Level 1 Complete
28 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Baking, cooking and all kinds of fun
Today I had my final class of level 1. We had to prepare a 2 tier wedding cake. Well they said wedding cake, but you can decorate it any way you want. Soooooooo I picked clowns. LOL that’s right I made a 2 tier clown cake instead.
To get started I baked a total of 2 lemon chiffon cakes, 2 9 inch and 2 6 inch cakes. Then I split them and stacked to make both tiers 4 layers with a lemon buttercream filling. O how I love the smell of the lemon mmm. Then I had to do a crumb coat and after that dried then I frosted and smoothed them out. At that point they were ready to take to class.
Crumb Coat
Smoothed and ready for class
In class we learned to stack our cakes. Wow what construction goes into this, I never knew. Since I did a stacked cake I had to install wooden dowels into the bottom cake to help support the top cake. Then I had to stake a taller dowel with a sharpened end through the two cakes to keep from sliding when transported. OMGoodness.
This cake was so much fun. I did pokadots on the bottom tier in different colors and sizes and the top-tier in red and yellow lines to look kinda like a big top. Then I added multi colored dots on the borders. The top I placed 2 clowns sitting on the edge and 2 clowns pulling themselves up to the top. LOL then for fun I placed another clown on the bottom to look like he had fallen. It’s so fun.
I’m excited to start level 2 in a few weeks. Thanks to my parents I can now afford it. LOL They bought this cake for a $100. Ok well maybe they just wanted to help me with the class, but I did put the cake on auction to help raise money for the next level. Well this cake and also to sell more dozen’s of cupcakes. But my parents are awesome and as I was auctioning off my cake, my Dad says “sold”. Just gotta love your parents. I don’t know what I would do with out mine.
Thanks Mom and Dad. Love you guys!!!!!!!
My last 2 weeks at Cake Class
21 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Baking, cooking and all kinds of fun
I never updated with last weeks cake decorating class and now I have to share this week because I am so excited about the results.
Ok so last week 2/14 we learned to make clowns, ducks, swans, storks and well pigs. I had a blast making the clowns. I have even shown a neighbor girl how to make clowns already. Plus next week is my final class and we get to make a 2 tier wedding cake. Well I’m doing a 2 tier cake, but I’m making a fun birthday cake with the clowns. Can’t wait to post it.
Here are pictures of my clowns. I am also going to share my birds, but my pigs sucked so their staying with me.
The second picture is a clown climbing the wall. So next weeks cake will have clowns sitting around the layers and a few climbing the walls.
O yeah and we learned grapes, but mine were ok. 
Now this week we got to make a 8 inch layered cake. My home work for the week was to make some roses to decorate my cake with. So I decided to make red with a little bit of pink roses to put on a white cake. And to make it even prettier, I made a 4 layer red velvet cake with a cream cheese filling. I figured it would be beautiful when you cut into this cake.
Here’s my before
After
top
The inside
It’s not the best, but not to shabby for my first. Looking forward to next weeks cake. LOL the biggest challenge is having to keep feeding people cake.
Loves, Amiee
4th Week of Class
07 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Baking, cooking and all kinds of fun, Me
This week we made the Doll cakes. I am so not good at this, but I am learning new techniques that I can adapt to my cupcakes.
Here is my before cake. Baking a cake in that dome pan was not the easiest thing to do. The first attempt I almost pulled it out too soon but then ended baking it too long and it stuck. Since this cake was going to my bro and his family I made chocolate layers and a vanilla layer.
And after several hours here is my finished doll. LOL her roses started to melt and one even fell off. Plus her hair is horrible. If I do cakes I may need a doll hair dresser class. LOL
This doll is not my vision. I followed my instructors instructions, but I wanted to make her into a cupcake princess. I would make 2/3 the bottom of the skirt and frost it to look like a cupcake liner and the top of the skirt up to her waist a big swirl like the top of a cupcake. Then use the star technique for her bodice. I will have to make her again. LOL
Next week we are learning clowns. O My. I need to take Cameron, he would make a good model for this class. 
LOL
My Third Week of Class
31 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Baking, cooking and all kinds of fun, Me
This week was so hard. We learned how to make frosted flowers. I had the worst time making the rose. It doesn’t help having your thumbs don’t work like they used to. Getting an early arthritis due to retail. I was so frustrated I left in tears. But I came home and spent the next several hours working away at it and well here’s my results.
This was my favorite, but I did do a whole tray of them, along with daisies and another flower.
I’m going to keep practicing. I still have several other flowers I want to master. The rose was the one I really wanted to get right. This will be a beautiful topper on my cupcakes.
Next week I’m excited because we get to do one of those doll cakes. This cake will be tall too. She will be sitting on top of a 4 layer 8 inch round cake and then her 8 inch tall skirt.
Excited to bake it, decorate it and give it away. LOL This one will probably go to my brother and his fiance again. I gave them my baby carriage cake from last class and I bet Justine’s girls will like it.
So look forward to next weeks results. Good night all.
