Seriously.

Allow me to take a break from my usual blog topics to voice my opinion.On women.Now, I use the term loosely. I think it's far from being the best word to describe the sort of people I take issue with.What's going on? I blame it on The Hills. I really do.I get it, you're young, you're dumb, and you have places like Charlotte Russe providing your clothing. It's not like you stood a chance to begin with.But honestly, doesn't it drive you crazy? These 18-25 year old girls who look like little clones of one another? You must know what I'm talking about. They all think they're really smart, they all dress the same, they ALL wear sunglasses no matter how bright it is or isn't outside."They all, like, uh, talk like thas?" With really long vowels and phrasing everything like a question?
OMG.Like, O.M.G.No, The Catcher in the Rye isn't the best book ever written. Yes, it's good, but trust me, once you're out of high school you'll read much more interesting literature. Give "The Flounder" buy Gunter Grass a try. No, Fall Out Boy is not a good band.No, Twilight is not, like, the greatest movie ever.No, PacSun isn't somewhere that you should ever purchase clothing to wear out in public.No, nobody cares how smart or cultured you think you are, nor are we impressed by it.No, nobody is charmed by you acting stupid. Maybe you all are really just stupid, I don't know.My point is, you're making us look bad.OH! Please learn the difference between "your" and "you're."For the sake of all that is holy.

Cakes that matter

I've only ever made cakes for fun or because I felt like it.

And I've only worked with fondant twice now.
So when Bethany asked me to make the cake and cupcakes for her wedding reception, I was super excited and terrified at the same time. Everything turned out great, and it gave me a new sense of pride and accomplishment.

That, my friends, is 100 hand-stamped fondant hearts.

There were 60 cupcakes in all, 30 vanilla with milk chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and 30 dark chocolate with teal vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream. Each cupcake was topped with edible glitter and a fondant heart.

She also requested a small cake, not to eat but to freeze for their one year anniversary. I made 4 layer white cake covered in white fondant with teal buttercream piping. I dusted the piping with silver edible pearl dust and wrapped the whole cake with teal and black ribbons.
I think the whole shebang looks pretty damn good!

The reception location was an hour from my house, and the wedding was at 2:15. So at noon, Ricky and I had to drop the cakes off at the hotel and leave them in a fridge. Let me tell you, driving for an hour in the midday Florida summer sun with 60 wedding cupcakes in your Subaru is a bit stressful.
Then after the wedding (which took place on base, 30 minutes from the reception hotel) we had to get there before everybody and set the whole thing up.
All I could think as I unloaded and arranged cupcakes with my blue apron on over my matron of honor dress was, "this is like my own little cupcake war, against myself!"
All the effort and stress was 100% worth it. The Coopers loved their cakes, and there were even some leftover to give to the hotel staff as a thanks for being so awesome.
Not bad for an amateur, no?This is how you know you've made a good cupcake! Kids don't lie! Rebecca has the cutest kids, doesn't she? And they love cupcakes!

P.S.
Many many thanks to Chantal Taylor for lending me a carrying cart and cupcake box for the transport, and to Samm Olsen for loaning me the lovely blue platters and for making baby B's tiny teal bow tie.
♥

Bethany and Grady Cooper!

These four photos were taken by Bethany's sister Rebecca, a very talented photographer.

This is the "please don't shove that in my face" look.

Perfect.

Seriously? I didn't know that pictures this gorgeous even happened.

There's me all matron-of-honored up.

The beautiful bride getting read to walk down the aisle!

Mr. Powell and myself.
Baby B!
Their reception was at the Commander's Palace at the Emerald Grand Resort Hotel in Destin. It was gorgeous. And perfect.
Just like them.
♥

my backyard

My backyard is home to many things.

Exhibit A: Giant caterpillars.

B: The neighbor dog, Tebow.

And we all remember the little birds that nest again and again in our birdhouse. We just had another trio of chicks grow up and fly out.
Does the house stay vacant in between nests?
Apparently not.
THIS is what moves in.

Heavens.

To.

BETSY.

There was a 2.5 foot long red corn snake (not poisonous, obviously) in the birdhouse. I had no choice (no choice!) but to pull him out by the head with a pair of BBQ tongs and lay him on the grass. And then get right in his face like a fascinated 8 year old boy until he got angry and coiled up and lunged at me.
Beautiful, isn't he?
Oh, and after sticking my hand right in there to take some pictures.
Ricky was concerned for my safety and sanity.
I called him Indiana Jones and kept poking at the snake, whom I named Clifford.
Because he was red.

