tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29082864186928742172024-03-05T00:15:19.921-08:00Foray into FoodIn which jenny learns more about cooking, baking, caking and the culinary worldJennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.comBlogger310125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-89977867096996234282012-09-20T07:05:00.000-07:002012-09-20T07:05:00.588-07:00Putting it out there in the universe...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBKeE34EbD6Fs-PMI6rb4kELrP8p3p225RqW7BAI_778SvWeGSSzuX5S-bUKOWEZD6BWWm8ip8ZG9d_V0vZhczl1QD3RT_Coyk8GapGP18A__LQJGPKDU1MIDH99McsgnOyr_P0kd3i0/s1600/_DSC0686_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBKeE34EbD6Fs-PMI6rb4kELrP8p3p225RqW7BAI_778SvWeGSSzuX5S-bUKOWEZD6BWWm8ip8ZG9d_V0vZhczl1QD3RT_Coyk8GapGP18A__LQJGPKDU1MIDH99McsgnOyr_P0kd3i0/s320/_DSC0686_2.JPG" width="210" /></a></div>
I am so lucky to have such a wonderful kitchen to work in with Just Call Us. I love the spaciousness, equipment, the ergonomics and the fact that there is a calendar where I know who will be there and when, and whenever there is a scheduling conflict I generally know way ahead of time. Julie and Phil manage the place wonderfully, nothing gets past them, so the kitchen is always taken care of, and any problems are addressed promptly. I also love meeting all the other people who work there and hearing about their products and learning from them. Many of the amazing opportunities that have come my way are because of Julie and the people in the kitchen. <br />
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As always, there are downsides.<br />
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The place can get extremely warm, which can be troublesome for my cakes. The shared fridge is a worry too, I always have to wrap my cakes up to avoid smells, and the dampness of a walk in fridge plays havoc with fondant. <br />
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So I'm just imagining what my perfect kitchen would be like for fun!<br />
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-I would ideally be working there from 8-4 Tuesday-Saturday<br />
-It would be in a convenient location to my house, and for deliveries and collection<br />
-The rent would be affordable (!!)<br />
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The kitchen would be equipped with:<br />
-large and medium sized Hobart mixers (50 and 30 qt?)<br />
-speed racks filled with sheet pans<br />
-convection oven<br />
-large area for washing dishes and rack for drying<br />
-stove with a couple of burners<br />
-plenty of storage space for pans and dry goods, cake decorating equipment<br />
-lots of cold storage space for frostings and fillings<br />
-reach in dry fridge for finished cakes<br />
-plenty of bench space, a wooden butchers block would be wonderful for doughs.<br />
-freezer space
-reach in dry fridge space for finished cakes<br />
-an air conditioned area for decorating on hot summer days<br />
-nice seating area for consults<br />
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Of course this is my dream for the future, my current arrangement is wonderful, I am still in school so I cant plan for anything until after December! Once that comes along, maybe I should start looking for a partner to share a small space? Or I'll see how the new space at the Public Market is coming along...Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-8601679117928311582012-09-05T19:50:00.000-07:002012-09-05T19:50:00.053-07:00Crack crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6hUxg479uSAg3tovc-4I-uVZB7ArewN-IyGSp78d-y0l6p6f5I2kw0BzgKx6GB4Ru-_w5OIGkPQtHu01VGptpa9lcRvKvU2zZikZqWYMta8XncYA9JB8ekWof0a7O8WbDwmLkvDqzzI/s1600/P9030006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6hUxg479uSAg3tovc-4I-uVZB7ArewN-IyGSp78d-y0l6p6f5I2kw0BzgKx6GB4Ru-_w5OIGkPQtHu01VGptpa9lcRvKvU2zZikZqWYMta8XncYA9JB8ekWof0a7O8WbDwmLkvDqzzI/s320/P9030006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're embarking on week 2 of my bread class, and Chef James says we are sure to put on about 8lb. I can well believe it! So far we have baked zucchini bread, pumpkin muffins, cranberry scones with a honey orange glaze, beignets, white country bread, and these delicious crackers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were much easier to make than I thought, so I'm happy to make these any time I need to provide a little snack.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Cheddar Crackers </u> james foran</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10oz AP flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp dry mustard powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6oz butter, chilled and cubed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6oz grated cheddar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons cold water</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oven temp 325f convection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix the salt, pepper and mustard into the flour, rub in the butter and then add the cheddar. Mix the iced water in then form a patty and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out as thin as you can, then cut, either with a cutter or a pizza wheel. Spray with water, then sprinkle with spices and salt. I used paprika. Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-22868207794961831602012-09-03T19:19:00.000-07:002012-09-03T19:22:28.028-07:00A visit to Suzie's Farm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSD3PiezFf42fnkBUP5YagQfpyWO2bckHWuYRjtAmecCBliJwmyHYygw5ftsJPn3G_tem_KOo0Rbv2czp63re7Di1z7SpMAp_rGjIkPuFOfZSdvq3N1ovNJPUOF_aEU9Ti1715vOCE0zk/s1600/_DSC0673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSD3PiezFf42fnkBUP5YagQfpyWO2bckHWuYRjtAmecCBliJwmyHYygw5ftsJPn3G_tem_KOo0Rbv2czp63re7Di1z7SpMAp_rGjIkPuFOfZSdvq3N1ovNJPUOF_aEU9Ti1715vOCE0zk/s320/_DSC0673.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things on my list when I gave up my job was that I wanted to become more connected with my food, and I wanted to tour some farms. I finally had a chance to do this, thanks to the wonderful San Diego Foodbloggers network. It was a wonderful morning out at the border in Chula Vista at <a href="http://www.suziesfarm.com/index.php?/site/farmtours/">Suzie's Farm</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the entrance to their planned corn maze, which is also going to have a wedding in the center, how romantic!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The farm was filled with a bounty of incredible produce and beautiful flowers. Suzies farm offers farm tours for anyone who would like to come, its just $10 and you get to bring a bag and fill it up! I think they would start to get suspicious if you were to come every week, I think part of their goal as a farm is to educate the public on sustainable farming and the danger of heirloom breeds dying out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were all particularly captivated by this heirloom variety of tomatoes, which were actually black! I was a bit put off by the similarity to deadly nightshade, which is actually a relative of the tomato. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tomatoes are ripe when they get a red bottom, I picked a few out of curiosity, and they were delicious tomatoes, tangy and sweet at the same time, I'd love to get these again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was also surprised to see an okra plant for the first time, what a pretty flower they have, along with a lovely red stalk. We werent allowed near these, Wholefoods have first dibs on them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend Kristen came along, here she is picking some peppers. I'm ashamed to admit I cant remember which pepper is which! I know some were spicy and some werent, and some were 'roulette' peppers as they were sweet peppers which had been planted next to spicy peppers so some had been pollinated by the spicy peppers and some by sweet, you just didnt know what you were going to get!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all fell in love with the chickens, who were running around a penned area and generally causing chaos. There were so many breeds. Look at all the different colors of eggs they produce! I love the thought of getting my own hens, but I don't think thats on the agenda for the moment, my poor husband would probably wind up having to help take care of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is one of the workers loading up some peppers, I guess they must work 7 days there, its a hard life running a farm...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a quick salad I threw together when I got home, mozzarella, persian cucumbers and some of the wonderful tomatoes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-77359856116007958132012-04-11T17:17:00.002-07:002012-04-11T17:17:32.589-07:00Food bloggers bake sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The food bloggers bake sale is coming up again! Lots of amazing baked goods will be on sale at Great News Cooking School on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. <br />
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I'm so excited to be involved again! I'm bringing lots of cupcakes, of various flavors that I'm baking during that weekend. I'm also bringing macarons, my new favorite little treat, they are fickle but fun!<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7063391377_c30a149d0f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7063391377_c30a149d0f_z.jpg" width="226" /></a>I'm also offering a raffle prize of either a cake, or a dessert buffet to serve up to 50 people. I hope you'll enter the raffle!! Here's a little dessert buffet I did recently<br />
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Looking forward to seeing people down there, I hope I manage to make it down there for at least a few minutes.<br />
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Here is the <a href="http://sdbloggersbake.wordpress.com/aboutthesale/" target="_blank">website<span id="goog_1743585648"></span><span id="goog_1743585649"></span></a> to learn more...<br />
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I gather you are able to pre-order treats too, please either email me(jennywennycakes at gmail dot com), or visit the website to find out more!Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-80669958952113641692012-03-25T09:42:00.001-07:002012-03-25T09:43:29.361-07:00Cake competitions, the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSedYVaeK4IFTD3A31vRgfoxujRrfn9A2ZQ14BrkMqm1QwQq64o3k-Tz84Gw878f3l95GFrPAnYNwW9lk_sWCpxwiXJocU1R2E9j_9u3H1M5GtqNwl8ZU7z2nEMpDk1gF0KaeIpfjffI/s1600/DSC_3993_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSedYVaeK4IFTD3A31vRgfoxujRrfn9A2ZQ14BrkMqm1QwQq64o3k-Tz84Gw878f3l95GFrPAnYNwW9lk_sWCpxwiXJocU1R2E9j_9u3H1M5GtqNwl8ZU7z2nEMpDk1gF0KaeIpfjffI/s320/DSC_3993_2.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
I thought I'd share some thoughts on cake competitions. As I mentioned, I had an impromptu trip back to the uk, so time got crunched severely. I had high hopes for my competition cake.<br />
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I decided to 'go big or go home' and enter the grand wedding cake competition. It required 4 tiers, they must be different shapes and heights. The cake was to be based upon a song. I decided on 'an english country garden' and set about making some flowers.<br />
