It's Football Season

Did you realize that gridiron action is in full swing?  If not, I'm curious how you've managed to stay away from the referee brouhaha this past week, as well as the ever present arguments over the college rankings.

Anywho, in the event that you a) live and breathe football or b) are just a fan during the season, have I got some great cakes for you this week.  Those of you who could care less about the sport, bear with me, I've got cakes for you, too!

Back to the footballers...I've got everything from high school (our hometown team) and pro football helmets,

to Big 12 Conference representation, including my boys (Go Pokes!),

and Jay representing the crimson and blue:

Ok, finished with the football cakes, on to everything else!

A western themed birthday cake,

A race track "3,"

A first birthday cake and smash cake,

A "blinged" out birthday cake and cupcakes,

And, the pièce de résistance, and probably my favorite cake of the past week, an "over the hill" tombstone and grim reaper!

Sculpting the grim reaper (yes, I sculpted him myself, though he isn't edible since he was constructed over a wire frame) put me in a Halloween mood, glad my favorite holiday is coming up soon!  I've already got several Hallow's Eve themed cookie orders in the works, and I'm hoping to try my hand at a few new themed recipes.  If I find the time and any of the recipes work out, I promise to share them with you.

Talk to you soon!

Give It A Whirl

To prevent pasta from sticking when you add it to boiling water, stir it vigorously for about 5 seconds as soon as you add it to the pot; each piece should be able to tumble freely.  And, don't add oil to the water as is often suggested; it can prevent sauce from clinging to the cooked pasta.

Mmm...tasty!

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts

No, not those coconuts.  I mean, I have those coconuts, obviously, but we are not discussing them today.  Or any day for that matter.  Moving on!

I mean the tropical fruit known as the coconut.  See, there's a bunch hanging from the tree on this hula themed cake...

See them?  Right there?  Good!

I've also got a lovely passel of polka dots.

And a lovely band of bows,

(Polka dots here, too!)

Plus, a lovely heap of harlequin pattern inspired triangles,

(Bows here, too!)

Also, don't forget, a lovely covey of cupcakes.

Not done quite yet though!  I've also got a lovely mess of monster trucks.

And, the final piece...a lovely bouquet of blooms and a lovely lot of ladybugs.

Don't you just adore posts that increase your vocabulary while also making you drool?

You did realize I was using synonyms for "bunch," right?  If so, you aced the test!  Not that there was one...but you get the idea.

Talk to you soon!

Fried Green Tomatoes

You want to make fried green tomatoes, but aren't sure if you should use unripe regular tomatoes or tomatoes that are actually green when they ripen (i.e. some heirloom varieties).  The answer:  use unripe tomatoes that feel firm and look full-grown.  They have a tangy taste and firm texture that will stand up to frying; a ripe tomato would never survive the dredging and frying process.

Here's a basic recipe for fried green tomatoes:  dredge thick tomatoes slices in flour, then dip in beaten egg or milk, and dredge in cornmeal; fry in 1/2 inch of vegetable oil, turning once until browned.

This is an excellent way to use those tomatoes that may not make it to fully ripe before the first freeze sets in!

Mmm...tasty!

Salted vs Unsalted

Your favorite baking recipe calls for unsalted butter PLUS salt, but why can't you just use salted butter instead?

Seems counterintuitive, I know, but using unsalted butter + salt, rather than salted butter allows you to be more precise in the amount of salt you are adding to the recipe.  There is no industry standard for the amount of salt a stick of salted butter contains, so you could be adding anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt per stick, and that's a pretty big margin.

Mmm...tasty!

Summer's Last Hurrah

How is it possible that Labor Day has already come and gone?  I am not ready for summer to be over!  I've only been to the beach once this season, and the mountains none at all.  *sigh*  The mountains are prettier in the fall anyway, maybe I should plan a mini-vacay soon.  Hmm, perhaps squeeze it in before I succumb and start my Christmas shopping.  (I see you giving me that death stare.  Start planning now, save some of your sanity three months down the road.  Trust me!)

Well, in honor of summer's last gasp, I've got some cakes to share with you.  Some of them exude a summertime vibe - like this tiki themed one:

Complete with tiki heads made from (clean, empty) soup cans!  Am I a genius or what?  Yes, the tiki's were not edible, but everything else was, including the hula skirt, seashells, and hibiscus flowers.

And this pair of florally festooned cakes:

The flowers are simplified violets on an ivory buttercream base.  Pretty, no?

Maybe these bright zebra striped sugar cookies?

To be honest, they gave me a bit of an '80s vibe...though I think it was more the choice of colors than the design.  And, yes, the colors were my choice, not the client's; traditional black and white zebra striped cookies were ordered, I just had a few extra on hand and decided to play a bit.

Also, of course, these sports themed cupcakes:

Sports of all kinds are pretty well ubiquitous with summer - particularly baseball and soccer.  Football is more of a fall sport, but can I get an "amen" that is has made its return?!  Oh, how I've missed college football.  Go Pokes!

These last few cakes aren't necessarily summertime, or really inclined toward any season at all, but they are still worth sharing.

A Bieber fever cake, using an edible image:

An army themed cake, using buttercream in different colors for the camo, and fondant for the dog tags and soldier silhouette:

And, a good luck cake for those both coming and going:

Pretty good sentiment to end on, I'd say.

Talk to you soon!

Ingredient Substitution: Savory

I know you're probably thinking "What the heck is "savory" anyway?"  Well, first things first, it is an herb closely related to the mint family that has a strong peppery flavor, it's often used in Mediterranean cooking to flavor beans, mushrooms, vegetables, and meats, and there are typically two varieties - summer savory (mildly spicy flavor) and winter savory (stronger, less refined flavor than summer savory).

Right, so now that we know what savory is, what would be an acceptable substitute?

The most commonly suggested substitute for either the winter or summer variety of savory is thyme OR thyme plus a pinch of sage or mint; keep in mind that thyme is more strongly flavored than savory, so start with about half as much as called for in the recipe and work up from there.

Other possibilities include marjoram or poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning.  If you opt to use one of the seasoning blends, read the ingredients first - most contain some savory along with a host of other herbs and spices, so the blend may strongly affect the flavor of your recipe.

Mmm...tasty!