What is that? Concentration? Constipation? Did Nani pass gas? Does he need his eyes checked?Anyway, it really cracked me up, so now I want to know - is this normal? Do other gamers do this? Should we seek help?!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Is this normal???
A couple of nights ago, I was minding my own business working on some gum paste flowers to take to the ICES convention at the end of the month (yay!) while Adam was playing video games. I happened to glance at him and noticed that he was making some pretty amusing facial expressions! He would get this dejected look when he "died" or a surprised look when someone would jump out in front of him. Best of all, though, was this one....
What is that? Concentration? Constipation? Did Nani pass gas? Does he need his eyes checked?
Anyway, it really cracked me up, so now I want to know - is this normal? Do other gamers do this? Should we seek help?!
What is that? Concentration? Constipation? Did Nani pass gas? Does he need his eyes checked?Anyway, it really cracked me up, so now I want to know - is this normal? Do other gamers do this? Should we seek help?!
Soccer Cake & June Tutorial
It seems like it's been a while since I've posted about a cake! Last week, I made a cake for Thomas' friend Jess. Thomas requested a cake with a female soccer player on top and the words "Go Bucs" and "Go Gators" on the sides. I made the soccer girl using the Frozen Buttercream Transfer method so this seems like a great opportunity to post a tutorial on the topic! I'm calling this the June tutorial because I didn't find time to post one yet...I know, I'm a day late, but you'll forgive me, right?
First, here's the cake:
And now for the tutorial! The photos were taken while I made the Gators Stethoscope Cake, but the technique was the same for this cake.
First of all, you need to find your pattern There are so many good patterns on the internet - just do a Google search for whatever you're interested in. Tape your pattern to a piece of cardboard and then tape a piece of plastic wrap or acetate on top of that.
Outline your design in whatever color you choose. I decided to outline this one in black so that all the borders and lines really stand out. Remember, you can use your paint brush (which has only been used for food prep - not painting!) to correct any small mistakes you make. At this point, you can place the entire project in the freezer for 10-15 minutes so that the borders get stiff.
Next, fill in the areas - just like you're coloring in a coloring book! Some tutorials recommend that you start with the smallest areas first. I just fill in all of one color at a time, and then move on to the next color. The key when filling in the area is to keep your piping tip burried in the icing so that all the spaces are filled. Be careful not to move your outlines though! This technique is a little tricky in that you can't see your finished product until you're, well...finished! Remember that the top of your design is actually the bottom now so you have to work kind of blindly. Just do your best to fill in all the spaces, we can check on it when you're finished filling in the entire area. If you find that your borders start moving, don't be afraid to put the project in the freezer again for another 10 minutes.
Ok, you've finally finished filling in the entire pattern. Congrats! Now, let's check your work. If you used acetate, this step is very easy. If you used plastic wrap, be careful here. Untape the bottom and both sides of the acetate/plastic wrap, and carefully lift the design. You should be able to see if there are any small holes in your icing. If you see holes, lower the design and fill them in by applying more icing or gently moving the icing with your paintbrush. Keep lifting and fixing until you no longer see any holes.
Tape the design back in place. I like to stick the whole thing in the freezer at this point - just long enough so that the icing gets stiff. When you take it back out of the freezer, spread a small amount of icing over the whole design. Don't get too close to the edge because you don't want this icing to show on the front. The point of this step is to "glue" the whole design together. Up until now, you've used different colored icings which are essentially different puzzle pieces. If you were to try to remove the design, you'd probably get multiple pieces, rather than the whole thing.
Again, put the project in the freezer, but this time leave it for 30 minutes to an hour. During this time, ice your cake and get it ready for your design.
Remove your pattern from the freezer and work rather quickly to transfer it to your cake. Untape all 4 sides and carefully flip the pattern over onto your cake.
First, here's the cake:
And now for the tutorial! The photos were taken while I made the Gators Stethoscope Cake, but the technique was the same for this cake.
