9.29.2005
Last night I made the sheet cake and one double batch of red icing. That would have made for some boring pictures, but here are pictures of Tuesday night's work:
Tonight I'll be baking the house/barn cake and doing whatever else I can squeeze in, maybe making more batches of icing (I still have to do white, green, and brown).
Mice:
Corn:
Crazy sheep:
Chickens:
Corn:
Crazy sheep:
Chickens:
Tonight I'll be baking the house/barn cake and doing whatever else I can squeeze in, maybe making more batches of icing (I still have to do white, green, and brown).
9.28.2005
Ah, the joys of trying to make a birthday cake for a toddler when said toddler won't go to bed. :)
Last night I did corn, mice, sheep, and chickens. Oh, and the sign that says "Happy Birthday EK" ("Emma Kate" wouldn't fit). The corn, mice, and sign are done. The lying-down sheep are done, I guess, although they look like they've laid themselves in a ditch in the face of an oncoming tornado. In other words, they're not very tall. However, I like their facial expressions, so I may not try to do them over. All of my animals have a slightly crazed look on their faces, as though at any minute they might flip their lids and create mayhem in the barnyard. Anyway, the chickens are done too, and I am pretty happy with them. So here's what's left: chicks and the standing up sheep. I don't know, since I have to do the standing sheep anyway, I might play around and see if I can make taller lying-down sheep. And, I still don't really like my pigs, but we'll see. I am not entirely sure when I will get these things done, as tonight's task is to bake the sheet cake. Tomorrow night I will bake the barn portion. Hopefully I can also work on buttercream icing (making and coloring) each night. Then, on Friday and Saturday I will still have to ice and decorate the cakes. And the silo, ha, the silo. I still have to buy the cookies for that. So, I don't know, in light of all of this, the sheep and pigs may not get redone.
Last night I did corn, mice, sheep, and chickens. Oh, and the sign that says "Happy Birthday EK" ("Emma Kate" wouldn't fit). The corn, mice, and sign are done. The lying-down sheep are done, I guess, although they look like they've laid themselves in a ditch in the face of an oncoming tornado. In other words, they're not very tall. However, I like their facial expressions, so I may not try to do them over. All of my animals have a slightly crazed look on their faces, as though at any minute they might flip their lids and create mayhem in the barnyard. Anyway, the chickens are done too, and I am pretty happy with them. So here's what's left: chicks and the standing up sheep. I don't know, since I have to do the standing sheep anyway, I might play around and see if I can make taller lying-down sheep. And, I still don't really like my pigs, but we'll see. I am not entirely sure when I will get these things done, as tonight's task is to bake the sheet cake. Tomorrow night I will bake the barn portion. Hopefully I can also work on buttercream icing (making and coloring) each night. Then, on Friday and Saturday I will still have to ice and decorate the cakes. And the silo, ha, the silo. I still have to buy the cookies for that. So, I don't know, in light of all of this, the sheep and pigs may not get redone.
9.27.2005
In anticipation of Emma Kate's birthday party this weekend, I'm getting all Martha Stewart-y this week. A month or two ago I decided I wanted to do the Little Red Barn for her birthday cake. I got started last night (no, her party's not until Saturday).
My Aunt Rexie is a caterer/cake decorator extraordinaire. She made several of my birthday cakes when I was growing up, including Big Bird and a Georgia Tech yellow jacket. She also made our wedding cake and groom's cake (and catered the reception). When I was in about the 8th grade, I was convinced I wanted to be a caterer, too. I'm not sure how long that lasted, but it might be for the best. From what I've witnessed, cake decorating is best done in the wee hours, and as I age the influence of the family night owl gene seems to be declining. Anyway, a small part of me has always been kind of disappointed that I didn't pursue that route. What I didn't realize was that having kids would give me an opportunity to play caterer at least once a year.
Anyway, it's a good thing I have Aunt Rexie to give consultation over the phone. If I had not talked to her on Sunday night, I probably would not have gotten started last night, and then I really would have been in bad shape come Friday, when I was planning to do all of the decorating in one afternoon off from work. Ha! I have a much more reasonable schedule now, but even so, I'm slow, so it's a very good thing that I'm underway.
Last night I made royal icing for the first time ever. I made three pigs and a cow's head, and all of that took me nearly 3 hours. I'm not entirely sure whether I made the royal icing correctly (I suspect it's not quite stiff enough), or if I'm just not good with the techniques of decorating, but my pigs are a little on the skinny and wrinkly side. Oh well, they'll be eating corn - ostensibly to fatten them up, right? The key to this is to stay relaxed and not get all freaked out about everything looking exactly perfect. Here are some pictures:
Tonight: chickens, mice, sheep, and corn.
