Lucky C's Sweets

We met Bakerella!

2011-10-13T13:11:00.000-05:00

How many of you have heard of Bakerella? Show of hands. Okay, how many of you have heard of, made, seen or been lucky enough to eat a cake pop? Well, the lovely lady that I first heard of them from was Bakerella. She has a blog/website, I have link to it on my page, and it is just pure fun and happiness. I started following her years ago and then saw her on Martha Stewart making cake pops. I think it took me about 10 seconds to run to the kitchen and try them. It is amazing how creative you can be with them and how much everyone loves them. To learn more, see her website, buy her book, check out some of my past blogs...just do something because you need to be in the know!

My girls are obsessed with her and the site as well. Not to mention cake pops. I think they have consumed more than their fair share on any given occasion. They came with me to Williams Sonoma to go to Bakerella's book signing.

Livi listening intently, trying to see through the barrage of Coach purses.

Aha, there she is and her book is right in front. You think the cover is cute, wait until you open it up!

Bakerella started off with a little background info on herself and then she answered questions. I know this is weird to some people, but I do feel like I know her after reading her posts for so long. We are really like, friends actually. She may not be aware of that, but I think she feels it too.

She recently had to have a kidney transplant and her mom was the one who donated her kidney. She is so approachable and kind. She is just like a cake pop. Sweet, adorable, unique, and fun.

Here I caught her beautiful smile on the way to the table to greet guests.

When it came close to our turn, we got to meet Angie's (Bakerella) mother. She was the most delightful, warm person. I told her I was so happy that she and Angie were both well and what an amazing gift that was. She was so humble and said that as long as her little girl was going to be okay, nothing else mattered and she would do anything to keep her healthy. What a fantastic mom! She talked with my girls too and they showed her pictures of some of the pops we have done.

Getting our time with Bakerella.

When we sat down with Bakerella, her mom called over to her and told her to look at how good our pictures were. So cute of her! Bakerella told me (ahem, yes, me!), that I had great technique and then mentioned that one the pops I did, she had just done- we thought it was kismet. Well, I did anyway. Whatever kismet is.

Do you want to know the best part about all of this? The fact that my girls and I share a love for something and it provides us joyful time together.
I didn't have to beg them to go.
I didn't have to check my watch and make sure we weren't late to run to the next activity or pick someone up.
I didn't think about laundry, cleaning, or bills.
The girls didn't have to think about homework, schedules or school.
The girls didn't care if we looked like giggling school girls.
In the end, it was just the three of us having a fun day, sharing our time together. That's what memories are made of.

I have become too aware of how quickly they are growing up. So, I consider our Bakerella day a gift that I will always look back on and smile. And I know they will too.

Let's get caught up

2011-10-12T07:12:00.000-05:00

Only one more catch up post, I promise. You may notice I am including more than just sweets now. Well, my life has been a bit more balanced the latter half of this year. Sweets, while wonderful in many respects, began to rule all things and all time in my life. It was time to slow down and step back from things a bit, business wise. The kids who were so supportive and patient with their sleep deprived, overworked, sugar crusted and well, cranky mom- deserved more. When I told them I was pulling back on work, they all high fived each other and gave me huge hugs. Some people say there are "signs" in life that show us where to go and what is important. Well, this was a huge sign that slapped me right in the face. Family has always been first for me and always will be. However, I reserve the right to continue to create (and eat) sweets with the hope of maybe someday, entering back into the business side of it all.

I have no idea why I feel the need to put disclaimers or explain everything I do.

Middle child thing maybe.

My birthday, blah blah blah. Highlight, no cake to make for myself! Izzy's ice cream did the trick. Ignore the size of my cone please. My hubbie said it would make me sick to eat it all. Sad fact, he really doesn't know me after all these years.

Cute as a button cake. Even cuter cupcake pops went with it, too bad I didn't get a picture of those, huh?

My oldest started high school. Walked to the bus (for the first time) and off she went. Every day I beg her to stop. I don't want her to go to high school because then I will blink and she will be leaving for college. Blink again and she will be moving away with her husband even further from me. Nope not having it.
Yet she gets up every morning and off she goes. I really need to get a grip huh?

I had a request for a coconut cake from Magnolia bakery from a customer. She and the recipient travel to NYC and always stop at Magnolia Bakery. To surprise her friend, we decided to claim she made it. The friend/recipient of the cake called me within a day to tell me she knew it was me :)

Boiling sugar to make candy. I'm so strange, but I think this is sooo pretty. No need to comment on that. Those of us with a sugar addiction are very aware of our problem. Thank you.

Okay, that should do it. Now on to a post about a super exciting day for me. I met one of my blog idols! Bakerella!
I hope you all (again the three of you that may read this) are well and have either had or shared something sweet in your life. All my best, mps

I'm back, did you miss me?

2011-10-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back anyway! It seems crazy to me that the last time I posted was in December, but apparently, it's true. I intend on posting more often. I realize that my absence did not truly affect any of you, but I just thought you'd like to know...I'm back! Anyway, where to start? Pictures always work, right?!
How about a year (well almost) in review~

First of all, we had a ton of snow!

A cousin combo birthday for my fave customers. A baseball player, dancer, soccer enthusiast all with piano playing in common. Viola- a cake for all!

Valentine's day, my favorite holiday.

Cupcakes aren't enough, right? V-Day needs cookies too.

A special bridal shower for a soon to be Wild hockey player wife.

Wondering who? Hint, his initials are PMB :)

A very sweet 16 for a fellow cheerleader. My daughter's fellow cheerleader, of course. Although I was a cheerleader, it was a little while ago. Or like a century now. Something like that.
Isn't the colored sugar in the pops vases extra fun? Can't get too sweet for me.

By oldest turned 14 and wanted "chocolate, ooey, goodness". So there.

Yes, it's April. Yes, that's snow. Seriously people.

Traveled to see mom in NM. Went to a Pow Wow. Check that one off the list.

My cutie pie nephew, Everett, visited. Such fun! He loves to sit with a blanket and our pooch loves to sit with him. Maybe they were watching Home Alone?

My not-so-little-boy went on his first "guys" annual fishing trip to Hayward.
It was very hard to hold my breath all weekend. I let out a huge sigh of relief when he came home in one piece.
Letting go is an issue for me. Hard to tell probably.

Not snow this time, Spring had finally sprung. Yes, it was late May, but we take it any time it comes around here.

Made a confirmation cake for a lovely girl and beautiful dancer.

Bridal showers were raining down in June!

My helper is always on hand to try something new, especially when that has to do with two things. Dough and chocolate chips. She really works at it though! The other two, they get more involve on the tasting side of things.

Livi's final product that day, or should I say evening~
(We tend to get carried away when we are in the kitchen together and there is dough and chocolate!)
Chocolate chip cookie dough-chocolate covered-sprinkle enhanced bites. Or as she calls them, MINE!
Can I just mention how much I love that she is 12 and still wears pjs with ice cream sundaes on them and a Disney robe she got from Santa like 5 years ago.

One of my other cutie pie nephews came to visit in June. Yes, I only have cutie pie nephews. From age 19-1, all perfect! This one is Jasper or Jazzy Boo as we like to call him. I could eat him up every time I see him.

My husband turned another year older, now he's really old!
Unfortunately for me, he is and will always be 10 months less old than me.

Livi, my purple girl, saw a pillow the she wanted me to copy in cake form for her birthday. Mission accomplished :)
It tasted better than the pillow too.

Got to visit some dear old friends in Missouri and also fawn over the Biebs! I am probably a bigger fan than the girls. They think it's weird.

My "Mini Baking Beauty" was at it again last summer. She and her sister, were so excited for the release of the final HP movie . In honor of the series, she decorated 8 cupcakes, one symbolizing each movie. Creative girl, that one.
Oh yeah, feathers in the hair were big for the kids this summer. Anyone else notice that?

GP Christmas in July in DeForest. We all have a very hard time lightening up.
A highlight of the year, every year. Has been since I was a kid. The group keeps growing!
My parents and my Aunt and Uncle (in the center) started this years ago.
God love 'em.

A 70th birthday for a german chocolate cake lover, with a wife who likes something lighter.

Part two coming up next. Didn't want this to be the world's longest post. Oops.

Woodbury Magazine found me :)

2010-12-03T20:49:00.001-06:00

The current issue of Woodbury Magazine did a feature article on holiday sweet treats. I am proud to announce that they included Lucky C's Sweets! The article directed people to this blog as opposed to my website. luckycsweets.com
The website is a work in progress so, it isn't quite where we want it, but it does have some info and pictures. However, if anyone is looking to contact me, please email me at michps@comcast.net and I will be happy to pass along my info and email or call you back. I am still taking orders for Christmas, but my schedule is filling up fast, so get your orders in because I really hate to say no to ~~sweets,~~ err, I mean orders :)

Unfortunately, the magazine did not get any pictures taken to put in the article. So, here are a couple samples. Also, the picture to the right is my custom sugar cookie place card/gift tags. You can get them in hint-o-lemon sugar cookie or chocolate-espresso sugar cookie.

Chocolate espresso holiday sugar cookies- available by the dozen, special order

Sample of hint-o-lemon custom decorated sugar cookies- available by the dozen, special order

Traditional sugar cookies- available by the dozen, special order

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread- available at Kowalski's

Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread- available at Kowalski's

Lovely, Lovely Lemon Bread- available by special order

Delicious and light, Lime Chiffon Cake- available by special order

Fantastic (and not so light) Romen Chocolate Cake- available by special order

Holiday cupcake bites- assorted flavors (red velvet is amazing!)- available by the dozen, special order

Cupcake pops! Same thing, just on a stick.

Cupcakes, cupcake bites and mini cookie discs

Many people love to do an assortment which makes for a beautiful display for your entertaining and also a great gift. We are happy to help any way we can. As I always say, we look forward to making your event (or your Saturday) a little sweeter!

Happy holidays everyone!

HospiceCare teddy bear donation, a success

2010-12-01T23:03:00.003-06:00

Our family decided to make a donation to the HospiceCare center this Thanksgiving and we asked our family and friends for help.

Our family, plus Nana Buffy, cousin John and bff Julia at HospiceCare with all of the bears.

Here is the email we sent out~

As many of you know, my dear father-in-law, Jim Stevens, passed away last December 27th. He died after fighting tongue cancer so valiantly for 18 months. Jim went through many struggles and when we found out that the cancer was winning the battle, we reached out to HospiceCare in Madison, WI, where Jim and his wife, Buffy lived. HospiceCare could not have been more kind and caring. Last year, on Christmas Eve, we received a call from family telling us that it was time for Jim to go into HospiceCare. Chris and I tried to keep our heads up and thanks to a special Santa visit, we made it through the evening and put the kids to bed. We were up most of the night packing up for a trip we wished we would not have to make. In the morning, the kids barely had breakfast and we had to whisk off to Madison. As you may remember, it was a blizzard out and the roads were miserable. It was probably the longest 4 hours we can remember. Constant phone calls from family telling us to get there fast and looking at our kids eyes, constantly filled with tears.