First of all, you need to find your pattern There are so many good patterns on the internet - just do a Google search for whatever you're interested in. Tape your pattern to a piece of cardboard and then tape a piece of plastic wrap or acetate on top of that.
Hint #1: Acetate is basically a thicker clear plastic. If you go to a bakery and see a Boston Cream Pie, it's often wrapped in a piece of acetate. Acetate is not edible, but it is food-safe. You can buy acetate at many different cake supply stores, including Country Kitchen Sweet Art.
Hint #2: Think about which way you want your design to face on your cake. When you use this technigue, you're working backwards. The front of your design is actually down on the plastic wrap/acetate so be sure your design is facing the opposite way you want it on the cake.
Hint #2: Think about which way you want your design to face on your cake. When you use this technigue, you're working backwards. The front of your design is actually down on the plastic wrap/acetate so be sure your design is facing the opposite way you want it on the cake.
Outline your design in whatever color you choose. I decided to outline this one in black so that all the borders and lines really stand out. Remember, you can use your paint brush (which has only been used for food prep - not painting!) to correct any small mistakes you make. At this point, you can place the entire project in the freezer for 10-15 minutes so that the borders get stiff.
Next, fill in the areas - just like you're coloring in a coloring book! Some tutorials recommend that you start with the smallest areas first. I just fill in all of one color at a time, and then move on to the next color. The key when filling in the area is to keep your piping tip burried in the icing so that all the spaces are filled. Be careful not to move your outlines though! This technique is a little tricky in that you can't see your finished product until you're, well...finished! Remember that the top of your design is actually the bottom now so you have to work kind of blindly. Just do your best to fill in all the spaces, we can check on it when you're finished filling in the entire area. If you find that your borders start moving, don't be afraid to put the project in the freezer again for another 10 minutes.
Ok, you've finally finished filling in the entire pattern. Congrats! Now, let's check your work. If you used acetate, this step is very easy. If you used plastic wrap, be careful here. Untape the bottom and both sides of the acetate/plastic wrap, and carefully lift the design. You should be able to see if there are any small holes in your icing. If you see holes, lower the design and fill them in by applying more icing or gently moving the icing with your paintbrush. Keep lifting and fixing until you no longer see any holes.
Tape the design back in place. I like to stick the whole thing in the freezer at this point - just long enough so that the icing gets stiff. When you take it back out of the freezer, spread a small amount of icing over the whole design. Don't get too close to the edge because you don't want this icing to show on the front. The point of this step is to "glue" the whole design together. Up until now, you've used different colored icings which are essentially different puzzle pieces. If you were to try to remove the design, you'd probably get multiple pieces, rather than the whole thing.
Again, put the project in the freezer, but this time leave it for 30 minutes to an hour. During this time, ice your cake and get it ready for your design.
Hint #3: For the Gators Stethoscope Cake, I covered a 6-inch cake in fondant. Then, I put this pattern right in the middle. For the soccer cake above, my pattern was much larger - big enough to cover the entire top of an 8-inch round cake. I crumb-coated the top of the cake so that when I put the Frozen Buttercream pattern on top, I didn't have inches and inches of icing.
Remove your pattern from the freezer and work rather quickly to transfer it to your cake. Untape all 4 sides and carefully flip the pattern over onto your cake.
Hint #4: If you're putting this pattern on a buttercream-frosted cake, you can smooth out the edges with additional buttercream and hide all the seams.
Friday, June 26, 2009
What do you study exactly???
So many people ask me what kind of research I do. To help answer this question, I've created a short presentation to provide a brief overview of my last 4 years in a research lab at the University of Florida. I'm wrapping up my research now and hoping to defend my dissertation at the end of the Fall semester!
For more information on the topic, check out The Stuffed Nation.
This blog is a proud member of the Foodie BlogRoll!
For more information on the topic, check out The Stuffed Nation.
This blog is a proud member of the Foodie BlogRoll!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Marley & Me
This weekend, Adam & I rented the movie Marley & Me. I recently finished the book so I was excited to see how they made it into a motion picture! For the record, the book was WAY better...but doesn't it always work out like that?
