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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Finally Becoming Official!

This post is going to be a little different then my normal posts.  I have been trying not to say much about it, but now I feel like I can.  Up until yesterday it was illegal for home bakers like myself to make things in their home kitchens and sell them.  I was not aware of this when I started this adventure last summer.  A few friends informed me and let me now of a group called the Texas Baker's Bill.  Their sole job was to help get a bill passed into law that would allow us home bakers to do the one thing we loved doing.... baking and make some money from it.  When I first joined the group several months ago, there were actually two bills trying to make it through the process.  One of them never it out of committee to come up for a vote.  The second made it further.  It did make to the floor for a vote and was passed.  After that it went to committee that regulates the Health Department.  Unfortunately, the bill died there because of one city.... Houston.  It seemed that in this case money seemed to talk more then the best interest of the people.  All was thought to be lost until Rep. Lois Kolhorst added an amendment to SB 81 on May 24th, 2011.  This gave us hope again.  There were some hurdles still over come, but this time around there seemed to much more open support.  The amendment was approved and the bill was passed on to its final vote.  That final vote came on May 28th, 2011.  Then both the House and Senate signed the bill on May 29th allowing the bill to be put in front of the governor on May 29th.  Now the waiting begun.  Three things could happen.... One: the governor could sign the bill.... Two: the governor could veto the bill..... Third: the governor do nothing and the bill would automatically become law on June 19th, 2011.  Of course our main concern was that he not veto the bill.  I will admit for a person who studied politics and history in college, I never became very involved in the political process, but this time I did.  I wrote letter to the governor and actually called him also.  I want to believe my voice made a difference because on June 18th, 2011, Governor Rick Perry signed SB 81 into law.  Now all of those home bakers that have not been baking in their home kitchens (cough cough) can officially start on September 1st, 2011.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to thank everyone out there who has supported me and others like myself in our struggle.  I hope you continue that support and keep buying those HOME-baked goodies.

Until next time....... Happy Baking!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Graduation Cakes

I was lucky enough in the last two weeks to be able to make two graduation cakes for a wonderful person. The first one I told you a little about before.  It was the newspaper design that I came up with.  The graduation girl loved it and even asked if I was making the cake for her party that was on a later date.  So, that is where Cake #2 comes in.  First here is the Newspaper Cake:

It is a red velvet cake with buttercream icing.

This cake was actually very fun to make, except for the red food coloring.  (Anyone who has worked with red food coloring in anything should know what I mean.)  It was very exciting to see what I had sketched on paper come to life.  All the decorations on the cake are done in icing except for the graduation cap which was done in yellow chocolate.

The second cake was much simpler.  It only needed to half the size of the first one and didn't need to red velvet.... (thank god!)  Did I mention, red food coloring and I are not getting along at the moment?  Anyway here is the second cake....


This is a Vanilla White Cake with buttercream icing.

As you can see this is a much simpler cake then the first.  Just like the first one, I made the cap and diploma of out white chocolate.  To make the cap black while the chocolate was still melted I covered it in black sugar crystals.  I also got play a new toy that I bought.  It was the letters.  I know my writing is not the greatest, so I knew I needed some help in that department.  I bought a letter press.  I am able to create any word with the letters and then just press them into the icing.  Then use the impressions as a guide to your writing.  I think I did pretty well, if I say so myself.  I can't wait to try it out again.

My next big project will be for my daughter's 4th birthday.  I still have several ideas running around in my head, so I can't really tell you much yet. But, I promise I will tell and show you all.

Until next time....... Happy Baking!





Sunday, June 12, 2011

Snoopy Cake

All went well with the Snoopy Cake for the most part.  After two different cakes and two different icings, it was finally made.  Here is the finished product:


The cake was a vanilla white with buttercream icing.  

I know you must be wondering what happened.  Well, I like to think you are wondering what happened.  Even if you aren't I am going to tell you anyway.  I ended up making  two cakes and two different icings.

The first cake came together very well and baked with no problem.  So, I didn't think much of it.  Well, even the best bakers have goofs.  I turned the cake out of the pan to finish cooling on the rack.  Let's just say half the cake didn't want to leave its warm home of the pan.  The cake tasted great, it just wasn't in one piece.  So, my daughter's teachers got vanilla cake pops dipped in milk chocolate as an end of the year thank you gift.  Hey, I couldn't let a good cake go to waste. Back to the mixer I went.  The second cake was nice and came out its home.  So, I am thinking.... Phew, all good..... WRONG!

I thought I would make a whipped icing instead of my normal buttercream because I wanted Snoopy to be a brighter white.  Stupid me.... I need to learn to stay with I do best.  For whatever reason, the whipped icing did not want to set up right nor no matter how much sweet I added to it, it never tasted right.  Needless to say, I ended up making my buttercream icing instead.  

In the end all was good and Snoopy went to a good home.  He was loved by all.

As a small side note I did start writing this entry on May 30.  Sorry I got a little side tracked with another cake I was making and forgot to finish.  But, it is here now.  And very soon I will have two cakes to write about.

Until next time....... Happy Baking!