Busy Busy!

Things have been so insanely busy lately that I haven't had time to bake. I know...it should be against the law to not have time to bake! I promise I'll more than make up for it this weekend!

Happy Lovey-Dovey Mushy Crap Day

Yes that really is my opinion of Valentine's Day...just in case you were wondering. I did buy myself a present today...a brand new digital camera! Woot!! I got a Canon Powershot SD790 IS. Way better than the old camera that I had, so I'm looking forward to much better baked goodie pictures.




Our 10 week old puppy, Lucy, got to be my first subject. (The other dogs refuse to have their pictures taken. The little one hasn't figured it out yet.)

Ashley's Monthly Bake Sale - February

Ahh February...that means it's time for Valentine's Day. Bleh! Okay maybe not bleh, but still...I'm not a fan. I figured February's cupcake selection required something red, & the first thing that popped into my head was red velvet. Oh yes, Red Velvet...you sexy, silky cake. I do love you so. Now I do love just about anything that's considered a dessert, but let me just tell you that red velvet cake holds a special place in my heart. In my quest for the perfect red velvet recipe, I sorted through many, & I do mean many, different recipes. I finally found one that I thought I should give a try, & I wasn't disappointed. You should really head over to The Repressed Pastry Chef & try out her red velvet & cream cheese icing recipes. So yummy!! The girls at work are going to love these tomorrow!

(Please forgive the rather shiteous quality of my photos. My memory card is full, & I'm in serious need of a new camera, so these were taken with my cell phone.)

Just to show you the fabulous redness!

Operation Baking GALS - Round 6

I'm so so so glad things have calmed down enough for me to be able to participate in round 6 of Operation Baking GALS! I love baking for someone that I know will truly appreciate it. I picked Team KelseyKakes for this round, & we're baking for Bryan Tull who is a broadcast journalist in the Army Reserves. Since these fine folks are the ones that keep us informed on the things going on in Iraq, I decided to bake a couple different kinds of cookies.

I knew I wanted to bake some good ol' oatmeal cookies because those are always so comforting to me. I'm also a huge fan of Tuesdays with Dorie. This group of bloggers is working their way through the recipes in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. I following their weekly baking adventures, & I'm totally envious. I wish I had the time to be able to join them, but it's just not in the cards right now. A couple of weeks ago I finally got myself a copy of this amazing cookbook & instantly fell in love with the recipe for World Peace cookies. I needed an excuse to make them, & this was it! As it turns out the TWD group made these last week, so I had a chance to check out everyone's cookies & figure out some of the problems they had.

These cookies are soooo good! I almost didn't want to pack them up & send them away. I guess now I just need to make some for myself! By far my favorite cookie ever!

Just a Tease

A little taste of what I threw together tonight...



I don't think I'll ever make another rose out of regular old buttercream ever again. I absolutely love making these fondant roses! These were made with just plain white fondant & painted with pink Pearl Dust. I love the sparkle!!!

Calm Before The Storm

First of all, I can't believe it's February already! This year is going to fly by. I'm mentally preparing myself for a crazy busy month of cake making. I have 2 cake orders for this Tuesday, & then after that I have something to make every weekend. We've got a baby shower cake, a wedding cake, & a 3rd birthday cake & cookies. They're all going to be completely different, & I'm so excited about each & every one. I've also got Round 6 of Operation Baking Gals before Valentine's Day. I haven't picked a team yet, but I plan on making an extra special care package this go-round.

Stay tuned...it's going to be a great month!