The right to twinkle...

I absolutely love this cake!  It was made with the piping gel pattern transfer technique... a long time ago... It was done with black royal icing on white fondant.  It also has some red royal icing rosebuds around the border.  It's just a pretty thing!

Sweet Sweet Peas...

Have a nice weekend!

When life gives you lemons... You make lemon pie!!!

Lemon Meringue Pie
1 cup of sugar
4 tbs corn starch
1 1/2 cups of cold water
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 lemon's grated rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tb butter
1 baked pastry shell
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar

1.  In a pot: stir together sugar and corn starch.
2.  Gradually stir in water until smooth.
3.  Add egg yolks.  Stir constantly bringing to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
4.  Remove from heat.
5.  Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice, and butter.  Cool.
6.  Pour into pastry shell.
7.  Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tb at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until stiff peaks form.
8.  Spread meringue around edge and then centre.
9.  Bake in 350F oven for 15 minutes.

A sweet life...!

My life is generally very sweet, so to speak... but it is even sweeter when I receive surprises... like these flowers that came to my door from a neighbour I made a cake for... or a message on the answering machine with very kind words about a job well done...
Life is even sweeter then... you kind of feel like walking on air...
So I dedicate these flowers to you today.  Maybe they will make your day sweeter, too!

Faires in my kitchen...

Late at night, when everything is calm, little fairies come to my kitchen... All sorts of them... Last night, this little blue fairy, who told me her name was Silvermist, came flitting by, took a fondant calla lily I was making, and put it on as a dress... She made it fancier by sprinkling pixie dust on it... She looked gorgeous!

Landing on a cupcake...

When life gives you lemons...

"R" is for roses...

Have a happy weekend!

Love Express!!!

Have you heard of love express?  Well, my daughter comes from school and says :"Mom, I forgot to tell you I need a cake for tomorrow... we are celebrating Valentine's day!"
So, because I love her so much, I bake this cake in record time, ice it early morning (read here: "very early morning"), decorate it between classes... She takes it to her party... comes back with a BIG smile... gives me a BIG HUG!  And says: "Everybody loved the cake, mom!"
Love express: Priceless!!!

PS.: Remember, when you need red icing, start first using Christmas red, and then add as much Red no taste as you need to get the shade you want.

Gentlemen prefer blondes...

I don't know about those gentlemen, but at home, brownies were our old favourite treat... until we discover these blondies... mmmm!

Blondies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla or maple extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1.  In bowl, beat butter and sugar, and then beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix with butter mixture.
3.  Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
4.  Spread in greased 8" square cake pan, lined with parchment paper
5.  Bake in 350°F oven for 25 minutes or until golden.
6.  Let cool on rack; cut into 12 squares.

Cakes in retrospective...

These are all cakes I have done through the years for Robert's birthday.  He is very athletic and loves sports...
This year's cake was different...

I hope you feel better soon, Robert!  Happy Birthday!

Sharing the love...!

How to share?  Well, you need to go to "The Celebration Files" , and let them surprise you!

Spring is here...!

Isn't it great?  I know... It's too soon... but in Vancouver we don't see the sun very often, so as soon as we get a little bit of sun, we are all excited and get out in shorts and T shirt... and then we go back in again because it's so cold out there...  Anyhow, even the flowers are all excited and wanted to come out and show off their beauty... This photo was taken last Sunday in Dundarave...

It was the perfect day for a Hawaiian party, where this hula girl was invited...

The dolphin was invited, too!