Crazy Cake Adventures

No one should take on two really important cakes the morning after getting back from a vacation. But, lucky me, the Mr. didn't give me much of a choice. I had to bake and decorate these cakes in less than 24 hrs! I baked cakes from 7 - 10:30 pm one night and went back to frost at 7am the next day! Craziness indeed. And I didn't get to make all the decorations I wanted to make. I was seriously dissapointed. But I did have fun working the frosting designs. I'd like to make some more of these...but mini-sized! Wouldn't they be so cute?!

This is a 2-layer, 14" strawberry cake with buttercream frosting, decorated with stippling.

This is a 2-layer, 9" strawberry cake with butter cream frosting, decorated with ribbon swirls.

I really, really wanted to make some chocolate butterflies to set on top, but I just plain ran out of time and I was soooo tired from the trip I just couldn't function. I guess I'll save that little bit of fun for some other time.

I WANT THIS BOOK!!!

Cake Pops by Bakerella

Back in April I made some of these as baseballs for Little Man's baseball team and I love doing these! I so want to make a set of Star Wars cake pops :)

Super Cute Piggie Cookies

My project this week: Pig Cookies!

And Detroit Piggies :)


I totally busted out the Mad-Martha skills and made these little pigs for my mom's restaurant anniversary celebration. We didn't know what to do about a pig cookie cutter, but turns out my sister actually had one! I also got the recipe from her cookbook. I'm so ready to make some more of these sugar cookies. This recipe is one of the most amazing recipes I've come across! They baked up nice and flat and didn't distort. Perfect for flood-work frosting! Bring on Christmas, baby!

Little Man Turns 12!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

The Big "12"

We started the birthday morning by sleeping in...always a good thing! And then we headed down to the ballpark to do some batting practice. Chad finished work early today so when he got home he came down to join us at the field for a bit. Then, after we cleaned up J opened the cards sent by the family and  we went to CiCi's for lunch. We love Cici's! That's why we don't go very often :) 

After lunch we ran a couple errands and then J headed back to the ballpark for team batting practice. After practice he came home and opened his gifts. Boy was he surprised!

His new shades. He needs them for baseball. But I had in mind a secondary use when I purchased them:

Protective eye gear for when his dad attacks him with his own birthday present!

J has been talking about these big, new Nerf guns forever. It's been on his list forever. Well, forever ended today, because he got not one, but two of them! (Gotta love those BOGO sales!) Plus, it just wouldn't be as much fun if dad couldn't defend himself!

Boys will be boys. Gotta love 'em.

Lazy Day Sunday...?

Isn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest?

I was so busy today! plus having a zillion things running through my head....

among the items on my mental to-do list:

making treats for J's baseball team!

These treats are inspired by the amazingly talented Bakerella.

I'll be posting pictures later tomorrow when they are all finished. I can't wait!

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my hubby's birthday!

WOW, that's a lot of candles! (one short of the big 4 -0!)

For his special day I made Kibbeh for dinner

It's a meal my Mom makes every year at New Years. Yummy.

For his birthday cake I decided to make Turtle Bars

Topped with vanilla ice cream and some gooey caramel.

The rest of us don't eat nuts, so I also made a batch of brownies

Topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate mint fudge! :)

Before we ate all this sugary goodness, Chad opened his gifts.

His "small" gift was a new feather pillow. Do you know how difficult it is to find one of those things?!

His "big" gift:

Four tickets to see the Blue Man Group! yay!

He's been wanting to go to this show for years. We just have never gotten around to it, and it is a bit cost prohibitive with all four of us requiring tickets. But we saved up the cash, little by little, and as soon as the spring break craze is over we'll be booking those tickets and getting ourselves seats in the "splash zone!" I hope they allow cameras!

Happy Birthday, babe!