A Peacock Wedding

Winter weddings aren't the most common in the DC area, but these two lovebirds couldn't wait to get married! So after a short 6 month engagement, Lana & Matt exchanged their vows in January and I had the honor of providing the desserts for their big day.

The ceremony took place at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and made for a beautiful backdrop for their photos. I mean seriously, how gorgeous is this?

Ryan snapped a photo of me setting up. Don't you just love my dress/chucks combo?

With a guest count of just under 200, Lana and Matt decided to go with a cupcake tower display with a small cake topper for their cake cutting ceremony. Going the cupcake route allowed them to offer a variety of flavors without breaking the bank. Flavors included, chocolate peanut butter, red velvet, chocolate espresso, chocolate chip cookie dough, raspberry, and almond coconut (a gluten free option).

The inspiration for the desserts came from their wedding invitation. I wanted to create a display that tied in their peacock theme, but didn't scream peacock.

I made the peacock feathers out of fondant and used some edible paint to paint on the design. I just love how they turned out!

Congratulations Lana & Matt!!! Thank you for allowing me to be part of your big day!!!

Photo Credit: Peter Bang Photography
Photo Credit (images 4 & 5): Ryan Guthridge
Reception Venue: Harbour View

Peanut Turns 6!

Yesterday, we celebrated my favorite little guy's 6th birthday. Seems like it was just yesterday that I brought his little 2.5lb self home.

Of course, no birthday is complete without some type of yummy treat, so this year I made him his own little personal cake, full of his favorites - peanut butter & bananas, and iced it with a peanut buttery carob "buttercream." My original plan was to make a carob glaze, but carob doesn't melt like regular chocolate, so I ended up using a spatula to spread it on. And finally, a party ain't a party with out a party hat, so I made Peanut a tiny hat out of some leftover scrapbook paper. He absolutely hated the hat but LOVED the cake.

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!!!!!

SCAM Alert!

First off, congrats to all the Ravens fans out there! I guess if it can't be the Redskins, I'm happy to see our neighbors bring home the win!

Moving on...

Last week I received the following email:

From: Barbra Williams <barbra_sugardiva@yahoo.com>

Hi! Been to your website. I'm Barbra Williams. Tom & I will be getting married soon. We are interested in learning more about your CAKES. If you would get back with the necessary pricing. We are currently looking for a 3-4 tier tall wedding cake, cupcakes to feed our guest count of 200 people.

Safe to say we are looking for a 3-4 tier tall wedding cake to feed 100 people & 200 cupcakes in assorted flavors..

- wedding is Saturday- MARCH, 16th, 2013.. and in Virginia.
- No delivery is needed, we arrange to pick these up at your store OR at your preferred location...

Just get back with the necessary pricing information to discuss further.

Thank you
Barbra Williams

I responded with a very lengthy and detailed email explaining all the pricing, options, and even offered to set up a tasting with her. Her response was that she was "out of the country and hearing impaired." It sounded a little fishy to me and sent me googling her email address. The first result: SCAM ALERT! Ugh. I couldn't figure out how this person would benefit from this situation. So, I bake a 4 tier cake & 200 cupcakes and get stuck with them, what do they get out of it? A laugh? So, I read into it a little more. Here's how they get you. They send you a bad check for more than you asked for, to which they say "oops, I sent you more than I should have, please wire me the difference" and by the time you realize that their check has bounced, it's too late. These people are so persistent. I once tried to sell a laptop on ebay and had someone try to pull one over on me. Craigslist, same thing. It's so frustrating. Lucky for me, I am aware that these scams exist and can detect them pretty quickly. But there are obviously people out there who aren't aware and fall for them, which is why these scammers keep on keeping on. With the amount of time they spend thinking up new ways to scam people, creating all those false email addresses, and communicating with their targets, they could be doing something positive and maybe actually be a productive member of society. Anyway, I'm posting this in hopes that I can help someone else from being scammed. If it weren't for others outing this person online, who knows how much longer I'd be wasting my time with "Barbra."

