Cake decorations. Do what you know

I have never taken a cake decoration class. I have wanted to, but it was just to frivolous. Plus, I been a big fan of  "cake wrecks" for years, and I thought I could do as good as those people, without any training.
But sadly, I guess I can only do as good as those people, without any training.
So, here is the cake I made of the Doctor Who party we had with friends.


It is a simple white cake in a 9X13 pan. I used my DrWho ice cube mold, to make marshmallow filled chocolate Villains. I made a very small batch of "white chocolate fudge" 'cause I know how to do that, and tinted it gray, then spread it very thin in a pan. Then used my doctor who cookie cutters to make the shapes, and played those on top of  a buttercream frosting, and I put Blue Raspberry cool aid in the frosting to color it and flavor it. It gave it a little bit of a sour taste, and balanced the cake and the sugary shaped on top.
I loved it and the responses from our friends were positive.

New ETSY Shop

etsy.com/shop/MFromOrdinary

I'm working for an Etsy shop.

I have designed several images we have turned into pendants

 

And I have embroidered some burp cloths and Bibs with geeky decorations.

Portal Pumpkin Carving

Portal Pumpkin.
Hand Carved. There is a little Portal Person going in the side and coming out of the top too, Just did not photograph well.

Corn bread debate

My perspective, when it comes to Corn bread, is that it is divided into three styles. Southern corn bread, SW corn Bread, and Appalachian Corn bread.
My brother spent some years in the south. And My sister in the Rural NE. Their opinions, with the support of others, has led me to the opinion that there are three schools of cornbread.
The Southern Corn bread is quick bread. Only corn is involved, no flour, it has baking powder and baking soda, usually buttermilk, and bacon grease or butter. Often the recipe on the back of the cornmeal package.
Northern Corn bread is a bread in the way the Zukini bread is a bread. More cake like. Baked in a cake round, with Flour in addition to cornmeal, sugar and usually no baking soda, but more eggs, and using oil instead of butter.
And the South West style is their rebel child. Flour and Corn meal, less sugar then Northern, buttermilk, and butter. Crumbly, moist, and often employing an addition, like Chile peppers, creamed corn, or cheese.
Some people are oblivious to the distinction.
Some People on the east coast think there is only the first two, and will stare, appalled, at the idea of putting something IN the corm bread.
So hence the arrival of the third group.
Up her in the NW we know the choice of corn bread has a lot to do with the rest of the meal. Like choosing the right wine for fish as apposed to beef. It have to complement the meal, not detract. Personally I don't drink, but I understand the concept.
If you are eating a NY firehouse Chili, then you want a norther corn bread.
If you are eating a pinto bean Chili, go with a southern cornbread.
If you are eating a Habanero Killer Chili, you NEED the SW corn bread with sour cream.

If I was ambitious I might make a pan of each. But I have a toddler, and am pore at time management. So I'm not going to do that.

Baby Tie shirt

Here I turned a bodysuit undershirt into a Sress shirt, compleat with tie.

I drew it on with fabric paint.

What!?!? my google+ ?

I was just reading about the new Blogger upgrade, and was all for it. Untill It wanted me to link to my Google+.
That made me hit the brakes.
I am not interested in the google version of facebook. I don't like Facebook. I do not use Facebook.

"If you are happy to blog under your real name, people can follow your stream on Google+. If you prefer to blog under a nickname or an established pseudonym, you can create a Google+ Page to represent your blog. Bloggers who wish to remain anonymous should continue to blog as usual."

I will Blog as usual.

I don't want to blog with my real name. I don't want my MIL to find it. :P

Craft: Pritty magnets

Jumbo bag marbles: $2.50 (19 ct)
Magnetic tape $1.00 (.5 X 30 ")
Clear, glass compatible glue: $8.00 ? I already had it in my craft supply
Magazine images small enough to fit behind marbles

I used almost all of the tape on the 19 marbles, because I put two three quarter inch pieces per marble, because I wanted it to be strong enough to hold up papers on the fridge. But you could probably get away with just one strip.
SO my cost per magnet was less then $0.20
And they sell sets of 6 magnets, that are exactly the same for $4 !
And I can customize mine. The set you see is for a friend's birthday.
I'm making myself a Dr Who Set...

Rux Pin

I am a child of the 80s.
I, like most kids I knew, wanted a "teddy Ruxpin" to read them stories.

Well, Hubby found instructions on how to adapt a plush toy to recognize certain objects, and play corresponding sound bites.
So, were making our own!
It's Going to be a Plush robot.
I designed it myself.
Two cubes, augmented with Buttons.
Here is the Beta, made from scrap fabric.

Here are some of the Ideas we have:
When you lay the Robot on the Winni the Pooh nap blanket, it will tell you a nap time story.
When you lay the Robot in the Crib, it will sing "daisy, Daisy"
When the Robot gets close to the plush tool set, it will say little phrases about fixing and building things.
When the Robot gets too close to the front Dore it will say "I can't do that Dave"
When the Robot gets into the Car it will say "Autobots, Roll out"

This is the 2.0 version. No arms and legs yet.

I had to remake the body as the Speaker and Battery pack for "Bop the Robot" was so big it did not fit in the 1.0 body. The 2.0 body also had separate internal pockets for the antenna, battery pack and speaker, to keep them for banking into each other, or getting stuffing into there parts.
I'm very tempted to remake the whole thing, since I have learned a lot in the process. Hubby said the same thing. Maybe we should just make Bop a wife...

Happy Pie Day!

3.14 Pie get it March 14th...

I made
Cherry almond...
Banana custard
and Minni Sweet potato Pie

Look for the Recipes over the next couple of days

Gluten free Doughnut french toast ?!

Yep.

After I made a few regular French toast, I sliced those stale doughnuts in half, and dredged them in the egg, and pan fried them up.

It did make the doughnut soft, and warm, better then it was straight, but WAY to sweet for a breakfast food.

French toast

Darth vader, Storm trooper and little Ewoks french toast
Just trying to make Hubby feel special

Thanksgiving "turkey"

This is the Snack Platter I made for Thanksgiving at my parents house.
I made 12 pounds of mashed potatoes for the thanksgiving at my in-laws, and I have to say , this took less time and was more fun!

Becky was my inspiration, from last year with her version that had meat and cheese on it too.

Mine is all Fruit.

I did not want to cut it all up, and try to drive across the bridge with it assembled, so I took the Whole fruit over and cut it up at my parents.

Mango, Cantelope, Hunnydew, apples(yes those are Camio apples; what else!)

Problem was I forgot the Strawberries, Oranges and Pineapple at home. So it should have had a little more color variety.

I think it was a good first try. Next year will be even better!

Lenard Nemoy's 79th Birthday

March 26th was Lenard Nemoy's 79th Birthday.
And we are fans. So we had a Star Trek Themed party that night.
I made food that had appeared on star trek episodes, and we played star trek games.

I took photos of everything, mostly with my phone. But now I can't get the photos off my phone.

The menu was:
Delvan Pudding Puff Pastry {only photo}

Alfarian Hair (pasta) with Petrokian Sausage.
Canapes (crackers) with Mantickian Pate (taco dip)
Tavokian Power Cake
Darmok (ice cream)
And about seven various colored drinks.
...Blue Romulan Ale, Brown Eelwasser, white Risan Wine, exct...

The Tavokian Power cake was make with Betty Crocker Gluten free Devil's food cake mix. It was very good. Moist, spongy, and good chocolate flavor. Did not even need frosting.