Anyway, we knew Nani would be somewhat of a bother during the movie because she always reacts to animals on TV - especially dogs and horses. For the most part, though, she was pretty well-behaved! Shorty into the movie, Adam & I realized she was sitting as close to the television as she possibly could while still being able to see the screen. She looked like a little kid who sits right in front of the TV. She sat there for the longest time and just watched Marley!
Uh oh, Nani, don't get any ideas! Like all dogs, she loves to hang her head out the window...but once, the squirrel running down the side of the road looked like so much fun so she jumped! I caught her tail as she slipped through the window, and pulled her into the car. Phew!
Oh, boy. Nani definitely doesn't need any encouragement for this! Maybe they should consider putting something on the label like "not suitable for young dog audiences."
Anyway, we knew Nani would be somewhat of a bother during the movie because she always reacts to animals on TV - especially dogs and horses. For the most part, though, she was pretty well-behaved! Shorty into the movie, Adam & I realized she was sitting as close to the television as she possibly could while still being able to see the screen. She looked like a little kid who sits right in front of the TV. She sat there for the longest time and just watched Marley!
Uh oh, Nani, don't get any ideas! Like all dogs, she loves to hang her head out the window...but once, the squirrel running down the side of the road looked like so much fun so she jumped! I caught her tail as she slipped through the window, and pulled her into the car. Phew!
Oh, boy. Nani definitely doesn't need any encouragement for this! Maybe they should consider putting something on the label like "not suitable for young dog audiences."
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A Social Network for Sugar Artists
Whether you are a professional, an amateur, or simply a home baker, you are welcome at Icing on the Cake!
I created this social network on Ning as a place for sugar artists & cake decorators to interact. My hope is that we can all learn from each other, teach each other, vent about customers, and laugh together.
If you are familiar with Cake Central, think of this as a much smaller, more personal version! You can post blog messages, reply to forum threads, upload photos, make friends, upload videos, etc. The possibilities are endless!
I created this social network on Ning as a place for sugar artists & cake decorators to interact. My hope is that we can all learn from each other, teach each other, vent about customers, and laugh together.
If you are familiar with Cake Central, think of this as a much smaller, more personal version! You can post blog messages, reply to forum threads, upload photos, make friends, upload videos, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A Serendipitous Discovery!
We've discovered what kind of dog Nani is!
Since we adopted Nani from the Gainesville Pet Rescue, we have no information about her history or even her breed. In fact, the vet expected her to be at least 20 pounds at maturity. Needless to say, that's not happening since she's turning 2 this month and has been a stable 11 pounds for some time now!
Anyway, last Saturday, Adam and I were browsing books at Barnes & Noble when we came across a Dog Encyclopedia. We looked up the dogs people have suggested she might be...Pekingese, Australian Shephard, Papillon...no, no, no...those don't seem right...I flipped a couple of pages back, and there she was! Nani was practically staring back at me from the page! This is the image straight out of the encyclopedia:
And here's a photo of Nani taken in January 2008:
Are you convinced?! This photo of Nani was taken just after a bath so her hair is a little bit spikier than normal...and the random dog above doesn't look like he's had a haircut in a long time! I give Nani a trim at least every month. But let's compare. Both dogs have:
What is this amazing breed? Damchi! According to Wikipedia and the dog encyclopedia, these dogs originated in Bhutan and are 13-17 inches tall. While both sites claim these dogs might also be found in Germany, they are unsure if the breed exists elsewhere. Now we have proof! The Damchi has somehow crossed the ocean and entered our lives!
Is she really a Damchi? Who knows...we may never know...but I like it!
Since we adopted Nani from the Gainesville Pet Rescue, we have no information about her history or even her breed. In fact, the vet expected her to be at least 20 pounds at maturity. Needless to say, that's not happening since she's turning 2 this month and has been a stable 11 pounds for some time now!
