CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE

As promised...CAKE #2

The preperations:


Let's Just say that Ganache (the chocolate drizzle)=EVILNESS! Turns out chocolate and flowers like each other!!!


50CentJen is playing with the tops white I ganache!


Its all starting to come together:


More FLOWERY TOPS!!! There are little chocolate curls around the flowers as well. I told you, Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!!!


At the reception all put together: (the purple things in the background are not my doing b.t.w.)


The white thing on the table in front of the cakes is a white veil with mouse ears. Then of course is the main cake topper of Mickey and Minney which is sitting on the 2nd biggest layer because it was way too big for the very top layer.


So the low down on this. This was fun up until the ganache. When made according to the recipe, it is VERY runny, and had ZERO contrast to the other frosting. We spent an hour messing with the consistency, and trying to get more of a contrast between the frosting, and the ganache.

We ended up with twice as much more chocolate, and it was thicker, but still not where we needed it to be. We had to mix the frosting into the ganache to thicken it up to where we could at least drizzle it over the sides. The drizzles were forced down the sides with a squirt bottle, in strategic locations.

An hour after we were supposed to have the cake at the reception, we finally made it, despite a few attempts on all our parts to drop them on the way over. I almost dropped the top layer right in front of the bride!!!

Then Captain Obvious, (as I have affectionately re-named my mother) pointed out to me on the way in, after one of the most frustrating hours of my life, I was late. I needed to plan better. NOT the thing to say when I am likely to shove the cake I am holding, right into your face!!! That would have gone over well right in front of the bride right? So instead, I almost just drop the thing on the ground. I probably would have sat down on the ground, possibly said a few choice words, then burst into tears!!!

The same applies to this one as it did to the last. Rip on it, admire it, laugh at it, tell me it sucked, or that it wasn't that bad, I don't care. It is over and done with, and since I do not have a cake in my hand, nor are you standing right next to me, I think your opinions will be duley noted no matter how good or bad! (That applies to you too SHAMEONYOU!)

Bake Sale?

It was brought to my attention just the other day that the reason I can't seem to find anyone to move into my apartment with me, is that perhaps I am stinky. This individual is such a good friend, she offered me a suggestion:

I SHOULD HAVE A BAKE SALE!

My first thought was that it wouldn't work cause people would come steal a treat, and then turn around and run in the other direction. My second thought was that maybe that was a good way for me to get a date!!!

THOUGHTS???

T-Mobile=EVIL LIARS?

I stumbled upon this blog while seeing if anything was new in Cheneyville.

I don't use T-Mobile, so I have no real opinions, but I think all cellular phone companies are all the same. They are all in it to gouge the little guy. Does it stop me from using their products. Not really. I hate how expensive they are, but I am the type of person who will pay a little bit extra to have a little more conveinience. (i.e. paying $100 for a flight to Boise, ID. or Las Vegas, NV.) rather than spend 6 hours in a car driving. I hate driving!

What are your thoughts on this? I would esp. like to hear if you use T-Mobile, and have ever used it in more smaller, rural areas rather than in more urban areas, such as Salt Lake/Provo.

Slacker Reviews

I have been a slacker on a couple of reviews, so now that I have a few minutes while at work (more like I don't want to really do any official work right now), I thought I would say a few things about my experiences.

More recently, I ventured into Chili's and into the California Pizza Kitchen restaurants, both in Orem.


This one has always been kind of like a staple. It features southwest cuisine, but also the traditional burgers and fries and stuff. I have always loved the traditional fajitas. This time, Queenmeadow, her husband Stuthewise, and their 3 kids invited me out for an evening of fun since they couldn't make it to a BBQ I invited them to a little while back. One thing I love about this restaurant, is that you can use a service called "Call Ahead Seating." The idea is that your name will go on the waiting list as soon as you call, and then you pick up your pager when you get there. The wait time is the same as if you had just walked in the door, but it is from the moment you call, not when you arrive! I haven't ever had to wait very long when I used this wonderful service. Other restaurants are dumb for not implementing the same type of service. I believe this would ease the stress of a huge lobby of hungry, yet angry guests (bad combination)!

