Funny Story... well...

Sooooo... After alot of thought, I decided I wanted a new Stand Mixer for Christmas. Brian and I had come up with budgets for spending this year and the new Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer fit nicely in that budget, but I wouldn't get anything else! Christmas day comes, I was ready with a new glass bowl I pre-bought at Amazon to go with my new mixer... I opened it up, plugged it in and the attachments keep hitting the bowl. After numerous adjustments, nothing made it better. Oh well... we will exchange for a new one on boxing day. Boxing day comes, Brian runs to the store, makes the exchange and brings back Kitchenaid # 2. Open the box, plug it in (feeling excited again) and this time, the motor is running really rough, like rough in the way you are not comfortable with. So, the next day, I join Brian and head back to the store to pick up Kitchenaid # 3. We bring it home and reluctantly open the box and plug it in. Guess what... all attachments are hitting the bowl again!! Motor is fine, but again, no adjustments can correct the problem. This time after calling the store manager, we figure we would try a different store location and drive out to abby to pick up Kitchenaid # 4. After arriving home, even more fearful this time... we plug it in and guess what... the motor is defective AGAIN!! UGH!! At this point, I was done... Brian was ready to drive in to Coquitlam to try another store but I said forget it... Clearly something in the universe is telling me that this machine isn't the right one for me! It's too bad because it really is a nice looking machine. I will say I didn't like how loud it runs comparatively to my mixer (which I have given to Mom as a Christmas gift with new attachments). Luckily, I can return the bowl I bought back to Amazon (less shipping of course, but I understand that). So, definitely feeling disappointed over my Christmas gift so far...


I have now placed an order for a new Hamilton Beach Eclectics Stand Mixer, in Licorice, through Amazon and am super excited for it to arrive. I have now been without a mixer for a week (which is painful for me) and have to wait another week or so for the new arrival, but I have a feeling this one will be a keeper! Can't wait!!! The funny part, its the same mixer I just gave Mom, but this one is black instead of the mint green! Oh well, its a great Mixer and now Mom and I will both have one!!

Christmas Baking...

I did alot of Christmas baking this year. I started 2 weeks before Christmas as some of this stuff could be frozen well... I will just list it all and it was all yummy (and served at different times!!!)

4 Layer Lucious Pumpkin Cake (people get made when I dont make this now)
Nanaimo Bars (special for Dad)
Oreo version of the Nanaimo Bar
Chocolate & White Chocolate Oreo Truffles
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Crispys
Eskimo Boy & Girl Sugar Cookies
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies (with Egg White Royal Icing)

Wow, alot of work but it was such a fun bunch of treats, how could I not make them all?!

Eskimo Cookies

Ok, I think icing sugar cookies is my new favorite thing... I saw the idea for these eskimo boy and girl cookies on another baking blog and just had to try to make them! Still can't believe how cute they turned out!! I individually wrapped them and gave them to the kids at Christmas. I loved it when Lilah said "Auntie Holly always makes the best treats!" :)

I hear someone ate their cookie for breakfast on Christmas!! Cali!!

Cupcakes for a Cause...

Excuse the horrible photos... I only had my cell phone camera with me! I helped Nadia decorate cupcakes for her Church Christmas Fair to help raise funds for her trip to India. Nadia baked cupcakes all day and I arrived after work with my mixer ready to start making icing! I think all said and done we did about 120 cupcakes with flavors ranging from Chocolate Candy Cane, Lemon, Chocolate Peanut Butter... to Caramel Macchiato, my personal favorite!

Christmas Ornament Cookies

Woodland Friends Cake for Sophie's 1st Birthday

Inspired by finger puppets I made for all the 1 year old nieces this year, lucky little Sophie got them on her cake too! Hope everyone enjoys it tomorrow for the party!

Woodland Friends...

Here are the finger puppets I made and used as my cake idea!!

Woodland Friends Cake being made...

First off... sorry it has been so long since the last post on this blog! Its not for lack of time in the kitchen.... I have been focused more on breads and cooking. I guess I could pop that on here too, but the cakes, cookies and cupcakes are so much more fun to look at! That being said... I was asked to do Sophie's 1st birthday cake so of course, I had to make the super moist chocolate cake I do so well (from scratch).

You can't see it due to the icing, but there is a layer of chocolate icing and a layer of  cream cheese icing as the filling

I didn't ice the lower half as I am going to ice it with chocolate icing for the 'ground' of the  forest

Basic outline of the trees

I tried to give the trees a bit of a 3D look using a star tip and dragging the icing

I like the cake just like this personally... haha... very outdoorsy

I used the same stencils I drew for the puppets on the cake. I freeze cake as it is much easier to work with especially when needing to cut out small details

Here they are!  Next time I would consider icing before placing them on the cake as it might be easier to ice on the sides. Ultimately, I am a perfectionist and it really doesn't matter if they aren't done perfectly, it will still taste yummy!

I iced trees on the sides of the cake too... I like it when a theme covers as much of the cake as possible

Can't wait to see what Sophie thinks!