Anyway, last Saturday, Adam and I were browsing books at Barnes & Noble when we came across a Dog Encyclopedia. We looked up the dogs people have suggested she might be...Pekingese, Australian Shephard, Papillon...no, no, no...those don't seem right...I flipped a couple of pages back, and there she was! Nani was practically staring back at me from the page! This is the image straight out of the encyclopedia:
And here's a photo of Nani taken in January 2008:
Are you convinced?! This photo of Nani was taken just after a bath so her hair is a little bit spikier than normal...and the random dog above doesn't look like he's had a haircut in a long time! I give Nani a trim at least every month. But let's compare. Both dogs have:
- fluffy, soft fur
- the exact same tail shape!
- extremely similar stance and foot position
- similarly shaped snouts
- tricolor
- a princess attitude (ok, that was a silly one, but they both look like they have an attitude, don't they???)
What is this amazing breed? Damchi! According to Wikipedia and the dog encyclopedia, these dogs originated in Bhutan and are 13-17 inches tall. While both sites claim these dogs might also be found in Germany, they are unsure if the breed exists elsewhere. Now we have proof! The Damchi has somehow crossed the ocean and entered our lives!
Is she really a Damchi? Who knows...we may never know...but I like it!
Monday, June 8, 2009
A Birthday & Graduation Celebration!
This week, I made a cake for a family friend who was graduating from high school. The graduation happens to coincide with her own birthday as well as the birthdays of 4 other family members. Rather than combine the birthdays and graduation into one giant cake, I made two cakes to sit side-by-side. Besides, Jordyn deserved the spotlight for graduating from high school so she shouldn't have to share her cake, right?!
Here is a close-up of Jordyn's graduation cap cake, which is very similar to the cake I made for Jiejin when she got her Ph.D. last March. I was pretty much given free reign regarding how to decorate these cakes. I really liked how Jiejin's graduation cap came out so I decided to do it again! Jordyn graduated from Chamberlain High School, whose mascot is the Chiefs, so I made a pennant to represent her love of sports and school activities (she was the Senior Class Vice President and President of the Latin Club).
And here is the birthday cake! I wanted this cake to look like a very simple, classic birthday cake. The cake is covered in buttercream icing and decorated with a shell border. Fondant circle cut-outs were used to make the geometric design on the side of the cake. To give the cake a little umph, I piped each person's name on a gum paste pennant, and stuck them in the cake. I wasn't at the party this weekend, but apparently they all took their little pennants home. I'm glad they all liked the cake! Congratulations, Jordyn, and Happy Birthday, everyone!
Here is a close-up of Jordyn's graduation cap cake, which is very similar to the cake I made for Jiejin when she got her Ph.D. last March. I was pretty much given free reign regarding how to decorate these cakes. I really liked how Jiejin's graduation cap came out so I decided to do it again! Jordyn graduated from Chamberlain High School, whose mascot is the Chiefs, so I made a pennant to represent her love of sports and school activities (she was the Senior Class Vice President and President of the Latin Club).
And here is the birthday cake! I wanted this cake to look like a very simple, classic birthday cake. The cake is covered in buttercream icing and decorated with a shell border. Fondant circle cut-outs were used to make the geometric design on the side of the cake. To give the cake a little umph, I piped each person's name on a gum paste pennant, and stuck them in the cake. I wasn't at the party this weekend, but apparently they all took their little pennants home. I'm glad they all liked the cake! Congratulations, Jordyn, and Happy Birthday, everyone!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Nani's Exhausting Weekend
This weekend, Nani had a blast! It started with an exciting road trip on Friday night to Adam's parents' house in Tampa - she loves riding in the car and insists on sitting on the arm rest between the two front seats so she can see all the action! The only problem with that is the armrest is smooth plastic so she tends to slide all over the place during car rides.
Then came the thrill of a backyard! She doesn't have this luxury at home so she sits by the back door constantly, until someone will let her out. This excitement is enhanced by the fact that (a) there are lots of fun sounds (kids playing, dogs barking, etc) and (b) the Judges have a compost pile in the backyard which she loves to raid for a special snack!
