tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8274327901681226992012-01-29T19:44:26.730-06:00A journal about baking, gardening, and making art in MinnesotaCherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.comBlogger3041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-34785750960571161022012-01-29T19:41:00.000-06:002012-01-29T19:44:26.742-06:00

The view from the (frigid, windy) bridge across the Mississippi, heading from our neighborhood down to the Winter Carnival parade.... ...and the white squirrel who lives in the tree next to our house. We call him "Al" - actually, we call all white squirrels Al (short for Albino). I think he's happy that there is finally a little snow around to camouflage himself. The parade was fun! There were

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-27236722287574046732012-01-28T20:36:00.004-06:002012-01-28T20:44:39.645-06:00

More drawings this week! They're an outlet for my spring/growing things yearnings :)I've also been reading The Happiness Project (book) by Gretchen Rubin. She also has a blog:http://www.happiness-project.com/It's a quick read and has enough substance to be thought-provoking while not being a drag to get through.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-70948888479492201552012-01-21T16:14:00.004-06:002012-01-21T16:20:37.605-06:00

Currently, I'm working a temp job to pay the bills. I answer about ten phone calls a day (average call time ten minutes), which leaves me about six hours of free time. Unfortunately, no internet allowed and I don't know how to knit. So, I've been messing about with Microsoft Paint (a frustrating program at best) and doing some colored pencil drawing (pronounced drawer-rings, please).

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-13562309394164252412012-01-07T13:00:00.000-06:002012-01-07T13:00:03.758-06:00

Happy New Year!I have been absolutely horrible about updating my blog over the holiday season. I did a little bit of baking and a little bit of crafting but have generally been in a somewhat of a creative rut. I've got lots of plans for the new year, though, and will have a flurry of posts soon :)I made these bars over Christmas after seeing the idea on Pinterest (yes, still obsessed). I called

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-35413125388183741142011-11-23T17:02:00.000-06:002011-11-23T17:03:06.547-06:00

I have wanted to try to make "compost cookies", based on the famous Momofuko Milk Bar recipe, for quite some time. After reading several of the recipes online AND all the comments about them, I wasn't sure if I should try. Many people complained about the cookies spreading too much and being really flat - even after chilling the dough. The original recipe called for mixing for 10 minutes after

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-92226347589251413392011-11-06T17:20:00.006-06:002011-11-06T17:29:50.881-06:00

Here are our jack-o'-lanterns a couple days after Halloween (my sister's above and mine below). Since they were scary faces to begin with, I think they've improved with age! I thought about leaving them out there to become really gnarly but I guess it's time to move on. I'm sad that Halloween is over for another year but on to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-4843103421283545682011-10-30T16:32:00.007-05:002011-10-30T16:40:29.969-05:00

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-55365081185802541062011-10-24T10:35:00.000-05:002011-10-24T10:35:56.619-05:00

This was my first time making lemon bars! It's actually quite easy. The crust is a shortbread-type crust that you really can't screw up. The lemony part is just a mix-and-pour type deal. I followed the recipe on Martha's site exactly except I used regular butter for the crust instead of brown butter and I used vanilla sugar instead of regular sugar. It is definitely worth the trouble to squeeze

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-16440491751686365792011-10-24T10:20:00.000-05:002011-10-24T10:20:57.851-05:00

I came across this idea on pinterest, of course! We just happen to have left over dryer venting from last year's Halloween robot display.One great thing about these - you can use them for decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving!Here is the link to the tutorial: http://adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com/2011/09/dryer-vent-pumpkin-tutorial.html She uses hot glue to glue the ends of the vent

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-47696535031020583252011-10-12T12:32:00.000-05:002011-10-12T12:32:52.031-05:00

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-37413662290666609352011-10-11T15:16:00.001-05:002011-10-12T12:28:24.661-05:00

I know it sounds weird, but here's the deal. We get lots of potatoes with our CSA farm share. We only eat potatoes in small amounts (usually mixed in with sweet potatoes, beets, carrots and other roasted veggies) so I've been struggling to keep up with the supply. I searched the web for potato-based cakes and found very little (although there is a recipe for candy made from potatoes...intriguing

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-53309372348256350632011-10-10T12:11:00.011-05:002011-10-10T12:26:08.100-05:00

It has been in the 70's and 80's around here, which is highly unusual for this time of year. There are still some blooms hanging on around the neighborhood, though it has been unusually dry, as well, so some are a little ragged. The bees and other pollinators are working frantically to gather as much as they can!

