Happy Memorial Day!!

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Tips to Make Scratch Baking & Decorating Easier

Over the years, I have had many conversations about baking and decorating cakes. Most people express to me their personal difficulties. The number one complaint seems to be lack of time. "I just don't have the time to bake." Even though I love baking, I too have uttered the same words every now and again. Between work, children, and attempting to have a personal life, most people can't afford to give away any more time than they already have.


Here are a few tips I personally use that help save precious time:


1. Pre-mix your dry ingredients for your cake recipe and store for later.
Store your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, etc...) in large Ziploc bags and add your wet ingredients (eggs, butter, oil, extract) when you're ready to bake!!


2. Make your frosting and store it in the freezer until ready to use.
Store frosting in freezer friendly containers and defrost the morning you need it.

3. Pre dye your frosting or fondant at least a day before you need.
Not only will this save on time, the color will deepen as it sets in.


4. Avoid baking and decorating in the same day.
If you bake earlier in the day or even the day before you can save on the time waiting for the cake to completely cool necessary before you frost the cake.




I hope this helps and happy baking!!

Just A Thought

Motherhood

I know it's been a while since my last post. I realize how incredibly hard it is to multi-task with two children while going back to work part-time. I decided to share a picture of how I have been feeling lately. I recently shared this on my Instagram, it expresses how I feel before and after work perfectly. Most mornings, I'm pretty much frustrated at the thought of all the things I need to do just to get out of the door. As well as, all the hustle and bustle that goes along with my job. But as soon as I'm done with my day, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me. 

As I reflect on the past couple of months, I find myself with a new found appreciation and respect for mothers of multiple children and my mother in particular. I am one of FIVE children, yes FIVE. I have no idea how she had any sanity left. At all times you have to be aware of and fulfill the needs of all children while still maintaining your personal responsibilities. 

I recently accepted the fact that this new edition to my family also brought new realities on life. I will no longer always have things in order, the house cleaned daily, and every thing done according to my "To Do List." I'm going to have to be content with the times when only some rooms of the house are cleaned and only one thing is checked off my list. 

Motherhood has really taught me how to prioritize and ease up a bit. I have to learn how to give my self the same grace that I give my children. Focusing on what really matters :)

Just A Thought

For the Love of Minions!!

I wanted to share some photos of the minion themed birthday I had for my son's 5th birthday. All of the decorations are handmade! My husband and I had a lot of fun making everything while we watched two seasons of The Good Wife...lol. 

This year I decided to finally make a miniature version of a dessert bar with cotton candy, chocolate covered pretzels, cookie brownies, chocolate drizzled rice krispies, minion cake and cupcakes.

My suggestion is to enlist a helper. I asked my niece to help. She dipped and drizzled everything in chocolate and made the cotton candy. My husband helped with the fondant work on the big minion. The big minion took two 8" cake pans and one 8" domed Betty Crocker pan. I used twinkies to make the minions on the cupcakes.

The minion decorations and games were super easy to make. We had pin the goggles on the minion and decided to put a "J"  on the uniform for my son James instead of a "G."

I know this is a bad picture but I completely forgot to take pictures of the good and evil minion bags that we made. We used purple and yellow bags, construction paper, cut outs, and
markers (brown, purple, yellow, black, and silver).

 We used minion cut outs for everything!!

Finally we decorated our front door using a yellow plastic table cover, blue poster board and computer paper.

Just A Thought

Just A Thought

Crusting Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

I decided to post this for all of those that watched my "How to Make a Camouflage Cake"
tutorial. All buttercream is not the same. It can be made so many different ways that it can be confusing at times. Buttercream is divided into two main categories; crusting and
non-crusting.  The following is a crusting buttercream recipe needed for the technique I
used in the tutorial.

Vanilla Buttercream
4 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract


Directions:
Mix butter and shortening together well, add vanilla extract, add powdered sugar one
cup at a time, until all blended .

Ladies Lounge ~ Inappropriate Humor & Pet Peeves

Happy New Year!!!!

As I reflect upon the past year, I cannot help but feel grateful for all I have. May your upcoming year be filled with love, joy and blessings.