On Saturday afternoon, we went to the Upper Tampa Bay Park for a picnic lunch and a hike on a nature trail. Like just about any other dog, Nani loves nature trails. There are so many smells and sticks!
Oh look, here comes the gang now - with Nani leading the way!
When we got back to the car, we were all more than ready to head home. The hike was only a 1/2 mile, but it was very hot and the mosquitoes were insanely aggressive! We tried to give Nani some water before we got in the car, but she would have none of that. She immediately sprawled out in the backseat and was panting harder than I've ever seen her pant before. But, she still looked happy!
Then, things started to turn sour. All of a sudden she looked miserably hot....
Poor thing, we had the A/C on as high as it would go, but she just couldn't seem to cool off.
Shortly after that picture was taken, she abruptly stood up and started making gurgling sounds. I quickly grabbed the plastic bag we'd carried to pick up any of her "little presents" during the walk (and fortunately had not used) and held it under her head while she threw up. Since we were still 20 minutes away from home, I was lucky enough to have to carefully hold the bag until we got home. Yummy!
Don't worry though, by the time we arrived home, she was her chipper self again! We gave her a piece of ice to help her cool down even more. She has always loved ice! She noses at it, examines it from all angles, rolls on it, eats some of it, and then gets distracted and walks away so the rest melts on the floor. Can you see the ice cube in this picture? (Hint: it's near her tail.) Look at those crazy Rabies eyes!!!
On Friday night, we went fishing with Adam's cousins at a lake in the neighborhood and then the family all came over to the Judges' for dinner. Nani just loves those kids. She and Noah chase each other around the house, and Taylor gives her rubs while she relaxes and catches her breath. She loves Cody too, but she barks playfully at him all the time so we try to keep the two separated!
On Saturday, we drove up to Nobleton, FL (Ever heard of it??? Look here.) for lunch at a place called the Paddler's Cafe/Pub. For more pictures of the lunch and location, go to my other blog. I'll be posting the stuff there for a class assignment this week. Anyway, Nani had lots of fun running around the grounds and even took a turn on the bench swing!
For the rest of the afternoon and evening, she lay in her bed and slept. I guess all the excitement of the weekend had finally caught up to her. Just look at those sleepy eyes....
Then came the thrill of a backyard! She doesn't have this luxury at home so she sits by the back door constantly, until someone will let her out. This excitement is enhanced by the fact that (a) there are lots of fun sounds (kids playing, dogs barking, etc) and (b) the Judges have a compost pile in the backyard which she loves to raid for a special snack!
On Saturday afternoon, we went to the Upper Tampa Bay Park for a picnic lunch and a hike on a nature trail. Like just about any other dog, Nani loves nature trails. There are so many smells and sticks!
Oh look, here comes the gang now - with Nani leading the way!
When we got back to the car, we were all more than ready to head home. The hike was only a 1/2 mile, but it was very hot and the mosquitoes were insanely aggressive! We tried to give Nani some water before we got in the car, but she would have none of that. She immediately sprawled out in the backseat and was panting harder than I've ever seen her pant before. But, she still looked happy!
Then, things started to turn sour. All of a sudden she looked miserably hot....
Poor thing, we had the A/C on as high as it would go, but she just couldn't seem to cool off.
Shortly after that picture was taken, she abruptly stood up and started making gurgling sounds. I quickly grabbed the plastic bag we'd carried to pick up any of her "little presents" during the walk (and fortunately had not used) and held it under her head while she threw up. Since we were still 20 minutes away from home, I was lucky enough to have to carefully hold the bag until we got home. Yummy!
Don't worry though, by the time we arrived home, she was her chipper self again! We gave her a piece of ice to help her cool down even more. She has always loved ice! She noses at it, examines it from all angles, rolls on it, eats some of it, and then gets distracted and walks away so the rest melts on the floor. Can you see the ice cube in this picture? (Hint: it's near her tail.) Look at those crazy Rabies eyes!!!