My Aunt Rexie is a caterer/cake decorator extraordinaire. She made several of my birthday cakes when I was growing up, including Big Bird and a Georgia Tech yellow jacket. She also made our wedding cake and groom's cake (and catered the reception). When I was in about the 8th grade, I was convinced I wanted to be a caterer, too. I'm not sure how long that lasted, but it might be for the best. From what I've witnessed, cake decorating is best done in the wee hours, and as I age the influence of the family night owl gene seems to be declining. Anyway, a small part of me has always been kind of disappointed that I didn't pursue that route. What I didn't realize was that having kids would give me an opportunity to play caterer at least once a year.
Anyway, it's a good thing I have Aunt Rexie to give consultation over the phone. If I had not talked to her on Sunday night, I probably would not have gotten started last night, and then I really would have been in bad shape come Friday, when I was planning to do all of the decorating in one afternoon off from work. Ha! I have a much more reasonable schedule now, but even so, I'm slow, so it's a very good thing that I'm underway.
Last night I made royal icing for the first time ever. I made three pigs and a cow's head, and all of that took me nearly 3 hours. I'm not entirely sure whether I made the royal icing correctly (I suspect it's not quite stiff enough), or if I'm just not good with the techniques of decorating, but my pigs are a little on the skinny and wrinkly side. Oh well, they'll be eating corn - ostensibly to fatten them up, right? The key to this is to stay relaxed and not get all freaked out about everything looking exactly perfect. Here are some pictures:
Tonight: chickens, mice, sheep, and corn.
9.23.2005
We're back from State College. I'll try to write more later, but I wanted to post some pictures. Emma Kate had a lot of fun, especially seeing the "big cat."
9.20.2005
Yesterday we showed Emma Kate pictures of the Nittany Lion Shrine. Ever since, she's been talking nonstop about going to see a big cat. Today, Mom asked her where we are going tonight, and she said, "To the big cat's house."
Not even two years old, and she's already a Penn Stater. She'll fit right in - everybody up there's as obsessed with the big cat as she is.
Not even two years old, and she's already a Penn Stater. She'll fit right in - everybody up there's as obsessed with the big cat as she is.
9.18.2005
Well, we were able to work it out to go to State College. The memorial service for Jan is on Wednesday at 2 pm. We will be driving up Tuesday night and returning on Thursday. Martha has been asked to speak on behalf of Jan's students at the service. I know I will be proud of her.
My head is sort of all over the place. It's partly in State College, partly here, and partly a few other places. I hope I can make it through this week. I *am* kind of excited to be going back to State College for a visit. We've talked about restaurants we want to go to. We're planning to go to Meyer Dairy and pick up a few more tops for glass milk bottles (we get our milk from Homestead Creamery around here). Of course, we just might have to have some ice cream while we're there... and from the Penn State Creamery, too. I have this weird feeling of wanting EK to eat Creamery ice cream. Chris asked me if I wanted to take her picture at the Nittany Lion. Well, of course. Isn't that what all good alumni are supposed to do? :) I'm also hoping we might get a chance to go over to the state gamelands across from Toftrees and go for a run. Or maybe run on campus. We're also planning to stop by Wiscoy Pet Food Co. Goodness gracious, who would have ever thought I'd be having all these fond thoughts of State College? :)
My head is sort of all over the place. It's partly in State College, partly here, and partly a few other places. I hope I can make it through this week. I *am* kind of excited to be going back to State College for a visit. We've talked about restaurants we want to go to. We're planning to go to Meyer Dairy and pick up a few more tops for glass milk bottles (we get our milk from Homestead Creamery around here). Of course, we just might have to have some ice cream while we're there... and from the Penn State Creamery, too. I have this weird feeling of wanting EK to eat Creamery ice cream. Chris asked me if I wanted to take her picture at the Nittany Lion. Well, of course. Isn't that what all good alumni are supposed to do? :) I'm also hoping we might get a chance to go over to the state gamelands across from Toftrees and go for a run. Or maybe run on campus. We're also planning to stop by Wiscoy Pet Food Co. Goodness gracious, who would have ever thought I'd be having all these fond thoughts of State College? :)
9.16.2005
RIP, Jan Jacobs.
Jan was one of my advisors at Penn State. I worked in her lab for 2 years and learned so much from her. She was also on my thesis committee, and helped me through some really rough times with that process. A friend let me know that she was very ill in the hospital (the cancer had spread to her brain) yesterday; I am so glad I knew ahead of time and was able to be thinking about her. Last night I read through many old emails and was just blown away by respect for how she treated me. She was a no-nonsense kind of person but cared very much about her students. She was a wonderful role model and will be missed terribly.
We are considering making the trip to State College. It will depend on the arrangements, but I really hope it will work out.
Jan was one of my advisors at Penn State. I worked in her lab for 2 years and learned so much from her. She was also on my thesis committee, and helped me through some really rough times with that process. A friend let me know that she was very ill in the hospital (the cancer had spread to her brain) yesterday; I am so glad I knew ahead of time and was able to be thinking about her. Last night I read through many old emails and was just blown away by respect for how she treated me. She was a no-nonsense kind of person but cared very much about her students. She was a wonderful role model and will be missed terribly.
We are considering making the trip to State College. It will depend on the arrangements, but I really hope it will work out.
