The Muffin Top Blog

New Website And A Few Other Changes

2012-01-24T10:54:00.000-06:00

The Muffin Top has been getting a makeover. Not only have I been working on redesigning our website, but our menu and services have been updated as well. Check out the new website to see some of our changes!

Here are a few things that are different now:

* We got a new logo!

* We have added The Muffin Top cupcake trailer! We are so excited about the trailer and can't wait for you guys to come see us. Become a fan of our facebook page to find out where she will be parked throughout the year.

* New cupcake flavors! We have added some tasty flavors like Nutella, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel, and Chocolate Covered Cherries

* We have a smaller menu. This is actually a good thing! Although we love baking any and everything, we have decided that concentrating our efforts on doing a few things really well is the best recipe for our success and for bringing you the best sweets and treats possible!

* You can buy The Muffin Top breakfast items and whoopie pies at Royer's Pie Haven in Round Top!

Take a look around and let us know what you think!

Can We Start Over?

2012-01-23T11:45:00.000-06:00

It's been almost 8 months since my last post. Ridiculous, I know. To say that this last year has been a whirlwind would be an understatement, and blogging just didn't make the priority list. Let me catch you up on what has been going on these last 8 months.........

We bought an Airstream trailer!

We wrecked the Airstream trailer :( (more to come on this story in the near future)


We got the trailer fixed and Kyle made her look pretty again

We made LOTS of wedding cakes!

We got MARRIED!!

We made our own wedding cake and cupcakes....of course!


We finished the trailer and she made her big debut at our wedding!

We honeymooned in Jamaica for some nice rest and relaxation......ready to be there again!

I'm sure I missed some things in between, but that about sums it all up. I have been working on redesigning The Muffin Top website and updating our menu, so stay tuned. I promise I wont let another 8 months separate us again!

Vintage Wedding

2011-05-29T14:01:00.001-05:00

I know that I am cutting it close on my promise of a second wedding post this week, but 2 posts in one week on this blog is almost a miracle in itself!

Two weeks ago one of my best friends from high school was married to her high school sweetheart. Emilie is one of the most creative people I know. She has always been ahead of the fashion trends and a DIY queen since we were in high school. I knew that her wedding would be a showcase of all her (and her incredible mother) creative talents.

Emilie and Andrew chose a traditional ceremony at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Brenham, but opted for a vintage inspired reception at La Bahia Hall near Round Top, TX. Emilie and her mom spent months collecting silver platters and pieces at garage sales and thrift stores. Every table was adorned with mix-matched silver pieces and layers of vintage lace. The hall was decorated in shades of pink, grey and white.

Emilie wanted to carry this theme into her desserts, so she chose an assortment (7 flavors and 14 total cakes!) of single tier cakes each topped with antique wedding toppers borrowed from a friend who had collected them over the years. I was so excited to put together this dessert table. Emilie and I have very similar styles, so I knew that if I put the table together just how I would want it for my wedding then she would love it too. I actually emptied out my own dresser and hauled it up to the venue to really incorporate the look that Emilie had created throughout the reception. I really love how it all came together! This is by far my favorite wedding that I have done so far! Unfortunately, I was not able to get Paige Meyer Photography to capture this one, so you are just going to have to put up with my poor photography skills.

The cakes varied in size ranging from 6" to 10". We estimated serving around 300 people, so we had a total of 14 cakes. Flavors included: * Almond pound cake brushed in a cherry schnapps simple syrup, raspberry balsamic filling and almond cream cheese frosting * Vanilla cake with white chocolate buttercream frosting * Chocolate cake with white chocolate buttercream frosting * Lemon cake brushed in a lemony simple syrup, lemon cream cheese filling and frosting * Vanilla cake brushed with a lemony simple syrup, lemon curd filling and lemon cream cheese frosting * Strawberry cake with fresh strawberries and strawberry buttercream frosting * Coconut cake brushed in a coconut simple syrup with coconut buttercream filling and frosting.

Hopefully I will be able to get photos from Emilie later to show you all the beautiful decor throughout the rest of the reception!

A Shabby Chic Wedding

2011-05-23T15:46:00.000-05:00

The last two weddings that I have done have been some of my favorites by far! I love it when the bride is willing to do something outside of the traditional 5 tier white cake with swirls or ribbon or fondant...... not that any of that is bad, but a little creativity really makes a huge impact. I'll share one of the weddings with you today and the other later this week.

For this wedding I was lucky enough to have Paige Meyer Photography come along and get some great shots of the dessert set up. The bride wanted her wedding to have a shabby chic atmosphere, so the ceremony and reception were hosted at Welcome Hall and decorated with beautiful pastel pinks, greens and yellows. For the cake the bride wanted an assortment of mini cupcakes and a small bakery style cake to cut and save for their one-year anniversary. We brought in an old farm table and cabinet (from Paige's house) to display the cupcakes on. It turned out so cute, and was the perfect set up for the venue and the atmosphere that they created. The groom chose to serve his favorite pie from Pie in the Sky in Houston, TX.

I just love this photo. The little flower girls kept crowding around the table staring at the desserts. Eventually one of them would reach out and try to touch a cupcake, but someone always caught them before they could snatch one away. How cute are their tutus?!

The Engagement: Kiss & Tell

2011-04-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

If you are still reading this blog I thank you! How does that verse in Proverbs go? "A true friend sticks ~~closer than a brother~~ with your blog even when you fail to post."

Well, friends I have some news! This past Saturday the love of my life asked me to marry him, and I said YES! (Well, first I said no, but I'll get to that in a little bit) For all of you who have been asking and those of you who just love a good engagement story, here is our kiss and tell.

This past Saturday my parents hosted an Easter party for family and friends. A few weeks ago I suggested to Kyle that he invite his grandparents since they had been wanting to come down, and Easter weekend would be the perfect time for them to come. Little did I know that he had already invited them and had been scheming with them and my family (and quite a few other people) for over a month. I look back on all of the ridiculous comments that I have made lately and feel so silly now. Anyhow, the party was coming to an end and only a few friends and family were left hanging out and cleaning up. My mom sent me inside to change Luke's diaper (which of course wasn't even dirty) to get me away from where Kyle was setting up. My dad came in to get me a few minutes later telling me some ridiculous story about a note left on my tray of cookies and that I needed to see because it was so funny...blah, blah, blah. (I'm pretty gullible, so these crazy stories and instructions didn't phase me a bit....pathetic, I know.) I headed out to the barn where the food had been set up to find this mysterious note. I didn't find a note, but I what I did find was Kyle standing in the doorway to one of the side rooms of the barn that he had set up to look so beautiful and romantic and a special song playing in the background. As soon as I saw him my heart flew out of my chest and I immediately was teary-eyed.

Kyle led me into the room to sit on the couch, got down on his knee and began to say the most beautiful and sweet words to me. To be truthful, I can't remember what those beautiful and sweet words were, but I do know that they were special, ha! When he said the words, "Will you marry me?" I responded, "I love you so much, but no." Really, I can't explain to you why I said that. Maybe because I thought it would be funny to see that shocked look on his face, or maybe because I just have a really cruel and strange sense of humor. I'm not sure. I'm messed up people! I left a good pause in there for dramatic effect and then followed up with a good laugh and resounding YES!! We kissed and did mushy things that I'm sure you don't want to read about, and then came out to greet our family and friends. My hands were so shaky and my heart was beating so fast. The whole moment was surreal. All I know is that I was and still am overwhelmed with joy and happiness, and that I am so excited to marry my love and best friend!

This ring belonged to my grandmother. My grandfather bought it for her as a birthday present one year.

How To: Pineapple Flowers

2011-03-10T17:12:00.003-06:00

All of this beautiful weather we have been having has made me want to eat lots of fruit and make lots of fruity desserts. I've been on a strawberry cake kick for the past few days.... as well as a fresh squeezed lemonade kick, yum!!

Strawberry cake is paired best with cream cheese icing....white chocolate cream cheese to be exact. Cream cheese icing isn't the best for piping cute designs or borders onto your cake or cupcakes, so what else can you do to make your cake look just as good as you know it tastes? Adding flowers to cakes and cupcakes is always a simple way to make your desserts look pretty and presentable. Sugar flowers can be tedious and time consuming (you also have to have all of the necessary tools), so I like to use real flowers whenever possible, but there are occasions when I just want to try my hand at being a little more creative. When I saw this tutorial on one of my favorite blogs I knew that I had to make these pineapple flowers asap! They really are very easy, and turn out beautifully!! Check out the tutorial on Annie's Eats.

Add these pineapple flowers to your next cake or batch cupcakes to create a beautiful dessert to share with your friends or family. I will definitely be making these again soon. I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful weather as much as I am!

.... Hay

CoupleCake Wars Results

2011-02-23T14:22:00.003-06:00

I keep forgetting to update you all on the results of the CoupleCake Wars competition that we competed in the weekend before Valentine's.

The competition was a bit misleading...... focusing much more on the Valentines/love aspect than the cupcakes. Needless to say, we did not excel at the Newlywed-style game (only scored 2 out of 5). Since we bombed that game we had no chance of winning overall. Not to worry, we ended up tying for first in the cupcake competition, which was the only part that we (I) cared about. We had so much fun competing and truly appreciate all of our family and friends that came to support us!

(I think Luke wanted a cupcake)

Here are some links that talk about the competition. One of them doesn't mention us as winners of the cupcake challenge.....jerks (just kidding!....kind of). This photos are the same in each article but the text is different if you care to read through it.

http://www.culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-16-11-behind-the-scenes-at-houston-own-cupcake-wars/

http://www.culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-13-11-love-and-cupcakes-houston-first-couplecake-wars-are-a-perfect-match/

(We made a pretty good team!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:15:00.002-06:00

Here are some songs to add to your Valentine's Day playlist. Have a great Valentine's Day everyone!

A song for lovers:

A song for haters:

A Contest and a Feature!

2011-02-08T11:57:00.004-06:00

Guess what?! The Muffin Top has been chosen to compete in the Houston area Couples Cupcake Wars hosted by Sprinkles Cupcakes! Candace Nelson, Sprinkles founder and Food Network judge for the show Cupcake Wars, will be judging the competition. If you are going to be in the Houston area this Saturday swing by the Sprinkles bakery from 2pm-4pm to cheer on me and my man! We will be competing in a series of crazy games and a cupcake challenge.

Also, check out our feature on the Texas Live Magazine's website! We love Texas Live Mag and all of the amazing people who work so hard to put it together!

If you haven't placed your order for Valentine's Day it's not too late! Check the menu below and then use the order form on The Muffin Top Website.

xoxo.... Hay

Sweets For Your Sweetie

2011-02-04T19:33:00.005-06:00

I've been working hard in the kitchen mixing up some special Valentine's Day sweets with my sweetie. Take a look at what is coming out of The Muffin Top kitchen; we can only take a limited amount of orders, so place your's soon!!

Cupcakes: $25 per dozen
Chocolate and Vanilla with White Chocolate Buttercream
Strawberry with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Whoopies: $18 per dozen
Heart-shaped whoopies with everyone's favorite cream cheese filling

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake Pops: $15 per dozen
The Muffin Top's twist on the classic chocolate covered strawberry treat. Try these delicious strawberry cake bites mixed with cream cheese frosting, covered in milk chocolate and drizzled with pink or red tinted white chocolate....YUM!

Cupcakes are just down-right flirty! They make me want to put on my favorite frilly and flirty outfit and go on a picnic! Order a dozen or two of your favorite flavor or an assortment of all three, and take your honey on a picnic date!

You know what they say, "You gotta give to receive." Give a whoopie .........

These strawberry cake pops are a fun alternative to the traditional Valentine's Day chocolate dipped strawberries. Plus you don't have to worry about the seeds getting stuck in your teeth (not sexy)!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope your day is full of love and lots of sweets!

XOXO.....Hay

Making Plans

2011-02-01T13:53:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! I hope you haven't forgotten about me. I'm getting all geared up for Valentine's Day here at the Muffin Top, and I think you're going to like what I'm working on. I'll post some photos and details later this week (I'm tempted to say tomorrow, but I would feel terrible if you were expecting that and I didn't deliver).

What kind of things are you planning to do with your sweetie (or the other special people in your life) on Valentine's Day?

If you are looking for some party inspiration check out this vintage Valentine's party by Kara's Party Ideas..... so darn cute!

How precious are these goodie bags?! I want to fill mine with heart-shaped sugar cookies. I bet you can think of a few dozen treats to fill these cute bags with as well.

I'm glad we're talking again... until next time...

Love, H.

Catch Up

2010-12-01T22:11:00.006-06:00

I've had the blogging blues lately. For some reason I have felt completely unmotivated to blog. In my absence much has happened, and I feel the need to bring you up to speed. I can't promise that December will be any brighter...especially since it is very busy in the kitchen during the holidays. January is for resolutions, so I'll wait until then to pretend to promise that I will blog everyday. Until that time, here is a look at what's been going on at The Muffin Top.

