CupFAKES!

I am graduating in May and my undergrad art show is fast approaching. Looking online for inspiration, I found this exciting recipe on Instructables. I've been working on these little beauties all month long. They are made from Great Stuff  which is a polyurethane foam. Here's a sneak peek!

 

This is only part of one can. Luckily a little goes a long way. I know it's not good for the earth. 

 The icing is lightweight spackle. Aren't they so much fun? 

The fact that the spray foam is not biodegradable really does bother me. So, I ask that if you try this project on your own, please consider that and use sparingly or find a better alternative. And then tell me about it!!

All You Need is Love

Ah, Valentine's Day. Hallmark tells us that we must buy cards and gifts for that special someone. Flowers wilt, restaurants are crowded, and I've never really been impressed with what's in those heart-shaped chocolate boxes. Why should we spend money to prove our love on this ONE day? Shouldn't we show our love every day through actions? And wouldn't the funds going toward fancy dinners and over-priced flowers be better spent on something really important? When I think of how much waste is created by this holiday, it frustrates me. So instead of posting pictures of delightful pink-and-red confections, I will leave you with these cancer cell truffles.

Banana Cake!

I had two bananas that were minutes from going bad. And I needed to make a pound cake for one of my art pieces. I had never heard of banana pound cake, but you can find anything on the internet. I got this delightful recipe from Taste of Home. It turned out beautifully!

Baby Cakes

I bought a couple of these.

They're little.

And they make the cutest little cakes!

I liked the look and taste of these- especially with a little melted chocolate in the center.

Magical Mixer

Back from my holiday break. For Christmas, my wonderful family all chipped in to get me a fantastic present. I've been wanting one for a while now. And I've already used it quite a bit.

Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer! Complete with paddle, whisk, and dough hook attachments. It works beautifully. I made these fun little guys from scratch the other day, just for the sheer joy of it.

And then decorated them with delicious jellybeans.

Cake Plate-ery

This semester has been a whirlwind of baking frenzies, trips to Lowe's, and family chats.  Most of the projects I've been working on haven't been assigned, but I feel like I'm on the right track- in art and in life. 

The thing I'm most proud of at the moment is my plexiglass cake plate. 

It was a learning experience to say the least.

It comes apart and can be shaped into other configurations. 

Perfect for cakes, pops, tea sandwiches and other snacks.  I plan on putting it to good use, especially in the coming weeks.

Turtle Mousse

The other day,  I ran across some chocolate turtle flavored Jello instant pudding. It was on sale after Thanksgiving. It sounded good in its own right, but I decided to turn it into mousse. I made the pudding as instructed on the package, but then added in some heavy whipping cream. I just mixed those until the cream fluffed up. It was really delightful! A strong chocolate flavor with a finishing note of caramel.

No pic to post, unfortunately. It was so good that we just ate it straight out of the mixing bowl. Besides, I don't own any fancy ice cream glasses yet. Those would make serving more impressive.

I'm still trying to decide whether a turtle-moose would be a turtle with moose antlers or a moose with a turtle shell. Not sure which I'd prefer to see.