Well, we made it to the HospiceCare center in Madison and were lucky enough to spend Jim's last few days by his side. The staff was there to laugh with us, cry with us and constantly keep us informed. Oddly, we felt very at home and knew Jim was comfortable and very well cared for. One thing my kids noticed was all the stuffed bears that adorned the HospiceCare center. It brought a little cheer and sweetness to an area that could have been very daunting and frightening. Before Jim passed away, one of the nurses took my sister-in-law, Sue, and I walking around the center. She told us to pick out bears for each one of our children. As we looked there seemed to be ones that just spoke to us and seemed perfect for each individual child. We took them back in to Jim's room. The nurse had Jim kiss each bear and then handed them back to us. A very short time later, Jim passed away. The children were all at a friend's home. It was so hard to tell the kids that their grandpa had died, but it was somewhat eased by being able to give them each a bear. We had something tangible to give them that was truly special and it was from their Grandpa. It helped so much in the days ahead for each of them to have that bear to hang on to. They have slept with them every night since.

Obviously we believe in the power of these bears and the Dori Bear project at HospiceCare in Madison, WI.

The Dori Bear namesake is given to all teddy bears donated to HospiceCare in honor of HospiceCare patient Doris Klubertanz, who died June 1, 1994. While alive, Doris Klubertanz was surrounded by teddy bears. She believed in their power to bring warmth, love and a smile. Because she found them to be such a comfort, she left a gift to HospiceCare to establish the Dori Bear project.

Chris and I, along with our children would like to make a donation of bears to the Dori Bear project this year. We travel to Madison every Thanksgiving and we thought this year we would spend part of Thanksgiving volunteering at HospiceCare. One way was to bring them bears to help many other families who are dealing with the same difficult time we went through last year. So, we are asking you for help to increase our efforts.

And here's how it went~

We again braved the crazy weather down to Madison last Wednesday. We had all of the bears packed gently in our car and took them over to their new (temporary) home at HospiceCare Center. Chris' mom, Buffy and his nephew, John, as well as our family friend, Julia, helped us to share the joy with the staff. The kids felt so good to give back a little something to the community that helped their grandpa in his last days. It was definitely a bit difficult to go back there and the tears came easily for us. My little guy, Cam, wanted to go and walk down the hall to Grandpa's old room, #42. We were amazed that he remembered the room number as well as the painting outside the door of his room. We talked about how we sat for a bit in the family room one day and laughed at silly stories we were sharing with everyone. It was one of those moments we needed to lighten such a heavy load we were all carrying. During our visit this year as we walked the halls, the kids talked with some of the patients and it was evident that they made their day. The smiles on the face of people in pain, was so amazing and we knew we did a good thing by not just sharing our donation, but sharing ourselves. As we walked by the family room, we noticed it was empty but had a sign on the door. It read, " reserved for the family of room #42". We felt that was a sign that Jim was telling us he was with us :)

As we come up on the one year marker of Jim's death, we seem to have an array of emotions. To name a few ~ blessed, grateful, lucky, thankful and sad.

We are very blessed to be able to help others that helped us.

We are grateful for our strength and faith that has guided us through the tough times.

We are lucky for having such loving, generous friends and family.

We are thankful that Jim's suffering has ended and he is at peace.

We are sad that we will not be able to share any more special moments with a very dear man.

Come to our Holiday Boutique! One stop shopping!

2010-11-18T13:28:00.000-06:00

A group of talented business women from our area are hosting a holiday boutique. Come shop and take home some gifts and goodies, plus you can place orders to help your holidays become a bit less stressful. Angelina's Kitchen will be there to help you with your holiday meals, appetizers or just planning for extra meals with company in town. I will have many of my sweets available too. Everyone needs a beautiful lime chiffon cake with mint and cranberries on their holiday table, right? How about some gorgeous lemon or chocolate espresso sugar cookies. Or buy the sugar cookie dough and frosting and make your own at home with the kids. Cupcake bites-a-plenty to taste and order from. How about some delicious cranberry pecan pumpkin bread to take have at your Thanksgiving feast?

Okay, that's about all the sales pitch I have left in me :) But seriously, it is a great way to support local businesses and get some holiday shopping and planning done. Hope to see you there!

Also, watch for my new website! My very talented cousin, Brigitte, has created a beautiful site for me and I can't wait to share it with all of you. Again, I am talking to the two of you who read this.

Have a sweet holiday!

Halloween, finally an excuse to eat more sweets!

2010-10-30T14:33:00.001-05:00

Halloween cupcake bites. Cute little pumpkin, spider web, googly bloodshot eyeball and the bloody bone.

Many people think of candy when Halloween rolls around. Me? Not so much. I buy the kind of candy I would never eat. Like gummy, sour stuff or candy bars with fillings or smarties or something. That way I won't eat any of it. But then I go and create things like cupcake bites and all restraint goes out the window. I think I have spoken of these lovely little morsels before. I make a cake, crumble it and mix it with frosting. (You can use any combo, but red velvet and cream cheese are hands down, my customer's favorites.) Roll it into balls, chill and then dunk in chocolate, white chocolate or candy melts. Then finish them off with many different types of decorations. I used fondant to make the eyes, chocolate covered sunflower seeds for the pumpkin stem, Wilton candy bones and Halloween sprinkles. Really the possibilities are endless!

I also turn to seasonal ingredients this time of year. Like, pumpkin. Kowalski's Market loved my samples and now they sell my Perfectly Pleasing Pumpkin Bread, in two flavors. Can't keep it on the shelves. What a "perfectly pleasing" problem to have, right?

Cranberry pecan

Choco-chip

So, it is the day before Halloween and my kids have changed their minds on their costumes about 12 times. I put my foot down and made them decide this afternoon. The decisions are in. And now, I am about to run around town looking for the details that we "have to have" to complete their costumes. Next time, I won't be so organized and demanding. I will let them wait until about an hour before trick or treating to see what they are wearing. At that point, they will scramble to find anything we have in the house. Just like I did when I was young.
Except for that one year where my mom got creative and made me a present box. The box was so big and the arm holes so small, I couldn't get past any kid who was running by, let alone ring any doorbells. I ended up with very little candy and very big bruises on my arms. Moms have the best intentions.

Next year, I will try not to be such a good mom. :)

Pirates and Jimmies and Tyler, Oh my!

2010-10-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

So, it happened. My oldest nephew, Tyler, went from a fun, little boy who sat and drank Sunny D at my kitchen table out of a sippy cup to a confident, young man going off to college! After suffering an ACL tear right before junior year basketball tryouts, he certainly rebounded for his senior year and helped to take his team to a winning season. He was a Pewaukee Pirate. Arggg!

He received a scholarship and an opportunity to play basketball at Jamestown College in North Dakota. So, now he's a Jimmie! Not really sure what that is, gonna have to ask him the next time we text. Cuz, that's what you do with a busy college guy. You text, right?

His mom (my older sister) and his dad, gave him a great send off with a fantastic graduation party. I was in charge of sweets. Imagine that.

So, here's the cake. Looks pretty good after traveling 5 hours, staying in a hotel, surviving record high temps and being stared at by many young people wanting to devour it!

Please excuse me (and Ty forgive me), but I must reminisce. This boy stole my heart the day he was born and still keeps a tight grasp. I must say I almost felt like he was one of mine going off to school. Did I mention he will actually be living closer to me now than his family? I'm just saying.

Here he is as a grade schooler. Cool hair, dude!

With his Nani as an 8th grader. Trying to prove that height may skip a generation :)

No one is too old for Santa!

Teaching my little guy how to properly organize your matchbox cars.

Show off!! He is always holding a basketball.

Ready to go explore the world, but not without one last hug from his overprotective Auntie.

Make us proud Ty. You have many talents and gifts. I may be biased, but my favorite is that part of your sweet, sensitive heart that you share with me at my kitchen counter while eating cookies.

Now, come visit!

Oh dear blog, I have missed chatting with you!

2010-09-14T12:58:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go? I think I was getting ready for Mother's day weekend which was filled with a dance competition and lots of work. Mother's day is the best, right?
And now all of a sudden I have two middle schoolers, one 3rd grader and all the things on my list are still there! I promise to get in gear soon and start posting more regularly. Notice how I don't commit to an exact day or time I will post? I am trying to lower all expectations, sorta makes me feel better.
Anway, here is a little something to make you want to go make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and never bake them!

Be back soon. Have a sweet day!

Sweet Baby Jasper

2010-05-02T16:39:00.002-05:00

Talk about making things a little sweeter!! My new nephew, JJ ( Jasper Joseph), has recently decided to make us all a little more infatuated with him by flashing this heavenly smile. I was in Chicago on a business trip :) and finally had a chance to see my little nugget, face to face. He is so darling and such a good baby. His mom and dad are like old pros. They are completely in love with him and adore every sleepless moment they get to share as a family.

First, we chatted and got to know one another better.

Next we asked Mom to go get some rest so we could bond a little.

Finally, he let me hold him far longer than he needed me to. He just knew I needed a little baby love.

On my next post I will have pictures from my Chicago bakery/research tour. For now, feel free to check back on this post whenever you need a little pick-me-up. Being able to spend time with my sweet little Jasper has helped my days to be brighter. I anxiously await the next time I will be able to hold him. I hope he always let me hang on to him- for longer than I should :)

I added my sister's blog on my links. You may just want to check up on this little cutie pie:)

Check this out! My amazingly talented friend needs our support.

2010-04-23T09:09:00.004-05:00

A dear friend of mine, Phil Lawrence, is premiering his first film, “Numb,”at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. Although this is short notice, he has enlisted the help of his friends and family to help spread the word that tickets are available for this 1:15 showing this Saturday afternoon, at the St. Anthony Theatre, 125 S. E. 115 Main Street in Minneapolis.

If there is any way that you can join me in showing support of his very personal documentary, I would greatly appreciate it. It's a great way to spend a couple hours on a rainy afternoon and support local talent.

Tickets can be purchased on-line for $10. You can find out more about the film at the festival at http://www.mspfilmfest.org/
If you look under Programs and Minnesota Made films, you will find “Numb.”

For more information about the film, you can view a trailer at http://www.numbdocumentary.com

Thanks!

Clay or NOT?

2010-04-11T13:54:00.003-05:00

Hello the awesome OLIVIA is back and posting again. I know everyone's happy. Well anywho, back to what I'm supposed to be typing about. Like those pics up there? Yah, I made them, well except the teeny tiny little cupcake bites and the teeny tiny little donuts those were mom's. Otherwise it was pure OLIVIA! I mean who else can make a PERFECT replica of my mother's Lovely, Lovely Lemon Bread? And her delicious Romen Chocolate Cake? What about the Lime Chiffon Cake? (Which is purple because I ran out of white;P) Well, huh? Yah I know I'm the bomb. NEXT!

My brother on the other hand was in a green mood that day. Although I also made the Gummy Bear. Apparently he doesn't like making mini food. Well, he made A) a snake B) a baby with a silver head and C) a glass ball. They're actually kinda cool. Don't you think? NEXT!

Now this......mmm looks so good doesn't it? I mean who doesn't LOVE bacon cheeseburgers? Or french fries for that matter. Not talking about soda like that though cuz I know many people who don't like soda. I do though:). One day I was just taking everyone's orders on what they wanted me to make for them so my brother chose bacon cheeseburgers with french fries and soda. OK NEXT!

So who's craving some pizza? My sister made this one. I'm pretty sure she made this for my dad. He loves pizza. Everyone in my family loves pizza. Well, everyone except me. But that's not important, what is important is getting back to this. See she made this look so appetizing even I would eat it! (Remember I'm the one who doesn't like pizza.) YUM!!! NEXT!

