Welcome, Baby Jenna!

My friends and I had a great time putting together a baby shower for our sweet friend, Shelly. The expectant parents already have a name picked out for their new baby girl...Jenna. I love her name, and I can't wait to meet Jenna when she comes!

Laura was in charge of the decorations, and the room looked so good! I wish I was able to take pictures of all of the decorations she put together. She decorated the walls with huge cactus plants, a boot and a sheriff's badge made from colorful butcher paper. The tables were covered in pink and brown tablecloths and pretty cowboy hats decorated with girly bows. Everything was so cute! Luckily, I was able to get a picture of the cute welcome banner she made.

We planned a western-themed shower and made western food to go along with it. We had Mexican Lasagne (courtesy of Colleen), Creamy Tortilla Soup (This soup was SO good, and Colleen posted her recipe here: http://myfoodiefavorites.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/creamy-tortilla-soup/), cornbread muffins (courtesy of Lesley), barbecue meatballs (courtesy of Amelia), Russian potato salad (courtesy of Liliya), fruit (Liliya again), homemade salsa and chips (courtesy of Kelly), and root beer floats for the drinks (Lesley again). I loved that Lesley called them "Sarsaparilla Floats." I am so grateful to have such fun and talented friends!

Amelia and Lesley planned some great games for the baby shower. Here's the cute sign Lesley made for the "Do You Know Your Baby Vittles?" game. We don't use the term "vittles" nearly enough, in my opinion.

Here's the cake I made for the shower. It's strawberry cake, filled with cream cheese frosting, covered with a thin crumb coat of cream cheese frosting, and then completely covered with chocolate ganache.

Here's a closeup of the baby cowgirl boots. I'll post a link to the template I used to make the fondant boots in the STATS section at the bottom of this post.

*UPDATE* I just realized as I posted this, that I attached the boot waist incorrectly onto the sole of the boots. The downward scallop should be at the front and back of the boot, not at the sides under the pull straps. And to think I so carefully placed the pieces exactly wrong. LOL! Oh, well. Live and learn.

Cake Anatomy

 

Strawberry Cake

1 (16.5 oz.) box of white cake mix
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (3 oz.) package of strawberry gelatin
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup pureed strawberries
1/2 cup citrus soda
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar, and strawberry gelatin in a large bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, beat together sour cream, pureed strawberries, citrus soda, and eggs. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, mixing on low speed at first. Then, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined. Line a 9x13" baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes then raise oven temperature to 350 degrees for another 20 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

STATS:

Kathy's Custom Cakes Baby Cowboy Boots Template

http://media.cakecentral.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/510013/BootTemplate2C.jpg 

Ganache Recipe, Tips, and Videos at Art and Appetite

http://www.artandappetite.com/2009/11/ganache-instead-of-buttercream/

Cream Cheese Frosting

http://www.texascottagefoodlaw.com/Resources/Recipes/TraditionalCreamCheeseFrosting.aspx

S'More Cookies

Just another version of the Cake Mix Cookie - very easy and very good!

S'More Cookies

chocolate cake mix

2 Eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips

2 cups miniature marshmallows

2 chocolate bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Using your hands, "smoosh" the marshmallows into the dough, then roll the dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet. (Yes, "smoosh" is the technical French cooking term.) Then, break off small pieces of a chocolate bar and add a few to the top of each cookie. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a cooling rack. Cookies will be really soft when they first come out of the oven, but harden as they cool. Do not over bake.

Wanna see some more?

Yum!

For some more indoor S'More fun:

Oven S'Mores!
http://letsgetcaking.blogspot.com/2011/07/oven-smores.html

Royal Icing Recipe

I found that this recipe for royal icing is the perfect consistency for decorating intricate cookies, 

like these Lace Cookies I made for Christmas.

 Lace Cookies for Christmas

Royal Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar

3 egg whites (at room temperature)

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 Tbsp. of water

Slowly combine all ingredients in your mixer and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes). Then, turn your mixer to high and beat for 5-7 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap when not using because the icing will dry out very quickly. If stored for longer than a few hours, you will need to re-mix the icing, as it will separate. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Yield: 3 cups

Donations for the Local Food Pantry

Our church has been working with a local food pantry to serve the community. In October, the members of our Relief Society decided to donate baked goods to the pantry.

I made Coconut Pumpkin Snack Cake. The food pantry asked that the donations be individually wrapped in plastic sandwich bags. This cake is delicious and holds together well when packaged.

 

Some of our members were able to assist at the pantry by organizing food and helping people collect and bag their groceries to take home. Since I have young children at home, I am not always able to help with this kind of service project. I was happy that, even though I could not assist inside the pantry, I could still serve by baking treats to donate.

