PRESENTS!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!

Isn't that what everyone screams on their birthday? Or is it just me? : ) I was asked to make a birthday cake for a friends little sister to help celebrate her 15th birthday. Coming up with an idea wasn't the easiest thing. So I thought, who doesn't like presents? Incorporate her favorite color purple and this cake could be very cute! My original idea was to cover the entire cake in fondant and use an imprint mat that I have that says 'happy birthday' all over it. After getting the fondant on the cake however, I was not happy. Fondant decided to hate me while making this cake. So, I ripped it all off and tried a new technique: Faux Fondant.

Now, after doing a faux fondant cake, I may never go back to fondant. Basically it involves using a buttercream icing that will develop a crust after about 20 minutes. You have to put a fairly thick coat of the icing onto the cake but it ends up looking fabulous. Next step, take a paper towel (mine happened to have a pattern on it) and put it up against the icing. Gently rub the paper towel into the cake. The icing smooths out and the pattern imprints on the cake. FABULOUS!

This was also my first time making a fondant bow. I chose a 14 loop bow because I wanted it to basically cover the entire top of my 8x8 cake. After the bow was assembled and nice and hard, I applied an edible lustre dust to the bow to give it a fabulous glittery girlie feel. LOVE IT!

All in all, despite the original set backs I had when I started this cake, I am very happy with how it turned out. I learned new techniques and feel I did the cake justice. Let's just hope that the 15 year old likes it!

And of course, credit to Chelsea Belle Photography for some great photos. (I even added one with me because I was told I had too. That one is just for you Chels!)

Not Sweet.... but Sweet

Please say title with the correct inflection. So this post is not a typical post. In fact, it's not about cupcakes, cake pops, cheesecake, cake, cookies, or anything that begins with 'C'.

It's about grilled cheese sandwiches. To be more precise, mini grilled cheese sandwiches. Now I know I am probably not the first person to ever do this, but I thought they were so adorable that I had to share them. I made buns about 2 weeks ago and decided to see what would happen if I made a mini loaf out of the the bun dough. Pure Genius. I ended up with a cute little loaf that tasted like my Mom's famous bun recipe (and no I'm not sharing that, sorry....). Now I know what you're thinking, doesn't this just mean you made bread. No. I made a bun that looked like a loaf of bread. Trust me on this one. The taste is totally different.

I now have this mini 'bun loaf' and I have no idea what to do with it. It's definitely to small for sandwiches. I pictured myself going into work with this tiny little sandwich and my co-workers staring at me as though I were some sort of nut job on some crazy fanatical diet. Then an idea struck me. I love grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But I hate that when I cut my grilled cheese, most of the cheese leaks out. What better than bite sized grilled cheese? No cutting necessary!

That's right. This post is about a mini grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Comfort food at it's best. So if you're ever having a bad day, feel free to look back on this post, smile a little, and take comfort in some adorable little sandwiches. I'm a nerd. I know. I'm seeking help. ; ) So again I say, not sweet.... but sweet. And might I point out, perfectly browned to perfection.