Here is one of my favorites. I made it. It's............... SUSHI! Yup you guessed it. To make it I actually had to look at a picture of my mom's sushi cake. I made two little platters. One for my Aunt and one for my Uncle. Both of them love sushi. My mom thinks this is the "cutest" one I made. You have to admit it's totally awesome and tubular. I think so too. The funny thing about this is I don't know what anything is called other than the fortune cookie. But hey, who cares! NEXT!

Last but not least STEAK, PASTA, and peas. Now this is something I'll eat! Other than the peas. You know what's funny? My sister actually made this for me! Oh how nice, I know. I made her the cupcake in the first picture. Notice how she even made the T-Bone! The colors were perfect for steak too. Yah I know it's so cool. Well, it looks like I'm done posting so.......

PEACE OUT!

LIVER :)

2010-04-05T13:48:00.002-05:00

How can you not just smile until it hurts looking at this?! This is my new little nephew, Jasper Joseph. Here is the downside of all of this wonderful business, I haven't even met, face to face (only on Skype) this little blessing. He lives in Chicago and well, I don't. It hurts my heart not to be able to smell his sweet little head or hold him while doing the "mom bounce". I could just cry talking about it, but I know he understands and supports me anyway. Here's the proof.

This is what I woke up to on the day of my big roll out at Kowalski's. I asked my sister how she managed it and she said after about 75 photos, they got one that worked! This is now my desktop picture and I could stare at him all day. Everday. Which I try to do. Everyday.

So everything went great with my venture at Kowalski's and I thought I would share a couple pictures. My sister, Jeanne came up with one of her sons, T-Dog and helped out. I am so thankful to have such good helpers and taste testers in the family. Now if I could get them to move up here...

We had many chickie cupcake pops to get ready. Here they are before their debut.

As my dear, crazy friend Lori says- "Time to bag 'em!" (No she doesn't work for CSI, she just doesn't get out much.) Isn't she a pro- look at that technique! I am pretty sure she had no idea what she got into leaving her 6 kids and husband to help me out. Strangely enough, we managed to laugh the whole way through. She's another one I keep working on to move up here. I think I need to provide a steady stream of margaritas for her next visit to help seal the deal.

Here are the chickies awaiting their call to duty the night before we took them into Kowalski's. The lighting is off a bit again, sorry. I was trying for natural light, but at 3 am - there was none to be found. And coincidentally, at 6 am there is far too much!

After many hours of sharing info on me and my products, it was time to wrap it up and get home. My tivo was calling!

I say that like I went home and watched tv, not so much. But it sounded better than...

It was time to get home and figure out dinner, clean up my kitchen, color easter eggs and make sure my family had clean clothes for church. See what I mean :)

LCS out :)

Lucky C's Sweets turns 1 and the party is at Kowalski's Market!

2010-03-31T21:46:00.000-05:00

My products on display at Kowalski's Market. Oh my!

I have been very fortunate to have seen my business grow so much during our first year.
Well, one of the best stores in the Twin Cities has decided to carry some of my products. Kowalski's Market. It is my happy place.

I will be in the Woodbury store tomorrow and Friday to sample my Lovely, Lovely Lemon Bread and my Practically Perfect Brownies. I will also have a basketful of Chickie Cupcake pops. No, I don't sleep and yes, everyone around me thinks I must be crazy. This is well worth all the hard work. When I went in to the store today and saw my company name and product out- I really felt so proud. That is big for me to say, because being a titch of a perfectionist, I rarely think what I do is great. But today I felt great. Now, what would make me feel even better ? (For those of you losing sleep wondering how to make me feel better) If all of you who live near here went to Kowalski's and cleaned me out! Shop around, get a coffee and enjoy. They have so many great products there and they also just opened a wine market too! Wine and sweets, who needs anything else to make a holiday weekend complete?

I do want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me and supported me throughout this venture. I will try not to get too sentimental, but without my family and friends (you know who you are) love, I may not have been where I am. We went through one of the most difficult years of our lives. Loss of jobs, loss of a loved one, stress and pressure that seemed to way us down more than we thought possible. I have always had a strong faith, but even that was tested. My dear Aunt Kris kept repeating to me that "this too shall pass" and " you will find your way out because good things happen to good people and you are one of the best". She is one of the best in my eyes and she was right. If I have any knowledge to pass on to you ( and by you, I mean that to the two of you who read this, of course), it is to just keep going. Look at what makes you smile and see if it is something that can help you move forward. When you are motivated to make your family's life better and something starts organically- go with it. Surround yourself with people who add to your life, not take from it. Be thankful for the little moments and hold on to them when they are gone. Wake up each day and let go of what got you down the day before. Hug and kiss your kids any chance you get. And eat sweets. Lots and lots of sweets. They have super healing powers and this I know to be true.

Happy Easter!

Lou's birthday treats, because cake alone is not enough!

2010-03-25T14:40:00.002-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that my oldest just turned 13. She wanted a day of shopping and hanging out with her friends. The festivities culminated with a little dessert birthday table and movie back at our house. Because cake alone is just not enough!

Really the only parameters I was to stick with (birthday girl rules on her day, you know) was keep it mostly pink. Easy enough.

So, on hand we had some chocolate sugar cookies with fondant decorations.

We also had various cupcake bites and some pops as shown at the top of the post. They were either red velvet, vanilla or chocolate fudge. If I had to pick my favorite, it would have to be...well, I think it would be, probably... Hmm, I guess I couldn't choose. You'll have to try them all and make a call for yourself:)

Lastly, Lou brought out the cake. Yes, it was almost as big as her. I love the look in her eye on this picture. Like she can't wait to share it with her friends. Or she is about to enter into a sugar coma. One of the two.

I can't believe she is a teenager. I know things will change but for now she is still like that little girl, I hold so close to my heart. For her birthday she wanted family and friends around her. She never makes too many demands and is always very accommodating. She wanted to watch a G-rated Disney movie that day. She could've cared less about what was for dinner, but was all about desserts. Like my dad always says, "the years can go by but the core of who you are never changes". I love my Lou and her sweet, sprinkled little chocolately core!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

Birthday cake-arama!

2010-03-12T19:26:00.001-06:00

I have made many birthday cakes. Many different themes for various ages with a multitude of flavors. This sushi cake was one of my favorites.

I was inspired to post a bunch of birthday cake pictures, because we just celebrated one of my daughter's birthday. I give you...birthday cake-arama!!

My oldest is now a teenager (tears falling and fear ensues). I can't believe she is not that pudgy, sweet, smiley little girl anymore. She is really growing up and doing it with grace and beauty. Ok, don't judge what I said by this picture:) This was for a dance performance at a fashion show in Minneapolis. An award winning dance with outrageous hair and make-up.

Peanut butter cup arama was the request for this year. (Thanks Bakerella!)

This is a friend of the family, Grandpa Gyle. He is a fisherman who also loves a pretty girl. So, for his 78th birthday, we combined the two. Presenting... Miss Walleye. Funny, he ate the bikini first!

Even yoga instructors must eat cake. This is my favorite yogi/torturer. Wayne was so thrilled with this lime chiffon cake. He said it was by far the most beautiful cake he had ever received. He has brought the beauty of yoga into my life, so I think it is a good trade. Although, I was hoping it would garner me a little leeway for when he comes around to raise up that leg in the bird of paradise. Not so much. Yowchhh.

This one was for a client's 40th. She likes to golf. Must not have kids, is all I could think of.

A sweet 16 cake for a girlie girl.

My favorite C.W.'s daughter's cake. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and red velvet cupcake pops on top. Seriously, can anyone get enough of the RV? Not me.

This one was for my daughter's BFF. My Lou, designed it and I made it. It was very fun to work on this with her and her friend loved it. A 13y/o girl can be tough to buy for. Cake always works.

Way better than another Aero shirt, right?

A special dancer we know, was turning 11 and her mom hadn't got a chance to get her a phone yet, but one was coming. We thought this would hold her off a bit. Thank goodness my Livi was on hand to help me with the specs on this one. She regularly searches for a phone of her own. Poor delusional child.

Not happening.

Our neighbor wanted a little something to do with golf for her son's 11th birthday. Golf theme, check. Little, not so much.

Rock climbing party. Gotta have a rock climbing cake, with a likeness of the birthday boy.

An avid Twins fan.

This birthday girl was lucky to have a grandpa who wanted to surprise her with a sweet Hello Kitty cake. Apparently, it was the hit of the party.

(I must again apologize for my poor photography skills. I am learning and Wendy B is helping me. One tip to share with you- turn off the flash. Didn't do that on this one. Sorry if the glare is blinding you.)

This was for a darling little green eyed boy. His mom gave me the invite, which inspired this one. The picture doesn't do it justice. I don't often applaud myself, but this one was Super cute.

Pun intended :)

This one was for a 2 year old who loves Sesame Street. Is there any 2 year old who doesn't? Or anyone any age that doesn't? The cupcake bites were the perfect companion to the cake. The mom said the cake was for the child to dig into and destroy. She knew the other party goers wouldn't want to eat the remnants, so we made the cupcake bites for the adults, err the other kids, yeah, it's all about the kids.

This is my little bubby. He just wanted to decorate his own cupcakes for his birthday this year. He said he would like us all to decorate the cupcakes as a family after his birthday dinner. Instead of me being too busy in the kitchen and staying up all night working on a crazy custom cake. He said spending time with me was really what he wanted that day.

The guilt, oh, the guilt.

Actually, he gave me a gift that day. I had 4 helpers making the cupcakes (that would be 4 more than usual) and then I just sat and watched them have so much fun decorating them.

It was almost like a night off, almost.

Happy birthday to all of you out there that have just had a birthday or have one coming up. Hmm, well, I guess that means "Happy birthday to all and to all a good night!"

Christmas was a blur...

2010-02-22T18:58:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed my previous post- hence the title for this post. Before all the sadness ensued, we did make lots of sweets for the holidays. I had so many orders between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I dreamed of sleep and well, a nice relaxing evening with a glass of wine in hand! To kick off the holidays we did a Holiday Open House at Angelina's Kitchen. Here are some of the pictures of the holiday treats we had available to our customers.

Cupcake bites, red velvet- of course.

We cleared out the kitchen and turned it into a holiday boutique. Everything looked so fun and festive! Angela and her staff made some of her delicious food for everyone to sample. I am pretty sure my family ate most if it! Spinach lasagna, Tuscan chicken medley, spicy meatballs. Don't get me started!

I set up various tables with displays and tastings.

This one had the Romen Chocolate Cake, Lime Chiffon with cranberries, Carrot cake and decorated sugar cookies.

Close up of those cute little cookies! Please, don't ask how long each one took me. My husband already thinks I am crazy.

We were lucky enough to have my oldest daughter and Angela's youngest, as helpers for the event. They loved to be in the "shopping area". It was filled with handmade clothes, belts, Stella Dot jewelry, Southern Living dishes, etc. Oh sure, they helped- eating the samples and trying on jewelry!

The breads are always a hit and available most weeks at Angelina's Kitchen. People love them all

wrapped up in pretty ribbons. As for me, cut up on my plate is how I like to eat see them. At home I make them for my kids. I will cut the loaves in thick slices, wrap them in plastic wrap then put them in the freezer. When I am sending them off to school, I take a slice out and pack it in their lunch. By the time they eat, the slice is all thawed out and fresh. A little taste of home while they are away from me. I have been known to send many extra slices or cookies for their friends. I get many requests :)

Just a little lunch tip. Never run out of things to say, do I?