Loves, Amiee
Baby Cakes
24 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Baking, cooking and all kinds of fun
I started a cake decorating class last week. Soooooo fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though I make cupcakes not full cakes the techniques I’m learning will be able to adapted over. Last week we went over all the supplies we will need, learned how to make a piping bag out of parchment paper, learned how to do flooding with royal icing and learned how to make sugar decorations.
This week we had to bake and bring in a half sheet cake to make a baby carriage. LOL this was interesting my first cake to cut up and decorate. I have frosted layered cakes and decorated, but nothing like this class. My cupcakes right now are so easy and simple I just pipe frosting in a swirl over the top and add garnishments. Most importantly I have been working on the flavor and quality of my product. This class will give me more techniques in fondant, more piping and other skills.
So that cake turned into this cake. LOL
I have to laugh because it’s so not perfect, but that’s why I’m taking the class right? LOL I have to laugh at myself though. Everyone’s in the class looked the same. I do have to say my cake was the most beautiful unfrosted cake in class. The whole class came over to eat my pieces and awed at my aroma of moist chocolate. That made me smile big time.
I’ll keep posting my projects each week. Next week we making roses. By week 6 we will be doing a 5 or 7 (don’t remember) layered wedding cake.
Bye for now
Love, Amiee
“Ace of Hearts”
23 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Me
Hearts have become my symbol, mark, stamp on life and myself. Literally LOL 
I have done the impossible and fell in love with myself again. I have new loves and old loves in my life, but I wasn’t one of them until now. I guess even at 35 it’s never too late.
I lost myself for the longest time and I ended up not loving myself. This past year I have rediscover myself and a new directions that I could never have foreseen. Now I’m so happy and most importantly I like and Love myself and that’s not an easy thing for any of us. In this process I have hurt feelings, broken hearts and well pissed people off. And I hate to say this because to those people it doesn’t make sense I’m sure, but I not only love myself now, but I’m a better person for it too. I was so unhappy and depressed that I was a royal bitch to all my loved ones.
Months and months and months and months ago I have posted about a huge leap I was making. Well I leaped, but I fell in a completely different direction than what I was aiming for.
http://citysandal.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/omgimstanding-on-the-edge-and-ready-to-leap/
http://citysandal.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/more-about-my-leap-omg-am-i-leaping-excited/
http://citysandal.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/update-on-my-leap/
http://citysandal.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/as-far-as-my-leap-goes-he-he-he/
Again I leaped, but landed in a completely different direction than what I intended or started out doing. Of course for any of you who know me do know there was one big influence to this decision. My Jason 
.
Well I wasn’t looking for a relationship, I had just gotten a divorced and had never really dated in the adult world and being 100 pounds lighter I was having fun. Then all of a sudden look who sneaks up and snags my heart.
Minus Jason though I have really found myself a passion that I didn’t really even new existed and well I am pretty good at it too. “Baking”. I liked to bake before, it made me feel complacent. But I never really made any time to do it well or put in the time and practice you need to do it great. I was always so busy working and trying too hard to be a good mother, wife and daughter that I didn’t really do anything for myself. And I do know I’m not the only one out there, most Mom’s are the same way. I had become resentful of all my loved ones around me. I always felt guilty when I didn’t spend the day running arrands with my mother (to spend time with her because I love her) even though it took my whole day and I only had two a week that wasn’t consumed with work. Or when I felt I needed to do something memorable with my son and husband because I only had a few days a week to spend with them. I put too much pressure on myself to be everything, the guilt always ate at me every day. I used to drive to work crying just about everyday.
This is where Jason comes in. He doesn’t let that happen. Jason makes me stop, he forces me to just breath and do what I want. Don’t get me wrong I was coming around before I met Jason. Between the separation and divorce of my husband and rediscovering myself I was just running forward with no direction, just running as fast as I could. This is why a week before I met Jason I had given my notice at work, which on top of a divorce was a scary thing to do. I had been a retail manager for over 16 years (hated it with a passion) and married for 14 years. I was just running and making a big leap not really sure were I was going to land. So Jason wasn’t my influence on change, but he is my support for my landing.
Jason and I are creating a new life together with Cameron. Cameron has a healthy and good relationship with his Dad and spends time with him on a weekly basis. But Jason and I fit each other and we have become a great support team for each other along with loving each other for who we are, not who we need to be. I have never felt this type of love before. Jason gives me what I need. He tells me what to do and as much as that sounds terrible, I need that. I need someone to say ”stop”, “go ahead it’s ok”, “sounds great let’s do it”, “do it”, ”no just do it”. I need that and I love it.
Now I love my life. I work part-time (still in retail, but only in sales no management, huge relief), I am home with Cameron everyday (dream come true) and I found a new passion “baking”. I’m baking just about everyday, taking orders, experimenting, making samples and just enjoying myself. Currently I am taking a cake decorating class and I am looking to enroll in some baking classes. I can bake and bake pretty damn good, but I want to learn more of the science so I can create my own recipes. I am learning to do everything from scratch. No boxes, no instant mixes, just me.
http://sweetheartcupcakesshop.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/dontbeasquareandstepoutsidethebox/
My new adventure and direction is my “SweetHeart Cupcake Shop”. I’m creating delicious cupcakes for all occasions. My cupcake name “SweetHeart Cupcake Shop” represents my loves. Plus since I have a fairly new heart tattoo, I felt it was only fitting. After running and taking a huge leap, I got lucky and found a perfect 4 of a kind “Ace of Hearts”.