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I knew grandma needed to be acknowledged, so the second tier was violets (her real name) with one white violet on the back for her. I also made daffodils, roses, lily of the valley, ivy, gentian. I wanted to do so much more, but didn't have time, with just one day to do what I could to enter a cake. I thought as it was a wedding cake, it would be fun to have a gnome bride and groom, since they were mentioned in the song.<br />
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I knew straight away I wouldn't win anything, this is nowhere near the standard of the other entries, but I thought it important that I enter something, as the cake club would have empty spaces where cakes were supposed to be.<br />
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I was very disappointed to be 'called out' later by a member of the cake club for submitting a cake that wasn't quite up to scratch. I know its catty, but this is my space, and I wanted to share how traumatizing the cake world can be. I'm very lucky that this has been one of my only nasty experiences. It really knocked the stuffing out of me, I was so embarrassed to be entering a sub-standard cake to the competition, and for being called out. It was particularly difficult since none of the people had mentioned anything when I brought the cake, which would have been the appropriate time. I'm just getting my mojo back, but I felt this should be a cautionary tale for anyone who gets into this kind of thing. Competitions can be hard core and a world that should be full of sweetness and sugar can often be very sour at times.<br />
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Also, its very easy to take constant complements from well meaning family and friends and start to think that you are some kind of amazing genius. I think its good to be reminded of ones place, I make little cakes, I try my best to make sure they are made with the best ingredients and taste wonderful, I love to make them pretty, but I'm not a prizewinning 'cake artist'.<br />
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Onto happier things, there were lots of other wonderful entries in the competition, I'm embarrassed that I forgot to get a photo, but congratulations to my dear friend, <a href="http://petalsweet.blogspot.com/2012/03/san-diego-cake-show-entry-2012.html" target="_blank">Jaqueline Butler</a> for her wonderful spring entry, and her first prize rosette!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6AqKV-kpRgh1-ikhMsTLbnOqZ7oJ9EuKVHCDhl_DTdFO_fDWF9YZadrmh3eqBHouuZfob6xL69eBvzy3nvgrkLcSrGGYsRipbGvXhnGfoOsY6P2pWqd_NNQmHzs-plXnzmmJdcV5BAY/s1600/_DSC0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6AqKV-kpRgh1-ikhMsTLbnOqZ7oJ9EuKVHCDhl_DTdFO_fDWF9YZadrmh3eqBHouuZfob6xL69eBvzy3nvgrkLcSrGGYsRipbGvXhnGfoOsY6P2pWqd_NNQmHzs-plXnzmmJdcV5BAY/s320/_DSC0085.jpg" width="219" /></a><br />
Here's a lovely example of string work from my super talented friend, Chanisa.<br />
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A stunning succulent (I'd love to get a lesson!) and amazing piece of artwork from the lovely <a href="http://www.sugarlumpcakery.com/Sugarlump_Cakery/Home.html" target="_blank">Sugarlump Cakery</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnvEXtta1M5krCbF1bwyaa0j7boRp2mqod5nbgC8xIYUVSEE52WpB4EwEsOFhEL8YclICivghxWOLPk5WFg7sE6hl6sZXr4UUJiQ7FJK-Ng6O1BWIyF7loG3F2xx_394SRCYqzXr8LJw/s1600/_DSC0086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnvEXtta1M5krCbF1bwyaa0j7boRp2mqod5nbgC8xIYUVSEE52WpB4EwEsOFhEL8YclICivghxWOLPk5WFg7sE6hl6sZXr4UUJiQ7FJK-Ng6O1BWIyF7loG3F2xx_394SRCYqzXr8LJw/s320/_DSC0086.jpg" width="182" /></a>Another lovely piece of art from <a href="http://www.heythere-cupcake.com/index.html" target="_blank">Hey there cupcake</a>. I love her unusual technique of using rice paper as a decoration, to produce etherial flowers and a beautiful canvas for patterns.<br />
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Here are a few other cakes that caught my eye, there were lots of stunning pieces, but here are a few highlights. Some of the lighting was bad, so it was difficult to get great pictures of everything, and I missed out some wonderful artwork, but it was amazing to see what is possible with sugar! And it was great to raise so much money for the Ronald Macdonald house, where families with children in hospital can stay so that they can be close by.</div>
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<br />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-59930157674346617352012-03-22T07:48:00.000-07:002012-03-22T07:48:29.014-07:00Goodbye Grandma<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennywenny/5498579956/" title="Grandma's Cake by jennywenny, on Flickr"><img alt="Grandma's Cake" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/5498579956_08572644e9.jpg" width="382" /></a><br />
I recently had a very sad journey back home to say goodbye to my dear grandma, Joyce Doughty. Here she is blowing out the candles on her 90th birthday cake, watched carefully by her first great grandchild.<br />
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She was a true inspiration to me, a woman who brought sunshine into everyones lives that she touched, right up until her last days in the hospital.<br />
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The journey to celebrate her life became a joyful one, we were able to remember the vibrant and busy woman who fitted an unbelievable amount of stuff into her days. From her younger days attending university when that wasn't quite the done thing, being evacuated out to Wales. She then started a job with the London School of Hygeine and Tropical Medicine, who assigned her to the Gambia where she met my grandfather.<br />
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It was wonderful to hear stories of her work as a nutritionist, her books, her students and how many people she taught and kept in correspondence with over the years.<br />
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It was also great to remember the political woman, the person who delivered leaflets for the labor party, who was a member of the communist party at some point and had to tell a little white lie every time she came over to see me! <br />
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We had several wonderful holidays here in the west, along the california coast, and I promised I'd take her to the grand canyon. We did it in style in a helicopter, she was the only one brave enough to take the front seat, me, my mum and my aunt were way too scared!! <br />
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She also was very creative, but wouldn't admit it, she did wonderful wood carvings, I have a green man smiling down on me from the back door that she carved as a wedding gift for me, and we all have birthday cards that she painted. <br />
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At the funeral I was able to make a small tribute based on the input of friends and family, and it was wonderful to read all the wonderful things that people said, about how welcoming her home was, about how caring she was, about her cooking, how hard it was to keep up with her on walks, and her travel. <br />
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Since this is a food blog, maybe I should focus on the food, which was a great part of grandmas life, she always worried about my nutrition as a vegetarian, one memorable meal she made for me was a peanut butter lasagna which my husband was also able to enjoy! All the grandchildren remember her wonderful breakfasts, especially the eggy bread. She made a yummy rice pudding, and wonderful shortbread caramel bars. I found her old recipe cards, so I hope to replicate those soon.<br />
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<br />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-46130282132567502792012-01-15T12:57:00.000-08:002012-01-15T12:57:23.471-08:00Jennywennycakes open house!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTtm76kVx1h6f3aXyrb0ahA-ECX3wNWNMpNmbgZ7PD2u7AnM4G1SIZ8GXPFEKhH7M3kUSGEAN8iP_OqjpmE9WkAbmse4skbDM0v5CeOjZ2uRuhpzC_dt159PC63qaI3efOW78h41Qn4k/s1600/Open+house+jan+21st+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTtm76kVx1h6f3aXyrb0ahA-ECX3wNWNMpNmbgZ7PD2u7AnM4G1SIZ8GXPFEKhH7M3kUSGEAN8iP_OqjpmE9WkAbmse4skbDM0v5CeOjZ2uRuhpzC_dt159PC63qaI3efOW78h41Qn4k/s400/Open+house+jan+21st+v2.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm having a little open house next Saturday to showcase some of the things I bake for my customers. I'm getting lots of enquiries from recently engaged couples, so I thought this would be the ideal opportunity to show people what I do.<br />
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If you're free then I'd love to see you! Stop by anytime between around 12-2pm to sample cakes, cookies and cupcakes with a cup of tea or coffee!<br />
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I'm also looking for people to share my kitchen space. <a href="http://justcalluskitchenrental.com/">Just call us</a> is a great place to start a small catering business, there is everything you might need in a commercial kitchen. I'm specifically interested in people to share on Saturdays, and maybe Friday afternoons. <br />
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<br />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-80854982543960084712012-01-03T15:01:00.000-08:002012-01-03T15:01:01.813-08:00More Sugar Flowers with PME<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivf7dFCCWd5RTKrZAmvDHwESXrxA3THQcozydb7yxNSJhJxDdsL4SqfsJW8an-ZxkO_GIZdUNgdMPg-L3l4BkJVeJEVWnvoAXlswsROQWDcXpWCGGeR7-c7cRL-YXMDh2IV8HcP7Zczic/s1600/_DSC0167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivf7dFCCWd5RTKrZAmvDHwESXrxA3THQcozydb7yxNSJhJxDdsL4SqfsJW8an-ZxkO_GIZdUNgdMPg-L3l4BkJVeJEVWnvoAXlswsROQWDcXpWCGGeR7-c7cRL-YXMDh2IV8HcP7Zczic/s320/_DSC0167.jpg" width="212" /></a>I recently managed to take a quick trip back home. December is a great time to visit as everyone is so excited about Christmas!! <br />
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My primary reason for this trip was to learn more about sugar flowers at<a href="http://www.knightsbridgepmeschoolofcakedecorating.co.uk/"> PME cake decorating school</a> in Enfield, near London. It was a very affordable 4 day intensive course, which was only 250 pounds, which included lunch and as much coffee and tea as we could drink. I didnt realize at the time, but it was part 3 of a 'master sugar artist' course. I may return for the other parts in the future.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_65ztLdnU-AfQffCAv9sRQC9BzfBUFO4F3AI2VIvQ6e2zqU9DH6wx2LNAW3hXBr0M64k_0OMyMevTCkqdqGlWZXznUSLGpP-mzFxBsnStfHYdH4nsG9fiQg8chAjlpD7CiZ6-Mvxr9E/s1600/_DSC0210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_65ztLdnU-AfQffCAv9sRQC9BzfBUFO4F3AI2VIvQ6e2zqU9DH6wx2LNAW3hXBr0M64k_0OMyMevTCkqdqGlWZXznUSLGpP-mzFxBsnStfHYdH4nsG9fiQg8chAjlpD7CiZ6-Mvxr9E/s320/_DSC0210.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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We covered so many flowers! <br />
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Starting with some
unwired flowers we made gerbera with ivy, a rose, and a Christmas rose
and poinsettia. They were all on plaques, which could be prepared ahead