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-40925928600370437342011-10-07T13:00:00.012-05:002011-10-07T13:34:21.922-05:00

BOO!Happy October!Yay, October has arrived! This is my favorite time of year - leaves are changing, cheery orange pumpkins are everywhere, it's hoodie weather (well, not here - it's been in the 80's! in Minnesota!), and, at the very end of the month, is the frosting on October's cake - Halloween!Anywho, I love pumpkin anything and have been pondering these cupcakes for a while. We got a bunch of

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-66089501663104649772011-09-27T12:38:00.000-05:002011-09-27T12:38:14.656-05:00

After a very busy summer, I'm trying to get caught up on my posting. I visited Sugar Sugar, a candy store in south Minneapolis devoted to old-fashioned, gourmet, and hard to find candy. You must think I spent the whole summer going to candy stores (I wish) but my visit to Sugar Sugar was way back in July. The shop itself is super cute and the proprietor, Joni Wheeler, is both friendly and

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-36226086310582898312011-09-09T11:43:00.024-05:002011-09-10T09:51:06.023-05:00

Road Trip Time! I got an unexpected 3-day weekend over Labor Day weekend (typically, I never have two weekend days off - that's the food biz, for ya) and may or may not have whined about how, "I never get to go anywhere!" My sister agreed we should get out of town for a day and let me pick our route and destinations.First on my list of day trips: The Largest Candy Store in Minnesota.So, True Fact

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-6138224037787480872011-09-03T11:35:00.000-05:002011-09-03T11:36:11.571-05:00

There is the cutest little vintage place within walking distance of my house. Dangerous! I decided to go for a walk yesterday and my feet just automatically took me there :) I pretty much always find something I need (okay, "want") when I stop by. Yesterday I got these wonderful vintage elephant salt and pepper shakers and this little circus book. I won't even tell you what a steal they were

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-13264668042411278232011-09-02T18:20:00.018-05:002011-09-02T19:08:06.394-05:00

I got to the fair very early this year. Most of the buildings were not even open yet! The great part about it was that it was so much easier to take good pictures! Normally, it is practically impossible to get a pic without a random head or arm sticking in front of it. I got some good pics of the carousel before it was turned on. Cool! I always try to do a little research before I

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-82486345615197165782011-08-26T19:33:00.002-05:002011-08-26T19:51:25.960-05:00

So, have you discovered Pinterest yet? I just started pinning (a little late to the party, as usual. I'm not what the techies call "an early adapter")and I can see all kinds of ways it's going to come in handy. Just like a real inspiration board, you can "pin" inspirational images onto boards you set up so you can keep all the cool ideas you come across in one place. You can also "follow"

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-15469108228762034102011-08-12T17:15:00.000-05:002011-08-12T17:15:51.311-05:00

Earlier this summer I made a Donkey Kong birthday cake for my brother-in-law's 30th birthday. I was fairly happy with the way it came out, but I should have made all of the figures smaller. Once I had made Mario so large, I realized that meant that Kong had to be HUGE! Oh, well. I also think Mario looks a little more like Warrio. It was good practice for modeling figures in fondant, anyway, and

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-659079274717465932011-07-07T22:41:00.000-05:002011-07-07T22:42:03.143-05:00

Last month I made some cupcakes in honor of a friend who just graduated from college. I was given carte blanche on the design, pretty much, so decided to go with these cute owls (owls=wise=graduation), some stars in the school colors, and some little fondant diplomas. I think they turned out well, don't you?I made the decorations out of fondant, as you can probably tell. There are TONS of

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-10179625122324028412011-07-01T21:39:00.004-05:002011-07-01T21:43:53.900-05:00

Why, hello, Little Bloggy! It's been a while. Today's post is what one blogger (wish I could remember who!) calls a "faux-st" or faux post. It's when you want to post something on your blog but don't have any new projects to post. I've been so busy working and baking that I haven't had time to upload pics of anything!On a side note, did you know that most of the chain thrift stores (Savers,

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-72437594596858236592011-06-25T20:47:00.000-05:002011-06-25T20:47:33.153-05:00

I got these two little framed pictures at a thrift store for less than five bucks. I guess they aren't very sophisticated (that may be a huge understatement) but they make me smile. This little triangle at the bottom of the stairs had grimy, off-white paint on the wall with smudgy marks left by previous tenants. I think the kitty pictures, butterflies, and blue paint are much more cheerful.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-85303316102222213222011-06-21T19:47:00.000-05:002011-06-21T19:47:18.866-05:00

A little bit ago, I had a request for a dinosaur themed cake for a little boy. I came up with the idea to cut out dinosaur shapes (free hand but having cookie cutters sure would've been convenient) and paint them with black food coloring to make them look like cool illustrations. If I had more time I would covered the entire side with dinosaur cut-outs but I thought the final cake looked pretty

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-13622798995848646772011-06-13T21:39:00.009-05:002011-06-14T15:06:34.085-05:00

I love rhubarb season! It's one of the first things to appear at the farmers market each spring and leads the way for all the other local fruits and veggies to come! I came to my love of rhubarb later in life, as I don't think I was ever exposed to it until after college.These bars are typically make in a square or rectangular plan, but as you can see, all I could find was a round one. I put the

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-41312971749098503812011-06-13T21:35:00.006-05:002011-06-13T22:18:48.535-05:00

We had a late spring here in Minnesota. Even so, I am very laste posting these photos I took weeks ago. Once it did warm up, everything started greening up fast and flowers started blooming like gangbusters.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-65597186798127685702011-04-25T19:33:00.011-05:002011-04-25T21:26:38.469-05:00

Here are some pics of the Easter festivities. Do you like the Peep Bunny garland above? I saw one made of felt and decided paper would be easier, faster, and cheaper: http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2010/03/felt-peeps-bunny-shaped-easter-craft-decoration-ideas/ Easter eggs! These eggs are a little...different. More about them later. Dinner was chicken meatballs with sweet potato, zucchini,

