Celebrate winter!

Baby, it's cold outside...

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are having a very sweet Christmas!

I think I lost my head...!

Don't you feel sometimes like you are trying to do too much? Well, that's what I've been doing... too much! And in the middle of it, this gingerbread cookie got broken... and then I thought, that is me... I lost my head! So, right now, I am stopping... and enjoying Christmas in the old familiar way... with my family and specially my son who is turning 14 today! Happy Birthday, Robert!

Another Michaels' coupon...

This coupon is valid until Tuesday, December 21st. Click here to print it!

Rudolph Cupcake....

This is 1 of the easiest cupcakes to make for Christmas... Chocolate buttercream, red M&M or candy for nose, and pretzels for his antlers...

Galletas de Jengibre...

Receta

1/2 taza de molaza
1/2 taza de mantequilla o margarina, temperatura ambiente
1/2 taza de azúcar
1 cucharadita de polvos de hornear
1 cucharadita de Jengibre
1/2 cucharadita de bicarbonato
1/2 cucharadita de canela molida
1/2 cucharadita de clavo de olor molido
1 huevo
1 cucharada de vinagre
2 y 1/2 tazas de harina

1. Batir la mantequilla con el azúcar, molazas, polvos de hornear, jengibre, bicabornato, canela, y clavos de olor hasta mezclar todo.

2. Incorporar el huevo y el vinagre.

3. Incorporar la harina, 1 taza a la vez. Una vez que esté todo mezclado, guardar la mezcla en una bolsa plastica.

4. Refrigerar por al menos 2 horas.

5. Amasar, cortar y luego hornear a medio fuego por alrededor de 12 a 14 minutos, o hasta que se vean firmes.

6. La mejor parte de todo... Decorar!!!

Coupon for this week at Michaels...

Remember you can print your own coupon for Michaels! Click here for this week's coupon...

Happy Birthday, Dear Sister!

How I wish you were here...!

Back to the gingerbread cookies...

I have been asked for the gingerbread cookie recipe... In both English and Spanish... So, let's start in English first...

Gingerbread Cookie Dough

1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
1 ts. baking powder
1 ts. ground ginger
1/2 ts. baking soda
1/2 ts. ground cinnamon
1/2 ts. ground cloves
1 egg
1 tb. vinegar
2 & 1/2 cups of flour

1. Beat butter with sugar, molasses, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves, until well combined.

2. Beat in egg and vinegar.

3. Incorporate flour, 1 cup at a time, until well blended. Place in plastic bag.

4. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours, or overnight.

5. Roll out, cut, and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

6. Decorate! Happy decorating!

Happy Anniversary ♥ !!!

Still in ♥ with U...

Christmas in pink...

I was baking my Christmas cookies, and decided to make some pink cookies for Sophia. She LOVES pink...

Don't forget your coupons this week...!

If you are looking for your coupons for Michaels, you can find them here!

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Amanda and Melisa! Thank you very much for your participation! I will be contacting you soon. And the rest of you, I will see you this coming Saturday at the Gingerbread House workshop!
Enjoy the season!

Another gingerbread house...

This time is Melisa's house... Thank you very much, Melisa, for sharing your house with us! And for all those students that are trying... It's OK! I will still be receiving more pictures all day tomorrow... Thanks for sharing!

Gingerbread House contest...

I just wanted to share this cute gingerbread house sent by Amanda... I love it! She wasn't very happy because her icing wasn't cooperating... I think it's great!
But I have received lots of emails from students telling me about problems they are having to glue their houses. Like some pieces sliding... specially the roof...
I would say that you need to make a very stiff batch of Royal Icing and you will see that it works really well... Give it a try and then let me know how it went...
You still have time to submit your entries...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...!

So, what are you waiting for? Send the pictures of your gingerbread houses now! There is still time...!

Happy Birthday Grampa!

Today we celebrated my father in law's 88th birthday! He requested his favourite cake: chocolate with raspberries... so here I am sharing a sliver of that cake with you... He loved it!
Me too!

Gingerbread House Contest...