Dear Blogger

Why not stop being lame and give us bloggers a "rotate image" option once our pictures are posted? That would be sensible, and I think I'd go, "Merrrrrghhhaaaaackk!!!!!" an awful lot less when I'm trying to upload several (nope, just five because that's all you'll allow me) images in a post.
With love,

Catch Up

Isn't it funny how life tends to get in the way of silly things like blogging?

Well, it has certainly gotten in the way.

I'll post food now, and the next few will be bigger events and news on life.

Obie Kabie?

Allons-y!

An homage to my favorite dish at Bella Italia in Kyllburg, Germany. Spaghetti with spicy garlic olive oil. So simple and so amazing.Moroccan Chicken, which goes very well with...after dinner hookah!
Breakfast for house guests! Morning buns and croissants (thank you, Starbucks) soft cheese, ham, bacon, strawberry rhubarb jam, butter, and scrambled eggs.

Oatmeal raisin cookies.

Petite garlic toasts with spicy bruschetta.

Steak, grilled asparagus, and baked mashed potatoes.

Tuna (way over cooked tuna, le sigh) and rice with spicy stir fry vegetables. This is a great recipe when you haven't gone produce shopping and only have the bare minimum of vegetation. Carrots, scallions, and celery. And peanuts, but we all know that those aren't vegetables.
=)

Ricky made dinner! Smoked barbecued pork shoulder, baked beans, and corn on the cob.

Strawberry shortcakes! I wanted to make biscuits for them, but he wouldn't let me.
I topped mine with vanilla whipped cream and candied ginger.
Because strawberries ♥ ginger.
It's the truth, they told me.

Chicken tacos with pica de gallo, pepitas, and queso fresco.

Chicken Tikka Masala.

Ice cream with caramelized figs and lavender honey.

coming up

So on Sunday afternoon I swear I'll catch up on posts.

Not that it really matters, haha!

Here's a bit of what you can look forward to:

Lots and lots of food!

Cupcakes

My first cake for a wedding

Me as a matron of honor

Bethany's wedding

A snake in the birdhouse

i keep doing this

I keep getting so busy with, well, non-blog related things that I just plain don't do it. I have so many pictures on my camera just waiting to be uploaded and shared. Recipes. Photos of disgusting, ugly, baby birds. I'll get around to it.Sorry I'm lame.I'm baking cupcakes and a cake for Bethany's wedding this weekend, and I'm the maid of honor.I love her.Oh, Bethany is getting married.P.S. I love the new Allstate "Mayhem like me" commercials. Hilarious.

salmon and fruit cupcakes

For dinner tonight I had to make something fast, as we went to the dog park after I got home and didn't have much time before Ricky had to leave for work tonight.

I made salmon, couscous, steamed broccoli, and a salad. I love couscous! It's the mother of all fast side dishes.

This evening while I was watching Chopped I decided that I wanted to bake something.

Nectarine and lavender cupcakes with whipped cream topping. One for me, two for Ricky, and nine to take to work and give away.
♥
It's midnight and I'm still awake. I have to be at work at 7. Why do I do this to myself? I can't sleep!

sweet things ♥

I've been a baking fiend.
Fiend.

World Cupcakes. Chocolate chip cupcakes with almond buttercream. Even though I made more of them orange, The Netherlands lost. Sad.

This, my dear friends, is a bowl of very well beaten egg whites. It's only a stiff peak if you can turn that bowl upside down. Bazinga.

Little berry tartlets with vanilla beam pastry cream and a clear glaze.

I thoroughly enjoy treats that fit in your hand this nicely.

Tennis ball cupcakes for Chantal's birthday! Spiced white cupcakes with honey buttercream.

My favorite one so far. My first clafoutis. Now, a traditional clafoutis recipe insists that you leave the pits in the cherries, as they will give the dessert a distinct, almond-y flavor. I did not want to leave the pits in my cherries, so I removed them (wow. such cherry blood carnage) and added a tablespoon of pure almond extract in place of the Kirsch in the recipe, since I couldn't find Kirsch anywhere anyway. It was amazing. I will have to try it the traditional way, of course, but this was a-ok to me.

It looks and sounds fancy, but it is so simple to make! I'll be posting this recipe soon at Ever So Sweet.