Getting Back Into Cake Decorating

In October, I had the opportunity to make a birthday cake for a friend's daughter. She was interested in a Descendants cake. When she first asked me about it, I had no idea what that meant, but after some googling and research on Pinterest, I figured it out.

A few weeks in advance, I made a fondant apple and crown. The night before, I baked two French vanilla cakes, one 6" contour and one 9" contour. Then on the day of the party I made buttercream icing and covered the cakes in rosettes before applying the apple and crown. It is my first Disney-inspired cake. And I'm very proud of it! It also helped me realize just how much I enjoy the creative process of cake decorating.

An Anniversary Cake for my Parents

I decided in August that instead of going home for the end of summer, I would go home in October over the long weekend. My parents assumed it was so that I'd be home for Thanksgiving weekend, but in fact it was because I wanted to be home for their 45th wedding anniversary.

Early in September, I began preparing for a special cake. In their retirement, my parents have enjoyed growing veggies in their garden at our cottage. My mother in particular is obsessed with her pumpkins and I receive regular updates on their progress throughout summer. Much of her flower garden is bordered with flat rocks that my father has collected and relocated for her. And one of the ongoing jokes regarding our cottage is that my father seems to always be building sheds (last count there were 3). So, it seemed like a Peter Rabbit cake with a small shed would be the perfect way to celebrate them.

Over several nights in mid-September, I made fondant pumpkins, carrots, beets, and rabbits. I also made a trip to Bulk Barn to purchase chocolate rocks. I got a cake box at Michaels so that I could easily transport the finished product. I assembled everything I'd need to make the cake once I arrived in Newfoundland. I also gave my sister a list of ingredients that she would have to pick up for me (like icing sugar and graham crackers). She made sure everything was ready for my arrival.

I traveled on the ferry on a Wednesday night, arriving on the Thursday morning before the long weekend. On Friday, my parents left for the cottage and did just about everything in their power to get me to go with them (or to get me to let them stay home with me) because my sister had gone to St. John's for the day. I insisted they go without me because I had plans with my sister that night. Little did they know the plan was for their anniversary cake.

As soon as their vehicle disappeared up the road, I leaped into action. I took over my sister's kitchen, baked a cake, and made icing. I also assembled the graham crackers into a shed. About 7 hours later, the cake was finished.

My sister arrived home around 7pm. She was disappointed that she hadn't been able to contribute to the decorating of the cake, but she did pick up a LEGO quad that she assembled. We would place it alongside the cake -- after all, the most recent shed was being built to house a quad.

The next day, when my sister and I arrived at the cottage for an anniversary BBQ that we had planned, my parents were shocked to see the cake. I'm not sure why they didn't put things together and figure out that I, a baker, would make them a special dessert for their anniversary, but it just didn't cross their minds. The loved all of the details and there was no explanation necessary for the rocks or the shed.

The best part of all was when my father looked at me and told me that I could sell cakes for living if I wanted to one day. I felt very proud.

Random Acts of Craftiness 4

Well, it's September and I just finished my 2016 Random Acts of Craftiness challenge!

In August, after seeing a post by SeaLemon, I became a little bit obsessed with duct tape. So, I made a few duct tape pencil cases. I honestly love them. They look funky and are practical.

I mailed one to Stacey and gave one to Cathy. And I made so many that a few people not on the original RAC list also received them, including my coworker Alyce and one of my student employees. As a consequence of this obsession, I have amassed a duct tape collection that is cause for concern -- so if you have other duct tape craft ideas, please let me know!

Now, another summer student saw a Hello Kitty pencil case and joked that he wanted a Hello Kitty wallet. So, for fun, I googled the instructions and figured out how to make one for him. It's solid yellow on the outside with Hello Kitty trim and on the inside, as you can see below, there are Hello Kitty and solid pink pockets.

There was a minor flaw in the design -- some of the duct tape didn't quite stick correctly -- but we fixed it with a little crazy glue. Apparently his wallet is a great conversation starter with the ladies.

Finally, I made Luscious Lemon Cupcakes for a Rotary auction and made a few extra so that I could bring one to Cathy, who I hadn't seen in more than four months!

