crave cake?

I love Ace of Cakes! I'm obsessed. I record every episode on my DVR and sometimes even take notes while I watch. working with Duff and the gang at Charm City Cakes would be the ultimate dream job for me. and since I'm a caterer, I decided I should have sweet cake skills. so, I took a class from Jaxon here at Viking Cooking School. it was fabulous! Jaxon was a great teacher, and we had a ton of fun and learned some mad skills. I was scared, but I fell in love with fondant. I want to make fondant cakes every day! here are some pics from that day.



I thought we did pretty well for our first time. and now I'm getting a lot of requests from friends to make cakes for them. Amber and I did our first one yesterday. it was a 2nd birthday party for an adorable little girl. we made her a hungry caterpillar. what do you think?


if anyone needs a cake, hit me up! I love to do it, and am charging for ingredients only while improve my skills.

today's breakfast

I had one of my favorite breakfasts today - raspberry yogurt cornmeal pancakes. I just have to share the recipe with everyone. why keep something this yummy all to myself??

raspberry yogurt cornmeal pancakes
1 box jiffy cornbread mix
1 cup raspberry yogurt (or whatever flavor you prefer)
2 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil

when you cook these, the heat should be medium low. they take a little longer too cook, burn easily, and don't really rise. I eat them with butter and maple syrup and it's delicious! let me know if any of you try them.

the things I love about Australia

I had a fabulous time in Australia. it was even better than last year! I love it there and would have no problem becoming an Aussie myself one day. here are some of the things I love down under:

* Koalas! look how adorable they are! they are so cuddly and sweet. I couldn't stop oohing and aweing at them. if I were rich, I would have paid to hold one. it's my goal for next year. :)



* lawn bowls. ever heard of it? you have to roll an oblong ball across the turf and try to hit the white ball on the other end. I have to admit, I got pretty good at it. the ball curves when you roll it, so there is some skill involved. there's gotta be somewhere in the states to play. it's tons of fun.
* the Daintree Rainforest. It's amazing. I love trees, and I have never seen any like these. I don't think I saw any that were similar. tons of different kinds, tons of different heights, and barely any space between them. you can't even see the sky. I love it there.



* the people. to be honest, I don't think I've ever met nicer folks! they are all incredibly cheerful and welcoming. it seems they are all more real and down to Earth than we are here in the states. I want to start an Aussie-style American organization and teach everyone their manners and way of life. if we took our time like they did, we'd all have less headaches, heart attacks and ulcers. most of us would have better relationships too!



* Aussie slang. here are some of my favorites:
swimmies, or swimming costume - swimming suit
good on ya - good for you, or nice job
thongs - flip flops. we had some fun confusion over this one. :)
jumper - jacket
sunnies - sunglasses
rubbish - garbage, trash
bite your bum - be quiet
bush - middle of nowhere, desert
bushie - someone who lives in the bush
cheesed off - annoyed
chemist - pharmacy
boot - trunk of a car
cobber - a male friend
bloke - derogatory name for a male
brekky - breakfast
canopies - appetizers
in a tic - in a second
lollies - candy
mum - mom
no drama, no worries
petrol - gasoline
pressie - present or gift
rice bubbles - rice krispies
torch - flashlight

see?! when people talk like that, how can you not love them?

* meat pies. SO yummy!! and sausage rolls too! this place in Kuranda had the best meat pies ever made. flaky thick crust and tasty fillings. some of them had mashed potatoes on the top!



* driving on the wrong side of the car AND the road. it was hard to get used to, actually it was really scary at first. but, then it was fun. I got the hang of it, and it started to get exciting. I just had to keep my mind on it or off I would go in the wrong direction, or my windshield wipers would be moving instead of my blinkers going on.

* the fun animals and wildlife reserves. check out these wallabees. alligators, lions and tigers! and I saw so much more!







* the accents. I probably shouldn't say this until I have been to more countries, but the Aussie accent has to be my favorite. SO CUTE!

