Kalyn's Halloween Cake

My second Halloween themed cake. This cake was made for a very sweet girl who just turned 13. She wanted it to be Halloween themed, and chocolate. I didn't want there to be anything that may be too old for her, such as tombstones or bleeding zombies;) So I looked around online and came up with this.

 The cake was a double layer chocolate cake. The first layer chocolate buttercream and the second peanut butter butterscotch. Peanut butter mixed with butterscotch is one of my new obsessions.

When the cake was all stacked up and iced, I put Halloween sprinkles on the bottom.

 Then I melted white chocolate melts and made candy pumpkins. I used orange dust to cover them and gel to decorate them.

Then I got a recipe for meringue ghosts from the joy of baking website. http://www.joyofbaking.com/halloweenrecipes/MeringueGhosts.html I lost my candy eyes, so I had to just use black gel. Boring, but I think they are still cute. Then I put the dish that the cake is on top on four pumpkins. The pumpkins are made out of orange marshmallow fondant. I bought 4, 3 inch pillars. Rolled them in fondant. And did my best to make them resemble pumpkins. The face is made out of fondant as well. Lucky for me I already had some chocolate and green fondant made. So I just used that. 

Hopefully this isn't my last Halloween cake this season. But two is still better than none. Plus, I can totally see this same cake as a winter cake:)

Day 90

A mini fridge full of assorted Monsters to help people working over 24 hours stay awake

It is not easy serving in or being affiliated with the Armed Services.

The list goes on and on of the obligations, expectations, and sacrifices that go into this lifestyle. There is so much media out there on that though. My problem is with (from my experience), the majority of this group. The one's who do their jobs for many reasons, non being the right reason. They enjoy the "power", they want the thank yous or to be recognized, they will do anything not to be around  their families, they do the very minimum of their job because they are in and that's all they know. It's one of the many downfalls of our lifestyle that we have to experience reguarly. One of the downfalls that no one seems to talk about.

Wearing a uniform or being married to someone who does, does not make you someone unique. Doing your job well because that is your job, makes you unique. Being a spouse ... being you as a person and not thriving off of your active duty spouse's rank or entitlements, makes you unique. These are the few in this lifesyle that I fully respect.

I have been very fortunate in these past few years, that I have come to know many who I have learned to respect and love. For who they are as people and for how well they do their jobs and live their lives.

They are still, in my opinion, the minority. But they are beautiful people. I sleep better at night knowing that not everyone in this lifestyle is self driven. The thank yous that are handed out to those who serve, are sometimes actually deserved.

Day 89

The more I'm getting into baking, the more I'm enjoying the decorating. This is me entering the world of gum paste.

Day 88

One of my favorite pieces of artwork we have.

Project 365 - Day 87

Missy Eggplant


Rob received some unsettling news today. News that is not mine to share. But he could be feeling better right now. So his girlfriend stopped by to give him a big perk up. She is one good looking eggplant!

Project 365 - Day 86

We have a bad habit of rescuing animals. Not that I am against it! We just take it to an extreme level. Something that we tend to do ... often. From all of the animals that we have saved, we have three left. Arnie, my sweet cockroach killer black cat, Sade my first born, and Buddy the sweetest dog of all time. I have a lot of things to say about each. Good and bad. But this is about Buddy, my sweet sweet Buddy.

Buddy aka Buddrick Von Brown Bear is upset with us. Rob brought home a dog to sit for while his Dad was away at a school. Well, Buddy was very much not fond of this idea. (the dog my husband brought home was not neutered) So Buddy decided to let us know that he was upset with us, and he hasn't stopped letting us know since that first day. He has peed everywhere. Name it, he has peed on it. And don't forget that Buddy is a male, therefore he lifts the leg and sprays. Wherever it lands it lands, no aim ... no care, just lift and pee.

So long story short, my mood was horrendous. I had about all I could take of everything good going bad from Buddy pee.

Rob works too much to do anything substantial in the time period that this was (kind of still is) happening. So he did what he thought may not help the situation at hand, but at least give me something pretty to look at while I clean up pee.