And so that's it! Random Acts of Craftiness 2016 is complete! It's been fun to have something motivating me to take a break from work and do something I love. To see the other installments, click on the RAC label at the top right hand corner of the page.

Hopefully everyone's enjoyed receiving their surprises.

Until next time!

English Muffins

For about a year now, I've been wanting to make English muffins. Last night, with the weather making it feel more like a fall day than a summer one, I decided it was the perfect time to test out another recipe.

I'd looked at several recipes on Pinterest, but my mother reminded me that I should look at the Cream of the West Cook Book. Of course! I pulled it out and noticed that on a post-it note on the cover, English muffins and a page number were listed. I flipped to the page and read the recipe. It would make 3 dozen. 

Now, that's a lot of English muffins for one person (especially if that person is trying to be carb-aware). I decided that I would half the recipe and a little after 7pm started the process. I was worried about the amount of salt because it seemed a bit high, but was impressed with the dough's texture. I left it to rise for an hour.

When I came back, it was time to roll and cut the muffins. It was a little strange to be rolling a yeast dough like that, but it cut beautifully and the corn meal on the cutting board and sheet pans kept it from sticking. (Pro tip: don't try to re-roll -- it really doesn't work.) I left them for another 30 minutes.

Now was the moment of truth. Every recipe I'd read indicated that you were to use a griddle pan to griddle the English muffins. I don't own one. I also don't have a large cast iron pan, which I assume would work just as well. Instead, I had a large orange skillet that came in my Rachel Ray set. I could fit four muffins in it at a time. I had 14 muffins. They had to cook for 12 minutes. It was going to be a bit of a marathon.

I didn't want to leave them at all during the process because I was afraid they would burn, so I stood watch through 4 batches. The corn meal kept them from sticking and with the pan on heat mark "3" I got a beautiful colour on them.

And they smelled so good! I'm sure it was driving my neighbours crazy.

I finished all the batches and then couldn't resist eating one of the still-warm muffins with butter. They tasted better than any English muffin I'd ever tasted. Indeed, I couldn't help but mark a 10/10 in the cook book for future reference.

And this morning I enjoyed one with my father's legendary raspberry jam...

So delicious!

Have you ever made English muffins? What's your favourite recipe?

Glazed Lemon Wafers

Yesterday, I was in the mood to bake. I wanted to make some lemon cookies. I was craving the lemon shortbread cookies with lemon glaze that my sister and I had at Gitano's in Corner Brook. They are to die for. As I searched the internet for lemon shortbread recipes, my mother (on the phone) said, "Is there one in the Cream of the West Cook Book?" Good question! I went to the cupboard and pulled down the book. There was indeed a shortbread recipe in the book and I imagined I could just add lemon zest and be done with it. But then I noticed on the same page a recipe for lemon wafers. Naturally, given my commitment to testing every recipe in the book, I opted to experiment with this new recipe.

The recipe was similar to a shortbread or sugar cookie recipe, with the addition of lemon juice and zest. In no time I had the dough ready. Since it was soft, I decided to wrap two discs of it in saran and chill it for a half hour before proceeding.

I rolled and cut the dough into small circles with scalloped edges. I assumed based on the recipe that they would hold their shapes. But I was wrong.

The end result (even when the cookies were chilled again before baking) were strangely flat and lace-like cookies. In fact, they looked like tuiles. I varied my baking technique (parchment, no parchment, cooler oven, hotter oven, chilled dough, etc) but in the end came out with the same lacy thin cookies.

Then I prepared a glaze for them. The recipe book included a strange vanilla glaze that probably would work in other instances, but I decided a lemon glaze would be better. So I whisked together some powdered sugar and lemon juice, spooned it over the top of each wafer, spread it so that each wafer was covered, and waited. When it hardened, I had my lemon cookies.




The glaze had settled into the holes and evened out the surface so that I had what looked more like a normal cookie to me. I give you the finished product:

And the verdict?