1. Took another cake class.

2. Made "pink velvet" cupcakes for breast cancer awareness party.

3. Met up with an old friend for Halloween.

4. Experimented with some new cupcake flavors.

5. Played with my precious nephew!

6. Made some baby shower cakes.

7. Made this fun fall cake.

8. Ate myself into a turkey coma, and napped with my favorite napping buddy.

10/9 Wedding

2010-10-17T19:00:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from a wedding I did last weekend. I was really pleased with how everything turned out, but I heard that the cream cheese icing on the bride's cake had a hard time holding up under the Texas heat.... sometimes (ok, a lot of times) I hate Texas weather. Here's to indoor wedding receptions.....even though I do love outdoor much more.

I'm An Aunt!!

2010-10-15T10:36:00.003-05:00

I know that this post is a week late, but I had to show off some pics and tell you all about my adorable new nephew!

Luke Gardner Bryan was born Wednesday, October 6th. He was a whole week and a half late, but we think he was just holding out so that he could share a birthday with his aunt Paige. He weighed a whopping 9lbs 4oz and was 20in long. Big boy!

I've already made several trips back and forth to visit him and his beautiful mommy this past week. I just can't get enough of him! I'm in love! I'm pretty sure he is the cutest baby ever to be born....sorry other babies, you just don't compare.

I'm sure I will be posting pics of Luke fairly often....you're welcome.

DIY: Vanilla Extract

2010-09-29T09:13:00.005-05:00

I am not one of those people that likes to make their own home remedies, sew their own clothes, or produce my own natural ingredients for cooking. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate people who do enjoy these things, and I have even attempted to do some of these in the past. But, from my current perspective the grocery store and online shopping are blessings directly from Jesus.

When things are too expensive at my local grocery store I usually go online to see if I can get the same ingredient for a better price. A few weeks ago I was needing whole vanilla beans for a recipe, but couldn't bring myself to pay $10 for just 2 beans at HEB. Vanilla bean paste is a good substitute for whole vanilla beans sometimes, but it still runs about $12 per jar. I went to my trusty resource amazon.com to see what it had to offer, and this is what I found: 1/4 pound of Premium Bourbon-Madagascar Vanilla Beans (approx 27 beans) for $19.99 plus shipping. STEAL! See for yourself here.

There are endless uses for vanilla beans and you can use them over and over. NEVER throw away your bean pods after you scrape out the beans. Put some in a jar with sugar to create vanilla scented sugar or make your very own vanilla extract. Making extract is so simple and cost efficient.

I've posted the instructions below. This is so easy! No excuses why you shouldn't shake some up before the holiday baking season begins. Remember though..... your vanilla will need 2 months to macerate, so get with it!

Vanilla Extract (instructions from Joy the Baker)

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own vanilla extract:

- A mason jar, or some other clean, super sealing container.

- A high-proof alcohol like vodka, bourbon or rum. We’re talking 80 proof.

- Three vanilla beans per cup of alcohol

- A dark spot to store the jars.

- Two months. That’s how long it takes to create vanilla extract!

Here’s how:

Use a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down the center of the vanilla beans, leaving about an inch at the top of the vanilla bean uncut.

Put the vanilla beans in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. I used mason jars.

Cover the beans completely with alcohol. It’s three vanilla beans per cup of alcohol, so if you use 2 cups of vodka split open six vanilla beans and throw them in the jar.

Tightly cover the jar and give it a good shake. Store in a cool dry place for two months. Give the bottle a good shake every week or so, just so you don’t forget all about it.

After two months have passed, your vanilla extract should be ready for your favorite chocolate chip cookie or pound cake recipe. You might also want to put the extract in cute, tiny bottles and give them to your favorite baker friends.

Eat This!!

2010-09-08T22:00:00.003-05:00

I must try this popcorn ASAP! If I had popcorn kernals I would already have this in my mouth as I type..... but I don't, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

This recipe looked so amazing that I could not keep it to myself. Make some and let me know how it is until I can indulge myself. This genius recipe comes from Joy the Baker. Joy makes ridiculously good-looking food....as you can tell from her photo above. Read her blog (it's funny) and make her food (it's delish).

Maple Bacon Kettle Corn

4 slices bacon, cooked, fat reserved

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/4 cup cooking fat (use the reserved bacon fat and extra olive or vegetable oil to make 1/4 cup of popcorn cooking fat)

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (depending on your taste)

Cook off bacon until brown and crisp. Set aside to cool. Once cool, chop into small bits and toss with maple syrup.

Carefully measure out the hot bacon grease. If you don’t have 1/4 cup of fat, add some vegetable or canola oil to make 1/4 cup of oil for cooking the popcorn.

In a large pan over medium high heat, heat the bacon fat and oil mixture. Add the corn kernels. Sprinkle over the sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and wait for the popping to begin.

Once the popping begins, use two good pot holders the hold together the pan and the lid and shake the pot. Feel free to take the pot off the flame to give it a good shake. Just be careful and then return the pot to the flame. Shake often throughout the popping process. This will help ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn the pan and the popcorn.

Once finished popping remove the lid and salt with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon more salt. Use a large spoon to stir the popcorn. You don’t want the hope sugar to burn you. Pour in the bacon and maple mixture. Toss together and serve.

I Need a Little Pumpkin Cheesecake in My Life.... Soon!

2010-09-07T16:25:00.006-05:00

As I type a tropical storm is blowing through, numerous tornado watches have been announced, and there is currently a flash flood warning in effect. It is thundering loudly and the rain is doing a wonderful job of coming in at about an 80º angle....just right to give my car a nice wash under the carport. Thank you, Tropical Storm Hermine.

Oddly enough, I love these kinds of days. The sounds of rain and the leak dripping into a metal bowl in my office, accompanied by the background music of David Gray, Patty Griffin, and Ray LaMontagne are the perfect sound track to a day full of baking.

I know that it is not quite the fall season yet, but I just can't keep from making something pumpkin any longer! When is the appropriate time to begin using this ingredient? October? Do you know? Does it really matter?? I have it in my heart to make a delicious pumpkin cheesecake, but I can't seem to remember which recipe I used last year....... I think I made pumpkin cheesecake last year. Do you have a great pumpkin cheesecake recipe? Please share. I promise to give you credit.

I'm pretty sure it is nearing pumpkin baking season since I've already gotten my first candy corn stomach ache. My mom bought me my first bag of the season (yes, there will be many, many more bags), and I'm trying to decide the appropriate amount of time to wait before I buy another bag. Two days is probably good enough. Maybe if I eat them while riding the elliptical it will turn into negative calories....... could happen.... could be an Oktoberfest miracle!

Update!

2010-09-06T16:26:00.006-05:00

Remember that time I was telling you guys about how I was redecorating some of the apt, creating an office, and finishing out my kitchen??? I know that it was a while ago, but the day has come........

For the past year, a good section of the living/dining area of the apartment has been occupied by my desk and a bookshelf that did not even come close to holding all of the books that I have.....thus there were books stacked on the floor, piled and crammed on the shelves, and hidden in some of the kitchen cabinets.

This is now my favorite room... I love it! Even though the bookshelves were a nightmare to put together. Ikea, I love/hate you.

Thanks for all of your help, Carlee!

This is my new office. Isn't is wonderful? Having an office makes me want to organize things.....sometimes. I'm still working on finding a place for all of my papers and officey things... I hid them from you in these pictures so that you couldn't see the growing stack of papers and receipts that I need to file. Don't judge me.... at least my kitchen is clean and organized!

Last but not least...... look what I just bought!!!

My very own commercial convection oven!! It feels just like Christmas, except I bought this little gift for myself! I've already baked quite a few things in it, and it is amazing how much more I get done and in half the time. LOVE it!!

Morning Does Ugly Things To Me...

2010-08-24T22:32:00.003-05:00

Oh, the sacrifices I make for you all..... early mornings, long drives, ridiculous gas prices, a sore butt, and a bad case of sleep deprivation.

This week I have signed myself up for a class to learn how to work with sugar paste and make various kinds of sugar flowers. These kinds of classes overwhelm me because I am terrible at working with sugar/gum paste. In culinary school I did the bare minimum to get through the few days that we worked with this stuff. I'm pretty sure that my chef instructor saw how horrid my flowers were and showed sympathy towards me by not forcing me to do more (thanks Chef Heather!).

I have only completed two of the four days, and I have learned so much. I'm not saying that I am good at what I have learned....I'm just saying I took some notes and made a few flowers, and hopefully I won't completely forget how to do everything once the class is finished.

The class is in Sugar Land which is about 85 miles away....2 hrs in traffic. The drive is rough, but how much better does it get than to take a sugar art class in Sugar Land?? It's like a sugar fairy tale! Waking up at 5:30AM is not a part of that fairy tale. Early mornings do not do good things for me. My face is breaking out, I have those tired eyes that even a pound of concealer cannot hide, and my overdose on coffee while driving to Sugar Land gives me the squirms the entire drive..... a little from the caffeine but mostly because it makes me have to pee as soon as I start the car. My body is rejecting this routine. I'll be happy when this week is over. Learning is nice, but it does terrible things for my complexion.

The class is offered by this neat little store called the Cake Craft Shoppe. The instructor is very knowledgeable and the store carries a great variety of products. If you have ever wanted to take a cake class other than the cheesy stuff that Wilton offers through Hobby Lobby or Michaels (although I've done that too.... I'm not bashing anyone who has taken or taught those classes) check out the Cake Craft Shoppe's classes. They offer a ton of classes, and are definitely worth the time and money.

Now, don't start expecting little sugar bouquets to start appearing on everything I do. This class is an effort to push myself outside of my comfort zone....we'll see where things go from here.

Happy Birthday!

2010-08-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to my amazing and beautiful mother! This post might be a day late, but we certainly showered her with the blessings of pizza, cookies, and rootbeer yesterday (her meal choice). I love you, mom!

Teacher's Pet

2010-08-12T14:20:00.005-05:00

The message you are about to read may not be suitable for children. You may want to pull them away from the computer screen before we go any further..........

Are they away yet?

Ok?

School starts in 10 days. Ahhh!

For people like me who don't have to worry about the start of school anymore this time of year is no big deal. I actually enjoy walking up and down the school supply aisles at the store picking out all of the things that I would buy if I were going back to school again. I just love school supplies..... all this talk makes me want to go buy a new pack of pencils and a few composition notebooks. I actually did buy myself a new backpack. Ha! I'm sure I'll use it on a future trip soon. It's very cool. It's from Urban Outfitters. If I were going back to school again I would wear it with pride.....even though I hear that the "cool kids" don't even wear backpacks anymore, but what do they know? Psshh.

Anyhow, back to the start of school. The first day of school is all about first impressions. Why else do all girls spend hours combing the malls to find the perfect first day of school outfit?? (Sorry to those of you who have to wear uniforms..... no fun.) Those cool shoes or that trendy top may impress their fellow peers, but what about the teachers? How do you leave a good impression on the teachers?

As a teacher in the past (all one year of it) I can tell you exactly how to make those teachers swoon over your precious student: Cake..... Cookies......CHOCOLATE. What do you want to be on your child's teacher's lips while they are grading that first essay? The salty/sweet flavor of a Sea Salt and Chocolate Chip cookie, or the bitter taste of exhaustion and resentment over the fact that someone swiped their lunch again from the microwave while they were taking YOUR kid's discipline referral down to the office???????

So, how did you want to start this year off again? With back to school teacher gifts from The Muffin Top? That's what I thought.

How about one of those yummy Sea Salt and Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Give your teacher a burst of energy and wake up her taste buds with an Espresso Shortbread Cookie

Replace that teacher's dirty looks with a personalized portion of Dirt Cake

Give your teacher one more reminder of those summer nights with a S'more Cupcake

Allow your child's face to pop into their teachers' minds with a smile with a delicious Cake Pop!

Wow.... A New Post!

2010-08-03T22:22:00.006-05:00

I know you must be feeling a little surprised to find a new post here since it has been over a month since I have put anything up. The truth is I have been super busy, followed by a little lazy, followed by preoccupied, and ending with a lot of procrastination.

I have been working on a lot of projects lately, though. Here is a summary of what my "to-do" list has looked like for the past month........

#1: Get my lazy butt in shape.

#2: Write article for Mission magazine.

You can read it if you'd like here (page 30-31). It's about missions, and animals, and shoes, and wrist tattoos, and Twilight, and stuff. If you read it let me know what you think... I'd love to hear some feedback.

#3 Bake........ and bake some more.

#4 Wait until grandma leaves for work and move her stuff out of storage room and convert it into my office.

It's a work in progress, but it has come really far.... trust me! The office is almost complete and I will post pictures just as soon as I return from my Ikea run on Thursday!

#5 Convert said storage room into office which leads to remodeling pretty much my entire apartment.

The below pictures are a few of my newly expanded baking room. I am loving all of the space, and am beginning to feel oh so organized. These pictures are older and I have done a bit more to the room since that time. I'll post pics of the updates along with the office pics soon...hopefully.

I'm Back!