and then would finish any cake very nicely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vBixH7xyeH8UaW46sdvw_G76RK-aZkvpHwcyZ7WUGrdYpzxnK1vPtIpuf5elDAlcE6L6_9rjnSSYoab2zT5hudNnOxS4ZM5-HYXQ1a8a9SEe_wEIve9VFh7Cn_7wvZgn1ou0qJqn25c/s1600/_DSC0150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vBixH7xyeH8UaW46sdvw_G76RK-aZkvpHwcyZ7WUGrdYpzxnK1vPtIpuf5elDAlcE6L6_9rjnSSYoab2zT5hudNnOxS4ZM5-HYXQ1a8a9SEe_wEIve9VFh7Cn_7wvZgn1ou0qJqn25c/s320/_DSC0150.jpg" width="274" /></a>We then started on some more difficult wired flowers. We made 'filler flowers' and buds, then fuschias.<br />
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Carnations were next. Apparently the instructor doesnt like carnations, but I really loved them. I'd love to design a cake with some enormous carnation type fantasy flowers dotting the front of it!<br />
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We then made some lily of the valley. This was the instructors work, I thought they were so delicate and pretty, and actually not that hard to do, I hope to be making more of these in the future. So cute!<br />
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This picture also shows some calla lilies. They were nice and simple to do too.<br />
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We also made rose leaves and ivy. I was disappointed that this was one of the last things we got started on, leaves are very important in the design of bouquets, so it was very frustrating that there wasn't much time for these because everyone got so caught up with their other projects. If we'd been taught these early, we could have been working on these in any downtime we had.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXBAOwA7thZBN_e0uoxHD451Uc4YUP2gKCZ-ur7-nZdpzj4WhADgAO_iJVtID0mnvPTYdFza0D0M9_k_Q1oA0gEE_Hkvh8SaitBBLfWCmPZ6DrSqKnxqWR8L2F3cNj97zBR_yjlp26eo/s1600/_DSC0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXBAOwA7thZBN_e0uoxHD451Uc4YUP2gKCZ-ur7-nZdpzj4WhADgAO_iJVtID0mnvPTYdFza0D0M9_k_Q1oA0gEE_Hkvh8SaitBBLfWCmPZ6DrSqKnxqWR8L2F3cNj97zBR_yjlp26eo/s320/_DSC0189.jpg" width="320" /></a>This is the display that the instructor made,with a very pretty lily, which was one of the other flowers we worked on.<br />
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The other flower we made was, of course, a rose. This is one of the most used flowers in cake design so it was good to have another try at it. I didn't quite get mine perfect, but hopefully with a bit more work I can get the hang of them! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVWK5r2QC35uvFfHhKh4SzsPpBplUQwNFz_0JFLVXNoDJ54MQfuKffmxm79Gmgi9QNZVtW-zydo8ds5gtN_kh4m0o0_WRDeHey3vT5pXZb1ZiThy_En5qvBVYwat3MI52C98OFj2lS4o/s1600/_DSC0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVWK5r2QC35uvFfHhKh4SzsPpBplUQwNFz_0JFLVXNoDJ54MQfuKffmxm79Gmgi9QNZVtW-zydo8ds5gtN_kh4m0o0_WRDeHey3vT5pXZb1ZiThy_En5qvBVYwat3MI52C98OFj2lS4o/s320/_DSC0191.jpg" width="320" /></a> This is one of my sprays of flowers, you can see I'd have been better off had I had some extra ivy to fill it out, and my coloring of my lily left a little to be desired, but its a good start!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx3gzgfTetWq1nVEEq97zov6sqRs1i4WGWWiFzvQtmOyaipQ8SuNlRsMMZkx3nsPIYFr0EkPmAqe9hbMemGnnqifcGnZasCIVce470Gw0JBuyX0xoUGeYeY-5QC0sf1XcnagLozXt-lY/s1600/_DSC0192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx3gzgfTetWq1nVEEq97zov6sqRs1i4WGWWiFzvQtmOyaipQ8SuNlRsMMZkx3nsPIYFr0EkPmAqe9hbMemGnnqifcGnZasCIVce470Gw0JBuyX0xoUGeYeY-5QC0sf1XcnagLozXt-lY/s320/_DSC0192.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
My other spray had the prettier flowers, but 'lacked focus'. You can see that my next project will need to be a flower arranging class! It was amazing to see the sheer volume of flowers we managed to produce in 4 days!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBDkJalzXd-7IO5RLE3oY-B2FGhVvHN5K0TNZvgq1ifQdMOdkIvA1AE_mPHIijA4wP2ZC0PHCA6OUo7XkKqk3NlrPX3b5_OchC39fJ5Agf3d87QI8CIPaQqCWvfIEzYZpHGHeixyv5Ow/s1600/_DSC0137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBDkJalzXd-7IO5RLE3oY-B2FGhVvHN5K0TNZvgq1ifQdMOdkIvA1AE_mPHIijA4wP2ZC0PHCA6OUo7XkKqk3NlrPX3b5_OchC39fJ5Agf3d87QI8CIPaQqCWvfIEzYZpHGHeixyv5Ow/s320/_DSC0137.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoR4CuCbOrjP7orB2RysuOGuF8a2pqxrrGCSdURdv_e_gRJjOcTstfmd-rn13ldDt3xi6bQMvaJ_hCvH0OeCWh4u0lkRhN4YLPy13l2_nXFKWwcWn8l9kA2MW7DVKl1WdgKxkifn4nKM/s1600/_DSC0196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoR4CuCbOrjP7orB2RysuOGuF8a2pqxrrGCSdURdv_e_gRJjOcTstfmd-rn13ldDt3xi6bQMvaJ_hCvH0OeCWh4u0lkRhN4YLPy13l2_nXFKWwcWn8l9kA2MW7DVKl1WdgKxkifn4nKM/s320/_DSC0196.jpg" width="205" /></a> Previous classes I've taken leave you with two flowers over two days, so this was definitely more intense and productive! PME designed this class to help people produce sugar flowers that were actually commercially viable, so they may not always be perfectly correct looking, but good enough for most people. <br />
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The other downside with the PME classes is that the only equipment and supplies used are ones that PME sell, so they were either JEM, Wilton or PME. Even if there was a better product, we werent able to use it. This was particularly frustrating when making leaves as I'm used to using a grooved board to roll them out on, which leaves a groove for the wire to be put into.<br />
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I've taken a few pictures of other examples from the other students and instructors. It was interesting to see the different color schemes. <br />
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Every student on the class went away with something beautiful, so it was a testament to a great instructor that such a complex skill was so well taught. <br />
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Having been to many classes with Jacqueline Butler at <a href="http://petalsweet.blogspot.com/">Petalsweet Cakes</a>, and also a class with <a href="http://sugarartbytami.com/">Tami Utley</a>, I'd say this was much more intense, and the students were not there to have fun, they were there to learn. Everyone seemed to be feeling the pressure, even though maybe half of us werent professionals. I had to wonder about why they were taking time off work to do something that seemed to be stressing them out so much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-rqS14tKjGQMgDAjY6uNZlA5irj05Y2qx3kjtMSn3hjIvz8osA5gkU7Ancq5f05DGt87RgslRCYB06Z8k8dlDPcYYEkVCdyl8DIBIPLDbW3kKdfZSTZzl-1NLCq7cKvlLFtnPeqM1sQ/s1600/122911+Orchids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-rqS14tKjGQMgDAjY6uNZlA5irj05Y2qx3kjtMSn3hjIvz8osA5gkU7Ancq5f05DGt87RgslRCYB06Z8k8dlDPcYYEkVCdyl8DIBIPLDbW3kKdfZSTZzl-1NLCq7cKvlLFtnPeqM1sQ/s320/122911+Orchids.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
Overall this was a great experience. I got experience of making a ton of different flowers. I feel a lot more confident about trying new sugar flowers, and I already was asked to make some orchids for a cake that they were making at <a href="http://fabcakes.com/index.html">CAKE</a>, so they already came in handy! Here are the bright vibrant flowers they asked for!<br />
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<br />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-18702699075377157502012-01-01T17:38:00.000-08:002012-01-01T17:38:27.300-08:002011, What a whirlwind of a year!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5249/5378911199_5481fd023a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5249/5378911199_5481fd023a_z.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm looking at this vest right now, and I cant believe that I kicked off the year with a half marathon! I hate running! It was a fun experience, but one foot in front of the other, and I did it. Maybe not the fastest (I finished with the speed walkers!!) but I did it! I dont plan on running further than a couple of miles in the future, but you never know!!<br />
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February was my grandma's 90th birthday, I was very honored to be able to travel home and create a huge birthday cake for her. I'm so glad she had such a wonderful day, her memory is a little fuzzy sometimes but she was crystal clear and happy that day. Everyone loved the tiramisu flavored chocolate cake too!!<br />
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Another treat was a week spent with my brother, mum and niece. We don't get a lot of time together living so far apart, it was very special. <br />
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In March, I attended another great class at <a href="http://www.rozsweetartstudio.com/">Roz's Sweet Art Studio</a> with Petalsweet Cakes. I entered a relaxing zen atmosphere for 2 days, and created an anemone and a fuchsia. It was very relaxing, as well as wonderful to learn a new beautiful flower!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy6QI3GzCw8XU7wnePaDpNhtLfL1Xh-_YZBp5fSRPAZ80YvSlEVkh8Loia3yjkEg2-Oe664AcUxrugnUuoek4L_gmfj0FWw2L73mNmP0zBdT1VNnW-PKlSaIigQe80QQjZPuR6GOm-EM/s320/IMG_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy6QI3GzCw8XU7wnePaDpNhtLfL1Xh-_YZBp5fSRPAZ80YvSlEVkh8Loia3yjkEg2-Oe664AcUxrugnUuoek4L_gmfj0FWw2L73mNmP0zBdT1VNnW-PKlSaIigQe80QQjZPuR6GOm-EM/s320/IMG_0135.JPG" /></a>April, I did a crazy thing and went to the UK for a long weekend to celebrate my friend's wedding. It basically felt like a ridiculous dream, I stayed in a lovely cottage with all my friends around me, and we celebrated with incredible food and drinks, and just amazing warm weather! I was so glad I got to be there, it was totally worth the jetlag! <br />
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We realized we'd not been away as a couple for over a year, so I planned a weekend in Vegas in May for us to relax and enjoy ourselves! We stayed in luxury at the Wynn, and it was really fun to escape from normal life for a weekend!<br />
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June I was making more and more cakes, this being one of the bigger weddings, catering for 150 people at Tom Ham's Lighthouse. The event went smoothly and I started to get into my stride. I finally started to feel a little more confident planning weddings and larger events.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN36wMFswl1NV8fZ9zul7oGS6v-pmVtlbwnMR5HtVbJBYReJ9fm5-RMtvmZOjHTYDF-nqxS_5u9XynZctDTnDFpEQM3iDpFCNQ4ehlLLUWQ7NIZNSXP3Q1tmJ84gzyAqKQmm5FBByWS50/s320/070911+Just+Call+Us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN36wMFswl1NV8fZ9zul7oGS6v-pmVtlbwnMR5HtVbJBYReJ9fm5-RMtvmZOjHTYDF-nqxS_5u9XynZctDTnDFpEQM3iDpFCNQ4ehlLLUWQ7NIZNSXP3Q1tmJ84gzyAqKQmm5FBByWS50/s320/070911+Just+Call+Us.jpg" /></a> July was when I started in the '<a href="http://justcalluskitchenrental.com/">Just Call Us</a>' kitchen. This has been a great experience for me. It has been stressful paying for time in advance, trying to work out when I'll need the kitchen and also panicking sometimes to get done in time if someone needs the kitchen after me. But on the whole the experience has been very positive, I've made lots of friends in the kitchen, learned a lot, and its a great kitchen to work in, I seem to get my work done really quickly in there, which helps me to save money! I'm hoping that a few more people decide to use the kitchen, as I prefer to share time, so I hope there are a few more folks with new food ventures in 2012!<br />