We also did many catered orders, for office parties, and holiday get togethers. The lemon bread and chocolate brownie torte tray is always a winner.

So, there it was, and now it is February. Hmm. Guess you would like to see what I did for Valentine's. Next up. I promise . I also promise to get better at posting (for the two of you who happen by this blog). I may have some exciting news soon. I will give you a hint...nahh. Not yet :)

I will tell you that I can see a better year ahead for us. Last year really hit us hard in many ways. We are so thankful for our loving family and good friends who stuck by us and held us up when we needed it. Hugs and sweet kisses to all of you, you know who you are!

A Dear Man

2010-01-16T10:48:00.004-06:00

It has been a while since I posted and I will get you caught up with my sweets soon. First, I need to post about my father-in-law, Jim. He passed away from tongue cancer on Dec. 27, 2009. So this is really about sweetness and sadness.

Jim and Buffy (hubbie's parents) renewed their vows at the beginning of November. The picture above is at that ceremony with all the clan. It was a joyful day and bittersweet. We had found out in late September, that the treatment and surgery didn't get rid of the cancer and Jim only had about 6 months left. I wish we would have had six months.

I was honored to make a full dessert table for their celebration. We had a Romen chocolate cake, lime chiffon, carrot cake, decorated sugar cookies and red velvet cupcake bites.

Beautiful color scheme, huh?

Jim went through more than anyone should. He never complained and showed such grace and strength. Here are three of my favorite guys just a few months ago. One more handsome than the next. They all shared quite an amazing bond.
The picture below was just before Christmas. Grandpa Jim had a very special place in his heart for little girls. These two meant the world to him. He loved to watch them dance at their competitions. One of the only times I ever saw him cry was when he saw them perform on stage.
This one warms my heart as much as it breaks it. My little guy adored his Grandpa and taught him so much about love. Jim could be in pain, exhausted, sad, upset and when Cam walked in the room, he lightened right up. This is how Cam spent most of our visits with Jim.
We were there with Jim when he took his last breath. I can't explain properly how amazing it was. It was such a privilege and gift to be with him at that moment.

Buffy asked me if I would say the words of farewell at his funeral mass. As much as I wanted to, I just thought it would be too hard. One night I sat and just wrote my heart out, called Buffy when I was done and told her I would do it. Somehow, someway, I made it through the words at the mass. This is the last paragraph of my words of farewell~

"Jim was the dearest man. As the angels carried him up to paradise after his last gentle breath, we all looked around at each other and smiled. We felt so blessed to have loved and been loved by this wonderful man before us. It is our duty to keep his memory alive and we will do it with pride. He will remain in our hearts forever. A dear man."

Love you Jimmer

Gobble gobble and all that! How did I miss posting this holiday?

2009-12-10T16:11:00.002-06:00

This turkey day, as far as sweets go, was a busy one and one mixed in with birthdays.

One of our family friends has a son, who is allergic to dairy. Poor guy! Yes, that means no ice cream. I know! Not fair, what is life without a little scoop now and then. Anyway, I set out to make him a cake that looked like sushi, tasted decent, didn't have any dairy, but was pleasing to everyone else.

Here he is with his little cousin. I adore the look on his cousin's face! It looks like the little guy is in a trance and all he can hear in his head is "eat cake, eat cake, eat cake". (Been there!)

Next up, buttercream dream cake. It is certainly not going to win any prizes for photography or overly exciting cake, but it was sure to be tasty and bring a little something different than pie to the holiday dessert table.
This one was for a Thanksgiving day birthday. The customer wanted me to play with the turkey theme. And play I did! What's he looking at?
I meant to make a small cake for just a family of four, but then I thought about turkeys. Does small come to mind? I also think they carry a bit of attitude. They certainly aren't the best looking animal, so he needed to be "charactered up" (I know, not a word) a little.

He started off a little bare. But then came the feathers...
I think he looks much better like this. The feathers were all made from fondant. I think they gave the cake great texture and color. I will be making more of these next year. Get your orders in now! I had so many people love this and think it would be a great, edible centerpiece for their Thanksgiving table. Turkey for dinner, turkey for dessert. Works for me :)
We shared a lovely holiday with many family and friends. One of my dear friend's father passed away just before Thanksgiving. A great reminder of how precious life is and all that we have to be thankful for. My heart is with her and her family.

I hope he is enjoying his pasta and JB up there with the big guy and his parents. Here's to you Johnny Stripes. You will not soon be forgotten.

Not as Creepy as they are Cute!

2009-11-11T20:40:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you, but I love the "sweets" part of Halloween much more the the creepy, scary, gory part. So try as I might to make scary Halloween treats, I still think they just end up looking adorable rather than icky. I made these for a customer's annual Halloween party. She gave me free rein, which I was super excited about. But she knew it should be cupcake bites, she is one smart woman!

My little guy was such a big help when I was making these. He had great ideas and helped me push the styling a bit further than I may have. The eyeball ones where all him. I cut bigger white circles and smaller blue circles out of fondant for the eyeballs. I then used a food marker to make the red blood shot look. The spiders were m&m's with candy melt legs attached. The spiderwebs were just some Halloween quinns topped off by string of melted chocolate. The pumpkins came together when I tried using a chocolate covered sunflower seed for the stem. Perfect!

They were everywhere! I will take that kind of scary table setting anytime. Turns out my customer said that they were a bit hit and everyone enjoyed them. Kids and adults!

Here are a few more not so scary, but oh so cute parts of my Halloween.

My girls made their costumes all by themselves. We bought the wings at Joann's. Thanks to a sale and a coupon, we got both for only $6. They then spent another $6 on the black t-shirts, which they cut and tied and decorated with paints and jewels, as they did their masks. A few old dance costume skirts, and they were set. Camden used his Harry Potter cape and a lovely black ensemble with a mask and a light up sword from Nani. The swash buckling Zorro in him came out quite effortlessly!

Hope you all enjoyed Halloween and don't forget to save that extra candy (ha ha , I know what extra candy?). If you do have any extra, use it to make a gingerbread house this holiday season.

We had a great time trick or treating in Deforest with Uncle Jim, Aunt Kris and referee Mikey.

No boo hoo's to be heard!

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month, think pink!

2009-10-18T20:56:00.007-05:00

Aren't they cute?! I made these for a breast cancer event. Pink, white and dark chocolate cupcake pops were everywhere!

Turns out one of my high school classmates and I reconnected on facebook. No big story there, right? Well, I had just posted some of my sweets pictures and this friend told me his twin sister lived in my area and she would love to reconnect. So, within a day, I had reconnected with two friends, realized one lived by me, found out that she had an event coming up and wanted me to do something sweet for her. She was having it at a restaurant and they did not allow you to bring in dessert. I decided it would be clever to make centerpieces that were edible and looked good. Then her guests could take them home as well if they didn't gobble them up at their tables and the restaurant wouldn't be offended.

I made a variety of red velvet, white and pink cupcake pops covered in colored white chocolate or dark chocolate. Then I added some details, including some BC symbols I made out of some of the melted pink chocolate. I found some vases at Joann's and I cut out a styrofoam cube and placed it in the vase. I filled a couple with white and pink sugar. For the others I scrunched up hot pink tulle and wrapped bows around each one. Then it was just a matter of putting the pops in and there you have it- centerpieces ;)

I also donated pink ribbon (touch o'lemon) sugar cookies. They gave each guest a bag filled with information on their charity and these went right in there. I was very happy to help out with something so special and yet saddened that another friend had been affected by breast cancer.

Three very special women in my life have had breast cancer and I am so happy that each of them had the courage and strength to fight it. My beloved Auntie Kris, my husband's second mom, Tante (Aunt Pat) and my dear mother, Gerry.

My mom is a director for the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition and has lobbied in Washington D.C. for the cause. Check out their site www.standupandspeakout.org. Last weekend, she helped to organize the WBCC's annual charity event. It is called the Rare Chair Affair. They have people going through treatment or survivors work with artist to create unique, wonderful chairs and then they are auctioned off , along with a host of many other wonderful things, at the event. I was lucky enough to be there and help out along with my three sisters and my mom and dad. It is tough to hear some of the stories, but mostly inspirational. I couldn't help but think that maybe someday, the efforts of some of those wonderful people could help save me, one of my sisters or one of my daughters.

My mom is going on 10 years of survival. It has made her a better, stronger woman. I am very proud of how she handled her battle and continues to support the cause every chance she gets.

Here she is with my middle one who was just a baby when she was diagnosed.

Cupcake pops and sugar cookies are the least I can do for some of the sweet things in my life. What else can we all do?

From first birthdays to graduation, cakes always enhance the celebration!

2009-10-03T17:15:00.006-05:00

I really can't think of an event (or day if the week for that matter!) where a cake or sweet treat doesn't make it that much more special. These cupcakes were for little Lucy's first birthday. The fondant touches made them seem that much more petite and special for the birthday girl.

I think cupcakes are so perfect for a first birthday. That way the birthday baby can dig into their own little cake and the adults can chow down on the rest, without worrying about drool and goober in their dessert! Priorities, right?

Next up is a cake I made for a bowling party to celebrate another little cutie. Madison is a fun girl who I had the pleasure of watching perform a musical number in the kids school talent show. Let me just say that everyone should go to watch a first grade talent show tryout. It was 2 hours of sheer bliss. I laughed and smiled so much it hurt! Anyway, it was time for her birthday and her mom mentioned that they were having a bowling party and she liked pink. The pins and bowling ball were made out of rice krispie treats that I molded and covered with frosting, then fondant. I have watched my share of cake challenges and they always use rice krispie treats for parts of their structures, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Turned out great because then the decorations weren't too heavy for the cake and they just sat right on top. It was also an added treat for the party goers! (That's a word, right?)

This one was for a graduation party. The mother contacted me and said that she thought a sheet cake with some flowers would do fine. Hmm, fine? That didn't sound like a cake I would love to make. So, I emailed back and forth with her about what her child was like, interest, colors or anything to help make it better than , fine. I first found out it was a male, okay no flowers. Next she mentioned that he had a passion for cars, especially his black mustang. Once again, the ding ding went off in my head. I encouraged her to let me put in some elements of a car into the cake. Well, I think I got her to put her thinking cap on too. She came back asking if we could really do it up and maybe make the car on top of the cake, and then she forwarded me pictures of his car. Now we had something! I chose to make it look like the car was coming out of the cake. Thank goodness my husband was around to point out the specific details of the car and remind me to add the exhaust system to the bottom of the car (seriously!). Okay, so this one took some extra work and patience. One final touch, the license plate.

Crusin' through life with cakes around every corner...

Now, that is fine!

A family of birthday cakes

2009-09-20T11:40:00.002-05:00

If you read my blog (or know me), you are well aware of how essential I feel cake, cookies and cupcakes are to daily life. After all, my Lucky C's Sweets motto is "Eat responsibly. Save room for dessert!" So when my dear friend, Elizabeth chose me to make all of the birthday cakes for their family this year, well- I was in heaven!

Bell, her oldest, wanted something "different" using orange, lime green and turquoise. I wanted to include a few personal details too. Here's that one.