2010-06-28T09:42:00.009-05:00

Hello all!! I missed you so much. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement and exhaustion, but I'm back and ready to get back to work (sort of). I really should be preparing for a consultation meeting right now, but I just couldn't put you off any longer. Since it is my goal to be more disciplined and focused since I've started working from home I will give you a nutshell version of my trip to Israel. I'll try to post a more extensive photo tour later (after I filter through all 750+ images). Here is a brief rundown of the trip:

sailed on the Sea of Galilee..... the view was incredible ;)

hit up the local market for some fine souvenirs...

tried to haul away this gem, but it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin on the plane...

learned about the local sewage system (the crap really does flow downstream)....

read some pigeon verses on the Jordan River....

braved the West Bank to have my picture taken next to sweet baby Jesus' birth spot (it's marked with a shiny silver star just in case there is any confusion about which side of the cave he was birthed on)....

checked out the Jesus Boat with the guy that actually found it (we're close friends now) ...

slept in a bedouin camp.....

had nightmares of these crawling on me all night.... my fright was confirmed when I found this one by my foot the next morning while in the bathroom....

rode camels through the Judean Desert...

this sexy beast led us around the desert....

drank some of the best fresh orange juice....

tried not to touch each other while taking this pic on the Temple Mount/sight of the Dome of the Rock (scandalous!)....

ended the tour at this old empty tomb....

walked all over the country in the exact places that Jesus would have walked.... pretty amazing.

Shalom!

2010-06-13T21:05:00.005-05:00

I warned you guys that I would be MIA for a while, but I wanted to post an update before I jet off again.

I returned Friday from an amazing week at camp with the youth from our church. God really worked in their lives last week, and I am so excited to see them continue to grow! We really have amazing students in our youth group.....they are so much fun to be with. Most counselors come back from camp grumpy, and ready for a break, but I can honestly say that being at camp with them was a piece of cake. I could have stayed longer except I couldn't bare sharing a shower with 30 other teenage girls and nasty camp food any longer! I truly love our youth, and am looking forward to hanging out with them all summer.... can we say Twilight party when I return??!! Whoo!

In exactly 6 hours I will be leaving for Israel for almost 2 weeks. I went there about 2 years ago, and the experience changed my life.... or at least my outlook on life. I can't wait to head there again. I know that each time I go the experience will be different, and I will see the same places with fresh eyes and a new perspective. I am really looking forward to going this time with my parents, and seeing them soak in every amazing detail.

I'll be back to baking soon, but in the meantime I'll be tasting and photographing some delicious Mediterranean food for you! Shalom!

First Fruits

2010-05-29T16:57:00.003-05:00

I am officially finished teaching! On Thursday I turned in my books and key, organized the shelves for next year, and left my lesson plans neatly filed in the appropriate cabinets. I can't believe the school-year is over, but it is already feeling like summer.

The first fruits of summer are already in bloom! I walked out my door today to find my first cherry tomatoes of the season ripened and ready to eat. I think my little plant is going to produce plenty.

The heat tends to make me crave fruit, so I made my favorite fruit salad: honeydew melon, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, mint and a splash of lime. My mouth is watering just typing that out; it is so good and refreshing! There is no real recipe for this dish, just throw everything into a bowl and add as much mint and lime as you prefer. Here is another fruit salad recipe from a post last April.... I still never got around to making it.

Being finished with school has made me feel so relaxed already, but things are about to pick up again in just a few days. I will be gone most of June on trips: braving it as a camp counselor for a week, and then two weeks in Israel. I cannot wait to be in Israel! I was there two years ago on a trip and fell in love. Apart from the whole problem of it being right in the center of world conflict I would move there in a heartbeat. Anyhow, there is a lot going on in these first few weeks of summer, so if I am MIA for a while don't worry. I will be back (working full time baking...whoo!) soon.

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend everyone!!

Steel Magnolia Wedding!!

2010-05-25T16:22:00.006-05:00

So, I failed in posting pictures from my last wedding promptly. It has taken me almost two weeks to get around to putting these pics up. Better late than never, right?!

I really enjoyed working on this wedding. I was able to experiment with so many different methods that I have been dying to try for awhile. I was so thrilled with how the cake pops and cookie prints turned out! If you are looking for something unique or original that people will go crazy over at your next event try these out! People loved them!

This wedding was PINK! I just kept thinking of Steel Magnolias while designing this tablescape..... "it's not pink, it's blush and bashful..." I just love that movie! Here is a clip (at the bottom of the post) so that you can reminisce with me, and a few pictures from the wedding! Enjoy!

2010-05-15T09:55:00.003-05:00

I've talked many times before about how much I love shopping on Etsy.com, and all of the wonderufl, creative things that you can find. I subscribe to "Etsy Finds" (the daily shopping guide), and am always inspired to take a peek at what all of these creative sellers have to offer. Today, when I opened my email and began looking through the day's featured items I came across something that just made me stop and laugh.

This seller has some mad origami skills, but they also have some mad prices. This $2 origami airplane is $15. Don't get me wrong, I could never fold paper like that, but $15 for a folded $2??!! Are you kidding me? I support the arts (I use that term loosely within the context of this post), but this just smells scammy. You can check out more of this seller's work here.

Here, we have a beautiful $2 butterfly listed for $15 as well.

This $1 bill is folded into an insanely cool camera.......but is $30. What?!

2010-05-04T23:01:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it is already May! Whoo! The end of the school-year is coming to a close, and there are so many things to look forward to in the coming weeks!

I just know that this month is going to fly by. There is so much to do and definitely not enough time. It's hard balancing the closing duties that come with the end of school (wrapping up lessons, turning in grades, writing final exams, attending graduations, etc, etc) and the opening days of wedding season (whoever came up with this "June Bride" nonsense needs to be punished!). Really it is not that bad, but I am extremely busy.

Above is a photo of a wedding cake that I did a few weeks ago. I loved the look of it, but I will never again do a tiered carrot cake! I was a bit hesitant to do it anyway, and my doubts where confirmed while driving it to the venue and watching the cream cheese icing slowly soften and begin to shift. Oh, the horror!! By the time I sat it on the table there was nothing I could do except pray that the guests (and bride) would overlook the slightly leaning cake once they had a piece in their mouths. I was assured that they did when I received raving reviews from the groom's mother the next day (whew!).

I have another wedding next weekend for a dear friend of our family. I'm pretty excited about the dessert spread. Sarah (the bride) has been pretty laid back about the planning process (almost to a fault!) and has given me pretty free reign as to the layout and design. I'll try to be more prompt in posting pictures, but I'm not making any promises.

Well I'm off to plan my lessons for tomorrow's classes.... I am a perpetual procrastinator and I always feel extremely hypocritical when I get on to my students for doing it. Such is life.... and the power of being the teacher (I'm going to miss that).

Tablescapes

2010-04-27T22:56:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago a created this dessert table for a ladies garden club tour. My parent's gardens were the final stop on their tour, and the garden club asked me to provide the desserts. I love being able to not only provide the desserts, but to design the entire tablescape. If the desserts don't look presentable and appetizing it doesn't matter how amazing they taste; no one will want to eat them. Designing tablescapes and assisting with event planning is something that I really want to incorporate into my business.... I'm still in the planning stages with all of this, but we'll see what comes of it.

B-O-Y!!!

2010-04-22T09:14:00.003-05:00

This past Tuesday we all gathered to find out whether Tori and Colin are having a boy or girl. We waited excitedly and impatiently for her to be called back, and as soon as her name was called our entire family jumped up and readily charged the ultrasound technician! It was agony just waiting an hour and a half to be called back, so I don't think we are going to hold things together well when it is time for the real deal.

When the tech announced that it was a BOY we didn't really know how to respond. I'm not sure if we were speechless because of the way he announced it ("Well, folks, the turtle is out of the shell....you're having a boy."), or because we were so shocked that it was actually a boy. Of course we were ecstatic, but we have never had a boy, so it was a bit like announcing we were expecting an alien. We are a family of all girls, so this is going to be an exciting adventure! September cannot come soon enough!

I know this isn't a photo of the baby's sex, but this is just the coolest ultrasound picture I have ever seen!

Paige has some really great photos on her blog of the entire event, so go check it out!

Birthdays!

2010-04-19T19:42:00.003-05:00

I have quite a few cakes that I need to share with you all, but I'll just post the 2 most recent birthdays that have come through The Muffin Top.

This cute little monkey cake was for my friend Tara's son, Brayden. It was his first birthday party, and I don't think I have ever seen a little boy more loved than Brayden. He didn't have just one birthday party..... he had two! For both parties we made "smash cakes" for the birthday boy to dig in to on his own. The first party served cupcakes with polka dots, and the second served this grand birthday cake. I loved the colors, and found this adorable cake topper on Etsy from an artist located in Austin..... just trying to keep things local (semi-local at least).

Now this next birthday cake was not a product of The Muffin Top, so I wont try to take any of the credit. Paige made this delicious strawberry cake for our grandmother's (Memie) 76th birthday. Paige did a fantastic job, and was so creative with the decorations! She found the topper and decorative candles at a local antique/gift shop here in Brenham.

Our Memie is one of the most spirited and hilarious women I know! I don't think there has ever been a time when I have been around her and haven't been laughing. Just this past Sunday in church she leaned over to me after we finished singing "How Great Thou Art" and said, "I want you to have them sing this one at my funeral, but no drums or anything....your dad will probably be too upset to play them anyway." Haha! I couldn't help but laugh! She is great!

Monday Muffin Stops: Amy Atlas Events

2010-04-12T10:58:00.003-05:00

I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately with work and haven't had much time to dedicate to my desserts and planning for The Muffin Top. When I get this way it is easy to put off or neglect the things that I really want to be focusing on. I feel tired, cranky, and sometimes a little bitter. But, every now and then I come across a site or blog that reminds me why I want to pursue this wild idea called catering.

This past week I came across Amy Atlas Events. I have seen her designs in several magazines and on other blogs, but have never been directly to her site. Looking through her portfolio was like a breath of fresh air. Amy is extremely talented, and her attention to detail is what really sets her apart from others. I am blown away at how creative her work is, and every tablescape is like a work of art. I just feel excited and inspired when I look through her designs! I've been visiting her web page and blog quite often, looking at the same images, and trying to take note on how she achieves such a polished yet playful design. Visit her web page and blog to see her beautiful designs yourself or pick up the May issue of Brides Magazine to see her work featured.

**Photos courtesy of Amy Atlas Events**

Round Top

2010-04-10T15:22:00.009-05:00

Last weekend were the final days of the Spring antique show in Round Top. We only managed to make it out there one day, but believe me...we did plenty of damage in those few hours. I bought some great pieces, but will have to post pictures later when I move them out of the storage building. I am in the beginning stages of preparing to incorporate more of the square footage of this apartment to make room for a larger baking area and office. As soon as we start swinging hammers I'll post pics of the progress.

Anyhow, back to Round Top...... Every Spring and Fall when the antique shows roll around I get so excited. I know that I am going to be inspired by the creative stagings of the vendors, find some excellent pieces for my home or display pieces for catering, and of course, spend waaay more than I planned on. This show was no exception.

You can always count on an interesting find.... (yes, these are doll head lamps. Creepy, but kinda funny too!)

But the majority of the time, I leave the show feeling #1: exhausted #2: a little (or a lot) more poor than when I arrived #3: extremely inspired

If you have never come to one of the antique shows make plans to attend this fall! I promise you will fall in love!

Peeps Show

2010-03-31T14:44:00.004-05:00

Hey peeps! So my surgery went really well, and I am hopeful for a quick recovery. When all I have to compare it to is last year's surgery it seems like a breeze. I still can't believe it has been a year since the wreck. Time has really flown by, and God has blessed me tremendously and has brought me so far this past year. I'm not going to write a lengthy post about it all, instead here is a little something to make you smile.

So we all know what Easter means.... PEEPS! Not only are these cute little mallows quite tasty, they are apparently little works of art as well. Check out these photos from the Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest.... hilarious! Happy Easter everyone!

Crazy Time

2010-03-25T23:49:00.003-05:00

So things have been a little crazy around The Muffin Top. #1: I am beginning to demonstrate the true meaning of "the muffin top" since I haven't worked out in almost 2 months due to sleep deprivation, lack of funds for another bootcamp session, lack of motivation for P90X, and physical limitations. Two weeks ago I went for a run in the park and Monday I did the first workout from the P90X dvds that I got in the mail last week. Since then.... nada. I need a workout partner (hint, hint).

Uh, like it matters. I went to the doc over spring break and scheduled another surgery for my shoulder. I've been having problems with it ever since the wreck, so we are going to try taking the plate out to see if that fixes the issues. I think it will. I've wanted that stupid plate out since the day I got it. I can feel it sticking out of my collar bone, and I hate it... HATE it! I say all of this to get to my #2: Since I am having shoulder surgery in less than a week I have been on a baking rampage for the last two weeks. I have several jobs lined up through April and I don't want to cancel on anyone. I even bought a new freezer just for this. I don't think I've ever loved an appliance so much. I baked the last of the cakes tonight, and I've only got 2 batches of icing and a few decorations to complete. Sheesh...baking for an entire month is a killer!

#3: Last, but not least, it is the beginning of antique week here in tourist country. That's right, it is the Round Top antique show. I love this time of year! I missed it last year because someone hit me with a car the night before I was supposed to leave to go to the show and..... well, I wont go there tonight. Anyhow, this is the Mecca of antiques. If you are an avid collector or junkie (as I like to refer to the group that I belong to since I don't really dabble in the expensive stuff...old junk is more my style) then you need to be here! Every hotel/motel/b&b/barn/rv park is booked months in advance, but I've got a pretty comfy couch that I'll let you borrow for a decent price. I'll even guide you to where the good stuff is.

