Nothing KIDDIE!

This was for a “tweenager” birthday.  She didn’t want anything “KIDDIE”!  I gave the cake some texture by playing with the frosting.  The more I played with it the more I liked the look.  It has a bit of a rock-n-roll sophisticate look.  Yeah, I just coined that term    ;o)

She wanted to give chocolate lollipops to everyone in her grade.  There were 70 something made.  To be so simple these were very time consuming.  I am waiting for someone to ask for brownie pops, now those are going to be fun!

Gage’s Monsters

These little monsters are entirely a creation stemmed from my mind.  The orders for the cookies were, “Just Happy Birthday Gage is fine.”  I thought, “Oh no.  That just won’t do.”  SO I asked the customer for permission to do something fun.  The cookies were for 2 grandmas who were driving 3 hrs away in order to surprise their grandson.  His mom had a conference up north and he thought he wasn’t going to get a classroom birthday party.  I was told that the cookies stole the show and made them look REALLY good!  This is why I do it.  I am a small part of a special event in someone’s life.  My goodies make people smile and that is awesome!

Inspiration comes in many disguises…

Inspiration comes in many disguises…

When I draw or sketch up my ideas for orders I feel very capable of handling my pencil or pencils.  In my head I say, “Amy you can SO do this and it will be awesome!”  However, the closer it gets to the time to begin working I start stressing NOT SCREWING IT UP!  Normally I consider myself pretty talented and artistic, a “free spirit”. (Nearly, I do like to shower and shave…)  Anyway back to my stressing, I start doubting what I can do and sometimes I even start formulating excuses to give the customer as to why I can’t do it.  (The excuse that I spotted Bigfoot in my backyard is totally buyable.) 

Ok back to the blog.  I am stressing and plotting my escape route when it dawns on me, “HEY what about a glass of wine!”  Of course I fall to the peer pressure because my inner dialogue is so charming and convincing. 

Drinking the wine while I decorate does help to ease the stress.  It allows me to relax and “become 1 with the pastry bag”.  Now I just have to figure out how to justify waking up with the pastry bag in my bed… Dedication maybe?  

Time goes by so fast

Time goes by so fast….

My husband and I were married for 8 years before we were able to get pregnant.  Every month my heart was ripped wide open when the monthly reminder reared it’s ugly head.  We decided to adopt and started the lengthy process of open adoption.  We had to create a photo album depicting our life and attend countless workshops.  Our albums were then given to the birthmothers and we waited and waited and waited.

All of a sudden Joe got very ill.  He was sick to his stomach and feverish. It took his illness to make me realize that my period was late.  I took 2 home pg tests and went to the health center to have a blood test.  The result was the same.  I WAS PREGNANT!

My children are so precious to me.  Sometimes life gets in the way and I start to feel like I am not being the mom I should.  Or I have a hard day at work and am grumpy towards them.  I am trying to really pay attention to this.  My babies are a gift from God and I cherish them so.  I am not the loving gushy type but I do show my kids that I love them.  I don’t coordinate their clothes and most of the time I let them dress them selves.  Martha Stewart I am not. I just keep reminding myself that God knows my personality and He gave me these babies.   

Funky Munky Cookies & Cakes moves on up!

I catered my first event!  Well it wasn’t really a full-blown catering event but it was super cool!  I prepared pumpkin kiss muffins, traditional French muffins, cranberry orange scones, and chocolate chunk scones for the Chamber of Commerce members here in town.  Later that afternoon I delivered devils food cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to a Chamber dinner in a neighboring town.  I hope that this summer I will be able to really get my name out there and bust my business off.  I have a birthday cake to prepare for and I am very nervous about that.  

This is the most sinful chocolate dessert I have made in a long long long long, well you get the picture.  It is a dark chocolate and caramel pudding with shortbread layers.  I was not able to get a pic of the layers because my family practically inhaled this dessert.  I purposefully added small bits of chocolate into the pudding right before I plated it.  It was a pleasant surprise to have the contrasts of the smooth pudding, shortbread, and chocolate bits.  

It's all research

Boothill Dodge City Kansas

     


















As you can see our family history is a history filled with outlaws. It is eery how comfortable my husband and son look behind bars.

     This was a trip to Boothill, Dodge City, Kansas.  It is one of the original jail cells that is left standing.  These cells held many infamous outlaws in their day.  My husband claims that he was Billy the Kid in a former life and as we walked around he would reminisce about the good ole days.  He tells these stories very convincingly and our son was buying it hook, line, and sinker.  

     Outside of the fort there is an old steam engine and train depot.  The kids climbed all over that thing.  They could not believe that people used to travel in it.  You can still catch the train in Dodge city and travel to Dallas, TX or up in Missouri.  They even have sleeper cars.  

     Now as we were touring Boothill my son asked us if we had to use the bathroom in an outhouse, if we had electricity when we were little, and if we had to ride horses everywhere.  I just thought to myself, it's official I am now an old parent, next stop the tween years.  The difference between now and the tween years is that right now I am smart.  Wow, this is going to be fun. 

Bellied up to the bar

     Of course we had to stop in the saloon.  We missed the cancan girls but were just in time for some ice cold sasparilla (rootbeer).  The kids thought that this was the most awesome part of the trip.  I just love this picture, she looks like she is having a cold one after a long hard day.  I do believe she has seen this pose before. LOL!    

     I didn't realize that Kansas had such a rich history.  Yes I am from Texas and am a bit of a snob but I am learning to appreciate other states.  SSH, don't tell my fellow Texans.  I have to research in top secret.  They must never know....