Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Travel Coffee Mugs and Other Things

I do not like travel mugs.  I don't like the way coffee tastes out of them.  It takes on a very uncoffee like flavor that takes away half of the reason for drinking it.  But I really like the way my husband looks at me as I walk out every morning, 3 bags loaded down with far too much crap, a purse, car keys dangling, and a coffee cup filled to the brim covered in saran wrap.


I do not like gummy candy.  I don't like the way it gets all stuck in your teeth.  I just like to watch other people eat it, especially kids.  They're smiling away, whole bears stuck between their teeth.  Oh, to be innocent.


I do not like fake salt or fake cheese or fake people.  Fake meat I can do.  Fake animals are good if you are going on vacation and you don't have anyone to watch them.


I do not like all those quizzes people take on Facebook.  Can't we make just a seperate quiz page for all of the quiz takers?  That way they can discuss amongst themselves the truth to the fact that yes, purple is the exact color they thought they were all along.  Or yes, they always had fashioned themselves a Charlie's Angel even if everyone else was thinking Ninja Turtle.


I do like some things.
I like cake scraps.  Sometimes I make cakes just to eat the scraps.
I like puma sneakers.  They make me feel cool yet comfortable.
I like to barbeque.  I like the way it smells.  It reminds me of families.
I like to watch The Office.  It makes me feel like a way better boss.
I like to make cakes.  They make people happy.
I like to puppysit and babysit and housesit.  It makes me appreciate what I have.
And I like to blog.  It makes people laugh and smile.  But mostly it makes me a little less crazy inside.

Monday, September 21, 2009

If My Fingers Were Cakes....

This was one crazy week.  And seriously, if my fingers were cakes, I would have mousse and buttercream dripping all over my pretty Sunday dress.  Lucky for me it's Monday.  


I made ten cakes this week.  Granted, as I write it now, it doesn't sound like much.  But if you were in my movie...  Saturday of the week previous to my craze, I had only three cakes scheduled.  One wedding cake on Thursday, one crazy Hawaiian themed cake for Saturday, and one baby shower cake for Sunday.  By Saturday evening, I had added three more cakes to my repertoire and by Tuesday, the final four fell into place.  


I delivered my first cake on Wednesday.  It was a  pretty cool cake because it had the face of the person's birthday on it.  Depending on your feelings about your own beauty, this may not work for you.  He was a pretty dapper fellow, though.  And if his looks didn't impress you, his layers of chocolate cake with cream cheese and raspberries would've had you begging for more.


My second cake was the Thursday wedding cake.  Hey, I got married on a Monday afternoon, so I thought it sounded like a brilliant idea.  This cake was for a couple of tattoo artists.  Really cool couple with great business cards and loads of tattoos.  I got to see them on their wedding day.  Her dress was so beautiful and showed off lots of tattoos-super cool.  Anyway, I was totally stressing this cake because of their artistic level.  Seriously, their tattoos are crazy.  I'm not talking tweety bird and mickey mouse here.  And hey, wouldn't it be cool if I got a crazy cake tattoo?  I did ask them that.  They might have left my place and said - 'okay, did we really just give that tool our money?'  But not to worry, the cake made it to the wedding on time, in one piece.  Every chocolate and cream cheese bit of it.  Odd though, I still have not heard from them.  Hope it wasn't anything they ate.  


Now you see what's happening here-I have eight cakes to go and we are already to Friday.  I delivered four chocolate mousse cakes (that sounded breezy, right?) and then moved on to my biggest project for the week.  This was a Hawaiian themed birthday cake.  It would be covered in blue buttercream, surrounded by waves, fishes, palm trees, a lei, have a hula girl and a sandy beach with shells.  I had been making the decorations over the previous weeks for the cake.  This timing always works out better in my head than when I actually execute it of course.  This cake was a pretty big deal for me.  The gentleman who purchased it was a very nice man and trusted my judgement. Yes, I was a little miffed myself!  He was excited about the cake and every time he told someone about the cake, they couldn't believe he had paid me in full, he hadn't tasted the cake, he didn't know me, etc.   Were these 'friends' of mine he was talking to?  And they would offer up suggestions for cake flavors.  We did end up with a quite a tribute to the Aloha state.  The bottom layer was lemon cake with vanilla cream and pineapple confit.  The top layer was chocolate with toasted coconut buttercream and macadamia nuts.  I have since heard from this gentleman and he and all of his friends were quite pleased.  Didn't have to lay a golden egg after all. Although it might have felt better than a whole cake, hmmm.


