Okay, so I thought I better explain Kimball’s birthday cake…I was so busy and behind that I never went shopping to get stuff for his cake. Now I felt like a louse because well, I grew up a cake snob. The truth is my mother worked tirelessly to create beautiful birthday cakes. She is a master at decorating anything from Disney or Sesame Street. As kids we KNEW our mother loved us because she made us birthday cakes. I well remember returning from friends’ parties to report to the rest of the family…family, “How was the party?” Kelli, “It was fine, except, they had a STORE Bought Cake.”
This to me is a perfect example of why the Lord cautions us to “judge not”. Now I have an inferiority complex and unreal expectations I worry over meeting. I just am not talented like my mother at cake decorating. Yet to avoid having my children think I don’t love them, I try. After many sleepless nights decorating cakes while the kids were in bed I am more in awe of my mother than I was as a child. Because I could never master a pastry bag like she I started getting creative with candy and toys. A cake for Hyrum had a prehistoric theme with gummy sharks and plastic dinosaurs. I deformed a cake a touch to create a rocky waterfall fissure and wha-la. What could a kid want more than candy and plastic dinos? Last year I made a treasure chest for Kimball…just frost with chocolate frosting and stuff it with chocolate coins, chocolate rocks, and rock candy. I like the bulk candy they sell at Top Foods for decorating cakes. Birthday parties are about the only time I purchase candy. And I hate buying candy especially if I have any kids with me because they turn buzurk. Top Foods used to have childcare while you shopped so this was how I managed to keep my calm and prepare for the celebration. Unfortunately, last year when I went to get the goods for Kimball’s treasure cake the childcare was closed for just the very hour I was there. Well what could I do? I took a deep breath and headed towards the bulk foods. As an afterthought I ran over and picked up some tomatoes and other veggies. At the check-out, the clerk, observing my 3 children wild with candy anticipation, and the stuff I had laid out before her remarked, “Get a few things you weren’t intending on?” My response was, “Yea, I didn’t plan to get any produce.” So back to this year’s cake…
I ran out of time and could not go shopping. Also, I never remember until the middle of the night when I am making cakes that I do not have 2 round pans the same diameter, so I really have to want it to make a layered round cake. Well I had a tiny bit of frosting left from the cupcakes we ate at this party, and an 8 inch and 9 inch pan so I decided to do a number 8. Now I did not have enough frosting to cover the entire cake, and I did not want to make anymore, but I remembered I still had some marshmallows and chocolate bars from cooking smore’s at the party the day before, so I melted them to cover the cake. Add a few beautiful strawberries (thank you California) and I felt like I could hold my head up in front of my dear son.
Now I just really have to tell you about the campfire cake. ‘Tis the season that you all should try it! I have to admit it was one of my best ideas! A few years ago, the school carnival theme was something about camping. Of course I volunteered to bring a cake to the cake walk, and of course I wanted something to follow the theme. So I melted crushed LifeSavers on Al foil which I laid out a bit unevenly. After it baked a few minutes and cooled I broke it into jagged “flames”. For logs in the “star fire” formation I placed fudge sticks. For the rock fire ring I cut powdered donut holes in half, and crushed up Oreo’s for authentic looking ash and coals. I know, you all think I have TOO MUCH TIME on my hands…oh that that were so!
So to let you know what a real flop I am, the next week for Katie’s birthday, I was so tired John and I when to Safeway…she was only one so she doesn’t have great expectations. But in my defense let me say, my mother was actually here and she did not want to make a cake either. Also Safeway really does make tasty cakes-just about as good as Larry’s (may they rest in peace). To make it all the more special, John and I went to the new downtown Safeway which is an amazing store. I have never seen a seafood department laid out so beautifully; I would never want to buy anything for fear of messing up the designs.
This to me is a perfect example of why the Lord cautions us to “judge not”. Now I have an inferiority complex and unreal expectations I worry over meeting. I just am not talented like my mother at cake decorating. Yet to avoid having my children think I don’t love them, I try. After many sleepless nights decorating cakes while the kids were in bed I am more in awe of my mother than I was as a child. Because I could never master a pastry bag like she I started getting creative with candy and toys. A cake for Hyrum had a prehistoric theme with gummy sharks and plastic dinosaurs. I deformed a cake a touch to create a rocky waterfall fissure and wha-la. What could a kid want more than candy and plastic dinos? Last year I made a treasure chest for Kimball…just frost with chocolate frosting and stuff it with chocolate coins, chocolate rocks, and rock candy. I like the bulk candy they sell at Top Foods for decorating cakes. Birthday parties are about the only time I purchase candy. And I hate buying candy especially if I have any kids with me because they turn buzurk. Top Foods used to have childcare while you shopped so this was how I managed to keep my calm and prepare for the celebration. Unfortunately, last year when I went to get the goods for Kimball’s treasure cake the childcare was closed for just the very hour I was there. Well what could I do? I took a deep breath and headed towards the bulk foods. As an afterthought I ran over and picked up some tomatoes and other veggies. At the check-out, the clerk, observing my 3 children wild with candy anticipation, and the stuff I had laid out before her remarked, “Get a few things you weren’t intending on?” My response was, “Yea, I didn’t plan to get any produce.” So back to this year’s cake…
I ran out of time and could not go shopping. Also, I never remember until the middle of the night when I am making cakes that I do not have 2 round pans the same diameter, so I really have to want it to make a layered round cake. Well I had a tiny bit of frosting left from the cupcakes we ate at this party, and an 8 inch and 9 inch pan so I decided to do a number 8. Now I did not have enough frosting to cover the entire cake, and I did not want to make anymore, but I remembered I still had some marshmallows and chocolate bars from cooking smore’s at the party the day before, so I melted them to cover the cake. Add a few beautiful strawberries (thank you California) and I felt like I could hold my head up in front of my dear son.
Now I just really have to tell you about the campfire cake. ‘Tis the season that you all should try it! I have to admit it was one of my best ideas! A few years ago, the school carnival theme was something about camping. Of course I volunteered to bring a cake to the cake walk, and of course I wanted something to follow the theme. So I melted crushed LifeSavers on Al foil which I laid out a bit unevenly. After it baked a few minutes and cooled I broke it into jagged “flames”. For logs in the “star fire” formation I placed fudge sticks. For the rock fire ring I cut powdered donut holes in half, and crushed up Oreo’s for authentic looking ash and coals. I know, you all think I have TOO MUCH TIME on my hands…oh that that were so!
So to let you know what a real flop I am, the next week for Katie’s birthday, I was so tired John and I when to Safeway…she was only one so she doesn’t have great expectations. But in my defense let me say, my mother was actually here and she did not want to make a cake either. Also Safeway really does make tasty cakes-just about as good as Larry’s (may they rest in peace). To make it all the more special, John and I went to the new downtown Safeway which is an amazing store. I have never seen a seafood department laid out so beautifully; I would never want to buy anything for fear of messing up the designs.
It seems Hyrum caught the vision because the “army cake” is one he made for the Cub Scout cake auction. Believe it or not, it sold for $80.
Now go, make a cake, and eat it too!
Now go, make a cake, and eat it too!