My house was the drop-off point for the donations last year. I just had to take a picture with all of the donations together. This is what 21 1/2 dozen baked goods look like - all packed up and ready to go.

Pumpkin Coconut Snack Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

8 oz. pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

6 oz. white chocolate chips

2 cups shredded coconut

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

-Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13" baking pan with foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

-Combine cake mix, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a mixer on medium speed until well combined 

  (about 2 minutes). 

-Stir in white chocolate chips.  

-Pour cake mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly across pan.

-Sprinkle coconut over the top.

-Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

-Check to make sure the middle is done by inserting a toothpick and making sure it comes out clean. 

-Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Pudding Cake

This is going to be the most delicious, moist cake you've ever eaten! My mom made this cake when we were growing up, and it is one of my favorites. The recipe is very simple.

Ingredients:

A baked yellow cake
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
6 oz. box of Cook and Serve vanilla pudding *IMPORTANT - cannot be instant pudding
9 oz. carton of whipped cream
1 cup flaked coconut

Follow the package directions to bake a 9x13" yellow cake. While the cake is baking, heat can of crushed pineapple (including the juices) with the cup of sugar over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once your cake is done baking, while it is still warm, poke the top all over with the handle of a wooden spoon. Maybe twenty pokes should do it. Now evenly pour and spread the pineapple mixture all over the cake. The holes will ensure the pineapple juices go all through the cake.



Now, follow the package directions on the Cook and Serve pudding. As soon as it's done, take it off of the stove, and pour it over the cake. Spread the pudding evenly across the cake.



Now you need to wait for the cake and pudding to cool down completely before you add the whipped cream. Once cooled, spread the whipped cream across the cake. Almost done!



Sprinkle the coconut onto the whipped cream. You're done!

Gourmet Recipes Link

Get ready for a link to a whole bunch of delicious sounding cakes!

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df4f9hbq_46cs9f28fs

You'll find the recipe for a Cinnamon Roll Cake, Cheesecake Lovers Cake, Apple Pie Cake, Peaches and Cream Cake, and on and on...The list is huge and they all look delicious!

Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

I got this recipe almost 10 years ago from a friend in high school. I've used it many times since then. Thanks, friend!

1 box of cake mix (any flavor)
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheets (12 to a pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes. That's it! Easy-Peasy!


Have fun trying out new combinations: chocolate cake with white chocolate chips, german chocolate cake frosted with that tasty coconut/pecan frosting, carrot or spice cake frosted with cream cheese frosting, etc...

Eggless Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

2 cups hot water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl. Add wet to dry and whisk. Pour into 2 (lightly greased) 8-inch round cake pans. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on baker's rack.

Mom's Amazing Frosting Recipe

16 oz. bag confectioner's sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup shortening
pinch (less than 1/8 tsp.) salt
1 tsp. vanilla
a little less than 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
a little less than 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
a little bit of milk (add just a little at a time until you have the right consistency)

Mix it all up, and voila!

Recipes

Bread

Lemon Breakfast Bread

Cake

Eggless Chocolate Cake
Gourmet Flavors Recipes
Pineapple Pudding Cake
Pumpkin Coconut Snack Cake
Strawberry Cake
WASC (White Almond Sour Cream Cake)

Cookies

Cake Mix Cookies
Chocolate Roll-Out Cookies
Lemon Cut-Out Cookies
No Fail Sugar Cookies
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Cut-Out Cookies
S'More Cookies

Frosting

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling/Frosting
Chocolate Chip Icing (Fudge Filling)
*Cream Cheese Frosting (safe at room temp)
*Earlene's Cream Cheese Buttercream (safe at room temp)
*Faux Cream Cheese Frosting (safe at room temp)
Glace Icing
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Mom's Amazing Frosting Recipe
Royal Icing
*Swiss Meringue Buttercream (safe at room temp)
Whipped Cream Buttercream

Filling

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling/Frosting
Chocolate Chip Icing (Fudge Filling)
Lemon Curd (safe at room temp)
Raspberry or Strawberry Filling

Fondant

Rhonda's Ultimate Chocolate Marshmallow Fondant
Rhonda's Ultimate Marshmallow Fondant

Ganache

Chocolate Ganache
*Ganache (safe at room temp)

Tiny Treats

Peanut Butter Buckeyes - with a kick!

Extra Sweets

Delightfully Delicious Exceptionally Exquisite Scrumptiously Supreme Cinnamon Rolls
Individual Cheesecakes
Oven S'Mores
Rice Krispies Treats

*These recipes are marked "safe at room temp" because they are products that normally would require refrigeration, but have been tested and labeled as  "Non-Potentially Hazardous Food" by Food Safety Net Services.