Catch you up BAKE!

Hello all my Sweeties!

Happy 2014! Hope that you are all well.

I made a New Year's resolution to start blogging again but here it is February 7th and as you can see, I am no good at resolutions.

On the personal side of life, this past summer there was a very long overdue family reunion with 2 sisters that my sister, brother and I had not see in a very long time. We have since spent some time together and it is all good. GREAT as a matter of fact!

         Me, LaurieJo, Paul, Kathy and Debbie

So, as you see, I have been busy with everyday life and growing the little business called Sweetchericakes and Confections.  BAKING sometimes 3 or 4 times a week.

I had an idea to bring the blog up-to-date and in the process share all that's been going on.
Here we go..24 BAKES over 24 months!!!

 

January 2014

1.Onesies
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes infused with Mini Chips and Fudge
Topped with Almond Buttercream

 

 

2. Elephants and Giraffes 

Pink Velvet and Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Sugar Frosting

Baby Shower for a Coworker!

 

November 2013

 

3.Autumn Wedding for David and Tim

St. Paul, Minnesota

                                                                          For David and Tim.

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

With Almond Buttercream



 

 

October 2013

4.Teaching a bit of BAKING with my Niece and Nephew

      This was so much fun! By the way, there was not one single sprinkle on the kitchen floor!

      My Avery and Brody loved BAKING cookies and had all kinds of creative ways to decorate.

           I was able to make some fancier cookies for my Sweet neighbor lady Mrs. Johnson.

 

 

5. Great Niece McKenna's 1st Birthday

The Lorax Tree Cake 

This cake was 6 layers and topped with Almond Buttercream. The truffula trees are breadsticks covered in yellow tinted almond bark and topped with cotton candy.

 

 

 

July and August 2013

6.Sweet Besties Brandi and Brion's Wedding

Love these two so much.

 I was so thrilled to BAKE for them

on their very special day!
 

 
 7.County and State Fair BAKING Competitions

Red Ribbon is for Peanutbutter with Dark Chocolate Chips, the Blue Ribbon is for White Chocolate Macadamia with Candied Bacon and the Yellow one is for Peanutbutter Cookies. I have entered BAKED goods at the Minnesota State Fair 4 times now and really enjoy all the excitement!
         

8.NA NA NANA  NANANANA
BATMAN BATMAN!
For Ben's 6th Birthday...

Ben loves all the Super Heroes, but Batman is his favorite!

 

 

 

 

9.Brody and Avery's 4th Birthday
at The Zoo

 

   Avery, friend Sadie and Brody riding the Frog Hopper

 

 

               10.The Jungbauers 30th Wedding Anniversary

The Big Cupcake was Salted Caramel with Pineapple Not So Upside Down Cupcakes, Angelfood
w/Strawberry Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Raspberry with Chocolate Buttercream.

 

 

 

Spring of 2013

 

 

     11.Baby Reveal Cupcakes 

 

           The toppers are gumballs.                  

White Chocolate w/ Blue Velvet Filling

 

 

12.Sponge Bob Square Pants says
"Happy Birthday Hunter and Coleton!"

 

13.My Little Pony Returns...

For a special girl with a great passion for the Ponies!  

 

 

14.Super Hero Cake for Peyton

 

 Peyton wanted all his favorite Super Heroes on one cake. Easy Peasy!

 

 

15.Little Miss Addilyn's 1st Birthday

I even got to sit in on the photo shoot of this little beauty...

photo courtesy of http://jnkosidowskiphotography.wordpress.com/

 

January 2013

 

16.Dear OLD Friend's 50th Birthday!

 Salted Caramel and Orange Drizzles

Debbie called me up and said "BAKE me some cupcakes, enough for 75 people."
Barely had enough thanks to some SWEET lovers!

 

 

December 2012

17. Christmas Confections

Caramels, Peanutbutter Bon Bons and Chocolate Mint Ritz

Caramels are rich in butter, cream, Karo and sugar. Hand wrapped with LOVE!

 

October 2012

 

(Two, count 'em TWO weddings in one month!)

 

18. Jenna and Brian's WeddingFor the first time ever, I asked to make a regular Wedding cake to top the cupcake stand.
My Sweet Peeps have such confidence in me. Yikes!

 

 

 

19. Ashley and Nick's WeddingAshley and her mom Carie picked out the Sweet Menu because Nick is not a "sweets kind of guy"!
There were 3 kinds of cupcakes - Lemon, Strawberry and Chocolate. Three Kinds of cookies - Snickerdoodles, White Chocolate Macadamia with Candied Bacon and Chocolate Chip.
And just because I was on a roll I made some caramels for the table as well! 

 

 

 

20. Double Birthday Weekend
Tom turned 18 and his little sister Gia turned 1!  

 

21.Avery and Brody's 3rd Birthday

22.Karissa and Brandyn's Wedding

This wedding was 50 miles out of town and on the trip out all the frosting peeled right of the
Big Cupcake.
Thank goodness for the emergency frosting kit I brought along!

Spring 2012

23. Niece Alexa's 21st Birthday

Pink Ombre Frosting Technique

24.Niece Morgan's Confirmation

 Chocolate with Chocolate Frosting


THE END

 



Garden State of Mind BAKE

Mondays are not my favorite day of the week. They are stressful and not much fun. I very rarely blog on Mondays. Usually not in the mood.

Today was a good day and so here I am.

Over the weekend, Mr. Bubbles and I worked in our garden. We tilled and tilled. We looked at the plants and seeds we had and decided to enlarge it another 6 x 28 so we tilled and tilled some more.

We have our "mail order " tomato plants that supposedly grow to 8 feet tall and produce 60 pounds of fruit. We are planning on planting 5 or 6 of these. So excited to get everything in. I am dreaming of  all the different salsas we will create with the bushels of tomatoes we will have!

         After all, some of last years harvest...

became this!

I was so busy with the garden all weekend that I nearly forgot to BAKE something! I could do something quick. Cookies? So, I asked Mr. Bubbles what he was in the mood for and of course he asked for Candied Bacon Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chip cookies.

A bit of extra work but they are so worth it!

Candied Bacon Macadamia with White Chocolate Chip Cookies  

                                                                          

                                                                         Preheat the oven 375

                                                                    Makes 3-4 Dozen

Candied Bacon:

10 slices of smoked Bacon

3/4 cup brown sugar

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Lay out the bacon flat. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly on the bacon, then press into the bacon. Bake for 7 minutes. Flip and bake additional 7 minutes. Remove from pan cool on a cookie rack. Coarsely chop for the cookies.

Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup chopped candied bacon

With electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on high for 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beat for 1 minute on high. Mix in flour, soda and salt. Fold in bacon, nuts and chips.

Drop by spoonfuls unto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, till edges are slightly golden.

Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Move to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in airtight container. Don't worry about keeping the cookies in the fridge, they will be fine. They won't last that long anyway!

It was a great and productive weekend and it ended with a sweet treat because I made one these...

Have a wonderful week Sweeties!

Love and Peace,

Sweetcheri