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-75815553098977009652011-04-25T19:23:00.014-05:002011-04-25T20:36:30.136-05:00

My sister I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art (http://www.artsmia.org/) last week. While I was there, I thought it would be fun to take some photos of different faces in the paintings and sculptures.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-10173539382613104762011-04-19T18:07:00.003-05:002011-04-19T18:13:41.593-05:00

The natural world in spring is a different experience than in summer. It is a quieter beauty, more subtle. You have to look closer and pay a little more attention.The lush greenery of summer is soft, rounded; the bright flowers' blooms zinging with life. In spring, I admire the spare geometric lines of the bare tree branches against blue sky. In spring, wildflowers poke their heads up

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-52421653413200894572011-04-18T16:49:00.007-05:002011-04-18T17:34:18.372-05:00

We celebrated my sister's birthday over the weekend. I was looking for a fun way to decorate the house and came across a stash of crepe paper streamers. I often dismiss streamers and go for something a little more "sophisticated" or unusual. However, there's nothing more festive than a mass of colorful streamers. I also found the cool paper masks (below) at Michaels in their dollar section.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-65907219287055855082011-04-08T18:15:00.009-05:002011-04-08T18:39:01.390-05:00

I've been practicing some fondant techniques and trying out some new ones. I've been wanting to try painting on fondant and to see if I can translate my painting style to fondant. This birdy and flowers looks a little more tropical than I had wanted and also looks a little like a tattoo. Overall, I'm happy with it. Here is another view - you can see the ribbon at the bottom in this one.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-50698266059646664212011-04-07T11:11:00.000-05:002011-04-07T11:11:54.497-05:00

Did you know that there are Rules of Cuteness? Okay, I like to think of them as guidelines but you can check out some of them here: http://cuteoverload.com/tag/the-rules-of-cuteness/ Still with me? I hope you didn't get too distracted by all the cuteness! Here is a step-by-step tutorial on making a cute little fondant bear. You will need: Dark Brown FondantLight Brown Fondant (small amount for

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-52559368054392410222011-04-05T15:52:00.010-05:002011-04-05T16:32:45.701-05:00

I made this cake for one of my sister's co-workers who just had a baby boy. I've really wanted to make a cake with a kite this spring and thought the cute little bear cub would be perfect for celebrating a new baby boy. I could have gotten my buttercream a little smoother and my piped chocolate "string" could be more even (a hazard of piping at 11pm, I think), but overall I'm very happy with the

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-6004217379308506582011-03-31T22:15:00.014-05:002011-03-31T22:35:00.426-05:00

I got a chance to visit the Macy's Flower Shower in downtown Minneapolis this week (it runs all week during daytime business hours). Which is a good thing because there is nary a green thing to be found outdoors here in the Land of the Neverending Winter. Ugh. Anywho, here are some pics of the show. The lighting in the auditorium is really weird so some of the colors are wacky. I really like the

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-88279762202895829742011-03-31T22:13:00.002-05:002011-03-31T22:37:00.278-05:00

Ly at Sweets Bakeshop showed me how to make this sweet little bird. Cute, isn't he? This is the top of my mom's birthday cake. I made an orange and grapfruit cake with the same flavor buttercream. It was delicious and a nice flavor for spring.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-52088075651200368332011-03-17T09:00:00.010-05:002011-03-17T10:21:24.157-05:00

Top o' the mornin' to ya! Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm not in the least bit Irish but I do enjoy the color green, loved the four days I spent in Dublin a million years ago, like cute boys with Irish accents, and love the idea of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I couldn't resist making these rainbow cupcakes, even though they have been done so many times in blogs all over the place.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-17362888365497991002011-03-14T11:40:00.002-05:002011-03-15T13:29:17.332-05:00

I had the pleasure of throwing a baby shower over the weekend for a friend of mine. She had a caterpillar-themed invitation so I wanted to carry that theme into the decorations. This would be a cute theme for a spring birthday, too. I also made my first diaper cake! What do you think? It's a little lop-sided, I know, but it was still cute. They're a lot easier to put together then you would think

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-30879031405324833232011-03-11T20:51:00.001-06:002011-03-11T20:53:55.682-06:00

This image has been floating around a few blogs and such. Pretty awesome! You can find the original post here and even order a copy:http://www.allenhemberger.com/blog/2011/02/07/happy-lesleigh-day/

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-61304038168366077552011-03-07T12:05:00.000-06:002011-03-07T12:05:24.322-06:00

Hello again! I thought I'd write up a little post about my externship experience. I'm about half way through my externship at Sweets Bakeshop in St. Paul (they have a shop in Minneapolis now, too!)You can check out their website here: www.sweetsbakeshop.comLast week I had the opportunity to help with this awesome cake that won first place in the Czar of Cakes competition at the Food & Wine

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-51279716447414143892011-02-28T15:42:00.000-06:002011-02-28T15:42:28.858-06:00

