Mardi Gras, Magic, & A Movie Bomb

So this week, I've officially given up my rights to ever be the one to choose a movie again! In an earlier post, I introduced you all to one of my 'partners in crime', Tim... you remember my 'baseball guru'...

This week we decided to do a movie again, but what to see... there are really no big blockbusters going on that we haven't already seen. Well, someone told me that 'Shutter Island' was the one to see. So, even though I'm far from a DiCaprio fan, I figure why not give it a try. OK, so Tim's game and I'm always up for movie popcorn and a frozen coke!

STINKER!

Now, of course this is just my own opinion and I'm certainly not trying to offend any fans, it was just not the movie for me. I think I may have even actually dozed once or twice! Now, I will say that it had a pretty interesting twist of an ending, but was not enough to save the movie. OK, so now I'm just waiting for Toy Story 3 and maybe the remake of Clash Of The Titans to redeem my cinematic voting power! So, I digress... lol!

OK, back to what's important, BAKING!

This week I was in cookie-mode.  

It was Erica's birthday and Erina wanted to surprise her with some cookies. Now, I know Erica is a big poker fan & player and her party-theme this year was Mardi Gras... so Erina wanted to incorporate the two into cookies. Erina also tells me it's her husband's birthday as well and he's a big 'Magic, The Gathering' fan. Now, I'm familiar with MTG because my son used to play many years ago so I can get into this.

If you're not familiar, MTG is a collectible card game. Each game represents a battle between powerful wizards, known as "planeswalkers", who use the magical spells, items, and fantastic creatures depicted on individual Magic cards to defeat their opponents.

So, the task is to make Erica a dozen Mardi Gras playing card cookies and to personalize them with her name, age, and theme. Hubby gets a dozen MTG card cookies. Not a problem! These cookies will be a piece of cake (ooohhh yes, I did say that... sorry!).

I used a basic firm sugar cookie recipe and cut each cookie into a 3"x4.5" rectangle. Once cooked, I brushed them with some nice apricot preserves and covered them with fondant. White for Erica's cards and black for hubby's cards. I covered each cookie with images provided by Erina. Now, I still had to create the personalized saide of the Mardi Gras cards... nooo problem. While finishing up the MTG cards, my son Chris (who you also met earlier) makes a suggestion. 'Mom, don't you remember the Black Lotus?'

Ummmm... oh yeah! The Black Lotus was supposedly the most soughtafter Magic card and very valuable. So, I figure, as a bonus, I'll throw one in and make a baker's dozen.

What do you think of them?

I also had 2 birthday's, 2 new team members, and 1 veteran member departure from my work team this month. We celebrated with homemade German (or German's if you want to be historically correct) Chocolate cake and ice cream sundaes. Back to the treadmill for me!!!!

Next week, I have a friend asking for a Juicy Couture bag and it's also Alyce's first birthday... it's going to be a busy week. Sometime's I wish I could quit my job and do this for a living! :)

...see you all soon!

Just How *IS* a Raven Like a Writing Desk Anyway??

After returning from the long-anticipated release of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I still don't know the answer to this riddle... but I do know one thing...

THIS MOVIE WAS GREAT!

A word of advice - do not go to this movie expecting to see a remake of any previous Alice nor an Alice story you've previously read. This is Tim's vision and adaptation of his own imagination and brilliance! Now, not that we expected anything less from Tim Burton and his usual cast of characters, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Throw in Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Rickman & the rest of the 'Underland' gang and POW! Magical is all I can say!

I saw this movie on opening day, IMAX 3d of course and it was amazing. Gorgeous scenery, incredible effects and yet slightly dark at the same time. I would highly recommend getting lost in this world with the help of IMAX. The sound, the size, the feeling that you were also immersed in Underland was excellent.

Now, I won't give away the plot nor any details of the film, you just have to RUN to the theatre and see for yourself. I absolutely fell deeper in love with The Red Queen in this one and actually moved The March Hare up a few rankings on my favorites list. He was a riot. There was definately not enough time spent at the tea party this time, it was one of my favorite scenes. The March Hare and Hatter are equally mad I think! Check out this clip...