I think I need to clarify the rules a little bit:
1. The way you can participate is by sending a picture of your gingerbread house to BC Cakes
2. If you are o have been a student, you can participate and get a chance to get some Wilton products.
3. Please, send your own gingerbread house. Don't send just any picture taken from another website.
4. You can make your own gingerbread or buy the prebaked house pieces. The contest is about the decoration. Not the baking.
5. Please, send me your real name and a way to get in touch with you, in case you win something.
6. Names will be picked up randomly. We are not choosing the best, because I know by experience all gingerbread houses have some charm...
7. Mom and Grandma: Thank you very much for those pictures of your beautiful houses... but family members are not supposed to participate. Thank you for encouraging me, though!

Good luck with your creations to you all!

It's Gingerbread time!

Do you like gingerbread houses? Have you done any? Well, I think it would be awesome if you decide to share you houses with other students... Send me your pictures of your gingerbread houses and I will be publishing from now until December 5th, 2010...

I will be giving away some Wilton products among the people participating. Any gingerbread house, cottage or hut nicely decorated can participate. Winners will be picked up randomly. Start taking pictures of your projects!

Reine Mihtla... a Beautiful Photographer...

My major problem with cakes is trying to get a good photo before they get eaten. It's always against time. Once a cake is gone, it's gone! I don't have a good camera either, but that probably is going to change after Christmas... I already wrote a letter to Santa, saying I have been good, and I really, really, need a good camera...

Every summer, when I make a wedding cake, I talk to the photographers and I ask them, beg them, please, can I have one of those beautiful pictures you are taking from my cake? Well, the whole summer goes by and obviously they are too busy to send those pictures... So, now I decided I have to change that and learn to make good pictures myself.

Having said that, at the Lovestruck Bridal Fair, I met this amazing photographer. Her name is Reine Mihtla. You just saw what she did with my cakes... She gave them a wonderful touch! She is amazing, not only as a photographer, but as a person and designer...

So, in case you want to know more about Reine, her website is http://www.reineweddings.ca/

Don't forget to check her REINEgear... it's quite something!

A bit of Lovestruck 2010...

The Vancouver Club was the perfect scenario for all this magical beauty created by some extremely talented florists. The music, by Musical Occasions was lovely...
Lavish Liquid and their awesome signature cocktail lounge...

Very delicate work by Element...

And all these flowers you have seen belong to the Flower Factory, Flower-Z, and Lois Keane Flowers.

Lovestruck

Lovestruck 2010 was a complete success! A fabulous display of a great effort to bring fun and beauty to all those brides out there... Congratulations to Angela Girard and all that great team that surrounds her and makes the amazing show possible...

I have lots more picture to share with you... Soon!

Finally Halloween is here...Happy Halloween!

And this is my last Halloween cake... a mixture of Halloween and Lego cake. I love it! Happy Birthday Ronan! I love Halloween, but I love Lego, too!

My horrible, wicked, witched Halloween cakes...

Happy Halloween!

Last night, while I was working on some Halloween cakes, we had a very unusual visitor... Moses came to our door, cold and wet. We let him in, dried him, gave him some milk and then he stayed... I guess for a sleepover... Very cute... Maybe he was just trick or treating... Who knows!
This morning, he had some milk again and then he left, very quietly... My kids are hoping he comes back for another visit... Whenever you feel like it, Moses!

Lovestruck 2010 is coming soon...

Pumpkin soup...

I love Halloween! Look at this cauldron... We are making pumpkin soup! I hope you get LOTS of candy this weekend... Happy Halloween!

Now you don't need to go to England for your cake decorating supplies...

You can simply go to Dickens, in Chilliwack...

And have the surprise of your life... I went to Chilliwack looking for cake decorating supplies... And what did I find? A whole new world instead! (I should say a whole "old" world, instead). When we entered the store, the first thing I saw was an OMG old fashion candy store! My kind of store! Candies in all sort of colours, and chocolate, and, and... I couldn't believe it...

And before I could recuperate from my surprise, an extremely nice lady came along (her name is Anne), and started to show us the whole British museum she has created there... (00-Eyes popping here!). She is a genius!

Every single corner is packed with marvelous things to look at...

The Titanic collection is amazing! (We almost got locked up in that room because we lost track of time with so many amazing things to look at...)

And they even have a tea shop! You can simply go and enjoy a nice cup of tea with all sorts of goodies in a very relaxed atmosphere...

The only sad part of the story is that I didn't have time to buy any of their cake decorating supplies because they closed at 5pm... :(

Anyhow, I would strongly recommend this place. Go and visit it! You won't regret it... Go with your family, go with your kids... But go with plenty of time... and enjoy it!