Yes, those are cupcake pops, which where the colors all the way through. Also, when she cut into the cake, it was three layers with, yes, you guessed it, orange, lime green and turquoise layers. Wish I had a picture of that, next time.
Another time, they had a family party combining a few cousin's birthdays. This one was for that one. Similar color scheme. The cake was chocolate with vanilla buttercream and birthday butter cake with chocolate ganache filling. A real crowd pleaser!

One of my trusty helpers has a fondness for fondant. Whether it is creating designs, making colors, tasting samples or in this case, making puppies.
Here's the one I made. This lovely family had just adding to their brood with a little black lab, named Sadie. She looks like she needs a home, huh? Cheer up little pup- here comes the perfect spot for ya...
Alexandra's birthday cake! She wanted something pink with buttercream frosting. Waalaa! The puppy looks at home doesn't she?
This one was probably my favorite. It took me many hours, but I think it turned out the way I hoped it would. Isaac was having his party at Vertical Endeavors. He is also a major Twins fan. I also had made cut out letters of his name and put them on sticks to add to the top of the cake, but didn't put them in until delivery.
Thank you Esch family for taking my decorating (and fun) to a new height! When's the next party?

Boats and Bucky Badger Fans

2009-09-04T20:56:00.004-05:00

I almost forgot to post this cake. I certainly didn't think I would ever forget the hours it took to complete. Oh, sugar on the brain makes you lose track of many things.

Well, the customer's were having a 50th birthday party for Chuck. A true Badger fan and UW Madison alumni. So, we hit it off right away. They wanted a cake to celebrate Chuck's fun spirit and make a nice centerpiece for their event.

I have learned that there are usually two main types of customers. One group is where they know exactly what they want and even provide pictures for me to copy. (Oh, that can be tough, cuz remember- it's cake. But I do love a challenge!) The other group of people, don't really know what they want or don't know what to even ask for. When the second group comes along, I always pry a bit to find out about the recipient or the event. I love to do this, because it really helps give me an angle and that's when I seem to get my creative juices flowing. These guys were group two.

After chatting with Chuck's wife, I found out that he loves to entertain and hang out on their boat. She told me the type of boat it was, and I must say, I am no boater- so, off to the internet to look up pictures. Well, just like cars, boat styles change by the year. Who knew?

Okay, "long story short" time. I found a picture, tried to carve out a cake that would slightly resemble it. Frosted it, covered it in fondant and gave it a few special touches.

I added the name of their boat and a little drink and snack platter. I then put the boat on a half sheet cake covered with white chocolate cream cheese "water" and they were set. Well, not quite. They were concerned a bit about not having enough dessert. (Did I mention how much I liked these people?) So we decided to do some red velvet cupcake bites too. I made them in the same colors as the cake so they could display the cake and surround it with the bites.

It all turned out so great and when they picked up everything, Chuck was thrilled. The first thing he said was, " Oh my gosh, that is our boat, I mean exactly our boat, I love it!"

Then, I was thrilled:)

Sharing cookies with my friend Jenny, from LaCrosse to Singapore

2009-08-19T20:29:00.004-05:00

My dear, sweet college friend, Jen and I recently got back in touch with each other via facebook. Now, I guess facebook is okay. I really don't get on to it very often and I don't really understand certain aspects of it, but it has been a great way to reconnect and keep in touch with friends who no longer live near you.

Jen and I met at UW-LaCrosse a few (well quite a few) years ago. We had some fun! We actually were very innocent and goofy, seriously nothing too bad. Since then we have both moved around and had families. She is now living in Singapore with her lovely hubbie and her adorable daughter.

Turns out she was going to be traveling back to the states for her sister-in-law's 40th birthday party. She asked me to make some sugar cookies and send them to the party. I was so honored and thrilled and well, just very touched. So, I decided that anyone turning 40 should feel like a queen, so I made crown cookies.

One version had her initial on it.

And the other one had, well the big 4-0!

They shipped great, with a few minor cracks in a couple, which Jen and her daughter seemed to enjoy taking care of.

I miss seeing my dear friend, but hey, if we can share some cookies after all these years and through all these miles...friendship doesn't get much sweeter than that! Love to you Jen!

Is summer really coming to an end?

2009-08-18T11:37:00.002-05:00

Wasn't it just the 4th of July? I feel like a broken record, but don't the weeks fly by?! I look at my kids and wish I could put a pause button on them. One thing I should put a pause on, is my need to taste all my goodies! But hey, you gotta know what is going out to your customers, right? That's what I thought!

So, for the 4th, I decided to make some sugar cookies and cupcake pops. I sold them at Energy Pilates and Fitness, and Angelina's Kitchen the week of the 4th. The only problem, I should have made more! Well, that and the fact that my kids didn't get to indulge in any patriotic sweets this year. (They get goodies every day, so don't feel bad for them.)

I love finding more ways to do the cupcake pops! They are always such a hit and they stay good for a while. Although, I think they get eaten so quickly the little sticks wonder where their cupcake friends went.

I used some fondant decorations, tied a cute ribbon around the bag, and then placed them in a basket filled with styrofoam. Add a few flags and there you go!

I did keep a few of these at home and placed them in a clear vase filed with red, white and blue M&Ms. Super cute, but forgot to get a shot of that one. I promise to work on my photography skills and settings. I am sure it is making you all crazy mad. Okay, maybe it is just me.

Enjoy these last sweet days of summer!

These are a few of my Favorite Sweet Things! Part II

2009-08-07T12:44:00.003-05:00

I'm back and ready to rock this blog! For those of you who don't know me I am B-lou, official "These are a few of my Favorite Sweet Things" blog poster. So I'm going to pick up where I ended last time, got it? Good. Okay now I shall begin.

SWEET TREAT # 6:

Ahh, the world famous chocolate chip cookie. It's a classic, perfection, nothing else to be said. Except for the fact that my mom's are the best in the world! They're kind of hard to resist, but then again so is every other sweet thing!

Now,

SWEET TREAT # 7:

Lemon bread, it's a best-seller! I'm not joking, neighbors come over knocking on our door asking for it!

Next is,

SWEET TREAT # 8:

B-lou's 11th birthday cake. So, funny story. My birthday is always during lent and every year we give up something for 40 days and 40 nights. What I chose to give up that year was ice cream. (Because I mean, it's kind of hard to give up chocolate, right?) So for my birthday my mom came up with the idea to make a cake in the shape of an ice cream cone. Boy was it good, but then again when has my mom ever made something bad?

Okay this is,

SWEET TREAT # 9:

Livi's 1st communion cake. Doesn't it look so perfe-never mind there's a face in the way. JK! Everyone loved it! Including me! Look at my brother in the background. Funny huh? Wonder if he was in trouble or something.

Last,

SWEET TREAT # 10:

Cam's 6th birthday cake. Simple yet yummy, when my mom asked Cam what he wanted on his birthday cake he said "I just want circles" So that's what he got!

Well I'm done with "These are a few of my Favorite Sweet things". No there will not be a part III. Sorry folks but blogging is hard work and I have many other things to do, like tasting sweets ;D So, farewell.

See Ya,

B-Lou

These are a Few of my Favorite Sweet Things! Part I

2009-08-07T11:41:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone this is B-lou posting today! You know that song from the movie the Sound of Music, These are a few of my favorite things? It's a favorite around our house but that song is nothing compared to one of our true favorite things...SWEETS! Okay, here we go. I'm going to start, ready, I'm about to start right now, okay, I'm going to start.

SWEET TREAT # 1:

The red velvet cupcake bite. A favorite to all who taste it, irresistible, petite yet full of flavor... Okay stop daydreaming! This could be a problem. Sorry I get sidetracked when thinking about sweets!

Okay on to number 2.

SWEET TREAT # 2:

The bacon cheeseburger cupcake. Okay ready for a flashback here we go... so it was my dad's 40th birthday. Now he isn't a huge sweets guy so my mom had a challenge; what should she make him? His dinner theme was bacon cheeseburgers-hey that just might work-why not stick to the theme and do bacon cheeseburger cupcakes! So we went to work! They turned out pretty cute ehh?

Next,

SWEET TREAT # 3:

The Chickie Pop. How precious are these! I went to school a couple days after my mom made these and when we went into the computer labs. I went onto this blog (why wouldn't I?) and my mom had already posted about them. When I scrolled to the picture my friend almost fell over! She thought they were the cutest things on the planet (except me of course, just kidding). Don't you agree?

Okay now time for,

SWEET TREAT # 4:

The gingerbread house or disaster as you might call it, but hey that's what happens when you let 3 kids decorate the gingerbread house!

And last but not least,

SWEET TREAT # 5:

The gorgeous dress cookies. For Valentine's day, cookies can pretty much look like anything, as long as they're cute! So my mom took out her fashionista cookie cutter set, grabbed the dress, and worked her magic! Ta-Da!

I'll be coming to you soon with part 2! Meanwhile sit back, relax, and eat some sweets!

See ya,

B-lou

A decade of Livi- oh my!

2009-08-07T09:54:00.002-05:00

Hola people of the universe! I am back in control of the blog! 3 times already, WOW! Anywho, it is now time for me to talk about a cake that I actually got to eat! Well that's a pic of the top of the cake. A decade of me- good times good times :). Then again I don't know how my family has dealt with me for 1,2,3, 10 years! OK back to the cake, it was in some of my favorite colors, blue and green. As you can see there were many different designs. My favorite one was a crisscross design you'll see in the next picture.

The cake was covered in fondant, yum. Bottom tier was heaven (red velvet) and the top tier was also heaven (white cake ). The little rolly balls are fondant. Designs on the cake? Yup, fondant too. Boy do I like fondant! Even though the cake was decorated all in fondant, I felt it was missing something. All of my nicknames of course!!!!!!

I mean sure there was my given name in fondant but I needed every single one of my nicknames. Yeah all 25 of them! OK hyperbole! There's actually only about 9. So then mom had to paint on all 9 of 'em. It looked awesome!

In this picture it only shows three of them which are homy girl, liver, and The Great LIVINI!

When we ate it I got the piece that said The Great LIVINI! It tasted awesome and looked tubular! The perfect cake for me!

Well I was very happy with the cake as you can see. I mean why else would I be smiling? There's 3 other names Olivia, Dudakiss, and Mullet Girl! You see to make a long story short we have a mullet wig I wear it a lot and a nickname pops up. Simple. Well that's pretty much it and as I said before... perfect cake for me because its tubular and awesome. Please comment! I like hearing what you have to say! Feel free to mention how superb I am or how much you like my posting or really anything about me, yeah me :D

Livi is out! PEACE!

A "real" red carpet event, well, if your 9!

2009-08-03T10:46:00.002-05:00

The wonderful owner of Angelina's Kitchen, Angela, asked me to do a cake for her youngest daughter's 9th birthday party. She knew I was busy and told me she just really needed a cake to serve, it didn't need to be decorated and "don't go crazy" she said. I prodded a bit to find out what kind of party it would be. A red carpet party, complete with a red carpet entrance filled with interviews, paparazzi and such. Chocolate cake was Sophie's only request. So as I set out to do a delicious, nothing special cake, I found myself coming up with ideas that would just take a bit extra effort and hopefully look super fun. Her name in a star, just like the Hollywood walk of fame and a fondant red carpet. Still it needed something else. I got it! Red velvet ropes around the edge.
Angela told me the kids loved the way the cake looked, but by the looks of this picture, I have to think the taste (especially eaten off their fingers) was the best part of it all.
I think I actually like this picture better than the finished cake shot. Don't you love the touch of glam in their clothes and then the hands everywhere! I am so happy Sophie thoroughly enjoyed her cake. I am thinking that may be how I should eat my cake this birthday. 41 years of eating cake with a fork, maybe it is a time for a change?!