How to Make a Army / Milatary Camouflage Cake

 I recently made a camouflage cake for a friend and I was surprised how easy it was to
make! I decided to make a quick and easy guide to follow!!

Tools Required

1. At least 3 piping bags filled with different colored CRUSTING buttercream

FYI: Crusting buttercream is frosting that will dry to the touch.

 2. High density foam roller and offset spatula

Step One: Crumb Coat Cake 

 Step Two: Make abstract patterns on cake

Make sure the same color of buttercream is never touching

Once complete let buttercream dry for five minutes.Don't worry if some of the white crumb coat shows from underneath. It won't when you're finished.

Step Three: Roll cake gently with foam roller until smooth

Do not stay on one area of the frosting too long. Over rolling the cake in one area will result
in the oils from the cake rising out of the frosting, making the foam roller wet. It make also
result in bleeding of one color into another. 

Step Four: Finish with the border of your choice

 

 

Watch my YouTube video for more instructions

Just A Thought

Easy Holiday Cake Idea

Whenever I feel like baking something quick and easy, I always make cookie cakes!! It's a great addition to any party especially during the holiday season.

 

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Whipped Vanilla Frosting

White Chocolate Chips

 

Instructions

Step One: Preheat oven to 325 degrees, Press 2 cups of dough into 10 inch pan, Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Step Two: Melt white chocolate chips on lowest possible heat, dip knife into white chocolate and drizzle over cookie cake. 

Step Three: Fill zip lock bag with vanilla frosting, twist bag, cut the tip of the bag.

Step Four: Hold bag at a 45 degree angle pipe a ribbon border around cake (u pattern)   

Optional: Make poinsettia by making two intersecting cross patterns, decorate center with sprinkles luster pearls, or shimmering sugar...Enjoy!!

 

 

Losing the Baby Weight!!!

   My son is almost 8 weeks old and I'm already thinking about getting this "baby" weight off. The plan was to take it easy for one month and then start working out. Lets just say, that didn't happen...lol. But even though I am losing weight because I'm breastfeeding, I don't feel like it's fast enough. It seems like every time I go on the Internet or turn on the TV, I see some movie star that has already dropped their baby weight five minutes after giving birth!! And I have to admit, even though I know its not realistic, it still delivers a blow to my pride.
   Why are so many women insecure about how they look especially after having a baby? You would think that after giving birth most women would ease up on the self hatred just a little bit and give their bodies time to heal. But no not us, especially not me. As I walk down the grocery store aisle I see so many diet aid products that further remind me that I'm not good enough.

And before you check out, you have to take the walk of shame past the magazines with all the perfectly "airbrushed" women!
   Secondly, when will this end? Do we change society or do we continue to allow society to change us? The only way women can raise proud and confident daughters is by first becoming proud and confident themselves. We can't effect a positive change in society with a negative perspective. We first must focus on the good, take pride in who we are and how we look.  Just a thought.....

Sharron's Take - Youtube Channel

I decided to start to vlog (video blogging) as well.

Check out my Youtube Channel sharronstake!

Please subscribe and comment....Thanks :)

 

Just A Thought

Gentlemen's Corner ~ What Men Think

Its been said, "Man are from mars and women are from Venus." This statement could not be more true for me and my husband. After six years of marriage, I have learned a lot about men and their seemingly strange quirks. But the biggest thing that baffles me isn't what men do, its how they think. So I decided to interview my husband, brother in-laws, and friend to get into the mind of a man. FYI: I really think this would be the perfect activity for a dinner party. Enjoy!!

Sweet Potatoe Cake Recipe!!

I decided to make a sweet potatoe cake for Thanksgiving this year. It turned out great so I decided to post the recipe...Enjoy!!

 

 

Ingredients

1 box of vanilla cake mix

1 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

 

Directions

Mash sweet potatoes leaving some small chunks, set to the side

Make cake batter as directed on box

Add cinnamon and brown sugar, then mix

Fold in sweet potatoes

Pour batter in a greased cake pan of your choice. I used a 10" bunt pan.

Bake until done. It usually takes 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cake cool completely then frost cake with cream cheese frosting.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup cream cheese (4oz)

1/2 cup butter

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Mix cream cheese and butter together (room temperature)

Add vanilla extract

Add powdered sugar 

 

Just A Thought