Network of GOOD friends

I love the connections I have. I don't mean I know super high profile, connected, powerful people. Not judges, or governors...movie stars or musicians, just good people.
My cousin explained to me that she has a friend who councils young mothers who have had a troubled birth, and the baby has died or is in serious medical trouble. She wondered did I know anyone that could knit tiny baby caps that are used to keep the baby warm and to give to the mother as a keepsake.
I asked a friend in my small group, the Yulee Stitchin' Sisters, who heads up a prayer shawl ministry. Lo and Behold, she had been looking for someone to connect with so she could do that very thing! She pulled out a binder where she already had the patterns for several caps!
Then I asked my larger group, the All Stars QG, and several ladies asked for patterns.
Then I go to my other group, the Bad Girl's Pie Club, to have pie of course, and what do I see?Here she is, a little elf, not only hosting a bunch of Bad Girls for pie, but knitting with no less than FIVE NEEDLES at the time! Now that's talent, folks. And what, you might ask, was she taking FIVE NEEDLES to knit?
A tiny baby cap smaller than a coffee cup. Isn't that the littlest, cutest thing? After getting approval for that one (she does the most exquisite handwork) she pulls out...

A BIG bag full of tiny caps! WOW! Oh, she says, they go really fast, as she starts a new one. Thank you, little elf, you are such a good lady.

I can't wait to turn this in to my prayer shawl friend and see her eyes light up! I have really good connections. Maybe I couldn't get out of jail with a phone call (if ever I ended up there) and I know I can't get my kids into the best college because of who I know. I do know many, many, many caring, loving people who want to do GOOD in the world.

Wedding Cake!

Alright Jessie, put down the camera and grab a spatula! Everything gets loaded and transported to the church after each layer is iced smooth. I have, in the past, made the mistake of trying to complete the cake then transport it. This was much, much easier!

Pretty smooth, for a square.

Caught!

Only took out a small chunk of icing. The rest goes pretty much as planned, bottom 2 layers together, top 2 together, then the columns. Adding the butterflies are fun, easy, no pressure involved. The florist will bring the top, I am praying that it is the right size and fit....

She really wanted the square bottom and round rest. She saw my wedding cake in my scrapbook and loved it. I told her it was because I dropped my own wedding cake the night before the wedding and added a square from Publix to save the day. I thought it was ugly!

Here is the cake (from cakewrecks.com) that inspired the bride.

Of course, I am not a fancy New York Bakery, but not bad, huh?

cake progress

It's okay if the cake mounds a little as it cooks. Professional (?) bakers use different equipment I think, like strips of stuff you dampen and place around the pans so the cake cooks more evenly. pooey....

I just use a really big bread knife and slice off the mound. The family likes this part! The kids like to fold them in half and eat it like a "Cake Taco"

Cream cheese icing costs WAY more than buttercream icing. But it tastes very good. Notice the pineapple chunks are gone. After a call to the bride and her mother, the chunks were chunked. Hopefully the pineapple flavor will still be evident.

Jessie says I look asian in this photo. I'm just happy to being close to finished. Well, that doesn't look very smooth now does it? Squares are more difficult than circles. Let's hope this gets better.

sneak peek

Making a wedding cake, even a small one, is quite an adventure for me. Yesterday I shopped all the ingredients, plus some supplies I knew I was short on. Today I bake!
I'll do the 'Ball and Chain Groom's cake later. Right now I'm trying to decide columns or no columns. The bride picked her 'inspiration cake' which was stacked (no columns), but every cake in my book that she pointed out and liked was columned! Plus, it is not huge, (4-two layer cakes) so columns would make it appear more substantial. Everything points to using them, but the cake she picked out is without. hmm.
One of my favorite parts of baking an event cake is the tryout cake. This one is almost as firm as a poundcake, heavy on the butter, with pineapple glaze under creamcheese icing. Yum.
Pretty good so far, I'll let ya know how it comes out. Hope she likes it!