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August was a very special month, spending time with my lovely niece and celebrating her 3rd birthday. I managed to fit in a trip to Sydney to meet <a href="http://www.handiscakes.com/">Handi</a> and learn a new technique. I wanted a great cake for my niece too. I actually carried this on the plane as hand luggage and I dont recommend this to anyone. It was a nightmare and I thought my arms would fall off!!<br />
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Of course the really huge event in my life was that I gave up my job on August 9th. It was terrifying, but I had a lot of support and I'd made lots of plans, and saved up some money, so I hoped it would work out. So far so good! I haven't really looked back! I still miss some of my colleagues, but I don't miss the work. <br />
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September I got my teeth into fruit and vegetable carving. I found myself really enjoying this class, I'd highly recommend it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCVbZ7MxTkUr2Vl1QkN-BWgstTShotAPik44Fcp1a0JMyIhv_x8YC-Zuy40iiQnAAb45LajD2SKO0Wryodqdg08E4-nC6JOsyRw4Uv0Em0wILgQCm0wQkOEwHzp87qFFSiITZhHylVXY/s1600/_DSC0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCVbZ7MxTkUr2Vl1QkN-BWgstTShotAPik44Fcp1a0JMyIhv_x8YC-Zuy40iiQnAAb45LajD2SKO0Wryodqdg08E4-nC6JOsyRw4Uv0Em0wILgQCm0wQkOEwHzp87qFFSiITZhHylVXY/s320/_DSC0031.jpg" width="320" /></a>October is always a special month, its our wedding anniversary, and my husband announced he'd been invited to speak up in Berkeley, so I decided to make the most of it and go there with him. We had a wonderful few days, the highlight of which was a last minute trip to Chez Panisse for lunch on our anniversary. It was a very special meal.<br />
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Of course I cant forget October without mentioning this doozy of a cake! My wonderful customer wanted a 'wow' cake for his halloween party, I knew I needed to step up and practice a new technique I'd learned in Australia and make him a 'mad hatter' I was so happy with how it turned out, although it was extremely nervewracking!!<br />
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November came with lots of volunteering opportunities! I was happy to be a part of the <a href="http://www.mamaskitchen.org/">Mamas Kitchen</a> Pie in the Sky event, where I made 25 pecan pies to sell. I also helped out the Just Call Us volunteers make another 300. I was ready to say goodbye to pastry for a little while after that!!<br />
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I managed to fit a trip to London in December to visit the <a href="http://www.knightsbridgepmeschoolofcakedecorating.co.uk/">PME</a> headquarters and do a crash course in sugar flowers. I also earned a posh looking diploma! I dont know about my flower arranging skills, but I'm certainly very happy with all the new flowers I tried making, and the old ones that I practiced! I'll try to blog about this a little more soon!<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6609577883_2bffe47105_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6609577883_2bffe47105_z.jpg" width="219" /></a><br />
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The year ended on a beautiful note with another wedding. I got to showcase the lovely peonies that <a href="http://petalsweet.blogspot.com/">Jaqueline</a> taught me, I just loved the vibrant colorscheme, and I was very happy to see some of my friends sharing the kitchen as I built the cake were unable to stop themselves from picking at the offcuts!<br />
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Its been a wonderful year, I'm very excited for 2012 and whatever that might bring! Don't ask me whether I'm 'living the dream' when I'm in the middle of a pile of washing up, or someone has just complained on the phone that my prices are too high, but I do have to pinch myself sometimes when I'm whipping up a delicious cake, or making a beautiful cake decoration!Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-40974571935487930852011-12-07T19:17:00.001-08:002011-12-07T19:32:23.421-08:00Coco Cookies<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwc-bxoTXrfiA76AXwdRDfmM83NusEhiirFGRNpoKZJz16eR1BbZWddjUAmCe5gkfaBhKMyleZrGAxEgX7o8UKLsDi779Y6O_QXayu8CnP0XdRRT-BAFHuGF1r-wq6vCnLZZhdxzHqD-Q/s1600/120711+Coco+cookies+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwc-bxoTXrfiA76AXwdRDfmM83NusEhiirFGRNpoKZJz16eR1BbZWddjUAmCe5gkfaBhKMyleZrGAxEgX7o8UKLsDi779Y6O_QXayu8CnP0XdRRT-BAFHuGF1r-wq6vCnLZZhdxzHqD-Q/s320/120711+Coco+cookies+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of the best things about sharing a kitchen is the wonderful people I meet, with such different products and interests. <br />
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I have had the great pleasure of sharing the kitchen with these lovely ladies who are working extremely hard on their cookies to produce a healthy, gluten free, vegan, organic and fair trade product. <br />
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Coco cookies are made without refined sugar too, so they are great for an afternoon snack that picks you up rather than give you a horrible sugar low.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ50oao1DcKzIW05OtONCbt-R7wb3gpsEItEYBCayt4OhDZqCrZkHJe89ERVV6zPX-8epDdMM5sPslJe5M2CAE04GLxURuXYW6P612Pk5oSc51cnVL-P85YYeWhxAjHEW4w8cGm6wcoPY/s1600/120711+Coco+cookies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ50oao1DcKzIW05OtONCbt-R7wb3gpsEItEYBCayt4OhDZqCrZkHJe89ERVV6zPX-8epDdMM5sPslJe5M2CAE04GLxURuXYW6P612Pk5oSc51cnVL-P85YYeWhxAjHEW4w8cGm6wcoPY/s320/120711+Coco+cookies+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>They are definitely the kind of afternoon snack that I'm looking for, if you're expecting a sugary sweet, buttery cookie, you might be a little disappointed.<br />
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They got their FDA approval for wholesale and online orders, so expect coco cookies to be in the stores soon! Meanwhile they are available <a href="http://www.cococookie.com/">online</a>.<br />
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<em>Disclosure: I got these cookies free from the coco girls, but I wasn't paid for my endorsement!</em><br />
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</div>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-76415771046295225912011-12-04T18:29:00.001-08:002011-12-04T18:43:53.537-08:00Cowabunga for Icing smiles!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIRBn6F7zBg2KklzyE1jiq6eaqyWfcYyB0kaoNiBX6cRScp9RGwcGZSJvRaBZkTYAfAcgOIV2jXgWOJp5FVQLr-bXz0kqD5vaTeUNXn6TO_7jOgX4sngId7AGc4sy_Jf2pu_lrweJdx4/s1600/120411+Icing+smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIRBn6F7zBg2KklzyE1jiq6eaqyWfcYyB0kaoNiBX6cRScp9RGwcGZSJvRaBZkTYAfAcgOIV2jXgWOJp5FVQLr-bXz0kqD5vaTeUNXn6TO_7jOgX4sngId7AGc4sy_Jf2pu_lrweJdx4/s320/120411+Icing+smiles.jpg" width="320" /></a>This weekend, I had the honor of making a very special cake for a very special little boy. <br />
I learned about <a href="http://www.icingsmiles.org/">Icing Smiles</a> when they first started, and one of the things I was really excited about when I finally got to a commercial setting was making cakes for their charity.<br />
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So when I got the call to action email for little trevor, I was so excited! I was a little un-nerved as I wasnt sure that my cake would match up to the amazing works of art that some of the other cake artists have created, but I was very happy to take up the challenge.<br />
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It was a teenage mutant ninja turtle theme, and his favorite was Raphael. I did my best to recreate his face on the cake, then decorated the cake with the weapons of the turtles. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSYOf-hf6PMbnNlTAho5X9o7xKY_JCuCROz77kOiWjOs4DZBAhOOlcLsg9DqkkUAnXAwLL0em7PcFl55KME_HQ3HgAmy5CNlt7YXJu8UqeKu13CeThmtCbPFZrNMqLpbClXe3EU9mVzY/s1600/120411+Icing+smiles2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSYOf-hf6PMbnNlTAho5X9o7xKY_JCuCROz77kOiWjOs4DZBAhOOlcLsg9DqkkUAnXAwLL0em7PcFl55KME_HQ3HgAmy5CNlt7YXJu8UqeKu13CeThmtCbPFZrNMqLpbClXe3EU9mVzY/s320/120411+Icing+smiles2.jpg" width="320" /></a>I was very sad to hear that poor Trevor was admitted to childrens hospital the day before the party, so it had to be postponed. Since I'd already made the cake, I offered to deliver it to the hospital so he could have a little party there with his family.</div>
<br />It was so nice to meet him, he was such a cute kiddy, it was also sad to think of all he'd already been through in his few years with 3 open heart surgeries.<br />
<br />I hope that the family will get in touch once he's on the mend and we'll reschedule with an even more fun and elaborate cake for him!<br />
<br />If anyone would like to help<a href="http://www.icingsmiles.org/"> Icing Smiles</a> with a donation, or get on the directory for bakers, I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. I know there are plenty of charities out there, but it is so nice to bring a kid such happiness when they have had so much to deal with.Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-47033983642244954602011-11-30T06:52:00.001-08:002011-11-30T07:15:06.666-08:00CAKE!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq4dZLrg-O_wkBO4UCD7r8wrOKkdWl1zCFXHsTuzVFxLYbCUnBoinwvyGP8Il_B2dfn9yl03EB79gQ3vghjOO6nhLN-xy0QuvqW_e_UsxbibGMWnO7lhYe9QA-5MP5bSjOozjzRa8STs/s1600/113011+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq4dZLrg-O_wkBO4UCD7r8wrOKkdWl1zCFXHsTuzVFxLYbCUnBoinwvyGP8Il_B2dfn9yl03EB79gQ3vghjOO6nhLN-xy0QuvqW_e_UsxbibGMWnO7lhYe9QA-5MP5bSjOozjzRa8STs/s320/113011+Cake.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
I just wanted to take a moment to chat about Cake. Not just cake in general, <a href="http://www.fabcakes.com/">CAKE</a>, the place that I was interning at. I still pop in there a couple of days a week, I cant keep away. There is a wonderful warm atmosphere there and there is still so much for me to learn!<br />
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Cake are the bakery that supplies wedding and party cakes to many of the major hotels and event venues in San Diego, including the Hotel Del Coronado. Their cakes are instantly recognizable as they are over an inch taller than usual. Jen doesnt like to short change people over cake, so they make sure there is more than enough! The most popular flavor is banana truffle, and it is divine! One thing to note is that they only make cakes for parties over 30 people, so keep that in mind when placing an order.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uIdWtCjQ3zc4XfVSpjaSileKtSrdDYNW9sl04s0o39oLdPcL7pH0XZ9-lPXrNGdXSWv-uzr5gbXpqfL6QH2ZY5Y_HwGdMlHXj61p6Jl0uvUnTqVnlMYCsf17iRo_r8t4_zXeseT4NVQ/s1600/113011+Cake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uIdWtCjQ3zc4XfVSpjaSileKtSrdDYNW9sl04s0o39oLdPcL7pH0XZ9-lPXrNGdXSWv-uzr5gbXpqfL6QH2ZY5Y_HwGdMlHXj61p6Jl0uvUnTqVnlMYCsf17iRo_r8t4_zXeseT4NVQ/s320/113011+Cake2.jpg" width="320" /></a>The cakes are also different in the fact that they never use fondant. Cakes are baked from scratch and decorated in buttercream. Modelling chocolate is used for amazing design elements. I've seen princess castles, boats, tequila bottles, and all sorts of other crazy designs! This is never at the expense of flavor. It is so refreshing to meet another baker who feels so strongly that the flavors of the cake is paramount, then the decoration comes second.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VTRA4QFCv5c42eGJJdFO8Sj2hAXclEOGd43MTBKKcS7MIkOm6UM8AhTVNKXeiFQMokm0nS-9cQ8s4_HJFsfD1lKtsLfJ67ZrdW7PwiF1EXDUMUdWDVmd1eFrvTyaa-9KpA9bryffHGg/s1600/113011+Cake6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VTRA4QFCv5c42eGJJdFO8Sj2hAXclEOGd43MTBKKcS7MIkOm6UM8AhTVNKXeiFQMokm0nS-9cQ8s4_HJFsfD1lKtsLfJ67ZrdW7PwiF1EXDUMUdWDVmd1eFrvTyaa-9KpA9bryffHGg/s320/113011+Cake6.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="212" /></a>The bakery is going to be opening its doors to people and hoping to be more of a neigborhood hangout and coffee bar. They started on the right footing with the wonderful coffees from <a href="http://www.caffecalabria.com/">Cafe Calabria</a>, and of course the baked goods are delicious! Some signature items include the gooey brownies, soft cherry chocolate chip cookies and tangy lemon bars.<br />
