What has consumed me this week

My cousin's daughter is getting baptized tomorrow and I volunteered to make a cake for her baptism. Who knows why I get myself into these situations because I haven't done anything all week except work on this. I learned a lot as I was working on it...I learned that I will never do a sheet cake again.

This is a 12" X 18" double layer sheet cake and it took both Dan and I to figure out how to layer it without it breaking into a thousand pieces of crumbs. I'm happy how it turned out, but need to figure out how to write with icing-definitely not a forte of mine.

The roses are made out of fondant as well as the leaves and stripes up the side. The roses are what took me forever to make. I'm sure you're thinking, "what's up with all the pink cakes?" I don't really have an answer for that except that pink is my favorite color (except this cake was specifically requested to be pink).

I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that this cake is done. Anybody have a special order?

Better Than Crack

I really wouldn't know...but I'm going to guess that Hunt's Banana Cream Pie pudding is better than crack. I've been having a hard time coming up with clever posts on my blog, so I thought I'd post something that just made me happy.

My husband is pudding lover so everyday for lunch I put a pudding pack in his lunch box. I've never been one for pudding because it tastes artificial and chemically (not a word I know). This morning I decided to put one in my lunch and well folks...my life will forever be changed. Banana cream pie pudding is delicious. I couldn't help but think it's better than crack...and only 25 cents. Run, don't walk, to the nearest grocery store and pick up a pack!

Happy Birthday Caroline

Well, my cake fetish got the best of me again this week as I spent three days slaving in the kitchen. My friend asked me to make a birthday cake for her daughter...I of course said yes because I need all the practice I can get. This was the first cake I've actually made for somebody else so I was a nervous wreck until I completed it. Several disasters almost occurred but I finished and delivered it one piece....and Caroline was very happy with the results.

What City do You Belong in?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

We're going to London

Dan and I just got tickets to go to London for Thanksgiving. Dan used to live in England when he was younger so it will be extra special for him to go back and show me around his old stomping grounds. I've never been to Europe so if any of have any ideas of what to do while we're there, let me know! I'm excited to go although it will be cold, but I'd much rather be on a tropical beach drinking pina coladas and getting a sun tan.

In Desperate Need

If any of you have any good ideas for Young Women's activities please let me know! I am in charge of activities once a week for 8 girls, ages 16-18. If it was me, I'd do a craft of some sort, but from what Ive been told....girls don't dig crafts these days. So that leaves me in a bind! I will be forever in debt to you if you leave a comment with some ideas that you have done or you think would be fun.

Thanks a million!

Recipes

Several of you have asked for my recipes for the cookies I made. Here they are:

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, and vanlla. blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonsfuls into balls.
3. Mix together 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets; cool on wire racks. Yield: 5 dozen.

Big, Soft Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened (I did 1/2 and 1/2...never bake with just butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and flatten slightly (I didn't flatten..just rolled in balls and placed on tray).
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Yield 2 dozen.

ch-ch-ch-changes

Today was emotional for me because I don't adapt to changes very well. For the past year 1 1/2 I had been serving in the primary presidency for my church (the children's organization). On Tuesday of last week I got the dreaded phone call from my bishopric letting me know I would be released and called to work as a laurel adviser in the young women's organization (16-18 year olds). I am very excited to be in the young women's program but am so sad to leave the primary. I have grown to love all 60 of the children in our primary and especially love the women I work with.

I just hope I can conncect with all the girls and earn their trust. The youth are so different from children. Children trust anybody, they are loving and don't judge...whereas youth are a different story. They need to warm up to you before they will allow you in their circle of trust. This will definitely be a challenge for me but I feel it's where I need to be serving at this time.

Wish me luck!

Outer Banks Part Deux

We just got back from another great vacation to the Outer Banks, NC. We can't seem to get enough of that place. I had a sick feeling as we drove home; a realization that summer is over and winter is lurking behind the shadows.

"The Boys"

Me & "B"

This is the house we stayed at. 18 of us - you'd think
we would have been crammed but there was plenty of space.