Play With Your Food!

Mom always told me to not play with my food, but I just can't stop myself. Especially when other people join in! One of the great things about having vacation time is not only spending time with family but spending time with friends as well.  Today the girls and I got to play with our food!  We all share a passion for baking and cooking so at the bake exchange a couple of weeks back we decided we needed to get together for a day of baking, creating, and chatting!  We had a great day today.  Susie, Trina, and I gathered in Trina's kitchen with our cupcakes and accessories in hand.  Trina is really the group expert on all things cake so she was quite able to help Susie and I with a couple of things.

Trina's Bassets wanted in on the fun as well!  Sorry Buster and Baxter!

We made homemade fondant, which turns out is super easy to make and tastes BETTER than the store bought kind.  (I will have to ask Trina for a copy of the picture she took of this as I did make a bit of a mess in her kitchen!)



We also made some homemade gumpaste.  None of us has really worked with gumpaste before but all in all we think it turned out well.

The beginnings of a swiss meringue buttercream!!

Trina also showed us how to make swiss meringue buttercream (oh so tasty and creamy!).






Trina and I were both lucky recipients of the Cricut cake cutting machine!!  (EEEEEE!!!)  We ran dualing Cricuts today! 

What a lovely sight!!

Since we made fondant today, I felt the need to bring cake.  I made my Devil's food chocolate cupcakes last night and since this recipe makes so many, I was able to make a small cake (and a couple of Nomskulls as well).  Once the fondant was made and rested for a while, I was able to get the cake together.  I had to plan a little but once Trina and I figured out the machines...we were giggling all the way to the cake decorations!

We did take turns taking photos but with more than one camera working, I only got some of the photos.  No problemo, we really did get into the fun of the day and didn't take photos of everything.

 

Susie and I intently watching the machine at work!

 

 Susie was itching to practice some of her piping skills on some cupcakes so we let her go crazy.

Susie working on her piping using swiss meringue buttercream and her Eggnog cupcakes!

Trina working with the gumpaste she made

Trina and Susie starting the swiss meringue buttercream

Trina made some gumpaste birds with her Cricut!

A collaborative piece!  Devil's food chocolate cupcakes, swiss meringue buttercream, and gumpaste birdies!

My mini bird cake!  I had so much trouble deciding which border to pick, what to put on top...it really is amazing that i got this cake finished at all!












Ta-Da!

Box O cupcakes!