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To announce their new project they will be holding an open house on <strong>Sunday December 4th</strong> from 12-4pm. Stop by to taste the coffee, sample some delights, and see the wonderful space down there.<br />
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Another place to catch up with the 'fabulous cake girls' is to pop into their stand at the December nights event in Balboa Park.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx7YrZbKNiByp7o86nneeQ2HDQfDU6-cmtpvZhV8V9cDwQbMC5SLDKQ-d-q5OEUvWZvvznjDx9iNsDHEWilz4h1giWboXTHY7b_Vf9_-CyeR9Ti_STOR5b18UeA_grEq03rMta8cv3OE/s1600/113011+Cake3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx7YrZbKNiByp7o86nneeQ2HDQfDU6-cmtpvZhV8V9cDwQbMC5SLDKQ-d-q5OEUvWZvvznjDx9iNsDHEWilz4h1giWboXTHY7b_Vf9_-CyeR9Ti_STOR5b18UeA_grEq03rMta8cv3OE/s320/113011+Cake3.jpg" width="212" /></a>If you cant make it to these events, just stop into the shop! Its always fun to see what they are working on, and to smell the delightful smells coming from the ovens!<br />
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Coffee will be served from 6am every morning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.fabcakes.com/">CAKE</a><br />
3085 Reynard Way, San Diego 92103<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fabulous-Cake-Girls/179739781818">Facebook page</a><br />
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<br />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-81620665282929291442011-11-26T17:00:00.001-08:002011-11-28T06:56:07.201-08:00Pecan pies for mama's kitchen<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://www.mamaskitchen.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZea_QuxP5OlxwYGOdd23jyK5RwL4wzk-XpxmvyRTfNItmZTHoezykyEwbbKUoryPrdUXUYT3sx6CYDcm3w5WZnl7w4U6UPOLhMoBdG5X-DEBt6tZJS2k_ols2UCGljYnOMMFaEbu0e4/s320/112511+Pies4.jpg" width="212" /></a>Mama's kitchen is such a wonderful organization, I was so excited to finally be working in a commercial kitchen so that I could make some pies for their big 'pie in the sky' fundraiser! Bakers all around San Diego craft delicious pies and donate them, and mama's kitchen sell them for $20 apiece to benefit their charity work.</div>
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I started by volunteering at the Just Call Us kitchen so that I could learn about making pecan pies from the pros! They made 300 pies and I took charge melting butter. The pie shells were ready made, which made it easier, but it still took all day with lots of experienced volunteers to make them. Its always fun volunteering with Julie, she has a stellar crew of experienced chefs and you'll always meet someone interesting and pick up some wonderful tips in the kitchen while you are working there. You generally find yourself thanking them instead of feeling like they should be thanking you after a day with the volunteers.</div>
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Then the next day I started on mine! I had already made all the pastry, which was a huge workout using <a href="http://rachelgoing.com/">Rachel's</a> method!<br />
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Despite the fact that I'd tested the recipe and I was confident my pies would be good, I did have some trouble. Hand made dough plays all kinds of tricks, it seemed a little thick to cut through on my first batch, so the second time, I made it thinner and it shrank into the shell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGp674STlcQ1NDS43xnjHMfr8d5018VEm3SqPwtRGnFctAeNVtlfF03eBLSdZ32Km4P6tJ7uYcnJ9Ce7kYlboLvVjX_k1izy6QKESLQHtS5h3ex1u6ouOserYT4EUWYxoPATiK6MhxrA/s1600/112511+Pies2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGp674STlcQ1NDS43xnjHMfr8d5018VEm3SqPwtRGnFctAeNVtlfF03eBLSdZ32Km4P6tJ7uYcnJ9Ce7kYlboLvVjX_k1izy6QKESLQHtS5h3ex1u6ouOserYT4EUWYxoPATiK6MhxrA/s320/112511+Pies2.jpg" width="320" /></a>So my contribution was considerably more rustic than the one from the other bakeries. I was very happy to have been a part of this great endeavor and I'm eternally grateful to <a href="http://myburningkitchen.com/">Darlene</a> for helping me out on a rainy Sunday evening. </div>
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<br />Its funny to work with someone who doesnt normally work in an industrial kitchen, she was tasked with breaking 60 eggs into a bowl and it was a mind bogglingly large batch of filling we ended up making!<br />
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Thanks also to <a href="http://www.vintagesugarcube.com/">vintage sugar cube</a> and <a href="http://www.geminidesserts.com/">gemini desserts</a> for contributing towards the ingredients, this made the burden somewhat easier to bear.<br />
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Thanks also to <a href="http://justcalluskitchenrental.com/">Just call us kitchen</a> and <a href="http://www.fabcakes.com/">Cake</a> for allowing me to use their kitchens and ovens for production!<br />
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I hope you all had a nice thanksgiving. After all this baking, I was very happy to allow someone else to cook for us! </div>
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<br /></div>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-84363759743180537372011-11-01T20:18:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:18:59.386-07:00My first proper halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My halloween evenings since moving to this country have generally been spent hiding away with the lights off, we really didn't understand!<br />
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The holiday is a little confusing in the UK, there is a lot more 'tricking' than treating, I distinctly remember my mum cleaning silly string off the porch on November 1st.<br />
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This year, I decided I would participate. I know people are super paranoid about not giving their children 'home baked' treats, which seems terribly sad to me. I decided to go ahead and bake sugar cookies, and I took advantage of the fact that I rent <a href="http://justcalluskitchenrental.com/">commercial kitchen space</a> to make them, so they were fully legitimate, and I packaged them up, so hopefully they didnt get thrown straight in the trash. They were sugar cookies, some sandwiched around chocolate ganache and some simply covered in royal icing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxca_VgV3qxIK_f94UoTqI1cjIutnyljlWUmGzpFpgbV6dFP-u0H_obmbGKc7NNt1y4MCS-mJu3K9Gw4qxSViMysd8FbwpWsRYKYNpOUtNWPE3MiZ34l-CUd8dwECrVyv2oR5Bo7bUdQQ/s1600/110111+Halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxca_VgV3qxIK_f94UoTqI1cjIutnyljlWUmGzpFpgbV6dFP-u0H_obmbGKc7NNt1y4MCS-mJu3K9Gw4qxSViMysd8FbwpWsRYKYNpOUtNWPE3MiZ34l-CUd8dwECrVyv2oR5Bo7bUdQQ/s320/110111+Halloween.jpg" width="320" /></a>I then tried to make use of my new vegetable carving skills with some pumpkin carving! I didnt go totally crazy, but I wanted something fun, so I went traditional with one, and made a cute kitty with the other.<br />
<br />It was really fun answering the door and checking out the cute costumes! I think my favorite was the little kiddies who were dressed up as a zoo ranger, a chicken and Anne of Green Gables! The kiddies loved the kitty pumpkin, and they were really excited about the cookies, so I'm glad I didn't go the safe route and buy candy! They started calling at 6.30 and they were all gone by 7.30! Next year I need to bake double!!<br />
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<br />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-47112636679328301512011-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:002011-10-25T07:58:10.364-07:00Detour to Freed's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRWieft7bP7XdOriYO-QZyOUUkUOrpDRO0gKUBE5TUKWxyo9AxNYt5pAvD0GxRxSRIxva2_rGzx6Cn8ao1dzm8ZZKG05RJSgRluJaAVY5lZautGTspFUydiRWDXX6dPK7nAdrZmViu1k/s1600/101711+Freeds+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRWieft7bP7XdOriYO-QZyOUUkUOrpDRO0gKUBE5TUKWxyo9AxNYt5pAvD0GxRxSRIxva2_rGzx6Cn8ao1dzm8ZZKG05RJSgRluJaAVY5lZautGTspFUydiRWDXX6dPK7nAdrZmViu1k/s320/101711+Freeds+1.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the return from the trip to Las Vegas, I popped into <a href="http://www.freedsbakery.com/">Freed's Bakery</a>. Through some lucky connections, I was able to have a tour of the facilities, and it was truly mind boggling to see the size of production here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Freed's is a Las Vegas institution, making cakes for many of the big hotels and weddings and with a line out of the door for their famous cookies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It seemed that in years past there was a small bakery owned by the Freid family on every corner, but in recent times, they have decided to consolidate to one large operation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any bakery tour starts with a good look at what is on offer, and the case is just a beauty to behold!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BUPZbYBfj57OntlnMD7IHJ1k2j07gXOsGHXm2MxFR4ckZMW9Mn1O3tsgwkZB18c-8eatC7qlrYbN-Qud62b_9xAmzXAWYnNrqbradDERHa8xchAZ8pm5a4gaUtDYrtMCkCvCPzTLIAg/s1600/101711+Freeds+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BUPZbYBfj57OntlnMD7IHJ1k2j07gXOsGHXm2MxFR4ckZMW9Mn1O3tsgwkZB18c-8eatC7qlrYbN-Qud62b_9xAmzXAWYnNrqbradDERHa8xchAZ8pm5a4gaUtDYrtMCkCvCPzTLIAg/s320/101711+Freeds+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">We bought some of the yummy cookies to savor on our long drive back home, and they were wonderful, I especially remember the pecan shortbread and the magic bars!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started by looking at the consultation suite, where up to 6 couples could discuss their wedding cakes at any one time. Amazing! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The tour continued to an entirely separate area where cakes are 'built', torted, filling added and a crumb coat of icing added.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFBBqz0mnYDgRop1mTUV3K0VzFZqFhLSQEZ0V-whjQZ9yHREPijG-LzMatB-8jCYdzD_ZSphzOjcojRaGTIH-I3xoxeqZIk5QknOXbGF2ZG06zbFDgtr5TYqNojjGdoYVmOsgMUPn9SQ/s1600/101711+Freeds+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFBBqz0mnYDgRop1mTUV3K0VzFZqFhLSQEZ0V-whjQZ9yHREPijG-LzMatB-8jCYdzD_ZSphzOjcojRaGTIH-I3xoxeqZIk5QknOXbGF2ZG06zbFDgtr5TYqNojjGdoYVmOsgMUPn9SQ/s320/101711+Freeds+3.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was good to see all the fresh ingredients in the fridge, so many bakeries these days rely on shelf stable fake ingredients these days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We took a look at where the decorators sit, the bakery has 7 talented artists who finish the cakes off with their amazing designs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We also took a look at the giant rotating convection oven, which just boggles the mind!