I can't wait to go back. and if you ever get a chance, you have to go. Australia is amazing!

deer valley

I got free tickets to the Deer Valley Music Festival, so I took Jaime with me and we headed out for a girls night away. we first ventured up to Main Street and had dinner at Yuki Arashi. the sushi was pretty good. I'm sure we will post about it someday on Girls' Bite Out. as we neared the end of our meal, the dark clouds prevailed and the rain began pouring. rain is my favorite weather, almost nothing makes me happier than being in the rain! so, we ventured outside and headed for the car, stopping for ice cream, of course.

the music festival is outdoors, and as much as I love rain, I was hoping it would subside so we could enjoy the performance. the view was beautiful, the music was amazing (even depsite the fact that I'm not a big Beatles fan), the whole thing was great. and then there was a breeze. have you ever been wet and cold during a breeze? yeah, it's not exactly warm and comfy. we stuck it out as long as we could, but ended up leaving early. as we were rounding a corner on a wet, muddy slope, my cute little flats slipped right out from under me and I landed flat on my butt in the mud. my purse and lawn chair went flying, and everyone gasped in horror. leave it to me to make a complete fool of myself. I couldn't help it, I busted up laughing. what else could I do? it was funny, there is no denying it. and nothing could have ruined the evening. check out the view:

pink lemonade cupcakes

I made these for my boss's birthday a little while ago and just had to share. aren't they adorable?? and they taste even better than they look! do you want the recipe? well, maybe I will post it on my new blog, Girls' Bite Out, some day soon. keep watching, we will get it up and running and irresistible in no time!

I'm 27

okay, I'm finally ready to admit it. I'm 27. thanks to my coworkers, family, and awesome friends, I had a great birthday and I am finally going to post about it! I'm not going to lie, I haven't been too busy or too sick to do this. I have just been putting it off. yeah, that's right. I don't happily admit that I am 27. BUT - it was a great day, and it deserves to be praised on my blog.

it all started with extra time in my comfy snuggly bed. I got to sleep in! you should all know by now how much I love that. I then spent some time stamping and made some of those fun magnetic bookmarks for my friends. then I headed to the airport to pick up Kerstin. she was VERY lucky with her American Airlines flight. she actually made it! the sad part was that she ended up being sick and having to leave after lunch. it was a good time while it lasted though, and we thoroughly enjoyed our free lunch at The Pie. we ate too much, of course. but, who could resist that cheesy pizza and warm gooey chocolate chip cookie dough with ice cream?


Amber and I then headed to Park City with Jaime and Erica where we checked in to our free jacuzzi suite at the Landmark Inn. we had SO much fun with the jacuzzi! It was really only made for two people, but three of us scrunched in there and had girl talk all night! I couldn't think of better people to spend the day with! we also went out to dinner that night to Zoom, which is Robert Redford's restaurant. it was delicious! the best part though, was the dessert. Amber and I shared the pumpkin parfait. it was divine! they even put cute candles on it for me. awww! I loved it so much that I licked the glass!





the next day we had breakfast at The Eating Establishment. it was really good too. there's some good food in Park City! after that we did some shopping at the outlets and headed back to Salt Lake early so Amber and I could head to Cedar City for our cousin's wedding. it was good to be able to see all of our family. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. so much fun!

after being forced to take a couple sick days I headed back to the office and was greeted by these amazing cupcakes and cubicle decorations! these were delicious, I need to know where they were purchased. and I did feel like a princess at my desk, especially with all the attention I was getting. thanks ladies!



well, it all would have been better if I wouldn't have been sick. :) but, I lived. yes, I have lived to be 27. it has been great so far and I'm sure it is going to get better and better. things are lookin up for me. good things are on the horizon. alright, I will stop with the corny lines. :)

recent obsessions

just an update on the new little things I have become obsessed with and which brighten my days.

Jonagold apples - they are oh so yummy! the funny thing is that I have never really liked apples unless they were covered in dulce de leche. but recently out of nowhere I started craving them (must have been a subliminal message in a movie or something). I just happened to grab a few of these delicious concoctions of nature one day while in the produce section and now I salivate for them. try one before they are out of season. you won't regret it.


Stampin' Writes - these markers make writing fun. I love choosing which colors I am going to use every day. I mean, if you have to write, use color! and I love the tips on the Journaler end. well, I actually love both ends. since I hate highlighters (yes, the ridiculous brightness hurts my eyes) I use the marker end to highlight. it's practically perfect in every way. just like me. ;)

Marie Digby - she is AMAZING! thank you Jaime for introducing me to her. her CD just came out and since I haven't made it to Target to purchase it, I have been watching her videos on youtube over and over. you will be addicted too. she and Sara Bareilles are my favorites right now. l-o-v-e. sometimes all I need is some great music and a piece of chocolate. but, when the music is this good, I don't even need the chocolate. now if that doesn't convince you to check her out, I don't know what will.