Cinnamon Bun Tuesday {RECIPE}

When Ryan and I first got our place together, we dubbed Tuesdays "Cinnamon Bun Tuesday" with the intention of baking fresh cinnamon buns for breakfast every Tuesday morning. It might be because I burned my batch or that sleep trumps cinnabuns to me, but either way, the idea was short lived lasting only about 3 weeks before we gave up on it.

So today, I thought I'd surprise Ryan with a nice little treat since it's been awhile. This recipe comes from one of my favorite Chefs at L'Academie de Cuisine. It's a yeast-less dough, so it's quick and easy, but just as fluffy and delicious.

FILLING:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2t cinnamon
1/8t salt
1/4 cup finely ground pecans
1T melted butter

DOUGH:
2.5 cups all purpose flour
2T sugar
1 1/4t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/2t salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6T melted butter

ICING:
2T cream cheese
2T buttermilk
1 cup 10x

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare a 9 in cake pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Make the filling by combining all the ingredients using a fork or your hands (my preferred method).
4. Make the dough by whisking the dry ingredients in one mixing bowl and the butter and buttermilk in another. Combine wet ingredients into dry and stir with a wooden spoon until all dry ingredients are absorbed, about 30 seconds.
5. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and knead gently until the dough becomes smooth. Once smooth, pat the dough into a rectangle thats about 1/2" thick using your hands.
Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough leaving 1/2" border around the edges naked.
Press the topping onto the dough firmly and begin rolling the rectangle into a tight log.
Crimp the seam and turn it so the seam faces down.
Cut into 8 equal pieces and arrange in the prepared cake pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and immediately invert the baking pan on to a plate to unmold buns. Let them cool slightly.
7. Prepare the icing by first whisking the cream cheese and buttermilk, then adding the confectioner's sugar and whisk until smooth.
8. Drizzle the icing over the buns and scarf 'em down!!

Of course, being that it's almost February, I just had to add a little bit of Valentine flair and sprinkled some mini hearts over them.

If you haven't taken a class with L'Academie, you are missing out! They offer a wide range of recreational classes from culinary to pastry, beginner to advanced. They even have classes specifically for kids, teens, & couples (which is a nice change up from your typical dinner-and-a-movie date night). Check them out!

Enjoy your Cinnamon Bun Tuesday!

2013: Let's Do This!

{via}

2012 brought lots of changes for me both personally and professionally, leaving behind many things that were holding me back and causing me lots of stress. One of the biggest changes was taking the plunge and leaving my full time job to pursue my passion for the world of pastry. It was an incredibly ballsy decision for me, but I did it, and I'm so excited for whats ahead.

I don't normally make New Years resolutions because I end up like the rest of the world, giving up about a month in. However, I decided to try something new this year. I'm going to share my goals & resolutions with you in hopes that you will light a fire under my ass and hold me to them. So here goes:

1. RUN 365 MILES
This idea stemmed from one of Ryans friends, whose resolution for 2012 was to run a mile a day. I'm pretty sure he accomplished it but let's be real for a minute. There are just some days that I don't even feel like getting out of bed, let alone going for a run. So to make this resolution a little more realistic for me, my goal is to run a total of 365 miles for the year so that I can treat myself to some of those lazy days. I downloaded the RunKeeper app on my phone to help me keep track. It is now day 15, and I am at 12 miles. I know I am a little behind and I'm not trying to make excuses already, but I was sick for the first few days this year, so cut me some slack.

2. RUN A 5K
This sort of piggy backs to my first resolution. It's been something I've wanted to do for years, but never felt "ready" to. It may not seem like much, but I've already worked my endurance up to 2 miles. So, I'm making progress!! If you have any recommendations for local 5k's, please share!

3. LIVE BEYOND THE PJs & ELASTIC WAISTS
For years I dreamed that I could work in sweats and was stoked that I could when I started working from home. But it hit me about two weeks ago. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I had really started to let myself go. What started out simply wearing comfy clothes all day, turned into not doing my makeup, throwing my hair in a sloppy ponytail and just overall looking like a hot mess. And I started to feel it on the inside too. So, this resolution is all about making myself feel good inside and out, even if it's just Peanut that gets to enjoy it with me all day. I chopped my hair off last week so I have no choice but to style it, and hopefully with all this running I'm doing, I'll lose a pound or two and treat myself to a new stylish wardrobe! Oh! I finally gave in and bought myself my first pair of skinny jeans!!! Never in a million years did I think I could rock them.

