Cakes

Okay, to follow up my "I am quitting the cake business" post.  I was.  Temporarily at least.  Then this week came, i was asked by 3 people to make different cakes and being me, i said okay.  Now, let this be a lesson to me, i was stressed, wasn't that the whole point of quitting this year.  To focus on my school work?  How is your 10 page paper due Sunday going Brittany?  ... not well.

This is how to make Fondant

First, Crisco each bowl that you are using.  You need a microwavable one like shown above, and your mixer.  (You can do this all by hand, but BE PREPARED FOR A MESS!)  Pour your bag of mini marshmallows (9 cups) into your pre-greased micro bowl and zap for 1 minute.  In the meantime you can pour one of your boxes of powdered sugar into your mixer (or counter).  Stir the marshmallows, then zap at 30 sec. intervals until you have a nice marshmallow cream, shown above.  Add 1 Tbsp. water and 1 tsp. vanilla to the marshmallow cream and pour into your stand mixer (or onto your counter... mess!).  Add the second box of powdered sugar.

Now turn the mixer on low, or start using your hands to mix.

 If the mixture gets too crumbly add more water, this should turn into a stiff looking frosting, and continue getting more stiff.

  

Sprinkle/pour powdered sugar onto your work surface and then pour this mixture out on top (or if it is already there... keep going :) ).  Knead this until it becomes a firm dough.

Next you can use this, you can saran a wrap and place in the fridge for later use or you can color it.

I tear off a little strip of the fondant and submerge it into the color.  Then place it back in the middle of the fondant, roll up like a taco and start kneading.

Keep going....

Now make some fun things...

Cherries for my ....

Banana split cake

God is good... All the time.

Do you know how you can sometimes tell when things aren't going to be going your way?  Well that happened to me this week.  First i received a lovely letter from my sister in law Linda, it was super sweet and wonderful and made me feel fantastic.  (Thank you Linda).  Then... the next day i received a handmade card in the mail from my dear friend Andrea, again super sweet and wonderful.  ( I started to say... okay God what are you building me up for?) ... THEN the world came crashing down the next day.  Of course!  At least to sensitive old me.  I was TORE UP, trying to keep my composure.  Later that day before i left work, my friend Sharee handed me a "Happy Bosses Day" card... this cannot be good right?  I know God always helps you to get through things so it is scary when you start to see the help because you know the situation is going to get worse before it gets better!  Anywho... the day ended with me sitting in my car, fatty burger in hand listening to Michael Buble sing "Georgia" (Sharee made a CD to put in my card), it was raining outside... AND I WAS BALLING!  haha!  The card was so nice, and had such an applicable verse, and i was just so thankful that God DOES SEND HELP!  I can feel so cruddy, like i am helpless, and God sends little notes from loved ones that help pull me out of my rut and get back on my feet.  Thank you Jesus, and thank you girls!  I love you all.

I am a happy Pumpkin now.

"The Righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles."

Psalm 34:17

(Not that i think i am righteous, i am just thankful that God loves me.)

How to make a fabric or ribbon rose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSafZ2Se6bM&feature=fvw

My newest edition to the Etsy collection... shoes to come!

Brother's Quilt... finally on it's way!

Wishlist... One can dream can't she?

Shh... don't tell Nick that I want more shoes... but I do!

A cake Embroidery kit... does this have me written all over it?

Turkeys!  My favorite.  Be nice... they are CUTE animals!

My love... owls!

I WANT THIS SO BAD!

CUTE!

For your wedding!  :)

So cute, activities for the first year!  Like a baby yearbook!

I would wear this in my hair, yes.

For shoes?  PLUS we love the name Harrison!

(We also like Hank, Levi Danger, Jack Thunder or Jackson, Adeline, Addison, Madeline & Brynn)

The baby not the beanie... just kidding :)

A little hoot

... and some pinking shears

AND... I want to learn to screen print... is that too much to ask?

An Outing for Two

We had the best weekend.  A lazy one.  We had no plans for the whole three days!  Saturday I woke up early (stupid body clock!) and had a message from my brother, he sent me The Office season 6 episode 1!  AHH!  I woke Nick up from my laughter, we started the whole episode over again and laughed the entire time.  Nick schooled me at the game mom sent, which was quite upsetting because i KNOW i used to kill that game at Grandma and Grandpa's house!  Grandpa Shine taught me how to win!

We then proceeded to take a nap.  When we woke back up at NOON, we went for a drive... I asked him to please pull over to this beautiful field of yellow flowers (weeds) because i have been wanting to run through it for weeks!  We did, i was bitten on the food and my shoes needed a good washing but we did it, and i am so happy we did!

This was my artsy atempt.  The sky looked SO cool!  Then... on the way home Nick pulled out his mad skills and took this picture, which i love!

Sunday after Church we went to the Pumpkin Patch!  We left at 1:30... we arrived at 6:30! NO JOKE!  Our directions were AWFUL!  "Take the exit"... what does that mean google maps?
The pumpkins were beautiful and we had fun in the end.  We got some pumpkins that i had never seen before except in the Martha magazine last year, that was fun!  I am now in love with them and don't want to carve them.  Next week carving... and babysitting the cutest little boy!  I think we will make pumpkin seeds and pumpkin butter!

Every year since i don't know when, we have gone to Shultz Farms in Auburn, picked our pumpkins and taken our picture by the "How Tall this Fall sign.  Now that we live in Germany, this is a little difficult... this year we painted a "How Tall this Fall" sign for mommy, tradition will now be carried on! Why do i look like i am either going to fly a plane, or ride a horse???

This weekend we also...

Made fall tortilla chips

Banana Bread Pudding (for Nick)

Mozzarella, Basil & Peppered Salami skewers

(Thanks Mom, they were DELISH!)

To finish off our kid friendly day of playing in the leaves and hay... Chicken fingers and Honey mustard.

and Weight Watchers Crab Cakes

(I wasn't impressed)

I think to make them less fat and calories they took out most of the "glue"... making the cake not hold together too well.  Hmm...

Chicken & Dumplings... and more baby booties

3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

1 stalk celery

1 bag baby carrots

1 red onion

1 cube butter

32 oz. chicken broth

3/4 cup light cream

pepper

 salt

red pepper flakes

garlic salt

Dumplings:

1 cup bisquick

parsley

3/4 cup milk

saute celery, carrots and onion in butter.  Add milk, cream and chicken, bring to boil.  Mix dumplings by hand & drop dumplings into soup and cook 30 min.  cover and cook 10 minutes.  Serve

Invitations

This is my Halloween Invitation Photo Shoot!

The moon is full, the wind is chill...

This Halloween will be quite a thrill!

A howling time awaits you this eve,

but beware for you may not want to leave!

Join us for some spooky shenanigans if you dare!

Baby shower purchases

These are the Burp cloths that i bought.  They are double sided, one with an adorable print and the other with Chenille.

I bought these from Theposhtots on Etsy

This is a twilight onesie because the mother loves twilight.  I thought it was cute.

I bought this from Chefcouture on Etsy

This is the diaper wipe case that i bought, so cute!

This is from Opiebaby on Etsy

Another Twilight onesie.  This one says "I am just a baby Bella looking for my baby Edward"

I bought this one from Babycon on Etsy

These are Halloween shirts, beanies and gloves that i bought of Spangdahlem yard sales and put in my cute little frankenstein pot.  The baby i bought them for is one year old this month and i accidentally bought 3-6 month clothing... so this cute little present will have to wait until i meet a baby that is the correct age for this.  Oh well...