Orchid Cake

The gum paste orchid cake... I think it turned out good. The picture I was given orginally had A satin ribbon and a string of pearls and real orchids on it. The Bride (Darwin's Cousin wanted everything edible) Which added up to ALOT of work for me, but I'm very pleased with the outcome. The only thing other than the dowels and cake boards that was NOT edible on the cake was the wires on the flowers that held them together. The bride loved it and it seemes as everyone else did as well.

 This is the top view of the orchids on the top teir.

Me with my master piece. I really enjoyed doing this cake, and I'm really proud of how it turned out. I always have to mentally prepare myself for when they cut into the cake, because I see all the hard work and it disappearing so fastly... I wasn't quiet ready when they cut into this cake and quinged a little bit! Oh well, it looked great and tasted great and now all I have left is pictures!

More cake...

I'm making the wedding cake for Darwin's cousin this weekend and she wanted everything edible. So I've been busy making these:

They are gum paste cymbidium orchids. The actually are a very pretty red, not the brown they look in the photo...poor lighting I guess! The cake is 4 round teirs, chocolate cake with mint filling, white cake with vanilla bavarian filling, chocolate cake with chocolate filling and lemon cake with raspberry filling, all cover with buttersream and marshmellow fondant. Lots of work. Photos will be coming soon!

So it's not food...But there are recipes :)

So I've been trying to find easy ways to help save us money. I've heard people talk about homemeade laundry soap and thougth why not give it a try. I bought the supplies and made it, and have tried it and I can officially say I LOVE IT! It is so simple to make and works great and averages out to be like 5cents per load verses the 25cents a load I was paying with store bought detergent. Here is the recipe:

Powdered Laundry Detergent


2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – or any of these other soaps Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps.) I used Fels Natha because it is specifically a laundry bar soap
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per full load.

Powdered Dishwasher soap

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda

Combine and store in airtight container. Use 1 Tablespoon per load

For a rinse agent in your dishwasher use White distilled Vinegar.

I think these are great, work really good and save money! I also think that these are great items to have in your food storage. Whether you have it made or at least the ingredients to make them if needed! Happy washing!

Cravings

Holy Cow I saw these last night and decided I HAD to have them. I like to blame the baby for things like this.. the Baby is the one that really needs it not me. The baby needs the second and third helping as well.  Anyhow, I'm heading to the store to buy the cookies and then I'm making a tray of these...and probably will eat the whole thing myself!

•1 pound Oreo Cookies


•4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

•24 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature

•¾ cups Granulated Sugar

•¾ cups Sour Cream At Room Temperature

•1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

•½ teaspoons Salt

•3 whole Large Eggs, At Room Temperature


 Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).
 Make the crust: place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight.)
 To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Yield: 24 bars

vacation...sorta

Sorry it has been so long since I posted, we went to Portland for Porter's appointments which was a disappointment and then got home and appendistus hit me a few days later! So I am down and taking it easy! My fabulous ward is so amazing they set up meals for me for THREE WEEKS and child care for like TWO WEEKS! Don't know what I'm gonna do with myself other than sleep and heal and I guess that is good cause it is definately what I needed. I'm considered high risk for the next few weeks and can't lift anything more than a gallon of milk. Surgery while awake was interesting and something I don't wish to do again! Anyhow, posts will probably be in short supply for awhile, until I'm up and fully running again! Sorry!