Yes, I know it is February in Minnesota but enough with the snow already! The other day I wanted to get outside but I wasn't prepared to risk the slippery sidewalks (and many unshoveled! What is wrong with people? It's been DAYS since our last big snow. Yes, shoveling sucks but get out there and do it!!!!)I was looking longingly at the sunny backyard, imagining the garden I want to put in when

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-55934919641183034092011-02-24T12:17:00.003-06:002011-02-24T12:21:02.020-06:00

My homework from several days ago - try out all these goods from the bakeshop so I know the flavor profile when customers ask. Life sure is tough, sometimes.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-87600478112591220532011-02-20T21:00:00.000-06:002011-02-20T21:18:17.788-06:00

I made this cake for a baby shower several weeks ago (maybe even a month now). The cake is a chocolate cake, using this recipe from Hersheys website:http://www.hersheys.com/pure-recipes/184/HERSHEYThe frosting is my go-to Swiss buttercream recipe (12 oz sugar, 8 oz egg whites, 16 oz butter, flavoring) and a chocolate ganache (chocolate and cream, cooled and whipped) for the branches and border.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-6901894554178791562011-02-14T09:55:00.001-06:002011-02-14T09:56:09.111-06:00

Valentine's Day is upon us, and heart-shaped treats are a must! As for me, I've started my externship (very much like an internship but it comes at the end of the program) and will be working all day, decorating and boxing cupcakes for people to bring home to their sweethearts. Oh, the glamour of it all! We learned to make homemade marshmallows in class a couple weeks ago. I have been meaning to

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-13316270967775887452011-02-11T19:05:00.003-06:002011-02-11T19:12:21.027-06:00

Here's a picture of my sugar sculpture from my very last class at Le Cordon Bleu. We had to use poured/casted sugar, blown sugar, a pulled sugar ribbon, and "bubble sugar". I knew I wanted to do an underwater theme and was excited to create a mermaid. The "coral" is made by pouring hot sugar into a (heat safe) bowl of ice. Pretty cool, right? The bubble sugar is the lacy clear pieces in the back

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-30228737358323995862011-01-31T19:44:00.002-06:002011-01-31T22:48:42.178-06:00

It's hard to believe but I'm in my very last class at Le Cordon Bleu. I've certainly packed in a lot of learning over the past year and am pretty ready to be done with school. Anywho, we are making a lot of chocolate treats in our Chocolate & Confections class (duh, I guess). Pictured above are my dark chocolate truffles topped with a little candied ginger. Here is a pic of something we made

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-28827741895493492342011-01-17T23:04:00.004-06:002011-01-17T23:12:28.793-06:00

Our first assignment in our Confections class was to make a gingerbread house. Here's mine above. What do you think? I had decorated a small house over Christmas break and it was pretty much completely covered in candy and frosting. I decided to go a little more upscale with this one since I had a whole week to work on it.It's hard to determine scale in this picture but this is a pretty big

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-10530343997953679152011-01-14T18:40:00.006-06:002011-01-14T18:58:39.132-06:00

Nope - I haven't gotten married! This is my wedding cake from our Advanced Cake Techniques class. We had to do a mock cake (styrofoam covered in fondant and decorated) of at least three tiers and then an 8 inch tasting cake. I decided to do a winter nature theme. The birds and flowers above were on the top tier. Birds, flowers, and leaves are all made from gumpaste and painted. Above is a detail

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-55079158309366693372010-10-24T13:18:00.008-05:002010-10-26T19:07:20.400-05:00

My blog has been neglected. Trust me, it makes me feel both sad and guilty. The truth is that I haven't been doing anything fun outide of school.Right now I'm in plated desserts class, where we learn how to put different components together and make them look good on the plate.Above is a plate with two types of Tarte Tatin - pear and pineapple. They're served with a little swoosh of caramel and

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-11732606096304984972010-10-05T10:19:00.002-05:002010-10-05T10:24:08.298-05:00

Here is an easy and spooky project over at Martha Stewart Living:http://www.marthastewart.com/article/glow-stick-spiderHere are some links to some Halloween blogs I've recently discovered. They have some great ideas for spooky props!http://davelowe.blogspot.com/http://www.stolloween.com/http://www.pumpkinrot.com/

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-20891908191170752202010-09-25T10:40:00.017-05:002010-09-26T11:15:25.067-05:00

The fair was a month ago and I still haven't gotten around to posting about it! School and work eat up all my time. Most people seem to go to the State Fair for the food; I got for the crafts, fine arts, Eco-Experience, and the ag exhibits. Well, okay....and the food :)First are some pics below of my favorite crop art pieces. Some of these must take crazy patience! It's hard to remember to take

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-59998196206939665492010-09-04T12:15:00.006-05:002010-09-04T12:29:39.032-05:00

Sorry I haven't had any recipes or projects lately. This is just another quick post of some of the things I've been doing in my class this term.Above is a Black Forest Torte - cherry filling, chocolate genoise cake, whipped creme frosting, and a cool chocolate mosaic garnish on the sides. Above is a vanilla genoise with lemon swiss buttercream frosting, filling is lemon and raspberry. We made

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-13900303637524748252010-08-15T21:22:00.006-05:002010-08-17T18:30:18.487-05:00

