Princess Cake

So what do you do when you've got an itch to make a cake sans digicam sans exact know how? You make do with research and a cellphone!

With my bosses birthday encrouching, I put to use my gathered information that I've been "collecting" while working for him. (hrm... so he likes cofee.. hrm... so he likes princess cake.. hrm.. so he likes green.. --and so forth) Alright..( I tabulated), princess cake it is! (er minus the coffee)

So after work last night, I went to go do some research. Saw a slice at a bakery and bought it for referencing and then went online to find out that in it's entirety it looks like a green dome. So with the outer image and the inside image in my head I got to work.

It looked like the layers were some sort of yellow cake . The buttermilk cake recipe will do, I thought. One sheet cake and one small cutter later,done--3 circle cut outs.

Next, a bit of the sample.. hrm... raspberry jam? hrm.. simple syrup.. hrm.... pastry cream or is it custard? Ooooo and there's whipped cream!

Into the cake tin (for placement) a layer of cake coated with simple syrup, then a layer of raspberry jam; another cake layer, simple syrup.. but now a layer of pastry cream and a layer of whipping cream--into the freezer.

Coincidentally, my rice bowl and the cake tin are the same circumferance. (ding!--an idea) Line bottom of rice bowl with plastic wrap put some whipping cream in the bottom.. and.. into the freezer--(instant dome top!)

In the meanwhile, I rolled and dyed the marzipan. Then, I cut a circle bigger than cake base.

Out of the freezer come the cake and the whipped cream dome lid. I unwrapped and placed the dome on top of the un molded cake..carefully, and then pulled the marzipan into place.. then it tore...

Left over marzipan and a line of balls later... TADA!!!

Gah!

Alright..so the sidebar book section isn't looking quite right...VERY frusterating...

And of course me not knowing a thing about commands is stuck... so if anybody knows how to get this to look right, I'd be more than happy for the advice.

In the meanwhile.. I'll be hurting my head some more on this.

Fainting Goats (who knew?)

Ever heard of fainting Goats?

Just got this in an e-mail. HILARIOUS. : )

Enjoy

See Link Here

**yes, some were intentionally scared, but then again they were tipping over the excitement of food.. soo hrm...

French Jams

My very thoughtful friend Houri came back from Paris with two jars of jams for me. Rose Petal and Bordeaux. I was VERY excited. I had recently been reading up on Christine Ferber and French Jams. That, and being that we don't get different jams where I am, I was even more happy. Even if they were not Ferber Jams, the both were still WONDERFUL.

I had visions of my own jam and cake layered with these two. My imagination came into fruition twice over. I made my first jar of jam last weekend (red plum and meyer lemon--which I will write about later), and the weekend before a rosewater cake with the 2 layers. One layer sandwiches with the Rose jam and the other with the Bordeaux. I had topped the cake with Cardimon infused whipped cream.

But Alas, excitement and all I forget to get pictures of the cake! That and with my broken digicam from Vacation last week,... this is a very sad blog indeed. So.. until I can get my camera fixed, or borrow a camera.. this will be it..

French Jams

Weekend Vacation Part 1

This past Labor Day Weekend Dave and I took a mini vacation up the central coast with the goal of hitting San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay and Monterey.

Morro Bay Beach; freezing! Would you believe people were surfing?

The famous 'rock'

We took a quick stop at Utopia Bakery in San Luis Obispo to say hello to Kees Proctor and to try some of his baked goods. My friend Rachel worked there before she went off to culinary school. Kees was very busy but gave me a tour of his kitchen and introduced me to his bakers. I had an almond croissant which was very tasty. He said that he had the almond paste made to his exact specifications. Flaky, with a surprise of almond paste inside—num!

Utopia Bakery

From San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay where almost all my pictures are from. It’s one of my absolute FAVORITE places in the whole world. It’s as if time stopped over there. A sleepy seaside village that is only now starting to pick up with the tourists.

my favorite Picture.. if only my scarf fuzz hadn't gotten on the lens.

Sandpiper.. I think.

The most famous land mark there is a natural one of a HUGE Rock, “Morro Rock.” It’s 576 feet high and first named by Juan Cabrillo sometime during his trip up the coast in 1542.

This is what the rock looks like somewhat closer.

Below, is what it looks like right up next to it.




this plant looked like it absorbes mosisture b/c of how squishy it looked.

This yellow plant was everywhere in Morro Bay, thought I'm not too sure what it is.

This is another one of my favorite shots taken from the top of the dunes.

After meandering around the rock and on the shore we had worked up an appetite. Spoiled it a bit by having some Salt water Taffy

Crill's Taffy Right along the shore on the way back from the rock to lunch.

But enough left to try out Giovanni’s fish Market. Fresh fish is literally available right off the boat, I imagine that Giovanni’s gets their fish fresh daily as they are right on the pier. The line literally took an hour! I’m not sure if it was worth it. It wasn’t bad food, but had I known about the time, I would have arrived when they first opened

Fresh fish right of the boat!

These guys were just hanging out—the baby otter, literally. He spinned around with his mom and miraculously stayed on her as she kept turning in and out of the water much like a laundry spin cycle

Monterey Pictures To Be Continued…..(assuming that the disposable pictures turn out.)