The photo above is of a cake that I did for a coworker's daughter's birthday this past weekend. It was my first time working with edible prints, and I really love how it turned out! This was a fun cake to do, especially since they were so open to me experimenting with some new techniques and just doing whatever I wanted with it. I love it when customers are so laid back... they are truly a blessing!

Monday Muffin Stop on Memory Lane

2010-03-21T22:28:00.003-05:00

I did a little Spring cleaning this weekend with my mom and sister. We were sorting through a box of old childhood Christmas ornaments, and I found this one. This ornament would document the year that our parents gave us the Internet for Christmas. Talk about feeling old! Time moves way too fast. I still remember when Internet time was a special treat at school. I spent most of it looking up and printing pictures of dogs that I wanted my parents to buy for me. Oh, memories.....

Inevitably Sweet

2010-03-16T22:11:00.007-05:00

It was inevitable. Only a matter of time. I sit here typing to you with a fat lip and numb jaw, probably some drool running down my lip that I am unaware of and quite unconcerned with. As much as I would like to place my current state on an unruly cat fight or back alley brawl, I cannot (although, I would like to point out that I would have been victorious in either). No, no, the truth is my sweets have gotten the better of me.

I have just returned from having two cavities filled. Originally it was three, but once the doc started drilling and poking around he determined that there were only two cavities to knock out. I'm not at all ashamed. I avoid the dentist like the plague, and I believe there is something to be said for making such sacrifices for your profession. No pain, no gain, right? Who ever heard of a pastry chef that didn't enjoy sweets? Absurd.

You see, I've only graced the dental chair once in the past six years (three of those years I lived directly across the street from a dentist office; I even used their parking lot). It's not like I don't take care of my teeth; I brush well and rinse twice a day. I don't floss regularly though. For some reason I despise it. I flossed three times last week though to get ready to go to the dentist, like I could trick him into thinking I was an all-American flosser. But, who really flosses their teeth.... religiously? Do you?

I didn't eat lunch before I went to the dentist because I didn't want there to be food in my teeth when I arrived. Afterwards I felt a little hungry, but knew I wouldn't be able to eat anything since I couldn't even locate my mouth. Around 5:00 I was starving, but still no feeling. I decided to take a nap thinking that maybe Novocaine is like a bad hangover.... sleep it off (Confession: I don't even drink and I'm full of b.s.) Around 9:00 I decided to try eating some eggs and a gooey biscuit. Most of the feeling was back in the top portion of my mouth, but I still couldn't feel my lower jaw. Maybe some of the bibs I already bought for my niece/nephew would come in handy right now. I finally figured out the maneuver: tilt the head back to catch the food coming in, then tilt slightly to the right so that the food falls to the good side of my mouth, and chew slowly and lightly. It's a science. I probably wont be going back to the dentist for another six years.

Oh, and these are some photos of some really delicious espresso shortbread cookies I made last week. Definitely a keeper recipe for the future. For those of you who are on Spring Break: hope you are enjoying your break, and for those of you who are not: God bless you.

RIP Thumper Rabbit II

2010-03-08T16:40:00.003-06:00

I found out yesterday that my dear, sweet Thumper Rabbit II was tragically killed. I had given her to a sweet family in January after coming to the difficult conclusion that I was not home enough to give her all of the attention and space she needed. She was probably the best pet I have ever had, and I am extremely sad.

So, here's to you Thumper Rabbit.....you are missed.

Monday Muffin Stops: Style Me Pretty

2010-03-01T23:20:00.007-06:00

Remember a long time ago when I started Monday Muffin Stops? Well, I know I haven't been too successful in keeping it up.... ok, I've failed miserably, but today I am attempting to redeem myself. This does not mean that Monday Muffin Stops are to be relied upon as a weekly opening staple, but here's to trying! (notice that I am posting this just moments before midnight, so I am barely qualifying to a Monday post as it is!)

Anyhow........

Like I've mentioned before, I love looking at bridal blogs and websites! It began as a search for inspiration for new cake designs, increased when we were planning my sister's wedding, and is now a fully fledged obsession. I'm sure my infatuation with baby blogs will soon follow. I love party planning vicariously through others. Style Me Pretty is beautiful, creative, innovative, stylish, inspirational..... I could go on and on. I L-O-V-E this blog. Most of the photos have this vintage flair to them which I love, and the creative juices that leak off this site are almost palpable. I promise you will be inspired by this site, if not...... well, frankly, you have bad taste. Enjoy!

Announcements!!

2010-02-24T22:12:00.007-06:00

#1: How awesome is this wedding cake??!!

#2: I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!!!

I found out about a month ago that my sister, Tori, was pregnant, but could not tell anyone until today after her first ultrasound. I am ecstatic! I have told practically everyone I have come in contact with. I even announced it to my 8th grade class, and none of the kids even know my sister... I actually almost started crying when I told them. What is this kid going to do to me if I'm already getting emotional about it?? So there you have it.... the world's greatest aunt has finally emerged!

January Wedding

2010-02-21T18:36:00.004-06:00

Brenham is known as being a huge baseball town, and this groom's cake further affirms the claim. These little cake toppers were too cute! If you've got to incorporate baseball into your wedding decor this is definitely the way to do it. I love that this couple chose to be a little more nontraditional with their wedding cakes. I feel like a wedding is so much more fun and personal when people let go of tradition and choose to truly express themselves in every aspect of the wedding process.

The groom chose to have carrot cake, and I could not have been more pleased with his choice. Carrot cake is one of my favs, and I'm not going to lie.... this stuff is good! I haven't made this much carrot cake since I worked at Trulucks, and it was pretty tough to haul these cakes around. I used almost 3 1/2 gallons of cream cheese icing and 40 quarts of carrot cake batter! Let's just say my arms were a little shaky and I was a little out of breath by the time I got that huge tub of icing to the fridge. I only thought I was back in shape.

2010-02-16T22:18:00.004-06:00

Just because I haven't posted in a few weeks does not mean that I haven't been busy! Quite the opposite actually. I have been swamped with work for school and orders for The Muffin Top. This is extremely exciting, but overwhelming at the same time!

I made this cute football cake for my friend, Missy's, little boy, Blake. He turned 4 and is an avid Aggie and Cowboy fan. I wont judge where this little man's team alliance has come from since Missy's husband doesn't judge us for our obsession with Twilight. I was told recently that we should be referred to as Twihards.... I wont disagree.

Ok, so apparently the new trend for announcing the gender of your baby is to throw a "Gender Party." If you don't know what that is you must be living under a rock (you're under there with me, so don't feel any shame). This was actually a really fun cake to do, but a little weighty at the same time. The way these parties work is to have the ultrasound technician call the baker (me) to reveal the gender of the baby....to only me. Once I have the gender of the kiddo under wraps I will then dye the cake either blue or pink, so that when the mom-to-be cuts into the cake she reveals whether she will be expecting a little "sugar and spice and everything nice" or "boogers and snails and puppy dog tails" (I forgot how that one goes, so I just made up an alternate...it works though, right?). Pretty fun party, huh? I think I am going to have to throw one of these whenever I get to become an aunt! (hint, hint...hurry up please, dear sisters!)

Amos Story.....great song, even better story

2010-01-25T21:16:00.003-06:00

Check out Aaron Ivey's website to read he and his wife's amazing adoption story. Their second adopted child, Amos, was recently brought home from Haiti. God is good....all the time.

My fridge is not my own....

2010-01-20T08:16:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the "Cribs" edition of The Muffin Top. Does that show still come on?? Anyhow, I had to snap a pic of my fridge to share with you because it is too sad, pathetic, and funny to keep to myself. To be honest, this is how my fridge looks 80% of the time...... it's usually just empty the other 20%. I am overrun by baking supplies and ingredients. Let me give you a tour of my fridge......

We have: cakes, cakes, and more cakes, butterscotch sauce, berry sauce, leftover chocolate icing, egg yolks (needing to use those soon, but don't know what for yet....hate wasting them), eggs, carrots and lemons (in the left drawer), cream cheese and butter galore (I think there is a combined total of 19 lbs. of cream cheese and butter right there).

Where is my food you ask? Good question. Let's play a game. Do you remember "Where's Waldo? " If you look closely you will find a lone green bottle of sparkling water and a drawer to the far right full of cheese, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, a box of salad greens, and half a grapefruit. That's it. Just 5 items. Let's just say I eat a lot of cereal and invite myself over to my parent's house to eat quite often. (Thanks, Mom!)

Well, I've exposed my fridge to the world, and now it's your turn. Open it up and show us what you've got! Leave a comment, so that we can all run over and take a peak. Don't be shy and don't clean it out first....where's the fun in that?!

We've Been Featured!

2010-01-13T22:41:00.005-06:00

Well folks, The Muffin Top has been featured in print! A real LIVE article...... a Texas LIVE Magazine article to be exact. Does is matter that I am the one who wrote the piece? Does it matter that I chose to feature myself in my article over cake trends for the upcoming wedding season? Does it matter that my sister's wedding was one of the main featurettes of the mag? Does is matter that I got paid to shamelessly self-promote? Nope! All that matters is that it's in print and in the publics' hands! Go flip through the digital issue here or pick up a copy at Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, HEB or Borders and let me know what you think!!

Wedding!!

2010-01-06T21:52:00.004-06:00

As you know, my beautiful little sister got married 3 months ago. Well, she had some pretty amazing photographers to capture the gorgeous event. Check out a few of the photos at the Ryan Price Photography blog!

Welcome 2010!!

2010-01-04T17:05:00.003-06:00

Hello all! Are you glad to see me?! I don't know about you, but I had a fabulous holiday! We road tripped our way to the beautiful Rocky Mountains to visit our family in Silverthorne, Colorado. Silverthorne is just a few miles from Keystone, so we spent every possible day skiing!

Now, I haven't been skiing in over ten years, and remember those Wolverine-like plates in my arms??? Yeah! Hello??? What was I thinking?! Don't worry, I consulted with my doctor and his response was, "Well, anyone can kill or hurt themselves skiing.....so go for it!" Excellent.

Despite my doctor's overwhelming encouragement I hit the slopes with all of the bravery and tenacity as any idiot, and loved it! Now, I wont say that I wasn't in any pain because pushing my arse across a plateau of snow with 80 lbs of ski clothes on ain't easy! I honestly didn't fall too much. As long as I was flying down the mountain I was fine. Standing is what gave me trouble....imagine that! By the 3rd day we decided to ditch those Schoolmarm wieners and cruise down a few blue slopes (all unbeknown to Paige, but that is for a whole other post! Can we say anger, wrath, drama queen??!!) We had a great time! My favorite part was getting to spend time with my dad......or watching Nathan knock the air out of himself after missing a schoolgirl jump. Gotta love it!

Here's to a fresh start in 2010! I gotta feelin'..... (sing it Fergie!)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T22:18:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with family and friends! See ya when I return from the slopes! Whooo!!

Updated Website!!

2009-12-18T22:54:00.002-06:00

Hey ya'll! Check out the updated website and let me know what you think! There are still a few things to tweak, but I couldn't wait to put it up!!

Advent Season

2009-12-16T10:44:00.002-06:00

I saw this video last year and was very moved, but did nothing.

I saw this video this year and was very moved, and did something.

My family is not giving gifts to each other this year, and it could not feel more freeing or gratifying. I took almost the same amount of money from my savings account as I usually spend and we pooled our money to adopt 3 families to buy gifts for. We are also changing our usual Christmas celebration tradition, and have decided to go on a road trip to Colorado to see my Uncle and his family. We leave Christmas day, and I am so excited! I love road trips!

I saw a statistic on the news the other night that reported that if Americans spend $66 billion on gifts, $12 billion would be spent on worthless gifts that people don't even like or want.Sad huh? This year do something different. Give to a family in need. Make homemade gifts for family and friends-- you don't have to be Martha Stewart to make something beautiful and heartfelt--bake something sweet, frame a great family photo, repurpose an old piece of furniture, grow a plant, paint a picture....be creative! But more than anything...spend time with the people you love giving thanks to God for the life He has blessed you with.

Sweet Gifts

2009-12-15T19:52:00.003-06:00

I absolutely love giving sweet little treats away as gifts! Last year I was on a major bacon toffee kick and made tons of it to give away (sound nasty?? well, you gotta try it!). Everyone loved the bacon toffee, but it is quite the chore to make. Anyhow, this year I wanted to make treats for all of my classes. For one class I made gingerbread cookies, another vanilla cupcakes, and for another a triple chocolate cake with a ganache glaze. Yum! Can you guess what I choose to do rather than work on my lesson plans???? Ha! Today I gave my freshman and sophomore class these delicious cookies and cream cheesecakes. They disappeared in about 2 seconds, so I'm guessing they liked them.

I also got my very first teacher gift! One of the girls in my 6th grade class gave me the cutest ornament...... a cupcake ornament!! Precious.

Photo courtesy of 52 Cupcakes

Here is the recipe for the cheesecake. It is really easy and comes together fast! Enjoy!