Here are some photos of the view from the end of my street. Our new place is just a little more than a block from the Mississippi River bluffs, so we're a short stroll from this beautiful view of the cathedral and downtown St. Paul. Pretty cool, right? We're also really close to Harriet Island which is neat because they have lots of festivals and events there (you can see the tents sent up for

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-8252278259151041552010-08-14T16:57:00.008-05:002010-08-14T17:12:05.290-05:00

It's been a really really long time since my last post. I've neglected my poor little blog. However, I have some really goods reasons - mainly that I've been moving (across the river to St. Paul), working, and going to school full time.This dessert featured in the top photo is a fruit bavarian - Mango Raspberry. Here are some pics of other things we made in our last class (excuse some of the

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-51162319326949543052010-07-05T22:37:00.003-05:002010-07-06T17:10:50.288-05:00

I was lucky enough to be able to stop by the farmers market on Nicollet Mall last Thursday. Normally, I'm in class but we had our summer break last week. I didn't think that I would be able to because I had training for work that day - but we got out early! Yay! I was also able to stop by the Friends of the Library book store (got some old cooking magazines) so it was pretty awesome,

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-14499871480218999732010-07-05T11:00:00.012-05:002010-07-05T11:15:48.260-05:00

I made a few patriotic type treats this past week. Above is a pic of some red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. The pics below show two ways to decorate them. It's actually pretty easy, although a little time consuming, to make your own pinwheel decorations but I found these on sale! The other pic has some plastic stars on top, in addition to the blue and red sprinkles. That was kind

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-43925848795027472512010-06-26T19:26:00.004-05:002010-06-27T11:54:09.448-05:00

A friend of mine requested a race car cake for her sons' birthday party. I knew that I wanted to make fondant-covered cars because piped frosting just wouldn't look right (cars are smooth, not bumpy!) At first I thought about buying Duff's new fondant (because it tastes good, unlike the Wilton kind) but it's twenty bucks at Michaels - not in my budget. So, I knew you could make a good-tasting

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-35829475578537599062010-06-20T13:46:00.001-05:002010-06-20T13:46:53.480-05:00

We got our second CSA box of veggies last week. Hurrah! In that box was some delectable-looking rhubarb. I wanted to make something that would be easy to cut into portions and something I haven't tried before. I used this recipe and modifed it somewhat: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Streusel-Rhubarb-Dessert/Detail.aspxMy modifications were replacing half the white sugar with brown sugar and using

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-48473868761620479092010-06-14T16:38:00.002-05:002010-06-14T16:49:04.157-05:00

My dad likes yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Yup - no fancy flavors or icings allowed. Since I couldn't experiment with different flavors for his birthday cake, I wanted to do something fun with the presentation. I ran across this idea at:http://confessionsofacookbookqueen.blogspot.com/2010/05/cupcake-cupcake-toppers.htmland thought it was so cute! And so easy that I wish I had thought of

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-45569088200117182252010-06-11T21:17:00.012-05:002010-06-17T14:35:26.107-05:00

It has been raining like crazy lately. That means that mushrooms are popping up all over. I think they're fascinating - alien-looking, those perfect soft frills on the underside that I am compelled to smoosh, rounded caps and sturdy little stems. And they fade away as quickly as they seem to pop up! Perfect one day and black or brown squishy or dried out piles the next.Now I am no mycologist (

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-89610248633047527892010-05-31T17:36:00.002-05:002010-05-31T17:43:08.112-05:00

Hope everyone is kicking off summer with some fun (unofficial summer but summer nonetheless.) I recently discovered a cool website where you can download vintage graphics, type, and clipart for free - thanks to a generous blogger! I found the bathing beauty above on her site: http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/One other thing - I've finished my "Post a Day in May" project and am AMAZED that I

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-49132672768413538322010-05-30T21:31:00.004-05:002010-05-30T21:59:01.383-05:00

Okay - finally. Here is the cherry pie filling recipe that I used. There's a link at the bottom to the piecrust recipe, too.Ingredients: Canned Cherries (not the pie filling stuff, just cherries in juice/water) 16 ozDrained cherry juice 6 ozCold Water

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-21803765030437348402010-05-29T22:36:00.004-05:002010-05-29T22:52:23.477-05:00

I know, I know - I promised the cherry pie recipe for today. But, it's like this, I'm tired, it's past 10:30pm and I got a little too much sun today. Tomorrow - for reals.Instead, a quick post with a mini-review. Guess where I FINALLY went today? Oh, right, you already know because you read the post header. Yes - the Salty Tart! I was supposed to meet someone at the Midtown Global Market today

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-10639933334531675112010-05-28T21:37:00.004-05:002010-05-28T21:47:15.474-05:00

This week I made a cherry pie for one of my sister's co-workers. Excuse the weird yellowy pic above; the lighting in my place sucks at night. I'll post the recipe tomorrow, I promise. I'm way too tired tonight.In other news.... I made the tray of pastries above for my practical exam today. Overall, it went well but I did get some points taken off for my chocolate croissants (see how they are

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-4263164833669540402010-05-27T21:07:00.003-05:002010-05-27T21:32:17.580-05:00