I have heard many advertisements lately for their new menu item called "Fajita Trio." (My favorite one is the game-show one on the radio, about naming that sound...cracks me up everytime I hear it)! I was kind of tired of the usual things I get everytime I go there, so I thought I would try it out. It is small portions of steak, chicken, and shrimp all cooked in a sizzling skillet with bell peppers and onions! MMM!!! I thought they were fabulous, and so did Queenie! Overall a very good experience!

CPK specializes in non-traditional pizzas with more gourmet type toppings and cheeses, etc. Along with that you will find some pastas along the same lines. They too have a call ahead seating option available, but you still have a bit of a wait once you arrive, which is no big deal usually.

One of my friends, Ms. Cvitas, graduated from BYU (or at least walked, cause she gets her diploma in August). She is from Croatia, along with some friends she as met while living here the past few years. They have green cards, and live here, while Ms. Cvitas is here only on a student visa. After the long, boring, drawn out, graduation ceremony, she had a little celebration at CPK.

We got in and got seated after a short wait, but then the server was not aware we were her table. Usually servers have sections, so if a new group comes into your section, they are your table to serve. I don't know what happened, but they gave us a free appetizer to make up for it!!! The food was prompt, and the right temperature. She had issues with keeping up on our drinks (some didn't like the italian sodas, but she wasn't around to get it changed).

The biggest beef of mine was when I paid my bill. My bill came to $11.00, and I paid with a $20 bill. She brings me back $6, but a $5 bill, and $1 bill. I have no other cash, and I was going to leave her like $3, even though it was only supposed to be like $2 technically. I would have asked her to change it out, but like I said before, she never came back. We were there talking for like 30 min after our bills came, and I had no caffeine to help me keep up the fast pace of a foreign language I can barely understand anymore as it is! So, I left her $1, and then I found a couple of quarters, so her tip ended up being $1.50. HALF! If any of you are servers in restaurants out there, and you actually want a tip, don't expect me to be leaving you the $5 bill. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN unless you blow me away with your incredible service/food!!!


Lastly, this place shouldn't have even been mentioned cause it was so bad. Sakura Teppanyaki Grill and Sushi Lounge in Orem. I only have two words for this place. SO BAD! Perhaps these ones are better: NEVER AGAIN! Two hours to get a few sushi rolls, then it comes back either not rolled tight enough, or they used the wrong kind of rice, because they fell apart the second you touched them. Just avoid this place if you can!!!

Cake #1

I have officially been deemed a pastry chef by a couple of my friends, Chocoball, and her life-long friend Angister. Back in December/January, I got a phone call from these two asking me if I was a pastry chef.

I replied that I wasn't really, but then inquired as to why the scary question!

They then said they were hoping I could/would make their wedding cakes for them in a few months.

Very hestitant, I agreed to the task. I reminded them that their cakes would be my first, and that I would require the help of a friend who makes wedding cakes a lot for friends, family, etc.

They assured me of their confidence in my abilities, and that they would still love it if I could do this for them. I agreed, and the stress bagan!

Thanks to 50Cent-Jen for all the help, and for the use of your abilities, advice, and most importantly, for the use of your equipment!!!

These pics are all of Angster's cake! Chocoball's cake will be appearing in two weeks, and believe me when I tell you, it will be quite the cake!!!


The difference a stupid border makes!


Angister's cake-topper was a crystal Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple


The finished product as delivered to the reception center.
(Bottom & top layer were chocolate cake, with chocolate mousee filling. The two middle layers were white cake. The middle-bottom layer had a raspberry puree with whole raspberry bits for the filling, and the middle-top layer had the raspberry puree/raspberry bit filling along with some of the chocolate mousse filling on the top of that).

Despite the not-so-warm welcome from the stupid owner of the reception center, we thought everything turned out very well. The happy couple was happy with the results, both the look, and the taste (at least to my face which is what really matters); some of the guests' comments were nice...even when they didn't know I made it; and the bride's parents thought it was great too (they were the one's who paid me for it so that makes a big huge difference)!

Feel free to critique it, compliment it, rip on it, whatever. I was happy considering this was my very first attempt at this gig!!!