Martha Stewart's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes Recipe
Makes 30

Ingredients:
42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Workin' it out

2009-12-09T07:16:00.004-06:00

I joined a fitness class last week (that meets at 5:30AM!!) in an attempt to strengthen these weak and worthless limbs of mine. After the second day of class (at 5:30AM!!) I made it a rule to only use restrooms that are equipped with handicap rails to prevent falling in while trying to lower myself down. I keep asking people if I look funny when I walk because I feel like I'm hobbling around, too sore to actually bend and straighten my legs to walk. Today was only my 5th day (of waking up at 5:30AM), but I am already feeling stronger. That is not to say that I'm not still sore, but it's a really good feeling to know that you are doing something good for yourself. Did I mention that the class starts at 5:30AM?? Yup. I should be used to waking up early; I had been getting up at that time for the past 8 years for practices or the early shift at work in college, but I guess I've gotten into a routine of sleeping late since I don't have to be at work until 11AM now. Anyhow, all of this running, and lifting, and lunging, and squatting has made me TIRED! Sometimes I find myself just starring at some of the kids in my class....I like to think that my blank gaze reflects the way they look at me while I'm teaching. Usually they respond with an odd or slightly concerned look back at me. One girl yesterday asked if I was OK after I just stopped talking in the middle of a sentence...... Oh, Christmas break please come quickly!

All of this working out has motivated me to eat more healthy. I didn't really eat unhealthy before, but I'm not always the best at eating all 3 meals a day. It's just so much work, and eating cereal for breakfast and dinner is so much easier than buying all that stuff to make a big meal for just one person. Cooking for one sucks! Anyone? Can anyone relate?

I know that I need to be eating much more of this.......

But whenever I do cook, all I make is this.....

Just because I make these things doesn't mean I eat them; usually I only make what I need to fulfill the order. But, after making a bunch of sweets when I get home from work cooking something for myself is the last thing I want to do. SO.... I am asking you, lovely blogging friends, for help. What are some fast, easy, cheap, but HEALTHY meals that you make? Also, I'm looking for some sugar free dessert recipes, so if you have one filed away then please share!

Holiday Shop Stop

2009-12-04T22:54:00.003-06:00

There is a toy store here in town that has a giant Christmas countdown in front of the store. The countdown started before Thanksgiving, and I get excited every time I drive by it.....20 days!! Now, as much as I love Christmas......and I LOVE Christmas, I hate Christmas shopping. It's stressful and crowded, and every time I walk by an Abercrombie & Fitch I get a headache from the stench of cologne that they have doused the store in (what's up with that?!). Online shopping is definitely the way to go..... no lines, crowded stores, annoying kiosk vendors trying to rub lotion all over you and straighten your hair, or smelly frat-boy clothiers.

Etsy is one of my favorite places to shop. You can always find super creative and original stuff in every price range. From furniture,handmade clothes and accessories to antiques, food, and home decor. Etsy has it all!!

Usually I think candles are a pretty cheesy gift, but Besem Natural Scents has some of the most amazing candles! No joke. They have a wide variety of handmade candles and soaps that not only smell amazing, but are made completely with organic and fair trade ingredients. The best part is that 10% of all profits are given to orphan relief. In fact, the family who makes these products originally started the small, home-based business to raise money to fund their 2 adoptions. Check out Besem's Etsy shop here!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T13:34:00.004-06:00

I'll be completely honest with you, I'm not a huge Thanksgiving fan. This isn't a new phenomenon, I've never been big on Thanksgiving, but this year is different. I can honestly say that this has been the longest year of my life. So much has happened, but there is also so much to be thankful for. I know this sounds really cheesy, but I am truly thankful for life, and the gift of being able to start fresh. This year has been difficult, but through it all God has blessed me tremendously....even in ways that didn't seem like a blessing at first. I could go on and on forever about all the ways God has worked in my life this year and the things He is doing right now, but I'll spare you the hour long read and give you a brief listing of the things that I am most thankful for this year.

And of course...................

What are you most thankful for this year?

Hello??

2009-11-09T22:24:00.003-06:00

So... I was getting a little bored with the old layout. I am not design savvy, nor do I even own photoshop, or have the time to create original designs. Saying that... give me your feedback on the new look. (I like simple looks btw)

On another note, I noticed that my little tracker has been climbing in numbers recently.I apologize if you have been disappointed in my lack of posting lately.... it's called a job. Anyhow, the numbers are increasing, but not the comments. What's up with that?! Show yourself! I want to meet you if you are reading my blog. I'll be the first to admit that I blog stalk and never comment, but come on! Maybe I would post more often if you talked to me. There... I blame my lack of posting on you!

This One Is For You....

2009-11-06T14:29:00.005-06:00

I bet you thought I wasn't coming back. Well, I wasn't so sure I was either...things have just been insane lately. It's not that I haven't been baking-- I have-- a lot. Sadly, I haven't taken too many pictures. I know, I know...slacker. I am working on a cake right now for a baby's 1st birthday, and I promise to post a few pics.

Last year when I was working at Key Ingredient I would find billions of recipes that I wanted to make every day. I am a huge pumpkin fan, so anything with pumpkin I would bookmark to refer back to later. Out of the zillion (that's right, zillion) that I tabbed I think I made 2: vegan pumpkin muffins (yum!) and pumpkin brownies. Now, I know that being a pastry chef I should love all desserts equally (kind of like being a teacher and knowing that you should love all of your students equally), but the truth is...... I don't. There are just some desserts that I would die for and others I would just take a shot for. Brownies are one those desserts that I just have a hard time loving. I can take 'em or leave 'em, but this particular recipe caught my eye...pumpkin is it's saving grace. Now, the recipe calls for pumpkin spice Hershey kisses and I had never seen those before. So, the first few times I made these I just used pumpkin pie spice and substituted caramel kisses. It was fabulous! About a month or so ago my mom and I were in Target and there they lay at the checkout...pumpkin spice Hershey kisses. I got so excited I'm pretty sure people starred (probably because they were jealous that I found them first). These little kisses are so good I almost had a hard time saving them for the brownies. This recipe is amazing, and is such a nice twist on the plain ole brownie. You can make your brownies from scratch or just use a mix and add the additional flavorings and kisses.

I posted this recipe last year on The Food Knows using the KI widget, so why not do the same this year. Enjoy!! (This one is for you, Robyn.... I expect to enjoy some of these from you soon!)

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Chocolate Brownies

This is a twist on my favorite brownie recipe. I ...

See Pumpkin Spice Kiss Chocolate Brownies on Key Ingredient.

Congratulations Paige and Nathan!

2009-10-20T16:15:00.003-05:00

Well, the wedding is finally over. Paige is now a Meyer.....weird. I couldn't be more happy for Paige and Nathan and I can't wait to see how God is going to bless their marriage.

I don't have any pictures from the wedding.....sorry. I couldn't fit my camera in my bra, or snap any pics while standing next to the bride, but I did swipe a few photos that friends have posted on facebook. The quality isn't so good, but it gives you a look at how everything turned out. I'll post photos from the photographer as soon as we get them in.

My uncle made this cupcake tower and it turned out amazing! I don't know if you can tell how big this thing is, but it's huge! I loved how it all turned out, and everyone seemed to enjoy the flavors.

The photo booth was a lot of fun, and so many people participated. If you were at the wedding and would like to see your picture they are all posted on Paige's facebook page.

I thought I would be able to take some time off, but the orders are flooding in....which is a good thing! I'm going to have to start hiring some of my students to work as assistants!

Cupcake Palooza!

2009-10-14T00:15:00.005-05:00

I used to think cupcakes were soooo cute and soooo creative. Do you want to know what I think of them now? AHHHHH!!!! I swear, if I see another cupcake I'm gonna throw it at someone! A few months ago I had this wonderful idea to do mini cupcakes for my sister's wedding cake...... 1,000 mini cupcakes later I wish someone would have slapped me. Let's take a look at the journey of a mini cupcake:

I will start icing them later today..... wish me luck.

Whenever I start working on a major project I begin by finding my musical motivation before anything else. Most of my major catering jobs so far can be traced through playlists on my ipod. This time I have found myself flipping between 2 playlists: Female Folk and Noise. Female Folk contains my usual lineup: Jolie Holland, Patty Griffin, Neko Case, Laura Marling, Dolly (of course!), Brandi Carlile, Missy Higgins, and a few others. I like to think we are all friends. These girls are my usuals, but every now and then I like to turn things up a bit and get a little sassy. A few years ago I would have blasted some type of rock band, but these days I like to take my dose of sass with a little class. I'm a big fan of the oldies, but I also like the more modern twists on those vintage tunes. Noise is a compilation of some ladies like Duffy, Amy Winehouse (not classy, I know, but brilliant voice none-the-less), Gin Wigmore, She and Him, and my most recent find, Noisettes. Whenever I need a second wind I just turn on these girls. Whoo.

I'll post again soon with pics of the final products (all 1,000 of them).

2009-09-29T21:30:00.003-05:00

I don't have time to write you a witty post today, but I wanted to show some of the things that have kept me from blogging.

And here is a little preview of the next recipe I will be giving out.... Homemade Butterscotch Sauce with a little extra somethin',somethin'...

I Want S'more, Please!

2009-09-15T07:48:00.004-05:00

I just love tarts! Something about them makes me feel all fancy when I eat them. I guess a s'more tart is more red neck/country-camper fancy, but fancy none the less, eh? I made these tarts for my older sister, Tori's, birthday last weekend. She originally wanted some kind of s'more cake, but I wasn't up to making homemade marshmallows, so I made her these instead. After I tell you what is in these you are going to want one so bad, and I only have one left.... and I'm not sharing!

These tarts start out with a toasted hazelnut and graham cracker crust. The chocolate custard is hit with a few tablespoons of hazelnut syrup (or liqueur...whichever you prefer), and are finished off with a yummy and oh-so-sweet toasted marshmallow meringue! In the words of Rachael Zoe..."I die!" These were sooooooo good!! Betcha want one now, dontcha??

Seriously??

2009-09-08T16:00:00.004-05:00

I am making a baby shower cake later this week, and am in need of some serious inspiration. Naturally, I pull out my laptop to consult the creative muse within google's image gallery. I have never ceased to be amazed and thoroughly entertained by what I find when searching for cake ideas, but some cakes are just too much.

Seriously, who would want to eat this? "Sure, pass me a slice of mom's butterfly tattoo." or "Save me the belly button!" or "Oh, no thank you, just half a breast for me." (was that too far?)

I find things like this all the time! What are some absurd cakes you have seen?? Please share! I love this kind of stuff; it's what really gets me through the week, ya know ;)

Monday Muffin Stops

2009-09-07T09:38:00.005-05:00

So, I'm sure you've picked up that I love baking and I love wedding blogs, but let me tell you something else I love.... decorating/interior design blogs, magazines, books, shows, etc. I love it all! My apartment is a hodge podge of miscellaneous crap that has somehow come together quite nicely. I'm not sure what you would call it.... Garage Sale Chic? Flea Market Fabulous? Whatever it is, that's my style. Every time I have moved it's always entertaining to observe people's puzzled faces as I move things in and out of my apartment....large vase of peacock feathers, glass head, old suitcases, jar of old spoons, vintage green and gold chandelier, large iron moose head.....

photo courtesy of decor8's flickr photosteam

Anyhow, Decor8 is one of my favorite design blogs to visit. It is full of inspiration, unique finds, and beautiful photos. I can't spend too much time there or else I begin to become dissatisfied with my own space and start scheming to redecorate immediately. Aahh... but this blog is blissful, and I can't help but admire all of the collected creativity.

Here's The Proof...

2009-09-01T15:36:00.004-05:00

I promised you that I was still baking, and here is my proof! I made these cakes last week for a lady hosting a dinner party at her home. She loves chocolate and her husband is a lemon cake fan.

Let me break these cakes down for you because they...are...good!

I adapted my delicious almond cake recipe to accommodate his lemon preferences. Before filling it with a tart raspberry and balsamic vinegar filling, I soaked the layers in a Kirsch infused simple syrup, and sealed it all in with a lemon cream cheese frosting and toasted almonds. YUM!

This chocolate cake deserves an entire post, but I'll just give you the brief rundown. Let me preface this story by saying that this is an amazing cake. It is my great-grandmother's recipe, and I have made it so many times I can't even count, but you would never have known that if you had been watching me make it last week. Now, remember, I have just started a teaching job and I am about 2 discipline slips away from losing my mind. This cake comes together very easily, so I was moving pretty quickly to get them into the oven and get back to writing lesson plans. When I went to check the cakes they were still not finished even after being in the oven 15 minutes past the normal bake time. Finally, I just took the cakes out and deemed them unsuccessful. They had developed an almost burnt crust on the outside, but were still unbaked in the middle. What the heck??!! So, I try again. Same result. By this time it is around 11:30PM, I am tired, and feeling utterly defeated. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am a bit of a drama queen. I don't just burn cakes, throw them away, and move on. No, no. I burn cakes, throw them violently into the trash can, all the while crying and laying on the kitchen floor while calling my mother to gain her sympathy and consolation. Needless to say, I went to bed with puffy eyes, determined to conquer this cake in the morning. The next morning as I set my ingredients out I noticed an ingredient in the recipe that I hadn't noticed last night.... 1/2 c water. WATER!! Are you kidding me?!! A total of 4 cakes in the trash because of WATER?! Yup. Once I realized the error of my ways I finished the cakes easy peasy, and downed a handful of chocolate chips to take my headache away. (some use Tylenol, I use chocolate) Learn from my mistakes.... read the directions carefully. The cake turned out moist and delicious, and I used the Magnolia Bakery's recipe for a creamy milk chocolate frosting. Mmmmmm.....

