the cake-off and making peace with caramel

I am so very grateful.

I say that every so often on here and I think I need to say it more in life-life.

I've been pretty bummed lately... I'm going to be "old" in a couple of weeks.  A huge project had complications that were out of my hands and got dumped in my lap, putting me behind on the things that are actually important to me.  I can't figure out my methodology for my pilot, haven't finished revisions for my portfolio and could use a nap.



I have this fantastic mini collage that I started when I was in high school and updated a couple of years ago.  It has my favorite verses from that silly/ contagious Mary Poppin's song "I love to laugh" (Dick Van Dyke really is amazing, even in ridiculous that accent).  The pictures have changed as I have- from one of my high school friends in a cupboard in a Parisian hotel room to Nan "freestyling" shapes when she taught me how to make Easter cookies a few years ago.  One of my favorite pictures ever is in that collage (and has been from the start), from the summer of 1989-- I'm wearing a pink sun dress, I have bangs and I've got on an engraved silver bracelet that looks to big for my wrist.  The bracelet was gift and I was proud when people asked me where I got it that I could tell them that in addition to the beads from Rome, jade from Costa Rica and copper from Chile that I had something that old.  I still have some of my first pairs of earrings- that kind of stuff matters to me.

Twenty-one and a half years later, it's gone.  I know it's my own fault, I had to take my jewelry off for an appointment and it came out of my pocket at some point afterward on Tuesday night during break amid a ton of errands and no one has seen it.  I know it's only a thing, but things are artifacts.

Pining over what's gone doesn't really help.  Being miserable does nothing but rob today of it's good stuff.  What does help is surmounting the nonsense and focusing on the good stuff--because there is so much of it to be had.

I had a week full of goodness, despite the grad school block.  Between party planning, the kids being fun and baking, Lisa had me in the kitchen and taught me all kinds of cool stuff.

Our district has a little competition called the Cake-off, where art students design cakes and make them for a silent auction during a "family fun" type night.  They all get some extra credit and the winner gets bragging rights.  Lisa coordinates two afternoons of workshops with one of the art teachers and the little darlings and invited me to come and play.

It was delightful, incase you can't tell from the counter filled with "funness" above.  She had a friend in and they showed the student in attendance, art teacher and me how to color fondant, make flowers and bugs and roll fondant.  I know I canned the art form that cake is becoming at the beginning of this blog, but some of the stuff you can do with fondant, patience, creativity and color is just neat.



I didn't get a picture of her final cake before the faculty devoured it, but we're thinking about putting our heads together to make one for the competition.  I'm thinking 80s... I'm thinking pink... I'm going to have to think some more.

The other amazing thing that Lisa did for me this week was a caramel inservice yesterday.  She had me in first block and made caramel for/ with me.  After the three hour fiasco of a few weeks ago, I was amazed at how quick and easy it is.  She gave me tips at the end of the pusties blog and showed them to me on Thurs.  It doesn't take much water.  It needs to dissolve, bubble and brown.  It just needs diligence and that watered pastry brush was super handy for getting rid of crystals- which was a big problem during caramel syrup trials one and two.




She had a few hilarious and really helpful one liners, but it was before nine and I'm kicking myself for not having taken notes.  Lis- if you remember any of them this weekend, remind me!



The coolest thing she showed me was the spoon test: she coated the back of a spoon with the hot caramel (said this is not to try at home) and ran her finger across it and a line held.  NEATO!
We ate spoonfuls out of the pan-- it was pretty much ah-mazing.  She had me try it with salt, which may be my favorite thing ever now.

I'm having technical difficulties with getting last week's post together- I made three cakes and not all of the pics want to upload.  I should be able to figure it out tomorrow morning.

I'm going to attempt making toffee with pine nuts this weekend (maybe tomorrow, if scheduling permits).... We've got some marble cake to make this weekend, and some marshmallow fondant!