The Star Tribune came out with it's annual list of 50 Minnesota "tastemakers, trends, products, and places". Sadly, I have been to/tried very few of them. It's hard on a student budget. There are lots that I'd like to check out, though, including:Paul's 7-Grain Cereal from Natural Way Mills (http://www.naturalwaymills.com/)Fresh & Local radio show on AM 950 every Saturday morningThe Roseville

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-36810391404688416792010-05-26T20:17:00.004-05:002010-05-26T20:27:42.733-05:00

In my real (rented) yard, a huge tree limb fell in a storm last night. Luckily, I have a little more control of my little container garden. It was time to do a spring planting, for sure. Above is the end result; what do you think? I planted it with weeds from the (rental) front yard and made a little rock garden.Despite the term "growing like a weed", I'm not sure these weeds will flourish in

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-31801507047375488282010-05-25T21:23:00.004-05:002010-05-25T22:07:52.334-05:00

Today's been fun - talking to people (at school, in my family, on facebook) about the candy they loved when they were kids. People get so animated when they talk about those kinds of childhood memories!Anywhooooooooooo.........there's an interesting article on Salon called, "Is Candy Really a Food?". One of the most interesting things highlighted in the article is that the difference between

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-45757431599156011562010-05-24T21:05:00.021-05:002010-05-24T22:48:01.920-05:00

Have I mentioned that it's super hot and humid right now? Yes, I know it's boring to talk about the weather, but I don't so much talk about it as whine about it.When I was a kid, there was a convenience store located about, oh, a quarter mile or so away. One of our favorite summer pasttimes (all year round, really, but especially in summer) was begging my parents for a dollar so we could walk to

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-11053882275341641232010-05-23T22:58:00.004-05:002010-05-23T23:21:53.810-05:00

Well, the weekend flew by again. It's hot and muggy here, which is not very motivating as far as getting the apartment decluttered. I was also going to make a cherry pie but I think I'll wait until the humidity goes down a little. Anyway, here is an awesome stop-motion animation video by EatLiz. Isn't it cool that stop- motion has had a resurgence the last couple years?

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-10641785503742257782010-05-22T18:06:00.007-05:002010-05-22T20:41:22.953-05:00

Did you have a treehouse when you were a kid? I didn't but my sisters and I constantly badgered my dad to build treehouses, forts, go-carts, and lemonade stands. We did eventually have a fort, of sorts, but it was really just the topper to his pick-up that was held up by sawhorses. You had to crawl in and then couldn't quite stand upright.Anywho, treehouses have come a long way since I was a kid

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-88837153895908552252010-05-21T23:56:00.000-05:002010-05-22T00:36:15.539-05:00

I'm rushing to get this done before midnight and a little tired to boot, so excuse the brevity. Tonight I went to see a play at the Guthrie Theater. Here are some views from the endless bridge during intermission: The Gold Medal Flour Sign - an iconic sign in Minneapolis. The Guthrie is located right in the old milling district and just down a little from the Mill City Museum (and next door to

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-17866118209383921882010-05-20T22:19:00.002-05:002010-05-20T22:33:47.410-05:00

As promised, here is a link to the recipe I used for the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie I made last week. This is really only a recipe for the filling so just use whatever crust you would normally use (I've had good luck with the frozen pre-made ones - just maybe compare the amount of salt on the labels to avoid the overly salty ones):http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rhubarb-and-Strawberry-Pie/

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-48036183595363971172010-05-19T20:57:00.005-05:002010-05-19T21:23:18.331-05:00

So, I tried the one ingredient (banana) "ice cream" from the previous post. The results are in and......it's seriously delicious, creamy and very, very easy. You do need a food processor, which we only recently acquired in my household. This is great, though, because we ALWAYS have bananas and soon it will be too hot to bake banana bread (yes, we live on the second floor with no ac!)

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-11737365973133128672010-05-18T22:56:00.003-05:002010-05-18T23:11:29.928-05:00

*this is a pic of nanerpus from Denny's. Please note - my bananas don't have googly eyes...or mustachesI have a bonus bunch of bananas just sitting on my counter, crying out to be used up. Chef was going to throw out the overripe bananas, those too mushy for fruit tarts (or put them in the piggy bucket, which is what we usually do with edible scraps) and I volunteered

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-70015492239274474372010-05-17T21:33:00.004-05:002010-05-17T21:50:14.242-05:00

.....your fridge is ALMOST bare. Seriously, this cake has NO eggs, NO butter, and NO milk. I haven't been doing a lot of baking at home so we haven't been buying things like butter, milk, or extra eggs (they just end up going bad, sadly). I wanted to make a little snack, though, since we didn't really bake anything today in class (we made puff pastry dough for later use.) Anyway, the leavening

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-63115360840248606692010-05-16T20:48:00.011-05:002010-05-16T20:59:42.205-05:00

I had to work most of the weekend so had hardly any time to do anything fun. Here's another photo essay - this time scenes from our walk around Minnehaha Park. We're going to be moving out of neighborhood soon so we want to make sure to visit all of our favorite places while we can.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-62723226123712940152010-05-15T19:54:00.015-05:002010-05-15T20:07:27.610-05:00

