A Baker in the Making

Kate loves her baking projects with Mom.  So much in fact, that she asks to bake almost everyday.  Santa brought her an early Christmas present this year:  an apron of her own.  Now she can be just like Mommy when she bakes.   And we had the perfect project to use her new apron for:  gingerbread men cookies!   

 

 And Kate even does the dishes!

Cake Decorating 101 - Don't take lessons from me

I knew I bit off more than I could chew. I knew it would be a huge endeavor for me - someone who doesn't really bake often-- someone who has never decorated a cake with anything other than the frosting that comes from a Betty Crocker plastic jar. I love to cook, but baking is different--it's just not really my thing. But once I got the idea in my head to do a Baby Einstein caterpillar birthday cake for Kate, nothing else would do.

So at 3 p.m. on Thursday I started making the frosting. And at 7 p.m. and 24 cups of confectionery sugar later, I had a refrigerator stocked full of frosting containers: green, yellow, red, purple, blue and white.

9 p.m. Thursday, I made the first cake section and let it cool for decorating the next morning.

10 a.m. on Friday, with babysitter in hand, I headed to my mom's house to finish the baking, decorating, and assembling of this master cake.

1 p.m. - Friday

4 p.m. Friday
Only one segment of the Caterpillar is done...there are still four more parts to go!!
Look, Kate doesn't have a clue what this is all about...

9:00 p.m. - Friday

Okay...I felt like I was on the final stretch. By 10: 30 p.m. I was putting the finishing touches on the head and all I had to do was decorate the little feet and I was done! So as I added the candy cheeks...I gasped as the head fell forward. I grabbed hold of it before it hit the table, and in the process I ruined the frosting. I attached the head again and touched up the frosting...and it fell off yet again. With new dowel rods and the cake in a different position, I attempted it a third time. And not only did the head fall off again, but the purple base cake cracked in half and was not salvageable. So here I am at 11 p.m. with a mangled head and no base...what do I do. Stores are closed. My mom's not a baker so there's no extra cake mix in the house...nor does she like crafts so there are no Styrofoam pieces around. Yet, my mom, my Aunt Jackie, and I put our heads together and found a solution! We used a cantaloupe!

The remainder of the night was like watching the miracle of the loaves and fishes...but with purple frosting this time. I barely had any left when the cake split, and I was so tired that I didn't want to mix a new batch up and have to deal with matching the colors. It was amazing that the frosting lasted. In the end there was a tiny section on the back of the cantaloupe that was not covered, but you couldn't really see it.

12:30 a.m. - Saturday

1 a.m. Saturday

So with the cake finished, I crawled into bed in my parent's guest room. I didn't even have it in me to make it home. The cake was done, and every ounce of effort was worth it. It was my way to make Kate's birthday extra special - even if she never remembers the cake. You know, I'd probably do it again too.

Happy Birthday, Little One! Momma loves you!

When Life gives you lemons--make lemonade (and limoncello)

Over the past week we have probably had 10 pounds of lemons sitting around our kitchen. We've actually learned a lot about lemons this week. For example did you know:

1. The ladies of Louis XIV's court used lemons to redden their lips
2. Sailor's used lemons to fight scurvy (along with some rum)
3. Cesare Borgia sent presents of lemons and oranges to his wife while she was in France, partly to impress Louis XII with his wealth.
4. Old wives tale states that sucking on a lemon will reduce car sickness
5. Lemons can be substituted for vinegar in a light vinaigrette
6. A chopped up lemon is a great way to freshen your garbage disposal
7. Lemons are high in Vitamin C but also contain 10% of the RDA for iron, 9% of the RDA for thiamine and 8% of the RDA for vitamin B6
8. Warming lemons in a bowl of warm water or the microwave for a few seconds will release more juice
9. Lemon juice prevents fruits like apples and pears from turning brown when they are cut and exposed to oxygen
10. Lemon juice aids digestion - so keep those lemons in your ice water at dinner time
11. Lemons really should be stored in the refrigerator

This last point I wish I had known earlier. Josh bought 5 lbs. of lemons early last week for a special project he had in mind. Instead of leaving them in a bag on my kitchen table as Josh did, I decided to make a beautiful display of lemons and limes on my kitchen buffet; however, to my dismay the lemons molded very quickly. I tried to redeem the remaining lemons and limes by cooking as many citrus centered recipes as I could. On Saturday, Josh bought another 5 lbs. of lemons, and although they really were beautiful, they also molded very quickly. So tonight we had to redeem the remaining lemons and put Project Limoncello into action.

Limoncello is a lemon liqueur traditionally made in Southern Italy. Josh really enjoys a glass of limoncello, especially in the summer. He's really developed a taste for it over the last few years. I really enjoy it poured over a bowl of fresh strawberries, but it's a bit too strong for me to drink on its own. Josh thought it would be fun to make his own limoncello - thus the 10 lbs of lemons we've been housing in our kitchen. So tonight, Josh zested 18 of the remaining healthy lemons for the beginning stage of his limoncello infusion. (The entire process will take 90 days to complete!) It was quite a laborious task, but the kitchen smelled wonderful as the fresh citrus scent permeated the air. However, when we were done we were left with 18 lemons sans zest. So we decided to make fresh lemonade-- lots of fresh lemonade. I had never made homemade lemonade before; it gave me more respect for all those southern bells to whom homemade lemonade is a common kitchen item. Josh and I actually had a lot of fun working in the kitchen together.

Someday when we go back to Italy, I want to go to the Almafi Coast and to towns like Sorrento where lemons grow abundantly and limoncello is a local product. I remember staying with a family in Pasadena, California; they had a very mature lemon tree outside the guest bedroom window. It provided beautiful views of yellow fruit and deep green leaves. You could even detect whiffs of citrus in the air when the window was open. I sometimes think of that tree when I smell fresh lemons. Too bad lemon trees don't grow well in Maryland. I would love to have a few.