Baking Traditions at my House

   I don't know how it is with your family, but our holiday's are filled with Food, Folks, and Fun! ( Sorry for the McDonald's tag line)  Lots and lots of food!  Think back on some of your holidays--they revolved around food didn't they?  See I told you!

  For example, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving at our house without Grandma's carrot cake or my homemade pumpkin pie!  I tried to take a short cut one year and bought frozen pies and you would have thought the world had come to and end! Geez....my kids were mad because the pies, and I quote "sucked".  We have never had store bought pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving again!! Lol!


  At Christmas time, we have KY stack cake (my favorite) that the recipe has been passed down thru the generations!  This is my year to make it with tutelage from my dear Momma! She is ever so particular about it!
 
Rum cake is another holiday favorite at my house.  It tastes and smells amazing due to the dark rum that it is made with.  If you want to send a cake to someone, this one ships well--the rum preserves it! This cake can be made early and placed in the freezer to save you time during the holidays!


  Then there is the  jam cake that is to die for!  My Momma likes to make it with blackberry jam, but I prefer it made with strawberry jam.  To make it even more delectable, she brushes wine on it for days before we are allowed to eat it!  Can you say HEAVENLY? 


  In the next few weeks I will be sharing some the recipes for our family baking traditions!  So start finding your own traditional baking recipes to share with us as well!

Traditional Holiday Blessings to you all,
Lisa

 
  
 

The Dessert Buffet!

As many of you know, my DS#1 got married in September. I promised to show you pics of my contribution to the wedding so here they are!  

The happy couple!

The Dessert Buffet!

The Wedding Cake!  If you look closely at the back bottom of the brides dress is a cat.  They love their kitties!

Sandwich cookies on top right made by Brides Mother!  Decorated sugar cookies were made by my cousin Christina,!  Thanks for all of the help!

Cookies by Christina's Creations!

Well, what do you think?  I am so happy with how it turned out!

Blessings,
Lisa

My Cupcake Dress Shower Cake!

My Future DIL's bridal shower was last month, but I wanted to share  the cupcake dress cake I made for it!  I thought it turned out very nice!  They are getting married in September and I am doing the Dessert Table!  More pics to come!

Lisa

What I've been up to lately!

Hello all,
   It's been a busy time here in our household. All four of my children were born in July, August and September so we party all summer long! In addition to my childrens B-day dinners, I have been getting way more orders for cakes.  In a way that is good--making more money, but it is stressful and takes time away from my Hubby and kids.  I have to admit, I am having fun making the cakes but as I said it is stressful!   
                              Here are the latest cakes:

                                                  This was for my Grandaughter's Birthday!

                         

                                                                    Grad cakes

                                                        Rorie's Birthday cake!

                                                  Kaitlin's Sweet 16 Cake and cupcakes!

                                                        Leah's Cake!  Love Zebra cakes!!!

                                                       Hulk cake!

                                         I made 4 of these for the local high school reunion!!!

 I have several more cakes in the next few weeks so I will post some more pics then!


Hope everyone is enjoying a great summer!

Blessings,
Lisa



                            
                                                  

What I've been up to lately!

 

I did get to plant a few tomato seeds this spring.  They aren't very big but better late than never I guess.  sure hope they grow fast!

UK baby shower cake

Nemo cake with fondant Dory

Airforce Going away cake

Had all of these cakes in one weekend. I was a busy, busy girl!

What's been keeping you busy these days?

Blessings,

Lisa

Chocolate Strawberry Decadence

Today I tried something I haven't tried before--Chocolate Ganache.  As some of you know, I bake and decorate cakes however I have never made chocolate buttercream or chocolate ganache.  Well here is my first effort for my son's friends birthdays.

It is not perfect as I let the ganache get too cool, but not too bad for my first try!

The ganach recipe is so easy!

9 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup of heavy cream.

Heat cream in small sauce pan until just boiling. Add chips and stir until all melted and smooth.  You can add a teaspoon of rum flavoring if you would like.  Wait till ganache has cooled off to pour over cake. Too easy!  Enjoy!

Blessings,
Lisa

Birthdays x 3!!

Wow, yesterday was party heaven for our family.  We celebrated 3 birthdays--My M-I-L, my DH, and my DS-I-L. I made three, count them, 3 cakes(well one was a set of cupcakes).

German chocolate is my Son-in-law's favorite!

I made flower cupcakes for my Mother-in-law Rose.

And this is Tom's cake--Dole Pineapple Cake AKA Tom's Birthday Cake. I make this for him every year--it's his favorite!

We also had spaghetti and meatballs, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and my Cheddar Beer Bread. I guess you all know what I did all day Sunday--COOK!

The Dole Pineapple Cake Recipe is as follows:

1 can crushed pineapple drained and reserve juice

1small box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 12 oz. Cool Whip

1 Family sized Sara Lee frozen pound cake

Almond Extract

Rum Extract

1 can Pineapple slices

Marachino Cherries

Sliced Almonds

Slice pound cake into 3 pieces legnth ways while frozen. Add 1 teaspoon each of the extracts to pineapple juice and dribble onto each layer of pound cake. Try to use it all. Mix drained pineapple with cool whip and pudding mix. Add 1 teaspoon of each extract to pineapple mix. Put bottom layer of cake onto tray and then use pineapple mix to ice the top of it. Add middle layer then ice and then the top and ice. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Arrange 3 pineapple slices on top then half rings around bottom on plate-- 3 half slices  per side and one on each end. Garnish with marachino cherries inside each pineapple ring and half ring.  Chill before serving. If you have leftovers--store in refrigerator. That is not a problem at our house!!  Hope your family enjoys this cake as much as my family does!

Blessings,

Lisa       

Tangled Tower Cake

This past week I had a huge  cake project that I was working on.  I was asked to make a Tangled Tower Cake for a friend's Grandaughter.  I have worried and worried about how to construct the tower, making the tower house and getting it to her house when or if I ever get it done! Well.....here it is:

The tower

The finished product!

Phew, Am I glad that is over and done with!

How was your Saturday?

Blessings,

Lisa

Cake Decorating --one of my many loves!

When I was a Junior in high school, I took an adult education class in cake decorating.  That was the best $11  I have ever spent!  Every night I would come home and teach my mom everything I learned in class. It was such an adventure.  When my children were little, I made all of their Birthday cakes--with four children I save a boatload of money and the kids were thrilled with my creations. Well through the years my mom and I would be asked to make wedding cakes.  We had practiced making cakes for my grandparents anniversaries so we made any cake we were asked to do.  Well, my mom isn't able to help any more so I bake by myself these days and enjoy the creativity!  Here are a few of my cakes:

This one was truly a labor of love--My Daughter's wedding cake.

It  had german chocolate, yellow, strawberry, red velvet, and carrot cake.  All cakes were filled with a special filling. The sides looked like woven ribbon with pearls at each criss cross. Decorated with live roses, babys breath and greens.  I worked on it for over 14 hours. Boy was I a tired mess! 

Well, I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my cakes!

If you think you would like to learn,  take a class or watch youtube videos. Just try.

It will certainly save you money making your families cakes!

Blessings,

Lisa

PS.  Just wait till you see what I'm working on this week! One of my most ambitious cakes yet!