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-50217337785689349512010-05-14T21:23:00.001-05:002010-05-14T21:40:12.801-05:00

As promised, here is the recipe for the chocolate pound cake that I made. Be aware that it does have a strong cocoa taste which is different than a cake made with melted chocolate. It's not quite as rich and chocolatey. I think I would add some mini chocolate chips to the batter next time and maybe even ice with chocolate ganache. I was worried about having problems unmolding the cake so didn't

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-20783539056769608412010-05-13T18:22:00.013-05:002010-05-13T19:20:39.768-05:00

Today was the day of our dessert table practical exam. Finally! Everything turned out pretty much as I planned. My madeleine cookies were a little dry and stuck to the pan but otherwise no major mishaps. Here's what I did: Watermelon lemonade, below - this wasn't a requirement but I thought it would be attractive and add to the overall theme. I didn't use a recipe - just pressed the

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-83383349677826908612010-05-12T20:31:00.002-05:002010-05-12T20:40:48.753-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day - our dessert table practical exam. This one is different than previous practical exams because there will be actual "customers" (our family and friends) who will be eating our food. Also, the presentation counts for quite a bit, as opposed to most practical exams where we just bring our stuff up to Chef on a sheet tray for grading.Anywho, we have just a couple of hours

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-30603293236877489472010-05-11T21:47:00.002-05:002010-05-11T21:55:28.528-05:00

*nope, this is not my work - design by Amy Atlas Events and pic by Andrew McCaulWe are working on our products all week for our dessert table presentation on Thursday. It is basically a four day test and could make some people (ahem) obsess a little. Seriously, it's crazy-making but fun to be able to pick what we want to make for a change,

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-48913142745436162992010-05-10T19:54:00.004-05:002010-05-10T21:50:26.030-05:00

The nice thing about taking public transportation this time of year is that it forces me to slow down and take a look around. While I'm waiting for the bus, I try not to wear headphones or read. I like to be aware of what's around me - for safety reasons but also just because it's weird to me how (purposely) cut off people are from the rest of the world. Everyone walks around in their own little

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-26249103607702894172010-05-09T20:48:00.005-05:002010-05-09T21:01:20.965-05:00

This Thursday we have our final project for this six week term. We are to present a dessert table that includes products from several different categories. Everyone in my class has been thinking all term about what his/her theme will be. Mine is Garden Party. Above is a rough sketch of my products and garnish/presentation. My idea was to draw all of the desserts individually and then I'll cut

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-58090049945440824902010-05-08T17:20:00.028-05:002010-05-08T18:23:56.433-05:00

If I could win my dream shopping spree to anywhere, it would be Anthropologie's kitchen and dining departments. I like to look at the website, wistfully eyeing all the gorgeous, useless, expensive things like these.If you have a little extra scratch, though, and want to get something special, then Anthropologie is the place, I think.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-46073450144245960342010-05-07T17:48:00.014-05:002010-05-09T21:16:23.603-05:00

In today's class at school we had the whole class to play around with sugar. Chef demonstrated poured sugar, spun sugar, and caramel cages. Later, we'll have a whole class on sugar and chocolate techniques so this is just a short introduction.I decided to try to make a bird in a nest. Here are the forms I made from aluminum foil.... and below are the forms, after I poured the sugar in. As you

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-89038997390190605572010-05-06T19:29:00.006-05:002010-05-06T20:50:21.817-05:00

*do you recognize this scene?Lately, I've had a hankering for popcorn - every night after dinner. This only happens every six months or so, thankfully. Although microwave popcorn has its place, I suppose, but it also has weird ingredients that I don't particularly want to eat. Plus the "butter" flavor is so unlike any butter I've ever had; it's not a

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-37438140182965699612010-05-05T19:31:00.019-05:002010-05-05T20:02:16.916-05:00

A few weeks ago, I bought several old Wilton decoration books from the late 70's for about a buck total. Here's a pic of the covers. I especially enjoy the photo in the middle of the girl with the cool feathered hair. I thought I might be able to get some retro-cool decorating ideas or at least have a laugh. Here's what I found:The pretty good......... ....The Not Bad (at least in a kitschy

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-59887156948630465882010-05-04T09:40:00.004-05:002010-05-04T09:54:17.214-05:00

Most people I know are not big meringue fans. Sure, they'll eat it on Lemon Meringue Pie but that's really about it. And, to tell the truth, I'm no exception. The dry texture and pure sweetness of a meringue "cookie" is too much. However, it's the intense sweetness and crunchy texture that makes meringue such a great component in this dessert!Eton Mess is named after a posh British school where

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-53054651258261244162010-05-03T21:32:00.003-05:002010-05-03T21:42:56.251-05:00

I have to make a meringue product for one of my upcoming school projects. Chef did a demo for us on Italian, Swiss, and French (or common) meringues. I made two batches of Italian in class (one with melted chocolate incorporated and one using cocoa). Neither really came out the way I wanted. My oven was too hot during the first batch and cracked rather than drying out. The second is drying over

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-46555840288875281892010-05-02T19:30:00.003-05:002010-05-02T19:36:35.823-05:00