4. TAKE MORE PHOTOS
I envy people that can compose and snap great photos. I want to be like them. Last year I purchased a DSLR thinking that if I had a fancy camera, I'd have fancy photos. WRONG. It's not as easy as it looks, people! I'm definitely spoiled because I have my own personal photographer to photograph my creations but I know I'll never learn unless I just take more photos. So that's what I'm going to do!

5. COOK
People think that just because I can bake means I can cook too. That couldn't be further from the truth because I actually hate cooking. If it were up to me, I'd eat Cheez-Its for every meal. Maybe a little canned tomato soup and grilled cheese if I wanted to get fancy. Feel free to send some delicious and EASY recipes my way if you have any!

6. BLOG MORE
Truth: I delete more posts than I publish because I am rarely happy with my writing and feel like no one is really interested in what I have to say. So, I am going to make a better effort to write, even if it isn't perfect and even if no one actually reads it.

7. LEARN HOW TO MAKE BUBBLE TEA!
Anyone wanna teach me? Anyone? Bueller?

Here's to seeing my resolutions through!
Happy New Year!!!

DIY Ornament Cake Stand {TUTORIAL & GIVEAWAY}

When Nicolle from Libby Lane Press announced that she was looking for contributors for her 12 Days of DIY December blog series, I knew I wanted in and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. So, today I am going to show you how to make a festive and inexpensive cake plate to display your treats this holiday season.

And to make things sweeter, I will be giving this ornament cake away! See my facebook page for details.

Materials/Tools:
- Multi-sized plastic ornaments
- Wood candlestick
- 1 - 4" Wood plaque
- 1 - 8" Round gift box lid
- Wood paint or spray paint
- Liquid nails or wood glue
- Hot glue gun
- Paint brushes

Step 1
Make the base of the cake stand by gluing the candlestick to the wood plaque. I like to use liquid nails for everything because its heavy duty and dries fast, but a strong wood glue will work too. If your candlestick has the little metal thing-y in it, remove it with some pliers.

Step 2
Once the glue is dry, paint the base using wood paint or spray paint.

Step 3
While the base is drying, work on the lid. Start by removing all the tops from the ornaments.

Step 4
Using your hot glue gun, glue the larger ornaments around the edge of your box lid.

Step 5
When you have finished, use the smaller ornaments to fill in any empty spaces.

Step 6
Finally, use the liquid nails to glue the lid to the base and TA-DA! It's that simple!

How you decorate the cake stand is up to you. Once you have the base structure made, the decorating possibilities are endless. In fact, I had such a hard time choosing one design, I decided to make two!

For this one, I covered the gift box lid using scrapbook paper. Then I used my hot glue gun and trimmed the edge with artificial garland. Finished it up with a few gold berries and a little poinsettia. Easy peasie, right?

I hope that you get a chance to try one out and if you do, please share! Would love to see other designs! And of course, if you need some goodies to display on your new stand, give us a call!

Happy Holidays!!!!

California Bakin'