Have I mentioned how much I love my snookums? :)

Project 365 - Day 85

 Rob and I are both pretty crazy people. We then brought two new crazy people to this world. We may be a bit over the top sometimes, but I'm ok with that. Over the top can be bad, but it can be great. When we fight ... we fight. But when we love ... we love. There is no in-between with the four of us. I love our family. I think we have a beautiful bond that will link us together till the end of our time.

A crazy beautiful bond.

Project 365 - Day 84

How rocking would that be if we could mow our rug! Our rug is icky yucky caca stank. If it grew, Rob could mow it (and yes I say Rob because we all know I never would), and it would be nice and fresh again. If I spilled something, or if a dog peed, or if a child pooped, or whatever other drama that may occur to our carpet ... it would be cool. Just wait it out a couple days ... and mow it!

Project 365 - Day 83

Taking a picture of the cake for my photo for the day, not very surprising or original, I know. But it's not just the cake itself that means something to me. It's something accomplished. Rob helped, friends supported me, the girls drove me insane;) I like knowing that no matter what it is I choose to attempt in life, I have a world full of supporters. All this love over a cake. Imagine the backup I would get if I tried to accomplish world peace;)

My First Customer

 

Today I sold my first cake. And lucky for me my first sold got to be a really fun Halloween theme. I love Halloween. I always thought that when I had children Halloween would be extra cool. But the truth is, I have very little time for all of the Halloween fun. The girls costumes are bought last minute, as well as our candy. We do one round of trick or treating on post (maybe), and another at the zoo. And then before I know it, it's all over. So this was a treat for me.

So here is my step by step (kind of) journal of Bigdalucci's Bakery first cake:)

This was my first time working with color flow icing. I wasn't nearly as fast as I should have been. But lucky for me, since it's a scary house, I could mess up lots. I found that the Halloween theme was helpful throughout the entire process in the mess up area:)

I made two chocolate cakes and one pink lemonade cake. Please excuse the USPS box, I ran out of flat/mobile spaces for the cakes.

I bought two 14 inch silver cake bases and covered it with black fondant to hold the cake.

Here are all of the cakes and the cake base covered with fondant, stacked, and ready for decoration. An empty palette some may say. A tower of, holy cow now what to do, to me:) So here goes nothing.

Here is where the flaws really take a peek! This is the best angle I could get a picture from. The rest of it looked even worse. But learning, I still am. This was royal icing that I used throughout the rest of the cake. I made one batch and separated it into two batches. One I dyed, one I left white. Now the next picture takes a bit of a jump:) I was working on a deadline with two two year olds driving me insane!

The tombstones are chocolate formed from the chocolate melts I bought at Michael's. The trim is chocolate buttercream pipped on. I used some orange dust to cover the tombstones and the base. I pipped the gate and the bats with the royal icing. Then I drizzled some orange and black sugar over the base and the top tier. I bought the Wilton Halloween Sprinkle set which is where the sugar came from.

I did my best to cut ghosts out of the orange fondant. I pasted them on the cake with water and covered them with white royal icing. The bats I had made the same way as the gravestones. I wasn't planning on using them, but I made some just in case. I'm glad I did because I think the top tier looked bare without them. I used the royal icing to paste those on, but if you look closely you can see the icing oozing out from behind the bat. Next time I need to dye it first.

Like the idiot that I quite often am, I forgot to put the lollipop sticks on the back of the castle. So I glued those on with the color flow icing. And my loving husband, Rob, sat with a hair dryer on the cold shot aimed at the back of the castle for 30 minutes:) But it worked, and when that was dry, in went the castle, and done was the cake!

I have no feedback from the customer on the cake, but I'm thinking if I don't get a complaint, all is well? So, so far so good;) I'm super excited about this as my first cake. And I'd like to give a special thanks to Lindsey Hamilton (not Templeton) whom without this cake would have never been ordered:) Rebecca Webster, for being there to brain storm for me:) And to my Snookums for blow drying and for caring for all of our circus (two 2 year olds and two crazy but cute pupper doggies):) Love you all.

Looking forward to my next cake!

