My afternoon with Hayden

After Hayden's first football game, he came home with me to chill a while!  We ate lunch, played on the computer a bit, and then I remembered that I had a small cake in the freezer!  Hayden had a fun time learning to work my KitchenAid mixer while he made delicious frosting and then decorating his cake.  He did a great job, and it was such fun having time with just Hayden and MaMaw.  He is growing up so fast....but growing up into such a fine young man.  Love you with all my heart, Hayden.  Thanks for spending time with me today!

Are you ready for some football?

Everybody in and around the Tuscaloosa area is starting the process of getting ready for football season.  In Alabama country, fall IS football, and after last season, it is going to be MORE than a little crazy in Tuscaloosa as the Tide Rolls in!  

I found a baking stencil that is going to be just perfect for UA's home game tailgating!  Think houndstooth icing on a celebration cake or cookie cake would add to the hype of game day on the quad.

These pics are my first try....a little rough around the edges, but I see potential!

  

Abby's 8th Birthday: A Gymnast's Delight!

Sweet Abby is the 8-year old daughter of two of my favorite students, Kim and Brady!  Kim contacted me about Abby's gymnastics-themed party, and I was excited to try my hand at creating a figure for the topper.  Abby was in on every stage of the planning.  I sent Kim and Abby pictures of cakes to look at.  From those, Abby decided on the colors she wanted. 

We decided that a gymnast doing a handstand would be perfect! WRONG! After about 4 tries of getting the balance just right, I called them, "Can we do a balance beam?"  Abby and Kim thought the balance would be fine and would be in line with the theme. This topper is what I came up with and Abby seemed perfectly delighted with it.      

The cake was butter-almond, which is becoming the most requested flavor, with almond buttercream and marshmallow fondant.  

I think it is amazing how closely the colors of the plates match the cake!  I know Abby and her friends had a great time celebrating Saturday afternoon!

Jamaica, Grandma, Sweet Rolls, and Me

I spent the afternoon baking sweet rolls for some very precious people from my church.  They, along with their fearless leaders, spent the last week of their summer break from college on a mission trip to Jamaica, where they taught Bible school and ministered to the needs of the people there.  What a picture of Jesus they must have painted for the children there.  As I baked this afternoon, I thought of my Grandma Clark.  I thought of her for many reasons....first, I was using her recipes although I'm quite sure not with the skills she had; secondly, because she, like the young people of my church, loved Jesus with all of her heart.  She LIVED Jesus every day.  Did she go on mission trips or teach Sunday School? No, but as a small child, I watched her open her little Bible every morning and read and pray.  I watched her as I grew, and those habits never changed.  In a lot of ways, I feel like I'm a lot like Grandma Clark.  She liked baking as do I, although I came to it later in my life than did she.  We are both pretty transparent. Grandma was Grandma -- what you saw was what you got...and I am SO like that as well.  I'm not very good at pretending anything.  Also, she could burp any man under the table....fortunately, that characteristic skipped a generation.  Talk to my daughter, Kim, about that talent!  I'm not as dedicated to Christ as I feel she was, but I'm working on that.  How I miss Grandma, and how I enjoyed thinking about her this afternoon as I baked for my friend, Beckey, and her Sunday School Class!

Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

Cheese Danish

From the napkin to the cake!

I was asked to make a sheet cake for a wedding shower.  Lisa decided on butter almond cake, but when asked about the decor of the cake, Lisa said, "I'll give you a napkin and you just take it from there."  So this is what I came up with....

This is the napkin I was given.......

and here's the cake!