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm9XX3zO1UVuX0om1QcLE0QLyF_GWnVHADJp_c243YCpZMeF-BoczTjbOK-_PQQCsXJYMkCd7v4H1fgKUf4bEtsc20Y5imLpn_HuriFKIDu8sfgyS5VKU1hlrgXFcefAlR8AasHzs1N8/s1600/101711+Freeds+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm9XX3zO1UVuX0om1QcLE0QLyF_GWnVHADJp_c243YCpZMeF-BoczTjbOK-_PQQCsXJYMkCd7v4H1fgKUf4bEtsc20Y5imLpn_HuriFKIDu8sfgyS5VKU1hlrgXFcefAlR8AasHzs1N8/s320/101711+Freeds+4.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">The giant hobart mixers all in a line were stunning, it took a moment for me to realize that they were more than twice the size of even the largest mixer I've ever used, and they dwarfed the teeny little hobart mixers that I normally use to make the mousse filling at my internship!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For me it was a window into another world. My dream was that I made cakes for people, which I do now, I dont have aspirations past maybe having my own small kitchen and studio with small fridges that hold beautiful custom cakes that I have created for people, but we'll see what the future holds...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So if you're passing through Henderson on your way back to San Diego, pick up some cookies here to make your journey that much sweeter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nd5bRlVR_O1ylAV0B8viVWpyemdmdzqpQCp0ZankV_om47Xv43_0dIkY402r6Z6-O81bpIFdA1EObHqXWQCsMDImkyy7Tv4tQTSa7DxKQBZ8jH5qrlPZ-660UuTso4mDL9GIIB-xPg4/s1600/101711+Freeds+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nd5bRlVR_O1ylAV0B8viVWpyemdmdzqpQCp0ZankV_om47Xv43_0dIkY402r6Z6-O81bpIFdA1EObHqXWQCsMDImkyy7Tv4tQTSa7DxKQBZ8jH5qrlPZ-660UuTso4mDL9GIIB-xPg4/s320/101711+Freeds+5.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.freedsbakery.com/cakes/map.html"><span style="color: black;">Freeds Bakery </span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.freedsbakery.com/cakes/map.html"><span style="color: black;">9815 S. Eastern Ave</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.freedsbakery.com/cakes/map.html"><span style="color: black;">Las Vegas, Nevada
89183</span></a></div>
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Bakery Hours: Monday - Saturday 8:00am -8:00pm PST <br />
Sunday 9:00am-6:00pm</div>
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<img height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFBBqz0mnYDgRop1mTUV3K0VzFZqFhLSQEZ0V-whjQZ9yHREPijG-LzMatB-8jCYdzD_ZSphzOjcojRaGTIH-I3xoxeqZIk5QknOXbGF2ZG06zbFDgtr5TYqNojjGdoYVmOsgMUPn9SQ/s320/101711+Freeds+3.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 138px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 666px;" width="96" />Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-19108661108612004692011-10-16T18:49:00.000-07:002011-10-16T18:51:30.957-07:00Viva Bike Vegas!Wow! What an adventure! Im afraid its not all about food today, unless you like hearing about gatorade, energy bars, bananas, oranges and miller lite, which is most of what I ended up eating yesterday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8dk7_9Rjm-cTQQhVmOczICRJsjYE-Qlaj73UG2A21k-PVJCyxquG10Ua6NBzml7y-Hcvb-Dysq1eUgWRV9oqjNbCyZ0ydrj3-hivnuL7lWtZzhsIkPzb95gQ4QEasai6zNGvza7hNzo/s1600/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8dk7_9Rjm-cTQQhVmOczICRJsjYE-Qlaj73UG2A21k-PVJCyxquG10Ua6NBzml7y-Hcvb-Dysq1eUgWRV9oqjNbCyZ0ydrj3-hivnuL7lWtZzhsIkPzb95gQ4QEasai6zNGvza7hNzo/s320/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas.jpg" width="320" /></a> My courageous bike team completed what was my 10th program with Team in Training, and my 9th century bike ride to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.<br />
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This was by far the hardest bike program, the 'Viva Bike Vegas' was a really gruelling 103 miles and between 4500 and 5100 ft of climbing, the toughest part being a relentless 30 mile slog up into the Red Rock Canyon preserve. Whilst it was beautiful, it was painful continually climbing for that distance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj545lHmHsv3pcd2AbA-N-KBrK40l_JqR4SXqf19jFY9Lo_ycdpldxB4e4OwJCoANFNa4A7ekInIebZ1hqUb3oGIZZTI-K2xL_YL0CpOSi_iDR9H8V9n441eiqm0I6R9uCPT0sIiR_IQjY/s1600/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj545lHmHsv3pcd2AbA-N-KBrK40l_JqR4SXqf19jFY9Lo_ycdpldxB4e4OwJCoANFNa4A7ekInIebZ1hqUb3oGIZZTI-K2xL_YL0CpOSi_iDR9H8V9n441eiqm0I6R9uCPT0sIiR_IQjY/s320/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+5.jpg" width="320" /></a>The true highlight of the day was riding down the Las Vegas strip, which was closed to traffic, and having a 5am cheering crew made up of drunks, and various random people who were still up from the night before!<br />
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I was so happy to have finished the ride, but I'm also proud of my team-mates, one of which had only ridden a beach cruiser many years ago and was around my mothers age!<br />
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I'm pictured here at the finish with my wonderful mentor, Will, who taught me about the 'goldilocks' method of trying to find a rider who is a similar pace to you and then hanging on to dear life on their wheel so they block the wind for you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y15-9spHOsGP-_lRCqSesQwZEITMXCkX34cs4e4a8D3rbgs7YoLlbbEtrxNBHEcpCPrrlNzOITZUHfbJ7PC3teENGGzNgvhFCwiqQkA5ozZxzG6EQpQtG2jE2L5Mf6ySrNTSOOahH1A/s1600/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The hill climbing around San Diego paid off, and we continued our tradition of even the fastest riders going back out to near the finish line and riding in together, which was especially gracious when they finished several hours before and were dying for a shower and clean clothes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiidwC0ytTuFfRPdH3ZURMkcmBPTlINS3NDzOwXwuCbFbf50hcI2YYjANi6WRMdLs55WvLEmdNAzN6C9h7tzDP2eqJcB5pg2SBpeK8TV51Vem8q02XcDHZiPCKkTVqT0PZHaN88k9yol4/s1600/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiidwC0ytTuFfRPdH3ZURMkcmBPTlINS3NDzOwXwuCbFbf50hcI2YYjANi6WRMdLs55WvLEmdNAzN6C9h7tzDP2eqJcB5pg2SBpeK8TV51Vem8q02XcDHZiPCKkTVqT0PZHaN88k9yol4/s320/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>I normally sneer at Outback Steakhouse, but the post ride meal provided as part of the registration was a true step up from most organized bike ride, a plate of perfectly seared mahi-mahi, delicious rice and cesar salad was most welcome to recharge my batteries, along with a cold beer!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO_TjSa6EFFt9eoz3viDwmh8s3FSa9f-qwqhRGcrBJR4jON0mF94qroAWaTyFnWW-Dnc9LQ6Otj0BJtclnB9W3rdmreF7Dv3_pPam7eqA7AiQnvnmxHcApc-eJNTPVDCIUfjjQggg6Fg/s1600/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO_TjSa6EFFt9eoz3viDwmh8s3FSa9f-qwqhRGcrBJR4jON0mF94qroAWaTyFnWW-Dnc9LQ6Otj0BJtclnB9W3rdmreF7Dv3_pPam7eqA7AiQnvnmxHcApc-eJNTPVDCIUfjjQggg6Fg/s320/101511+Viva+Bike+Vegas+4.jpg" width="185" /></a>I think this ride might be one I only try once, the fun start on the strip, the beautiful climb through red rocks, the fun bike path in the middle were great, but the relentless burning heat, and the rather boring middle section through uninspiring neighborhoods was quite tough.<br />
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Oh and I should mention the skull on our helmets. Every week, the coaches awarded a team member a purple skull for their bravery the previous week. They wanted to honor everyone on the team for being a warrior so we all had them! It drew quite a lot of attention on the course, with a bloke nicknaming me 'skully' for half of the ride!</div>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-2084550086266503912011-10-11T07:18:00.000-07:002011-10-11T07:18:50.703-07:00On 'not working' ....<div style="text-align: left;">
I thought I should check in and discuss how the last two months have been since I gave up my job. I think its pretty obvious that I havent had much time for blogging!! I'm hoping to share a little more of what I've been up to, but first I'll just chat about how life seems to be. </div>
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The first week or two back from my trip I really struggled with the stress, and all the stuff I was juggling, but I managed to figure it out a bit and its getting better. I realized that booking kitchen times was stressing me out, so I made the decision to book regular time slots every week and just hope I would have cakes to work on. It turns out 'if you book it they will come'! I get quite a lot of last minute orders, and I'm definitely not resting on my laurels!</div>
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I also dropped a dreadful class that was making me miserable. That helps too. I figured out that since I was working for free, my internship could be on my terms, and that has been such a wonderful experience. <a href="http://www.fabcakes.com/">Cake</a> is a wonderful bakery, and they make truly spectacular looking and tasting cakes. I've been in awe of the wonderful creations, and I've learned so much.</div>
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6166285864_92e3541519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6166285864_92e3541519.jpg" width="320" /></a>I've also been working on my<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennywennycakes?ref=si_shop"> Etsy shop</a>. I dont get a ton of business, although I wouldnt be able to cope if I did, here are some hamsters for a birthday party that I made! </div>
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6185181365_ed42d303db.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6185181365_ed42d303db.jpg" width="220" /></a>I entered the carlsbad art splash cake competition, I didnt have time for an elaborate cake, but I did want to create a colorful and large piece to fill out the table with colorful work. The americans probably didnt get this little play on words, but the theme is 'rock around the beach' so I created some sticks of rock around a beach scene. I was hoping to finish a beach theme with a chap on a deck chair with a knotted hanky snoozing under a newspaper, but that fell by the wayside at 10pm when I had to get up at 5am to deliver the 350 cupcakes I had made the previous day!</div>
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Something that is a major struggle is the fact that I am 'working' for most of the weekend, so come Monday morning I'm exhausted, and ready for a break, and I do actually deserve one, since most people have been relaxing all weekend and are going back to work, and I've been working. </div>
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I'm not sure if there will be whole days off much, but I do need to take some time for myself otherwise I'll just get burnt out. That is something I'm still figuring out!</div>
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If you work for yourself, do you have any tips about this?</div>