Project 365 - Day 82

I am so proud of my baby girl Isabella. For those that don't know, Isabella has problems with her tear ducts. She had surgery on both of her eyes when she was one. The operation corrected her right eye and made her left eye better, but it didn't fix it. Her second surgery about a year ago, made her left eye a lot better, but it still tears and squints when she smiles big. So today was her doctor appointment to schedule her thrid surgery. After each operation Isabella goes through fears of the doctors office and nightmares. But she always recovers and before you know it, she is excited to go back to her eye doctor. I fear for her that this time will be one too many for her. But as for now, she is more brave than I could be. She finds such joy in life and passes that joy on to everyone she meets. I love my brave girl.

Project 365 - Day 81

I'm not sure what my deal has been lately. I've been feeling a shift is in the making in my life and I'm not pleased with it. It's one of those things I can feel, but I can't put my finger on exactly what's changing. I feel as if things are going backward instead of forward where I want my life to be headed. I have spent too many of my days going either nowhere or backward. Rob and I have been moving forward ahead full speed and I want that back. I'm not sure what needs to change or be done, but hopefully I can figure it out soon. I do know one thing though, I need to make sure God is more of my day than any other thing. If anyone can figure anything out that involves me in it, it's him:)

So, to the point of the picture ... I was letting my naughty dogs outside to ruin our backyard instead of the living room, and I noticed my rose bush. With all of this cold and heat, and heat and cold, it's still blooming ... again. I was shocked. I then realized, life goes on with or without me. So time to stop being stuck in a rut and time to start getting out of it. Or so, that's what I thought at that moment. Will I do that? Who knows with me!

Project 365 - Day 80

82 days ago I started a project named Project 365 on my facebook. It had been suggested to me a few times that I should add these posts to a blog. So, I'm going to give it a try starting with day eighty. If anyone is intersted in seeing any of the posts from day one to seventy-nine, you are welcome to look at my photo album named Project 365 on my fb page. http://facebook.com/liz.bigda

The idea of the project is to take one picture every day for one year. The picture simply represents me. This project so far, has truly been a cathartic experience. It has challenged me to take pictures outside of my every day snapshots (such as my children or pets), and it has also challenged me to address emotions I usually would just push aside. If anyone is already working on a similar project or decides to give this a try, please let me know. I would love to follow along and see where it takes you.

I had two ideas of pictures to take today, but I am no longer in the mood for those. The closest I could come to my mood are these train tracks.

I feel like I am waiting at the intersection of train tracks. The train can come speeding through at any moment. If I am over the tracks by then, I'll be fine. If I am pulling up to the tracks, I will have to sit and wait for the train to pass. If I am in the way, I get plowed.

I have a personality that doesn't fit well with today's society. I have feelings. More than one should I guess. I am always thinking of others. And not just my obligated others such as children, husband, family, pets. I'm always thinking of someone at church, someone from an accident I saw the other night, a deer that was standing too near a road that morning, a story I heard on the news. Simply put, it's exhausting. My mood never gets to stay. It always depends on others. Will they make a mean joke, will they snap at me, will I dissapoint them, will I make them smile, will they need me, will they be kind to others, will they try to see the good, and so on. I am a strong person in a way. But I am emotionally handicapped. And most of the time it feels like that train coming my way is everyone but me. There is nothing I can do to control that train. I just have to wait and see what it is going to do. If all goes well, then great ... I get to have a pretty good day. If it's going too fast for me to pass, I do my best to wait it out. If it's not watching out for me, I get hit. Some days I recover from the crash, some days I don't.

If you sit back to look at it, it's sad really. My exsistence depends on mankind. And most of the time, people just don't slow down to see what is going on around them.

Baking for the better good.

I bake not because I'm great at it, not because it is expected of me, but because it makes me happy. Now don't get me wrong. My husband has many stories that would prove what I just said to sound like a white lie, but I promise ... it is fact. I love to think about what I can do, I just don't always love that my finished product looks different than what I imagined. I love to prepare for a morning of baking, I just don't like to clean up after a morning of baking. I love to eat what I have baked, and I more so love to give what I have baked to others. Food makes people happy, and I love to see people happy. I can't at this moment think of a situation where a cupcake wouldn't brighten someones mood. I don't have any amazing skills in life. But I have found a love to bake. And I will continue to bake as long as I feel it is bringing a better good to the world I live in.