So watch my business grow and be a part of it by making me a part of your next event, family gathering or just to satisfy a sweet tooth. There pretty damn good I’m telling you. So far I have gotten great reviews from previous orders and samples. Check out my blog and order some cupcakes, I dare you! LOL
http://sweetheartcupcakesshop.wordpress.com/
Give me a try. There’s plenty more where these came from LOL.
Loves, Amiee
Christmas and New Years Hussle
06 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Family
Christmas and New Years wow. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see them come and even more excited for them to pass. This year was so different since Jason and I are together. A lot more running around and hitting all the families and I loved every second of it.
First thing we had to do was work out Cam’s winter break with his Dad. Cameron spent the first week of winter break (week before Christmas) home with Jason and I, then the week after Christmas he was with his Dad. Cameron really wanted to be home Christmas eve so he can wake up in his bed Christmas morning.
The week Cameron was home we did Zoo lights, had a Christmas lunch on Christmas eve with Jason’s Dad Bill, step mom Bev and his Sister Jenny and her family. Cameron had a good time. He just loves Bill and Bev and he especially loves playing with Jenny’s boys Cameron (yes we have 2 Cameron’s) and Max. After lunch Bill and Bev came back to our place and we spent the afternoon playing card games and visiting.
Bev is such a sweetie, she made us granola (delicious by the way) and brought us some good jams. Thank you Bev .
Christmas eve was nice, quiet and peaceful. Well as quiet as it could be around Cameron’s excitement. That boy was just wired to the max for Christmas morning. LOL Finally Cameron went to bed about 9 o clock, but he had such trouble actually falling asleep. Myself I was so tired and beat. I had been up since 5am baking cupcakes for orders and Christmas, so I was so tired.
I had never gone to sleep until after we brought presents out for morning and of course Santa eating his cookies. This year because I was so tired, Jason laid the bed out and told me to just lay down for a bit. LOL and of course I fell right asleep. But my Jason was so cute. He put out all the presents and set the tree, filled the stockings and he even laid out some ash and coal to make it look like Santa came out of the fireplace. He also ate the cupcake LOL and drank the milk. What a great man. This I know was exciting for him also being our first Christmas together and being able to play Santa. Thank goodness for my Jason.
I have to laugh because all week Cameron had been telling Jason that he always gets up at 5am Christmas morning. Well at the beginning of the week it started out at 5am, but by Christmas eve he was telling Jason that he gets up at 3am. LOL and Christmas morning finally arrives and Jason was up at 6am to put in our cinnamon rolls he made the night before, but no Cameron. Finally 7am rolls around and Jason actually had to go in and wake that little man up. LOL Cameron had just wore himself out with all his excitement and anticipation.
mmmm Jason’s homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch. My man, I’m so lucky.
First thing first we opened out stockings from Santa and then before opening presents under the tree we had breakfast. That was so funny watching Cameron. He was so mad he had to wait till after breakfast to open presents, that I never seen him eat so fast. LOL, well I say mad, but it wasn’t really mad, rather more like ”Moooooom”.
Once we start opening presents everything just went to fast. Cameron got his big present, a 3D DS. Jason got his pizza peel and a Star Trek pocket watch. Myself Jason and Cameron spoiled me with baking stuff. My favorite a set of sweet measuring cups I had seen in a little gift store in McMinnville from my Jason.
Cam’s big present. LOL do you think he’s excited. What a ham.
Jason’s pizza peel from Cameron.
Then one of my favorite gifts this year and of course it’s from my Jason. My measuring cups.
Cameron’s dad Chris came by around 10am to pick Cameron up and he went home to spent the rest of Christmas day and the next 5 days with his dad. For Jason and I we were privileged to have a short visit from Sharon (Jason’s good friend and now mine too). Then by noon we were off to Jason’s Mom’s house to spend several hours and have a Christmas dinner with his family in McMinnville. After that we rushed to NE Portland and had a second Christmas dinner with my family and spent a little time with my parents. What a long, but very enjoyable day.
The rest of the week was pretty quiet, but relaxing. Because other than work, it was just Jason and I. Well except for the fact that Jason got terribly sick for 2 days. Chris brought Cameron home Saturday afternoon. Cameron was so excited because we had made arrangements for his cousin Corbin, Cameron and Max to spend the night for New Years Eve. What a crazy house we had that night.
Monday since Cameron still didn’t have any school and I was off from work, we decided to take down all the Christmas decorations and even shampoo the carpets. Well Jason shampoo the carpets while I finished reorganizing the house especially the kitchen. Going into the new year cleaner and more organized. Well I was pretty organized before, but you can always be better.
So now its 2012 and Cameron is back to school, Jason starts back to school on the 9th and myself I’m just working on building my cupcake business and working part-time. Life back to normal again. Few what a great holiday season and excited to start a new year with my new and old family and friends.
I wish everyone a fabulous 2012. Lots of love.
Amiee