They tasted delicious. Buttery. Lemony. Sweet. Refreshing and rich. They were flaky and wafer thin. But even with the glaze over the top, they didn't look like much to write home to mom about. They also were nothing like the cookies from Gitano's (not that it matters). As my friend and I ate them after a feast of lobster and crab, my friend agreed with my assessment. They were the strangest cookies we'd ever seen, but they tasted great.

I must say, I wondered if there was something wrong with this recipe or if it had turned out as it should have. I took to Google. It turned out that there are other recipes for lemon wafers out there that produce similar results -- they seem to have been popular in the 70s. Alternatively, it could be that the measurements are off (more flour needed? less sugar?) and that's what happened. I'll never know -- and I'll probably never make them again -- but we did enjoy them.

Rating for flavour: 9/10
Rating for recipe/end result: 6/10

I will say that I just made a lemon curd sandwich with two of them and the whole thing was heavenly. YUM!

What's your favourite lemony dessert?

Old Fashioned Porridge Bread

While I was thumbing through my Cream of the West Cook Book a few weeks ago, I identified a few recipes that I wanted to try (and noted a few that I would never dare to make). I wrote a list of promising-sounding ones on a post-it note and stuck it to the cover of the book thinking I'd eventually make them all. One recipe, however, stood out -- old fashioned porridge bread. I decided I would make that the following weekend. I had everything I needed except for molasses, so I added that to my grocery list on my BlackBerry and picked it up with the groceries on Saturday morning.

My interest in the porridge bread was sparked by a trip to The Dancing Goat earlier this year. Two of my friends and I had decided that an adventure was necessary -- I think it might have been over the Easter long weekend -- so we hopped in the car and drove to The Dancing Goat for lunch. I had one of the most delicious sandwiches ever and it was on porridge bread.

The recipe in Cream of the West is slightly more involved than a traditional bread recipe. It's unusual in that you first make porridge as the base for the bread dough. If you've looked at the ingredients, you are probably wondering whether I followed it and used the shortening (since in an earlier post, I substituted butter). In this case, I stuck with the shortening -- not because I thought a substitution wouldn't work, but because I had shortening left over from a cake decorating class and wanted to use it up. I did think that there was too much salt in the recipe, so I cut that back by 1 teaspoon. Finally, I adjusted the process so that the salt was mixed with flour (and wouldn't kill the yeast when added). I admit that I used my Kitchen Aid mixer for much of the mixing and kneading (and was very thankful for it, given how heavy the dough actually is).

I do think that there is something "off" in this recipe. I didn't come close to adding as much flour as indicated. I actually can't imagine how one would be able to (and I do recognize that it partially depends on humidity and other factors). Nevertheless, I did end up with a very delicious tasting bread.

Admittedly, it didn't rise as much as I'd hoped. That could be a result of old yeast (mine hadn't expired, but it was close to the date) or not enough yeast given how heavy the mixture is. But without a doubt, this is a truly delicious bread. I plan to try it again very soon with fresher yeast and have no doubt that it will produce the ideal loaf. I'm thinking, however, that next time I may try cutting the recipe in half.

I'll keep you posted!

Rating for taste: 10/10

Rating for recipe: 6/10

Oatmeal Muffins

Today I had some time to myself, so I decided it was a good opportunity to bake something from the Cream of the West Cook Book again. I took the book down and flipped through every page, taking note of things I'd like to try in the future (porridge bread), things I might be willing to try (carrot quiche?), and things I definitely did not ever want to try (a strange rice and marshmallow concoction). Eventually I decided that oatmeal muffins would be a good choice (particularly since I had all the ingredients).

I followed the recipe as written, using vegetable oil. Of course, I couldn't resist adding some raisins to these muffins, because just as peanut butter and jam are soul mates, so are raisins and oatmeal.

The interesting thing about older recipes, of course, is how small the portions are. This recipe makes 12 small muffins. I filled the muffin cups 1/2 full (using a 1/4 cup measure), because if I'd filled them 2/3 full as the recipe suggests, I'd have run out of batter. I'd imagine that for most people, they'd want to divide this batter between 6 cups to make more substantial muffins, but the smaller size is fine by me for a snack. The recipe is accurate in terms of bake time -- mine came out perfect in 18 minutes.