The last three cakes went by so fast after all the other ones I hope I delivered the right ones to the right places.  Actually, still haven't heard from any of those people either.  So either they did eat cake like the lovely wedding couple.  Or the guy celebrating his 50th was having just a little too much fun to notice a 'lovely baby bump' on top of his pink cake.


You can check out all of these cakes on our facebook fan page. And add your fan photos if you have them!  If you are interested in ordering a cake, contact us now!  


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Neighbors

Neighbors are a dying breed, don't you think?  Yeah, you say, if I live in a neighborhood I have neighbors.  No, that just means you have people living next door to you, around you.  I am talking about people that you actually like, that you don't mind knocking on your door for a cup of sugar, or brandy.  Someone that can see you at 6 pm on a Sunday, in your pajamas, still hungover and not judge you.  And will still have no problem with you watching their kids!  Those are the ones I am talking about.  
Haven't we all lived in apartment buildings where we had no idea what the people living around us looked like?  Unless they knocked on the door and asked us to turn the music down?  In one building, I knew the dog's name, but could never remember the owner's name.  I saw them every day, always together. I was too embarassed to admit I thought the dog of more consequence than his owner.  Or developments where you see the people living next to you and you wave and you say quietly to yourself please don't come and talk to me today.  Although in those same developments I sure could put together stories about those people I wished away. 
But I have to say, I am neighboring in a couple of 'hoods now.  You see in one of them I have made myself an honorary neighbor.  It's okay. It didn't have to go before a board or anything.  You know, I really don't feel it necessary to discuss it with them at all.  I am totally sure they are fine with it.  They're all so cool and there are so many couples hanging out.  They probably don't even know it's not my 'hood.  I think they are all just like who's that, she's so cool, she must be from right down the street.
And then there is my real neighborhood.  Where I thankfully do not get in quite so much trouble!  For once in my life, I have real cup of sugar neighbors.   Wonderful people that are just like family, in a good way!   Who else can I borrow raccoon catching dog food from and catch a opossum instead?  And yeah, they did laugh at me when I told them, but I didn't have the heart to tell them it was their defective food.  And who else's dog will run into our yard to do his business?  Hey, perhaps more than I know, right?  And there was that little incident with the squirrels hiding the peanuts.  Let's just keep that one in court where it belongs.  But they love the treats I make!  And everytime their daughter comes in the house she always says-'what's cooking? It smells great in here.'  And sometimes, there's a knock at the door and waiting on the other side are all of their smiling faces with homemade pasta and sauce, a salad(with dressing on the side!), and bread and butter-and all my worries fade away!  Until of course I hear them calling for the dog again to get out of my yard!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Blog Block

I have been trying for a month to write. I was doing so well. Every week I was blogging (and yes I still don't like that word!) And then it stopped. You know I was even thinking of doing another blog where I could spew off even more random stuff than here. And then it stopped, too. So I have been trying to think of what happened. Brainstorming if you will.

Could it be from the stress of a gorilla sized raccoon relieving himself in our pool? How do I know? Because it ain't #1! Totally dissing the trap full of food that we have graciously laid out for him? Trust me it has to be a him. Probably not.
Could it be the stress of having to trade in my mac daddy car for one more suitable for work, not quite as mac? I could totally ride that one, but I don't think that is it.
Maybe the stress of chopping my hair off and now resembling my brother. Not as stressful as I would like to admit-I slept with barettes in my hair last night so I guess I really don't mind.
How about the fact that a certain someone I know is watching the carbs, and everything else he eats, and not drinking? Totally stressful and worthy of blog blocking status. However it does wonders for my muffin top and sausage legs so I can't complain.

You know what I think I need? A little stress relief. A night of trapping raccoons while I'm drunk on wine and full of pasta. I'll be wearing one of those hats with a fake ponytail coming down the back (blond because I have always wanted to try it) and talking about those fatty black rims I would so love to have. And that just might bring me back!