Monday Muffin Stops

2009-08-31T10:30:00.003-05:00

Let's face it--Mondays stink. Sometimes I just need a little pick me up. No, I'm not talking about an extra "shot" in my coffee.... I'm talking about a good laugh to get my day going.

I have been frequenting Cake Wrecks for a little over a year now, and they never cease to make me laugh... sometimes hysterically. Cake Wrecks features a variety of cake disasters: funny, sad, shocking, stupid, extreme, unique. While not all of the cakes are a complete disaster, some of them are just beyond what I would ever think someone would order. To each is own I guess....

Sit Down, Shut Up, and Open Your Bibles!

2009-08-25T14:31:00.006-05:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know I missed yesterday's post again BUT I have a good reason..... I am completely overwhelmed!! "With lots and lots of baking?" you might ask. I wish, but no. Actually I have just started a new job as a teacher. Yup, you got it, a teacher. Who'd a thought, right? Not me!

Sometimes I wonder if God just sits up there scheming various ways to torture me, but alas I know that He is good, and I am already seeing the fruits of this twisted blessing. Although I have absolutely no idea what I am doing or what I have gotten myself into I actually like being around some of the kids. I have been assigned to a variety of ages and classes including: 6th grade Bible, 8th grade Intro to Worldviews, and 9th-12th Portfolio (which is basically a college prep class). From this list I'm sure that you can guess that this is a private school, which is very different for me, but I think it is going to be good.... or at least I hope.

Don't worry though, I am still baking as much as possible. My time has definitely been squeezed, but I love the feeling of being back into a routine and in the workplace. (Lying around for 4 months isn't as wonderful of a break as you may think it should be)

I am still not sure if I will get used to the kids calling me Miss. Do you think the school would let them call me Chef?? I think I like the sound of that much more. :)

Photo above by CleverCupcakes

Monday Muffin Stops

2009-08-17T16:30:00.003-05:00

....And I'm back.....

This week's featured blog is near and dear to my heart. My Oh Meyer is none other than the creative workings of my precious younger sister!

Paige started her blog not too long ago to document what I like to call marital purgatory....engagement. :) I confessed my addiction to wedding blogs in the last edition of Monday Muffin Stops, and I like to blame Paige for only supplementing this addiction. Since her engagement 2 months ago we have been scoping the blogosphere for unique and creative ideas for her wedding, and boy have we acquired quite the collection of unique ideas! I am really looking forward to seeing our plans come to fruition on October 17th! Paige expands on some of these ideas and gives brief previews, so check out the blog to catch a glimpse!

Oh, the name! Yes... I almost forgot to comment on her blog's cute name! Now I'm not sure who came up with the name My Oh Meyer, either Paige or our mom; I'm not too positive. Paige is marrying this handsome and quite charming boy named Nathan Meyer, hence the My Oh Meyer... got it?? Too cute, huh?!!

Anyhow, I can't say enough good things about this blog. I guess I am kind of partial. Go check it out... now....right now! Paige has a few of their amazing engagement photos up courtesy of the great Lynsey Kramer!

New Website!!!

2009-08-04T22:02:00.003-05:00

Check out my new website! www.themuffintop.com I just finished it today, and for my very first web design I am pretty stinkin' proud!

Monday Muffin Stops

2009-08-03T10:25:00.005-05:00

I don't know what my obsession with wedding blogs is. Maybe it's because I love the cakes, maybe I just love how insanely creative people are with their weddings these days, or maybe it's because there are so many cute ideas for decorating that I can use in my home as well..... all I do know is that I love 'em! Don't you?

Today's feature is a newly found gem of mine. Once Wed is the host of gorgeous pictures, ideas, links, inspiration, sales (awesome!), and the best DIY projects! Of course I am particularly drawn to the cake inspiration gallery, and the DIY cake stands and toppers.

Emily Newman is the creative genius behind this top wedding blog. Her unique approach to inspiring "designer weddings for less" is captivating, and I've often found myself perusing her site for hours! Perhaps the best thing about Emily's blog has nothing to do with weddings at all. A portion of the revenue brought into her site goes to International Justice Mission which supports justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and violent oppression. IJM’s mission is not only rescuing people from these horrific conditions, but also giving them the tools and training they need to provide for themselves and their families. Pretty neat huh?!

Check out Once Wed for some unique wedding/decor/photo/DIY project inspiration or just for a smile :)

Photos in this post by: Ella Blue Studio & Lisa Warninger Photography & Mark Brooke Photography

Congratulations Crystal and Joel!

2009-07-29T17:27:00.005-05:00

Before I get into the oh so anticipated pictures and details of this past weekend's wedding adventure I want to announce that today my doctor officially announced that I will NOT need bone grafting and that my bones are finally beginning to heal! Whoo!

Now back to the serious stuff....

This past weekend my good friend Crystal married the loudest, most talkative, amazing man, Joel Armstrong! I was excited when Crystal asked me to be a bridesmaid, but I was thrilled when she asked me to make their cakes! Now, I knew that this combination of responsibilities would be a bit tricky, but I was ready for the challenge.

Sine the wedding was taking place about 150 miles from where I live (and bake) I knew that I was going to have to make the cakes a few days prior to the wedding, and compromise freshness for mere attendance. Kind of important I guess.

Crystal and Joel are not about tradition (which I love), so she opted for 3 small wedding cakes (all strawberry) on stands, and 2 varieties of cupcakes (carrot and mint chocolate) for the groom's cake. I happen to love all of these flavors, and had a marvelous time "testing" them. :)

Let me just tell you something: transporting cakes is one of the most stressful jobs EVER!!! The combination of sugar overload, sleep deprivation, and driving 3 cakes and 200 cupcakes 150 miles does not do good things for your complexion. This is why God allowed man to invent concealer! Anyhow... there I am attempting to convert the car into a refrigerator by blasting the AC on 60F, bundled in a sweatshirt while the outside world melts under the 110F Texas sun. I am happy to report that there were no pastry casualties other than a bit of shifting between layers....enough to make the cakes less than perfectly even, but not enough for me to stress over.

The wedding was beautiful, and I was pretty happy with how everything turned out. This was my first real wedding, and I must admit that I was proud of myself. Everyone was very complimentary of the moistness and flavor, and there was even enough left over for me to take a few cupcakes home to share. And, I only had to ice my arms down for 2 days after this...not so bad. :)

Now, only if all brides were as laid back and carefree as Crystal....

Mint Chocolate goodness

Tori was a great assistant!

Why yes, I do get this dressed up for all of my catering jobs

Uuuh... Sure, that looks great...

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong!!

Monday Muffin Stops

2009-07-27T11:27:00.007-05:00

Obviously I haven't been back since last Monday, but at least I'm consistent right?! Actually I have been very busy catering my first real wedding! It was amazing, but I will tell you more in a later post. Until then.....

let's talk gluten free! Now, take those yucky faces back because this blog has the most amazingly delicious gluten free recipes around the blogosphere! I had the pleasure of working with Sophie at Key Ingredient, and she is actually the one who introduced me to the blogging world. She is one of the most creative foodies around, and always has beautiful pictures.... too pretty to eat?? NEVER!

Sophie's blog, Flour Arrangements (isn't that a cute name?!), is now exclusively gluten free, but you would never have guessed from the recipes that she posts! Pizzas, pies, cookies, cakes, brownies, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and a host of other delicious dishes! Who would have thought such a restricting diet could taste so amazing?! The culinary market has really begun to cater to gluten free diets, and Sophie has taken full advantage!

If you are or know someone who is on a gluten free diet Flour Arrangements is your go-to recipe source! Even if you aren't gluten free be sure to dig through Sophie's archives to find some other amazing non-gluten free recipes....or try some of her newer one's out. Who knows....maybe this whole gluten free thing isn't so bad!

Thanks Sophie!! Happy baking everyone!

Monday Muffin Stops

2009-07-16T22:07:00.007-05:00

Alright....I'm introducing a brand new weekly feature!! MONDAY MUFFIN STOPS! These posts will be dedicated to featuring the blogs I love and have been inspired by. I'm really hoping not to let you down since I am not too religious about posting. We'll just take this one week at a time and see what happens.....

Our first Muffin Stop will be a one of the most creative wedding blogs I have come across yet: Snippet & Ink: Daily Wedding Inspiration. I began reading S&I after my friend Emilie told me to check it out. She knows how much I love looking for new ideas for wedding cakes and displays, and this blog is a wealth of creativity and innovation! I have spent so much time combing Snippet & Ink since my youngest sister became engaged, looking for ideas to make her wedding original and unique. I must admit that I was a bit hesitant to share this blog with you. It is one of those jewels that you want to hold closely and keep to yourself, but it is simply too amazing to not share! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger.... Or At Least More Creative!

2009-07-07T15:25:00.006-05:00

Hello All! I want you to be the first to know that the kitchen is officially back open! The Muffin Top is back in business!!

I took on my first few jobs 2 weekends ago (I didn't want to post about it until I had pictures). I cannot tell you how good it felt to be working in the kitchen again. I have fallen slightly out of my groove, but I know I'll have it back soon enough. I have been collecting kitchen supplies and equipment for a while, and was so excited to put everything together in one room! I'll have to post later about my new kitchen/baking room.

Anyhow... I wasn't really planning on taking on jobs right now considering my arms are still broken and not healing very quickly, but a good friend asked me to do cupcakes for a baby shower she was hosting. I was a bit hesitant, but couldn't say no. A few days later a friend from church asked me to do a simple cake for a wedding shower she was hosting. Very soon after my mother announced that she was hosting a bridal shower as well, and needed me to do the desserts. Not only did I agree to take on all 3 jobs, but they all happened to be on the same weekend! Start slow, take it easy??? Not me!

I will confess that these 3 seemingly easy jobs were a lot harder to take on than I thought. Maybe they would have been easy 3 months ago, but with broken arms it was a bit of a challenge. I had to call Paige over a few times to help me lift things and scrape out the large (20qt.) mixing bowl. I felt bad pulling her away from what she was doing, so I had to get a little creative with moving things around and working with the heavy things. Let's just say I am glad I was working alone because anyone else there would have laughed at me trying to carry a mixing bowl with my legs or pushing the table with my hips. Who knew baking could be such a aerobic experience! By the time I was finished with all 3 projects my arms were pretty sore and swollen; I had to ice them for a few days afterward :( .

I am absolutely my toughest critic (although Nathan is pretty critical as well), but considering the circumstances I was pretty pleased with how everything turned out! Everyone was very complimentary. I can't wait to start taking on more work and getting back into a routine!

For the first bridal shower I made a yellow butter cake with vanilla bean custard filling and an American buttercream frosting. The bride's colors are yellow and silver, and she loves sunflowers, so I did a basic white frosting with fondant sunflowers cascading down the side set on top of a silver base.

The baby shower cupcakes were my favorite! My friends Missy and Lynsey are extremely creative, so I knew they would go all out for this shower, especially since it was for the "oh so creative" Holly Mathis! It was the cutest baby shower I have ever been to! Go check out their blogs to see more pics of the shower decor!! The theme was "Nesting" and the colors were baby blue and brown. I made lemon and blueberry marbled cupcakes with a blueberry ginger filling and a Swiss lemon buttercream. The cupcakes were decorated with blue and brown frosting with white chocolate birds, pearls, and little "H"s made from gum paste. Of course I had to play up the nesting theme, so I displayed several of the cupcakes in little nests and set the others on cake stands. If really turned out pretty cute! These pictures are compliments of the talented Lysney Kramer!

I really enjoyed doing the desserts for the bridal shower my mom hosted. Instead of the traditional cake, she opted for tangy lemon tartlettes and strawberry French macaroons...yum! I wasn't able to attend the shower, but my mom said everyone loved the desserts and were very impressed. Nice!

The only project I have coming up is a wedding and groom's cake for my friend Crystal on July 25th. I am a bridesmaid as well, so I will be posting updates on the progress soon since I will have to work on quite a bit of it ahead of time. Until then.....Happy Baking!

Happy 4th of July Ya'll!!!

2009-07-04T15:36:00.006-05:00

I usually don't do anything for the 4th (*gasp!*...so unpatriotic I know!). The past few years I think I had to work and was honestly too tired to do much afterward. The city of Brenham is pretty much dead on the 4th, but the surrounding little towns are bursting with activity! There were several parades to choose from, but we settled on going to the one in Round Top. I think this was the first parade I've actually ever enjoyed! Lots of crazy cars, floats, costumes, and tons of mardi gras beads! (no flashing required) It was quirky, odd, country, some slightly inappropriate.... I loved it! We will definitely be going back next year.... we may have started a new tradition!

Later tonight we are going to check out the fireworks at Washington on the Brazos. I haven't been since I was a kid, but I hear it is amazing! I can't wait!

Happy 4th of July Ya'll!!

Etsy!!