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Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-26182543505445767602011-09-05T14:45:00.000-07:002011-09-05T14:45:19.292-07:00Fruit and Veg Carving-first class<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMBSq4hMRXF7Ih2FmgHvYWCIgM5dPcZImMp8WJuH4PsUw2EdQPu5ee4EKVRkmoBg-khodVjnH0bnzKz7BU27OHp01MzweumAyxms2btP4ZsGUdOke0_ihoTKrnqmY2wzrxeDzH7HWJCI/s1600/083111+Fruit+and+veg+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMBSq4hMRXF7Ih2FmgHvYWCIgM5dPcZImMp8WJuH4PsUw2EdQPu5ee4EKVRkmoBg-khodVjnH0bnzKz7BU27OHp01MzweumAyxms2btP4ZsGUdOke0_ihoTKrnqmY2wzrxeDzH7HWJCI/s320/083111+Fruit+and+veg+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I was so happy to finally make it back to classes at Grossmont College. I thought I'd share some of my experiences.<br />
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This is from the first carving class. I figured that this would be useful for general dexterity, and may give me cake decorating ideas too. It was a lot of fun, although it can be very frustrating, as Chef Joe is very skilled and makes the whole thing look super easy! <br />
Here he is cutting a chrysanthemum out of a turnip.<br />
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We were then taught a simple technique of cutting small flowers out of carrots. I found this infuriating, hopefully I'll get the hang of it with some practice. I can tell we'll be eating a lot of carrots this week!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eQOYR6PwkAfKzfCjPW5iUSTj8TXvqOG0bGd0N9FlGxu8H5NBPJDLKhzqhhvoBZJrBY_E299VPrDrxkmrsF0njQMYuPfFKmqNXW3MKVZ-NLNeqIhpqPghnTTWg4FBgTM4f-9nJb-EWT4/s1600/083111+Fruit+and+veg+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eQOYR6PwkAfKzfCjPW5iUSTj8TXvqOG0bGd0N9FlGxu8H5NBPJDLKhzqhhvoBZJrBY_E299VPrDrxkmrsF0njQMYuPfFKmqNXW3MKVZ-NLNeqIhpqPghnTTWg4FBgTM4f-9nJb-EWT4/s320/083111+Fruit+and+veg+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Chef then showed us a technique with a potato where you carve a straight line, then a diagonal to meet it, resulting in a striped pattern. This looks to be one of the techniques which will be very important.<br />
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Thankfully I found this technique a little easier than the carrot one, here's my potato!<br />
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Chef then showed off a bit with some more ornate carving of a melon.<br />
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The flowers were all combined together to form a bouquet.<br />
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Here is the chef's handiwork<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ydnrKv_LwbcxvOktzinH2f4u0MKIWFoF4Nu5RETNeg-ojcopZvHXCx4hVD0uJ6Pge5u0MVIfUEjnUPB2AkpNvFtv3eRrCr2VcllOb5YOh58Q7DWpIZShyiRMm2gU4PzQr6nP6hvBrqE/s1600/083111+Fruit+and+veg+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ydnrKv_LwbcxvOktzinH2f4u0MKIWFoF4Nu5RETNeg-ojcopZvHXCx4hVD0uJ6Pge5u0MVIfUEjnUPB2AkpNvFtv3eRrCr2VcllOb5YOh58Q7DWpIZShyiRMm2gU4PzQr6nP6hvBrqE/s320/083111+Fruit+and+veg+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
And our team's work. I thought it came out very nicely, and it was lucky for me that this was a team project, so my pathetic looking carrots were hidden amongst some much prettier ones!<br />
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Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-36288069015424538342011-08-09T12:14:00.000-07:002011-08-09T12:14:50.165-07:00Aussie Rules?<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/08/09/8c8e134915b14d21962ba6483e9b6d57_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/08/09/8c8e134915b14d21962ba6483e9b6d57_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm writing this on my penultimate day of 'employment' as I start to clean up my bench, hand over my notebooks and start to get ready for my new life.<br />
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As I previously mentioned, I'm flying off to Australia to do a class in Sydney and then spend some time with my brother, sister-in-law and niece. So things are pretty crazy!<br />
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If anyone has any ideas about stuff I should be doing in Sydney and Melbourne then please give me a shout out!<br />
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I'll be back, hopefully a little rested, having learned a topsy turvy cake, and having made a very important 3 year old's birthday cake!<br />
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Meanwhile, my thoughts go to the future. Its pretty terrifying not knowing exactly what I'll be doing in 3 weeks time. My college schedule is far from settled, so I cant make any definite plans. This is very unusual and pretty scary for me, but I try to buoy myself with the messages and words of friends and strangers. Everyone has been so supportive, and believing in me, I have to believe in myself. Working for myself is going to be really strange, I can already tell I need to cut myself a little slack, but also learn from my mistakes!<br />
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I'm also thinking about this blog, and maybe hoping to invest a little more time in discussing opinions, and maybe not just food. I'll probably move the cake stuff to another blog, where its all rainbows and happiness, and I can be a bit more gritty and honest here. I had a little banter with the wonderful @beasofbloomsbury on twitter, I admire her so much for being so honest and up front and I'd like to see more of that here. Check back and see if I actually have the balls to do it!<br />
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Oh and isnt this an awesome sign! I saw it on UCSD campus on a little bike ride recently and had to stop and snap a picture!!Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-22215003574748406392011-08-03T11:03:00.000-07:002011-08-03T12:38:07.568-07:00Dollar a dishI just wanted to share a great program that will be going on for the month of August, many of our favorite restaurants in San Diego will be participating. All you need to do is eat there, choose the participating dish, and a dollar will be donated to this fantastic program! I'm salivating as I go down the list, there are some really delicious offerings!<br />
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The <a href="http://www.sandiegofoodbank.org/programs/food4kids/">Food 4 Kids Backpack Program</a> at the San Diego Food Bank provides weekend food to elementary school children who receive free school meals during the week, but are going hungry over the weekends when school meals are unavailable. Some of these children are returning to school on Monday having eaten little or nothing since Friday lunch. The program currently serves 800 children in 22 schools. With the continued support of the community we will serve 1050 children in 26 schools in the 2011-2012 school year. <br />
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<a href="http://www.sandiegofoodbank.org/programs/food4kids/">http://www.sandiegofoodbank.org/programs/food4kids/</a><br />
Here are the restaurants participating! Click on the link above for a more detailed descriptions of the dishes involved.<br />
<a href="http://www.chopsooeytruck.com/">Chop Sooey choptruck</a><br />
<a href="http://deviliciousfoodtruck.com/">Devilicious</a><br />
<a href="http://www.corner-cupcakes.com/">Corner Cupcakes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flippinpizza.com/">FlippinPizzaCA</a><br />
<a href="http://www.foodfarmsd.com/">Food Farm</a><br />
<a href="http://mangiamangiamobile.com/">Mangia Mangia</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pattymelttruck.com/">Ms. Patty Melt</a><br />
<a href="http://twofortheroadsd.com/">Two for the Road</a><br />
<a href="http://blueprint-cafe.com/">Blueprint Café</a><br />
<a href="http://www.burlapdelmar.com/">Burlap</a><br />
<a href="http://thecowboystar.com/">Cowboy Star</a><br />
<a href="http://www.croces.com/">Croce's Restaurant and Bar</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cucinaurbana.com/">Cucina Urbana</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flavordelmar.com/">Flavor Del Mar</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flippinpizza.com/">Flippin Pizza</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kensingtongrill.com/">Kensington Grill</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nine-ten.com/home.php">NINE-TEN</a><br />
<a href="http://www.prepkitchen.com/">Prep Kitchen</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rimelsrestaurants.com/rimels/lajolla/">Rimel's</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ritualtavern.com/">Ritual Tavern</a><br />
<a href="http://www.searsucker.com/">Searsucker</a><br />
<a href="http://sprinkles.com/">Sprinkles</a><br />
<a href="http://www.terrasd.com/">Terra</a><br />
<a href="http://thereddoorsd.com/">The Red Door</a><br />
<a href="http://thewellingtonsd.com/">Wellington</a><br />
<a href="http://whisknladle.com/">Whisk n'Ladle</a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.rimelsrestaurants.com/zenbu/lajolla/">Zenbu</a></div>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-86828698874213539402011-08-02T15:21:00.000-07:002011-08-02T15:21:24.917-07:00Opera Cafe<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/08/02/d42f2b9a30434fbfb3591d6c7cd37527_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/08/02/d42f2b9a30434fbfb3591d6c7cd37527_7.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a>I just thought I'd do a little experiment and try that new fangled instagram for my iPhone. You see I had this lovely lunch, and we brought back some delicious macarons, and I wanted to share my little snaps and my thoughts.<a href="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/08/02/777418dc493a4bfa83aac675d46856ef_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/08/02/777418dc493a4bfa83aac675d46856ef_7.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>I had a ratatouille crepe with salad, and it was a little on the greasy side, but still delicious. My companions both chose sandwiches which they had with Parmesan truffle fries, an extremely generous portion which was gobbled down with gusto!<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We took some desserts and macarons back to the office but they didn't last long! A dulce de leche opera slice was consumed before even checking email, and we all tried the macarons, which I thought were very good. I found them to have a pleasing chew and not to be tooth-achingly sweet. I managed to save my mini chocolate desserts until 3, but they were quickly eaten too. Just a wonderful selection.</div><br />
I'd say get yourself down there asap. Get there a little early to get a nice seat before the lunch crowd shows up or try a Friday evening. I cant imagine anything lovelier than a nice glass of pinot and some beautiful dessert to start my weekend off just perfectly!<br />
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<a href="http://www.operapatisserie.com/">Opera</a> is in the Sorrento Valley area of San DiegoJennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-27631488815545113342011-07-27T16:31:00.000-07:002011-07-27T16:31:00.406-07:00A Quick Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNZX336m2PsvgdIYk_nXePFfF4d10X_4N8UBnSxwX9zPtWJzhz7r-EPrIGSqRigeJs9ptXMuuJz5uotsBsj2wH3697DCqdMt0Lo9dvO4_C6qWBgcBaT121dbI2Wq6wq-d07W5M-ybFdc/s1600/072211+Fig+and+pear+tart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNZX336m2PsvgdIYk_nXePFfF4d10X_4N8UBnSxwX9zPtWJzhz7r-EPrIGSqRigeJs9ptXMuuJz5uotsBsj2wH3697DCqdMt0Lo9dvO4_C6qWBgcBaT121dbI2Wq6wq-d07W5M-ybFdc/s400/072211+Fig+and+pear+tart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I whipped up this super quick tart in a matter of minutes this week and I thought I'd share it. <br />
