I mean, really, our family has so many birthdays! In August, baby Mace celebrated his first birthday ever. Then, my son Brett turned 30-something. And his new son, Knox Edward, entered the world a week later. The weekend before Labor Day was my sister-in-law Trixie’s birthday. Next week my grandson Brock turns 4. October—that’s my month. And my niece Scarlet’s, too. December brings my mother-in-law’s and grandson Drake’s birthdays. Oh! And little Kiera. Spring is Amy Jo and Kirk, Christine and Aiden. Summer? Don’t get me started—my husband, granddaughter, a great nephew, a daughter-in-law, two great nieces. WHEW!
And every birthday brings the obligatory cake, complete with ooey-gooey roses and candles. When Isabelle Grace turned two in July, we served a half-sheet cake with strawberry filling—and it cost $47!
So when I saw the sign at Hobby Lobby for “half-price cake decorating” classes, I took the plunge. Never mind that I can’t remember ever actually baking a round cake. And I’m certain I’ve never made frosting. I don’t own a decent mixer or the right knife for wielding that famous butter crème icing. But, after several trips to the cake-decorating aisle of Hobby Lobby, I now own tips and tiny jars of color. I own a turntable and cake carrier. I own a special kit for beginning cake decorators.
And I keep thinking that with all this money I’ve spent, I could have bought a lot of birthday cakes…
I have been to two classes, and it is terrifying and wonderful. Last night I made roses…sort of. I had “cheated” and bought a huge tub of icing to use for the class. (Hey, it was in the cake-decorating aisle!) But the teacher shook her head. “Too stiff to frost with; too thin to decorate with.” But it was what I’d brought, and I persevered. So what if my roses don’t reach up to the skies? I think they look swell. Of course, I haven’t learned to make leaves yet. Maybe next week.
I took my first cake (the one in the pic) to my grandsons today. They studied it carefully, then each stuck a finger in the frosting for a lick. “It’s pretty, Nina,” Brock said. Drake moved in for another fingerful of butter creme, but I was too quick for him and snapped the cake cover into place.
The irony of all this is that I don’t like cake. Never eat it. Abhor frosting and would NEVER lick it off the spoon. Still, I’m planning a future filled with Crisco and powdered sugar, with tubes of colored gel and messy decorating tools. Why? Because that future is also filled with the people I love celebrating their special days—and I’m going to be the one bringing the cake.
But first I have to learn to make frosting. And leaves.
Hi Mary Lou! This was hysterical and I can SO relate to it. We don't eat a lot of desserts so we don't eat lots of cake - maybe it has something to do with the cakes I make: they've been lopsided, broken and burned. I don't spend a lot of time on them and it shows. But I do try and my family has been very gracious - I've frosted roads and put on a few cars when our big son was little. I think that's about as ambitious as I've gotten. But last year I felt like I won a cake prize and was featured on a TV cooking show. David, on his 11th birthday, wanted a white cake with white frosting and those flat confetti sprinkles. And when he blew out his candles and tasted it, he said, "Mom, this is the best cake I ever had." I wanted to cry: it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me in the 27 years I've attempted to make birthday cakes. With Betty Crocker, canned frosting and a #1 fan, I think at least one birthday cake has been a success. There may be hope...
I think your cake & roses are beautiful too!! I'd be aftaid to sign up for a cake decorating class - I know me - I'd end up eating my homework! peggy - aka - sligo702.
Mary Lou - I will be thinking of you tomorrow (may run to Wal-Mart & pick up one of those Wilton cake decorating kits). My son Terrance's girlfriend turns 21 next Wednesday (30th) I'll be baking her my special - from scratch - chocolate cake. She wanted brownie's though. So last night my son was going on about my chocolate cake & she HAD to have me make it for her birthday, so I'll be making both - brownies and the cake. It was very special to me last night when my son was telling Madison how he had been spoiled. All of his life I have baked cookies, cakes, all that stuff - from scratch. And cooked (mostly) non-processed foods. I made a decision when both my boys were small that I didn't want them to ingest all those added chemicals that are put into our foods. Call them preservatives, coloring, whatever, they're chemicals. So, when he said that he had been spoiled all his life, that there is nothing compared to my baking (Christmas cookies, birthday cakes, just because cookies) it was such a wonderful moment for me. This is just something that I do, but I never realized that my Terrance appreciated the fact that yes, it takes a little effort, yes, there are times I have to run to the grocery store for something I don't have in the baking cabinet - and really don't feel like going, but that in the end, the effort and yes, the love that I include in the recipes have not gone unnoticed. It was such a special moment for me. I just realized that it was God's way of letting me know that the little thing in life truly are what matter most. Have a wonderful weekend! peggy - aka - sligo702