2009-07-02T10:40:00.006-05:00

I am slowly becoming more and more obsessed with Etsy. At first I just liked to poke around on the site, flip through various vendor listings, and become increasingly more envious of their amazing talent and creativity! Now, I find myself spending waaaaay too much time bookmarking and adding sellers to my favorites! I can't help myself, this stuff is just too cool!!

Here are a few of my favorite vendors:

**Post Road Vintage**

**Parsimony**

**sfgirlbybay**

kebyc27hqg

Summer Favorites!

2009-06-22T11:27:00.006-05:00

There are certain things about summer that transport me back to childhood instantly: pina colada sno cones, popsicles, slip-n-slides, blueberries, watermelon, fire flies, sprinklers, the smell of sunscreen....

A few weekends ago we had some of my favorite little friends over. After an exhausting game of Cooties, we were left scrambling for ideas of how to entertain these two overzealous and quite ADD little monsters... I mean angels. After a quick trip to the store we came back armed with water guns, swim suits, popsicles, and a tarp ready to be turned into one slick slip-n-slide! After all, summer really hasn't begun until the slip-n-slide is up! There is nothing more entertaining than watching kids play outside. The boys had never played on a slip-n-slide before, so it was a lot of fun trying to teach them how to throw yourself down a slick, wet tarp. After a few tries they almost got the hang of it, but preferred to splash around in the hot tub/mini swimming pool, or chase the Thumper Rabbit around the cage shooting her with the water guns instead. I think they had a lot of fun, but one thing is for sure... kids wear the heck out of me!

What are some of your favorite summer things??

Engaged!!!

2009-06-13T23:56:00.003-05:00

Now way, not me.... my little sister!!! I cannot express to you how excited I am for her! She snatched up one great guy, and I could not be more happy to have Nathan as my new brother-in-law. I love both of them so much, and pray that God will bless their marriage.

They have decided to speed this whole engagement purgatory period up and set the wedding date for October. So, these next 4 months will be nothing but wedding, wedding, wedding!!

Congratulations Paige and Nathan!! I love you!!

Perfect Attendance!!

2009-06-04T09:39:00.003-05:00

My friend, Katy, gave the the cutest card for my birthday. This is what it said:

Planet Earth "Perfect Attendance" Award!
Wow! You're Still Present and accounted for... Congratulations!!

I must say, I was close to missing a day, but I'm proud to receive this award, haha! =)

I just want to say thank you to all of my family and friends for the birthday wishes. I definitely felt loved!!

The best part about birthdays is always the cake! Paige was supposed to make me a birthday cake, but I was aching to bake, so I took over. I'm still going to tell everyone that I had to make my own birthday cake....even though she was more than willing. This was a delicious devil's food cake, and the marshmallow cream icing was sooooo good!!! I got the recipe from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking," so if you want the recipe go check out her book.

I'm Your New Best Friend....

2009-06-02T00:10:00.004-05:00

So, I know I am a little behind the trend in making these little delights, but I've never been one to stay too much on top of those anyway (that is what I have Paige for). Anyhow, I decided to make these cheesecake truffles for the nurses at therapy (I win friends through sweets and I'm not ashamed). All I have to say is that these are A-mazing!! I am not much of a cheesecake fan (shocking I know), but I loved these!! They are so simple to make, and will last up to 2 months in the freezer...if you have the self-control to keep these around for 2 months I applaud you...no, no....I want to be your friend, so that I can come over and finish them off.

I made these with a simple New York style cheese cake recipe, but you could really use any favorite cheesecake recipe. I think peanut butter, raspberry, strawberry, or caramel cheesecakes would taste great!

I also found a new trick (or new to me trick): Instead of beating the cream cheese to death in the mixer, simply throw everything into the food processor and whiz away... Smooth and creamy every time.

Recipe in a nutshell...or chocolate shell =) :
(Makes about 30 truffles)

Line a square baking dish with foil then bake your desired cheesecake. Refrigerate until cooled through. Slice cake into equal squares or use a small ice cream scoop to make cheesecake balls. Place squares or balls on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in freezer for 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, melt your favorite chocolate (about 1lb.) over a double boiler. When melted removed the pot from the burner, but leave the bowl on top of the pot to keep the chocolate warm while you are dipping. Next, dip the cheesecake in the chocolate with a fork and set on parchment or wax paper to set up. Return to freezer for 2-3 minutes. To finish them off either drizzle with white chocolate or sprinkle with nuts (if using nuts sprinkle immediately; chocolate sets very quickly!). Enjoy!!

Learning Is Always Fun: Field Trip #1

2009-05-25T12:51:00.007-05:00

During this period of "down time" I have summoned my family and friends to accompany me (and drive me) on field trips. I have compiled quite a list, and this past Saturday we crossed off field trip #1. I think it is always important to learn about where you live, so we set off to explore Washington on the Brazos State Park.

One mean rooster

Pig love!

I even found a coon hat!

Nathan navigated us down the Brazos River

Old Baylor ruins

I'm going to have a wall like this one day...

Graves of pottery past...RIP

Goodbye now!....until the next field trip

2009-04-30T11:24:00.003-05:00

I got an award!! Carly, from Carly's Kitchen has graciously passed this award on to me. Her blog is too cute, and she always has the most delicious recipes posted, so go check it out!!

Here is the quote that goes along with the award:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

2009-04-28T11:02:00.007-05:00

When I was a kid I remember going to my great-grandma's house for visits. Like most kids, great-grandma's house was not the most fun place to go....it was actually quite boring. Two things stick out in my memory from trips to her house: 1. She always thought it was funny to sneak up on you and start "counting your ribs." I think she was trying to tickle, but honestly it hurt really bad. Those were not tears of laughter, they were tears and screams of pain. 2. There was a dried up pond at the back of her property that my dad would always walk us down to pick wild blackberries. They grew everywhere (or so I thought), and I had the hardest time not eating every single one I picked.

I love the idea of growing your own fruit and vegetables, but not all of us have the knack to be a successful farmer. For those of us who were born without a green thumb or those who don't have space for a garden there are farmers who grow delicious fruits and vegetables, and graciously allow us (idiots) to pick their harvest for them!

There are picking farms all over the U.S. Here is a great site to find the ones closest to you! Berry picking season is usually May-July, so start planning your trip to the farm now!

Here are a few more great farms to check out:
Home Sweet Farm- grows over 100 varieties of vegetables and herbs.
Yonder Way Farm- specializing in grass-fed beef, pastured pork, free-range eggs, and pastured poultry.
Chappell Hill Lavender Farm- cut your own fresh lavender, or visit the gift shop for pre-picked and packaged culinary lavender and bath products.

2009-04-23T18:06:00.003-05:00

Pass me a slice of Ava pie!

I was looking through some pictures on my computer and came across this one. I'm not sure how old it is...maybe from around last October??? Anyhow, it is just too cute not to put up. Normally, to accompany a picture like this I would post a recipe for blueberry pie, but I felt more inspired to post something more simple, and more likely to prepare.

One of my favorite Spring and Summer snacks is berries!! Ever since I was a little kid I have had an obsession with freshly picked and then frozen blueberries; they are one of the best and most refreshing treats!

Although blueberries and blackberries have more than enough flavor on their own I love to pair these two with balls of honey dew melon and finish the mix off by squeezing fresh lime juice over the top and sprinkling it with fresh, chopped mint leaves. The measurements aren't specific, just add as much lime juice and mint as you like.

Here is another berry recipe I read in a magazine earlier today. It sounds pretty tasty, and looks easy to prepare!

3 cups water
1 lemon and 1 lime, peel removed and cut into strips
1 cup fresh mint leaves
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 cups fresh blueberries
3 cups fresh raspberries
3 cups fresh blackberries
a few springs of mint for garnishing

This is what the magazine says to do: 1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, lemon peel, and lime peel. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, and add mint leaves; cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain mixture discarding solids. Stir in sugar. Cook over medium high heat until mix reaches 224F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in lemon and lime juice. Cool for 15 minutes. 2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar mixture and berries. Cover, and chill for 2 hours. Garnish with mint and serve.

This is what I would do: Since the sugar mix is really just a basic simple syrup I would mix the sugar and water in a saucepan, boil until all sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat. Throw in the lime and lemon peels, mint, and lime and lemon juices, cover, and steep for about 30 minutes. Proceed by following step 2 in the above directions. The flavor will still infuse into the syrup, and you will just take out a few steps. Seems to make sense to me, but you pick which directions you want to follow. If you want to experiment with both let me know how it goes!

2009-04-15T15:03:00.003-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Between the busyness of Easter weekend, starting occupational therapy, and the overall strenuous duties of things like getting dressed, showering, and the like I haven't had much time or energy to write anything. Really, those things haven't been too bad, but they still take a good bit of effort.

Therapy started yesterday. I wasn't quite sure what to expect or prepare for, but I think it will be fine. The first day was mostly spent completing an evaluation. This was my therapist's report: "Well, there is just so much to work on I'm not even sure where to start." Thanks, that is encouraging.

Today I felt like I did really well. It felt good to stretch my arm and shoulder muscles out; that does not mean that there was not a lot of pain, but overall it was good. It especially made me feel great when I looked over and saw 70 year old Joe doing the same workout as me. Nice. When I completed one of those "25 Things About Me" surveys on facebook I came to the conclusion that I am probably the youngest old lady ever. Now it is proven. I do "sit and be fit" with senior citizens 3 times a week. When I was in high school and college I lifeguarded and always laughed at the old ladies who would come into the pool to do water aerobics.... my therapist told me yesterday that I should start going to the pool in a few weeks to do arm exercizes..... what goes around comes around. I've just decided that I have to laugh at myself or I'm never going to get through this.

Thumper Rabbit did a great job being the Easter Bunny this past weekend :)

2009-04-05T19:02:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm back (sort of)! Actually, I'm not sure how long it will be before I am back in the kitchen, and the general swing of things. I am slowly gaining the strength to do more things on my own like brush my teeth, use a fork, open a door, type with one finger.... mostly simple, small things, but all of those little things we don't think about and take for granted until we can't do them anymore.

I must admit that the shock of all of this really hasn't hit me yet. It still seems so unrealistic. Most traumatic situations usually take me a while to really absorb them. I didn't cry until I first layed down at my parents' home, and I'm sure the aftermath wont strike me until a few weeks from now. But, a few things I have realized is just how wonderful of a community of friends and family I am surrounded by. You guys have been truly amazing, and it makes me want to cry when I think about how full of love my heart is for each of you. I've also realized how much I really don't have it all together. You see, I had this plan, and I had it all figured out. Of course I should have known better, that my plans rarely line up with the plans that God has. I don't know where I'm headed now, and I'm going to do my best to keep traveling down His path without any self-made plans to hold on to. All I can keep thinking is that my plans must have been way off if I was stopped so abruptly. Who knows what is coming next or what He has in store, but I'm glad I'm where He wants me right now, and I'm glad I have my community to hold me together. Writing some of this out has been quite cathartic, so thanks for bearing my rambling. I can't promise that this will be the last.

Mostly I've been wasting my time away watching the food network, so my itch to get in the kitchen is growing by the day. Maybe I'll just post some of the interesting recipes I find, and you can tell me whether they are good or not! :) Well, this post has worn me out, so I'm off, hopefully for not long though!

2009-04-02T18:22:00.002-05:00

This is Haley's Mom--we just wanted to give you an update on how she is doing.

We came home from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. It was a long drive for someone in Haley's condition, but she did great. She hasn't really been able to do much more than sleep due to the pain medication she is on. "The Nazi" as she is fond of calling me, makes her do her physical therapy. She will love me for it later! As much as she would like to talk to everyone, she isn't able to hold a phone, so that doesn't work out too well. She has been able to check her email and the comments posted on the blog. That has been a great encouragement. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers---they mean so much. She was especially excited about the pink cookies Emilie delivered today! :) Her room is beginning to look like a florist with all of the beautiful flowers she has received---they have helped to cheer her up. We can't begin to thank everyone enough for the love that has been shown.

We will go back to Austin on Wednesday to see the doctor and then he will order "real" physical therapy---so glad someone else gets to be the meany! We will post more as we know what the next steps in this process will be. Until then, keep praying for her recovery and praising the Lord for His protection. She remains our miracle!

2009-03-30T16:41:00.005-05:00

Today has been a little more difficult for Haley. We were hoping that she would be sent home but she has been pretty weak and nauseous so we will just wait to see what the doctors say tomorrow. She was able to get up a little bit to walk around and fortunately hasn't flashed anymore nurses! She is still being her high maintenance self and refuses to stoop as low as eating nasty hospital food. Her requests have been for blueberries, Sprite with fresh oranges, & most importantly, Ben & Jerry's coffee Heathbar crunch ice cream! We have been so grateful to everyone for all of their offers to help with anything she needs. She is more than happy to accept that help in forms of ice cream, muffins, cookbooks, & Forever 21 or Nordstrom's gift cards! haha Through it all she is still hilarious as always and continues to keep every one's spirits high! Oh and despite everything that has happened she is most upset that they cut her new white v-neck from Alloy! haha That's Haley for you...

Here are a few more pictures of the car

It's a miracle that she has no back injuries when you see how much her seat shifted

At least she has a nice view of The Capitol from her room...

