Shopping with the sis

So I spent my first day of freedom from work, not freedom from debt min you, but freedom from work, shopping with the sister. We had some fun, had lunch and then shopped some more. Then we parted ways to head home in different directions.

When I got home I found another reason to shop! This one will be online however. The cupcake ornaments are just one of several ornaments that Sur La Table is featuring in their newest catalog.
Just look at these!

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So long and thanks for all the cake!

For the past year this blog has been primarily focused on my experiences working at "the bakery". Well, that chapter has ended. The bakery has been sold, and I am on to a new chapter in my book of life.

I have enjoyed the bakery so much. From the day I walked in to buy a cake and left with a job, to the exhaustion that became a constant companion, to the smiles of customers, and the gaining of new friends, I enjoyed the experience of being at the bakery.

So now what? Well, onto different places. Still food related. I look forward to broadening the horizons at FoodChronicles. I appreciate your readership and look forward to many more years of talking about food and food stuff.

So let's begin again, dear friends.

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Let's all pause for something...

S C R U M P T O U S !!!!!!!!!

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This man is amazingly good looking, and he seems to have a real "bad boy" appeal. He's Jon Douglas Rainey. Co-star of Discovery's "It Takes a Thief". He's a sure bet for a young DeNiro and if Hollywood isn't paying attention, they should be.

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We did a ton of cakes!

Davis is one today!
Originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

Last week we did 23 large cakes and 4 wedding cakes. Aaaaagh! I did quite a few of the large cakes. We called S'mee in to help. She did the decorating on the wedding cakes. Yes, all four!

The cake above is a collaboration. I did the decorating, and S'mee did the lettering. The cake is for one of S'mee's good friends so I made her letter the thing. We wanted it to be really nice for the birthday boy!

Another birthday cake was for grandma. The daughter called and asked if we could do a cake with cats. Of course we can! I am a cat person, if anyone can do cats, it's me.



Then the most wonderful couple came in to order a cake for their daughter. I have never seen a dad so engaged ina prodject as this one was. He was as excited about the cake as his wife. We came up with a cute cake for their soon to be six year old:



and then, and then, oh boy, and then....

there was this cake. Two guys cam in to order cakes for a party they were throuwing for their wives. A Pimp and Ho party. (I can only imagine the hits I'm going to get from thsi!) They wanted gold, green and purple. They didn't want it to look too cheap. I suggested goild coins on the side and they said no, that would be wrong. ??? So we took a look at a mardi gras cake we had done and they chose to do the cakes like it. So here we have version one of the 14" party cakes. The other was green with purple, and gold with purple and green accents.:



Glitter on all three. Eeeek! Each was a different flavor so hopefully all the guests were satisfied. Well, with the cake at least.

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One other thing...

In addition to the cell phone post.

Contrary to popular belief, a woman never wants her age on her cake!

I am not sure there is a woman alive that wants someone to purchase a cake for her, throw a party for her, whether it's a small intimate gathering or a big party, and have her age be the centerpiece of the affair.

Other than celebrating age because of tragic events, and the likelyhood of not surviving this long, there is not another reason to have a woman's age advertised. I have never has someone ask to put a man's age on a cake; interestingly enough. Oh, once, yes once, for a surprise party. I'm sure he was just as thrilled.

Well, I take that back. A woman did order her own cake once and ask that her age be part of the decoration of said cakes. But that was only once. The others have been by sisters (don't even think of it), brothers, sons, daughters etc. It seems the only people that do not need to be told this are husbands. At least they've figured that part out. ;-)

If you feel differently, let me know.

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Etiquette

My my my. Some of us need a lesson in being polite. Yes, I know some of you out there are saying "Ya think?" But then, there are the clueless among you. So I will offer a simple piece of advice.

When you're talking on your cell phone...

Don't go into a service type business, let's say, a bakery for instance, and keep talking on the phone while the person, who just put down a decorating tube, interrupted her work, to wait on you, stands there waiting for your call to end.

Sometimes, it can be a bit unnerving. Especially when said 'wait person' has 14 cakes to finish before the end of the day for people who have paid for cakes and didn't talk on their cell phone while placing their order. Those orders and customers are important and waiting while you finish up a call, without even acknowledging said wait person, can make tham get frustrated, and possibly unwilling to help you at all.

And then, when your call is finished...

Don't ask if the bakery can make you a small cake. One say, to feed forty, for tomorrow in your favorite Ameretto flavor. Or any other kind of flavor. Hello! Cakes need to be baked before anyone can decorate them, in that most wonderful personalized version, you wish. And then they have to cool, and be prepped for icing, filled and then decorated just for you! Those little things should be taken into consideration before asking if you can have a cake tomorrow.

Oh, and the most important part. The fourteen cakes waiting to be decorated and finished by the person waiting for your phone call to be done. They were ordered days ago, while you forgot you needed a cake for tomorrow. They're the real reason you can't have your cake tomorrow. There's only so much one person can do in a day.

Especially while waiting for your phone call to end. /rant

Sorry to my regular readers. I know you'd never wait until the last minute to order a cake for your special occasions. I was just thinking maybe that random web surfer might learn something while awake at three a.m. ;-)

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Forever Wed

Happy wedding!
Originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

This was Alyssa's wedding shower cake. It was a replica of the invitation. Cakes this past week were pretty simple, this was the only one worth photographing. Here's a close up of the diamond:


This week is going to be a bit different. There should be more opportunity for shooting a few more cakes.

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