Catch up - Part 2, I got my eye on you

2009-08-03T10:11:00.002-05:00

This little, well actually rather big, Teddy Bear cake was for a Teddy Bear picnic birthday party. One of my dear friends bought a gift certificate from me and donated it with a birthday party basket at her children's school auction. It was supposed to be a farm theme cake, but when the woman who received the gift card called, she asked for a teddy bear cake. I told her I would be happy to do it. Just a different kind of animal. She seemed a bit skeptical on the phone. However, she seemed very pleasantly surprised when this guy greeted her at my door. She took lots of my business cards and told me she would like to help get the word out on my business. Love when that happens.
These were some cookies that a friend ordered for her daughter's dance group. The costume for the dance was little raincoats that looked just like these cookies. Don't mind the valentine tablecloth I had on under the cookies. I like to use up old tablecloths when I am decorating. You now, living the green life over here. I will try to remove them next time before I take a picture.
This little baseball cookie was for an end of the season baseball party. Go Woodbury!
Okay, short and sweet, right? On to the next post. A real red carpet event.

Let's play catch up!

2009-07-22T22:53:00.002-05:00

Okay, for the two of you that actually read my blog, I am so sorry I haven't updated things as often as I would like. I have so many things to share and not so much time to share them. So, I am going to play catch up. Granted, it may not completely catch us up, but it will get us closer.

I know you are all waiting desperately, hanging on my every word and picture! Okay, I am delusional. But as a creator and main postmaster of this blog, I have to trick myself into thinking you are all out there like an audience waiting for my next performance. Otherwise, one begins to realize that you are just typing to no one (and talking to yourself while you do it), when you could really just go to bed and get some much needed sleep.

Ready, set,...

First up is a cake I made for my dentist to celebrate his 5 yr anniversary with his practice. His lovely wife asked me to make it and surprise him with it at the office. The staff loved it and so did Dr. Mike. Thanks for cleaning up my mouth Dr. Mike! p.s.- my hubbie could use a little help :)

Next is a simple, feminine version of my red velvet cake. Steve, the hubbie of my friend and pilates instructor, Debra, ordered it for Debra for Mother's Day. What a great idea huh? Hint Hint! Actually it backfired a bit. After Debra confessed that she consumed the majority of the cake, she proceeded to make the next week of classes a living "h, e, double hockey sticks"! It was so bad, I actually had people in the class begging me to stop giving her my sweets. Oh Debra, you are my favorite C. W. ;)

Here we have a really bad picture of a sweet cake for one of my favorite family's grandbabies baptism. Got that?! Love you Mike and Teri!

Here is another not so great picture of some graduation cookies I did for my kids media teacher's daughter. Are you getting this? Remember, I am sleep deprived, bare with me.

Last but not least, (I know you are begging for this to end), here is a cupcake that I made as part of an order for a baby shower. I really liked the way these looked so simple and perfect for a traditional baby shower.

I think I will do one more catch up post and then really let you have it with some fun creations. It has been one busy summer. But I can't say it hasn't been sweet!

Cupcake class with B's friends

2009-07-22T21:44:00.007-05:00

Well, here's the motley crew!

Hardly! They are a very sweet group of girls who just "graduated" from elementary school and are heading off to junior high next year. My oldest, B, wanted to have her friends over for a Lucky C's Sweets class. After bringing in many treats to school as well as sending some extras in my daughter's lunch bag, her friends wanted to learn how to make some "fun" cupcakes. We invited the girls over, via text message you know, cuz why call anyone any more, right? Oh my, I am getting old. Anyway, once they got here, we pulled up our sleeves, put the aprons on, made a bucket load of cupcakes, and set out all sorts of candy, decorations and frosting. Away they went.

I was so impressed by how creative they were. We had a couple of books out so they could look for examples, but I think once they had an idea, they just found a way to do it. I showed them how to use decorating bags and tips, which they loved! The were a bit heavy handed on the frosting, but that's really as it should be. Don't you agree? Take a look at some (seriously, only some! we made dozens o' cupcakes that day.)

Don't know if it was satisfaction at a job well done or the sugar high they were on, but you couldn't wipe the grins off their faces. Who would want to anyway!

My little guy participated also. He has always been a big helper when I am baking, so he was right in there with the girls. After he got done with his first one, all the girls went crazy for it! He made a caterpillar on a sunflower. Not bad huh?

Is it bad that while I was enjoying their creativity and personalities, I was also watching their technique and thinking about who could work for me someday? Hey! I can barely get everything done now, I gotta look for a little help at some point!

All in all it was a great way to spend a Minnesota summer day (you know, cloudy and 59 degrees!). Our next baking day is going to be decorating cut out sugar cookies. I can't wait to see what they will do next!

It may be summer, but we are always thinkin' about Hockey up here, heh

2009-06-28T14:04:00.003-05:00

As my girls and I were sitting with friends at a dance competition, one of the moms mentioned all the things she had to get done before her son's birthday. She looked up at me (as if a light bulb went off) and asked if I could do a cake in two days. Of course, right?! We decided to go with a hockey theme, since her son plays. It was just for the family, so she told me I could keep it simple. Hmm, still working on that one. I called her that night and told her I could just do a generic looking cake (boring, not my style really) or maybe hockey sticks and a puck would be more fun. Here's what she decided.

They wanted to use buttercream instead of fondant. I think fondant would have been a cleaner look, but I still think it turned out cool. It all worked out. My friend had one less thing to do, her son was pleasantly surprised with a "fancy"cake and now my son knows what he wants for his birthday. Until he sees the next cake!

Thanks Cam for always making Mommy feel like Superstar!

Ayyy Yaahh!

2009-06-23T10:51:00.005-05:00

You know how busy we all are and how hard it is to take the time out to do something for someone else sometimes? Have you ever then done something and realized it was a gift to you, not just a favor for someone else?

Well, my family had the great privilege of watching some of our family friend's children (are you still with me?) test for their black belt's in Tae kwon do. My children also practice TKD. They all have gained so much confidence, strength and friendships throughout their practice. Two of their favorite people in the world are their first instructors, Mr. and Mrs. Moh. They moved to LA a couple of years ago and Mr. Moh is acting now. He appears in the CW kids show, Kamen Rider. Pretty cool, huh?

Anyway, their was a group of kids testing for their black belt and we all wanted to be there to watch, but time was so tight, we didn't know how to make it. Thank goodness we did, we enjoyed it so much. Most of the kids were under 13 yrs old. They had to break boards, do forms with so many moves and position- I lost count! They also had to spar and answer questions from the judges who were made up of some very high ranking black belts. They all handled themselves with such grace, it was truly inspiring. Ms.K and Mr, Niska run the school and they where both very emotional when they were able to hand out the black belts to this deserving group. Come to think of it, I don't think there was dry eye in the place, but many full hearts.

Back to cake! I made a cake for two for the families and cookies for another. One of the mom's joked with me and asked if the belt was removable in case they didn't get their black belt. She still had to feed a house full of people ya know!

Here is the one for Jackson. He had the most determined look on his face all day, there was no doubt that he would achieve his goal.

Here is the one for Heather. We all knew she had it in her and it was so great watching her discover it too!

I made the two different so each had their own personalized cake. The patches are made out of fondant, then I just let them dry out a bit and painted them. I thought they turned out pretty good and gave the uniform a more real look.

My girls will test for their recommended black belts this July (you have to test for your recommended black belt, them after a few months, if you are ready, you may test for your decided black belt). I think I am nervous for them already. But also so proud that they have made this one of their goals.

So, my advice, for what it's worth. Take time and do something for someone or with someone else, even though it may not be convenient and scheduled. I think you will find a gift in there for you just as we did that special "black" day!

1966 Corvette (Cake of course)

2009-06-18T15:45:00.004-05:00

Hey it's Livi! (again) I am now in complete power of the blog! Mehehehe- ach hairball,(jk). Well conditionally of course. Mom is just 2 busy 2 type today. That means I'm in control 4 today. Well anywho remember the people that bought that cute little well actually BIG horse cake? They came back for another cake in the shape of an old car. I think it was actually called a corveete? corvette? Something like that. Mom got this sweet pic of the top of the cake. It even said his name on it!

Okay here is the back of it. Pretty cool huh? The license plate says NC66 because the car is from 1966 and the NC are his initials. Look at the texture of the fondant! No just kidding I don't really need to go through all of that and make it so long you wouldn't want to read! But I have to say that is some good work. NEXT picture,

Well this is the finished product! Do you like it? Hope you do! The product looked awesome in person too. I wasn't there when they picked it up this time. But instead of galloping off into the sunset, it drove away....... Actually it was still in the back seat of the car. Vroom! Vroom!

Livi is out, PEACE!

It was a "Sweet" 16th birthday

2009-05-31T12:14:00.005-05:00

I have had the great privilege of getting to know many amazing families. One of those families calls on me whenever they have something special going on (love that!). This time it was their daughter's 16th birthday party. Kelsey is a super fun, outgoing, talented, adorable girl. She new she wanted a red velvet cake. Her mom said to maybe incorporate a car or something since it was her 16th bday. I had the idea of making a VW bug car cake, with flowers and fun colors. Cute, right? Then here mom emailed a few days later and said that the party was going to be a Luau and could I incorporate that into the cake's theme. "No problem!" I said. Problem, I thought. But it really gave me another opportunity to shake up what I was going to do and hopefully make it better. OH yeah, they wanted 4 dozen decorated sugar cookies to go with it all. (Are they not a baker's dream family?!!)

I knew Kelsey loved pink and other bright colors and I knew that the number of guests to the party had increased. Why couldn't I still do the car part of the cake and add a little luau feel to it. A grass skirt and some flowers for one layer, with a car cake on top! Ding, the lightbulb went off!

Well, after making the car a bit bigger than I thought, it became clear that it would be best supported on a square or rectangle cake. So, the grass skirt wasn't round, ahhh, I still think it worked. What do you think?

Since I love to personalize things, I added a black belt as Kelsey is a black belt (her family owns USA Karate) and the license plate.

And the cookies! How much of a sweets freak am I that I actually fell in love with the pineapple cookies. I think my family was sick of me talking about how darn cute they turned out. Hey! These things make me happy. I am a simple girl. Okay, don't ask my husband if that is really true.

My girls liked the flip flops best. The styles were inspired by their collection!

Gotta have a few palm trees at a Luau!

And hibiscus flowers everywhere!

Thank you, thank you to the lovely Lewis family for letting me share in another family event. I knew it was a hit when about two weeks after the party I ran into Kelsey at Angelina's Kitchen. When she saw me she started shrieking and gave me a huge hug. She then said " OMG you totally rock! Me and all of my friends thought the cake was the most awesome thing EVER!"

Sweetest compliment EVER!

We love Angelina's Kitchen! Even more now, wanna know why?

2009-05-25T20:58:00.003-05:00

I am a little tardy in sharing this with all of you, but I have been baking out of a take out restaurant right here in Woodbury. Angelina's Kitchen is owned and run by Angela V. and her hubbie. She offers the most wonderful meals that you can take home and eat or call ahead and they will have it all ready for you, you just need a couple of forks and wala! A delicious, healthy, all natural, incredibly reasonable priced meal for your lovely family! I have been a customer of theirs since they opened three years ago. Let me tell you, my kids eat her food and they don't even realize all the veggies and good stuff they are eating. Perfect, right?