"You haven't blogged since August 28th. Unacceptable! I want to see the work you did out in Cali!"  
This is an exact quote from my friend, Zeina. And she's right. I suppose it's about time I summarize my trip. I cannot believe we are halfway through December already. Seriously, where does the time go? Happy 12.12.12!
So, as you all know, I spent two months this past summer in Long Beach, California for an internship at one of my most admired bakeries, Sweet & Saucy Shop. It started out a little rough, being almost 3,000 miles away from home in a city I've never been before, living with complete strangers, not knowing a single person, and working with a bunch of incredibly talented (and intimidating at first) people. I was definitely way out of my comfort zone. But looking back now, I'm so glad I did it. I learned so much and met some great people I can now call friends.
Unfortunately, I can't really "show" you the work I did. Mainly because there wasn't a single person that worked on one thing from start to finish. However, if you look at their photos on Facebook from August & September, I guarantee that I had a hand in the making of every dessert, whether it was the chocolate mousse in a shooter, the extremely tedious mini graham cracker pie crusts or lattice pie tops, their signature three layer swirl frosting on the cupcakes, or the crumb coating of their amazing tiered cakes. I did it all! You may or may not remember from my last post, that I was a little disappointed at first because the cake decorating was done at a remote location. However, when they had 200 cakes ordered on a weekend when one of their head decorators was on vacation, they sent me over to help. I was such a good helper, that the cake girls talked the shop managers into having me work with them a couple days a week. So my 20 hour per week internship turned into 40. And while some might think I'm crazy to work that much for no dinero, I actually loved it and to an extent, begged for it! I didn't leave behind everything and travel across the country to lay out on the beautiful California beaches. Come on, now. I went out there because I wanted to learn, and that's worth more to me than a glowing tan or paycheck anyday. 

Jokes aside, it  did feel like I worked a lot at times, but I did get the opportunity to get a glimpse of what the west coast has to offer. Have you ever seen that Visit California commercial? It goes a little something like this. "People have alot of misconceptions about California, but none of them are really true. They think we're all surfers, or celebrities. That we're all into yoga and that everyone owns a winery or a skateboard. And that we all drive convertibles. Like how we all live in bikinis and act like rock stars."
It's so true! This is exactly what I thought California would be like. Surfers, skateboarders, young people rocking the hottest trends in fashion. But boy was I wrong. I know I can't really speak for all of California, but as far as Long Beach and Los Angeles go, they are just like any other city I've been to. Lots of crazies everywhere. Definitely not somewhere a 5'1" female would want to be alone after dark. I know there are some beautiful areas in in California, but you kind of have to travel to get there, and I didn't really have the means nor did I want to do it alone. I did have some friends from home who were out there for work (shout out to Daimon & Tauren!) and because of them I was able to see a few of the beaches and some tourist-y spots. I also got a chance to make it to Las Vegas for the first time with some girls from the shop for a bachelorette party. For less than 100 bucks for a flight out of Long Beach, there was no way I was going to pass the opportunity up. And after a big win at the penny slots, it ended up being a free trip for me. I will most definitely be making another trip to Vegas soon, and will try to make it back to SoCal to visit my girls and maybe get a real idea what the golden state is all about.

OH! I almost forgot! During my internship, we made cakes for a couple celebs, including LeAnn Rimes and Martha Stewart!! AND...I personally worked on the Martha Stewart cake! I would post a photo but I don't think it's been released yet.

Anyway, enough of my blabber. Here are some more photos from my trip.


My friend Daimon just happened to be in the LA area for work and took me to see the Hollywood sign. It was quite a hike in flip flops, but well worth it!

We then headed over to Santa Monica and soaked up some sun. Santa Monica is definitely a hot spot on the weekends.

I love me a balloon clown and secretly wished he would have made me one!

A little care package sent from Ryan. Can't go without my gummies! He also sent me a stun gun to protect myself from the crazies.

My Sweet & Saucy girls (some of them). 

Here is the display counter at the shop. Full of delicious cupcakes and cake pops! Love how they use all those beautiful cake stands to display their treats. Seriously, the shop is a cake-stand-lover's paradise.

 

My friend Tauren and his brother-in-law were in SoCal for work as well so we had dinner in LA and did a little shopping.

I was SO excited to visit the Johnny Cupcakes store. Unfortunately the store hours listed online were a lie and by the time we got done with dinner, they had already closed. I was so bummed. We planned to go back the next day but didn't get a chance to. Atleast I got to look in the windows.

Also got a chance to visit LA Ink. It's so much smaller in person! No sight of Kat Von D.

 

My roomies! Meet Alexis, Lorenzo, and their adorable daughter, Karis! She's eying that pizookie!

Karis turned one a week after I left, but they celebrated her birthday a little early (the same day I flew home) just so I could be there! We made the cutest smash cake at the shop to match her outfit. How adorable is this cake? I just can't get over how cute it is!

Happy Birthday Karis! Auntie Fresh misses you!!!