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I didnt have time for baking, and I didnt want to heat up my kitchen, so I just made a quick crust out of chocolate graham crackers, then filled with whipped cream and marscapone and topped with fresh figs, pears and honey.<br />
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I was feeling slightly guilty about the pears, they looked so yummy but came all the way from South Africa! I figured that since they were languishing in the cut price section of Fresh & Easy, they would be better eaten than disposed of!<br />
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<strong>Late Summer Tart</strong><br />
1/2 Box Graham Crackers (I used chocolate flavor)<br />
2 oz melted butter<br />
2tsp honey<br />
1 oz water<br />
<br />
4 oz marscapone<br />
4 oz whipping cream<br />
Powdered sugar to taste<br />
1 tbsp marsala wine<br />
<br />
3 pears, cored and sliced<br />
6 figs, sliced<br />
<br />
Whizz the graham crackers in a food processor with the melted butter, water and honey. Press into a tart pan (one with a removable base) and pop in the freezer.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, stir the marsala into the marscapone and whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold the marscapone into the cream. <br />
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Remove the base from the freezer, put the cream into it and arrange the fruit on top. Drizzle with honey and serve.Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-49063354008204683722011-07-24T16:26:00.000-07:002011-07-24T16:26:23.397-07:00Cake Decorating Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqUQUov5PyP-nO_p7F_ilETbdMS4qQwlOU9GrllMN476kqNS6YpKetJV0TjRu61i1NtEnAZL2_Kml6XixvDQbCRu_bxiO1XtYErc_jSj7avaGKRp0ozyqG5xgZLPxIyHrxi1sgHp6NWY/s1600/071811+Buttercream+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqUQUov5PyP-nO_p7F_ilETbdMS4qQwlOU9GrllMN476kqNS6YpKetJV0TjRu61i1NtEnAZL2_Kml6XixvDQbCRu_bxiO1XtYErc_jSj7avaGKRp0ozyqG5xgZLPxIyHrxi1sgHp6NWY/s320/071811+Buttercream+Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I recently noticed a fun challenge on the wonderful <a href="http://misobakes.blogspot.com/2011/07/miso-bakes-project-july-challenge.html">'miso bakes'</a> blog and I had to throw my hat into the ring! I think what will be happening is that she will be announcing a cake decorating challenge each month and people will post their take on it. This is just the sort of thing I need, it is really easy to get trapped in the same boring cake designs and this helps to develop technique, and also to get used to using tools that arent in my standard repertoire.<br />
<br />
This was the challenge for this month:<br />
<strong>A 6 or 8-inch cake iced with white (or off white) buttercream decorated with pink piping using the Ateco / Wilton #104 rose tip. </strong><br />
Unfortunately I didnt read the instructions very carefully, so my cake is all white! I quickly iced a mango chiffon cake that I was planning to serve for a tasting, and then went about making a pretty design on it. This is swiss meringue buttercream, which is so wonderful for cake decorating as it is silky smooth. You'll notice that the cake is showing through a little, I would have needed to add another coat of buttercream to hide that. <br />
<br />
The benefit for me is that this comes out looking very cute, and is a very fast technique, so I can offer people a more affordable option than my usual cakes, since time is money!Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-71343438843387935132011-07-18T15:35:00.000-07:002011-07-18T15:35:32.397-07:00Dining around San Diego and a new cake stand!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/5948428885_f113460f11_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/5948428885_f113460f11_z.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always like to have a picture for my blog posts, so let me introduce my latest cake stand, a square one this time! My husband knocked it together over a weekend and I think it will be a lovely addition to my collection and a very stylish way to display cupcakes! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also tried a few new (to me) restaurants and was a little underwhelmed. I went to </span><a href="http://www.searsucker.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">searsucker</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with some local food bloggers, and the food was ok, but the service wasnt great, they kind of forgot about us, and I found the atmosphere wasnt quite as warm and friendly as some of the more cosy neighbourhood joints I've become accustomed to.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also tried </span><a href="http://www.whisknladle.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">whisknladle</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in La Jolla and we had high hopes with some great cocktails, and there was a really nice buzz about the place. We started with a cheese and meat plate, which was fantastic, and way too big for two. My husband chose the burger, which was impossible to eat as a burger was intended, even with his table manners he had to resort to a knife and fork. I tried the scallops, but was a little disappointed at the balance of the dish. There was a sweet porcini sauce on the top and an extremely salty cabbage underneath, and even trying to get a bit of each component didnt save the dish for me. I found this to be another place to 'be seen' and everyone was craning their necks to see all the other diners, and it just wasnt a relaxing experience, especially with a huge batchelorette party going on next door in Karl Strauss. I'd be prepared to give it another try, especially since I've enjoyed lunch at their Del Mar location.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also recently tried </span><a href="http://www.georgesatthecove.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">georges</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> again and decided to go all out and experience their dining room and I have to say, it is one of the most memorable dining experiences I've ever had. The plates were like works of art, and each plate was surprising and just delicious at the same time. A truly magical experience, with a price tag to match! We enjoyed a few fun cocktails, then shared the deconstructed fish tacos, a wonderful carrot salad, and some kind of foie gras dish. I think my main was gnocci and my dining partners enjoyed duck and pork, then the dessert was a peach cobbler and a chocolate cake. Full marks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We continue to enjoy <a href="http://www.starlitesandiego.com/">Starlite Lounge</a> the best, a nice combination of good food, with an ever changing menu, fun cocktails and interesting banter with the staff, who put up with our terrible jokes and quips! I never feel like its a competition to see who is best dressed or who is there with who, its just a friendly bar with great food and drinks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm so sorry, I have a few photos, but I'm just not a food blogger who likes to snap away in restaurants, so you'll have to be satisfied with a picture of a cake stand!! </span>Jennywennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830704259091240700noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2908286418692874217.post-37691661571439771022011-07-13T13:05:00.000-07:002011-07-13T13:24:40.569-07:00Dessert Buffet<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9ppkjJDbm3J2W0zPOTcqsusMlk82kbxvgHac59F_ULVekN5mKtCLyUyk2Mqhxu1n1haJN6PJyDGZM_FV0J14h3Xujb3creX_pmuCBKC1MJiHMp920KNj0oLE0OJmCNQHzGl7jMTPPH8/s1600/071011+Dessert+Table+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9ppkjJDbm3J2W0zPOTcqsusMlk82kbxvgHac59F_ULVekN5mKtCLyUyk2Mqhxu1n1haJN6PJyDGZM_FV0J14h3Xujb3creX_pmuCBKC1MJiHMp920KNj0oLE0OJmCNQHzGl7jMTPPH8/s320/071011+Dessert+Table+2.jpg" width="320" /></a> My friend had a fundraiser for charity, raising money for Crohn's disease, and I offered to make some desserts for it.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The event was held at the recently refurbished <a href="http://www.courtyardsd.com/">Courtyard Marriot </a>in Mission Valley, San Diego. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I included a mixture of desserts for all tastes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3Kf5TS559-CBbAZ4B0OqMYJ5m83JrDHQrBtehqSc38Er9tfzrzUIXXPhVx_zAhL86foemNQbrgLdsVnqO9QkcKKh9DZW5KH25ryFfqoLEeZAztO0VlhsPFDRc4-tLqrfw1ecffYjTmw/s1600/071011+Dessert+Table+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3Kf5TS559-CBbAZ4B0OqMYJ5m83JrDHQrBtehqSc38Er9tfzrzUIXXPhVx_zAhL86foemNQbrgLdsVnqO9QkcKKh9DZW5KH25ryFfqoLEeZAztO0VlhsPFDRc4-tLqrfw1ecffYjTmw/s320/071011+Dessert+Table+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cherry trifles, a cherry and liqueur soaked vanilla sponge with morello cherries and whipped cream, topped with slivered almonds,</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mocha mudcakes with a whipped kahlua ganache.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ju5SHNn2_ASf8B8G-KErDB8vsH-sMeGC3WUTIviojAC8rlGh0bO8hi87Aior-W2lJvYZIe-HpR-c_I95RbT8rkXpzDiD1-o1LjC8mdOH2tVvn0nuV2mKo0oqjD32q_BJaoaFgf3d5R4/s1600/071011+Dessert+Table+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ju5SHNn2_ASf8B8G-KErDB8vsH-sMeGC3WUTIviojAC8rlGh0bO8hi87Aior-W2lJvYZIe-HpR-c_I95RbT8rkXpzDiD1-o1LjC8mdOH2tVvn0nuV2mKo0oqjD32q_BJaoaFgf3d5R4/s320/071011+Dessert+Table+5.jpg" width="320" /></a>'Smores'- handmade graham crackers, chocolate ganache and a torched meringue.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lemon meringue tarts. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peach pies with whipped cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HOBNShajutSvLTt2g-t82MmPhb8nrAAoumdu2JB4zJXyrAzmC_U99f_HvuafcFySqZSM2urhHBaKXe95cBUqX5vtItVD_mG1Gv3fGukFunw1E-bZTBTBUdY3fLDXkhj0_YKWWuNWg2g/s1600/071011+Dessert+Table+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HOBNShajutSvLTt2g-t82MmPhb8nrAAoumdu2JB4zJXyrAzmC_U99f_HvuafcFySqZSM2urhHBaKXe95cBUqX5vtItVD_mG1Gv3fGukFunw1E-bZTBTBUdY3fLDXkhj0_YKWWuNWg2g/s320/071011+Dessert+Table+4.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These dessert bars are becoming popular and its always fun for me to 'think outside the cakebox' and make some different treats for people. I hope people order them in the future, I had a lot of fun making them!</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0sf275gzcYlHy0Vs8ZMOQJl7NaE2SfyO4D0nySTzHrDv7blLTkw7ybETp38VRdL3B3T7-3rbRFvSywfzyzfLjIk1GRDgD5up2MWcmUXPpTpsK1ru1cR7g5Wo7GsOPbq2IW7G6hTjMtA/s1600/071011+Dessert+Table+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0sf275gzcYlHy0Vs8ZMOQJl7NaE2SfyO4D0nySTzHrDv7blLTkw7ybETp38VRdL3B3T7-3rbRFvSywfzyzfLjIk1GRDgD5up2MWcmUXPpTpsK1ru1cR7g5Wo7GsOPbq2IW7G6hTjMtA/s320/071011+Dessert+Table+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq0D36RPgf_zxEZcAmKzlLpDvo5OYM281mv-ptDc-awFiGC8_3nPJ3i531Qg85ETsyMO3PE6aXNJaXtbYbs66xA45EkCKpLE7AjIi4QC6z23cei-olBS4MdvhJKq3jqaInM1fK4WZV5k/s1600/071011+Dessert+Table+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq0D36RPgf_zxEZcAmKzlLpDvo5OYM281mv-ptDc-awFiGC8_3nPJ3i531Qg85ETsyMO3PE6aXNJaXtbYbs66xA45EkCKpLE7AjIi4QC6z23cei-olBS4MdvhJKq3jqaInM1fK4WZV5k/s320/071011+Dessert+Table+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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