I'll make a long story short. Angela had heard that I was baking and asked me to come in and chat about what I was doing. Well, I went in fully loaded. Red velvet cupcakes, chocolate brownie torte, oatmeal cookies, lemon bread- you get the idea. The next thing I know, Angela is placing an order and looking on her schedule to work me in to use her kitchen to do my baking! Seriously?! Could that be any more amazing?!

Turns out it has been a great addition to my business. The days I am working out of her kitchen are days I look so forward to. She has such a great, warm and helpful staff and her customers have been loving my sweets.

We share the same philosophy on making things homemade, from scratch with quality ingredients. I always say that she takes care of the savory side and I take care of the sweet side. So, if you are a local and you haven't tried out Angelina's Kitchen...turn of the computer and head over there right now! You will thank me for it later.

And pick up a piece of my carrot cake while your there, I just made it.

Angelina’s Kitchen

2170H Eagle Creek Lane

Woodbury, MN 55129
p: 651-998-0474 | f: 651-998-0481

angelinaskitchen.com

So much time, so little to do...scratch that!

2009-05-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

It has been too long since I posted and I have so much to share. First of all, I am so grateful for not just the business that has come my way, but the wonderful people I have met and have had the privilege to work with on this crazy journey. It is truly so rewarding to see the kindness and generosity in people. Sometimes I think we are all moving so fast with all of our commitments and responsibilities that we forget to relish in what makes us truly happy. It is so great to me when I see a new smile or hear an amazing compliment. I think it has made me realize how special something so small can be.

I know , I know- that's why my dad calls me "Sappy Sue" at times.

Okay onto a fun one. My Livi loves to help in the kitchen, she's not bad at blogging either! She decided to play around with some fondant scraps one day. I just thought it was very creative and so cute. She even took the picture, kinda artsy don't ya think? Now if she could just help me out everyday, I may get some sleep!

Baby shower treats

2009-05-11T09:30:00.002-05:00

One of my first, and very loyal, customers called to order some cookies for a baby shower. Ann had purchased some decorated Easter cookies previously. She admitted to me that she bought them for "the kids", with no real intention on eating any. But she decided to taste one. Her parents were in town and decided to taste them as well. Apparently, "the kids" never really got much after the adults tasted the cookies. Another thing I love! My sweets just aren't for kids or just for adults. Hopefully everyone will love to hoard them from each other!

Ann was giving a baby shower with her mom, out of town. She called to order, saying they would need about 2 dozen, but she would like 3- just to make sure they had enough for them to snack on while preparing for the shower. Oh, a woman after my own heart.

So these cute little teddy bears and baby bottles were packed up and sent off with her to the shower. She sent me the picture below from the shower with a big" Thank you!"

Funny, doesn't look like all 3 dozen made it to the plate. Good job Ann, keep those priorities in order :)

More cupcakes

2009-05-11T09:18:00.002-05:00

These cupcakes were for Will, who was turning 13. He had just made the LaCrosse team. His mom said he just wanted really tasty cupcakes, nothing fancy. Hmm, how to control myself!

I found some little helmet quins (the candy shapes on top) and picked out all the blue ones. Then I melted chocolate and tried (key word "tried") to make LaCrosse sticks. I threw in a W and 13.

This is how they came out. I think they were simple, but still had a little personality. The family said the thoroughly enjoyed the cupcakes, which is always my goal. I want people to love to look my sweets, but then love to eat them. Over and over- heehee.

2nd dance competition done, go Legacy!

2009-04-25T16:24:00.003-05:00

Hey this is Brenna! Mom's busy so I get to write the post! MwaaHaaaHaaa! (just kidding!) Since I'm writing I'm going to tell you all about these (delicious) cookies and why the picture above says "Hey U". First of all, the cookie above says "Hey U" because these cookies are for my dance studio and that's the name of my jazz dance. It says #1 because our jazz dance was the TOP SCORING DANCE of the WHOLE COMPETITION! Second, Angie from the studio ordered cookies for ALL of the dance lines as congrats for a job well done. There are 6 dance lines, Little Lites, Rising Stars, Dancing Stars (My younger sister Olivia's dance line), Starlights (My dance line), Starmakers, and Highlights.

These are some of the 105 cookies my mom made. Pretty sweet, huh?

On that note, I LOVE LEGACY! (Hope I get to write again soon!)

Adios!

Brenna Lou

2009-04-25T14:49:00.003-05:00

Hi this is Olivia. For right now I'm posting for mom. You see the good news is mom's business is great and she's really busy, but the bad news is she won't be able to post. So I'm filling in for today! GO LUCKY C'S SWEETS!!!!

So remember how mom mentioned neeh on the last post? ( If anyone's even reading it..... maybe everyone just likes the pics?!) Anywho, she said that 'cause she got an order from our friends saying they want a horse cake for the dad's mom's, birthday. He said she loves horses and rides a lot, but she has fallen off 4 times and gotten hurt. Her nickname is Spot because of all the freckles she has. So, that's what inspired her.

Here's how it started. Hoping to get a taste soon.

Weird lookin', huh? Then she covered it with fondant. Starting to look better. Boy, the kitchen smelled good at that point. Still didn't get that taster of fondant, rats!

No, it's not an armadillo, it is a horse. Don't worry he gets cuter. At this point, I still haven't got my taste :( This horse sure was looking at me funny. I don't know if he's shy or just knows how much I want to eat him!

Mom thought she should add a little something extra. So, she molded some fondant into these shapes: a little emergency/doctor bag, a set of horseshoes for good luck, a journal to write her riding adventures in, and a seat belt on the horse to hold Spot on.

Here's the finished product. I think he looks a little like Bullseye, from Toy Story, but he's still cute. Our friends came over to pick the cake up. They thought it was awesome! Mom gets to do another cake for them next week. I think I heard something about a corvette. Sounds like an old car to me. Wonder why they want a cake like that. Hmm.

Anywho, we waved as the horse rode off into the sunset. (Well, actually he was a box in the backseat of the car, but you know what I mean.)

Good news, bad news, again. Bad news, I had to help Mom clean up the kitchen. Good news, I was in charge of cleaning up the frosting. After I was through with it, there actually wasn't much to clean up!

ONS out. Peace!

It's been a while since I posted. Have been so busy. No, I am not complaining!

2009-04-17T22:24:00.004-05:00

I don't think I have sat down in about three weeks, but it has been very exciting. My sweets business is taking off and I couldn't be happier. Although, sleep does sound kinda nice. I have a few things to update and I will do so after this weekend. Until then here is a teaser...

Certainly couldn't celebrate Easter without Chickie cupcake pops! More to come soon.

Did someone say Neeh? You'll see what I mean when I post my next cake adventure. Happy weekend :)

B's 12 layer birthday cake, she was turning 12 after all!

2009-04-08T13:00:00.006-05:00

My oldest, dear, sweet daughter turned twelve in March. She has the second largest sweet tooth in the house, for sure. (Not disclosing who is #1, leaving that to your imagination :)

In preparation for her birthday, we spend many days talking about what type of cake she will have to celebrate her special day. This year her main request was something pink, but also with lots of chocolate. Well, the fact that my little girl was turning 12 was a bit tough for me. I know she's getting older, I can see it! I just don't have to accept it, do I? In order to keep it cute, but make it a bit more elegant for an "older" girl, I thought I would push the envelope on this one.

Twelve years old, how about a twelve layer cake! I had recently seen one posted on one of my favorite blogs, Bakerella. In an effort to bake the cake in a shorter period of time, I used twelve foil pans to bake the cakes. I could fit 3 in the oven at a time, x 2 ovens = 6 cakes x 2 = 12 cakes. Baked in less than 2 hours. Math again, I can't help it, I use to be a banker.

Here's how it all started~

Then with great patience and 3 kids googling at me, I layered each cake. OH MY! I forgot to mention that in between those lovely layers, that I colored pink- per B's request, was a chocolate ganache type icing. It was so close to heaven, that I think I heard an "AHHHH" (you know like the pearly gates opening), when I slathered it on each layer.

It dripped all over the place! When all layers where placed, I evened out the icing around the whole cake. Now this is where most "normal" people would stop.

Never been "normal", never will :)

So I made some dark chocolate cream cheese frosting and frosted the entire cake to a smooth finish. Next, I added just a touch more pink with candy hearts around the edge. Now, I didn't even want to tarnish it's beauty with a candle, but as my 7 year old pointed out, How's B gonna make a wish? So the final touch- a single candle.

Here is a look at the inside. Layers and all...

We barely put a dent into it! Maybe we had finally found a cake that my family couldn't devour in one sitting. We managed to share some slices with a selected few, who thought I was crazy- but seemed to love that fact after eating their slice.

B had dance practice on her birthday. Since the cake was for the family, we had to make another treat to share with her fellow Starlights. Sticking with our chocolate and pink theme, I made red velvet cupcake bites. (More on those lovely little morsels in another post.)

I won't be making that cake every day, that's for sure, but I would make anything and do anything for my dear girl. She has been a sweet treat from day one. She has an elegance and grace that many who are older than her, don't possess. She has such compassion and shows kindness every chance she gets. I love my B for so many reasons, sharing my affection for all things sweet, is surely one of them.

And I was afraid I taught her nothing.

Grace's Ballet Slipper Cake

2009-03-30T13:29:00.004-05:00

Ahhh, back to my pink, girlie groove! Stacey, a fellow pilates gal, ordered a cake for her daughter's 6th birthday. Her daughter takes ballet and tap dance class, so we wanted to incorporate that into her cake. Being that I have two dancers, the concept was something I am very familiar with.

Grace, the birthday girl, wanted a chocolate cake- for sure. I made a rich, dense chocolate cake and covered it with vanilla buttercream. I was not liking the fact that you could still see that darn (scrumptious) chocolate cake showing through the frosting. So, I decided to make some white fondant and cover a portion of the cake with it. I covered the cake and then cut out the ballet slippers section. I piped pink buttercream on the cake for the slippers. Then I colored some of the fondant in a darker pink for the inside of the slippers and a ribbon-like trim for the whole cake.

I used a technique that I saw on one of my favorite TV shows, Amazing Wedding Cakes. I rolled out a long strip of colored fondant and cut it lengthwise into about a 1/2 inch ribbon. Then you just role it up, like you would a real ribbon and unroll it along the side of the cake. Cool, huh? Okay, no one cares. I know, I am losing you.

I added green royal icing letters and little flowers around the base. Then, I used bubble gum tape for the ribbons on the slippers. It makes the cake smell so good, perfect for a 6 year old. It was so cute, my girls wanted to keep it here. Nothing new there.

Stacey's husband, Jason, and their darling little girls came to pick up the cake. You know how people always say it's a small world? As his kids were adoring our dog, we realized we have the same breed of dog, maltipoo. And, they bought their dog from the same breeder that we did. We realized they were cousins! Also, I thought Jason looked so familiar. Well, he is the owner of ISPIRI, a design and remodeling company based right here in Woodbury. I had just been to a friend's house who recently completed a design/remodel project. Her house looked so amazing! I wanted to stay there forever. Turns out it was Jason's company that did the work! I now have ISPIRI on my Christmas wish list! I think you may want to talk to SC about it for yours too!

