Apologies

Sometimes we do things in the heat of the moment maybe it’s because we are upset or maybe it’s because we are angry or maybe it’s purely because we are stupid.

I have always said social media is not the way to vent your feeling and sadly once I did just that, I vented and I proved to myself right about it being hurtful, inconsiderate and just plain stupid.

We all have days where we feel not good enough, hard done by and upset. Some people use the opportunity to go and cry and others make themselves feel better by ranting on social media. I NEVER would have thought of myself as the person to do the second but I did, I am ashamed to say that I acted in manner that was horrible. Even though I thought I had rectified the situation at the time I obviously did not as one of the people I ranted about found out, not only did she find out she managed to read what I had written which was never meant for anyone to ever see.

The day I wrote what I did I very nearly destroyed a very old and very dear friendship and why? because I felt upset, that’s it, she didn’t come at me with a knife, she didn't steal my husband (but that would be nice, keep that in mind)  she didn’t try and tell me my daughter was dumb or unintelligent, all she did was something for herself and I took it as a slap in the face. I took an innocent selfless act as an insult and why because I was feeling hard done by that particular day. That’s it that’s my one good reason, it sucks doesn’t it!

For one blog post I turned into a monster the type of monster I have hated my entire life and for that I am sorry, it was not a personal attack although it comes across like that and after reading it today I realise that and I once again have to feel that horrible sick feeling I felt after I had written it. Let me tell you it’s not pleasant so I can’t understand how others can live through that every day as I can honestly say If I felt the way I did then and the way I do now, life would be pretty bleak.

It’s easy to say you’re sorry and I have already done that, it’s not easy to convince the person you’re actually as sorry as you are.

I remember the day I was unjustly accused of something I didn’t intentionally do, and the way I was attacked for it, I remember the way I felt and how upset I was, and I remember so clearly that to this day if I think about it I physically shudder and have to force myself to think about something else.  I wonder if this is the way she felt...most likely and then I think about that and I realise that MY actions made someone feel this way or similar WOW it goes to show what type of person I can become if I let myself.

So what have a learnt from this? Nothing I didn’t already know I just reiterated to myself the things that I should be mature enough to not ever forget.

Sometimes we have to be reminded that we do have good solid friendships that are not worth falling out over stupid bloody pointless idiotic shit things I wouldn’t blame the person if she hated me for eternity as people have done less to me and I have retaliated a lot worse.
.  In a year that I felt I had been abandoned by everyone, I was shocked to see in an email that maybe my friendship did mean something to someone and it’s sad to know that I only could have seen that because of negative actions on my part.

Bee's and their flowers

The last weekend was crazy, I had two cakes due at once, Saturday morning and Saturday evening.

Saturday morning's cake was a gift for my daughters dance school Easter raffle, a beehive made up of 3 tiers of chocolate mud cake filled with buttercream and carved into the shape of a hive, everything on the cake was edible excluding the tooth picks i used to anchor the bee's and flowers in with.  I also added a ballerina bear who was cheekily sneaking some honey out the side of the hive.

Saturday evening's cake was an engagement cake for a friend, its was three tier again with chocolate mud filled with white chocolate ganache and strawberry preserves, the top tier was also filled with preserves and ganache but the cake was also infused with Irish cream for a bit of extra oomph!

Both cakes went of really well and I'm very proud of the job i did, the roses on the engagement cake, were a first for me as I had never made them before and after stuffing around for days with colour and technique, I feel i didn't do to badly.

I will definitely be practising though as I have found some different techniques that I would like to try!

Wilton Worries

So I started the Wilton Basic Cake Deco course and I have to sat I'm rather disappointed, from work go it was all about up selling and "what can we make them purchase from our store today".  There were things I was under the impression we were learning it turns out it was all lovely pictures in the book of things we were not learning! So not sure if I will continue on at this stage, I may just need to find another course and get into that instead.

Rant over!

On a more positive note I have been teaching dance this year and I am having an absolute ball! What a way to start a year, Hopefully fingers crossed I can do my dance exam in August and pass... and then I can focus on the teaching exams :)

I am pleased to say though that coming up this month I am making two cakes:

First cake is a bumblebee cake, three tiers of chocolate cake covered in yellow fondant and decked out with mini bees, that is my donation to the dance schools annual Easter raffle which hopefully will be a lot of fun to do.

Second cake is for my dear dear friend Kelly and her fiance Trav for their engagement party, again three tiers of white choc mud filled with strawberry butter cream and fresh strawberries and decked out with white fondant, red roses and as a special request from the 'bride to be' a candle in a bell jar on top to tie into their romance theme.......CANT WAIT!!

I have attached some pics of a cake I did in the course and some extra things I have just done on the side for fun and self taught practise (which I'm finding is the best way)

Keep Calm and Eat a Cupcake

Love

Rainy

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Lamington's....chocolate covered cake rolled in coconut, frankly not my favourite treat but I have to say its an Aussie icon you can't go past so I thought I'd try it in a cupcake!

The actual cupcake was just your standard patty recipe:

Self-raising flour
Caster sugar
Butter
Vanilla extract
Milk

I used a basic recipe just for ease because I wanted to crack on with the more important decorating, I filled the cupcakes with a raspberry jam which I warmed slightly to be able to pipe it easily.


my next step was to pipe a cooled ganache onto the top and sprinkle coconut on top, honestly ganache is DIFFICULT  to pipe only because you have to cool it to the exact consistency you think would be best to work with, once you start working though it warms in the piping bag in your hand and thins....frustratingly messy haha

all in all it wasn't a complete disaster and my daughter had a great time decorating her own cupcakes as you can see ;)

New Year, New Me!

Happy New Year!

I hope 2012 brings you all your dreams, I know I am (fingers crossed) well on my way to fulfilling my 2012 goals.

Today I enrolled in a Wilton level 1 course, thankfully I pulled my head in and stopped procrastinating and just did it, I look forward to starting those classes once a week I'm hoping I pick up some great tips on piping and sugar flowers which will only help to create better and more beautiful cakes.

I also was given the opportunity to teach a dance class once a week, I will find out in due course if this is going ahead or not but if so I am really looking forward to the possibility of completing my teaching exams, I have missed dance teaching like you wouldn't believe and when given this chance a huge range of emotions came flooding in fear, suspense, excitement, pride and just pure happiness.

Maybe one day I can combine two of my favourite things cake decorating and dance.....don't ask me how but you never know.

Until next time

Keep Calm and Eat A Cupcake

Rainy x

Baking Baking Baking

I wanted to share my thoughts on baking

I am a terrible baker, I love baking but I'm not very good. I burn cakes and overcook cupcakes, I under fill patty pans and my cakes come out dry and not very appetising.

There will come a time one day that I may succeed but until then its back to trial and error, much to my taste testers disgust.

I find baking very relaxing, stir here, whisk there, fold in and pour out, There is nothing I would love more than being able to bake a spectacular tasting cake, this would make me a happy chap.

It is now time for me to get back to reading my cupcake murder mystery and dreaming about marshmallow fondant.

Until next time

Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes :)

Rainy

Christmasy Cup e Cakes!!

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to share my Christmas cupcakes, I did these for my daughters dance presentation night and was really hoping they would be a hit....and they WERE!!

This is a basic vanilla cupcake stuffed with peppermint buttercream and topped with edible Christmas trees to add a touch of Christmas magic I decided to use some edible glitter to finish them off.

I really enjoyed making them and I have to admit the photos don't do them any justice but please enjoy!

Keep calm and eat cupcakes

Love

Rainy