Spring Break - Going South

This past week was a good one. Spring Break was upon us and that meant several things. Target Shopping, Island visitors, park time, sleeping in time, baking, eating, drinking, talking, laughing, more eating and drinking and more laughing. 

Monday began with a wee road trip. 

Sister and I decided to head down South. We needed a Target (aka Tarjay) fix and hatched a plan to visit several super fun shopping spots without kids for the day.

...wait...let me say that again...

WITH OUT KIDS!!!! 

Oh ya...OH YA. 

When we hit the boarder I usually would have cried because of the 50 min wait, but just relished in the silence. Remember the no kids part? 

FINALLY we crossed the boarder (almost had to leave sister behind in the port-a-potty as the line began moving quickly) and got our first fix. 

Oh ya. Hit me.

Coffee. It was hot. It was good. I finished it all and you know what?  

It was hot right to the last drop. Uh huh. 

It was. 

I didn't need to reheat it once...put it down... lose it...forget about it. Toss it. I didn't have to drink it and pretend it was just a bad iced coffee. 

It was true bliss. I just sipped it, looked out the window and pointed out the cool farm fields. 

We listened to Sisters ipod tunes and pointed out all the the cute little farm houses, shops, stores and everyday oddities that make America different and beautiful.

Then we hit a Walmart. 

Saw this display. 

So beautiful. 

2 containers were missing. 

No we did not partake. 

Although I could have here.

Wouldn't you? I'd drink it at that price. 

In Walmart. 

Amazing. Just amazing. 

We hit TJ Maxx and Ross (Oh my god that place is a dump...I felt like an American Picker in there...digging through the crap to find the glimmering treasure). We both found some gems. Shoes, pots, tops, jammies and even some Cole Hann shoes...too bad they were too big. Wah wah waaaaaaa.

Back in the car in under 20 secs (remember no kids) and off we went to Bellisfair. 

This Mall is hit or miss (we found this trip it was mostly miss), but you never know so we walked the walk. 

Stumbled upon this new store...can't recall the name and Sister found some tops for her upcoming summer trip to Paris. She wasn't happy that I was taking photos of her coming out of the change room.

(Yes she bought it) 

No good pictures of my time in Target.  Except this gem. 

Oh ya. ITS REAL PEOPLE!!!. Only $19.99. 

Tarjay was getting remodelled and was TOTALLY cleaned out. I mean CLEANED OUT PEOPLE. Lame. So lame. So sad.

I still managed to spend some $$ though. 

I know. Why? Nostalgia I suppose. 

Then we decided since it was 8 we should grab some Sushi and head home. Tired. Worn. Defeated. 

I managed to score 2 boxes of McQueen Mac n' Cheese for Mr. E though at $.99 a box.

Ka-chow!!

E

(More Spring Break Madness Reports Tomorrow!)

Buttercream Dreams

Okay, so I should have posted this yesterday...now it is anti-climatic. 

Down-staged. 

Just grab a coffee and pretend your computer has PVR/TIVO and you finally have a moment to read this AMAZING post. 

Yar.

So with the cake building catastrophe now behind me I felt the courage to go forth and ice. But I needed some help. No...not professional...just liquid. 

The good stuff. 

And I had Mr. Man. 

He's the chef and chefs have tricks up their sleeves incase bad things go down.  

We put on some WBGO tunes. A great public radio station Mr. Man discovered. If you like Jazz (not the razz-a-mataz kind, more straight ahead jazz) you should check it out. 

Now, back to the main event...

Here are the players for the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing: Vanilla, eggs, sugar, butter...more butter and more butter. Then add more butter. 

 

Separate eggs. 

Messy job...I prefer the hand tossing method...let the whites slide through your fingers and gently (this is my downfall...I am not a gentle cook) caress the yolks so they don't sploosh (?) everywhere and get into the whites. It's okay to get a wee little yolk in the whites apparently (Mr. Man said so). 

Next take the sugar and...

Put it in the egg whites. 

Whisk together...gently. Remember that part. Now take it to the stove top and double boiler it. Break your wrist "Whisking" and pray you don't get scrambled eggs. 