I started a new craft project. I got a cool pillow case from the thrift store and some vintage fabric for about $4 or so and am going to embelish the case. I started by drawing some birds with fabric markers. I may or may not add some buttons or other trim. I'm definitely going to add a few leaves cut from the green and yellow fabric.Simon approves, I think.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-68390656722980663002010-05-01T09:00:00.000-05:002010-05-01T09:00:03.295-05:00

I've decided to shake things up a little and have set a new challenge for myself: I'm going to post something every day for the entire month of May. With school and life in general, I've been neglecting my blog a little. It may be difficult to find something interesting to post each day but I'm going to give it a whirl.To start out, I'm going to cheat a little and provide some new links!http://

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-45028181294742061352010-04-27T17:38:00.006-05:002010-04-27T17:47:19.879-05:00

I hope you aren't tired of flower pictures, Dear Reader (singular, I think I have one?)! Every day I go for a little stroll around the neighborhood and am so blown away by all the beautiful blooms. It gives me a little thrill to see that the lilacs are blooming so early. Purple and green are the predominant colors around the lake right now.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-73777459336563160882010-04-24T17:57:00.010-05:002010-04-24T18:53:24.736-05:00

In school this past week, we've been making a variety of cookies, tarts, and bars. I thought I'd show you these two and give you the basic recipes. The one pictured below is the Pecan Diamond and the bottom is a plate of Cherry Almond bars drizzled with chocolate. Each is basically a sweet dough base (somewhere between a sugar cookie and a shortbread) that is prebaked, topped with a nut and

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-83918814389987237172010-04-24T17:57:00.000-05:002010-04-24T18:10:00.243-05:00

Check out these awesome paper constructions! I've noticed them in the pages of Real Simple magazine over the years and now they've put them all in one place on their website. I love things like this because, as a person who just likes to make things, I get a lot of, "well, it's cool, but what does it do/what is it for?" type of responses. That's what's so great about baking - no "but, what do

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-49713586459658361342010-04-17T21:47:00.006-05:002010-04-17T21:56:10.719-05:00

True spring has come incredibly early here in Minnesota. Typically it comes in little bursts here and there, with two steps forward and one step back. This year, it got nice in March and just kept on getting nicer. Everything is blooming down by the lake!

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-1881397748331724992010-04-04T20:19:00.003-05:002010-04-04T20:25:21.531-05:00

Our egg creations this year - using crayons, masking tape, and colored pencil in addition to the regular dye. And check out our new vintage lamby dude! I doctored up some white cake mix to make a clementine cake (zest and juice added to the mix) with lemon frosting (lemon pudding and cool whip) and toasted coconut. It was pretty low brow, obviously, but sometimes that hits the spot. It was nice

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-27060476768027390022010-04-03T09:43:00.000-05:002010-04-03T09:43:11.906-05:00

As promised, I'm reporting back about Macys Flower Show at the downtown Minneapolis Macys. They have gone back to setting it up in the 8th floor auditorium again so the lighting is funky - pretty dark with fairly obvious spotlighting. Despite that (and the crowds! note to self: don't go during spring break next year), there were many charming little scenes and views. It also smelled heavenly,

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-61107120236059937382010-04-03T09:06:00.012-05:002010-04-03T09:54:12.234-05:00

The conservatory at Como Park is displaying their spring show in the sunken garden. We also visited the zoo, which was CRAZY because it's spring break. These orchids aren't part of the spring show but are permanently displayed. Aren't they gorgeous?The color scheme for the show (the rest of the pics) was orange, purple, and white. I'm pretty sure the spring display goes through May. Meanwhile,

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-51763966734587388632010-03-30T21:48:00.003-05:002010-03-31T20:01:58.138-05:00

I tried out a new flourless chocolate cake recipe last weekend. As I may have mentioned, my youngest sister is eating gluten-free these days, so I've been trying some new recipes. Most flourless chocolate cakes are very fudgy and dense - which is delicious but not always what you're looking for in a cake. I bought some Gluten Free Baking Mix but realized later (too late!)that I have to buy

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-78368180998542112842010-03-27T18:26:00.001-05:002010-03-27T18:27:42.065-05:00

I like the poster this year; it reminds me of a children's book. I'm hoping to make it downtown this week and will post some pictures if/when I do!

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-72981241592506801372010-03-20T20:43:00.007-05:002010-03-20T21:15:38.589-05:00

Today is the first day of spring and my mom's birthday (Happy B-day, Mom!) - a perfect occasion to use my new butterfly cookie cutters. Unfortunately, these pictures aren't great but I put some of the cookies on sticks and stuck them in the cake and others were stuck around the sides.The cookies are pretty much a chocolate shortbread and aren't too sweet. They hold the cut out shape really well.

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827432790168122699.post-66009134130566348862010-03-15T21:39:00.002-05:002010-03-15T21:48:18.503-05:00

(the cat checks out the loot - no food in sight so he decided to obey me and get off the table) It took two Target trips, but I was able to find all of the Liberty of London houseware stuff that I wanted. My Target started putting stuff out on Friday but didn't have most of the housewares out yet. I couldn't get back to the store until Sunday (the day it was supposed to arrive in stores)

Cherishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895685725246501368noreply@blogger.com0