The resulting muffin is light and airy, with a bit of chew from the rolled oats (perfectly pleasant). They doubled in size as a result of the baking powder. The only change I'd make for the future is to double the cinnamon.

I give them a 7/10.

What's your favourite muffin recipe?

And what would you add to oatmeal muffins?

Tea Biscuits

Yesterday, I was in the mood to bake something. I also wanted to use up some leftover green onions that I had on hand. I started thinking about savoury biscuits as an option and searched for a few different quick bread recipes online. Nothing really captured my attention. So, I went to my cupboard and pulled out one of the few recipe books that I own -- the Cream of the West Cook Book.

Several years ago, I was searching used book stores for a copy of this cook book because my mother's famous brownie recipe is in it. I felt that I needed a copy, and I knew there was no chance that my mother would ever relinquish hers. I told my friend Lisa about my search during one of our conversations and one day she presented me with my own copy -- it had belonged to her mother. I was thrilled.

So yesterday afternoon, in search of a biscuit recipe, I thumbed through the well-worn pages. Sure enough, I found a recipe that was simple and required few ingredients. It also listed several variations, including cheese. I decided to test it out.


Now, one of the criticisms I have of this cook book is that so many recipes call for shortening instead of butter. I decided it was fair game to update the recipe and made it as described, with the exception that I grated cold butter into the mixture instead of using shortening.

I made the cheese biscuits and chopped up my green onions to add to the mixture (obviously, that was a second variation on the recipe after the butter substitution). It formed a nice dough that was easy to work with. Thinking back to how we often cut out cookies and biscuits when I was a kid, I decided the right way to do it was once again with a small glass instead of a biscuit cutter. When I was finished, I had 15 biscuits ready for the oven (mine were thicker and wider than the recipe called for). Twenty-five minutes later, I had delicious savoury biscuits (and I had to freeze them immediately to avoid eating them all). I give them a 9/10.

While I had the cook book out, I noticed that it had a recipe for panettone. We've had panettone the past few Christmases, a new tradition following our vacation to Italy. I was surprised by the recipe; it wasn't at all what I'd expected it to be. It was certainly involved in terms of a process and it had far less butter than I would have expected. I called my mother.



"Did you know there's a recipe for panettone in your Cream of the West Cook Book?"

"No?" she replied.

I laughed. My mother's response didn't surprise me. I was certain that she only used the cook book for three recipes: brownies, muffins, and dumplings.

I suggested that perhaps we should try making panettone next Christmas. That's when my mother said I should make it my mission to try all of the recipes in the Cream of the West Cook Book and blog about it. And so this blog was born.

I'm sure that I won't test every recipe in the book, either due to time constraints or because the recipe looks weird (none come to mind, but I'm sure any cook book published in the 70s has a few wayward dishes in it). And as I journey through the cook book, you'll be able to follow along with me through this blog.

But before we get rolling, tell me: How many of you own this Cream of the West Cook Book? Is it just a Newfoundland thing?

Random Acts of Craftiness 3

It's hard to believe it's April already! I've been busy lately, but I've managed to find some craft time to continue my Random Acts of Craftiness 2016 challenge.

Earlier this month, I made a notebook for Noleen. I've been trying out different materials for covers, as well as different sizes of notebooks. I recently found some foam pieces at Dollarama and I thought they might make interesting covers. So, I took six pieces of paper, cut them in half, and sewed them to one of the foam pieces. I then folded the whole thing over and put it in my press for two days. After pressing, I trimmed the paper edge. And here's the result!

Definitely pleased with how this turned out!

And now, I think I have one more Random Act of Craftiness left! 

Time to put the thinking cap on!

Random Acts of Craftiness 2

Apparently March is National Craft Month. At least that's what Amazon tells me. But I'm not sure if that's because it really is craft month or because I purchased some craft supplies and I'm now being targeted by them as a result. Either way, it's been a good month to craft! I made chalkboard wine glasses for a silent auction that is being held today -- St. Patrick's Day, spent some time painting, and used my Silhouette Cameo to cut vinyl lettering for my cake tote (it now says "Ginger Snaps").