From Alice to Hatter to Red herself this movie was a nonstop overload of excitement, eye-candy, special effects, whimsy, nonsense, adventure, action, heroism, and I believe there may have even been a little touch of warm fuzzies between Alice and Hatter. What a couple that would make! Almost as interesting and odd as the wink-wink relationship between Red and Stave...

The Red Queen's Bandersnatch was second only to her Jabberwocky, and while I realize if you haven't seen the movie, that may sound a little risque'... those in the know would agree with me!

This movie gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me and it only lacks the last 1/2 star because it wasn't long enough. The epic battle between good & evil, Red & White, was over almost as quickly as it began. Either the movie was so good that it was over before we knew it or not enough time was spent in Underland... I haven't decided which yet but I suspect it was the latter.

This is definately a go-to movie... do yourselves a favor and see it then buy the dvd!

I love the Red Queen obviously and all the hearts and cards. In her honor, I created these cake truffles. They are a yummy combination of banana, rum, and coconut and coated in white chocolate. They are as colorful, decadent and delicious as the Queen herself!

We're off to Champion Stadium in Orlando tomorrow for Braves Spring training and I'll be taking tonight's special creation with us...

Cookies & Cream cupcakes. This is a French Vanilla cake with Oreo pieces baked throughout and covered in a super-yummy cream cheese frosting. Here's a tip when you make your own... twist oreo's in half and put the unfrosted half in the bottom of the cup before you fill with batter. It's a nice surprise when you bite! I think my Dad will enjoy these, what do you think?

I end today's post with one of my favorite quotes from the movie, "Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.".
See you all after the game!

Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust!

OK, so as a result of the Saints baby cake from my last post, I picked up a request for a Tinkerbell theme number. Tinkerbell huh... ok, no problem!

Now, I haven't watched Peter Pan in many years. It happens to be one of my dad's favorite moves and the whole family, well, we're all big Disney fans. Tink should literally be a piece of cake, right (yes, I said it!)? So, I pop in a dvd, grab some popcorn, and take a trip back to my youth.

Ah, Nana! Wendy! The Lost Boys, and who could forget Captain Hook! Tick-tock tick-tock, poor ol' Hook was terrorized by one of my favorites, the croc!

So, ok, after watching and reminiscing, I got it...

Straight to the kitchen I go, humming 'You Can Fly, you can fly, you can fly....'!

I sat in there for about 2 hours, cutting blades of grass, flowers, and leaves and still not a clear vision of what they'd look like on a cake... until I grabbed my airbrush and started painting! I covered the 3-layer cake in a pretty pale pink pearlized paint (say that 3 times fast, I dare you!) I varigated the shades of pink and ended at the bottom with a pretty neon shade. oooooohhhhh! OK, on goes the grass (blade by blade), leaves, flowers, butterflies... BAM!

I like it! I Love it! Everything on this cake is edible, aside from Tink herself. I wanted the birthday girl to be able to have a keepsake, so Tinkerbell is actually a pre-made topper. Now, anyone familiar with me and my work knows that normally I like eveything to be handmade and personalized... but... I am by no means talented enough to attempt molding figures, yet. I am really envious of others out there that just seem to have a gift for it, but that's not me, not yet. One of my goals is to get it and get it right. Hopefully as you follow me, you'll start to see attempt to molding.

All of the flowers, leaves, grass, snails, & butterflies are handmade and painted. All are fondant and edible.

Bernesha's birthday plaque is made of blue chocolate and personalized with an edible image made just for her. She chose a basic french vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. Always a classic and always yummy!

I hope her 12th birthday is a blast!

Let me know what you think. Tomorrow's another Disney day... Tim Burton/Disney's Alice in Wonderland premiers and I've already got my tickets... it's going to be a good day!

Peter Pan quote for today:

"When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born, and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies."

Keep laughing everyone...