Mr. Man and I tag teamed. I am a wuss. 

Cut the butter into chunks. Did you know that unsalted butter will turn to mush in at room temp? No salt. Go figure...so don't do this part to early. 

Once the eggs and the sugar have made love in the steel bowl/double boiler concoction transport them to be forever intwined in the mixer. 

 

Sit and watch it whirl...round and round...round and round. 

Mesmerizing.  

Hold on...how come it is not working? Where is my glossy icing? What is happening! It looks sick. I am gonna be sick.  

Ok...wait for it...patience...apparently I need patience. 

Wash some dishes. Have another glass of wine...

Okay...I see some progress...I am seeing the love.

                           Pure Sexy.

Now..throw in chunks of butter. Lots of butter...I can't say how much. 

It was embarrassing. 

Throw it in a little at a time. 

Great...now what is happening!!! 

Curdling!! Noooooooooo!  Re-read recipe...

It tells you basically to not panic. So I try not to. The recipe warned me about this. Zen. 

More wine. Bottles empty now. Hair is disheveled.  

Thank-you. Oh thank-you. 

I...em...um...WE did it. 

Me and the wine. 

And Mr. Man. 

He was awesome. He chose his helpful words very carefully and appropriately inserted them when I was going to loose it. We are a good team after all. 

Now add colour and get Mr. Man to mix it...he has the muscles plus I have had more wine and we really don't want to screw it up at this point now do we. We have some so far.

Still with me people? This is a long one. 

Mix mix mix. 

Put on crumb coat or "dirty icing" as the "BOSS" calls it. This part was actually fun. I didn't need to be perfect. I worked with the tools and went with it. 

Mr. Man was a patient coach.

Done. 

Go to bed. 

It is 11pm. 

Wake up. 

It's 7am

Get a coffee...reheat coffee several times. 

Abandon coffee altogether. 

Make icing again cause you need more. 

Crap.

 But this time it is easier. More butter, sugar....in the mixer whirl...pace...more whirling.  

Then have expert icing tester ensure quality

.

..okay one or two more tastes for poison control...

Then pipe away using your youtube tutorial. 

You to can try this at home. 

Mr.Man gave it a try too. 

He couldn't help himself...I made it look so easy. 

Looking good. 

I like it and the technique is easy. 

Really...it is. 

It is the making of the icing the first time that is hard. 

But it is WORTH it. 

Even if just to see this. 

Easton gets out his icing set...

"Look Mom...an E" - so proud of himself. 

Little E helps Mummy put the finishing touches on the cake (mostly to hide blemishes) and...

Voila!

Ruffle cake. 

I know...it is not perfect...but I made this. I did this people! 

I love the texture. Almost has a vintage feel and I now know what I need to do for Baby A's cake. To make it look prettier.

 Like...um choose another colour. 

Perhaps a better border?

...cut the top piece flat so it doesn't look like a dome.  Duh.

TAKE MY TIME when icing. I rushed it. Who me???? 

We had it after dinner last night for Mr.Man's 35th...

Dare I say...it was AWESOME! 

E

Friday Night Lights

Okay a quickie here since I should be in bed. Some fashion for Friday...

Friday night lights by alittlesparrow featuring glass shades

Listing to Far East Movement sing G6 on itunes. Gawd...


But...I was thinking...


What would I wear if I was to go clubbing/dancing tonight? What would I wear that wouldn't make me look like I shop at Walmart/The Mall and that I wasn't hanging on to my 20's rather turning...eh hem...35? 


Then I saw that top. 


Pause...why would I be at a club/dance/bar place again? 


Hypothetically Erin!! 


Oh right...


I was drawn to the top. $70 bucks at topshop.com. Doable. 


However the totally rad Marc Jacobs purse at $615 is busting the bank as are the $575 shoes by Rupert Sandarson (However, Mr. Man will salivate at their aerodynamics and sexiness and ask me why I don't own a pair of heels like these...and I will reply $575 babe). 


The polish is my nod to colour. 


I have the NARS bronzer and it is a-mazing people. GO and GET IT! 


The jacket is cheap...(apparently only $28 bucks at Tillys.com)...hmmm....I love a good military jacket. 