I also made some progress on my 2016 Random Acts of Craftiness resolution. Since my last update, I've made items for two more individuals on the list and so I'm now two-thirds of the way through the challenge.

My friend Nora received a set of four handmade cards. I had some leftover paper from a birthday present I made in February. I decided to use my Cameo and a new punch that I purchased in the States in October when I visited Neil. I'm pretty happy with the results.

I think my favourite is the feather, but I also love the LOVE.

For my friend Jenny, I stitched a journal with covers made from a Purity crackers box. Jenny and I met in Alberta and had some fun Newfoundland adventures together there -- I remember eating cold plates with her before attending a Buddy Wasisname concert. I figured she'd like a little piece of home!

And the recipient of this installment's bonus was Leanne, who received the peppermint version of the mints I made during RAC 1. I still don't think they're all that great, but the peppermint ones taste better than the cherry ones. And at least I used up my leftover gum paste. (Sorry, Leanne!)

So that's the second RAC update. Stay tuned for the next installment!

Random Acts of Craftiness 1

On New Year's Eve, as I thought about what I wanted 2016 to be, I decided I wanted to devote more time to crafting. To ensure that I would actually meet that goal, I posted on my facebook timeline that I would make something for the first 6 people who responded to the post. At some point during the year, without any notice, they would receive the handmade item. I referred to this as Random Acts of Craftiness (RAC) -- although, it admittedly isn't all that random since the individuals signed up for it (the random part is what they receive and when they receive it).

It's now the end of February and I'm one-third of the way through the 2016 edition of RAC. In January, using my Silhouette Cameo and some leftover paper, I made a set of bookmarks for Cindy, who I met through A Seasonal Bookclub. I combined a few different cutting designs and layered them for the final result. I will admit I sort of didn't want to give these away -- they totally are my colours -- but I can always make more. 

During January and into February, it seemed to me that a lot of people had taken up painting as a hobby. An individual in my office was registered in a class at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, a friend in Alberta was attending classes, a friend in PEI posted a photo from a class that she'd taken. Clearly I had missed the memo! I've always wanted to paint, but admit that my art classes as a child tended to focus on drawing. The only time I had actually painted something was back when I did the first RAC in 2009. One of the recipients was my friend Amanda who had told me once that she gave her friends canvases and invited them to paint art for her apartment. As a result, I bought a small canvas and painted her a dark, moody piece.

Anyway, around the time that everyone was painting, I stumbled upon a painting video on YouTube in which a gal painted a sunset. It reminded me of the great artwork that a friend in St. John's creates -- sunsets with inukshuks in silhouette. The combination of video and memory inspired me to go out to Michaels and buy a few canvases and some acrylic paint. As much as I wanted to paint an inukshuk, I felt like that would be cultural appropriation, so I went with a tree. The result, a small 5x7 painting, was mailed to Sarah in February.

Again, it was a little hard to let this go. Not because I think it's a fantastic work of art -- it clearly isn't -- but because I really liked the colours. I decided to paint a similar one for myself a few nights ago (but the one Sarah received is way better).

So, those are the first 2 of 6 Random Acts of Craftiness. And plans are in the works for the next two. But there's also a bonus! A few individuals were "late" to the RAC sign-up and wanted to be part of it, but weren't among the first 6 to comment. I decided to add these individuals to RAC  Bonus. Consequently, Carla was selected to sample a Pinterest experiment -- homemade candy "mints."

I had seen these on Pinterest for the past few months and was curious about how they would turn out. I had all the supplies, so one evening I sat down and tried it out, making two batches -- one cherry, one orange. Verdict? Not worth the time, energy, or investment. I really don't like them. They are hard, crunchy candies, but there's something missing (maybe they aren't sweet enough?). I think the orange tasted better than the cherry, but I wouldn't make them again. Carla: sorry you got stuck with what I consider to be a fail, but thanks for playing!

So that's the first RAC update. I'm starting to think I should make this an annual event.

Good Habits Start Early

Today's blog is inspired by a recent post by Jodi McDavid, who suggested that academics should Stop Working and Go Knit (visit her blog, show her some love).

