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As I was thinking of what to write in this entry, I felt as though I should start with “When I was your age…”. My thoughts that are to follow may sound like a grumpy rant, but really, it’s more a commentary on how courtesy and respect are thrown to the wayside these days. Or maybe I’m having a grumpy, old lady day.

Recently I, alongside 4 other bakers, donated our time, services and product to an event that had 800+ confirmed RSVP’s.  I’m not talking verbal “yeah, I’ll be there” RSVP’s. I’m talking actual, electronic, this person had to sign up for an account,  RSVP’s. We each provided 300-400 desserts. That on average is $600 worth of product we EACH provided, not to mention the time we spent in the midst of wedding season to provide a great spread for those who said they’d come. We held up our end of the bargain. Sadly, those who said they’d attend didn’t.  I don’t want to even tell you how many people came, but let’s just say if that was a party I was throwing, I’d be deleting a lot of friends from my Facebook account.

So what happened? All I can gather is that people didn’t have the common courtesy to show up to a party. Life got too busy, something better came along, or simply, they got lazy. In any case, I was planning my dessert table for weeks, turning down paying orders and agonizing over making the perfect s’more. My ass was up the night before until 4:00 am baking and decorating, then waking up at 8:00 am to leave the house by 9:00 am. I did this to make the guests feel like I gave a damn-because I did. I gave a damn that they would have a good time, have enough desserts and would enjoy themselves. I gave a damn that the people coordinating the event would be proud to showcase my work.  I gave a damn that the venue we were all representing would be shown in the best light that I could give.

At the end of the day it comes down to respect. An RSVP isn’t just a call to respond to an invitation, it’s a call to respect the person who invited you.  Am I complaining? You betcha. Is it warranted? Absolutely. It’s not asking much that people show up to get free swag, especially when they committed to doing so.

Last week I posted my gelatin bubble tutorial with a note that the taste was less than awesome. I think I concluded that it tasted like nothing with a hint of glue. Now as appetizing as that sounds, I tried  my hand at making some flavored ones. I finally found something that worked fairly well and in true Type A fashion, I compiled a Pro/Con list.  Tadah:

PROS:

• The gelatin mix is super easy to melt resulting in the absence of the face eating alien. (Refer to the first tutorial)
• Almost no air bubbles eliminating the need for the sacrificial lamb. (What I said above)
• It doesn’t smell like butt.

CONS:

• The drying time is slower than the second coming of Christ.
• You’re limited on color choices. I don’t know if you know this, but Jello doesn’t come in every Pantone color.
• It doesn’t really harden all the way. But, it retains it shape really well so if it implodes, just use the stick to push the dents out.

All you have to do is  follow the original tutorial, but use the following measurements:

• 2 parts cold water
• 1/2 part unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 part flavored gelatin mix ( Jello or generic brand. Both have suspicious unpronounceable ingredients that I can be paranoid about. That’s how I roll).

Mix the unflavored and flavored gelatin BEFORE adding to the water. Proceed as normal and be prepared to let it dry FOREVER! By forever I mean about 48-72 hours. Like I said, it doesn’t dry hard like the original recipe, but hard enough to hold it’s shape. Like a harder Fruit Roll-Up. The extended drying time may be in part to the fact San Diego is in the middle of this humid heat wave. I blame the Acesulfame Potassium in the Jello. I don’t know, I’m just randomly pointing fingers.  Here’s a photo. Because people seem to never read anything unless there’s a photo:

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me post these guys:

I made them for a shoot and they’re possible my new favorite thing. Gelatin bubbles! I found the original tutorial on Cake Central and after a few trial and errors, I found what works best for me.  Hope you enjoy making these as much as I do, because I think they’re pretty rad.

What you need:

• Water balloons
• Duct tape
• Sticks (I used cake pop sticks)
• Unflavored gelatin
• Cold water
• Food coloring
• Patience

Mix 1 part gelatin to twp parts water.  I used 2 T. water and 1 T gelatin for 6, 1″ balloons. One of which will be the sacrificial lamb. Put the COLD water in a dish (I prefer a white one so I can see what color I’m making). Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it sponge up. There will be undissolved gelatin. Let it be.

 Now make your balloon stick thingys. Blow up the balloon to the size you want (I made mine about 1″), tie a knot and duct tape it to a stick.

Grease your balloons. I ALWAYS forget this step and it’s a freakin PITA to remove the balloon from the bubble.  I remembered once and I used my finger to smear shortening all over the balloon. Make sure it’s a light smear or the gelatin won’t stick. It should look like a shiny face after a hot day, not like a greasy face mask.