 I am not sold on the earrings...but they work. I suppose. As do the bracelets.  The glasses...well that is me. I have to wear them. To see. 


Overall a good combination I think. Mr.Man likes it too. Boo ya.


Nite. 


Got a cake to ice tomorrow people! 

E

Chocolate Fashion

Okay...so I wanted Fridays to be about fashion and my journey through, around, under and over it.
But...since no one reads this BLOG anyway I figured I could mix it up.

Today I decided to make THIS. I really wanted to try it out before I made it for baby A's 1st birthday party and thought since we were having 10 people over for dinner tomorrow night...why not do a trial run?

I have NEVER made a cake from scratch (gasp) and always use the box mixes.

I was scared.

I was intimidated.

I was determined.

I assembled all the ingredients...I am doubling the recipe you can find in the above link.

{dry ingredients}

 

{wet ingredients}

I then did my least favourite job...greasing and flouring the pans. All of them. 

I used coco instead of flour. 

I made a mess. A big one. 

You should have seen my hands.

Then I pulled out every bakers dream...

My husband came with all the Kitchen Aid goodies when we married {I know...I know} and I use this particular one about 3x per week. Mr.Man is the chef of the house and I am the cook. Thats how we roll.

I then sifted all the dry ingredients together in one bowl.

Look at all those chunks. Now my batter will be smooth. 

My mountain of salt, powders, flour, sugar, and coco was complete. It was a big mountain and not so big of a bowl.  I decided to stuff it all in the mixer anyway. Hmm...should have doubled this recipe 1 batch  at a time not all at once. Mr. Man would have known that. 

I mixed the vanilla. Yum. I just love vanilla. Good pure REAL vanilla. We get ours at COOMBS MARKET cause we don't get to go to Mexico to often {okay...NEVER}. Plus Little E loves to look at the goats on the roof. I like to look at the food and the clothes, the knick knacks and of course the ice cream. 

Next we add the oil, buttermilk, the coffee and eggs. I like free range brown eggs. The yolks are REALLY orange and they are soooo yummy. What colour are your yolks? Yellow? Try the orange ones...you'll never go back I promise. 

Add it all together in the mixer. Pray that it doesn't overflow and make a mess. Whirl it around and around. 

And around. Then panic and throw a cloth over the mixer to prevent spillage. Mix some more.

Putter and put away dishes...get a drink. Then panic cause you cant see the batter...lift the tea towel ever so gently then...

Um.... Should have done 2 batches? 

Mr. Man would have. 

He's the chef though and I am the cook. 

Next curse loudly {not too loud to wake sleeping baby} and get the dish cloth.  Pour into huge measuring cup and tell your kid that nothing is wrong...there is lots of chocolate to lick off the counter.

Or in Little E's case...finger paint then eat. 

Fill cake pans and realize that you should have tripled the recipe. Breathe and then count to 10. Improvise and go with it. You can do this. 

Put cakes in oven and clean mess.  

Look at floor that you just washed and cry. Then be thank-full that you put on an apron. 

Clean counters, mixer, floors, dishes, fingers, nails, and face as they are all covered in chocolate. 

Pace the floor like an expectant father in the 50's and wait for the timer to go off. 

Check facebook. 

Check the Weather forecast, check on kids. 

Pace. 

Put up the Easter wreath.

Turn on the oven light. 

Wish you could see through the dirty door. 

Peek in by opening the oven ever so slightly. Jump when the timer goes off. 

Pray. 

Perfect. 

Jump up and down!!! 

Away from the cakes.

On the carpet...so they don't fall. 

Admire your masterpieces in all their glory. Smell them...oh ya. Resist tasting them until they cool. 

Realize that this was the easy part. The fun and messy part. 

Next comes the decorating. 

The patient, steady hand, careful, technique part. Look at your cakes again. And again. Smell them again. 

You did this. 

I did this.  

I can now say goodbye to Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines and hello to scratch baking. It was fun. It really really was. Next time I would make the cakes in 2 batches to ease the messy. I like messy, but this was messy. 

I'll let you know how they taste. 

E