This blog hit home for me. I have many different interests and a long list of hobbies (cake decorating, baking, cooking, crafting, swimming, playing board games, participating in a seasonal book club...). Sometimes it can be a challenge to find time for leisurely pursuits while juggling academic projects, looming deadlines, and CV-building activities. More and more, though, I am prioritizing them.

I remember chatting with a professor during my doctoral studies about things I like to do outside of academic pursuits. She replied, "I only read fiction when I'm on a plane." Whether she intended it or not, it came across as if it were some badge of honour to deny oneself the pleasure of fiction in all other contexts. I interpreted it as a commentary on the place of hobbies and other pleasure pursuits in the life of an academic, as well as the workload expected. I'm not saying that she believes that academic pursuits should expand to fill your entire life, but I think it's often taken for granted that they will -- and many don't question that (which is a little ironic, since we're trained to question everything, no?).

I remember promising myself that day that I wouldn't lose myself to my career. And I remember saying to a senior ethnomusicologist who has become a mentor and friend, that I couldn't be that person who "only [reads] fiction when [she's] on a plane." He supports me completely -- he knows as an academic administrator that such work-life balance is critically important for a sustainable career.

So, I make time to do things I enjoy. And I prioritize socializing with friends (even if it means I end up working late into the night to meet a deadline after having some fun).

It's a delicate balance. But good habits start early. So, as you push forward on your thesis, don't lose sight of your mental health and the things you enjoy. You'll need them to sustain you through your career.

Back Up Your Files

It's January!

It's a chance to start over. If you're like most people, you're feeling positive. You may even have made some New Year's resolutions related to your thesis or dissertation. You're on fire! And so, instead of a motivational post today (I'll save that for about 6 weeks from now when you'll be needing a pep talk), I'm going to give you some solid advice: this year, commit to backing up your files.

This is something we all know we should do, but usually don't think about until we're in a dire situation and it may already be too late. Hard drive failure is a real thing and it can happen without notice. The last thing you need is for your hard work to be in jeopardy. Even the most skilled tech can't always recover data -- it's the nature of the beast.

Chances are that Boxing Day sales, which seem to now last for weeks, are still going on in your city. Take the opportunity to purchase an external hard drive and back up all of your data. While you're at it, consider a jump drive for your active files. Whatever you pay, it will be money well spent. Then be sure that you back up all of your data regularly (at least once a month) and your active files daily. Yes, you can use the "cloud" for storage and backup -- DropBox is an incredibly convenient solution for moving between workstations -- but it shouldn't be your only document storage location.

I'm also a big believer in making a backup of your backup...

Overkill? You may think so, but let me share a personal experience from my own doctoral studies.

I was visiting my sister on Labour Day weekend during the last year of my PhD program. I remember being strangely ill-at-ease the entire weekend and I ended up driving back to St. John's early because of it, even though we had an adventure planned in New-Wes-Valley. Once home, I called a friend and asked if she wanted to go for a coffee that evening. Around 6:30pm, I left my apartment and made it all the way to my car before I realized I didn't have my jump drive with the most recent backup of my dissertation on it. For a moment I considered going on without it -- what could be the harm? But then I turned around and went back to my apartment to get it, all the while telling myself I was crazy and obsessed.

I had a lovely coffee with my friend and when I returned to my apartment that night at 9pm, it was pretty well destroyed. A hot water tank in the apartment above me had exploded without the elderly couple who lived there realizing it (they were napping after supper). Water poured through my ceiling for two hours -- enough that it also went through my floor and the ceiling of the apartment below me. Many of my belongings were damaged. It took a month for the apartment to be repaired (new ceiling, new flooring). I was displaced. (And I am forever thankful for the friend and his family who took me in during this time.)

Lucky for me, none of my electronics were damaged in the great flood of 2007. It's hard to believe, but around my desk was the only place that didn't have water. But if they had been damaged, I wouldn't have lost the most recent version of my research and dissertation, because I was carrying them on a jump drive in my purse.

So that's why I say to you this January: back up your files!

And stay tuned for more practical tips from Dr. Squirrel to help you crack the thesis nut in 2016!