Stacey and Jason could not be a nicer couple and I love the opportunity to turn people on to a great company. Check out my links for the ISPIRI website. So, not only did I have the great fortune to meet another wonderful family, my little pup found another family member, right in his own backyard. Life, it always surprises me!

Here is Grace's birthday cake. I don't think it could match the sweetness and cuteness of the birthday girl, but hopefully it came close on her special day.

Congrats to N & J! We hope you have love and cupcakes 4 ever!

2009-03-29T14:35:00.004-05:00

My beautiful sister, Auntie Nell and her love, Uncle J, celebrated with a wedding ceremony this past weekend on an island off Cancun, Isla Mujeres. With much sadness, my family could not be there to share in what appears to have been an unbelievable event. I must say, I have shed a few tears in my icing over the past few days. Then, Auntie Nell sent an email with an amazing photo of her and J on a pier with candles. It brought on chills, followed by more tears. You can view it by going to her photographers blog. Just go to www.onelovephoto.com . I also have a link right here on my blog. Just look at the column on the right under "SWEET LINKS". You must look at everything they do! My sister's picture is posted on their blog. The photography they do is so fantastic! I am so thankful that she could share some of their day with us, even though we were miles away.

One of Nell's favorite things in this world is cupcakes. So, in honor of my sister, Sadie, Sadie married lady and J, the Hoodie King, here is a look at some of my cupcakes.

A little valentine filled with love

Wishing for spring ensemble

Do I need to say a word about this little chunk of chocolate heaven?

This one was for my hubbie, Snevs, who is not much of a sweets fan. But he does love his bacon cheeseburgers, so...

The one at the beginning of this post is Nell's favorite. It is much like her in a way. Sophisticated, unique, elegant, gorgeous, sometimes unapproachable, filled with sweetness and a deep red heart center that when opened, gives you more than you expected. She has always been a gift in my life, since the day she was born.

Red velvet and Nell, two things I could never be without.

Sugar cookies, pretty tasty (hopefully pretty and tasty too!)

2009-03-29T11:29:00.007-05:00

Sugs (pronounced shougs) as my kids call them...

Oh, I love cookies! Mixing (dough testing), baking (sampling), decorating (making sure the icing is tasty) and best of all~ giving! I love the basics, like chocolate chip, PB and such- more on those later. However, a pretty, tasty sugar cookie ranks pretty close to the top of the cookie chain for me.

I have had some people say, "Oh they look too cute to eat." Huh? Seriously? I am flattered they think they are so darn cute, but they are cookies. Meant to be enjoyed and shared. My kids think I may be a bit too generous on the latter part. Every time I make cookies and sell them or give them away, they act like they may never see another one. Of course until they come home from school the next day and smell fresh ones baking just for them.

Like these ~

Or these for their dance competition ~

A skating party anyone?

Taekwondo Tournament (ayyahh!)

We have celebrated many occasions and just plain ole Sunday afternoons, with sugs and a glass of milk. I invite you to do so too! I know a pretty girl, who has a hilarious sister, who has a handsome little brother, who loves his daddy, who is married to a woman with a gigantic sweet tooth (keeping Dr. P in business), who would love to make them for you.

Max's Fossil Cake

2009-03-23T16:59:00.000-05:00

I am very used to making cute cakes. I tend to think pink and purple should be on everyone's favorite's list. So, when I was asked to do a cake for a boy turing 12, who loved animals, the outdoors and such, pink and purple seemed a bit off. I have the great fortune to know (and love) this family, so I decided to think outside my pretty little pink and purple box.

Max's family had just returned from a trip out west. They had seen a fossil display from a company by the name of Stone Aquarium. Apparently, Max was very taken with the fossils... ding, ding, ding- my idea came to me. So, I went to Stone Aquarium's website and saw the ginormous Palm fossil. Again, I like pretty, fun, cute, but this was going to be a one of a kind cake specifically for Max (priceless, right?heehee).

So, I made my lovely moist yellow cake (always homemade- great ingredients, no other way to go!). I decided to use a 13 x 9 pan. When the cake was done and cooled, I inverted it onto my covered cake board. Covered meaning, foil wrapped and wax paper around the edges to keep the surface clean. Then I carved out the palm shape and wiped away the crumbs. I next applied a crumb coat of vanilla buttercream (made with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, mmm). I like to apply an extra layer after the first one has set a bit. Especially when I am covering the cake with fondant. I make my own fondant, so it tastes good, but it is very sweet and some people still like to eat the frosting under it and discard the fondant.

I colored the fondant with a little brown and a little orange, to create a sand like look. I also tried to include a few imperfections to help create the look of a fossil. Then I rolled out the fondant, making sure to add about 2 inches in length and width to cover the cake. (Does anyone remember learning the metric system in grade school? Hmm, glad I never quite figured it all out, not so handy today.) I digress. Next, I covered the cake with the fondant and pressed it down lightly in the areas I had carved out. Then I used a fondant tool to create the dimension in the leaves of the palm. I also painted in the palm with food coloring paint (almond extract and food color paste). Luckily my little Bam bam (aka Cam), had a few small plastic fish that I used to make imprint in the fondant. I painted them in to make them really appear.

I just needed to personalize it a bit. I then colored some more fondant and cut out "HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY MAX".

Here is the picture of the real palm fossil and then the cake. What'd ya think? It is not cute, but I thought it was pretty cool!

Another adventure and learning experience. Who knew cake decorating could teach me so much about so many different things! Well, only one more thing to say about this...

Sammy's Volcano Cake

2009-03-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

A friend called to order a cake. It was for her 10 yr old son, Sam. Their only requests were to have a vanilla cake with "really good" chocolate frosting. Sam is a tough kid to impress, so I knew I had to think out of the box. I spent a while brainstorming, then hit the internet. Their family is heading to Costa Rica for spring break. I did some research and found that there is volcano that erupts daily called the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. So there was my idea, now how to pull it off?! Well, I made colored sugar candy lava, green coconut grass, 2- 8" cakes and another one in a batter bowl (dome shaped).

Lots of good chocolate buttercream frosting too! I then used an ice cream scoop to make a cavity in the top of the volcano. I inserted a glass votive holder and covered the edges with frosting.
When we delivered the cake, I added the lava (orange and red colored sugar candy) shooting out of the top and filled the votive half way with water and dropped in 3 dry ice pellets (thank goodness I have an awesome hubbie who drove into St Paul for me to find some dry ice) and.............the volcano came alive!!! From the bubbling sound to the lofts of smoke and shards of lava- it worked!

The best part? Sam watching it and jumping up and down over and over saying, "I love it, wow, cool, look Mom!" I even got a hug out of it! You may think that the fact that I am a chocoholic and sweets fanatic is the reason I love to do this. Not so much.

Seeing that reaction and joy in the birthday boy, that's what it is all about. Making other people happy, even if only until the smoke clears.

Debra and Energy Pilates and Fitness Rocks!

2009-03-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

My dear friend and torturess, Debra Tourek, put the word out today about our little venture. Lucky C's Sweets is officially on the map (knees shaking!). I am so thrilled that I have the opportunity to bake for others and make lots of sweet goodness to share! I promise to get more info out about ordering and to post more examples of what I do.

Next Friday after the 9:30 pilates class at Energy Pilates and Fitness, I will have a table set up with sweet stuff for everyone to taste and hopefully, purchase!

Thanks for all the positive comments and well wishes :)

Have a sweet day!

here's a teaser (not the kind we do in Debra's class)

Cookies for Baby E

Red Velvet Cupcakes for N & J's Ceremony

Let's start with Cam's 7th Birthday

2009-03-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

Cam is a Star Wars guy. He can tell an AT-ST from an X-wing fighter better than any 7 year old I know! He, as with all of my kids, get to pick what type of birthday cake they want each year. Sometimes they just give me colors or characters. Sometimes they give me drawings or ideas. But I always try to get as close to what they want as I can or if they have no ideas (can't quite think of when that has happened), I come up with something on my own. So, Cam knew he wanted a Star Wars cake. He looked through all his books and at his characters and was having a hard time coming up with one idea. So with a little help, we decided that a cake with the Star Wars logo and some of his "guys" on top would be good. Well, Uncle J, Auntie Nell and cousin T-dog were in town that weekend. Everyone was giving out ideas. Great!~ yes. Night before the bday with elaborate suggestions ~ not so much.

Just before he headed up to bed, he gave me a kiss goodnight and said, "I can't wait to wake up and see my Milleniumb Falcum (aka Millennium Falcon) cake, love you!" So I enlisted the help from the suggestion group and off we went.

I started with a 8" round cake and rectangular cake. I split the rectangle cake in half lengthwise. Then I trimmed a chunk off each end. First I put the round cake on the foil covered cake board. Then I made the front with two long pieces and filled in the side and center with the "chunks". Too technical for ya?

Next came the crumb coat. If you are not aware of the crumb coat, it is just a light layer of frosting to cover the cake before you either recover with more frosting or cover with fondant. In other words, it's a good thing.

Then I made the fondant (marshmallows, powdered sugar and a little water), colored the fondant and rolled it out. Doesn't it look like Darth Vader? The force was with us that night. It was past midnight at that point, if that had anything to do with it.

Since I wanted it to look a bit rustic spaceship-ish, I kept the extra powdered sugar on the fondant when I covered the cake. I smoothed out the fondant and created the design and markings. My staff, (the suggestion group) and I started adding the details.

Before we knew it (it was 2 am!) and we had finished. We were all super giddy! Whether it was from all the taste tests, satisfaction in a job well done or the fact that Cam would be so happy when we woke up- that I don't know. What I do know is that when Cam came down the next morning on his birthday and saw all the homemade signs and decorations, he was thrilled! He took one look at the cake and then looked at me with one of those looks that melts your heart and gave me the biggest, warmest hug a 7 year old could give.

"Thanks so much, Mommy! It really is the Milleniumb Falcum!" he said. I was so touched and feeling such love is awesome.

All I could think was, anything for you, my sweet boy, anything.

Here's the final product, enjoy.

So much to say

2009-03-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

I have a bunch of pictures and stories to share. So, I may have to backtrack for a while and then mix in a few current and then ... okay, obviously I don't need to share every thought with all of you! As one of my wise sister's always tells me, "less is more, Michelle". I shall try.

Here we go...

2009-03-19T10:10:00.001-05:00

First of all, thanks to many of you who have pushed me to do this! I am very excited to share all of my sweets and the fun stuff that goes along with them. My kids now think I am some sort of celebrity for having a blog. I'll take it, because from what I've heard (from those of you with teens), it won't be long before they think I have no clue about pretty much everything! The kids are at great ages (12, 9, 7) and really help to foster my creativity. We should all try to look at things through kids eyes now and then. It is amazing what you might see.

So please visit as much as you like and know that we hope you enjoy what we are doing as much as we enjoy doing it!

Alrighty, off the soap box and onto the cake board!

Introducing Lucky C's Sweets!

2009-02-28T12:06:00.000-06:00

Lucky C's motto is "Eat Responsibly...Save room for Dessert!"

We sisters can't get enough of baking, decorating and eating sweets - for fun or comfort, but usually both! Our families have proven to be great taste-testers and hard working contributors in our baking endeavors. This blog is our attempt at making the most of these prickly economic times - finding comfort in things we love and sharing that with others.

Enjoy!
Michelle & Noellen