Cake Class Updates and Birthday Parties

Oh, dear. I haven't been very at all diligent about posting regularly. October was a busy month, and I didn't always have time or--even remember--to take pictures of the recipes made and treats decorated. But it's been exciting, and I have a lot of fun stuff going on!

First off, I started teaching cake decorating classes at the Longview Recreation Center in Spring Hill. In addition to the regular "Enjoy Cake Decorating" class series I offer at the Franklin Recreation Complex, I've also added some "Mommy and Me" classes at Longview. These are geared for ages 3 and up with a parent helper.

I'm also offering "Mommy and Me" Gingerbread House classes this fall at both Franklin Rec and Longview. Each parent and child pair will build and decorate a gingerbread house for the holiday season. We'll use royal icing to assemble the pre-baked gingerbread house pieces. Then, while we wait for the houses to dry, we'll learn simple piping techniques and pick out sprinkles and candy to decorate the houses with. This is a two-hour class, tuition is $15 per parent/child pair, and all supplies are included in the supply fee. Check out my Upcoming Class Schedule page for dates, locations, and times.

The other thing I've been doing is cake decorating birthday parties. These are so much fun! I tailor what we do according to the age group and what the birthday boy or girl is interested in. For the young adults, this has been rolled fondant (thanks to shows like Cake Boss). I usually spend about 15-20 minutes doing a brief demonstration of some basic techniques, and then each party guest decorates their own cake/cookies/cupcakes to take home as a party favor. I'm able to offer these parties at the Franklin Rec Center, or I'm happy to come to your location as long as you have plenty of room, enough table space, and don't mind a mess. Please contact me for more information.

Housekeeping, Videos, and Back to School

I honestly meant to post a "Should've Done Sunday" yesterday, but I found myself vacuuming the house instead. There was also a bit of laundry that needed doing, and some other random chores that I couldn't put off any longer. But at least the weather was gorgeous, and it was slightly cooler less sweltering yesterday with a nice breeze, so I even managed to open a window or two and let the house air out a bit. I'm ready for autumn.

I also added three new videos over the weekend. Have you noticed the recently added "Videos" page? The link is up top there under the header. These are short clips demonstrating basic cake decorating techniques. Not long ago, I upgraded my iPhone, and that's what I've been using to film these videos. Hopefully they will improve over time as I get more adept at the filming and editing process. Please let me know what you think, and I'm totally open to suggestions for future videos, so tell me what you'd like to learn how to do. They are also posted on my YouTube channel, if for some reason they aren't working here.

I need recipe ideas for future blog posts. Now that school has started, I like to think I'll have more time in the kitchen. Delusional, I know. But still, I'm open to suggestions for after school snacks and other kid-friendly goodies that I can try to recreate in a healthier and/or gluten free redux.

Oh, and since the kids are back to school, perhaps now would be a good time to explore a new interest or spend more time pursuing an existing hobby, such as cake decorating. I have my "Enjoy Cake Decorating" classes scheduled on Thursday and Saturday mornings at the Rec Center, and the following Wilton classes at Hobby Lobby in September: Gum Paste and Fondant on Thursday evenings and Decorating Basics on Saturday afternoons. The cool thing about the Hobby Lobby classes is that students who take a Wilton class at Hobby Lobby in September will receive a $10 "Thank You" coupon from Wilton, which includes a $7 shipping allowance. That's a great deal because normally Wilton shipping charges are extortionate. Plus, this means you can pick an item from the Yearbook for $10 or less and it's free. More information on the above classes is posted on my Upcoming Class Schedule page.

One last thing... there's only one more day left to enter the UPrinting poster giveaway. The prize is a custom 18"x24" poster. Entries are still low, so you have a good chance of winning!