life often prevent me from baking up a storm...which is good for my waistline.

Here are a few photos of some cupcakes I have created recently.  The first is cupcakes that I made for my little brother's 6th birthday.  They are chocolate cupcakes with vanilla butter cream topped with sugar cookie hockey sticks and junior mint hockey pucks.  My brother loves hockey!  The second cupcakes I made were in the design of an alligator (his choice).  My brother attends a private school so I made cupcakes for the entire school of 38 so I needed to make 2 designs.

The second cupcakes I made where simple and included a fondant flower cutout for a Friend's birthday.  What I love about baking is it does not need to complicated because in the end all that counts is if they taste good!!

I just got back from New York where Candice and I were fortunate enough to attend a taping of the Martha Stewart Show (my second time there) where during Q&A after the taping Martha said that she thought that mini pies where going to be the next "big thing" since cupcakes.  I will be looking to try out some mini pies this summer.  The rest of Marth'as show was amazing but I cannot comment on it yet as the show is not set to air until May 26th, but it was a blast!!  I made cakepops again this weekend for my father in law's wedding which are the "big" hit in my family right now and the good thing you can justify eating more than 1 becasue they are still not as large as a piece of cake would be!!!!!  Stay tuned and I will share a recipe with you...they are so easy!!!

Last but not least I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to 3 great friends...Candice & Crystal (my very best twin friends) and Amanda P (you brighten the world with your smile).

Michelle