Hosting A Christmas Treat Swap!

Have you heard of this idea before? To some, it may seem like a silly question to ask but the first time I hosted a treat swap, hardly anybody knew what it was. So for those of who don't know, it's exactly what it says: a treat swap.
Around Christmas time, for those of us ambitious enough for another holiday activity to tackle, we host a cookie swap. The idea is to invite your friends, family, neighbors, church group, co-workers, or random strangers to exchange cookies. Usually, you bring enough cookies so that each person goes home with 1/2-1 dozen of each. I know it sounds simple, but it really isn't as clear cut as that. You see, as with all good things, there are rules that you have to follow.

This weekend's preview!

Naturally, as soon as I decide to start spending more time blogging my cake adventures, I get sick and can't get  out of bed for two days. I vow to never-ever go back into my basement again...or at least until after I'm over this and have been healthy for a while. Confused? Let me sum it up: I'm allergic to cleaning.
Okay, that might sound a little extreme but really, that's how it feels. I have no problem doing the little, everyday chores like dishes or laundry or putting toys away. My problem comes when I decide I need to deep clean. So we figured that I am highly allergic to dust.

Diva Party

As you may know, I've been away from the blogging world for a while. Had my brain been working, I would have taken some step-by-step pictures of this party that I'm posting. As is, all I can show you is the finished product but we loved it all and with a little creativity and some walk-throughs, you'll be able to recreate as much or as little of it as you want.

FBCT

I love to share. Especially when its something that is really neat. So I figured, what better thing to blog about on my website than nifty little "tricks of the trade" to help others hone in on their inner cake decorator. One of the first things I learned and put to use was the FBCT method. It is unbelievably easy, it gives your cakes a polished look, and it allows you to open SO many doors in the cake decorating world.

FBCT stands for Frozen Butter Cream Transfer. When I first read about using the FBCT method I was ready to try it out right away. Lucky for me, it was right around Father's Day of last year...perfect excuse to make a cake and try out a new trick.

Blog changes coming!

It's been over a year since I started this blog. Originally, it was a place to record the parties we plan and my 10 minute escape from the craziness of this house. For those that don't know, I am a homemaker with 5 kids, I am a daycare provider for friends and family, I am a homeschool mom, I am a baker...with a crazy, busy schedule, I am a college student. To say the least, life has kept me busy and the blog was pushed to the back burner for a while. 

Today, I was thinking about blogging about cupcakes. Everything I do is about cupcakes. I bake them - hundreds of them - every week. I find all kinds of interesting recipes I want to try and ideas I want to share. But Facebook and Pinterest limit me on what I can share...Facebook isn't very organized (at least I don't think so) and Pinterest only allows me to pin the pictures and [hopefully] track down the recipe. 

The goal is to try one new cupcake recipe each week. Possibly two. And if I'm feeling ambitious and my helper is with me, three. I know trying ONE recipe a week doesn't really sound that ambitious. Two is getting better. Three is my ultimate goal because I have so many recipes in my binder that I want to try but I have to be realistic. My life is too full to allow that to happen every week!

Be on the lookout for some delicious cupcake recipes and ideas soon! I think I'll start out with the tried and true favorites: Samoa, Tiramisu, Cheesecake, etc. And then we'll get into the taste-testing!