2009-03-29T14:20:00.003-05:00

I had a little run in the other night so I may be out of the blogging circuit for a little while. My sister is typing this as I dictate since both of my arms are broken... I do have quite a bit to catch you up on. I will not be able to complete the wedding cake that I mentioned in the previous post but a gracious friend offered to finish it for me. This past Thursday I officially graduated from culinary school and was told that I would be receiving a scholarship. I'm sure there is more I could catch you up on but this medicine has got me a little groggy so until then, happy baking!!

Ok now this is Haley's sister and I will explain a little more about her accident. On Friday night Haley was heading home from dinner with a friend and was T-boned while turning into her apartment complex. As you can see from the picture, the impact was on the passengers side which was where Haley was riding. They were hit by a vehicle that was traveling anywhere between 90-100 mph. We are praising God for the miracle that Haley and her friend are alive and that the injuries sustained were relatively minor in comparison to what they could have been. Her friend suffered a concussion, a fractured arm and lots of soreness and bruising. Haley suffered a concussion, 2 broken arms (guess she won't be icing cakes for a while), a broken shoulder, as well as lots of soreness and bruising. She had surgery Saturday morning and now has 2 pins in her right forearm, a plate in her shoulder & a pin in her left arm. When she is able to be released, she will go back home with Mom & Dad to recover so please just keep her in your prayers.

2009-03-25T18:06:00.003-05:00

For the past few months I have been developing my own little catering business on the side. I haven't been able to do too much with it since I have been pretty busy, first with school and now with my new job, but I have been taking on a few things here and there. My only current project is a wedding cake for April 4th. I will probably bake the cakes off tonight, and will post pictures of the progress soon.

My good friend, Crystal, designed the cute logo that is my header. She has also has been working on setting up my website, and it is up and running! There is not too much to see other than a few scrolling pictures, but at least its something for now. Check it out at www.themuffintop.com

2009-03-19T19:27:00.004-05:00

I am so excited that spring is finally here! I am also proud to announce that my blueberry bushes survived the winter! My parents gave me the two bushes for my birthday last summer, and I was a bit worried they wouldn't survive. I neglected them quite a bit during the winter, and didn't water them the entire 2 1/2 weeks I was gone for Christmas. But.... they live! Well, at least one of them really did. I'm not counting the other as dead because some of the stems are still green and there is one lonely leaf. I'm pretty sure another leaf had popped up, but it was mysteriously missing after I let Thumper Rabbit out...hmmm.

Blueberries on my tiny balcony :)

Look at those little berry buds

Ahh... its not dead....yet

See, there is a tiny leaf...

Work has kept me pretty busy, so I still haven't done any personal baking. Sorry.

This week SXSW is going on here in Austin, and sadly I've only managed to go to one show so far. I hate that all of the free shows I really want to go to are during the day while I am at work. But, last night I made it downtown in time to see Laura Marling!! I took a picture of Lori with her and we were pretty excited. If you haven't heard of her you should really check out her stuff on youtube or her myspace.

Good picture.

Great picture!!

2009-03-13T22:44:00.002-05:00

Sorry I don't have much to post about this week. This new job has kept me crazy busy, but I am really enjoying it. Today I made a grooms cake from Truluck's famous carrot cake recipe. I don't know if I can give that recipe out to you though... it may get me fired. But everything has a price :) I am liking the job a lot, but the hours have been pretty long this first week. Once I learn everything and get it all down hopefully I'll have some more time to work in my own kitchen.

2009-03-06T12:08:00.017-06:00

I am officially finished with pastry school!!! This last week has been a whirlwind; I can't believe it is really over.

My class with Elisa Strauss was great! She is so nice and is an amazing teacher. I learned so many new tricks and methods, I just hope I can remember them all. We made the sushi cake from her book, Confetti Cakes. The cake was actually quite simple to make I am just so slow that I didn't have time to work on the details, which are the things that make this cake so incredible. I completed only 4 sushi rolls (they are pretty thrown together), but I didn't have time to start on the sashimi or the base. Oh well, I still had a great time and am pretty proud of what I did.

The rest of this week I had the opportunity to assist in a class taught by Jacquy Pfeiffer, owner of the French Pastry School in Chicago. It was such an honor to assist in his class, and he is an amazing teacher as well. He has such a great personality and sense of humor; he made the class so entertaining and fun as well as highly educational. I was pretty excited when he taught his methods for French macaroons because I am obsessed with them right now! I could be really selfish and just tell you that his macaroon tips were very helpful, but I wont.... I'll share his tips with you because I guess I like you since you are reading my blog :)

Jacquy Pfeiffer's French Macaroon Recipe and Tips:
(he gave the measurements in grams, so you'll just have to convert them, sorry)
170g egg whites
45g sugar
1g salt
190g almond powder
340g confectioners sugar
25g cocoa powder (if you want chocolate macs... if not just leave the cocoa out)

Procedure:
Whip the egg whites, sugar and salt to medium-stiff peaks. Sift the remaining ingredients and gently fold into the meringue. Keep folding until the mix becomes slightly runny. You will know you are finished folding when you do a peak test (like you do when making meringue) and the peak slowly disappears into the mix. Place mix in a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe small discs onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 300F oven for 15 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the macs are no longer tacky when touched lightly.

Tips:
*Let eggs whites sit out over night at room temp to let all of the water in the whites completely evaporate.
*Process your almond flour to as fine as possible and sift well.
*The flavor is always in the filling, never in the base recipe except for chocolate. The same almond base recipe is used for all macs.
*Use food coloring to show flavor (green for pistachio, red for raspberry, pink for strawberry, etc.) Always add color to the meringue before combining with the dry ingredients.
*Allow the macs to sit on the sheet pan for about 30 minutes to let a crust or light skin form over the top.
*If your macs are not puffing up at all when baking, vent your oven with a wooden spoon during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.

Hope these tips come in handy, I know that they really gave me some new insight. Also, I would like to wish a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my roommate, Danielle, and my friend Melissa (tomorrow)!! Love you both!!

2009-02-27T16:04:00.003-06:00

I cannot believe that I only have 4 days of school left! This past week has been insane, but I have survived. The business project I have been working on is finally over. I think my presentation went pretty great, and I gave out these cute little gift bags with samples of some of my products. I gave away sea salt chocolate chip cookies (the best!), dirt cake, topo chico, and a pretty good recipe for some spicy chocolate muffins.

Cute little jars of dirt cake

After 2 interviews, a trial day, and a math test at Trulucks this past week they finally offered me the job as the pastry chef at the north location! I am pretty excited although this is not the job I ever imagined getting after school.... I just never imagined myself working in a fancy restaurant. I love the small bakery atmosphere, so I am going to try to keep working at Sweet Tempered once a week. They make the most delicious and creative desserts; it has been such a great learning experience working there.

Other amazing news..... My chef selected me to receive a scholarship to take a class by Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes! The class is on Monday, and I am pretty nervous, but really excited to be able to take her class.

Today I finished a cake for a baby shower my sister is hosting. I am not too thrilled with the cake, so I am not going to show it to you. That's about all I have to give as updates. Until later, happy baking!

2009-02-21T14:34:00.005-06:00

My last practical went well. I don't have any good pics because I had to get the plates out quickly so that the ice cream wouldn't melt before it got to the judging table. The only pics I was able to take were after my desserts had been judged, so they aren't too pretty. Sorry. A few of my plate components definitely needed some tweaking, but overall it was great! I thought it tasted amazing, and I'm pretty sure my chefs liked it as well. The panna cotta and fruit salsa were delicious; I highly recommend them. Here are the recipes for both of those, and I will post the recipe for the kiwi sauce later. Enjoy!

After the dessert was already destroyed

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

1 Vanilla bean
4oz Sugar
2 1/3c Heavy cream
Zest of ¼ large orange or 1 small orange
2/3c Whole milk
2tsp Gelatin powder
5 Sprigs of mint for garnishing (optional)

Procedure:
1. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Rub the seeds into a small portion of the sugar to distribute them evenly and break up any clumps.
2. Combine the heavy cream, vanilla bean-sugar mix, remaining sugar, vanilla bean pod, and orange zest in a saucepan. Heat to scalding, then remove from the heat and let infuse for about 30 minutes.
3. Pour the milk into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Set aside to soften.
4. Heat the milk mixture to dissolve the gelatin, then stir into the cream mixture. Heat to scalding while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; remove and discard the vanilla bean pod halves. Let the cream mixture cool until it just begins to thicken and set, then stir gently without incorporating any air before pouring into the forms.
5. Divide the cream into 5 ramekins. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Strawberry-Mango Salsa

1lb 8oz Strawberries
¼c Orange Liqueur
¼c Simple Syrup (equal parts sugar and water... boil until sugar is dissolved and is completely liquid)
1/8c Water
1 Mango
1tsp Cornstarch

Procedure:

1. Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut the fruit into small, evenly sized wedges or cubes
2. Places the berries in a bowl and add the liqueur, simple syrup, and water. Toss to combine and coat the fruit pieces with the liquid. Set aside to macerate for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Peel the mango and cut the flesh away from the stone. Cut the mango into small attractive cubes, not slices. Place the cubes into a bowl and set aside for later use.
4. When ready to serve, strain the syrup from the strawberries and place the syrup in a saucepan. Remove a small amount of the syrup and mix with cornstarch to make a slurry. Stir this into the remaining syrup and bring to a boil while stirring. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool. Strain the syrup and place in a piping bottle, and reserve at room temperature.
5. In a small bowl set over a warm water bath, combine approximately 2 parts strawberries to 1 part mango to make just enough salsa for the number of servings needed.

2009-02-18T14:38:00.005-06:00

Well all.... I can't believe I am actually about to say this, but tomorrow is my last official day of production in culinary school. No, the entirety of the program is not yet complete, but our time in the kitchen is. Business, resumè, and career development will fill up my last 2 weeks. I just can't believe its almost over. Just six months ago I was complaining about how I was aching to start; I've just turned around and now its gone by. Geez!

Tomorrow is my final practical exam over plated desserts. I am making Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with a Strawberry-Mango Salsa, Hazelnut Wafer, and Raspberry-Blueberry Ice Cream. I have no doubt that I can make all of this, and do it well, but so many of the elements take time to set up, so I am a bit worried about time. All I can do is be organized and prepared. I'll let you know how it all goes.

This past week we have been playing around with plate designs. I am not an artist in the least bit, but it was fun to play around with designs and "clean" the plates when I messed up ;) I forgot my camera, so these are taken with my phone, so I apologize for the poor quality.... Yeah, that's right. I don't have a fancy iphone or blackberry like you do. Stop judging me, greedy. I like my phone basic and simple: calls and texts. What do I need all of that other stuff for anyhow? I've got a laptop.

The kiwi sauce was a bit runny, and the plate had been sitting awhile, so just ignore the overrun

Fruit tarts for our painted plates... yum!

2009-02-16T19:28:00.002-06:00

Chocolate week!! Chef Todd Champagne from the Renaissance Hotel came to do a chocolate demonstration for our class last week. He has amazing talent, and it was so much fun to watch him create these incredible sculptures.

Wedding Cake Wrecks!!!

2009-02-14T00:17:00.001-06:00

Ok, these cakes make me feel a lot better about the ones I have produced thus far. Please look at these! I love this site!

2009-02-09T09:52:00.005-06:00

Until a few weeks ago I had never heard of Croquembouche. Oh, you haven't either? Well, it is a French dessert served at weddings. It is a high cone made of pate choux filled with pastry cream and held together with caramel and caramel threads. We decided to make one of these during our course over sugar. Although sugar is definitely not my thing it was a lot of fun to play with.

Sugar ball made by pouring sugar over a balloon

2009-02-09T09:21:00.003-06:00

This weekend I did my first real catering job. It was not for a wedding, but for a womens luncheon at my parents' church. The luncheon had a wedding theme, so they asked me to prepare the cake. I decided to make one traditional wedding cake, and cupcakes for a little fun. The cake was vanilla with a white chocolate almond mousse filling and Swiss buttercream frosting. The cupcakes were strawberry with old fashioned vanilla buttercream. Yum!

2009-01-29T19:47:00.003-06:00

We've been working with chocolate all week. I'm not too convinced I like working with it, but I do love eating it :)

2009-01-24T13:50:00.003-06:00

Usually when I get the urge to bake something in particular it escalates into dire need rather quickly. A few months ago I bought 2oz of cocoa butter... not very much I know, but those 2oz were around $5. Ridiculous. I bought the cocoa butter for a presentation I was doing at school, but haven't gotten around to experimenting with it until recently. The urge to bake some cupcakes suddenly overwhelmed me, so I decided to play with a bit of the cocoa butter. I wont say too much about the actual cake because it wasn't that great. I tweaked the Magnolia Bakery's recipe for vanilla cupcakes by adding an ounce of the cocoa butter. The flavor was great, but the cake was too dense for my taste. I like light, airy, fluffy cupcakes, and this was not. Oh well. The icing on the other hand was amazing! I am not the biggest fan of American buttercream icings, usually I prefer Swiss buttercream, but this recipe was great! It is also Magnolia's recipe, so I wont take any credit for it. It is pretty much an old fashioned buttercream recipe, just butter, confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla. It is wonderful; you must try it out!

Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. Add a few drops of food coloring, if desired, and mix thoroughly. Use and store the icing at room temperature. Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes enough for one 2-layer 9 inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes.

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