Take the sponged up gelatin and pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds to melt the gelatin mass. Maybe 8 seconds if you have a strong one. Don’t let it boil or air bubbles will form and you will be sad. Take the dish out and SWIRL it.  Like you do with that glass of pinot you drink every night (don’t lie). If you mix with a stick, fork, spoon, whatever, air bubbles will form. And you will be sad. There will be a clump of undissolved gelatin-gently fish it out with a fork and toss it.  Here’s a pic of the clump before tossing. It looks like a strange alien that will come to life and eat your face.

Now add some food coloring and swirl it around to incorporate. Gelatin has a yellowish color to it already so factor that into your final desired color.  I used black. At this point, let it sit for a minute or two to let it cool down. Hot gelatin will pop your balloons. And you will be sad.

It’s time for your sacrificial lamb. See all the air bubbles? You will use one of your balloons to skim the surface of the gelatin mix to pick up as many bubbles as you can. Then toss it. I skipped this part for the bubbles in the top photo. There were air bubbles, and I was….sad.

Dip, twirl and coat your balloons. You’ll need about 3-4 coats to make it thick enough. If the mix gets too thick, pop it in the microwave for 3 or so seconds.

Line them up in a stand of your choice and let them dry. Overnight is best, but you can put them in front of a fan for a few hours. It should feel like an eggshell when it’s ready. It’s supposed to be hard, not rubbery. If they still reek of gelatin, they’re not done.

Here’s the fun and satisfying part. Turn them over when dry, cut the balloon with scissors and peel the carcass away. You’ll be left with a super rad gelatin bubble to play around with.

The ones I made in this tutorial are still drying, so here’s a picture of one I made a few weeks ago. They keep really well; I put them in a tupperware container and I’ve read they last indefinitely. Use them to decorate cakes, cupcakes, your kitchen wall-get creative!

So, here’s the thing. They’re made of unflavored gelatin and would taste pretty gross (IMO).  They’re made of unflavored gelatin, and don’t taste fabulous. I finally took a bite of one, and it kind of tastes like nothing with a hint of glue. I’ve not tried making them with flavor, but if you do, let me know how it works!!!

Have fun, my friends!

6 years ago, I married the most amazing person in Genoa, NV. To sum it up perfectly, he gets me. He stands by me through my crazy ventures and I stand by him through his. I hope you enjoy these photos shot by the incredibly talented Cameron Ingalls, who I contacted before I was even engaged. Because I was that sure that Mat was the one.

Last Christmas (I gave you my heart…) my mother in law brought the most delicious dessert-an Apple Cream Cheese Tart.  It bursts with the classic cream cheese and apple combination with a hint of cinnamon. She had gotten the recipe from Rainbow Orchards in Apple Hill and if  you happen to ever visit them, they have the BEST Apple Cider Donuts.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Apple Cream Cheese Tart (Serves 18, half the recipe fits in a 9″x9″ pan)

Crust:

• 1-1/2 c. softened butter (do not use margarine)
• 1  c. sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 3 c. flour
• Mix all together and press into a 9″x 13″ pan

Filling

• 24 oz. cream cheese
• 1 t. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• Cream together and pour over the crust.

Topping

• 8 c. cored, peeled and sliced apples (I like Granny Smith)
• 1-1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. sliced almonds (optional)
• Mix the apples, sugar and cinnamon together and arrange over the filling. Sprinkle the almonds on top.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce to 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until set (doesn’t jiggle too much).

Over the past week I’ve gained over 800 new Facebook fans and have had over 300 comments, to which I am immensely grateful for.  I’ve also had quite a few comments, emails and messages asking me for how-to’s, supplier information and various tips on their cake pops.

I’m so humbled that people find my work good enough to want to see more. I LOVE that my work can serve as a point of inspiration.  However, I’d like my work to stay as that-inspiration. My branding and business model does not include posting tutorials on my cake pops and cake ball cakes, nor disclosing where I obtain my supplies. There are other cake poppers  (such as blogger, Bakerella) that are transparent in their work and share their tips and tricks, which I completely appreciate. That’s just not how I choose to operate, and while I know some people may not agree or like it, all I ask is that you respect my choice. If you are a cake popper, baker, or cake artist, I hope you thrive, succeed and find your way to mastering every technique you try.

Again, I am so grateful that people find beauty in what I do. Thank you so much for wanting to take your time to read this and for looking through photos of my work.

Who knew it was so easy! Take a gander at my latest tutorial!

Photo Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Not just one but TWO favorite recipes! Check it out here!!!

For the past three years, Merrilee Willoughby has taken our family photos and, I swear they get better and better every year. Check out our most recent ones-I LOVE how fun and lovely these came out!!!! Check out her full blog post here:

Pam, Mat and Emily