On Friday night, we went fishing with Adam's cousins at a lake in the neighborhood and then the family all came over to the Judges' for dinner. Nani just loves those kids. She and Noah chase each other around the house, and Taylor gives her rubs while she relaxes and catches her breath. She loves Cody too, but she barks playfully at him all the time so we try to keep the two separated!
On Saturday, we drove up to Nobleton, FL (Ever heard of it??? Look here.) for lunch at a place called the Paddler's Cafe/Pub. For more pictures of the lunch and location, go to my other blog. I'll be posting the stuff there for a class assignment this week. Anyway, Nani had lots of fun running around the grounds and even took a turn on the bench swing!
For the rest of the afternoon and evening, she lay in her bed and slept. I guess all the excitement of the weekend had finally caught up to her. Just look at those sleepy eyes....
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Exciting News - Seminoles, Gators, & ICES!
I have exciting news for all of you today! Brace yourselves - sit down! These are gonna be doosies!
1. The Seminole baseball team is in the Super Regionals, which start this week! In fact, they're hosting some of the games. Tune in to ESPN starting on June 5th for coverage and views of my beautiful Alma Mater!
2. The Gator softball team is currently in the College World Series Championships! They lost 8-0 against Washington last night in Game 1, but I predict that Game 2 (tonight at 8pm on ESPN) will be a completely different story. The Gators had a REALLY off game last night so they need to focus and think clearly tonight! If the Gators win tonight, they'll play a 3rd game against Washington on Wednesday night to determine the 2009 champions!
3. My Romantic Escape cake was featured in the June 2009 International Cake Exploration Soceite (ICES) newsletter! This is a newsletter that's read by thousands of professional and amateur cake decorators around the world so I'm VERY excited about it! The cake was pictured on the back of the newsletter and a tutorial I wrote took up 4 pages inside the newsletter!
1. The Seminole baseball team is in the Super Regionals, which start this week! In fact, they're hosting some of the games. Tune in to ESPN starting on June 5th for coverage and views of my beautiful Alma Mater!
2. The Gator softball team is currently in the College World Series Championships! They lost 8-0 against Washington last night in Game 1, but I predict that Game 2 (tonight at 8pm on ESPN) will be a completely different story. The Gators had a REALLY off game last night so they need to focus and think clearly tonight! If the Gators win tonight, they'll play a 3rd game against Washington on Wednesday night to determine the 2009 champions!
3. My Romantic Escape cake was featured in the June 2009 International Cake Exploration Soceite (ICES) newsletter! This is a newsletter that's read by thousands of professional and amateur cake decorators around the world so I'm VERY excited about it! The cake was pictured on the back of the newsletter and a tutorial I wrote took up 4 pages inside the newsletter!
Monday, June 1, 2009
My Black Thumb
For years, I have tried to plant flowers, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, etc. in hopes of cultivating a garden. Alas, every attempt has been a complete failure. The only thing I seem to be able to keep alive is a cactus (and those sometimes die too)!
I love flowers, and I love visiting Adam's parents in Tampa because they always have such beautiful flowers in the yard! (Of course, that's not the ONLY reason I love to visit!) Here are a few photos I took around the yard this weekend:
In case you're wondering why so many of these photos have the flower in the bottom right corner, it's because I love setting these photos as my desktop background. If the flower is on the bottom right, then the desktop icons won't cover it up. If you'd like the original photo for your own desktop, email me or go to my flickr account and download the full version.
Anyway, here are the flowers currently in our front yard. I love flowers so much -why can't I have a green thumb???
I love flowers, and I love visiting Adam's parents in Tampa because they always have such beautiful flowers in the yard! (Of course, that's not the ONLY reason I love to visit!) Here are a few photos I took around the yard this weekend:
In case you're wondering why so many of these photos have the flower in the bottom right corner, it's because I love setting these photos as my desktop background. If the flower is on the bottom right, then the desktop icons won't cover it up. If you'd like the original photo for your own desktop, email me or go to my flickr account and download the full version.
Anyway, here are the flowers currently in our front yard. I love flowers so much -why can't I have a green thumb???
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