Magnetic Bookmarks - I bought one in Bermuda. It has a picture of a beach and hammock on it. beautiful... anyway, I love it. it doesn't slip out and you can use it to mark the line you were on as well. I am going to start creating my own, you know, with all my awesome stamping supplies. go Christa! maybe if you are nice enough to me I will give you one. :)

Patterned Heels - I love heels. I wear them as often as possible. but, a few months ago I got brave and bought some with patterns. since then I can't stop buying and wearing them. somehow they make me feel better about myself. when wearing them I usually prance around while singing in my head. and it usually sounds something like this: "I feel pretty. Oh so pretty!" I'm sure I will get brave enough to start buying more colors very soon.

Jodi Picoult novels - I'm not sure how to do her justice. the Financial Times said, "It's hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes." dido. thank you Kerstin for recommending her novels. so far I have read My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, and Nineteen Minutes, but I plan to read all of them. they are all pretty lengthy novels, but I finish them pretty quickly. it's hard to put them down. I have never felt cheated any information after reading one of her books. the description she goes into about every character, every event, every scene, is completely satisfying. no character goes unnoticed. and they are more than noticed. you are given intimate details about everyone you come across. you feel connected and involved. the issues discussed are thought-provoking and sometimes heart wrenching. Picoult is masterful at handling each topic. whether you like to read or not, you should read her novels.

ship stories

I'm back! the past two weeks have been great. I worked a ton, probably more than I ever have, but still managed to have an amazing time. it started by flying into San Juan. I was with Janiel and Johanna, who are two of the funniest gals out there. so, we had a lot of laughs and ate some amazing food at a Puerto Rican restaurant called Raices. you can see our food here. I got a skirt steak stuffed with the locally grown raices (which means root, or potato), mushroom sauce, and shrimp. it was so so yummy! raices are some of my favorite potatoes now! they served the drinks in tin cups and had the silverware thrown in a tin bucket serving as the centerpiece. the staff were all dressed in old style caribbean clothing and sang at random times. I posted a pic of them as well, but it is kind of blurry. if you are ever in San Juan, you have to stop by for sure.



San Juan is a beautiful city. here are a couple shots I took as we were sailing away:



we then had to sail for two and a half days before we reached New York. I had never been on a ship that was rocking that badly! the swells in the ocean were huge! it was cold and stormy. I could barely stand up, and every time I tried to walk I was practically thrown against a wall. haha! anyway, turns out I do get sea sick. I spent the first day at sea lying on the bathroom floor or running to the nearest bathroom. I think I threw up 5 times. but, Janiel gave me a patch and I was fine by that evening. most of my time was spent organizing boxes and setting up our hospitality desk, but we managed to have some fun together and with the ship staff who were thrilled to have us and our young crowd coming aboard. :D

we got everyone loaded and headed for Bermuda. when we arrived it was cold and rainy, but most people went out anyway. I was able to move to a room with a verandah, so I spent my evenings out there reading my book. the fresh air and sound of the ocean was great. on our third day in Bermuda my boss and I were able to get off the ship for a few hours! we took a ferry to Hamilton to do some shopping, and then back to the Naval Dockyard for some lunch and relaxation at the beach. here are some of the shots I got:


the main shopping streets in Hamilton reminded me of Georgetown in Washington, DC.




and here is the view from my room of the old Naval Dockyard. the clock tower is a mall, and there are tons of fun shops and restaurants hidden in there.
and this is the restaurant that has the BEST lasagna I have ever eaten! I am not exaggerating. I loved it so much that I practically licked the plate and I wasn't even hungry! I could barely move when we left, and I knew it was a mistake when I couldn't hold it down that night. haha! hands down, best lasagna EVER. and the staff was great. they flirted, and gave us free limoncello as we were leaving.
in Bermuda, chickens and roosters roam free. haha! the first one I saw scared the crap out of me.

when we got to New York and got everyone off the ship, we had a few hours to kill so we went shopping on Canal Street. nothing could have made me more happy. I had been dying for a Gucci or Dolce & Gabanna knock-off forever. haha! we first got some lunch at a great Italian restaurant near Little Italy. I will tell you the name as soon as I remember it. I had the best cream of mushroom soup I have ever had. the ricotta gnocci was pretty good as well. then we were off looking for bags.

after several shops, a lady made a secret knock on a wall, yelled a password, the wall opened and I was ushered into a secret back room filled with just what I had been looking for. I got a beautiful white GUCCI knock-off.

I don't think I have ever been this tired, so I am going to take myself another nap now. :)